and Chico River, 1935 The Chico River, has a total length of , making it the longest
tributary of the
Cagayan River, itself the largest river in the Philippines. For centuries it has been central to farming, trading, livelihoods, and daily life, whether as a benefit or hindrance. It provided a source of water for washing and irrigation, and habitat for
carabao who had to be led to a watering hole daily. At times it might be an obstacle to settlements on the other side of the river, but until the last century this was an opportunity for enterprising Filipinos who would provide ferry transport. Now, bridges suitable for vehicles have been built. The danger of flooding was less frequent due to being at a higher elevation than the bigger, flood-prone Cagayan into which it feeds.
Source and course The highest
headwaters begin along the slopes of
Mount Data in the
Cordillera mountains at
Bauko,
Mountain Province. It then flows northeastward through and next to cities and municipalities including
Bontoc,
Sabangan,
Sadanga,
Tinglayan,
Lubuagan,
Tabuk,
Pinukpuk,
Tuao,
Piat,
Rizal, finally arriving at
Santo Niño, where it
merges with the
Cagayan River. Its tributaries are the
Bunog River to the south, The
Tanudan and Biga Rivers to the east, The
Mabaca and
Saltan Rivers to the North, and the
Pasil River further downstream. ==References==