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.
Showing posts with label VISITA IGLESIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VISITA IGLESIA. Show all posts
Thursday, February 19, 2009
PARISH VISITA IGLESIA 2009-PRIMER-ILOCOS SUR
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.
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.
VISITA IGLESIA
Q: Why do people visit seven churches on Holy Thursday?
A: The custom goes back to the early Church when Christians would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome for adoration of the blessed sacrament after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The sacramentary, the official altar book of the Church, says that after this Mass, "The faithful should be encouraged to continue adoration before the blessed sacrament for a suitable period of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but there should be no solemn adoration after midnight."
Visita Iglesia is a practice in cities, where there are many churches, in countries as diverse as Malta, Poland, Ireland and The Philippines. Filipinos have brought it to places in North America that never had it before.
- Source: The Catholic Herald
A: The custom goes back to the early Church when Christians would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome for adoration of the blessed sacrament after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The sacramentary, the official altar book of the Church, says that after this Mass, "The faithful should be encouraged to continue adoration before the blessed sacrament for a suitable period of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but there should be no solemn adoration after midnight."
Visita Iglesia is a practice in cities, where there are many churches, in countries as diverse as Malta, Poland, Ireland and The Philippines. Filipinos have brought it to places in North America that never had it before.
- Source: The Catholic Herald
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)