Isabela, being the second largest Philippine province, is the most populated province among the five

provinces in the Cagayan Valley region (Region 2). According to recent statistics, Isabela has a
population of 1,401,495 people, which comprises about 46 percent of the population in the region.

Ilocanos are the most dominant group in Isabela. About 68.71 percent of the total household is classified
as Ilocanos. Next in line are the Ibanag (14 percent) and the Tagalog (10 percent). The remaining 7
percent of the population are Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, and other ethic groups.

Ilocanos are generally known for being hardworking, appreciative and determined. Compared to other
ethnic groups, the Ilocanos are also known for their simple lifestyle and strong value for money. They are
known for being seriously tightfisted, which has been a common joke or pun among Filipinos.

Ilocanos lived a tough life in the northern part of Luzon. Their geographical location is not blessed with a
fertile land compared to Central Luzon. This has moved them to value every cent that they earn.

Ilocano Family

Like all Filipinos, the Ilocanos have a strong family tie. Most Ilocano families in Isabela compose of an
average size consisting of 6 to 7 members. The father acts as the head of the family and primary
breadwinner. The mother acts as the light of the home (ilaw ng tahanan) that takes care of the children
and the house budget. The eldest child is responsible in dividing the chores equally amongst siblings.

Ilocano Marriage

Before planning for marriage, Ilocano children should seek the approval of both sets of parents first. Then,
the parents shall decide if they would agree to let their child marry or not. The groom asks for his parents
consent. It is his parents who will pay the dowry and finance the wedding.

Panagpudno is when the young man formally announces his desire to marry the young woman to her
parents. The grooms parents shall visit the brides parents and set the wedding date. Before they decide
on the date, both parents shall meet with a planetario to learn which dates are good luck days.

Another meeting will be set for the wedding (palalian or ringpas) to finalize the wedding arrangements. It
is also when the families will decide on the choice of sponsors, dowry, sagut (wedding dress and
accessories), parawad (cash to be given by the groom to the brides mother as reward for raising his
bride).

Value for Education

As industrious as they are in the fields, Ilocanos are also hardworkers in school. Most Ilocanos are
literate. Ilocano parents are very passionate in giving their children proper education at all cost. They
believe that having formal education shall open windows to better opportunities and ensure a better future
for their kids.

PRONUNCIATION:ee-lo-KAHN-ohs

LOCATION:Philippines (northern Luzon)

POPULATION:1.8 million

LANGUAGE:Ilocano

RELIGION:Roman Catholicism; Philippine Independent Church; Iglesia ni Kristo

(Church of Christ); Protestantism; Islam; animism

1 INTRODUCTION
When the Spanish first encountered them in 1572, the inhabitants of Ilocos (then called
"Samtoy") were living in large villages at sheltered coves or rivermouths and were
trading with the Chinese and Japanese. Although massive churches in a distinctive style
give evidence of Spanish-Ilocano collaboration, the colonial period was marked by
frequent revolts; the most famous of these was that led by Diego and Gabriela Silang
during the British occupation of Manila in 176263.

Ilocanos were prominent in the nationalist movement, and many rose to high office in
the central government. The greatest of these Ilocano "success stories" (as far as it
went) was President Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled from 1965 to 1986.

2 LOCATION
The four provinces of the Ilocano homeland (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and
landlocked Abra) stretch from Cape Bojeador at the northwestern tip of Luzon down to
the Gulf of Lingayen. Most of the population is concentrated along a narrow coastal
plain that has only a few good harbors. This environment is harsh, forcing Ilocanos to be
hard-working and thrifty. Many Ilocanos have left their homeland to seek employment
elsewhere.

The population of the four provinces is about 1.8 million. Ilocano speakers, however,
numbered 11 percent of the national population of 66 million, or 7.26 million people.
Among all Filipino groups, the Ilocanos are the most famed as migrants, settling since
the nineteenth century in sparsely populated expanses of the northern Central Plain of
Luzon (provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija) and of the Cagayan Valley in
the northeast. In addition, many Ilocanos have established themselves in Manila and
other major cities of the country, as well as in frontier lands on Mindanao. Ilocano men
left to find work as migrant laborers on sugar plantations in Hawaii and on farms in
California in the first decades of the twentieth century. They were the first Filipinos to
immigrate to the United States. In the Philippines, every Ilocano town has a number of
men known as "Hawaiianos," returned migrants from the United States. These migrants
courted their future wives in their home country by letter.

3 LANGUAGE
The Ilocanos speak a Western Austronesian language of the Northern Philippine group,
whose closest relatives are the languages of neighboring mountain peoples. Ilocano has
become the lingua franca of northern Luzon, as Ilocano traders provide highland
peoples with their primary link to the commerce of the outside world.

