Ilocos sur

-Ilocos Sur  is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of

the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan. 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.Ilocos Sur was founded by the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo in 1572. It was formed when
the north (now Ilocos Norte) split from the south (Ilocos Sur). At that time it included parts of Abra and
the upper half of present-day La Unión. The current boundary of the province was permanently defined
through Act 2683 signed in March 1917. The province is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
namely, the Heritage City of Vigan and the Baroque Church of Santa Maria.

-Ilocos Sur occupies the central section of the Ilocos Region in 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 South China Sea to the west. Its area of 2,596.00 square kilometres
(1,002.32 sq mi)[9] occupies about 20% of the total land area of Region 1. The topography of Ilocos Sur
ranges from 10 to 1,700 metres (33 to 5,577 ft) above sea level.

Tourist Attractions:

Vigan Heritage Village

- The historic town of Vigan was established in the late-1500s, during the Spanish domination of the
Philippines, and still has the same look and feel hundreds of years later. The well-preserved city is the
capital of Ilocos Sur, in the northwest of Luzon, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

- The unique architectural fusion of colonial Spanish and Philippine building designs resulted in the
development of a unique townscape and culture, with no parallel anywhere else in Southeast Asia. It
derives its name from the word ‘Biga’ – the name of a giant taro plant that grows in abundance on the
banks of the river Mestizo

Bantay Bell Tower

- One of Vigan’s most iconic symbols is the Bantay Bell Tower. First built in 1591, it served as the town’s
watchtower before being turned into a bell tower by the nearby church in 1857. Located roughly 10
minutes from the town of Vigan, it’s located in the town of Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

- It has looked over the town of both Bantay and Vigan for centuries, and was known as Diego and
Gabriela Silang’s favorite date spot during the 17th century. The bell tower is situated on a hill, making it
the best vantage point for those who were assigned to watch over the towns of Vigan and Bantay

Crisologo Museum

-Crisologo Museum is an ancestral house turned into a museum by the Crisologos, who happens to be
one of Vigan’s most prominent political family figure. The museum is a few walks away from the Vigan
Cathedral.
- It is famous not only because of the family name attached to it but with its wide range of memorabilia
as it also houses historical and political remains of what shaped the Ilocos province and the whole
Philippines.

-The Crisologo Museum is the ancestral house of former Ilocos Sur Representative Floro Crisologo and
his family. The Crisologos are one of the most prominent political families in the province. Today, this
ancestral house has been turned into a museum, home to hundreds of memorabilia that would give you
a sneak peek into the past.

- The Crisologo museum is one of the most famous tourist attraction in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Primarily,
its fame is related to its well-known owner as well as the content which brings you back to the Spanish
era.

Baluarte Zoo

-  is a zoological park in Vigan, Ilocos Sur Philippines. It is owned by Chavit Singson.

- The Baluarte Zoo was established by local politician and businessman, Chavit Singson. Singson, who
cites his hunting hobby as his motive in setting up Baluarte only considered opening a zoo when
his hunting trophy collection grew too big. He thought that a zoo would serve to edify it patrons aside
from promoting conservation and protection of endangered species.Described as an interactive wildlife
sanctuary, the facility was designed and developed by Singson himself.

-There is no entrance fee. You can either walk inside or get a shuttle for only 50 pesos per head. Snacks,
drinks and souvenirs are just beside the main entrance. Great location for picture taking.

Hidden Garden

- Vigan’s one and only hidden garden is located at the heart of the city. You will be amazed of its
beautiful plants and superb potteries. Feel the warmth of nature as you dine with its first class
restaurant located just inside the compound.

- Hidden Garden is owned and managed by Rafaela “Glo” Flores. The exact address is Brgy. Bulala, Vigan
City, Ilocos Sur.

- The ‘hidden’ garden has an interesting history. Six years ago, Francis Flores, the owner of Hidden
Garden of Vigan suffered from three heart attacks and had half of his body paralyzed Also, this made
him realize to change his life, start a garden, and became a landscape architect. It later became a
business and an restaurant even popped inside it.

