People Of The Cagayan Region

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The Cagayan Region is made up of the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, and Batanes in the north. area is 26, 837.7sq. Typhoons are frequent in this region bringing rains throughout the year.

Unlike in the Mountain Region, land in the Cagayan Region is fertile for profitable agriculture. It is no wonder that crops such as rice, corn, and tobacco, and fruits and vegetables, are produced in amounts that exceed the community requirements.

A significant number of the original settlers- the Ilongots, Igorots and a few Dumagats is still found living along boundaries of the province or inhabiting the forests. The Ilongots were believed to have descended from the Indonesians. They are quite good-looking and friendly.

In the Ilongot society, the man is an absolute king. The women cook and farm. The men fish and hunt, bring firewood, build fences and take care of the kaingin. They can have as many as six wives as long as they treat each one fairly and build a house for each wife.

Childbirth among the Ilongots is simple. The pregnant mother goes to a spot near a tree a bed of ashes has been prepared. When the time to deliver comes, the pregnant woman holds on to the tree trunk allowing the baby to fall on the bed of ashes. She cuts the umbilical cord with a sharp objects washes herself in a nearby river, and gives the baby to the father. Having done these, she returns to the field to continue working.