Pre-War folks said that Cagayan came from “Cagaycay, ” an ancient Bukidnon word meaning to rake in the earth either with one’s bare hands or with a piece of wood. It also means rocks gathered from the river or ores raked in from the hillside or streams.

Gold have always been abundant in the Cagayan River. Gold ores are still found in the nearby of Cagayan as Tumpagon, Pigsag-an, Tuburan, Taglimao and other nearby places. Before the Spaniards came to Cagayan (or Kalambaguhan), there were already places where one could rake in the earth.