Tuguegarao

Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao ( ibg, Siyudad nat Tugegaraw; itv, Siyudad yo Tugegaraw; ilo, Siudad ti Tuguegarao; fil, Lungsod ng Tuguegarao ), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 166,334 people, making it the most populous city in Cagayan Valley and Northeastern Luzon.

A major urban center and primary growth center in the Northeastern Luzon, it is the regional center of Cagayan Valley and also its regional institutional and administrative center. One of the fast emerging cities in the Philippines, the city is a convergence area for the provinces of Cagayan, Kalinga, Apayao and northern Isabela.

Dubbed as the “Gateway to the Ilocandia and the Cordilleras,” the city is located on the southern border of the province where the Pinacanauan River empties into the Cagayan River. It is surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains to the east, Cordillera Mountains to the west, and the Caraballo Mountains to the south.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the Philippines——hit Tuguegarao on May 11, 1969.(2013-04-04)
"PAGASA: Hottest day so far this year in NCR at 35.2 degrees Celsius"
GMA News Online. Retrieved on August 2, 2013.

Etymology

There are several legends about the origin of the name. One is a species of palm tree called ''taraw'' in the area and another is ''garao'' in reference to the "swift river current."

The most accepted version is the Ibanags' reply to the Spaniards when the latter asked for the name of the place — ''Tuggi gari yaw'' ("this was cleared by fire").

On the other hand, historical evidence that might provide clues to the origin of the city's name comes from the fact that in 1591, the place was listed as a Spanish ''encomienda'', which was originally a pre-colonial settlement called ''Tubigarao''.

History

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 from Lal-lo as the Cagayan-Manila road opened which spurred socio-economic progress.

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 the Cagayan Valley College of Arts & Trades was founded by American educator Claude Andrews.

During World War II, the city and its airfield of some significance was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army on December 12, 1941, as part of the Japanese invasion of Aparri. The General Headquarters of the 11th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army, USAFIP-NL was activated on 1942 to 1946 and stationed in Tuguegarao.

Sitio Capatan was elevated into a barrio (or barangay) of Tuguegarao on April 3, 1959, by Republic Act No. 2107.

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. Multistory buildings were constructed in the poblacion greatly changing Tuguegarao's skyline in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hotel Delfino siege

On March 4, 1990, former colonel and suspended Cagayan governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo seized the Hotel Delfino using his private army of about 300 men. Aguinaldo stood accused of supporting the Dec. 1–9, 1989 coup attempt against President Corazon Aquino. Brigadier General Oscar Florendo, armed forces chief of Civil Military Relations, was sent to Tuguegarao by Aquino to serve Aguinaldo with an arrest warrant. 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. Florendo was eventually shot inside the hotel and died of his wounds. Following hours of standoff between the two sides, nearly 1,000 government troops launched an attack to dislodge Aguinaldo's forces from the hotel. During this melee, Aguinaldo fled with about 90 fighters for mountains in the north and went into hiding for several months until he surrendered, only to be cleared of all legal charges by winning reelection in 1992.

Cityhood

Tuguegarao became a component city by virtue of Republic Act 8755 dated November 4, 1999, followed by a plebiscite 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 the 2013 local elections. However, Soriano's term was marked by multiple charges of corruption that saw him being and reinstated 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 the 2022 local elections. This made Ting-Que the first woman to be elected mayor of the city.

Geography

Tuguegarao's location is in the southern portion of the province. The city is bordered by Iguig to the north; to the west by the Cagayan River and Solana; Peñablanca to the east; and to the south by Enrile and San Pablo, Isabela. The river delta city is almost encapsulated by the Cagayan River in the western and southern side, which explains for its northward expansion, and the Pinacanauan River, a tributary of Cagayan 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 to eutrophication and the uncontrollable growth of water lilies.

Historically, the town was inhabited by Irayas and Itawes 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.

Cagayan is divided into three congressional districts, wherein the city is included in the Third District together with the other 6 southern municipalities.

The city is located north of Manila, which is an hour by plane and ten hours of land travel.

Barangays

Tuguegarao is politically subdivided and comprises into 49 barangays. These barangays are headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years.

The three most populous are Ugac Sur, Ugac Norte and Cataggamman Nuevo. More than half are classified as urban barangays with some having a combination of commercial, residential and agricultural sites. Rural barangays are mostly agricultural territories.

Climate

Tuguegarao experiences a tropical monsoon climate (''Am''), with only a slight difference between summer and winter temperatures, and high year-round humidity. The average temperature during March and April is , one of the highest in the country.

On May 11, 1969, the highest temperature in the Philippines was recorded in Tuguegarao at , beating the previous record of also measured in Tuguegarao in May 1912. Thus, the city was tagged as the "Hottest City in the Philippines". Unusually, in months—usually lasts from December to February—where the cool northeast monsoon or locally as ''amihan'' surges, temperatures in the city drop to as low as —in 2017—especially in early mornings. Locals parallel the chills felt with that in Baguio.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Tuguegarao was 166,334 people with a density of . It is the most populous and densest city in the Cagayan Valley region. Most of the inhabitants are Ilocanos, Ibanags and Itawes. Some are of Chinese and Indian descent.

Religion

Due to a history of Spanish and other foreign missions, Christianity, in the form of Roman Catholicism, is the predominant religion in Tuguegarao.
The present Roman Catholic Archdiocese was chiseled from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia

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