French
Deutsch
Alfonso Castañeda is a town in southern Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. Situated at the headwaters of the Cagayan and Pampanga Rivers and the junction of two mountain ranges, it forms the lever in the pan-shaped province and has multiple natural attractions and indigenous tribes.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Alfonso Castañeda occupies the southernmost edge of the Nueva Vizcaya panhandle and forms the province's boundary with Aurora, Quirino and Nueva Ecija provinces. For much of its history, it was a set of settlements inhabited by Ilongot (now known as Bugkalot) tribes along the headwaters of the Cagayan River at the junction of the Caraballo and Sierra Madre mountain ranges. It frequently switched ownership between Dupax in Nueva Vizcaya and Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija until it was finally made its own municipality in 1979 under Nueva Vizcaya and named after a local politician.
Alfonso Castañeda is an ethnically mixed town inhabited by Ilocano and Tagalog migrants and Bugkalot and Isinay tribespeople. Its main economic activities are agriculture, a burgeoning ecotourism sector and revenues from the hydropower projects built to harness its position on the watershed of the Cagayan and Pampanga Rivers.
It is home to about 9,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
, making it the least populated municipality of Nueva Vizcaya.
Get in
[edit | edit source]Alfonso Castañeda is the most isolated municipality of Nueva Vizcaya. It has no direct connections with the rest of the province, forcing travelers to make a lengthy detour through Carranglan, San Jose and Rizal in Nueva Ecija before taking along Pantabangan-Baler Road connecting Nueva Ecija with Aurora, passing through Alfonso Castañeda. The only forms of public transportation heading to town are a few jeepneys and tricycles.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Tricycles are the most common transport between barangays, but due to uneven terrain, an SUV or any 4WD is recommended.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Mount Guiwan, Cawayan. A 1,915 metres (6,283 ft) high peak believed to be the highest in the Sierra Madre.
- 2 Galintuja Falls, Sitio Delacan, Galintuja. A cascade along the boundary with Aurora province.
- 3 Canili Lake, Lublub. A man-made reservoir formed by the Canili Dam used for agriculture, fishing and hydropower purposes. It covers the boundary with the municipality of Maria Aurora in Aurora province and is part of the hydropower system that includes Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 eMpyrean Bliss Hotspring Farm Resort, Purok 8, Lublub, ☏ +63 908 465 8821. 7AM-9PM. A resort along the Digoliat River built around a natural hot spring.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Alfonso Castañeda Public Market, Pantabangan-Baler Road, Lublub.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- 1 Bundok Bakery (Kainan sa Bundok), Pantabangan-Baler Road, Lublub. Restaurant and bakery. Its main specialty is coconut (buko) pie.
- 2 Baller’s Bowl Cafe (Baller’s Cafe), Pantabangan-Baler Road, Purok 4, Lublub. 6AM-10PM.
- 3 Jorge Stop Over & Kainan, Pantabangan-Baler Road, Sitio Tawang, Lublub, ☏ +63 918 550 3019, ducayalek@gmail.com.
- 4 Tita Bebot's, Pantabangan-Baler Road, Lublub (at the back of Petron gas station), ☏ +63 918 225 2103.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]Stay safe
[edit | edit source]The highland areas of town are vulnerable to landslides, especially during the rainy season. There may also be a few New People's Army rebels hiding in those areas.
Connect
[edit | edit source]The town's postal code is 3703.
Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Alfonso Castañeda |
| Rizal ← Pantabangan ← | W  E | → Maria Aurora → Baler |
