Tuguegarao | |
|---|---|
     From top, left to right:St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral; San Jacinto Chapel;Buntun Bridge, the country's longest river bridge; Cagayan Museum; Tuguegarao City Commercial Center | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Etymology:Ibanag:Tuggi gari yaw ("this was cleared by fire") | |
| Nickname: Premier Ibanag City | |
| Anthem:Tuguegarao City Hymn | |
 Map of Cagayan with Tuguegarao highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Tuguegarao Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:17°36′48″N121°43′49″E / 17.6133°N 121.7303°E /17.6133; 121.7303 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cagayan Valley |
| Province | Cagayan |
| District | 3rd district |
| Founded | May 9, 1604 |
| Cityhood | December 18, 1999 |
| Barangays | 49 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlungsod |
| • Mayor | Maila Rosario S. Ting-Que (NUP) |
| • Vice Mayor | Rosauro Rodrigo G. Resuello (Lakas-CMD) |
| • Representative | Joseph L. Lara (Lakas-CMD) |
| • Councilors | List
|
| • Electorate | 97,963 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 144.80 km2 (55.91 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 120 m (390 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 995 m (3,264 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 167,297 |
| • Density | 1,155.4/km2 (2,992.4/sq mi) |
| • Households | 37,896 |
| Demonym(s) | Tuguegaraoeño (masculine) Tuguegaraoeña (feminine) |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 2nd city income class[4] |
| • Poverty incidence | 4.87 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 1,456 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 4,276 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 1,146 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 1,089 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Cagayan 1 Electric Cooperative (CAGELCO 1) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 3500 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)78 |
| Native languages | Ibanag Ilocano Tagalog |
| Major religions | Roman Catholicism |
| Feast date | August 16 |
| Catholic diocese | Archdiocese of Tuguegarao |
| Patron saint | St. Hyacinth of Poland |
| Numbered highways | |
| Website | www |
Tuguegarao (/tʊˈɡɛɡəraʊ/ or/tʊɡɛɡəˈraʊ/), officially theCity of Tuguegarao (Ibanag:Siyudad nat Tugegaraw;Itawit:Siyudad yo Tugegaraw;Ilocano:Siudad ti Tuguegarao;Filipino:Lungsod ng Tuguegarao[tʊgɛ̝gäˈɾaʊ]), is a 2nd classcomponent city and capital of theprovince ofCagayan,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 167,297 people,[6] making it the most populous city in Cagayan Province, Cagayan Valley and Northeastern Luzon.
A major urban center and primary growth center in the Northeastern Luzon, it is the regional center ofCagayan Valley and also its regional institutional and administrative center.[7] The city is a convergence area for the provinces of Cagayan,Kalinga,Apayao and northernIsabela and one of the fast-emerging cities in the Philippines.
Dubbed as the "Gateway to theIlocandia and theCordilleras,"[8] the city is located on the southern border of the province where thePinacanauan River empties into theCagayan River. It is surrounded by theSierra Madre Mountains to the east,Cordillera Mountains to the west, and theCaraballo Mountains to the south.
The highest temperature ever recorded in the Philippines—42.2 °C (108.0 °F)—hit Tuguegarao on May 11, 1969.[9][10]
Taraw is a palm tree in the area andgarao is a reference to the "swift river current".[11]
The popular version based on legend is the Ibanags' reply to the Spaniards when asked for the name of the place:Tuggi gari yaw ("this was cleared by fire").
The origin of the city's name is unknown, but historical evidence suggests it was originally a pre-colonial settlement calledTubigarao. In 1591, the place was listed as a Spanishencomienda.
Kingdom of Spain 1604–1899
United States of America 1899–1941
Empire of Japan 1941–1945
Philippines 1946–present
Tuguegarao was founded on May 9, 1604, as a "mission-pueblo" with the new vicar Fray Tomas Villa, O.P. initiating the construction of a temporary church housing Sts. Peter and Paul as patron saints.
