Water from the rain forest stream down to the lowlands to irrigate the rice paddies then flow on down to the longest river in thePhilippines, the mighty Cagayan River that runs north to its final destination, the Pacific Ocean.

Nueva Vizcaya is located on the foothills of the majestic Banaue Rice Terraces.  The land never touches the ocean, but deep under, the pressure of the Pacific Ocean pumps a geyser of salt through the Salinas Salt Springs.  It’s truly one of the wonders of nature.

Balite Pass is the gateway from the adjacent province of Nueva Ecija.  The US Army lost General Dalton to a Japanese sniper bullet during the liberation half a century ago in the mountain peak, hence, this roadway is named the "Dalton Pass."  From this historic monument the road zigzags sharply down to Santa Fe.  You can smell the unmistakable scent of pine trees as you travel along the winding roads.  This is also the last place one passes before leaving Nueva Vizcaya.  The road trail from here accompanies the river flow that cuts through the heart of the high valley.  The national highway splits in a place we simply call, the "Junction." 

The tribes of Igorots, Ilongots, and Ifugaos are the guardians of the high rain forest.  They had tribal wars,  but today they live in harmony.

There was a time in the Philippine history when Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya was almost made the temporary Capital of the Philippine Republic. During the final period of the Philippine-American War , Aguinaldo found a shelter from the superior forces of the US Army.  It was Nueva Vizcaya with its natural fortress of high mountains that made Bayombong a strategic capital for the Philippines.

People here consider themselves the chosen people of the Valley of the Kings and Vizcayanos who left are just seeking easy asylum.  Nueva Vizcaya and the rest of the Valley is the hidden paradise of the North.  Looking down at Northern Luzon from the sky, you will see all the Mountain Province’s major water springs flowing east completely ignoring the Ilocos region.  The Igorots knew that this is the reason why the ancient Rice Terraces are found in the East. Life flows down from here as the Sierra Madre mountain protects it from the tropical Pacific weather systems.  Years from now the most fertile land of the Philippines will remain in the valley making the farms the bread basket of the Philippines.  Lastly, the Caraballo Mountains in the South guarantees that only the strong can enter.

Tidbits: The Philippines' earliest stone artifacts and fossils from prehistoric mammals that date back over 30,000 years were found in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.