The Visita Iglesia (Visit of the Churches) is one of the most pleasant traditions that Catholics observe during the Lenten season.
And by going to the right churches, Catholics can do two things at the same time: Offer a solemn prayer and immerse in culture kept alive within church walls.
For this year, the Parish has chosen the magnificent province of Ilocandia as this year's place of the Visita Iglesia. As a primer of the said activity, the site has decided to feature the province of Ilocos for the parishioners to have a better appreciation of the province and its culture.
ILOCOS SUR
Brief History
Before the advent of the Spanish Regime, settlements already existed along the coves or “looc” in the northern part of Luzon. These settlements called the “Ylocos” which extended from Bangui in the north to Namacpacan in the south were discovered during the expedition led by Juan de Salcedo in 1572.
Juan de Salcedo decided to establish his headquarters in a settlement along the Mestizo River, then named “Kabigaan” because of the “gabi” like plants abundantly growing by the bank of the river. Vigan also became the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and was called “Ciudad Fernandina” in honor of King Ferdinand. Vigan remains to be the capital city of Ilocos Sur.
On February 2, 1818, the Ylocos was divided into two provinces: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. At that time, Ilocos Sur encompassed what are now the northern towns of La Union up to Luna and Abra. Also annexed were Lepanto and Amburayan in Mt. Province. Act 2683 passed on March 1917 by the Philippine Legislature defined the present geographical boundaries of Ilocos Sur.
Geography
Ilocos Sur is located along the western coast of Northern Luzon It is bounded by Ilocos Sur Norte on the north, Abra on the northeast, Mt. Province on the east, Benguet on the southeast, La Union on the south and the China Sea on the west. Its area of 2,579.58 square kilometers occupies about 20.11 % of the total land area of Region 1.
The topography of Ilocos Sur is undulating to rolling with elevations ranging from 10 to 1,700 meters above sea level.
Political Subdivision
Ilocos Sur has 32 municipalities and 2 cities which are subdivided into 764 barangays. They are Alilem, Banayoyo, Bantay, Burgos, Cabugao, Caoayan, Cervantes, Galimuyod, Gregorio del Pilar, Lidlidda, Magsingal, Nagbukel, Narvacan, Quirino, Salcedo, San Emilio, San Esteban, San Ildefonso, San Juan, San Vicente, Santa, Santiago, Sta. Catalina, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Lucia, Sta. Maria, Sto. Domingo, Sigay, Sinait, Sugpon, Suyo, Tagudin. The cities include Candon City and Vigan City.
Climate
The climate is generally dry as defined by the Hernandez type of climate. Classification is characterized by more dry months usually from October to May. However, the southernmost portion (part of Cervantes) is observed to be humid and rain is even distributed throughout the year while the eastern part of Sugpon is dry with rain not sufficiently distributed. August has the most rainfall while January and February have the least. The mean temperature in the province is 27oC. January is the coldest.
Population
In the 2000 census, the population of Ilocos Sur was 594,206. Vigan City, the capital of Ilocos Sur, has a population of 45,143. The population in the province for year 2000 increased by 1.85% relative to the 1995 census.
Language / Dialect
Filipino and English are the basic tools of instruction in schools while Ilocano is the principal dialect. Kankanaey and Itneg are spoken in cultural communities.
Religion
Christianity is widely spread in the province. Approximately 85 percent of the total population professes Roman Catholicism, the prevailing religion in the province. The remaining percentage of the population professes to Protestantism, Buddhism, Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipayan, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh Day Adventists.
Major Industries
The people are engaged in farming producing food crops mostly rice, corn, vegetable, rootcrops and fruits. Non-food crops include tobacco, cotton and tigergrass. Cottage industries include loomweaving, furniture making, jewelry making, ceramics, blacksmithing and food processing.
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