The Provincial Flag has the following features:

1. The flag shall be rectangular in shape, with the proportion of its length to be twice its width;
2. The Flag shall be composed of three stripes of equal width running horizontally through the length of
the flag.
3. The stripes shall be of the following colors with their corresponding symbolism:

TOP STRIPE - SKY BLUE - (The azure sky) which stands for justice, honor , and nobility of the people,
their sincerity and their traditionally peaceful ways;

MIDDLE STRIPE - GOLD - (Color of the bright sun) which symbolizes the wealth of the Province;

LOWER STRIPE - GREEN - (the verdant mountains and plains) which depicts the fertility of the soil; it
also inspires hope among the people;

The coat of arms shall be approximately 1 1/4 the width of any of the stripes, and the proportions of the
width to the depth of the coat of arms will be 6:7;

The coat of arms shall be a faithful reproduction of the official coat of arms as regards proportions, color
and designs;

The coat of arms shall be located at the left-hand side of the flag, two spaces equal to the width of the
coat of arms from the right edge, and centrally placed in the remaining area to the left, touching the blue
stripe and the green stripe while straddling over the gold stripe;

The coat of arms shall nor be bound by an encircling band, but shall be drawn with bold outlines of black
to better define its form against the background. Neither shall be the words Province of Cagayan: Official
Seal". (A flag is supposed to be an emblem, to portray a symbol; a pennant or a banner does not).

The twenty-nine (29) municipalities, represented by twenty nine (29) stars (white in color) will be placed
around the coat of arms.

Adopted as the Provincial Flag of Cagayan by the Municipal Board in its Resolution No. 319, dated March
11, 1970.
 *The Province of Cagayan Official Seal was created under
Republic Act No. 2711 on March 10, 1917.

Meaning of the Official Seal of Cagayan:

Yellow (or Gold) color

- Symbolizes the wealth of the province;

Blue color

- Stands for justice, honor, nobility of the people, their sincerity and traditional peaceful ways;

Blue portion

- Depicts the Cagayan River serving as the dividing line between the two original congressional districts of
Cagayan;

Small islands

- Represent the small islands on the northern part of the province;

Plant facsimile

- Represent the main agricultural crops such as tobacco, rice, corn and peanuts, the major sources of
income of the people.

What is the "GARDENIA"?

Gardenia is a genus of ornamental trees and shrubs in the "madder" family "Rubiacea", native to subtropical
regions of China, Japan and Africa. The solitary white or infrequently yellow flowers of gardenias are showy,
highly fragrant and have velvety petals.

Of the more than fifty species, the best known is "Gardenia Jasminoides". Sometimes called "caps jasmine".
Many horticultural varieties of this specie have been developed and are in great demand as cut flowers for
use in corsages or for seasonal gifts as potted plants. In the warmer regions of North America, particularly
in Southern United States, gardenias are used extensively in outdoor landscape planting. In cooler regions,
gardenias are popular as house plants.

Why called Gardenia?

A more sensible way to name a flower is to call it after someone who discovered it or grew it or whom
you wish to honor.

The gardenia is named after Dr. Alexander Garden of Charleston, South Carolina, a Physician and
Botanist who lived about two hundred years ago. Dr. Garden made so fine discoveries of new flowers for
which his memory deserved to be remembered. He was so delighted with the honor that he insisted that
his grand daughter be named "Gardenia Garden".

How to grow Gardenia?

To bring gardenias into bloom successfully, they should be grown in a glass greenhouse and exposed to
as much as sunlight and humidity as possible. The great difference in day and night temperature in the
home generally cause flower buds to form prematurely and to drop-off before full bloom is reached.
Gardenias are propagated from hardwood or softwood cuttings, and grow best in moderately acid oil.
The plants should be exposed to an evenly maintained temperature of about 65º F.

Why was it adopted Provincial Flower of Cagayan?

Rosal is a household commodity in the province blooming ornately in pots on porches and verandas, or
sharing with other ornamental plants the garden that usually introduces the visitor into a Cagayano
home, be it an affluent mansion or just a lowly pictureque barong-barong.

