REGION 1

ILOCOS NORTE
ILOCOS SUR
PANGASINAN
LA UNION
ILOCOS NORTE

is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is
located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra
and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to
the north.

Ilocos Norte is noted for being the birthplace of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an
authoritarian rule over the country during the latter half of his incumbency. The Marcoses enjoy a
modicum of popularity in the province. Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination,
being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class hotel and beach resort famous among expatriates,
and Pagudpud.

BRIEF PROFILE

Capital: Laoag City

Land Area: 3,504.3 km²

Population: 568,017 (2010)

Cities: Batac City, Laoag City

Munacipalities: 21

Barangays: 557

Languages: Ilocano, Tagalog, English

History

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 here".

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, 1592, 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 Gen. 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.

People and Culture

In the 330-page The Ilocos Heritage (the 27th book written by Visitacion de la Torre), the Ilocano legacy
and the life of the Ilocano – are described as - "the browbeaten, industrious, cheerful, simple soul who
has shown a remarkable strain of bravery and a bit of wanderlust." The Ilocano history reveals his
struggles and victories – in battles for colonial independence from Spain and America, to Philippine
leadership. The new Ilocano searched for greener pastures towards new lands local and foreign -
Palawan, Mindanao, Hawaii, the United States and Greece. The Ilocano material culture and spirituality
can be seen in the past - images of Spanish santo (saints), antique but intricate wooden furniture and
quality local fiber. The native Ilocano is a weaver, wood carver and pottery expert. The Ilocano cuisine –
ranges from the exotic "abu-os" (ant eggs) to vegetable broth "dinengdeng," and "pinakbet" the sticky
"tinubong" to the "poqui-poqui" (eggplant salad). Ilocandia is filled with colonial churches, the legacy of
Spanish Catholicism.

Religion

Although majority of the People in the Philippines are adherents to the Roman Catholic but its not the
majority religion in the province. The Aglipayan Church, founded by Batac native Gregorio Aglipay has a
strong following in the province.

Ilocos Norte is home to several famous Roman Catholic churches: Paoay Church

ILOCOS SUR
is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth
of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital. Ilocos Sur is bordered by Ilocos Norte and Abra to the
north, Mountain Province to the east, La Union and Benguet to the south, and the South China Sea to
the west.

BRIEF PROFILE

Capital: Vigan City

Land Area: 2,596.0 km²

Population: 658,587 (2010)

Cities: Vigan City and Candon City

Munacipalities: 32

Barangays: 768

Languages: Ilocano, Tagalog,English

Geography

Political

Ilocos Sur is subdivided into 32 municipalities and 2 cities.

Physical

Ilocos Sur is located along the western coast of Northern Luzon. It is bordered by Ilocos Norte to the
north, Abra to the northeast, Mountain Province to the east, Benguet to the southeast, La Union to the
south, and the China Sea to the west. Its area of 2,579.58 square kilometers occupies about 20.11%
of the total land area of Region 1.

The topography of Ilocos Sur is undulating to rolling with elevations ranging from 10 to 1,700 meters
above sea level.

Climate

The climate is generally dry as defined by the Hernandez climate classification - the dry months are
from October to May. However, the southernmost portion, Cervantes, is humid and rain is evenly
distributed throughout the year while the eastern part of Sugpon is drier. August has the most rainfall
while January and February have the least. The mean temperature in the province is 27 degrees C.
January is the coldest.

Major Industries

The people are engaged in farming, producing food crops, mostly rice, corn, vegetable, root crops,
and fruits. Non-food crops include tobacco, cotton, and tigergrass. Cottage industries include loom
weaving, furniture making, jewelry making, ceramics, blacksmithing, and food processing.

History

Before the coming of the Spaniards, the coastal plains in northwestern Luzon, stretching from Bangui
(Ilocos Norte) in the north to Namacpacan (Luna, La Union) in the south, were a region called the
Ylokos. This region lies in between the China Sea in the west and Northern Cordilleras on the east. The
inhabitants built their villages near the small bays on coves called “looc” in the dialect. These coastal
inhabitants were referred to as “Ylocos” which literally meant “from the lowlands”. The entire region
was then called by the ancient name “Samtoy” from “sao ditoy” which in Ilokano mean “our dialect”.
The region was later called by the Spaniards as “Ylocos” or “Ilocos” and its people “Ilocanos”.

The Ilocos Region was already a thriving, fairly advanced cluster of towns and settlements familiar to
Chinese, Japanese and Malay traders when the Spaniard explorer Don Juan de Salcedo and members
of his expedition arrived in Vigan on June 13, 1572. Forthwith, they made Cabigbigaan (Bigan), the
heart of the Ylokos settlement their headquarters which Salcedo called “Villa Fernandina” and which
eventually gained fame as the “Intramuros of Ilocandia”. Salcedo declared the whole Northern Luzon
as an "encomienda", or a land grant. Subsequently, he became the encomendero of Vigan and
Lieutenant Governor of the Ylokos until his death in July 1574.

