Brief 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.”
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, 1572, 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 Sen. 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.
Political Subdivision
Ilocos Norte has 22 municipalities namely: Adams, Badoc, Bacarra, Bangui, Batac, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalneg, Espiritu, Marcos, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Pinili, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona and Vintar. Laoag converted into a city on June 19, 1965 under R.A. 4584, remains as capital. The municipalities and Laoag City are further subdivided into 550 barangays and 2 districts.
Climate
The province experiences dry season from November to April and wet season from May to October. Annual rainfall is 2,067.2 mm. while average temperature is 27.8oC. The province is occasionally visited by tropical cyclones and storms during the southwest monsoon season.
Population
Population of the province in 2000 was 514,241. This figure is projected to increase to 553,080 in 2005.
Language / Dialect
Ilocano (Iloko) is the major dialect. English and Filipino are the tools of instruction in schools.
People, Culture and Arts
“Ilocanos” comprise the overwhelming majority of the province’s inhabitants, although there are small communities of Isnegs and Tinguians in the eastern and southeastern fringes of the province. The people do not differ from other Ilocanos in customs, but as a result of the establishment of the Aglipayan Church, a majority of the population are members of the independent church.
Hundreds of years of Catholic preeminence had made Ilocos Norte home to many old Catholic Churches. Most famous is the Paoay Church which is a unique combination of baroque and Southeast Asian motifs blended into a distinct style called earthquake baroque. Another is The Cathedral of St. William the Hermit (San Guillermo) that possesses a unique two-storey façade held up by four pairs of coupled columns.
The province is also the birthplace of many important personalities whose ancestral homes had been converted to museums. The Juan Luna Shrine in Badoc, is a preserved brick-type house of the hero-painter and is a repository of his memorabilia, including replicas of his masterpieces. Another museum called Balay ti Ili (house of the people) is the ancestral home of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Major Industries
Agriculture is the main livelihood of the people. Garlic is the principal cash crop. Fishing and manufacturing are other industries. Cottage industries include weaving, pottery, blacksmithing and furniture-making.
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