Ilocos Norte (Ilokano: Amianan nga Ilocos; Tagalog: Hilagang Ilokos) is a provin

ce of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City an
d is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apay
ao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the Sou
th China 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. Ilo
cos 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 regi
on (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 t
he region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place "samtoy", from "sa
o mi toy", which literally meant "our language here"
In 1591, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their cont
rol, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legazpi's grandson, Juan de Sa
lcedo, 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. A
s they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered cov
es ("looc") where the locals lived in harmony. As a result, they named the regio
n "Ylocos" and its people "Ylocanos".
As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Va
st tracts of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Sp
anish 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 Ilocano
s revolted against their colonizers. Noteworthy of these were the Dingras uprisi
ng (1589) and Pedro Almasan revolt (San Nicolas, 1660). In 1762, Diego Silang le
d 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. Unfor
tunately, she too was captured and hanged. In 1807, the sugar cane ("basi") brew
ers of Piddig rose up in arms to protest the government's monopoly of the wine i
ndustry. In 1898, the church excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay for refusing to cut
off ties with the revolutionary forces of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Unperturbed, h
e established the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente". Aglipay s movement and the nat
ionalist sentiment it espoused helped restore the self-respect of many Filipinos
.
In an effort to gain more political control and because of the increasing popula
tion of the region, a Royal Decree was signed on February 2, 1818 splitting Iloc
os into two provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Soon thereafter, the provinc
es of La Union and Abra likewise became independent.
RELIGION
Although majority of the people in the Philippines are adherents to the Roman Ca
tholic, the majority in the province are adherents to the Aglipayan Church, foun

ded by Batac native Gregorio Aglipay.

Ilocos Norte is home to several famous Roman Catholic churches:
Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church) - named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993
.
St. William's Cathedral in Laoag - famous for its Sinking Bell Tower
St. Monica Parish Church in Sarrat - documented to be the biggest church in the
Ilocos Region.
Bacarra Church - destroyed during an intensity VII (on the Rossi-Forel scale) ea
rthquake on August 17, 1983,[3] reconstructed and re-inaugurated in 1984.
Ilocos Norte is the home of the Aglipay Shrine (Aglipayan Church) where the chur
ch's first supreme leader was buried. There are also minor but steadily increasi
ng members of Iglesia ni Cristo.Islam is also practiced by Mindanaoan traders an
d immigrants.
ECONOMY
Bagoong fermenting in burnay jars in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines
The province specializes in the following products and industries:
Agriculture - rice, corn, garlic, legumes, root crops, tobacco, and other fruits
and vegetables
Fishery - tilapia and assorted fishes
Livestock - swine and cattle
Cottage industries - loom weaving, furniture, ceramics, iron works
Manufacturing and food processing - salt, empanada, bagoong, patis, basi (native
Ilocano wine), vinegar, longganisa, chicharon, bagnet, chichacorn (cornick), je
welry, garments, cereal processing, packaging, mechanized processing equipment
Wind Power Ilocos Norte's position on the northwest corner of Luzon makes it ide
al for wind power generation. There is currently a 25 Megawatt wind farm in Iloc
os Norte, and several more wind energy projects are being planned
Tourism
Pottery
POLITICAL DIVISIONS
Ilocos Norte is subdivided into 558 barangays, 21 municipalities, and 2 cities
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
The Provincial Capitol Building of Ilocos Norte.
Term of Office: 2013 - 2016
Governor: Maria Imelda R. Marcos
Vice - Governor: Eugenio Angelo M. Barba
Representative:
Rodolfo C. Farias (1st District)
Imelda R. Marcos (2nd District)
Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members:
1st District
Ria Christina G. Farias
Juan Conrado A. Respicio II
Portia Pamela R. Salenda
Vicentito M. Lazo
Rogelio R. Balbag
2nd District

Albert D. Chua
Da Vinci M. Crisostomo
Ramon M. Gaoat
James Paul C. Nalupta
Joel R. Garcia
ABC President: Charles L. Tadena
PCL President: Domingo C. Ambrocio
SK President: -.
Tourism[edit]
Bangui Wind Farm, the first power generating windmill farm in Southeast Asia.
The Sinking Bell Tower of Saint William's Cathedral in Laoag City.
Paoay Church.
The province offers a number of popular destinations for tourists, locals and fo
reigners alike. Because of its proximity to the South China Sea, tourist arrival
s peak during the summer seasons, the beach resorts topping the most visited lis
t.
Fort Ilocandia Beach Resort and Hotel
The sandy beach spans 2 kilometers. It also offers the only 5-star hotel in nort
hern Philippines sprawling over 77 hectares of land. It is located in Laoag City
and is a 10-minutes drive from the Laoag International Airport.
Laoag Sinking Bell Tower
Over the years the 45m high bell tower has shelved few meters downward. This is
evident by the tower's entrance that at present day a man of ordinary height mus
t bent over to get inside.
Bangui Wind Farm
Saud Beach Resort
Sta. Monica Church Complex
Paoay Church
This baroque architecture church is inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Juan Luna Museum
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
Gov. Roque Ablan Sr. Shrine
Paoay lake
Marcos Museum and Mausoleum, Batac City
Shows the memorabilia of Former President Ferdinand Marcos. The mausoleum is whe
re the body of the late president is found, laid and preserved in a refrigerated
crypt.
Batac City Riverside Empanadaan
Known for the Batac Empanada.
Robinsons Ilocos Norte
The first ever shopping mall in Ilocos Norte. Located in the town of San Nicolas
, Ilocos Norte.
ETHNIC ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE
The first inhabitants of the province were the Apayaos, Igorots, Itnegs and Ting
gians. Invasions by groups with superior weapons and a number of men drove these
natives into the mountains wherein they still thrive until today. People from t
he neighboring provinces as well as from other countries reach the province thro
ugh business activities or trading. Intermarriage was also a factor for the grow
ing number of Tagalogs, Visayanos, Bicolanos, Pampagueos, Chinese and Bombays.

