agbabaran

[agbabaran]

“DISCOVERING TUGUEGARAO CITY’S CULTURES AND TRADITIONS”

Tuguegarao City is the capital of Cagayan Province. In Tuguegarao City, there are three well-known cultures: Ibanag, Itawes, and Ilocano. There are also festivals here, namely the “Pavvurulun Afi Festival or Dance of a Thousand Torches” and “Pancit Batil Patong Festival”. Pancit Batil Patong is the most well-known pancit in Tuguegarao.

The Pavvurulun Afi Festival was held at the mid-August, this festival centers at the ceremonial lighting of fires which symbolizes unity, cultural continuity and the preservation of traditions. In Pancit Batil Patong, it is held only in August 3 in Tuguegarao City where the licensed Panciteria Owners in the different barangays of Tuguegarao City will showcase their skills  or style at cooking Pansit Batil Patong.

You can also see here the famous Buntun Bridge that is located at Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Solana, which began construction on December 11, 1960, and was officially opened on June 1, 1961. This bridge crosses the Cagayan River, the biggest river basin in the Philippines, between Tuguegarao City and Solana in Cagayan.

Another one is the Cathedral “St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral,” this Cathedral is an 18th-century Baroque Roman Catholic Church that is located along Rizal Street, Barangay Centro 10, Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Philippines. St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral is commonly known as Tuguegarao, is the most popular and prominent Cathedral in Tuguegarao City.

          

These are the pictures I was referring to:

PAVVURULUN AFI FESTIVAL

PANCIT BATIL PATONG

BUNTUN BRIDGE

ST. PETER METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL

Let's talk about the one culture in Tuguegarao City, the Ibanag.

IBANAG IN TUGUEGARAO CITY

           Let's start by discussing the meaning of the term "Ibanag". The initials "i" meaning "people of" and "bannag" as "river" are the origins of this word. Their close connections to our Cagayan River are shown in this place-derived name. A body of water that has influenced several livelihoods and cultural customs over the years. Lopez, Joel (2024).

When the Spaniards arrived in Tuguegarao City in the late 16th century, the Spaniards brought the Ibanag language with them. But before that, the language used in Tuguegarao was Irraya, a dialect of Gaddang. Then, the Ibanag became the main language in the Cagayan Valley after the Spaniards made it the lingua franca of the northeastern Philippines.

           The Ibanag (also as Ybanag or Ibanak) people in Tuguegarao City are rich in traditional practices, such as giving honor or respect, community cooperation or bayanihan, festival celebrations, and more. The Ibanag are an ethnolinguistic group in Tuguegarao City. You can easily tell that someone is Ibanag by the way they speak — their pronunciation and their accent. And also, the Pavvurulun Afi Festival is celebrated in Tuguegarao City to showcase the rich culture and traditions of the Ibanag people.

The Ibanag are also known for their traditional crafts such as pottery, wood carving, and weaving. They continue to practice these traditions or pass them on to the new generation to preserve their culture and identity, as well as to show respect and care for the heritage of their ancestors.

The Ibanag people have made a big contribution to us, because without them, Tuguegarao City wouldn’t be as well-known. It’s because of them that we have what we call the Pavvurulun Afi Festival. Without them, we wouldn’t see the city’s culture, identity, or even its name. I have great respect for these people for shaping the city and everything that has to do with us.

After discovering the culture of Ibanag, it gave me a better idea of their contribution to Tuguegarao City. It helped me understand that everything they did had a huge impact in Tuguegarao City, not only for Tuguegarao City but in everyone.