In the 1720s, Father Antonio Lobato, O.P. developed a layout of street network together with the construction of the cathedral. In 1839, the provincial capital was transferred to Tuguegarao fromLal-lo as the Cagayan-Manila road opened which spurred socio-economic progress.[11]
The town was occupied by American troops on December 12, 1899. Drastic improvements in Tuguegarao were discerned over the course of provincial administrations—the first Provincial Capitol was completed in 1909, a town hall and public market were built, the provincial high school—Cagayan High School—was founded in a former private residence, and theCagayan Valley College of Arts & Trades was founded by American educator Claude Andrews.[11]
DuringWorld War II, the city and its airfield was bombed at the opening of thePacific War on 8 December 1941.[12] The city fell to theJapanese Imperial Army on 12 December 1941, as part of theJapanese invasion of Aparri. The General Headquarters of the 11th Infantry Regiment,Philippine Commonwealth Army,USAFIP-NL was activated in 1942 and stationed in Tuguegarao. Following an escalation of fighting during the closing months of the war, the Japanese fled to the barrio of Capatan. Tuguegarao was liberated by Allied forces on 25 June 1945.[12]
Sitio Capatan was elevated into a barrio (or barangay) of Tuguegarao on April 3, 1959, byRepublic Act No. 2107.[13]
Loan-funded government spending to promoteFerdinand Marcos’ 1969 reelection campaign caused[14][15] the Philippine economy to take a sudden downwards turn in the last months of the 1960s. Known as the1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, this led to social unrest throughout the country beginning with theFirst Quarter Storm protests of 1970,[16][17]: "43" [18][19] and incidents of violence like thePlaza Miranda bombing. Marcos responded byvilifying his critics as "communists" and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus through Proclamation No. 889 in August 1971, but this had the effect of pushing moderate student protesters towards the radical left, and causing many of them to go home to their home provinces like Cagayan.[20][21][22] Marcos' actions thus lead theMarxist–Leninist–MaoistCommunist Party of the Philippines to gain a significant presence in many Cagayan municipalities, although not as much in Tuguegarao itself.[23][24]
With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines underMartial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.[25] This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record ofhuman rights abuses,[26][27] particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.[28] In Tuguegarao, Camp Marcelo Adduru became the province's main detention center for"political detainees,"[29] who were often never formally charged with a crime, and thus technically not counted by Marcos as "prisoners."[29][30][31]
Others disappeared without the trace for daring to speak against Marcos, such asRomeo G. Crismo, a teacher atCagayan Teacher's College andSt. Louis College in Tuguegarao, who criticized the1973 Philippine constitutional plebiscite as a sham election. He disappeared without a trace in August 1980 after unknown men tried to capture him in front of his students the day before. He was later honored by having his name inscribed on the wall of remembrance of the Philippines'Bantayog ng mga Bayani in recognition of his martyrdom while resisting authoritarianism.[32]
In 1975, Tuguegarao was declared as the capital and seat of the regional government of Cagayan Valley (Region II) being the region's geographic center with adequate facilities and amenities needed by such.[citation needed] Multistory buildings were constructed in the poblacion greatly changing Tuguegarao's skyline in the 1980s and 1990s.
On March 4, 1990, former Colonel and suspended Cagayan GovernorRodolfo Aguinaldo seized the Hotel Delfino using his private army of about 300 men. Aguinaldo stood accused of supporting theDec. 1–9, 1989 coup attempt against PresidentCorazon Aquino.[33] Brigadier General Oscar Florendo, armed forces chief of Civil Military Relations, was sent to Tuguegarao by Aquino to serve Aguinaldo with an arrest warrant.[33] After Aguinaldo's men seized control of Hotel Delfino where the general was staying, Florendo was taken hostage along with more than 50 other hotel guests.[34] Florendo was eventually shot inside the hotel and died of his wounds.[35] Following hours of standoff between the two sides, nearly 1,000 government troops[36] launched an attack to dislodge Aguinaldo's forces from the hotel.[37] During this melee, Aguinaldo fled with about 90 fighters for mountains in the north[34] and went into hiding for several months until he surrendered, only to be cleared of all legal charges by winning reelection in 1992.
