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Ilocos Norte
Province
IIOCOS NORTE PROVINCE
have many beautiful beaches. Some of the beautiful beaches are Suba Beach and Pagadpud Beach. Ilocos Norte has always been
Marcos territory. Even before one reaches the capital, Laoag, traces of "the great Ilocano" are unmistakable. The Lake Paoay
National Park lies some way north of Paoag which is southwest of Laoag.
Near the lake there is one of the most interesting
early 18th century Baroque churches, built to withstand earthquakes, combines with a massive exterior with a delicate Javanese
decor inside. Legend has it that a sunken pre-Hispanic town lies at the bottom of the 230 ft deep lakes. Marcos’s former
residence, the Malacanan ti Amianan, now a museum, stands proudly on the northern side of the lakes. In Laoag City, St William
‘s Cathedral has an interesting "Sinking Tower"standing some yards away from the main edifice. It has been sinking since
the early 17th century. Both the church and the tower are massive example of what could properly be name "earthquake baroque".
The town hall and Ilocandia museum are also worth visiting.
Copyright
© 1997 by REGIT Sdn Bhd All rights reserved. |
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General information about Ilocos Norte Province:
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Area:
3399 sq km |
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Population:
ca. 500 000 |
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Cities:
Laoag |
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Number
of Towns: 23 |
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The land: |
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The province is basically level along its coastal areas, with mountainous
and hilly portions inland near and along the Cordillera Mountain Range on its eastern flank. The Laoag River and its tributaies
cross hte costal palin.
The climate is characterized by two extremes: very dry from December
to April and very wet the rest of the year.
Typhoons pass periodically and earthquake faults abound: nearly half
of the 25 major faults in the region are here. |
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A brief history: |
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In 1572, Juan de Salcedo led the first Spanish expedition to the region
and founded the Ilocos province, which emraced the present Ilocos provinces of Abra, La Union, and parts of the old Mountain
Provonce. In 1574, the Chinese pirate Limahong plundred Sinait on his way to Manila.
Ilocos Norte was the scene of early revolts against Spanish rule. The
first occured in Dingras in 1587 over the collection of tributes. The next, in Laoag in 1661, was led by Pedro Almazan who
crowned himself king and entered into treaties with the tobacco monopoly led to an uprising in Laoag in 1782.
Later, the injustices of the wine monopoly caused the Basi (rice wine)
Revolt in Piddig in 1807.
On February 2, 1818, a royal decree divided the province into Ilocos
Norte and Ilocos Sur.
Ilocos Norte is the home province of former President Ferdinand Marcos,
the great painter Juan Luna and the founder of the Philippine Independent Church, Gregorio Aglipay. |
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The people: |
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The hardships of life in the province have led many ilocanos to migrate
only to other parts of the country but also to foreing lands. This probably explains why they have gained renow as a people
both industrious and thrifty.
Ilocano is the main dialect of the inhabitants. |
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Commerce and industy: |
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Agriculture is the main source of livelihood. Although more than two-thirds
of the total land is devoted to agriculture, only onesixth is used for growing crops, the rest are pasturelands. all lands
available for cultivation are planted with rice, corn, garlic, onion, sugarcane or cotton.
Tobacco was a relatively recent introduction but it has become a major
cash crop.
The province is also noted for its cottage industries which include cloth-weaving,
potterymaking, woodcarving and furniture making. |
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