My Grandmother 's Home

Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.

Ilocos Norte is noted for being the birthplace of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the country during the latter half of his incumbency. The Marcoses enjoy a modicum of popularity in the province. Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class hotel and beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.


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 here"


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, 1592, 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 Gen. 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.



This is the famous baroque church, the Paoay church.

The northern province of Ilocos Norte boasts one of the most stunning, and popular churches in the country – The Paoay Church.

Otherwise known as St. Augustine Church, this church of the municipality of Paoay was built from 1704 to 1894. Inspired by gothic, baroque and oriental architecture, it represented the Spanish, Filipino and Chinese influences that are unique to the Philippines. The Spanish friar-builders were no architects by any means and they only had to rely on memories when constructing the church. So they reinterpreted the European baroque into what is decidedly Filipino in spirit.



Built to withstand earthquakes common to the north, the walls are more than 3 feet thick, and all made of coral blocks, tree sap, stucco-plastered bricks and lumber. Unlike other belltowers in churches around the country, the Paoay Church bell tower is detached. The tower served as a lookout for the Katipuneros during the 1896 revolution, and again by the Filipinos in WWII.
The church has twice been partially destroyed by earthquakes, and you begin to see it’s crumbling state when you walk in. There are now columns permanently set up to support the ceiling. An elderly patron used to recall that the church ceiling was painted blue, with white clouds that made you feel you were going to heaven.


One of the Oldest and Most Visited Spanish Lighthouse in Ilocos Norte

There 24 massive buttresses jutting on the sides of the church. You can barely see it from the photo, but those mosaic pattern on the buttresses are corals glued with sap.



The Paoay Church was declared a national treasure by President Marcos in order to preserve its state. It is now included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.


KAPURPURAWAN ROCKShttp://thetravelteller.com/kapurpurawan-rocks-the-prized-gem-of-burgos-ilocos-norte/





Bangui Windmills



Bangui Windmills – Magnificent White Giants of Bangui – The latest attraction in Bangui bay where Pagudpud is located is these fifteen huge 23 storeys high “Giant Electric Fans” that might as well be built by Aliens. The common mistake of people is just to be satisfied at looking at these windmills from a distant view from the Bangui look out on the way to Pagudpud. You don’t need a tour guide to reach this place. You just need to know where to turn and go straight passing by a village all the way to this Bangui coast .

http://bensoncheng.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/8-awesome-places-of-ilocos-norte/


Cape Bojeador Lighthouse


Cape Bojeador Lighthouse - This is the fantastic facade of the Caoe Bojeador also known as Burgos Lighthouse. This is a perfect portrait place and I must admit that for heritage places, we need to turn to the experts at Heritage Conservation Society to accurately describe its beauty.

“Faro de Cabo Bojeador is set majestically on top of a hill overlooking the South China Sea. Located approximately 35 kilometres north of the City of Laoag, the lighthouse is the most accessible of all lighthouses in the north of the Island of Luzon. Situated 160 metres on top of a hill named Vigia de Nagparitan, the lighthouse of Cape Bojeador serves as a station point for ships veering towards the Pacific Coast heading towards the Babuyan Channel. Similarly, it as well assists ships heading towards the ports of Salomangue in Ilocos Sur which is 87 kilometres south from the lighthouse, and Curmimao, which is 60 kilometres away in Ilocos Norte. In addition, beyond to the port of Manila. Completed on the 30th of March, 1892, the design and construction of the Lighthouse of Cape Bojeador was initially undertaken by the Engineer Magin Pers y Pers but was subsequently reconfigured and finished by the Engineer Guillermo Brockman. …