Tuguegarao became acomponent city by virtue ofRepublic Act 8755 dated November 4, 1999,[38] followed by aplebiscite held on December 18, 1999.Randolph Ting was the first mayor of the new city. On July 2, 2007, Ting's father, businessman and former municipal mayor Delfin Telan Ting, was elected as the city's second mayor. After the 25-year political dominance of the Tings, however, retired police general Jefferson Soriano won over re-electionist Delfin Ting in the2013 local elections.[39] However, Soriano's term was marked by multiple charges of corruption that saw him beingreinstated several times over his nine years in office. Eventually, he was defeated by Maila Ting-Que, daughter of Delfin Ting, in his 4th reelection bid in the2022 local elections. This made Ting-Que the first woman to be elected mayor of the city.[40]
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Tuguegarao's location is in the southern portion of the province. The city is bordered byIguig to the north; to the west by theCagayan River andSolana;Peñablanca to the east; and to the south byEnrile andSan Pablo, Isabela. The river delta city is almost encapsulated by theCagayan River in the western and southern side, which explains for its northward expansion, and thePinacanauan River, a tributary ofCagayan River, in the eastern part. Small bodies of waters are found in the city, such as the Balzain Creek which spans the barangays of Caritan Sur and Balzain. Currently, the creek is continuously drying up due toeutrophication and the uncontrollable growth of water lilies.
Historically, the town was inhabited by Irayas andItawes who lived and mainly relied on fishing, farming, hunting and livestock raising. In addition, ancient natives have ventured on weaving cloth and making of household and farm implements.[41]
Cagayan is divided intothree congressional districts, wherein the city is included in the Third District together with the other 6 southern municipalities.[42]
Tuguegarao is located 486.14 kilometres (302.07 mi) north of the country's capital city ofManila, which is ten hours of land travel. The city can be reached by an hour through plane travel.[42]
Tuguegarao is politically subdivided and comprises into 49barangays.[43][44] Each barangay consists ofpuroks while some havesitios.
There are 31 barangays in the city that are considered urban (highlighted inbold).
| Climate data for Tuguegarao (1991–2020, extremes 1903–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.2 (99.0) | 38.4 (101.1) | 40.0 (104.0) | 42.2 (108.0) | 42.2 (108.0) | 41.7 (107.1) | 41.0 (105.8) | 39.4 (102.9) | 38.9 (102.0) | 38.5 (101.3) | 37.8 (100.0) | 38.5 (101.3) | 42.2 (108.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.8 (85.6) | 32.5 (90.5) | 35.1 (95.2) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.2 (95.4) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.2 (91.8) | 32.7 (90.9) | 31.2 (88.2) | 29.6 (85.3) | 27.9 (82.2) | 32.1 (89.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.6 (74.5) | 24.5 (76.1) | 26.6 (79.9) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.4 (84.9) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.2 (82.8) | 27.8 (82.0) | 26.6 (79.9) | 25.4 (77.7) | 23.8 (74.8) | 26.9 (80.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.8 (69.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 19.8 (67.6) | 21.7 (71.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) | 12.9 (55.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.3 (61.3) | 17.5 (63.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 17.0 (62.6) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.6 (63.7) | 14.8 (58.6) | 12.8 (55.0) | 11.5 (52.7) | 11.5 (52.7) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 33.7 (1.33) | 32.2 (1.27) | 31.5 (1.24) | 46.5 (1.83) | 141.4 (5.57) | 135.7 (5.34) | 205.5 (8.09) | 216.8 (8.54) | 226.0 (8.90) | 282.9 (11.14) | 258.4 (10.17) | 158.3 (6.23) | 1,768.9 (69.64) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 110 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 82 | 79 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 83 | 77 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 135.4 | 174.9 | 218.3 | 253.3 | 230.9 | 231.9 | 223.2 | 172.0 | 158.4 | 142.2 | 119.0 | 128.2 | 2,187.7 |
| Source 1:PAGASA[45][46] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990)[47][48] | |||||||||||||
Tuguegarao experiences atropical monsoon climate (Am), with only a slight difference between summer and winter temperatures, and high year-round humidity. The average maximum temperature during May is 96 °F (36 °C),[49] one of the highest in the country.
