QUIRINO PROVINCE

The province of Quirino is composed of only six municipalities: Aglipay, Cabarroguis, Diffun,  Maddela, Nagtipunan and Saguday.  It formally became a province on February 10, 1972.  Ecclesiastically, Quirino belongs to the Diocese of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya forming one vicariate. There are, however,  only four parishes in the province as the parish of Cabarroguis includes the town of Saguday and Maddela includes the municipality of Nagtipunan which ironically has the largest land area of all the municipalities.

One long weekend in May a few years back, together with some office workers, we explored this landlocked province in the north. We left Manila very early in the morning and arrived in  the first town of Quirino in Diffun at past four in the afternoon after about twelve hours of drive with a few stops along the way. We visited first the parish church.  Our next stop was the parish of Cabarroquis where we were warmly welcomed by Fr. Ronnie Flores, the parish priest who prepared sumptuous dinner for us for two nights.  Fr. Ronnie was saying that, however much as he wanted us to stay at the parish but they don’t just have enough water supply, which is a problem in the main town. They depended only on the rain for their water supply which they gather and keep at the tank beneath the church. With proper water use, their supply would usually last till the next rainy season. We stayed at the Abrasa MPC Hotel which was just a barangay away from the main town of Cabarroguis.

The following day we visited the churches of Aglipay and Maddela. Then we explored the sights that the province offered which was caving in Aglipay and a river tubing along the Siitan river in Nagtipunan. On our way back to Manila we went eastward by way of Aurora passing by the Junuan waterfalls in Brgy. Disimungal, Nagtipunan.

SAINT JOSEPH PARISH

Diffun, Quirino

Founded: 1963

ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST PARISH CHURCH

Cabarroguis, Qurino

Founded: 1979

Fr. Ronnie (second from right) had an exhibit of the Paper tole prints he made. Paper tole art is a paper craft which involves cutting, shaping, sculpturing and gluing cutouts obtained from identical prints and building these components up using silicon to create a 3D picture. 

Some of the paper tole prints Fr. Ronnie made.  

Food personally prepared by Fr. Ronnie.

ST. VINCENT FERRER PARISH CHURCH

Maddela, Quirino

 OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH CHURCH

Aglipay, Quirino

AGLIPAY CAVES

Had lunch at MJ Snack and Pancit Cabagan Restaurant in Brgy. Ponggo, Nagtipunan before going  tubing at the Siitan River. 

We had their specialty, Pancit cabagan  which is a stir-fried noodle with vegetables and bits of lechon kawali and hard boiled eggs with thick soy-sause based broth. 

Tubing at the Siitan River in Nagtipunan. 

Nagtipunan has also scenic views of rolling hills and mountains. 

 Junuan Falls in Brgy. Disimungal, Nagtipunan,Quirino. 

 The road from Nagtipunan connecting to Aurora was still being widened and concretized at that time. 

 We had to pass through this shallow river

 Once we reached the east coast, the road was already cemented passing through Dipaculao and Baler with scenic views of the sea along the way. 

Map of the Parishes of Quirino Province