Welcome to Laoag, Philippines

ILOCOS NORTE

I. OVERVIEW

A. Brief History
Juan De Salcedo afetr occupying the town settlement of Vigan, pressed further north to Laoag which at that time was also a center of population. Located at "Ermita Hill" at the northern bank of the Padsan River, Laoag was already a flourishing center of trade with the Japanese and Chinese. The Augustinian missionaries established the Laoag parish in 1580 with St. William, the Hermit as its Patron Saint. Laoag eventually became the capital of Ilocos Norte.

Ilocos Norte was created by virtue of the Spanish Royal Decree on February 2,1818. At that time, the province occupied the coastal plain bordering the China Sea and guarded by the Cordilleras in the northwestern corner of Luzon.

B. Geography
Ilocos Norte has a land area of 3,399.34 square kilometers consisting of alluvial plains, hills, mountains, coastal and miscellaneous land types. Its terrain is generally mountainous and Rocky. Its coastline is dotted with covers and rivers most prominent are Bonga, Labugaon, Bacarra and laoag. It further cuts into the coastal configurations of Bangui and Pasaleng Bay.

Ilocos Norte is bounded on the south by Ilocos Sur, on the east by Cagayan and Kalinga, on the southeast by Abra, and on the west by the China Sea.

C. Political Subdivisions
Ilocos Norte has 22 municipalities namely: Adams, Badoc, Bacarra, Bangui, Batac, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalmeg, 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.

D. Climate
The province experience's dry season from November to April and wet season from May to October. Annual rainfall is 2,067.2 mm while average temperature is 26.8 degree celcius. The province is occasionally visited tropical cyclones and storms during the southwest monsoon season.

E. Population
Population of the province in 1990 was 461,661. Average annual growth rate is 1.68% while the density is 135.81 per square kilometer. The preliminary population count in 1995 recorded a 4.53% increase. Laoag City had a population of 88,300.

F. Language/Dialect
Ilocano(Iloko) is the major dialict. English and Filipino are the tools of instruction in schools.

G. 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 pottery, blacksmithing and furniture making.

II. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

A. Historical

Café Bojeador Lighthouse. Built in 1892, the lighthouse stands on a promontory in Burgos, 45 kilometers north of Laoag City. It still sends out signals to ships passing by the Cape facing the northern portion of the South China Sea.

Tobacco Monopoly Monument. The monument was constructed at the foot of the Marcos Bridge to serve as a memorial to the lifting of the Tobacco Monopoly which from 1875 to 1881 gave the Ilocos untold miseries as they were obliged to plant tobacco to be delivered solely to the government.

General Ricarte National Shrine. Built in honor of General Artemio Ricarte, a native of Batac and a revolutionary hero.

B. Cultural

Juan Luna Shrine. Located in Badoc, the restored house is a repository of the memorabilia of the famous Luna Family foremost are the paintings of Juan Luna which include a reproduction of his masterpiece, the Spolarium.

Balay ti Ili. The ancestral house of the marcoses in Batac showcases the memorabilia of the late President Ferndinand E> Marcos. Batac is 471 kilometers north of Manila.

Malacañang of the North. Built as the official residence of then President Marcos in Ilocos Norte, overlooking the legendary Paoay Lake, this imposing structure is now a museum. A minimal entrance fee is collected.

Loom Weaving. This age-old industry in Paoay produces quality towels, blankets, table runners and clothing materials with ethnic Ilocano designs.

Paoay Church. Built of coral blocks and stucco-plastered bricks, the architecture is a unique combination of Gothic, Baroque and Oriental. Construction of the church was started in 1704 and completed in 1894. A few meters away is the coralstone belltower which served as observation post of the "Katipuneros" during the Philippine Revolution. Paoay Church is included in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

C. Natural

Paoay Lake National Park. The landlocked lake located 3 kilometers away from the sea in Suba, Paoay has an area of 470 hectares. Declated as a National Park under Republic Act 5631 on June 21,1969, its environs has been turned into a sports complex.

Abang Falls. The falls cascade like the Hinulugang Takatak in Rizal and is accessible by jeepney from the Bangui townproper.

D. Religious

St. William's Cathedral. The Augustinians built the church of Italian Renaissance design in 1612. Its unique 2-storey façade is held by four pairs of copled columns. The deeply recessed niche shows the image of the Patron Saint of Laoag City.

Sta. Monica Church. Built facing the river in Sarrat, approximately 7 kilometers east of Laoag, this century-old church is of Neo-classical and Baroque architecture.

E. Man-Made

Paoay Sports Complex. The complex has an 18 hole golf course, football field and other sports facilities and amenties.

Sinking Belltower. Located almost a hundred meters away from the St. William's Cathedral, the tower has sunk to the ground and leans slightly to the north.

F. Festival

Laoag City celebrates the Feast of St. William and St. Joseph on February 10 and March 19 respectively.

G. Special Interest

Spelunking

Pasuquin Cave. Travel time to the caves is 45 minutes from the townproper through a dirt road. A special permit has to be secured from the Mayor's Office.