One of the oldest inhabitants of Cagayan Valley in northern Luzon, the Ibanag can be found in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya. The term Ibanag originated from i (“people of”) and bannag (river), which pretty much describes where they chose to settle.
In pre-colonial times, the Ibanags hunted for food, as evidenced by the tools found in various archaeological sites in Cagayan Valley. Today, farming continues to be their primary source of income, although modernization has opened other options for them.
Sources
Cagayan Valley: The Ibanag, www.ncca.gov.ph/
Ethnography of Cagayan, www.cagayan.gov.ph/
Ibanag Dialect: Potent Factor in Cagayan’s Evangelization, www.cagayan.gov.ph
The Ethnologue: Linguistic Lineage for Ibanag, www.ethnologue.com/
The CCP Encyclopedia of the Arts volume 1. Cultural Center of the Philippine Special Publications Office. 1994
