Lal-Lo is one of twenty-eight (28) municipalities (along with one city) that comprise the province of Cagayan in the Cagayan Valley. The town is politically subdivided into thirty-five (35) barangays, and is a part of the 1st Congressional District of Cagayan.

Lal-Lo was the home of the mestizas in northern Cagayan, and is featured in the annals of Philippine history as the flouishing town of Nueva Segovia; as one of the first four cities in the Philippines; as the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia; and as the chosen capital of Cagayan Valley in the 16th century and as a capital of Cagayan Province until 1839.

Some of the historical and interesting spots which still exist today include the town’s attractive Sto. Domingo Church facing the river at Centro; the ruins of a Spanish fortress (Cotta) the walls of which are similar to the walls of Intramuros in Manila; and the ruins of Tabacalera, established in 1884 by the Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, which played a vital role in the economy of the town.

Part of the Magapit Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, a bird watcher’s paradise, is located here. And so is the Magapit Suspension Bridge, an architectural landmark spanning the mighty Cagayan River, the first of its kind in Asia.

Lal-lo is also known as the only town in Cagayan where the delicious and succulent kabibi (clams) abound. The kabibi still serves as one of the main sources of income to many of its town people.