Brief History of Ilocos Norte Philippines
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 1571, 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.
Ilocos Norte was created by virtue of the Spanish Royal Decree on Februray 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.
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 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 beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.
Ferdinand Marcos and his family enjoy more than a modicum of popularity in Ilocos Norte. His sister (Elizabeth Marcos Keon), his son Bongbong, and his daughter Imee have all serve as governor of the province. With Imee as current governor, her brother and former governor - Bongbong is now Congressman from the province. When a balikbayan arrives who has origins in the area --- one of the first impulses of relatives in the province is to bring the visitor to the see the monument to Ferdinand Marcos and the resting place of Dona Josefa Edralin Marcos.
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