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 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".

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.
IlocosNorte
Founded:1818
Capital:LaoagCity
Government:Province
Governor:Ma.ImeldaJosefaR.Marcos
ViceGovernor:EugenioBarba
The province specializes in the following products and industries:
Agriculture - rice, corn, garlic, legumes, root crops, tobacco, and other fruits and vegetables .
Fishery - tilapia and assorted fishes
Cottage industries - loom weaving, furniture, ceramics, iron worksLivestock - swine and cattle

WEDDING/TRADITION

Panagasawa or marriage to the Ilocano is but a reaffirmation of the man and woman's
Gasat (fate). It is considered asacred partnership which lasts until the death of either partner.
Once the couple decide to marry, the boy informs the girl's parents about their plans. This announcement
is knownas the panagpudno Approval is sought from the boy's parents since they usually spend for the
wedding and providefor the dowry. When both families agree, the date of the wedding is set either by
consulting the planetano(analmanac which lists all good or bad days for all activities), or by
communicating through the billeta a letter sentfrom the boy to the girl by a messenger. The response is
also sent through the same messenger.
It is during the palalian a meeting between both families held in the girl's home, that the
sab-ong the sagut the parawad and the other details of the wedding are discussed. The purpose
of the sab-ong (dowry) is to provide thecouple with something to start their married life. It may
consist of a piece of land or enough money to buy someland. The sagut is the amount of money
needed for the bridal trousseau. Borrowing a wedding gown is taboo for theIlocano. It is
regarded as a grave insult to the families of the betrothed. The sagut provided the basis for
the Ilocano boast that "the Ilocano groom always dresses his bride from head to foot." The
parawad is given by the groom to the bride's mother as a token of appreciation for properly
bringing up her daughter. The sab-ong is presented during the albasya a long, elaborate
ceremony held the day before the wedding.
t is a taboo for a bride to fit in the bridal gown before the wedding because this brings bad luck
ormisfortune to the couple. It is also taboo for the bride and bridegroom to ride in the same
vehicle ingoing to church for the wedding because this portends bad luck. Care must be taken by
the groomwhen giving the aras (several one peso coins) to the bride during the wedding
ceremony. Thedropping of even only one coin brings bad luck. Only one matchstick should be
used to light the candleof the groom and bride. Those candle burns faster is believed to die
ahead. The veil sponsors shouldpin the veil very well, for there is a belief that a veil that falls
augurs an unsuccessful married life.
On thesinadag(eve of the wedding), another ceremony, the saka is held. In the saka
, either at the boy's house or atthe convent, the couple are ritually introduced to their sponsors
and prospective in-laws. The highlight of theceremony is the couple's public declaration of love
for each other.
As a rule , all Ilocano weddings must be held in church. After the ceremony, all proceed to
the groom's residence for the padaya The padAya is a lavish wedding feast which also serves as
an occasion for the renewal of family tiesand loyalties. This practice enhances community life
with the involvement of the neighbors in all the preparations.The reception is a ritual in itself as
all participants observe a certain decorum that clearly illustrates the Ilocanorespect for tradition.
After the wedding ceremony, when the bride and bridegroom arrive at the latter's house, an old
maid waiting at thefoot of the stairs hands them lighted candles. Care should be taken to have
these candles lighted when being carriedto the altar inside the house otherwise, one of the couple
will die young. The parents of the newlyweds secretlyadvice their respective son or daughter to
go up the stairs ahead of the other. Reaching the top flight first symbolizedauthority in the family. If
the groom is beaten in this race, he becomes ander di saya("henpecked).
If upon reaching the place where the reception is to be held, both the bride and the groom are
required to enter thehouse together as a sign of maintaining the balance of authority in the home
and to guarantee equal longevity. Lunchfor the newlyweds begins with a dish of boiled
mungobeans, a symbol of fertility. The bride and groom take turnsfeeding each other in a series of pleas
which ends in a touching show of love for each other. A highlight of thecelebration is the
tuptupac or the bitor . These rituals involve the giving of cash to the newlyweds by their
visitors.The gifts to the bride and groom are given and counted separately to determine the
economic capability of bothfamilies. After counting, the money is handed to the groom who
hands it over to his wife for safekeeping.
The last ritual for the day is the mangik-ikamen in which an old man and an old woman present
the dal-lot (weddingsong). The theme of the dal-lot is the ups and downs as well as the do's
and don¶ts of married life.
A day after the wedding, three rites are held. These are the
atang , an offering given to the spirits of the departedkinsmen and posing and mangatogangan
whereby the groom turns over his personal belongings tothe bride.

