Vigan
Vigan, among the other towns, could tell more stories about the Ilocandia. It was once called as “Kabigbigaan” from “biga”-a plant with ornate leaves. Its name “Bigan” was later changed to Vigan. To the Spaniards it was Villa Fernandina in honor of King Ferdinand of Spain (Brillantes, www.santa.gov.ph/ilocossure/ghistory.html).
Vigan is one of the most visited places in Ilocos because of its richly preserved remnant of cultures brought by Spaniards who did not only subject the people by its dogmatic church doctrines but also all other adjuncts of their culture-their habits and customs, their educational system, their aristocracy and the aura of the World.
The permeating spirit of the place is still apparently present with its houses of stone. With its thick walls, hardwood floors, high ceilings, tile roofs, Vigan has been called the “Intramuros of Ilocandia.
Aside from the houses which are present in Vigan, especially in the heritage village, you can see the horse-riding, preserving the classical way of transportation in the place. Normally, elite group in the society are sometimes capable of riding in a “kalesa”.Thus, it offers a view of what the social conditions were present during the time of colonialism.
Cape Bojeador
Next is the Lighthouse in Cape Bojeador, one of the most historical landmark in the province of Ilocos Norte, which is located on a hill overlooking the South China Sea and approximately 35 kilometres north of the city of Laoag. It was built in 1892 which just stopped functioning last year. It served ships passing by the northern part of the South China Sea. It is historical for it is one of the oldest lighthouses in the country and being the highest in the Philippines. It is located in the town of Burgos.
Ilocos Norte Museum
The Ilocos Norte Museum has a myriad collection of cultural treasures which showcases the varied ethnicity and multi-faceted cultural heritage of a sturdy, hardworking people known for their industry, resourcefulness and loyalty. It is named Gameng, an Ilocano word meaning treasure, representing the wealth of Ilocos Norte.
There, you could find artifacts which the great majority of items were collected in the field. Apparently, the museum is settled in an ancestral house showing how, in older times, looked like inside and out. Relatively, modern houses have derivatives from the ancestral house. It also showed the different utensils used before commonly used in the house like the ladle, flat iron and etc.
Santa Maria Church
In 1993, it is considered by UNESCO a World Heritage site, which said to have the universal importance which must be valued for human hood. It is located in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur and is one of the four Baroque Churches in the Philippines