4 FOLKLORE
According to one Ilocano origin myth, a giant named Aran built the sky and hung the
sun, moon, and stars in it. Under their light, Aran's companion, the giant Angalo, could
see the land, which he then molded into mountains and valleys. The giants found the
world they had created windswept and desolate. Angalo spat on the earth, and from his
spit emerged the first man and woman. He placed them in a bamboo tube that he
tossed into the sea. The bamboo washed up on the shore of the Ilocos region, and from
this couple came the Ilocano people.

Like other Filipinos, Ilocanos recognize an array of supernatural beings, such as

thekatawtaw-an(the spirits of infants, who died unbaptized who in turn victimize
newborns). Thekarkarma,the souls of living persons, leave the body at death but linger
in the house until after the post-funerary offerings of food are made to the deceased; in
the form of the scent of perfume, the odor of a burning candle, or a strange draft of
wind, they are believed to visit relatives who have failed to come to the sickbed of the
deceased. Theal-alia,the spirit doubles of humans, appear at their human doubles'
death as the groaning of the dying, the cracking of glass, the rattling of beds, and the
banging of doors, or in the form (at night) of a grunting pig, howling dog, or a crowing
chicken. These signs remind the living to pray to God for the forgiveness of the
deceased's sins (otherwise, the al-alia may visit misfortunes upon them).

5 RELIGION
Filipinos were converted to Roman Catholicism by Spanish colonial settlers. Catholicism
in the Philippines combines belief in patron saints with belief in supernatural forces.
Many people consult faith healers for herbal treatments of physical ailments.

6 MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Ilocanos celebrate national and religious holidays.

7 RITES OF PASSAGE
Although free to choose their own marriage partners, young people seek the approval of
both sets of parents. When a couple decides they'd like to marry, the first step is for the
young man to ask for the consent of his own parents. His parents will pay the dowry and
finance the wedding. Next, the future groom makes a formal
announcement(panagpudno)to the young woman's parents of his intention to marry their
daughter. The groom's parents then visit the future bride's parents, to set the date for the
wedding. For this, the parents consult aplanetario,an almanac identifying auspicious
(good-luck) days. At a further meeting(palalianorringpas),the young man and his
relatives come to the young woman's house to finalize the wedding arrangements; each
party employs a spokesperson who negotiates for his or her side in formal language.
The families set the choice of wedding sponsors (an equal number, ranging from ten to
fifty people for each side), the dowry (land for the couple, or the money to buy such
land), thesagut(the wedding dress, jewelry, and accessories that the groom is to provide
for the bride), and theparawad(cash that the groom gives the bride's mother as a reward
for raising his bride).

The wedding feast follows the church ceremony. At the feast, the bride and groom go
through an entertaining ritual. First, the groom offers the bride a plate of mung beans
(symbolizing fertility). The bride refuses the dish several times before finally accepting it.
Then the bride offers the beans to the groom who in turn refuses the dish until an old
man calls an end to the ritual. (The pleadings and feigned refusals greatly amuse the
onlookers.) Another highlight is thebitor:guests contribute cash to the newlyweds either
by dropping money onto plates held by two men seated on a mat (representing the bride
and groom, respectively) or by pinning bills to the couple's clothing while the two dance.
After the wedding, offerings of rice cakes are made to the spirits of departed family
members.

To announce a death formally, a piece of wood(atong)is lit in front of the deceased's

house and is kept burning until after burial, at which time it is extinguished with rice
wine. The corpse is kept in the house. It is dressed in its best clothes and a kerchief is
tied around the jaw; a basin of water mixed with vinegar is placed under the bed to
remove the odor of death. Money is placed in the coffin to pay the "ferry man" who takes
the soul to the other world. In the days before burial, relatives keep vigil over the body,
wailing and recounting the deceased's good deeds (sometimes, professional mourners
perform the lamentation(dung-aw).

Before the funeral itself, each of the relatives pays their last respects by kissing the
deceased's hand or raising it to his or her forehead. Extreme care is taken in
transporting the body from the house to the church; any mishap could cause premature
death for the attendants. After the church ceremony, the relatives pose as a group for
souvenir photos with the coffin. Everyone in the procession to the cemetery must return
to the deceased's home by a different route from the one taken there. Upon arrival, they
must wash their faces and hands in order to remove the power of death.

8 RELATIONSHIPS
Ilocanos share the same basic values as other Filipinos, such asbain,which corresponds
tohiyaoramor propio("face" or sense of shame). The fear of gossip and the desire to
avoid the envy of others serve as strong pressures for conformity. Before pushing
through with his or her own plans, a person feelsalumiim,the need to figure out how
others will react first in order to avoid embarrassment. It is essential to
showpanagdayaw,proper respect for the sensitivities of others. This requires that
individuals speak about themselves only in the humblest of terms. Although Ilocanos are
group-oriented, they also value a certainindividualism(agwayas): one should not reveal
his or her inner intentions to others, since it is unwise to be too trusting.

