Kalinga Province The province of Kalinga-Apayao was divided into two provinces; Province of Apayao and the province of Kalinga are both in located in the northernmost Cordillera region in the island of Luzon. They are landlocked by Cagayan on the north and east, by Isabela also on the east, by Abra and Ilocos Norte on the west, and by the Mountain Province on the south

The land: 

The Kalinga has 8 municipalities, with Tabuk as its capitalKalinga is surrounded by mountain peaks. It is divided into 3 areas centered around the Chico River: The mountainous western portion of the river´s basin. The valley of the river and its tributaries, and the level plains between the river and Cagayan Province. (while the Apayao Province descends eastward to Cagayan Valley, interlocking wide tracts of flat lands and floodplains among its main rivers: Abulug, Talibago, Matalak and Sinundungan.The climate is relatively dry from November to April and generally wet the rest of the year.

A brief history: 

The Indonesian immigrants who came to Luzon thousands of years ago are said to be the ancestors of the present-day Kalingas and Apayaos.During the Spanish era, Dominican missions were established in Tabang and Piat along the chico River in 1604 and in Tuga, 25 km south of Tuao, in 1688. The Spaniards constructed military posts at Balbalasang, a town located near the Saltan River, and at Balitokon town, situated near the PAcil River. However, when the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896, both the Spanish military soldiers, as well as missionaries, withdrew from the Cordillera mountains.When the Filipino-american War broke out in 1899, General Emilio Aguinaldo and his army were forced to retreat from their capital in Malolos, Bulacan, to the northern provinces. In 1900, they stayed for two months in Lubuagan, a settlement of the Kalingas, to regain their strength before proceeding to Isabela where Aguinaldo was eventually captured by the Americans.When the old Mountain Province was created in 1908, two of its sub-provinces were Kalinga and Apayao. On June 18, 1966 the old Mountain Province was divided into 4 regular provinces, and the sub-province of Kalinga and Apayao were merged to form one province. But on February 14, 1995, the province of Kalinga and Apayao was converted into two regular province´s.The Kalinga area gained prominence in 1975 when the Chico Calley Hydroelectric Dam project was initiated by the government. Firm resistance to the project was demonstrated by the tribes, with the support of outsiders, because it would have flooded Kalinga villages, including their rice terraces and sacred burial grounds.

The people: 

When the province was divided, it was clearly divided along tribal lines; also into the Kalingas and the Apayaos. But both ethnic groups are fond of tattoos, the apayaos are the most heavily tattooed mountain people. both also have elaborate costumes reserved for rituals and festive occasions.The Kalingas were once fierce headhunters and they are still a proud people, wary of strangers and fond of social celebrations. although contemporary dress is now the norm, some men still wear G-strings and a round hat containing tobacco and matches, while the women wear wraparound skirts. They live on leveled parts of steep mountain slopes, where a small shrine called podayan guards the entrance to the village.

Commerce and industy:

 In Apaya Province and Kalinga produce a variety of crops, the major ones of which are rice, corn, coffe and Coconut. Rich pine forests are found in the higher elevations.Kalinga´s open grasslands are suitable for pastures while the Apayao is abundant in mineral resources.

Getting there and away: 

The are two ways to get to Apayao and Kalinga province´s.One of them is via Tuguegarao in Cagayan Province from where Tabuk is abouth an hour´s ride through a relatively good road.The other is through Bontoc, Mountain Province to Tinghayan in the southern part of the Kalinga province.