Ilocos Norte has a total land area of 3,400 square kilometers. It is composed of 22
municipalities with 477 barangays. The province's population was 514,000. The
province is noted for being the birthplace of former Philippine President Ferdinand
E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the country during the later half of his
incumbency. Ilocos Norte has always been Marcos territory and the family enjoy a
moderate amount of popularity in the province. Even before one reaches the capital,

The Dingras Revolt of 1589, which is a part of the Revolts against the Tribute, was caused by
unjust taxation and alleged abuse by the tax collectors of the Spanish colonial government. The
uprising started when six tax collectors arrived from Vigan was killed. To stop the uprising,
Spanish Governor-General Santiago de Vera sent troops over to Ilocos Norte. Eventually, the
rebels were pardoned and the Philippine Tax system was reformed.

Ilocano Heroes - Pedro Almazan, King of Ilocos

He was known as the leader of the first Ilocano revolt against the Spaniards. He was the rich leader
of San Nicolas. Along with the leader of Bangui, Juan Magsanop, they planned secretly to free Ilocos
from the Spaniards. When the Pangasinense revolt led by Andres Malong in 1660 and the Spaniard
troops left Ilocos to fought the revolt in Pangasinan they find the best time to . They contacted another
leader, Gaspar Cristobal, the chief of Laoag. Cristobal burned the church of Laoag as a sign of his
support. They also sought the help of the Kalingas also to kill the Spaniards.

The Ilocanos and the Kalingas crowned Pedro Almazan with a stolen crown of a statue from the burned
church. They proclaimed "Long live Manong Almazan, the King of Ilocos". The people waved banners in
the street.
The revolt reached the towns of Cabicungan (now Claveria) and Pata (now Claveria) in Cagayan.
On February 1661, the revolt was known by the Spaniards in southern part of Ilocos who were then
celebrating the victory over the Zambals and Pangasinenses. They sent a large troop led
by Lorenzo Arqueros along with some natives of Cagayan and Southern Ilocos and attacked Almazan's
troops. They were taken in sudden so Almazan retreated his troop to the forest. The Spaniards followed
them with the help of the natives. Juan Magsanop's group were the first to be captured. Before the
Spaniards captured Magsanop, he killed himself with a knife.
When Almazan's group was surrounded next. Filled with rage, Almazan attacked the enemy and died
while fighting.
With the two leaders dead the rest of the troop escaped and the revolt ended.

Pedro Almazan - an Ilocano pride. His love of his native land that lead him fighting the enemies until his
last breath is a good picture of patriotism.
Diego Silang- one of the earliest revolutionary leaders in the history of the phil.

In order to end the tyrannical Spanish regime in ilocos, he forge an alliance with british forces. He
visualized an independents Ilocano nation. He was a witness to the abusive management of the Spanish
officials and friars over the native indios during the early phases of his life. Perhaps this is one of the
events that shaped his mind and fueled his revolutionary desires. The magistrate of the royal audencia,
simon de anda, planned an assassination plot against silang with his growing popularity.

Two of the silang’s friend: Miguel vicos and pedro Becbec visited Silang only to assassinate him. On the
night of May 28, 1763 he was shot on his back and immediately died on the spot. Gabriella his wife conti.
The revolution upon his death. His wife, Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang, continued his

leadership. Her valiant efforts were overpowered by massive forces set upon her, forcing her retreat to Abra.
She tried to lead her army back to Vigan but was again repelled. She was captured and put to death publicly by
hanging in September 1763. Almost a hundred of her followers were also publicly hanged to serve as a
warning to the Ilocanos. She is now remembered in Philippine history as the country’s Joan of Arc and first
female leader for Filipino liberation. Her furious ride towards Vigan is immortalized in many statues all over
the country erected in memory of her courage and sacrifice. She rejoined her husband only four months after
his death.
Economy

The province specializes in the following products and industries:

 Agriculture - rice, corn, garlic, legumes, root crops, tobacco, and other fruits and vegetables
 Fishery - tilapia and assorted fishes
 Livestock - swine and cattle
 Cottage industries - loom weaving, furniture, ceramics, iron works
 Manufacturing and food processing - salt, empanada, bagoong, patis, basi (native Ilocano
wine), vinegar, longganisa, chicharon, bagnet, chichacorn (cornick), jewelry, garments, cereal
processing, packaging, mechanized processing equipment
 Wind Power Ilocos Norte's position on the northwest corner of Luzon makes it ideal for wind
power generation. There is currently a 25 Megawatt wind farm in Ilocos Norte, and several
more wind energy projects are being planned
 Tourism
 Pottery

TOURIST SPOTS

1. Bangui Windmills Farm

In the 1990’s, former Governor Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. was strong to conform on pursuing
the development of a power plant in the town of Bangui because of poor power supply
despite it is powered by NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation).

2. Marcos Museum
3. MALACANANG OF THE NORTH
 This was a birthday gift from first lady, Imelda Marcos, to her husband on the occasion of
his 60th birthday.
4. Juan Luna Shrine
5. Kabigan Falls
6. Blue Lagoon
7. AGUA GRANDE