The flower in itself is symbolic of the virtues, traits and characteristics of the Cagayano.

Of two different shades; the white flowers stand for the people’s piety, the purity of their thoughts, their
unblemished reputation, honor and dignity; the yellow flower’s express the Cagayano’s warm hospitality,
demonstrative sincerity and love for truth.

Its showy, highly fragrant and velvety petals are reflective of the enduring fidelity, alluring charm,
enticing simplicity, and fervent devotions to ideals and noble traditions, an exclusive possession of
Cagayan’s maidenhood.

Its thick and waxy green leaves are expressive of Cagayan’s manhood, dashing yet gentle, brave yet
kind, dreamy yet hard working, impulsive yet sober, be it in love, work or in war.

Its pliant sinewy stem and trunk are symbolic of the Cagayan’s resilience in times of depression,
challenge and ordeal; his ability to adjust in the face of change; his graciousness in defeat and his
magnanimity in victory; his ever preserving hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Due to the influx of Ilokano migrants in the last century, majority of the people of Cagayan speak Iloko
as their primary tongue. Aside from the Ilokanos, there are several smaller ethnic groups that live in the
province. The Ybanags are the dominant ethnic group in the vicinity of the provincial capital of Cagayan-
—Tuguegarao, now a city. The closely related Itawits inhabit the Pinacanauan River valley as well as
areas of Amulung and Tuao. The Malawegs are found mainly in the municipality of Rizal . In the foothills
and the mountains of the Sierra Madre Range , several Negrito groups called the Agtas forage and hunt
for food. The established lingua franca of the province is Ybanag.

The Ybanags, Itawits and Malawegs are mainly lowland farmers whose agricultural practices are similar
to those of the Ilokanos. The Ybanags used to inhabit the area along the Cagayan coast but migrated
further inland. They conducted trade with neighboring areas using distinctive seacrafts, and their
commercial interests made their language the medium of commerce throughout the region before the
influx of Ilokano migrants. They are also excellent blacksmiths and continue to make good bolos. The
Ybanags are reputed to be the tallest of all the ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines .
The Itawits are almost indistinguishable from the Ybanags. They build their houses with separate
kitchens, connected by a narrow walkway that is used as washing area for hands and feet. The Itawits
are noted for their pottery and basket-weaving traditions.

The culture of Cagayan is showcased in museums, historical buildings and archeological sites spread
across the province. In Solana, the Neolithic archeological sites in Lanna have yielded stone tools used as
early as 20,000 years back. The Cabarruan jar burial site, also in the town, features ancient Filipino
traditions of taking care of their dead. The Cagayan Museum is a repository of the province´s cultural
heritage. Iron Age pottery, Chinese Ming and Sung dynasty porcelain pieces as well as Church
paraphernalia are on display together with Paleolithic fossils. The oldest bell in the country, cast in 1592,
still peals from the tower of the church in Camalaniugan. The old brick works in Tuguegarao lie inside the
city and speak of a time when bricks were extensively used to build the beautiful churches of the
Cagayan.

The Province of Cagayan prides herself in being the leader in the sphere of Regional Development. For
the past five years, the socio-economic performance of the province has slightly improved because of the
strong desire of the Cagayano to achieve to a a higher standard of living. Yet amidst this modest
improvements, there is still much to be done to be able to achieve the Provincial Development Goals. It is
therefore the inherent responsibility of the Province to make a follow-through on the development efforts
set during the last five years to attain its development vision.

The Provincial Development Vision: In the Year 2004, the Province of Cagayan is a peaceful place of
healthy, self-reliant, God-loving, entrepreneurial, globally competitive, and environment-caring people. It
is the export processing and free-port zone of the Northern Philippines. It serves as major training center,
attractive eco-tourism destination and the major supplier of agro-industrial products.

The vision speaks of the human as well as economic aspects of development. And along with the
attainment of the vision, the province will mold skilled, productive, and world-class Cagayanos in
preparation for the forthcoming globalization.