A person is expected to overcome life's challenges through his or her own hard work,
limiting his or her dependence on others to obtaining aid from close kin. However,
Ilocanos do form savings associations(including as many as fifty women in a
neighborhood), mutual-aid associations (financing members' major celebrations), and
labor-exchange arrangements.

Life-passage parties and fiestas provide teenagers their main opportunity to chat and
joke. For a young man to initiate a courtship is a serious matter, since the only proper
end is marriage. On his first visit to the house of a young woman, the young man takes
one or two companions with him so that he can get their opinion. During the second
visit, the companions excuse themselves to allow the young man to confess his feelings
to the young woman. Love notes are an important means of courtship.

9 LIVING CONDITIONS
Raised two to three feet (0.6 meters to 1 meter) off the ground, houses have beams of
wood, walls of bamboo, and roofs of rice straw orcogongrass. Sometimes, newly
married children may live in roofed extensions. On thebangsal,a landing on the
staircase, guests wait before being admitted, and wash or wipe their feet before entering
the receiving room. Curtains or bamboo partitions separate the living room from the
bedroom areas (most have beds but prefer sleeping mats). A separate storage room
also serves for a place to change clothes. Outhouses provide toilet facilities.

10 FAMILY LIFE
The structure of the Ilocano family (average size, six to seven persons) conforms to the
general Filipino pattern. The father is the formal head of family, backing up the mother
who disciplines the children and manages the house finances. The eldest child divides
the chores equally among siblings. Grandparents tend to be more indulgent of
grandchildren than the parents themselves.

11 CLOTHING
Dress inappropriate for one's age or perceived wealth or status attracts gossip such
asmabiag ti ruar ngem matay ti uneg(outwardly alive, but inwardly dying);uray napintas
no inutang(even if it is nice, it is acquired through credit). Still one should dress well for
special celebrations. Everyday wear, especially at home, consists of short pants for
boys, and dusters, loose skirts, shirts, and short pants for girls. Those working in the
fields wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and wide-brimmed hats as protection against
the sun and mud.
During the rainy season, people wear a headress oflabigleaves extending well down the
back. Older women wear their hair long and knotted in a bun, while men keep it short
and apply pomade on special occasions.

12 FOOD
Ilocano food essentially resembles that elsewhere in the country, but Ilocanos are
especially fond ofbagoong(a salty shrimp or fish paste). One regional specialty that has
entered national cuisine ispinakbeteggplant, bitter melon, okra, and green beans
cooked with bagoong, tomatoes, and a little water (dried or broiled fish, meat, or
shrimps can be added to improve the taste).

Other favorites aredinardaraancooked pig's blood (dinuguanin Tagalog-Pilipino);

andkilawenthe lean meat and intestines of water buffalo, cow, sheep, or goat, eaten
raw or partially cooked with a sauce of vinegar, salt, hot pepper, and pig's bile.

Eating with their hands, family members squat around the food laid out on the floor or
take food and eat in different parts of the main room. As food is regarded as a symbol of
God's grace, there should be no noise, laughing, singing, or harsh words (including
parents scolding children) while eating is going on. One should not drop food on the
table or floor, or the food "will be angered and leave the household." Similarly, no one
should leave the house while someone is still eating, for God's grace will go with him or
her, out of the home.

13 EDUCATION
Iloconas are almost all literate (can read or write).

14 CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Ilocanos have an epic, theBiag ni Lamang(Life of Lam-ang), which, however, exists
only in the form of a highly Hispanicized metrical romance composed in the nineteenth
century. Ilocos is also the only place in the country where the Spanishzarzuela(operetta)
is still performed.

15 EMPLOYMENT
Almost all farmers (the major occupation) own the land they till, except for those who are
tenants of farms owned by urban professionals. The staple crop is rice, though poorer
people must mix cheaper maize (corn) with their rice. Root crops are also grown both as
a supplement to the diet and for sale. Watered by wet-season rains or irrigation, wet-rice
fields range from small plots that can only be worked with a hoe or dibble stick to those
large enough for a water-buffalodrawn plow. Dry-rice agriculture is also practiced in the
hilly areas between the flatlands. Crops grown for market include tobacco and garlic
(both Ilocos specialties), as well as onions, and vegetables. Petty traders may travel as
far as Manila to sell such products.

Farmers fish during the lull between planting and harvesting, usually in nearby offshore
waters, rivers, or fish ponds. An important part of the catch areipon,small fish
forbagoong(fish paste).

Cottage industries include salt-making;basiwine-making (from molasses); pottery-

making (twenty different types are produced in San Nicolas); weaving (at one time using
locally grown cotton; a goddess is said to have bequeathed the art to the people of
Paoay town); basket-and mat-weaving; woodworking; and silversmithing (recycling old
Spanish or Mexican coins).

