Nueva Vizcaya Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: May 24, 2024

The province of Nueva Vizcaya is located in the Cagayan Valley region on the island of Luzon. It is a landlocked province bordered by the provinces of Aurora, Benguet, Ifugao, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Quirino. The capital of Nueva Vizcaya is the municipality of Bayombong.

The European colonization of what is now Nueva Vizcaya began in the early 17th century with the arrival of Dominican friars, who established the first settlement in the area. The first mass and baptism of a Christian convert in Nuevo Vizcaya were held in 1702. However, most of the natives refused to convert and accept the Spanish sovereignty, and the Spanish conquest of the region was long and arduous.

Until 1839, the territory of present-day Nueva Vizcaya was part of Cagayan Province. The province of Nueva Vizcaya was created on May 24, 1839. It was named after the Spanish province of Biscay, its name literally meaning “New Biscay”. The original province covered the areas or large portions of many other modern-day provinces, which would eventually be split from Nueva Vizcaya.

Nueva Vizcaya is an ethnically diverse province that is home to about 18 indigenous ethnic groups, including the major tribes of the Bugkalot, Dumagat, Gaddang, Ifugao, Isinai, and Kalanguya peoples. The province’s ethnic makeup also includes the Ilocano people, whose ancestors were brought to the region by the Spanish administration to work on tobacco plantations. Many of these tribes have preserved at least some of their old customs and traditions despite the Spanish colonization and the subsequent American and Japanese occupation.

The founding anniversary of Nueva Vizcaya was designated as a special non-working holiday in the province in 1985. It is marked by the colorful Ammungan Festival that showcases the province’s diverse ethnic groups and rich cultural heritage. The name of the festival means “gathering” in the Gaddang language. The term was popularized in the 1990s to showcase the culture of the local ethnic groups, and the Grand Ammungan Festival was first held in 2009. Before the creation of the Ammungan Festival, Nueva Vizcaya Day was marked by the Panagyamanan Festival that focused on celebrating the annual rice harvest.

The Ammungan Festival is a week-long celebration that culminates on May 24. Its program includes the Grand Parade, street dances, traditional games and competitions, agricultural shows, arts and crafts workshops and demonstrations, artisan and food fairs, ethnic music performances and contests, interactive exhibits, pageants, traditional ceremonies, and other events and activities that give each of the region’s indigenous communities the opportunity to shine and bring them closer together, promoting unity. The majority of events take place in multiple venues (stadiums, public parks, streets) across Bayombong.