A place of mountain and valleys situated at the foothills of the explicit Banaue Rice Terraces with waters from the rain forest of the Cagayan Valley which irrigates its rice paddies through the Magat River and straight out to the Pacific Ocean. The Province of Nueva Vizcaya or the New Biscayne is one of the few landlocked provinces of the Philippines which was named after a region in Spain. I vaguely remember the province as I have been there many years ago in Solano at age 9. Many of my ancestors and relatives have migrated there from nearby Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija. Listening to stories that some of my relatives there have established themselves in farming rice and other crops and also raising livestocks. My now deceased father used to mention that he was related to former Assemblyman Carlos Padilla but I never really met the guy but heard of nice things about him and his accomplishments. Anyway , Nueva Vizcaya is a province that prides itself of not only its rich and fertile soil but also of natural water springs and not to mention of its mine deposits. Also, the province has played an important role in the history of the Philippines as it was almost made the temporary capital of the Philippines when General Emilio Aguinaldo temporarily made Bayombong his shelter from the pursuing US Army because of its strategic high mountains and valleys. The majority of the province population is comprised by the Ilocanos who migrated from the upper north and settled to this mountain valley with Tagalogs and Kapangpangans from nearby Central Luzon provinces. The Isinai dialect is spoken by the natives from Aritao, Dupax and Bambang while Gaddang is spoken in the upper region.

Nueva Vizcaya has pride itself of its farmlands, enriching its industry and now is fast becoming the fruit basket of the Philippines and proudly calling itself the Citrus Capital of the Philippines due to high quality citrus products grown locally. While mining its rich mineral deposits is being discouraged with ordinance law becoming stricter and paving the way for a more eco friendlier industry, mining is still a big part of its business industry. The local government though has introduced other means of livelihood especially since there are fresh natural water streams and rivers that flows through the province, Tilapia Farming has become an enormous industry.

The province’s culture is preserved at the Peoples Museum and Library Park while other attractions and leisure recreation can be found out at Capisaan Caves in Kasibu made up of variety of rock formations, and also the 5th longest cave in the country. The Imugan Falls in Santa Fe is a great place for picnic, swimming and family fun while mountain climbing and trekking lovers should go to Mount Palali located in the towns of Quezon and Bayombong with views overlooking other municipalities and that includes Mount Pulag National Park. The Balete Dalton Pass in Santa Fe, The Mapallao Falls experiencing the hanging bridge and the Lower Magat Eco Tourism Park in Diadi with its verdant view of forest and faunas. The Provincial Capitol of Bayombong which has a 1000 hectares of beautiful landscape is dubbed as the Luneta of the North. The Panagyaman Festival is one of their pride festivals celebrated in the month of May.

The Province of Nueva Vizcaya offers more than just mountain peaks, breathtaking waterfalls or mystical caves, its historical attractions, agricultural lands, flowers and eco tourism, it also offers the warm friendly atmosphere and hospitality that the Novo Viscayanos are proud. Welcome to Nueva Vizcaya.