Augustinian missionaries came to conquer the region through evangelization. They established
parishes and built churches that still stand today. Three centuries later, Vigan became the seat of the
Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

A royal decree of February 2, 1818 separated Ilocos Norte from Ilocos Sur, the latter to include the
northern part of La Union (as far as Namacpacan, now Luna) and all of what is now the province of
Abra. The sub-province of Lepanto and Amburayan in Mt. Province were annexed to Ilocos Sur.

The passage of Act 2683 by the Philippine Legislature in March 1917 defined the present geographical
boundary of the province.

There are many writers and statesmen throughout the history of the Phillipines. Pedro Bukaneg is the
father of Iluko Literature. Isabelo de los Reyes will always be remembered as the Father of the Filipino
Labor Movement. His mother, Leona Florentino was the most outstanding Filipino woman writer of the
Spanish era. Vicente Singson Encarnacion, an exemplary statesman, was also a noted authority on
business and industry.

From the ranks of the barrio schoolteachers, Elpidio Quirino rose to become President of the Republic
of the Philippines which is the town's most illustrious and native son of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. Col.
Salvador F. Reyes, a graduate of the Westpoint Military Academy, USA, led an untarnished and
brilliant military career.

People and Culture

In the 330 pages of “The Ilocos Heritage” (the 27th book written by Visitacion de la Torre), the
Ilocano legacy and the life of the Ilocano – are described as - "the browbeaten, industrious, cheerful,
simple soul who has shown a remarkable strain of bravery and a bit of wanderlust." The Ilocano
history reveals his struggles and victories – in battles for colonial independence from Spain and
America, to Philippine leadership. The new Ilocano searched for greener pastures towards new lands
local and foreign - Palawan, Mindanao, Hawaii, the United States and Greece. The Ilocano material
culture and spirituality can be seen in the past - images of Spanish santo (saints), antique but
intricate wooden furniture and quality local fiber. The native Ilocano is a weaver, wood carver and
pottery expert. The Ilocano cuisine ranges from the exotic "abu-os" (ant eggs) to vegetable broth
"dinengdeng," the sticky "tinubong" to the "poqui-poqui" (eggplant salad). Ilocos Sur, like other
provinces in Ilocandia, is filled with colonial churches, a legacy of Spanish Catholicism.
 PANGASINAN

The third biggest province in the whole Philippine Archipelago, derived its name from salt or “asin” in
the vernacular. Owing to the rich and fine salt beds which were the prime source of livelihood for the
province’s coastal towns, PanagASINan or “Pangasinan” which means “where salt is made” came to be
its name.

The province is crescent-shaped and occupies 536,818 hectares of land area which constitutes almost
one-half (41.8%) of the total land area of Region 1 and 1.8% of the total area of the Philippines.
Composed of 4 cities and 44 municipalities, it is bounded on the north by the Lingayen Gulf, La Union
and Benguet, on the north-east by Nueva Vizcaya, on the east by Nueva Ecija, on the south by Tarlac,
and on the west by Zambales and the China Sea.

Owing to its diverse cultural heritage rooted in centuries of glorious history and a way of life that is a
delightful combination of tradition, innovation and creativity, the warm, polite, hospitable, hard-working
and fun loving 2.65 million Pangasinenses (2007 census) enjoy the best of Provincial Philippines where
you find both the familiar and unfamiliar world, abreast with modern technological times, but with a
preserved vast panorama of outstanding natural beauty and unique attractions.

Pangasinan boasts of stretches of white, sandy beaches, verdant hills, scenic terrains, caves, waterfalls,
ancient Hispanic churches, miraculous destinations for devotees, a vast coastline for fishing, water
sports or leisurely walking along the Lingayen beach where one can get a glimpse of the world-famous
Philippine sunset.

Being a gateway of sorts, the province is house to major and minor telecommunication companies, bus
and transport services, regional and local publications, radio stations, television networks , cable
services, hotel and restaurant chains, and a diversified variety of manufacturing and merchandising
establishments.

The Northern Gate

Pangasinan is a crescent-shaped province that occupies 5,368.82 square kilometers of verdant

farmlands, hills, forests and rivers. To the east, it is bounded by the mighty Cordillera Mountains, the
Zambales ranges to the west, the rice plains of Tarlac to the south and the Lingayen Gulf and the China
Sea to the north. Because of this strategic geographical positioning, it has always been described as a
gateway of sorts. Most travellers going up North often remember Pangasinan as the place where they
had last seen some semblance of civilization, comparing it with the sparsely populated regions of the
Ilocos and the Cagayan Valley (with the exception of Baguio and the old Spanish towns of Vigan and
Laoag).

