Nueva Vizcaya

It is bordered by Benguet to the west, Ifugao to the north, Isabela to the northeast, Quirino to the east, Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Ecija to the south, and Pangasinan to the southwest.

The most famous of these expeditions was that commanded by Mariano Oscariz, in 1847–1848, which carried him clear through the province across to Palanan on the eastern coast of Luzon.

[5][6] In 1839, upon the advice of the alcalde mayor of Cagayan,[7] Luis Lardizabal, then-Governor General of the Philippines created the politico-military province of Nueva Vizcaya.

The original province covered the areas of present-day Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ifugao, Apayao, Kalinga, and Benguet, Batanes, a large portion of Isabela, as well as north Aurora.

[7] North areas of present-day Aurora (composed of present towns of Dilasag & part of Casiguran) were annexed to Tayabas (now Quezon) in 1905.

[8][9][10] The Dalton Pass was the scene of a major battle between the Empire of Japan, the Commonwealth of the Philippines and American forces, with the Allies winning on May 31, 1945.

The 1st District comprises the municipalities of Ambaguio, Bagabag, Bayombong, Diadi, Quezon, Solano and Villaverde, while the 2nd District is composed of the municipalities of Alfonso Castañeda, Aritao, Bambang, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Kayapa, Kasibu and Santa Fe.

There have been grassroot moves to reunify Nueva Vizcaya with the Cordillera Region due to cultural and geographical harmony, however, none have been introduced in Congress.

Nueva Vizcaya is home to about 18 indigenous peoples, which includes the major tribes of the Ifugao (Quezon, Bagabag, Kasibu), Gaddang (Solano and Bayombong), Isinai (Dupax del Sur and Bambang), Dumagat (Aritao), Kalanguya (Santa Fe), and the Bugkalot (Alfonso Castañeda and Dupax del Norte).

After several insurrections by the locals, Spanish officials chose to import trained labor from established settlements in the coastal regions of Pangasinan and Ilocos.

[19] Since Nueva Vizcaya's birth as a province, traces of the culture and customs of its early settlers—the Igorots [Ilongots (Bugkalot), Ifugaos, Isinais, Kalanguya], Gaddangs, and the Pangasinans—can still be seen.

Nueva Vizcaya province possesses one of the most diverse array of indigenous languages in Luzon, a testimony to its cultural and geographic linkages with the Cordillera mountain range.

[20] Other faiths are divided among Aglipayan Church, Iglesia ni Cristo which form about 5–6% of the province population,[21] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventist and other Evangelical Christians which forms about 17%–20% of the province's population[22][23] as well as Muslims and indigenous Cordilleran religions.

Poverty incidence of Nueva Vizcaya Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Agriculture is the main industry in the province, together with rice, corn, fruits and vegetables as major crops.

[32][33] However, mining activities have also been alleged to have dried up water sources, polluted the environment, and endangered livelihoods of farmers and fisherfolk.

[34][35][36] According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, deposits of metallic minerals discovered in the province are copper, gold, molybdenum and pyrite.

aquaculture congress found that the growth of tilapia production was due to government interventions: provision of fast-growing species, accreditation of private hatcheries to ensure supply of quality fingerlings, establishment of demonstration farms, providing free fingerlings to newly constructed fishponds, and the dissemination of tilapia to Nueva Vizcaya (in Diadi town).

An old map showing the province and its original borders.
Official rendering of the seal used by Provincial Government
Gateway Arch near Dalton Pass
Political map of Nueva Vizcaya
Ilongot tribe from Oyao in Nueva Vizcaya
Fresh tilapia catch