Pagburnayan Jar Factory

- The village of Pagburnayan in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur is home to a number of factories that use the
centuries-old method of producing clay jars, known locally as burnay. Burnay jars are handcrafted by
local potters who have mastered the art of kneading, molding, and baking clay along with water and
sand to form the finished product. 

-Locally, burnay jars are where people store water or grains as well as the native Basi wine and bagoong,
which both need fermentation. Compared with terracotta pots, which are also clay-based but are used
for gardening, pagburnayan jars are considered more durable.

- Pagburnayan Jar Making is one of the famous and must see attraction in Ilocos Sur. It is located in Brgy.
Pagburnayan Vigan. Pagburnayan is a place where they used the old and authentic methods in pottery.
The root word “burnay” is an earthenware jar crafted by potter’s hands with the aid of a potter’s wheel.
It uses fine sand (anay) as a tempering material and fired at a high temperature in a huge brick-and-clay
ground kiln that make it is harder and more durable than other terra cotta. The local bagoong(fish
sauce), sugarcane vinegar, and basi wine would not taste as good as if not fermented in burnay jars.
Tourists can also experience pottery making with their bare hands for free.

Home » heritage » Plaza Burgos

Plaza Burgos

- Plaza Burgos is the smaller of the two major plazas in the city of Vigan. It can be found just right beside
Saint Paul Cathedral’s Bell Tower. While Plaza Salcedo was constructed to honor a foreign conqueror,
Juan de Salcedo, Plaza Burgos was built to remember the martyrdom of Father Jose P. Burgos, one of
Vigan’s illustrious sons put to death by the Spaniards.

-Vigan has produced a lot of the country’s heroes who came from various fields. Father Burgos is the
only one from the clergy. He fought for ecclesiastical reforms to ease the inequality suffered by Filipino
priests during his time. He was executed in Manila’s Bagumbayan together with two other clergy
reformists. They are collectively known in Philippine history as the Gomburza, which stands for their
surnames Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. Visitors can learn more about this scholar-priest when they visit
his monument in Plaza Burgos.

- Plaza Burgos is best-known for its empanadahan (place for eating a local meat and vegetable-filled
pastry) and other street food. It is true that where local people converge the best of local food can be
found. Food kiosks increase in number in the Plaza later in the day. Visitors are enjoined not to leave
Vigan without trying the Vigan empanada in Plaza Burgos.

Santa Maria Church

- The Santa Maria Church, also called The Church of the Lady of Assumption (Church of Nuestra Señora
de la Asuncion), is a parish church located in Ilocos Sur province of the Philippines. Standing tall on top
of a hill, it is one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines that is inscribed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The Santa Maria Church is a complex art of clay bricks and mortar.
- Consequently, it becomes the center of attraction for tourists. It is a perfect haven for the people who
love to explore ancient culture and history. The long staircase that leads to the church imparts
paradisiacal qualities to the church.

- The parish of Santa Maria was originally located in Narvacan in 1567. It was dedicated to the Virgin
Mary under the title of Our Lady of Assumption. But Virgin Mary was enthroned at a different place
called Bulala. After frequent disappearances, she was found to be perched on a Guava tree. The
townspeople then decided upon shifting the church to its present location. The construction started in
1765.

- During the renovation of the church, the bell tower and the protective walls were constructed in 1810
and 1863, respectively. The bell tower was remodeled the same year imposing a slightly leaning or tilting
structure, as it appears today. Also, the church was initially constructed using bamboo sticks. But later
on, the local materials were replaced by hard construction to give longer life to the church.

Syguia Mansion

-The Syquia Mansion is a wonderful example of bahay na bato architecture prevalent during the later
Spanish Colonial Era. The typical structure consisted of a ground floor made of stone or brick and mortar
with the upper floors of wood. No cement, no hollow blocks, no steel bars. No blueprints either. This
mansion was built using a craftsman’s expert eye and traditional building materials.

