 Ilocos Region( Region 

I): Lies on the northwestern coast of Luzon.

PROVINCES CITIES CITIES

ILOCOS NORTE DAGUPAN (PGSN) LAOAG (IN)
ILOCOS SUR SAN CARLOS (PGSN) VIGAN (IS)
LA UNION ALAMINOS (PGSN) CANDON (IS)
PANGASINAN URDANETA (PGSN) SAN FERNANDO (LU)

o LA UNION  (The Surfing Capital of the North)

Carved from the nine towns of Pangasinan, three of Ilocos Sur and villages of the Eastern Pais del Igorotes in the
Cordilleras. It was formally created by a Royal Decree issued by Queen Isabela of Spain on April 18, 1854. The
name La Union indicates the union of towns from different provinces. Filipinos have caught up the “beach
fever”. Nestled in one of the environment-friendly hills of the city of San Fernando is the home of the only
botanical gardens north of Metro Manila. 

o PANGASINAN (Land of more than a Hundred Wonders)

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 .

o ILOCOS SUR (Sure Ilocos Sur!)

In 1999, the Heritage City of Vigan was inscribed in the World Heritage List. UNESCO describes the site
as:“Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in
Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from
China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and South-
East Asia

o ILOCOS NORTE (Paoay, kumakaway!)

The inhabitants of the region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place “samtoy” from “sao mi ditoy”,
which literally meant “our language”. Post-war Ilocos Norte saw rapid development when Ferdinand Marcos
was elected President in 1965.