On May 11, 1969, the highest temperature in the Philippines was recorded in Tuguegarao at 42.2 °C (108.0 °F),[9][10] beating the previous record of 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) also measured in Tuguegarao in May 1912.[50] Thus, the city was tagged as the "Hottest City in the Philippines". Unusually, in months—usually lasts from December to February—where the coolnortheast monsoon or locally asamihan surges, temperatures in the city drop to as low as 15 °C (59 °F)—in 2017[51]—especially in early mornings. Locals parallel the chills felt with that inBaguio.[52]
In the 2020 census, the population of Tuguegarao was 166,334 people[53] with a density of 1,100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,800 inhabitants per square mile. It is the most populous and densest city in theCagayan Valley region. Most of the inhabitants areIlocanos,Ibanags andItawes.[citation needed] City's other residents includeKapampangans,Pangasinans,Tagalogs,Cebuanos,Hiligaynons,Maranaos,Maguindanaons andTausugs—all of whom are not native in the city.[54] Some are ofChinese andIndian descent.
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| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[55][56][57][58][59] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Due to a history of Spanish and other foreign missions, Christianity, in the form of Roman Catholicism, is the predominant religion in Tuguegarao.The presentRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao was chiseled from theArchdiocese of Nueva Segovia formerly located inLal-lo (Nueva Segovia). It was initially created as a diocese on April 10, 1910, and elevated as an Archdiocese byPope Paul VI on September 21, 1974. It has jurisdiction over suffragan bishops ofBayombong,Ilagan andBatanes.
The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese is atSt. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the region.
There are alsoProtestants,Baptist,Church of Christ,Adventists,Born Again groups,the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,Jehovah's Witnesses, and Philippine-based groups like theIglesia Filipina Independiente,Iglesia ni Cristo andMembers Church of God International that accounts to the city's population. These religious organizations have their own temples and churches sparsely located in the city. Some areIslam where their mosques are located at Centro 10 (Riverside) and Gosi Norte respectively.
Within the past three decades, its economy gradually shifted from agriculture to trading, commerce and services. The shift was ushered by Tuguegarao's role as the Regional Government Center and Center of Commerce in Northern Luzon.[68] In early 2016, Tuguegarao City was named as one of the ten emerging cities in the 2015 Next Wave Cities report, conducted byDepartment of Science and Technology - Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO).[69]
On June 30, 2020, theDepartment of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), named Tuguegarao as one of the 25 "digital cities" poised to be prospect growth areas of the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector in the country by 2025.[70]
Currently, Tuguegarao has two major public markets, namely, the Don Domingo Public Market — located in the upper part of Poblacion serving as the convergence of agricultural and aquatic products from neighboring towns and provinces — and the Tuguegarao City Commercial Center — formerly known as Mall of the Valley and is located at the Central Business District, receiving the highest daily foot traffic.
Large retail operators have shown significant interest to the growth and increase of land value in cities throughout the Philippines. They are seen as highly developed urban centers where a lot of economic activities take place, and is important to urbanization and development. Tuguegarao is eyed as a center of exponential growth for commerce, industry and service, strengthening its stature as the capital of theCagayan Valley Region.
SM Prime, the largest retail operator in the country, openedSM Center Tuguegarao Downtown on October 12, 2017, as its first mall in the city and in Cagayan. Its second mall,SM City Tuguegarao, opened on November 18, 2022, marketed as the largest mall in the Cagayan Valley Region.[71][72][73]
On July 26, 2018,[74] rivalRobinsons Land Corporation opened the mixed-use complex shopping mallRobinsons Place Tuguegarao as the first full-service mall in Cagayan,[75] including aGo Hotels branch,[76] the first in the region. A few kilometers away is DoubleDragon Properties' CityMall Tuguegarao which opened on March 1, 2021, its first mall in the region.
Other notable shopping centers include the Tuguegarao City Commercial Center, formerly known as the Mall of the Valley; FCI Citimall, the first shopping mall in Northern Luzon; Brickstone Mall; Primark Town Center Tuguegarao, former site of Paseo Reale Mall; Unitop Mall Tuguegarao; Mart One Department Store and more.
