Cauayan, officially the City of Cauayan or simply Cauayan City, is a 3rd class city in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 129,523 people.

A small town is founded in 1852 along the Cagayan River and in 2001, converted to a component city. During the Spanish regime, the city is a part of the Tobacco industry. Cauayan City is nearly the geographic center of the province and bordered by 7 neighboring towns which makes it as an important economic center of the province. In the recent years, there is an increase in economic activities.

Cauayan City is a fast-growing rural industrial center centrally located in the province and in the entire stretch out of Cagayan Valley. It is about 375 kilometers northeast Manila; 34.5 kilometers south of Ilagan, the capital town of Isabela; about 48 kilometers north Santiago City; and roughly 117 kilometers away from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Province.

Cauayan have its name from the word Kawayan meaning bulo in the Ilocano language, the early settlers of the place. How it got its name is vaguely told by the natives. In the tale, early Spaniards reached the place found abundant bamboo trees along creeks that circled the town site of Bulod, Sipat, Bungkol, and Marabulig creeks where few families lived. It was also a common to see crocodiles basking under the cluster of bamboo along the creeks in the early morning sun.

Another version of how the town was named is this way: One day the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary disappeared. For many weeks, a tireless search was undertaken but it was nowhere to be found. Then one day in October the image was found among the bamboo groves. Not a single sign of mishandling or scratch was detected on the image.

Cauayan used to be a big municipality in terms of land area. With the creation of the neighboring municipalities of Luna (Antatet) Cabatuan, Reina Mercedes (Callering), Aurora and San Mateo, however, the land area was reduced to about 336.40 square kilometers.

Cauayan town was once a part of the province of Cagayan. When Nueva Vizcaya was created as a province in 1839, Cauayan was transferred to it. On May 1, 1856, the province of Isabela was created by a Royal Decree, Cauayan was again administratively transferred, this time to Isabela. Founded in 1740, Cauayan antedates the establishment of Isabela by 116 years. The town site was first located in a place called Calanusian along the Cagayan River. After a series of disastrous floods, the town site was moved to its present location.

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Wikipedia