Nueva Vizcaya

Are you a trekking or spelunking enthusiast? Looking for a new territory to conquer? The province of Nueva Vizcaya is the perfect place for you. This land locked province used to be part of the vast territory of Cagayan Valley until 1839 when Gov. Luis Lardizabal issued an Order creating the province of Nueva Vizcaya. The order was approved by a Royal Decree on April 10, 1841, and in 1902 Nueva Vizcaya had its first civil government organized by the Philippine Commission. The territory of Nueva Vizcaya was reduced in size when the province of Isabela was formally created in 1856. Its territory was further reduced when Ifugao province was organized in 1908, and Quirino province in 1971. Quirino was formerly a sub-province of Nueva Vizcaya.

Despite the great reduction of its territory, Nueva Vizcaya still enjoys its unique location in Cagayan Valley. Located at the southern entrance to the Cagayan Valley, Nueva Vizcaya offers mountain ranges, valleys, water falls, rolling hills, plains, and best of all, majestic caves, which are all ideal for eco-tourism. Among the famous destinations are Mt. Pulag National Park, which straddles the towns of Kayapa and Ambaguio, and Alayan Cave in Kasibu. Mt. Pulag is the Philippines’ second highest peak at 9,630 feet above sea level, while the Alayan Cave system in Barangay Capisaan in Kasibu town is recorded as the 5th longest cave system in the country at 4.5 kilometers. The longest cave system in the Philippines is Saint Paul Cave in Palawan, which is recorded as 15 kilometers long. According to one experienced caver, Alayan Cave is like Sagada and Callao caves combined. The stalactite and stalagmite formations in Alayan Cave are world class.

However, another cave system was discovered recently by veteran mountaineers and spelunkers in the remote area in Barangay Pao, also in Kasibu. This is probably the longest cave system in the country, besting even Saint Paul Cave of Palawan in terms of length, and Kasibu’s own Alayan Cave in terms of rock formations. This newly discovered and unexplored cave, which begins at Barangay Pao, Kasibu town, goes underground until it reaches Barangay New Gumiad in another town, Dupax del Norte, which is estimated to be a 15.7 kilometer stretch. However, according to a founding member of the Nueva Vizcaya Mountaineering Club, the newly discovered cave is at least 20 kilometers long, not including other passages and arteries. The length of the cave system was measured through a practical method of pouring rice bran or ipa into the fast flowing river at the cave entrance in Barangay Pao. They later found the rice bran in Barangay New Gumiad. It is possible that the flowing river has carved a big underground cavern. The entire length of the newly discovered cave remains to be surveyed.

Indeed, so much of Nueva Vizcaya’s territory remains unexplored. It is possible that there are other caves and water falls in the mountains of Nueva Vizcaya. Tourists pass by Nueva Vizcaya on their way to other mountain destinations like Banawe and Sagada. Now there is more reason for tourists to make Nueva Vizcaya their primary destination. This landlocked province is surrounded by three mountain ranges: Sierra Madre in the east, Caraballo in the south, and Cordillera in the west. North of Nueva Vizcaya is the vast plains and rolling hills of Isabela, and further north is Cagayan province. West of Nueva Vizcaya is Pangasinan and Benguet, with roads leading to Baguio. Northwest of Nueva Vizcaya is Ifugao and Mountain Province, which boasts of the Banawe Rice Terraces and Sagada Caves, respectively. East of Nueva Vizcaya leading to the Sierra Madre mountain range is its former sub-province, Quirino. The provincial capitol is located in Bayombong, while its commercial district is located in Solano. Nueva Vizcaya is approximately 6 hours away by car from Manila. The province is also accessible via light aircraft that can land at the Bagabag Airport.

To get to Nueva Vizcaya from Manila by land, take the North Luzon Expressway going north and then take the Sta. Rita exit. Follow the National Highway through Bulacan and Nueva Ecija provinces. You will pass through the towns of Gapan and Cabanatuan until you reach San Jose at the foot of the mountains. The zig-zag mountain road will lead you directly into Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, with its famous Dalton Pass-Region 2 Marker welcoming you into province. Dalton Pass is approximately 3,000 feet above sea level with breathtaking views… and that’s only the beginning of your tour of Nueva Vizcaya.