16 SPORTS
One uniquely Ilocano game iskukudisi. A stick (thean-anak) is placed on a baseline
scratched into the ground. One player makes the stick jump in the air; the other player
tries to catch it before it hits the ground. If the latter cannot do so, a second, longer stick
(thein-ina) is laid across the baseline; the player then tries to hit it with the an-anak. The
next two phases of the game involve competing to see who can hit the an-anak (which
has been tossed in the air and stuck into the baseline, respectively) with the in-ina the
farthest.

17 RECREATION
Children enjoy such games asbalay-balay(playing house), hide-and-seek, team-tag,
jumping "hurdles" (sticks or outstretched arms or legs), jacks, and chess.

18 CRAFTS AND HOBBIES

Ilocanos engage in the same hobbies as all Filipinos. These include weaving, wood-
carving, and playing chess.
19 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Ilocanos, like all Filipinos, feel their government is corrupt. Wealthy citizens frequently
bribe officials to get the verdict they want.

are formed by the Babuyan Channel on the north and its sister province, Ilocos Norte,
on the south. To the west are the tribulent waters of the South China Sea, while the
eastern borders are formed by part of the Cagayan Valley, Abra and the Mountain
Province. A well-paved coastal highway connects the province with the rest of the
country.

Ilocos Norte has a total land area of 3,400 square kilometers. It is composed of 22
municipalities with 477 barangays. The province's population was 514,000 by the
census of 2000, and since 1999 its governor is Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. It was made a
separate province in 1818. The province is noted for being the birthplace of former
Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the
country during the later half of his incumbency. Ilocos Norte has always been Marcos
territory and the family enjoy a moderate amount of popularity in the province. Even
before one reaches the capital, traces of the "great Ilocano" are unmistakable.

Long before the Spanish galleons came to the Philippines, the coastal plane of Ilocos
Norte was already flourishing with business carried out by the Chinese and Japanese
traders. The first Spaniards to reach the region were Juan de Salcedo and his men,
who were tasked to explore the coast of Luzon north of Manila in 1572. The largest
concentration of people that Salcedo found was in Laoag along the Padian River, and
Salcedo gained their friendship after initial skirmishes. Although the presence of the
Spanish soldiers may have seemed fleeting to the Ilocanos, Salcedo's exploration
marked the beginning of Spanish colonization of the region.

Agriculture is the main source of livelihood in the province, all lands for cultivation
can be planted with rice, corn, garlic, onion, sugarcane, tobacco, and cotton. Ilocos
Norte is also noted for its various cottage industries, among which are cloth weaving,
pottery-making, blacksmithing, woodcarving and furniture making. Its ethnic
population is overwhelmingly Ilocano. Unlike the rest of the region, however, the
Roman Catholic Church does not predominate. The Aglipayan Church, Iglesia ni
Cristo, and other Protestant groups have strong followings, as well as, animism and
non-religiosity. The climate is characterized by two extremes: very dry from
December to April and very wet for the rest of the year. The average temperature in
Ilocos Norte is 81 deg F. May is the warmest month, with an average temperature of
83 deg F, and December is the coldest.
Laoag City
Laoag City, the capital city of Ilocos Norte, is 463 kilometers north of Manila. The
municipalities of San Nicolas, Paoay, Sarrat, Vintar, and Bacarra form its boundaries.
The foothills of the Cordillera Central mountain range to the east, and the South China
Sea to the west are its physical boundaries. Flourishing along the bank of the Laoag
River, it is the nerve center of the province and the seat of politics, business,
commerce, education and religion. It became a 2nd class city in 1965. According to
the 2000 census, it has a population of 94,466 people in 19,751 households.

"Laoag" (Ilocano for "the place of light or clarity"), is an old, flourishing settlement
known to Chinese and Japanese traders when the Spanish conquistador Juan de
Salcedo arrived at the northern banks of Padsan River in 1572. Augustinian
missionaries established the Roman Catholic Church in the area in 1580 and
designated Saint William, the Hermit as its patron saint. Pedro Almazan crowned
himself king of Laoag in 1661 in a bid of insurrection and protest against Spanish tax
mandates. Other rebellions flared throughout colonial times, including against Spanish
tobacco monopoly in 1782.

Ilocano writers
30 April 2009 at 4:22 AM | Posted in News | 4 Comments

The most internationally visible of Filipino writers writing in a vernacular language are those writing
in Ilokano (variously called Iluko or Ilocano). Representative websites are Bilingual Pen, which hosts a
number of major Ilocano writers in English and Ilokano, and Dadapilan, which has news items of
interest to Ilocano writers. Unless I am mistaken, the very first website (now no longer existing?)
focusing on Philippine literature was that of GUMIL, an international organization of Ilocano writers.

