Mabuhay Alicia! Out of this vast territory, two new provinces were created in 1839 by the Spanish conquistadors.
Alicia is used to be the old town of Angadanan, popularly known as Angadanan Viejo, until the new Angadanan (simply called Angadanan) was relocated in 1776 to its current location near the Angadanan Creek. Part of old Angadanan’s history is about two brothers who became the main protagonists during the Angadanan and Camarag rebellion against the Spanish. One brother, Onofre Liban, was the Gobernad
orcillo and fiercely loyal to Spain while the other one, Lagutao, was the leader of the rebels and became known as the “terror of Diffun and the mountains”. [1]
The entire Cagayan Valley was one large province which the Spaniards called “La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan.” The old Angadanan town is part of the Cagayan Valley province. One retained the old name “Cagayan” which comprised all towns from Aparri to Tumauini. Its capital transferred from Lallo to Tuguegarao. The one bearing the name “Nueva Vizcaya” was composed of all towns from Ilagan to the Caraballo del Sur including Catalangan, Angadanan (now Alicia), and Palanan, with Camarag (now Echague) as its capital.[2]
A Royal Decree was created on May 1, 1856 creating “Isabela de Luzon” to distinguish it from other Isabelas in the Philippines. It comprised the town of Carig (now Santiago City), Camarag (now Echague), Angadanan (now Alicia), Cauayan, Calanusian (now Reina Mercedes), Gamu, and Ilagan, all detached from Nueva Vizcaya; while Tumauini and Cabagan were taken from the province of Cagayan. It was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor with the capital seat at Ilagan, where it remains at the present.[3]
The old Angadanan was renamed in 1949 to Alicia, in honor of then President Elpidio Quirino’s wife: Dona Alicia Syquia Quirino