Following the opening of 7 Eleven stores inNueva Vizcaya, andIsabela provinces, the Philippine Seven Corporation expanded its reach to the Cagayan with its two branches in the city at College Avenue, nearUniversity of Cagayan Valley and at the new Valley Hotel Tower Mall in Balzain. There are currently more than eight branches of 7 Eleven stores as business expansion continues in the city.[77]
The city has seen a significant growth of auto-hub companies with the presence of car showrooms in the city.
The City Government of Tuguegarao, through the city's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Council hosted a meeting with IT-BPO companies Sitel Philippines Inc. and Lee Chiu Property Consultants, Inc. in September 2018 to discuss the possibilities of locating their companies in the city. Initial steps have been made for the establishment of an IT park and a township where BPO companies could locate.[78][79]
Tuguegarao, as the seat of the regional capital ofCagayan Valley, houses the regional headquarters of theBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas located at the Regional Government Center in Carig Sur. As of 2019, a total of 53 banks are operating in the city such asBPI,BDO,Chinabank,RCBC,EastWest,UnionBank,Robinsons Bank,PNB,Bank of Commerce,Landbank,UCPB,Philippine Postal Savings Bank and others.
Major real estate developersAyala Land — Avida Settings Tuguegarao — and Vista Land — Camella Tuguegarao, Lessandra Cagayan and the expansion of Camella Cagayan (soon Camella Cagayan Trails) — are constructing their housing developments in Cagayan Valley. New condominiums developments are in the city these are Bayani Hall Lecaros, Bayani Hall Twin Towers developed by Vester Corporation and Rosevale Towers developed by Vista Estates.
The North Gateway Business Park is an 18-hectare (44-acre) mixed-use township development project located in Barangay Carig Sur, near the Regional Government Center. Launched on February 4, 2020, by real estate developer DataLand, it will feature a mixed-use superblock of retail shops, transport terminal, hotel and residential condominiums and a business park for BPO companies, financial institutions and major corporations.[80][81] Nuciti by Vista Estates will become one of the future central business district of Tuguegarao spanning at 100-hectares of prime land currently it will house the Rosevale Towers, restaurants, cafes and in future developments it will feature commercial blocks, office buildings, meeting spaces, condotels, hotels, condominiums and commercial hubs.
In May 2019, theNational Economic and Development Authority Regional Development Council - Region 2 worked with consulting firms Pacific Rim Innovation and Management Exponents, Inc. (PRIMEX), Engineering and Development Corporation of the Philippines (EDCOP) and the Key Engineer Corporation to prepare a master plan for spurring economic growth in the Metro Tuguegarao zone. The metropolitan area, known asPIEST, includes the four municipalities ofPeñablanca,Iguig,Enrile,Solana and the city of Tuguegarao. A situation analysis made by the consultative bodies found out that agriculture, water resource and tourism sectors were some of the "unutilized potentials" seen as key in the development of the area.[82]
New developments are aimed to spread within the metro area with the construction of a new bridge linking Solana and Tuguegarao. When opened, this bridge will help decongest traffic inBuntun Bridge.[83]
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As a component city and capital of the province of Cagayan, government officials in the provincial level are voted by the electorates of the city. The provincial government have political jurisdiction over local transactions of the city government.
Tuguegarao is governed by a city mayor, designated as local chief executive, and by a Sangguniang Panlungsod, composed of the vice mayor and the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, as the legislative body, in accordance with the Local Government Code.[84] They are voted to office through an election, held every after three years. As a component city, the provincial government of Cagayan has political jurisdiction over local transactions of the city government.
Barangays are also headed by elected officials:Barangay Captain,Barangay Council, whose members are calledBarangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.