ETHNIC GROUPS
Tagalog, Kankanai/Kankaney/ Kankanaey, Apayao
ETHNIC SONGS AND DANCES
Ilocos Norte has various native dances which mostly depict the customs, beliefs
and practices of an Ilocano. Its native songs are expressions of the characteris
tics, aspirations and occupations of its music-loving and industrious people. Ilo
cos Norte Gem of the Northern Plains, authored by Ernesto Ma. Cadiz, Bella C. Cur
ameng and Mary Editha Y. Dy enumerates and describes the worth mentioning dances
and songs of the province:
Osi-osi portrays the traditional ways of courtship. Binigan-bigat (Every Morning) is
a courtship dance depicting a boy who is in love with a girl from whom he asks
pity. Sileledda-ang (Grief-stricken or Laden with Sorrow) is a courtship dance sho
wing the lover s fondness for each other. Manang Biday , another courtship dance usua
lly performed by young people. Sabunganay (Banana Blossom) symbolizes a young lady
who is still too young to be courted and Pandanggo Laoaguea is a courtship dance p
erformed by the young and old.
Vintarea maybe performed by one to any number of pairs in any social gathering such
as baptismal, wedding, birthday or thanksgiving parties. Kuratsa Pasuquia is a dan
ce during birthday parties and festivities. Depicting merriment are La Jota Zapa
tilla, Barbarukong (Breast Out), La Jota Laoaguea and Kuratsa Paoayea which are al
so presented during social gatherings. Another dance shown during wedding and ba
ptismal celebrations are Sagamantica and Arikenken . Chotis Dingrea is a dance for the
lite and is performed during social functions. Pandanggo is one of the favorite da
nces of the old people. Guling-Guling is a dance for Ash Wednesday. Tambora is usual
ly shown on the Eve of Christmas.
Ilocana a Nasudi (Chaste Ilocana), a dance depicting a chaste and virtuous Ilocan
a, may be performed by four pairs, while Surtido Norte (Assorted Dances from the
North) is a combination of different Ilocano dance steps manifesting thrift as
a trait of the people.
In Rabong (Bamboo Shoot), a dance glorifying the bamboo shoot as a delicacy of th
e Ilocanos, the participants sing the lyrics themselves. Some occupational dance
s are Asin and Dinaklisan, salt-making and fishing, respectively, are two occupa
tions of the people living near the seacoast; Agabel, which represents cloth wea
ving, and Agdamili, which shows the rustic life of those in the pottery industry
.
Some of the songs have been collected and analyzed for their educational values.
Ayat ti Ina (Love of a Mother) expresses how a mother loves and takes care of he
r child. The narrative song, Napateg a Bin-i (cherished Seed), utilizes metaphor
in comparing a woman to a bin-i or seed. Pamulinawen (Hardened Heart) is the most
popular Ilocano love song which equates the heart of a girl, who does not heed
the pleading of her lover, to a hardened flint. Duayya ni Ayat (Love s Lullaby) ex
presses a man s tender loving care for his ladylove to be careful in changing her
mind and choosing another man. Siasin ti Agayat Kenka (Who is in love with you?)
expresses an insistent love. No Duaduaem Pay (If You Still Doubt) gives the ide
a that the lover feels that his loved one doubts him, so he asks for understandi
ng and also reiterates his love. Teng-nga ti Rabii (Midnight) tells of a lover w
ho sees the image of his loved one in the middle of the night and is awakened by
her voice. A patriotic song, Dinak Kad Dildillawen (Do not Criticize Me), conve
ys service to love of country, while Kasasaad ti Kinabalasang (The life of a Mai
den) is an advice for the young maidens to consider carefully their plans of get
ting married, because marriage is a risky venture. Agdamdamili (Pot Making) is a
n occupational song, while Kanaganan is a birthday song.

LANGUAGES/DIALECTS
Widely spoken by the people of Ilocos Norte is Iloko, one of the major dialects
in the country and which is proudly used by every Ilocano as for as the foreign
countries. The dialect serves as index of determining the place of residence of
an Ilocano because intonation varies from town to town. One can pinpoint a perso
n s origin by just listening to the way he/she talks, because intonation varies fr
om town to town.