About Me

HISTORY OF ILOCOS NORTE

Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive region (consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union) renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would often visit the area to trade gold with beads, ceramics and silk. The inhabitants of the region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place "samtoy", from "sao mi toy", which literally meant "our language"

In 1591, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan De Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions. Together with 8 armed boats and 45 men, the 22 year old voyager headed north. On June 13, 1572, Salcedo and his men landed in Vigan and then proceeded towards Laoag, Currimao and Badoc. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves ("looc") where the locals lived in harmony. As a result, they named the region "Ylocos" and its people "Ylocanos".

As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracks of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of "bajo las campanas". In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out.

The Spanish colonization of the region, however, was never completely successful. Owing to the abusive practices of many Augustinian friars, a number of Ilocanos revolted against their colonizers. Noteworthy of these were the Dingras uprising (1589) and Pedro Almasan revolt (San Nicolas, 1660). In 1762, Diego Silang led a series of battles aimed at freeing the Ilocanos from the Spanish yoke. When he died from an assassin's bullet, his widow Gabriela continued the cause. Unfortunately, she too was captured and hanged. In 1807, the sugar cane ("basi") brewers of Piddig rose up in arms to protest the government's monopoly of the wine industry. In 1898, the church excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay for refusing to cut off ties with the revolutionary forces of Sen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Unperturbed, he established the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente". Aglipay’s movement and the nationalist sentiment it espoused helped restore the self-respect of many Filipinos.

In an effort to gain more political control and because of the increasing population of the region, a Royal Decree was signed on February 2, 1818 splitting Ilocos into two provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Soon thereafter, the provinces of La Union and Abra likewise became independent.

FACTS ON ILOCOS NORTE

Geography

Ilocos Norte has a land area of 3,622 sq. km., bordered by Ilocos Sur (south), Abra (southeast), Cagayan (east) and the South China Sea (west)

Cities

1 - Laoag City

Towns

22 - Adams, Bacarra, Badoc, Bangui, Banna, Batac, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalneg, Marcos, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Pinili, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona and Vintar

Proximity

By air - 45 minutes from Manila, 40 minutes from Kaoshiung, 75 minutes from Hong Kong, 3 hours from Japan and Korea

By land - 8 hours from Manila, 4 hours from Baguio

Seasons

Dry - November to April

Wet - May to October

Climate

Average temperature - 26.8 C (end 1997)

Population

Total - 491, 312 (end 1997)

Average annual growth (1990-1995) - 0.84% per annum

Language

Iloko (Ilocano) - common language

English and Filipino - are also used

Religion

Roman Catholic - 63%

Aglipay - 20%

Others - 17 % (end 1997)

Largest

Area

Vintar - 624.85 sq. km.	pop. - 27, 460 (end 1995)
Nueva Era - 515.02 sq. km.	pop. - 6, 224
Marcos - 226.38 sq. km	pop. - 13, 688

Clothing

Thin cotton is recommended, although a jacket may be necessary in the evenings during the cooler months (November - February)

Electricity

220 volts, 60 cycles

Water

Drink only bottled or boiled water

INDUSTRIES

Agriculture is the major industry of the people. Being the principal crop, rice is raised for both subsistence and cash, but the most lucrative cash crop is garlic. Sugarcane is not widely produced. Those planting sugarcane process the yield into molasses and basi, a fermented beverage from sugarcane juice. The basi can also be turned into vinegar.

The presence of rivers and other bodies of fresh water and the proximity of the China Sea have made the fishing industry a productive economic activity, particularly among the seacoast dwellers. However, fishing is done on a limited scale. The people have not yet learned to use the more modem techniques of fishing. This explains why fishing tools are still similar to those used in the past.

Several sawmills have been established in Pagudpud, the northernmost town of the province. To date, however, only a few people are engaged in the lumber industry.

Of the many cottage industries being developed, cloth weaving appears to be a promising one. People from Paoay, Batac, Badoc, Dingras, Vintar, Sarrat, Piddig, Espiritu, and Solsona weave blankets, robes, towels, bedspreads, pillowcases, and clothing materials.

On the other hand, the people of San Nicolas engage in pottery making, while the people of Bangui weave mats. Hollow block making, bamboo craft, shell craft, crocheting, basket and bag making, and food preserving, too, are now in the process of development. Those living near the seashore make salt from seawater, while those in other areas are in manufacturing, construction, commerce, and transportation and communication.

My hometown... my place...