Members Of 10th City Council (2025–2028)
| Position | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Congressman | Joseph L. Lara | |
| Mayor | Maila Rosario T. Que | |
| Vice- Mayor | Rosauro Rodrigo G. Resuello | |
| Councilors | Maria Rosario B. Soriano | |
| Ronald S. Ortiz | ||
| Mark Angelo B. Dayag | ||
| Jude T. Bayona | ||
| Lope B. Apostol Jr. | ||
| Marc Aldous C. Baccay | ||
| Tirso V. Mangada | ||
| Dennis Ryan G. Avila | ||
| Myrna G. Te | ||
| Mariel Ayna T. Calimag | ||
| Karina S. Gauani | ||
| Anthony C. Tuddao | ||
On February 10, 2017, then Mayor Jefferson P. Soriano stepped down from office following an order from theOmbudsman to dismiss him for grave misconduct, which stemmed from anomalous purchases made when he was still the comptroller of thePhilippine National Police. Soriano voluntarily called theDepartment of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to facilitate the turn over of the mayoralty office to then Vice Mayor Bienvenido de Guzman II.[85] After about seven months, following the order of theCourt of Appeals Fourth Division (CA) for "immediate" reinstatement of Mayor Jefferson P. Soriano, on September 6, 2017, Soriano took oath of office. The CA disagreed to theOmbudsman's dismissal order—stating that he committed grave misconduct—and that the mayor only committed simple misconduct. According to the decision, he should only be penalized with three months suspension instead of dismissal from service.[86]
The Pavvurulun Afi Festival is an annual festival every August, celebrated in commemoration of the city's patron saint,San Jacinto de Polonia whose feast day falls on August 16.[87] It came from the Ybanag wordafi, meaning fire.[88]
The concept of the "Afi" started in 2014 which reaffirms the city's origins based on popular legend that the current city center was once “a wilderness that wascleared by fire.”[87] The main event of the celebration is its opening day, where thousands of students convene for a field demonstration at night as torchbearers. In 2017, 3500 students fromCagayan National High School andCagayan State University - College of Human Kinetics danced with torches at the sports complex. The city is attempting to beat Indonesia's world record of 3,777 torchbearers in the festival's next edition.[89]
Other highlights of the weeklong celebration include the street dancing and drum and lyre competitions, participated by elementary and secondary schools in the city, clad in their vibrant costumes and props. Both are usually held at the city's central business district on Bonifacio Street (Calle Commercio). Other events include theBangkarera—a rowing competition in two categories which aims to promote sustainable fishing along thePinacanauan River, which flows to theCagayan River—pansit festival featuring a pansit-eating and pansit-cook off contests,Nuang Karera (Carabao race),Kabayu Karera (horse race), among others.[90]
The predecessor to this was the Maskota Festival, an ode to theMaskota which is called the "Dance of Lovemaking." It is a wedding dance prevalent in the provinces ofCagayan andIsabela characterized by "spontaneous, lively and extravagantly expressive" movements, danced to the rhythm of theverso with thesincosinco accompaniment. In the olden days, indigenous materials were utilized for the costumes ranging from local harvests of coconut sprouts, betel nuts, to corn leaves andatchuetes as natural dye.[91]
Pancit Batil Potun, widely known as Pancit Batil Patung, is a popular local noodle dish which directly translates to "pancit, beaten egg soup and egg on top." Several panciterias mushroom in all the city's corners, each with distinct styles of cooking and ingredients—miki, egg, minced carabao meat, vegetables and other specific toppings of choice.[92] The city is also known for its own version oflongganisa characterized with its salty and garlicky taste with variations using either pork or carabao meat.[93]
TheCagayan Museum and Historical Research Center houses an extensive collection of various artifacts and antiques of the province. In addition to animal fossils found in the valley, it houses extensive data on the discovery ofCallao Man by theNational Museum. Formerly located in the Cagayan Provincial Capitol Complex, it has moved to the renovated historic provincial jail known as Tribunal de Tuguegarao.[94] In front of the provincial museum are the refurbished century-old Rizal Park[95] and Tuguegarao East Central School, the city's formermunicipio from the Spanish era until its conversion to a public elementary school in 1960.[96]
Tuguegarao boasts elaborate Spanish-built churches such as the Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto, known to locals as theSan Jacinto Church, which houses the city's patron saint. It is an elevated chapel built by Dominican friars in 1604 regarded as the oldest brick structure in the city. TheSt. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral is the biggest Spanish colonial church in Cagayan Valley which was construction from 1761 to 1767 under the supervision of Fr. Antonio Lobato, OP. It is the seat of theArchdiocese of Tuguegarao. Both churches underwent reconstruction due to damages brought by World War II.
