▁region , ▁however , ▁is ▁still ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁C ag ay an ▁Valley . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁C ag ay án ▁was ▁host ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 7 th ▁( Sur viv or : ▁Blood ▁vs . ▁Water ) ▁and ▁ 2 8 th ▁( Sur viv or : ▁C ag ay an ) ▁seasons ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁reality ▁game ▁show , ▁Sur viv or . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁A ▁folk ▁legend ▁holds ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁originally ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁tag ay , ▁a ▁plant ▁that ▁grows ▁abund antly ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁province . ▁The ▁term ▁Cat ag ay an , ▁" the ▁place ▁where ▁the ▁tag ay ▁grows " ▁was ▁short ened ▁to ▁C ag ay an . ▁Perhaps ▁more ▁convention ally , ▁et ym ological ▁sch ol ars ▁hold ▁that ▁c ag ay an ▁comes ▁from ▁an ▁ancient ▁word ▁that ▁means ▁" river ". ▁Vari ations ▁of ▁this ▁word — kar ay an , ▁k ay an , ▁k ay ay an , ▁and ▁kal ay an — all ▁mean ▁river . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre - colon ial ▁period ▁C ag ay an ▁has ▁a ▁pre histor ic ▁civil ization ▁with ▁rich ▁and ▁diverse ▁culture . ▁According ▁to ▁arch ae olog ists , ▁the ▁earliest ▁man ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines ▁probably ▁lived ▁in ▁C ag ay an ▁thousands ▁of ▁years ▁ago . ▁Ev id ences ▁to ▁this ▁effect ▁are ▁now ▁convin cing ▁beyond ▁scientific ▁doubt ▁to ▁consider ▁it ▁as ▁an