One of the followers of my blog is Ilocano and has his own blog. I once translated an Ilokano poem (by
19th century writer Leona Florentino), using a dictionary and an Ilocano informant, but otherwise, my
knowledge of Ilokano is zilch. If I were given another lifetime, I would certainly learn it, since it is the
language of many Filipinos living abroad, particularly in Hawaii.

Every time I am asked to be a nominator for the Philippine National Artist award, I nominate Juan S. P.
Hidalgo Jr., who writes in Ilokano. Unfortunately, he never makes it, for the simple reason that the
judges (who usually are English or Tagalog-dominant) cannot read Ilokano and, therefore, cannot say if
his writing is of high quality or not. I know his writing is excellent, because I have asked quite a number
of people who read Ilokano and they all say hes one of the best, if not the best, of living Ilocano
writers.

Ilokano writers
There are hundreds of published Ilokano writers (or Ilocano writers) from the time Ilokano literature emerged
through the efforts of Ilokano ilustrados in the 18th century to the present. The following list of Ilokano writers is
not extensive nor comprehensive enough to be considered a directory. It is expected to continue growing as we
attempt to make a complete directory.

Also named in the list are people from past centuries like Pedro Bucaneg, Leona Florentino and Isabelo de los
Reyes, and other writers in English like Carlos Bulosan, Manuel Arguilla, Salvador P. Lopez, Carlos Angeles, F.
Sionil Jose, and Gregorio Brillantes. Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines is in
the roster since he is an Ilokano writer and poet from Cabugao, Ilocos Sur (he claimed in an interview that he
had an Ilokano short story published in Bannawag magazine when he was still a high school student). Also
listed is former Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos since he was also a writer and even served as
honorary president of GUMIL Filipinas (GF) in the 1970s during the incumbency of then-GF President
Dr. Godofredo S. Reyes.

Literature
The Ilocano literature is one of the most colorful regional Filipino literatures. It is one of the
most active tributaries to the general Philippine literature next to Tagalog, Cebuano,
Hiligaynon, Bikol, and Pangasinense.

Prior to the Spanish colonial period, the Ilocano literature is purely alive in form of written
and oral literature. The ancient Ilocano poets expressed themselves in folk and war songs.
Another popular form of literature was the dallot, which is an improvised, versified and
impromptu long poem delivered in a sing-song manner.

When the Spaniards arrived in Ilocos Norte in 1572, it took a toll on Ilocano literature. During
the Spanish era, Ilocano poetry was heavily influenced by Spanish poetry. The earliest known
written Ilocano poems were the romances translated from Spanish by Francisco Lopez. Lopez
was an Augustinian friar who published his Iloko translation of the Doctrina Cristiana (first
book published in the Philippines by Cardinal Bellarmine) in 1621.

The Christian missionaries started using religious and secular literature to advance their
mission of converting the Ilocanos to Christianity during the 18th century. In 1719, Fr. Jacinto
Rivera published the Sumario de las Indulgencias. In 1845, Fr. Antonio Meija published The
Pasion, which is an Iloco translation of St. Vincent Ferrers sermon.

Today, Ilocano writers are known to have published their works in foreign countries.
Francisco Sionil-Jose (F. Sionil Jose) is the most internationally translated Filipino author. He is
a pure blood Ilocano born in Rosales, Pangasinan. Contemporary Ilocano writers are also
known to bag numerous major awards in the most prestigious Philippine literature award
giving body, the Palanca Awards.

Biag ni Lam-ang

Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang) is a pre-Hispanic poem of the Ilocano people. It was finally
written down around 1640 by Pedro Bucaneg. Bucaneg is the first known Ilocano poet and
was dubbed as the Father of Ilokano Poetry and Literature.

The epic tells about the heroism of a brave, almost-mythical Ilocano warrior named Lam-
ang.

Lam-ang is born from a noble Ilocano family. Nine months before Lam-angs birth, Don Juan
(father) left for the mountains to defeat an evil tribe of Igorots. Unfortunately, Don Juan was
beheaded. His head was displayed at the center of the village as a prize.

Ina Namongan (mother) was surprised to learn that her son could talk immediately after
birth. Lam-ang chose his own name, chose his own sponsor, and asked for his fathers
presence. He was barely 9 months old when Lam-ang fought against the headhunters who
killed his father. He was also eaten by a river monster (Berkakan) and was reborn from his
retrieved bones.

Ilocano literature or Iloko literature pertains to the literary works of writers of Ilocano ancestry
regardless of the language used - be it Ilocano, English, Spanish or other foreign and Philippine
languages. In Ilocano language, the terms "Iloko" and "Ilocano" are different. Generally, "Iloko" is the
language while "Ilocano" refers to the people or the ethnicity of the people who speak the Iloko
language.