Located in Barangay Centro 09, often called Bagumbayan by locals, is theHorno ruins,[97] a Spanish-era brick kiln used to fire bricks for colonial structures including those in the Cathedral and San Jacinto Church.
St. Paul University Philippines was founded in 1907 as Colegio de San Pablo with the arrival of theSisters of St. Paul of Chartres in Cagayan Valley. It served as a military garrison and hospital of the Japanese during the World War. Throughout the years, it has since become identified internationally having been the first private university in the Philippines to be ISO 9001 certified in 2000 by TÜV Rheinland.[98] One of the most recognizable structures in the campus is the Our Lady of Chartres Chapel, reminiscent ofFrench Gothic architecture, which was inaugurated during the university's centenary celebration.[96]
South of the city is theBuntun Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the country spanning 1.369 km (0.851 miles) across theCagayan River, the longest and largest river in the Philippines. Construction began in 1960 and was opened to traffic in 1969, linking the city to the second and third district municipalities of Cagayan and Apayao.
While tourist spots are sparse in the city, it has become the usual jump-off point of tourists to other destinations in the province such as theCallao Cave and Calvary Hills in neighboring townsPeñablanca andIguig, respectively.[99]
The city hosts a number of event centers—such as the Cagayan Sports Complex, Tuguegarao City Peoples' Gymnasium and the Cagayan Coliseum—thereby allowing it to host provincial and regional conventions and related gatherings.
The water system of Tuguegarao is administered by the Metropolitan Tuguegarao Water District, which also serves the nearby municipalities such asIguig andSolana. Meanwhile, electric services are provided by Cagayan Electric Cooperative which has its office in Solana, Cagayan. Telecommunication services are primarily offered by huge telephone companies such asPLDT and Bayantel, while mobile services are handled byGlobe Telecom,Smart Communications,Dito Telecommunity,Sun Cellular,Touch Mobile, andTalk N' Text. High-speed DSL and optical Internet subscriptions are offered by RBC Cable, PLDT and Globe Telecom.
Tuguegarao houses the headquarters of thePhilippine National Police forCagayan Valley, located in Camp Marcelo A. Adduru at Alimannao Hills. As the region's institutional center, it is home to the majority of regional government offices, which are concentrated in the Regional Government Center at Barangay Carig Sur.
Transportation and infrastructure play a major role in sustaining Tuguegarao's economy and supporting nearby towns. As the city grows, its daytime population has increased, with residents commuting for commerce, work, and notably education—thanks to its reputation for housing several academic institutions. Over the years, Tuguegarao has evolved and expanded, and its transportation network has grown to keep up with the increasing demand for easily accessible, reliable, and flexible transit options.
TheTuguegarao Airport handles domestic flights within the Philippines and serves the general area of Tuguegarao and its surrounding municipalities, capable of handlingBoeing-737-sized aircraft. It isone of the top 20 busiest airports in the country and classified by theCivil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as a Principal Class 1 domestic airport. Cebu Pacific, Sky Pasada andPAL Express are the domestic airlines which operate routes to and from the city. As of 2017, the airport is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion consisting of terminal upgrades and widening of runway, for night landing capabilities, and taxiway.[100]
A proposed international airport, serving theCagayan Valley Region, will be constructed at the eastern portion of the city—somewhere in barangays Dadda or Tagga—as suggested by City Mayor Bienvenido de Guzman II and former mayor Atty. Jefferson Soriano. Originally, as proposed by theCagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, the airport was to be located at the tri-boundary area ofTuao,Piat andSolana towns but was later shelved after a forum.[101]
A cultural icon of the Philippines with a unique design, Tuguegarao'stricycles offer shared vehicle for hire services for small groups of passengers on a common route over short distances.
Tuguegarao also serves as a vital hub for local, regional and national transportation. Buses operate regional routes from Tuguegarao toBaggao,Aparri,Santiago,Baguio, and many neighboring cities, towns and municipalities. It also is an end-of-the-line stop for many coaches running inter-city and national routes mostly coming fromMetro Manila such as GV Florida, Victory Liner, Dalin Bus Liner, Five Star, and First North Luzon Transit.