- The original structure was built in 1830 by the Ang Co family and was given as dowry by Justo Angco on
his daughter Estefania’s marriage to Gregorio Syquia in 1875. Over time, Gregorio and Estefania added
to and altered the mansion to fit their growing family, and so also did their descendants.

- At present, the Syquia Mansion operates as a museum, displaying the architecture and significant
family heirlooms and artifacts as testimony to the affluence of the family during the Spanish colonial era
in the 19th century Philippines. The government recognized the heritage home as one of the oldest
bahay na bato in the city of Vigan, a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

St. Paul’s Cathedral

- The St. Paul’s Cathedral is also known as the metropolitan Cathedral. It is considered a major religious
landmark not only of northern Luzon but the country as well. Visitors must include a visit to the
cathedral when in Vigan as it has been a center of Roman Catholic devotion for centuries. The church as
it stands now was completed in 1800. The original structure was built in 1574 upon the command of the
Spanish founder of Vigan, Juan de Salcedo. It was a mere chapel then, made of wood and thatch. In
1641, the chapel was replaced by a church.

- the cathedral follows a Baroque architectural design that has been modified by Ilocanos to strengthen
the structure against earthquakes. This is now known as earthquake Baroque. Testament to the style’s
effectivity is the fact that the structure’s original interior walls have remained complete

- The Bell Tower is not attached to the church itself and is instead found in Plaza Burgos, 10 meters from
the south of Vigan Cathedral.   It is about 25 meters high.
Ilocos sur Festivals :

Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival

- Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts celebrated from the last week of April to the first week of
May was originally the Feast of the Natives that began on May 3, 1883, according to the writings of
Damaso King, well-known Vigan historian. 

- The festival began when an epidemic killed 934 residents in a month in 1882. The epidemic started
Nov. 12 and ended Dec. 15. This happened 30 years after a chapel was built in 1852 in the cemetery of
Vigan.

- The Viva Vigan! Binatbatan Festival of the Arts is a cultural showcase of the city that was first organized
in 1993 to coincide with the Tres de Mayo festivities. The centuries-old structures along Crisologo Street
were all decorated with abel iloko cloth or inabel to mark the celebrations. The binatbatan street
dancing started in 2002, with dancing mimicking the traditional Ilocano way of beating the cotton pods
with two bamboo sticks, the first process in making inabel. This beating was done to separate the seeds
from the fluff.

Longganisa Festival

- In late January, the Vigan celebrates City Fiesta and Longganisa Festival is included in the festive
program. It's normally celebrated around January 22nd to January 25th—the dates vary from year to
year. During the festival, every tourist has a chance to try authentic longganisa from Vigan. Usually, local
people eat salami for breakfast but the food itself is too good to be eaten during the morning hours
only.

Sinait GARLIC FESTIVAL

- The Garlic Festival is held in Sinait, Ilocos Sur known as the Garlic Center of the North. It is held during
the 1st to 3rd of May. This festival aims to showcase the talent, ingenuity and hard work of the Ilocano
farmers. Aside from that, it also aims to encourage the farmers to mass high quality garlic using modern
technology.

- It is a unique festival whose primary objective is to give recognition to garlic farmers. Also, it aims to
form and educate visitors and local residents on the importance of the garlic industry to the Philippine
economy.

-Farmers from the northern side of the Philippines particularly in Sinait, Ilocos Sur major mass produce
was garlic, yes garlic tons of tons of garlic.
- Bawang is the Filipino word for garlic of which the town of Sinait known as the Garlic Center of the
Philippines. Competitions and exhibits include pinaka-Garlic bulb (e.g. biggest garlic), longest and most
creative twined garlic bulbs, and the Search for the Garlic Festival Queen.

- The Festival draws thousands of local and foreign tourist flock to Sinait, Ilocos Sur to watch the much-
awaited Sinait Garlic Festival during the 1st to 3rd of May that showcase the talent, ingenuity and hard
work trait of Ilocano Farmers in various competition form.