Ilocano literature in the Philippines is one of several regional Philippine literatures. It is one of the
most active tributaries to the general Philippine literature, next to Tagalog (Filipino) and Philippine
Literature in English.

History of Iloko literature

Ilocanos are descendants of Austronesian-speaking people from southern China via Taiwan.
Families and clans arrived by viray or bilog, meaning "boat". The term Ilokano originates from i-,
"from", and looc, "cove or bay", thus "people of the bay." Ilokanos also refer to themselves as
Samtoy, a contraction from the Ilokano phrase sao mi ditoy, "our language here".

Precolonial times to the 19th century

Pre-colonial Iloko literature were composed of folk songs, riddles, proverbs, lamentations called
dung-aw, and epic stories in written or oral form. Ancient Ilokano poets expressed themselves in folk
and war songs as well as the dallot, an improvised, versified and at times impromptu long poem
delivered in a sing-song manner.

During the Spanish regime, Iloko poetry was generally patterned after Spanish models. In fact, the
earliest known written Iloko poems were the romances translated from Spanish by Francisco Lopez,
an Augustinian friar who, in 1621, published his own Iloko translation of the Doctrina
Cristiana by Cardinal Bellarmine, the first book to be printed in Iloko.
A study of Iloko poetry could be found in the Gramatica Ilokana, published in 1895, based on
Lopez's Arte de la Lengua Iloca, earlier published in 1627, but was probably written before 1606.

Some Iloko writers credit Pedro Bucaneg, who collaborated with Lopez in the translation of the
Doctrina into Iloko, for having been the first known Ilokano poet, and as the "Father of Ilokano Poetry
and Literature." Bucaneg, blind since childhood, authored the popular epic known as Biag ni Lam-
ang ("Life of Lam-ang") written in the 17th century. The earliest written form of the epic poem was
given by Fr. Gerardo Blanco to Isabelo de los Reyes, who published it in El Ilocano from December
1889 to February 1890, with Spanish translation in prose, and also reprinted it in his El Folklore
Filipino, under the title Vida de Lam-ang.

Ilocano literature developed in many ways. During the 18th century, the missionaries used religious
as well as secular literatures among other means to advance their mission of converting the Ilokanos
to Christianity. The century also saw the publication of religious works like Fr. Jacinto Rivera's
Sumario de las Indulgencias in 1719 and the Pasion, a translation of St. Vincent Ferrer's sermons
into Iloko by Fr. Antonio Mejia in 1845.

The 19th century likewise saw the appearance of Leona Florentino, who has since been considered
by some as the "National Poetess of the Philippines". Her poems which have survived, however,
appear to the modern reader as being too syrupy for comfort, too sentimental to the point of
mawkishness, and utterly devoid of form.

Fr. Justo Claudio Fojas, an Ilokano secular priest who wrote novenas, prayerbooks, catechism,
metrical romances, dramas, biographies, a Spanish grammar and an Iloko-Spanish dictionary, was
Leona Florentino's contemporary.

Isabelo de los Reyes, Leona's son, himself wrote poems, stories, folklore, studies, and seemingly
interminable religious as well as political articles. The achievement of both Claudio Fojas and de los
Reyes is possibly more significant than the critical reader of Iloko literature today is ready to admit.

The comedia, otherwise known as the moro-moro, and the zarzuela were presented for the first time
in the Ilocos in the 19th century. The comedia, a highly picturesque presentation of the wars between
Christians and Muslims, and the zarzuela, an equally picturesque depiction of what is at once
melodrama, comic-opera, and the skit interminably preoccupied with the eternal theme of boy-meets-
girl-who-always-live-happily-ever-after-against-seemingly-impossible-odds are still as popular today
as they were when first staged in the Ilocos.

The comedia was scripted from the corridos like Principe Don Juan, Ari Esteban ken Reyna Hipolita,
Doce Paris, Bernardo Carpio, Jaime del Prado. Marcelino Mena Crisologo helped popularize the
zarzuela based on the culture and tradition of the Ilokanos particularly those in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. So
did Pascual Agcaoili y Guerrero (18801958) of Ilocos Norte who wrote and staged "Daguiti
Agpaspasukmon Basi," and Isaias R. Lazo (18871983) of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur who wrote
comedia and zarzuela.

The year 1892 saw the printing for the first time of the first Iloko novel, written by Fr. Rufino Redondo,
an Augustinian friar, titled "Matilde de Sinapangan." Another Iloko novel which was written before the
end of the 19th century by one Don Quintin Alcid was "Ayat, Kaanonto Ngata?" ("Love, When Shall it
Be?").

Arturo Centeno of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, also wrote three novels titled "Apay a Di Mangasawa?" ("Why
Doesn't He Get Married?"), "Dispensara" and "Padi a Puraw Wenno Naamo a Kibin" ("A White Priest
or a Good Guide").