To the east side are UV Express vans that ply north and south towardsClaveria,Santa Praxedes,Aparri,Santa Ana,Alcala,Lasam andJunction Luna, Abulug inCagayan,Santiago,Roxas,Ilagan andCauayan inIsabela,Luna andKabugao inApayao. There are also mini buses plying to Lasam,Allacapan, Claveria, Santiago and Roxas. To the west arejeepneys with routes toIguig,Tuao,Enrile,Tabuk andRizal inKalinga and some mountainous and inland barrios including Callao, all of which lie on the western side of the river.
Kalesas run within the city, mostly near popular points of interest, and are part of the city's tourism but most of these are limited within the downtown area.Taxis are the newest mode of public transportation which are routed from the city to any point in Region 2.
Regional transport in Tuguegarao is vulnerable given its lack of distribution ofarterial roads and inadequate traffic engineering planning and discipline.
). It is the only road that serves north-bound traffic to Tuguegarao coming from the east side of the Cagayan River and most ofCagayan Valley. It also links Tuguegarao to surrounding municipalities, most notablyIguig andPeñablanca. These two main arterial networks serves as the backbone for the majority of Tuguegarao's internal and inter-regional transportation.
Being the regional center, Tuguegarao hosts major hospitals which serve people in theCagayan Valley region.Cagayan Valley Medical Center, the largest medical facility in the Cagayan Valley with a bed capacity of 500, is situated in the city. The largest privately owned facility in the region is the 250-bed Dr. Ronald P. Guzman Medical Center, a tertiary level hospital.[103]St. Paul University Philippines has an affiliate hospital in Tuguegarao, the St. Paul Hospital. Cagayan's oldest existing private hospital, the Dr. Domingo S. De Leon General Hospital, formerly Clinica De Leon, is also situated in the city.
Other hospitals in the city are the government-owned and run Tuguegarao City People's General Hospital and the Holy Infant Hospital[103] as well as the privately owned Divine Mercy Wellness Center.[104]
Due to its high incidence of universities, Tuguegarao has been dubbed as the Center of Education in Cagayan Valley. It is home to prestigious and internationally recognized schools such asSt. Paul University Philippines—the main campus of theSt. Paul University System—and theUniversity of Saint Louis Tuguegarao—one of theCICM schools. The latter was the successor of theAteneo de Tuguegarao, the country's fifth Ateneo ran by theSociety of Jesus, established in 1945 but eventually closed in 1962 following the Jesuit exodus.
Two of the top state universities are also in Tuguegarao City—theCSU Athena (Andrews Campus), andCSU Red Eagle (Carig Campus)—producing national topnotchers in board examinations. Both universities have their own administration and are separated from each other.
Other schools in the city include theUniversity of Cagayan Valley, John Wesley College,Medical Colleges of Northern Philippines - International School of Asia and Pacific, F.L. Vargas College, Maila Rosario College, Credo Domine College, City Technological Institute, Cagayan Metropolitan Institute of Technology,STI College,AMA Computer College, and other educational institutions. Proposals have also been unveiled for the establishment of aNational University campus (possibly within the SM City complex), majorly owned and ran bySM Group.
TheTechnical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994, which encourages the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units, and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the country's human resource. The TESDA complex and facilities are located in Carig Norte. Numerous technological and vocational institutes can also be found in the city.
Tuguegarao has one Jesuit educational institution located along Bagay Road—the Global Reformed University.
Other notable schools in the city includeCagayan National High School—the oldest and biggest secondary school in the region in terms of student population—Tuguegarao City Science High School, a state-owned secondary institution—Ke Bing School, a private Chinese school—Methodist Christian School, a Christian school in Central Business District—and Saint Claire Montesorri, a catholic school in San Gabriel. The state-owned secondary institution of Tuguegarao City West High School started operations on June 4, 2012.
Students from different countries like China,Congo, India,Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Korea come to study at the city's universities. Most of the students come to study undergraduate and graduate degrees in sciences.
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