-An annual festival to promote the major product of the town garlic or “bawang”. Festivity includes:
street dancing competition in garlic inspired costumes, selection of Miss Garlic Festival, biggest garlic
contestand longest most creative twined garlic.

Tabako Festival

- Celebrated every last week of March in Candon City, as thanksgiving for the city's bountiful harvest of
tobacco.

-Candon City being the trading center of Ilocos Sur also celebrates Tobacco Festival as a way of
thanksgiving for the bounty harvest of Tobacco . Tobacco industry is still the major livelihood of the
Ilocono folks in the Ilocos Region

-Candon City, Ilocos Sur will celebrate 18th Tobacco Festival from 17 to 25 March this year. The city,
dubbed the country’s tobacco capital, will feature the region’s primary product and its contribution to
the economy, being the largest producer of the finest Virginia Tobacco in the country.

Pinakbet Festival, Ilocos Sur Philippines

-A festival celebrating a favorite dish of the Ilocanos, “pinakbet” featuring street dances, cooking
competitions. A day to honor the farmer’s industry and housewives cooking skills.

-Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur

A festival celebrating a favorite dish of the Ilocanos, "pinakbet" featuring street dances and cooking
competitions.

Pinakbet contains many vegetables, like sitaw, ampalaya, kalabasa, okra, gabi, eggplant, squash and
many more.

-Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur April 23 it features street dances and cooking competitions and honours the Sta.
Maria’s farmers’ industry and their housewives’ cooking skills.

Semana Santa, Ilocos Sur Philippines

St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral is the venue of religious rites during the Holy Week. The Good Friday
procession features decorated carrozas bearing life-size statues of Spanish vintage. On Easter Sunday,
the dawn celebration depicting the Resurrection of Christ, called “Sabet,” is a scene to behold.

- Semana Santa in Vigan Holy Week in Vigan is one of the peak tourist seasons. Local and foreign tourists
trek to this city with its old world ambience to experience how the Holy Week or Semana Santa, as it is
locally known, has been celebrated throughout the centuries by its predominantly Roman Catholic
residents. To get the full experience of this religious observance of the passion and death of Christ,
visitors are advised to arrive on or before Palm Sunday. Masses are scheduled throughout the day,
participated in by people who bring with them palm fronds or palaspas. These palaspas are woven and
knotted into decorative strands by bearers or by the vendors who sell them in the market places and
beside the church. Worshipers raise and wave the palaspas at the end of the Mass for the priest’s
blessing with holy water. They keep these all year-round displayed in their homes as protection, and
burn portions of it as offering in their altar during times of need.

Begnas Festival, Ilocos Sur Philippines

- Begnas Festival, an annual feast of thanksgiving by different tribes in Ilocos Sur. Tribes that include Bag-
o, Kankanaey, Itneg and Tingguian. They gather in an identified upland municipality and dance tadek,
dance lablabbaan or played indigenous musical instruments

- Begnas Festival is a yearly tribal festival of the province usually held during the months of October or
November.

- There is a saying that says, eating with own hands makes the foods more delicious and tastier.

- The Begnas Ylocos Festival of the province of Ilocos Sur showcases the traditions and customary
practice like the dancing tadek, singing salidummay, playing abistong and drumming the gongs as part of
the one day program.

Kannawidan Festival, Ilocos Sur Philippines

- A festival in the Province of Ilocos Sur commemorating the separation of the two Ilocos provinces in
1818. This festival is a showcase of indigenous performances, religious rituals, as well cooking demos
featuring the best of Ilocano dishes.

-Kannawidan Ylocos festival is the commemoration of the foundation of the province of Ilocos Sur. It is a
celebration that lasts from the last week of January and ends on the first week of February.

- It is the Ilocanos’ way of giving thanks to the Almighty not only for the bountiful blessings but also for
the rich heritage of the province, including the close family ties among the Ilocanos.

-The Kannawidan Ylocos Festival encourages the younger generations to learn the indigenous songs and
dances of the province of Ilocos Sur.
Vegetable Bowl Festival, Ilocos Sur Philippines