20th century literature

The 20th century was comparatively more intense in literary activity. Some of the literature in this
period are "Biag ti Maysa a Lakay, Wenno Nakaam-ames a Bales" ("Life of an Old Man, or a
Dreadful Revenge") by Mariano Gaerlan (1909); "Uray Narigat no Paguimbagan" ("Improvement
Despite Obstacles") by Facundo Madriaga (1911); "Mining Wenno Ayat ti Cararua" ("Mining or
Spiritual Love") by Marcelino Pea Crisologo (1914); "Nasam-it ken Narucbos nga Sabong dagiti
Dardarepdep ti Agbaniaga" ("Sweet and Fresh Flower of a Traveller's Dreams") by Marcos E.
Millon (1921); "Sabsabong ken Lulua" ("Flowers and Tears") by R. Respicio (1930); "Apay a
Pinatayda ni Naw Simon?" ("Why Did They Kill Don Simon?") first known detective novel in Iloko
by Leon C. Pichay (1935); "Puso ti Ina" ("A Mother's Heart") by Leon C. Pichay (1936).

When the Bannawag magazine, a sister publication of Liwayway, Bisaya and Hiligaynon, hit the
streets on Nov. 3, 1934, Iloko literature reached a headland. Many Ilokanos started to write literary
pieces.

The early Bannawag short stories showed sustained growth. The short stories written in the 1920s
were poor imitations of equally poor American fiction. Early short story writers had practically no
literary background in their attempts.

The growth of the short story was not apparent until Bannawag resumed publication in 1947. Most of
the stories published dealt with themes of war; guerrilla activities, Japanese atrocities, murder,
pillage and death. By the latter part of the decade, writers of different ages emerged, and from their
ranks came stories that were less verbose, tighter,and with more credible characterization than those
written previously.

While many articles have been written by Ilokanos and non-Ilokanos about the Ilocos Region, few
scholarly studies have been conducted. Among these scholars were Leopoldo Y. Yabes of
the University of the Philippines, who made a brief survey of Iloko literature in 1934. His findings
showed that Iloko literature began with Pedro Bucaneg.

In 1940, Thomas B. Alcid of the University of Santo Tomas made a study on the Iloko prose fiction
and discussed the Iloko short story and the Iloko novel and their possibilities in Philippine literature.
His study showed that the short stories and novels at that time were still young and needed more
improvement.

In 1954, Mercedes F. Guerrero of the Manuel L. Quezon Educational Institution (now MLQU) made a
masteral thesis titled "Critical Analysis of the Outstanding Iloco Short Stories Published in the
Bannawag from 1948 to 1952." Her findings showed that the Iloko stories offer a mine of information
about the ideals and customs of the Filipino people. In the display of emotions and feelings, the Iloko
author has been free or spontaneous in dealing with the life he portrayed. Most often he has been
compassionate with his characters. He has treated a wide variety of subjects that there is no
important place of Filipino life that has not been depicted. There are stories on mere trifling matters
as well as their own nation-slaking subjects. These are stories about persons, about animals, about
places and about events.

Guerrero also found out that the Ilokano author served his society by: 1.) Preserving the ideals,
customs and traditions of the people. 2.) Bringing out the social consciousness of the eraits mood,
conflicts, struggles, and rehabilitation. 3.) Awakening man's sensibilities to the joys, sorrows, loves,
hatreds and jealousies of the people. 4.) Casting away sectional sentiments and prejudices and
bringing about fuller understanding of the different ethnic groups.

A related literature published by Dr. Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr. in 1967, titled "Dallang: An Introduction
to Philippine Literature in Iloko," discussed the traits and characteristics of the Ilokanos. Of their
literature, he stated: "...The Ilokano language is so highly developed as to have produced the
greatest number of printed works in any Philippine language, next to Tagalog.

Bannawag has played and still plays a major role in the development of Iloko literature. At present, it
publishes poems (daniw), short stories (sarita), novels (nobela), essays (salaysay), comics,
biographies, folktales and many others including what some call avant garde literary output. It is the
only magazine where Ilokano writers hope to publish most of their writings.

During the magazine's infancy years in the 1930s, most of its contents were translations from the
Liwayway magazine save a novel by Hermogenes F. Belen titled "Nadaraan a Linnaaw" (Blood-
stained Dew) which was serialized in 1947. Other writers at that time included Benjamin M.
Pascual, David D. Campaano, Godofredo S. Reyes, Benito de Castro, Jose P. Acance, Benjamin
Gray, Marcelino A. Foronda,Jr.

In the 1960s, poems, short stories and novels published by the Bannawag became better in
craftsmanship, development of plots and themes, among others. Writers by then, most of whom were
college students and professionals, had a bigger library of literary books.

