Cagayan solon lauds Ibanag book on city

By Benjie S. De Yro

Tuesday 26th of June 2012

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, June 26 (PIA) -- A solon assured support to the writers of Ibanag culture after a former broadcast journalist launched what is probably the first book of its kind, titled "The Transformation of Tuguegarao City."

“I am most happy that the book showed how the city has transformed,” Congressman Randolf Ting said during the book launch of Claire Imogen Mapagu-Callangan.

The congressman said he was impressed with the book as it covers the growth of the so-called city of the Ibanag, and even zeroed in on the effort of the young author who broke barriers to come up with the book.

“The Transformation” details the progress of the city as early as the turn of the 20th century to present in black and white sepia-printed photos backed by colored pictures to depict the present Tuguegarao.

“It’s a good start from a young author who even left the city during her student days from pre-school to college. We can say she is a real product of Tuguegarao,” Ting said of Callangan.

The 236 pages of the book have exposed the "then and now" of the city in all aspects of development, from infrastructure to education.

Ting admitted that during his term as mayor of Tuguegarao, they tried their best with the organization of the Ibanag Council for Culture and Arts but failed to come out with a printed material like Callangan’sbook.

Callangan, a local court employee and a part-time university instructor, said the idea started to brew when people expressed clamor on any Tuguegarao literature.

To date, Callangan’s book is the first to locally come out from the press in time for the celebration of the 429th Aggao Nac Cagayan festivities.

The lawmaker reiterated his call for other Cagayan writers to likewise publish any material on the Ibanag people as his office would help in the production process.

The book is pegged at P1,800, and so far has created quite a stir among foreign-based Cagayanos. (TCB/BSY-PIA 2)