The province of Nueva Vizcaya derived its name from the province of Bizkaia in the Basque Autonomous Region of Northern Spain. On May 24, 1839, an order was issued transforming Nueva Vizcaya into a politico-militar province. The order was approved by a Royal Decree on April 10, 1841. Nueva Vizcaya is a river valley surrounded by the Sierra Madre, Caraballo and Cordillera Mountains. Original inhabi
tants were the Gaddangs, Ifugaos, Igorots, Ibalois, Yogads and Ilongots whose ferocious nature discouraged expansion into their respective domains. Despite their resistance, the Spaniards’ presence in the valley lasted until 1897. On January 28, 1902, by Republic Act No. 337, the Philippine Commission formally created Nueva Vizcaya as a special Province. The celebration of the province’s founding anniversary formally started in 1996 when the PANAGYAMAN festival was launched. The festival embodied thanksgiving for the blessings bestowed upon the province. In 2009, the founding anniversary was renamed “GRAND AMMUNGAN FESTIVAL” to symbolize the coming together of all ethnolinguistic groups and indigenos peoples residing in the province in thanksgiving for the bountiful blessings received. Today, Nueva Vizcaya stands strong and is proudly transforming into a fast developing province with its fifteen municipalities, viz: Alfonso Castañeda, Ambaguio, Aritao, Bagabag, Bambang, Bayombong, Diadi, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte, Kayapa, Kasibu, Quezon, Solano, Sta.
