The municipality of Cabagan unveiled on Tuesday a historical marker commemorating the assembly site of the Irraya Revolt of 1621, a key event in the region’s early resistance against Spanish rule.
The marker, located in front of a chapel along the national highway in Barangay Balasig, was initiated during the administration of former Cabagan Mayor Atty. Christopher A. Mamauag and unveiled under the leadership of Mayor Mila A. Mamauag.
According to Mayor Mila Mamauag, the marker was placed along the highway to make it more accessible to the public.
Region 2 Tourism Director Troy Alexander G. Miano lauded the LGU Cabagan’s commitment to heritage preservation.
“We have leaders who not only focus on infrastructure, livelihood, health, and other basic services. Here in Cabagan, they also focus on heritage, tourism, culture, and the arts,” he said.
Meanwhile, Isabela Tourism Officer Joanne D. Maranan said the marker commemorates one of the earliest instances when Filipinos, especially Isabelinos, showed how brave they were and how they continue to strengthen their love for their heritage.
Mayor Mamauag said the local government aims to integrate the story of the Irraya Revolt into the DepEd curriculum, ensuring that young Cabagueños learn about their town’s rich heritage and the bravery of their ancestors.
The Irrayas: The People of the Upstream
“Irraya” comes from the prefix i- meaning “people of,” and raya or daya, meaning “upstream.”
At the beginning of Spanish colonization, the Irrayas were documented as the first inhabitants of what are now the towns and cities of Tuguegarao, Iguig, Enrile, Solana, Peñablanca, Cabagan, San Pablo, Tumauini, San Mariano, Ilagan, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Gamu, and Reina Mercedes.
The marker inscription recounts the events of November 8, 1621, when the Irrayas of Abbuatan (now Bangag, Ilagan), led by Felipe Cuntapay (Felix Cuntabay) and his brother Gabriel Dayag, rose in arms against Spanish oppression.
Despite efforts by Dominican missionaries to pacify them, the rebels stood their ground, launching their uprising from Balasig, where they killed Spanish officials and burned colonial structures.
By 1622, the Dominican friar Pedro de Santo Tomas returned and successfully negotiated peace in Barangay Balasig, which led to the resettlement of around 300 Irraya families in Maquila (now Libag, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan). The community later relocated to the area that became the town of Cabagan. – Isabela PIO
