Cagayan During the Spanish Period

1572- Salcedo, Legazpi’s Grandson sighted the coastline of Cagayan, but did set foot in Cagayan. In Tular (Abulug), he sought to parley with the local chief through an interpreter, the chief from the shore and himself from his boat. Seeing the chief in an ugly mood, Salcedo weighed anchor and continued his voyage without attempting to enter Cagayan.

1581- the Spanish authorities in Manila learned about the presence of a Japanese fleet  led by Tayfusu, at the mouth of the Cagayan River. Capitan Juan Pablo Carrion was assigned to head the the expedition and he established his garrison (military outpost) in the village of Lalloc which he renamed Nueva Segovia.

June, 1582- a report was sent to the King about the success of the expedition led by Carrion.

1583- Cagayan was established as a province.

1591- Dominicans arrived at the port of Pata. Governor Perez Dasmariñas, in his capacity as Vice Royal Patron, had assigned to the Dominicans the mission field of the Cagayan Valley.

1595- Nueva Segovia was made a bisphoric, suffragan to the Archdiocese of Manila (August 14, 1595). The territory of the new diocese was to be the whole of northern Luzon--from Zambales, Tarlac and Pangasinan all the way up. Also during this year, the Camalaniugan Bell considered as the oldest Catholic Bell in the Far East was forged

June 15, 1596- Camalaniugan was founded

1604- Spanish authorities founded the town of Tuao

May 9, 1604- Tuguegarao was  founded as a "mission-pueblo

April 26, 1608- Malaueg (Rizal) was founded as a town.

May 13, 1612- Tuao was accepted ecclesiastically. Father Miguel de San Jacinto, O.P. gave the town Santos Angeles Custudios (Holy Guardian Angels) as its patron saints.

1621- There was Agustina Pamma who dared to disagree with his fellow chiefs Dayag and Cuntapay in the uprising of 1621, and there was, above all, the mother of Magalad who was the real spirit behind the resistance led on the field by her sons.

May 20, 1623 – the town of Buguey was founded

1629- the name of the town then known as Tulug was changed to what is now Abulug

1661- There, for example, was the mother of Siriban, a ruler in her own right, who with other native chiefs voted to accept Spain's offer of friendship after the pacification campaign of Capitan Berramentano. There, also, was Ines Carinugan whom General Esteybar ordered to be executed for her leading part in the revolt of 1661.

May 11, 1680 – the town of Aparri was officially inaugurated

1724-  the San Jacinto Chapel, the first structure to be made of brick and mortar, was constructed by the Dominicans in Tuguegarao

December 15, 1734 – The town of Amulung was officially founded

1755- For reason of geography and military exigency, the seat of the Nueva Segovia was later on transferred to Vigan.

1761- Father Antonio Lobato, O.P. started the construction of the Saint Peter's Cathedral in Tuguegarao

1768- the construction of Saint Peter's Cathedral was completed

February 23, 1769- Wangag (now known as Gonzaga) was given ecclesiastical recognition

1781- Tomas Sinaguingan of Malaweg and Magtangaga of Tuao joined forces with Rivera of Tuguegarao and threatened the garrison at Lallo until Orduna overcame it with a superiority in arms and men. The uprising was put down by Capitan Juan Pablo de Orduna.

July 20, 1789- Fulay (now Alcala) was officially proclaimed as a town

1839- the Provincial Capital, which used to be in Lal-lo, was transferred to Tuguegarao.

1842- the villages of Abulucan and Masi merged to form Pamplona which was named after the hometown of Vicar Pedro Montenegro, O.P. who pushed for the unification of the two villages

1843- the town of Fulay was renamed Alcala in honor of Don Francisco Paulo de Alcala

September, 1849- Cabug, a barrio of Tuguegarao was established as a separate town and was renamed Enrile in honor of Governor General Pascual Enrile

August 18, 1851- named after Governor General Urbiztondo Marquez dela Solana, the municipality of Solana was established

June 5, 1865- Kabikungan became a town and was renamed Claveria in honor of Governor-General Narciso Claveria.

1877- Nassiping, Dummun and Gattaran Proper were merged to what is now Gattaran.

September 14, 1894- Malolokit was declared as a town by virtue of a Royal Decree

1896- Don Vicente Nepomuceno (the man who wrote the history of Cagayan in Ybanag dialect) venture to open a school in the later part of that year. Don Ricardo Tuyuan and Don Vicente Pagalilauan were the first instructors. Spanish grammar, Latin, Greek, geography and mathematics were the subjects taught.

November 27, 1897- Sto Niño was founded

August 20, 1894- Malolokit was renamed Sanchez Mira in honor of Spanish Brigadier General Manuel Sanchez. This was the official founding of Sanchez Mira.

November 21, 1896- Peñablanca (once a part of Tuguegarao) was made into a town by virtue of a Royal Decree by the King of Spain.

November 27, 1896- once a barangay of Amulung, Baggao was separated and was later on converted into a “pueblo” in 1899