Ilocos Sur

The entire Ilocos region which then stretched from the town of Luna (Namacpacan) in the province of what is now part of La Union to Bangui in what is now part of Ilocos Norte and was then called by its ancient name Samtoy (from the phrase “sao ditoy, which in Ilokano meant “our dialect) and the inhabitants built their villages in small bays on coves called “looc” in the local dialect. The natives by the coast were referred to as “Ylocos” which meant “from the lowlands” (the “Igorots” of the Cordilleras on the other hand meant “from the highlands”). Subsequently, the Spaniards called the region “Ylocos” or “Ilocos” and its people “Ilocanos.”





Before the expedition of Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo (grandson of another important Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi) arrived in Cabigbigaan, which was also known as Bigan (spelled as Vigan now and the capital of the current Ilocos Sur) on 13 June 1572, the region was already a thriving hub of international commerce with significant settlements of Chinese, Japanese and Malay traders – 408 kilometers north of Manila. Eventually the region became an important player and stop on the maritime silk route. On a side note, not a lot of visitors know that the name Vigan derived its name from a lush plant species of the taro family named “Bigaa”. Salcedo eventually declared Vigan as the capital and the headquarters of the Spanish settlement in the North and called it Villa Fernandina de Bigan and right after, the entire Northern Luzon as an encomienda and himself as the encomendero of Vigan and the Lieutenant Governor of Ylocos until his death in July of 1574. With this, Vigan prominently established itself as the center of the Hispanic presence in the north and this is pretty much evident with the fine fusion of European and Asian architecture in the city, best exemplified in the houses with their airy balconies, wide-opened windows and an unmistakable Iberian, Chinese, and Mexican air permeating the cobble-stone streets of Calle Crisologo in the Mestizo District also known as the Kasanglayan (literally “where the Sangleys/Chinese live”). The Mestizo District has the highest number of ancestral houses and colonial era architecture which was mostly built by the Chinese merchants who settled, intermarried and became the local elite of the 19th century. The houses were the result of a continuing evolution of the traditional Igorot nipa hut of the highlands with a distinct combination of Mexican and Chinese styles and Filipino touches like sliding capiz shell windows. A walk through the Kasanglayan felt like being thrown back into the past, an amazingly beautiful experience. Sometimes, referred to as the Intramuros of the North, the Kasanglayan has a different vibe altogether – it is quieter, and more laidback than its counterpart in Manila, but no less important nonetheless.

Vigan, unlike its sister cities of Manila and Cebu, survived the massive bombing campaigns of the advancing Americans during the second World War which left it relatively well-preserved and intact, went on to become the only Philippine city to become recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage City- the best example of a surviving European colonial town in Asia. According to rumors, Ilocos was called the “Rimat ti Amianan” or “Treasures of the North” because the hastily fleeing Japanese Imperial Army, buried their treasures plundered from the different Southeast Asian countries in the caves of Ilocos, fueling then a treasure hunting boom. Being the most popular destination in the Ilocos Region, it was quite a surprise not to find a lot of foreigners traveling in this area. We saw creeping commercialization in the area though, with souvenir shops occupying a significant lot of the ground floors of houses, however, this has not diminished its obvious charm as commerce has more or less successfully blended quite well with the area- with Vigan walking the fine line between outright commercialization and preserving its identity.






Being a fan of traditional Filipino weaving myself, I could not resist a trip to Barangay Camangaan (about 10-15 minutes away by tricycle from the Tourism Office near Plaza Burgos), home of the famous Vigan weavers which are known to produce abel, a local cotton fabric into shawls, hankies, placemats, blankets, gowns and even Barongs – the traditional Filipino shirt. We ended up having 2 Abel Iloco blankets at under PhP400. Although Abel Iloco products are sold in the shops of Kasanglayan, the prices in Barangay Camangaan are unbeatable plus you will be able to see local weavers in action. For pottery enthusiasts, the pagburnayan is a must-stop. Early Ilocanos used the burnay (earthen jars) for the fermentation of basi (sugarcane wine) and bagoong (shrimp paste) with some of the existing kilns dating back to 1823.


Governor Chavit Singson’s Baluarte meanwhile features a zoo, although I am not totally sold on the idea of keeping animals in cages – Baluarte’s animals which include a lot of deer, sheep and a couple of alpacas, roam freely in quite a reasonably wide, open space. Tigers and other animals like the sugar gliders, and pythons are in cages. How these endangered animals made their way to Baluarte is anybody’s guess. Baluarte also has a skeet shooting range (how a shooting range ended up in a zoo was beyond reason), pony rides and animal shows (we spied a very young orangutan quite disturbed by the loud music played during these animal shows). Entrance is free and the kids love it especially the huge replicas of dinosaurs that are close to the Hollywoodesque Baluarte sign.


urch (also known as Bantay Church) in the nearby town of Bantay. This baroque-gothic style church is one of the oldest in Ilocos Sur (built in 1590) and features a separate belfry on top of a small hill a few meters away- which affords a superb view of the mountains in neighboring province of Abra on one side and with the South China Sea on the opposite side. The church was damaged during World War II and was reconstructed in 1950 with the restored façade now with a neo-gothic design with touches of Romanesque elements. The belfry, which also served as a lookout for approaching enemies (thus the word Bantay means “to guard”), .

One hour drive south of Vigan is another UNESCO World Heritage Church, the massively baroque Santa Maria Church built in 1769 which also sits on a hill overlooking Santa Maria. This church was used as a fortress during the 1896 Philippine revolution.

If topiaries make you giddy, there is a mini version at the Flores Pots and Hidden Garden. Thick foliage, bamboo covered walks and a huge collection of plants (some of which are for sale) greet you. There is a restaurant and a souvenir shop that sells Vigan-style empanadas – ground meat and egg-with shredded vegetables fried inside thin pastry pockets as well as Basi wines. So far one of the best toilets we ever had – the toilet bowl overlooks a mini-garden – great for a little meditation while doing your business.

Like most Philippine cities and towns, Ilocos Sur is home to fiestas and celebrations. During Easter Season, tourists can join local devotees in religious processions of life-size statues in carrozas. The Vigan City Fiesta meanwhile is celebrated on the third week of January to commemorate the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul and the anniversary of Vigan’s cityhood – be on the lookout for its colorful Longganiza Festival.