To help in the development of the Iloko short story, Bannawag launched a writing contest in 1961.
The judges were Prof. Santiago Alcantara of the National University, Prof. Angel C. Anden of
the Manuel L. Quezon University, and Dr. Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr. of the De La Salle University-
Manila. This contest lasted until 1970. One of the judges said the quality of Iloko short stories was
competitive with those written in English. Before the martial-law era, most of the poems, stories and
novels dwelt on political unrest and protests, like rallies and demonstrations by students,
professionals and workers against the government.(From an essay by Jose A. Bragado. Bragado
is one of the foremost writers in contemporary Ilokano literature. He is a former literary editor
of Bannawag magazine and past president of GUMIL, an international association of Ilokano
writers.)

Iloko Literature: Today and Tomorrow

Ilokano writers have also published their works in foreign countries. One of the most popular authors
of Ilocano ancestry abroad was the late Carlos Bulosan, a California immigrant born to Ilokano
parents in Pangasinan. And currently, the most internationally translated Filipino author is an Ilokano
from Rosales, PangasinanFrancisco Sionil Jose, popularly known as F. Sionil Jose. He is famous
for his Rosales saga, a five-novel work about an Ilokano clan, virtually documenting Philippine
history from Spanish time to the years of the Marcos administration. The novels, translated in about
22 languages, are circulated and read around the world.

Back home, many Iloko writers have won major prizes in the annual Palanca Awards, the most
prestigious and most anticipated of all literary contests in the Philippines. These famous winners'
names include Reynaldo A. Duque, Ricarte Agnes, Aurelio S. Agcaoili, Lorenzo G. Tabin, Jaime M.
Agpalo Jr., Prescillano N. Bermudez, William V. Alvarado, Maria Fres-Felix, Clarito G. de Francia,
Arnold Pascual Jose, Eden Aquino Alviar, Severino Pablo, Ariel S. Tabag, Daniel L. Nesperos, Roy
V. Aragon, Danilo Antalan, Joel B. Manuel, Bernardo D. Tabbada, Noli S. Dumlao and others.

Children's books
Ti Bantay A Nagayat Iti Maysa A Billit
Ti Bantay A Nagayat Iti Maysa A Billit is a fully illustrated, colored children's picture book. The
original story is The Mountain That Loved A Bird by Alice McLerran. Originally published in
the United States with illustrations by Eric Carle, the story has been translated to Iloko by Herminio
S. Beltran, Jr. and illustrated with new art by Beaulah Pedregosa Taguiwalo drawn from the
landscapes of the Philippines.

The publisher is Mother Tongue Publishing Inc., a new publishing company based in Manila,
Philippines formed in November 2006 by Mario and Beaulah Taguiwalo. Their mission is to publish
books in as many languages as possible. They are inspired by the words of science fiction
writer Ursula K. Le Guin: Literature takes shape and life in the body, in the wombs of the mother
tongue. They also agree with neuro-scientist Elkhonon Goldberg who refers to mother tongues as
an extremely adaptive and powerful device for modeling not only what is, but also what will be, what
could be, and what we want and do not want to be.

The GUMIL - Gunglo dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano

On October 19, 1968, GUMIL Filipinas (Ilokano Writers Association of the Philippines) was
organized in Baguio City. Arturo M. Padua, then mayor of Sison, Pangasinan, was elected president.
The officers took their oath of office before President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

GUMIL Filipinas or Gunglo dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano iti Filipinas, Inc., was incorporated and
registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission on January 8, 1977.

GUMIL Filipinas' main objectives are:

o To provide a forum in which Ilokano writers can undertake common and cooperative
efforts to improve their craft of writing literary, historical, research and other works;

o To enrich Ilokano literature and cultural heritage as phases of the national identity by
encouraging the members to concentrate on writing extensively and intensively about the
 social, economic, cultural and other aspects of growth and development among the Ilokanos
through literature, history, research, or the like;

o To publish books of poetry, short stories, essays, novels, historical accounts,

research and critical studies, and other writings; and

o To assist each member in pursuing his/her writing career and in fulfilling his life as a
member of Philippines society.

(Excerpted from an essay by Jose A. Bragado)

List of Ilokano writers

External links

Tarabay iti Ortograpia ti Pagsasao nga Ilokano - A free ebook version of the Guide on the
Orthography of the Ilokano Language developed by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) in
consultation with various stakeholders in Ilokano language and culture. Developed back in 2012
as a resource material for the implementation of the Department of Educations K-12 curriculum
with the integration of MTB-MLE or Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education.

GUMIL Filipinas - official website of GUMIL Filipinas

Kurditan Samtoy: The Literature of A Manly Race an essay about the Iloko language and
literature by multi-awarded Ilokano writer Reynaldo A. Duque.

iluko.com - popular Ilocano site on the web.

dadapilan.com - a leading portal of ilokano literature.

Iloko-language texts at Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg of the Philippines