(There are clamors from readers of The Northern Forum where this material is exclusively published to also include other trivial materials in other parts of Cagayan. The reason why Tuguegarao dominates this series is because there are very few, if at all, materials from other towns. We would be thankful if you can send us your items. You will be credited. )
1. Regardless of versions, the Cagayan Hymn, composed by J.M. Butler, has 83 musical notes.
2. Aparrianos admitted that their town is built by early Chinese businessmen who settled at the mouth of Cagayan River in Barangay Punta.
3. The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Council in Ilo-ilo, in one published report, claimed the aramang of Aparri is the most delicious among all other aramangs in the country.
4. The Filipino lyrics of the Cagayan Hymn, written by the Philippine Public School Teachers Association- Cagayan Chapter, is rarely sung by the Cagayanos.
5. Miss Aparri Grace Gorospe was proclaimed Miss Cagayan Centennial 1983. Part of her winning was an all-expense paid trip to the United States. However, her singing and guitar-playing talent was no match to Miss Amulung’s Mary Ann Molina, a Spanish mestiza, who performed a declamation piece.
6. Miss Tuguegarao, Jeanette Zingapan of Bagumbayan, Tuguegarao City landed on Top 5 of the Miss Cagayan Centennial but recorded local history when she was tapped as one of the three commercial models on a television ads for Kao Feather shampoo. She was the first beauty contestant from Cagayan to break into television commercials.
7. The first Cagayano student sent to school as government scholar was Amancio Donato of Tuguegarao.
8. Fifty four percent of the 178 species of fauna recorded in the Penablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape by Conservation International-Philippines is not found anywhere else in the country.
9. The only Filipino movie premiered in Cagayan Valley was Reyna Productions’ “Laruang Apoy” produced by Armida Siguion-Reyna, half- sister of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. The movie premiered at Eurasia Theater in Tuguegarao which introduced the equally first Lodge section in the region for moviegoers in the ‘70s.
10. The only foreign-produced movie shot in Callao Caves in the 1970s was “Golden Triangle,” a movie about illegal drugs in Asia. It featured Taiwanese Martial Arts actor Meng Fei with Miss World first-runner up Evangeline Pascual and Eddie Garcia as leads. The three actors met Cagayano fans at the Arranz Gymnasium in Tuguegarao. TNF
Engelberto Guzman Gammad
October 18, 2016 at 2:08 AM
The name “Cagayan” was derived from the Spanish word “cagar” (cagarse), which means to pooh. “Cagar en el valle” (or “en el valle donde nos cagamos”) must have been an expression among the “conquistadores” as they went through their exploration of the valley. From that expression, the people got used to “Valle de Cagayan” (Cagayan Valley).
Raymon Dullana
October 18, 2016 at 6:09 PM
Thank you very much Mr. Gammad. We hope to see your name often here.