SANTA Ana, Cagayan, lies on the northeastern tip of Luzon, some 700 kilometers north of Manila. It is home to Cagayan Export Zone Authority (CEZA) and site of the fourth Viray Festival.
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Mayor Norberto Rodriguez said this year’s festival hoped to showcase further the town’s cultural heritage and tourism potential. A scenic and marine-rich coastal town, Santa Ana boasts of white sand beaches comparable to, if not better, than world famous Boracay. It also has fi ne black sand beaches along its coast.

Highlighting the festival was the yearly fluvial parade featuring the colorful wooden bancas or viray, which gave the festival its name. Viray, now synonymous with the town’s cultural heritage, is a large wooden flat boat used for transporting goods over long distances. The early settlers in Santa Ana also used it for fishing.

The fiesta itself ran for three days and featured a grand carabao parade, which depicted the residents’ diligence and hard work. Also seen were colorful painted bodies dancing to the beat of native or improvised drums.

Sta. Ana is also a record holder for the longest fl ying fi sh grill at 4.06 kilometers. Aside from the rich and delectable harvest from the sea, it also possesses unspoiled forests and mangroves, especially those located in scenic Palaui Island. Th e island, where the centuries-old Cape Engaño Light House stands, is a government-protected area.

Some of its agricultural and aquatic products are rice, corn, peanut, fish, lumber, shells, etc. Among its natural
resources are limestone deposits at Bawac Mountain, coal at Carbon Mountain at Sta. Clara and guano deposit at Kapannikian Cave. Scenic spots and historical landmarks are Cape Engaño Lighthouse Punta Verde point, white beaches like Anguib Beach, Mapurao Beach, Gotan mangrove Forest and waterfalls.

As part of the town’s development package, two casinos opened in the area, which have attracted both local and international players. It has also earned the reputation as the Game Fishing Mecca of the Philippines. In addition, Sta. Ana has hosted an international decathlon, where athletes run through the rugged terrain of Punta Verde to Cape Engaño, then dip in the crystal clear waters of the Philippine Sea.

With the sudden infl ux of tourists, migrants and investors in Sta. Ana, locals have been jolted by the increase in prices of local goods and basic commodities like pork, beef, poultry and fi sh. But their presence has also created jobs with the resulting boom in hotel, resort and infrastructure boom.

Indeed, Sta. Ana is well on its way to establishing itself as a major economic and development hub in Northeastern Luzon.