Connections

Historian Rosario Mendoza Cortes writes in her book, Pangasinan 1572-1800 that according to Bishop
Domingo de Salazar, Pangasinan “was forty leagues distant from Manila either by land or by sea.”
Roughly translated, travelers of old normally take about thirty-hours to reach Manila via horse and
carriage. After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, travel time was normally 5 to 7 hours as normal route
points like Bamban and Mabalacat were closed temporarily. Today, 5 hours is the norm although private
vehicles can sometimes negotiate the route under 4 hours. Most major bus companies ply the Manila-
Pangasinan route complemented by a host of local bus lines, which can be hired for private purposes
and tours. Most bus services operate on a 24-hour basis. Media services are active in Pangasinan.
National dailies as well as local publications (several weeklies and one daily) are available. There are 20
radio stations and one regional television station. Cable services have mushroomed even in areas far
from the urbanized centers of Dagupan, Urdaneta and Alaminos. At the latest survey, Pangasinan has
the highest tele-density in the country outside of Metro Manila with the presence of three major
telecommunication companies.

People and Culture

Much has been written and discussed about the Pangasinense, yet no definite image comes to mind.
There is a strong perception that the province is basically of Ilocano stock, but aside from the fact that
Iloko is more widely spoken than “Pangasinan”, the defining characteristics end there. The Pangasinense
is hardly frugal in the true sense of the word, nor is he extravagant either. Special occasions such as
fiestas, weddings and baptisms are exceptions wherein extravagance is necessary to “save face”, but
then most other Filipinos in other regions are similar in that respect. History tells us however that the
Pangasinense has always been sensitive to issues concerning his welfare. One of the first local revolts

during the Spanish colonization was instigated by a Binalatongan native, (now San Carlos) Andres
Malong in 1660.

The Gifts of the Earth and Sea

Pangasinan is rooted to the earth – agriculture based production remains as a major source of income
for the majority of the populace. Aqua-culture is also popular in areas where instead of farmlands,
variated squares of artificial ponds for fish rearing are found. Through the years, as the demand for
particular fish stocks rose and fell, fishpond owners have adapted by sticking to traditionally favored,
and stable growing fish species like the bangus or milkfish, the malaga and prawns. With agriculture
currently mobilizing more than half of the local labor force, the current administration has seen the
need to boost its efforts in this area.

El Niño and La Niña

Like the rest of the country and the world, 1998 was Pangasinan’s hottest year with temperatures
soaring beyond the 40’s. The lingering effects of the El Nino and the La Nina phenomenon continue to
affect the local climate. Normally, the dry season begins in November to April and wet during the rest of
the year. Typhoons intermittently wreak havoc with some serious flooding in the eastern towns.
However, the presence of a long coastline with attractive beaches offsets the hot and humid weather;
sun-loving tourists affirm that Pangasinan’s current climate is perfect.

The Count

Current census (Year 2000) figures place the population at 2,434,086 distributed in the province’s 44
towns, four cities and 1,364 barangays. English and Filipino are widely spoken and are the mediums of
instruction in all schools. Ilocano is the major dialect, spoken by a greater portion of the population in
the western and eastern areas. There is some fear that the Pangasinan dialect, spoken predominantly in
the central areas, is losing its hold on the local tongue. Bolinao, at the northernmost tip of western
Pangasinan has a unique language of its own, also called Bolinao.

LA UNION

La Union is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is
the city of San Fernando.

La Union, which translates to "The Union", was formed in 1850 by merging towns from the neighboring
Provinces of Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and Benguet.It is a province with rich history that is known for its
ancient churches and pilgrimage sites. In recent years, the town of San Juan and the city of San
Fernando have gained popularity as a surfing destination for beginners and experienced surfers alike.

Quick facts

Governor:FRANCISO EMMANUAL R. ORTEGA III

Vice Governor:MARIO EDUARDO C. ORTEGA

POPULATION:786, 653 (As of 2015)

GEOGRAPHY: La Union is situated 273 kms. north of Manila and 57 kms. northwest of Baguio City. Ilocos
Sur is bordered by Ilocos Sur to the north, Benguet to the east, Pangasinan to the south, and South
China Sea to the west. La Union has a land area of 1,493.09 sq.km with Predominantly Hilly terrain.

CITY: 1 (San Fernando City)

TOWNS/MUNICIPALITIES: 19 (Agoo, Aringay, Bacnotan, Bagulin, Balaoan, Bangar, Bauang, Burgos, Caba,
Luna, Naguilian, Pugo, Rosario, San Gabriel, San Juan, Santol, Sto. Tomas, Sudipen, Tubao)

BARANGAYS: 576

LANGUAGE: The major dialect/ language of the province is Iloko, Filipino and English

RELIGION: Predominantly Roman Catholic