Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

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Culinary Heritage

OOD is part and parcel of the cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur, as well as a tourist attraction. Visitors make it a point to bring home delicacies from this province as pasalubong or gifts to family and friends. Some of these gastronomic delights which put Ilocos Sur on the culinary map are the longganisa, empanada and bagnet.

Bacalao Bacalao, or codfish, is caught along the waters of Caoayan during summer. It is about a meter long, and is a fatty fish. It is good when broiled or fried and eaten with bagoong and kamatis or soy with kalamansi.

Bagnet Bagnet, is a specialty of Ilocos Sur. It is made of selected parts of swine like the belly, shoulder, stomach and pigue cut into 8 x 6 inches, boiled in water and seasoned with salt and garlic until tender. After it is cooled, it is deep-fried until tender. Serve with tomatoes (kamatis), bagoong (fish sauce) and green onions (lasona) (KBL) or with catsup. It may also be used as additional ingredient (sahog) for ‘pinakbet, a delectable dish of mixed vegetables, including eggplant, ampalaya, string beans, okra and patani.

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Basi An Ilocano native wine made from sugar cane, basi is produced by extracting the sap from the sugar cane that is boiled later. The bark of trees like kariskis or samakis is mixed with the boiled sap. Then, the mixture is allowed to ferment and age. This famous Ilocano brew is produced mainly in the town of San Ildefonso.

Cornik (Kornik) This food product of

Bantay, Candon City and Santo Domingo is glutinous corn cooked in different flavors like adobo, garlic, cheese, barbecue, and is sweet and spicy.

The corn kernels are boiled with water and lime until the outer skin breaks, then is washed thoroughly before it is sun-dried. It is then deep-fried in a large vat and cooked until done.

Empanada Empanada is a famous Ilocos delicacy sought after by tourists and visitors. Its dough is made of rice flour, with fillings of grated pork, sprouted mongo, carrots, cabbage and eggs and salt and pepper for seasoning.

Deep-fried in oil to a crisp, it is served with sukang Iloko, native onions and hot pepper.

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Ipon

Longganisa

A seasonal small fish which is harvested 7-8 days after the full moon during the months of August to October and l0 days after the full moon during the months of November to February. Ipon is best for kilawin, sinigang, paksiw and omelets. It is also good for bagoong and is sometimes served as dried fish. Ipon can only be found along the shores of the coastal towns of Caoayan and Santa.

Ilocos Sur’s well-known delicacy is a mixture of ground pork with vinegar, salt and pepper, inserted in an intestine casing and bundled by the dozen. Longganisa is cooked with water until done and served with tomatoes and bagoong. It is usually served for breakfast with sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg), popularly called longsilog.

Kalamay A specialty of Candon, this delicacy is made of grounded glutinous rice, brown or white sugar and coconut milk. Kalamay is cooked with coconut milk until the sugar is dissolved together with glutinous rice, and is stirred continuously until done.

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Ludong A delicious big fish caught along the Abra River at Barangay Rancho to Banaoang, Santa. Ludong is plentiful during the months of May to October.

Sigay and gillnet is used in catching ludong. It is good for sinigang, broiled and paksiw dishes. Ludong is also referred to as the President’s fish.

Sukang Iloko

Miki This is the Ilocano version of Chinese noodles. The noodles are made of flour, salt and egg. It is manually kneaded and cut. The dish is usually served for breakfast or during birth and death anniversaries.

The Ilocano word for pray is “lualo” and combined with the term “maki” means “to pray with the others.” However, a play of words has resulted in common usage.

Instead of “maki”, the word “miki” has been substituted, giving rise to the term “miki-lualo,” meaning “praying and eating miki at the same time.” The town of Cabugao where miki is manufactured now enjoys a delicious kind of notoriety because of this noodle.

This native vinegar is made of sugar cane juice fermented with ‘samak’ or kariskis for its taste and lomboy bark for coloring. It is an income-generating project in Santo Domingo, San Ildefonso and Sta. Maria towns. Its sour taste is good for preparing pickles and for cooking adobo, paksiw and is also used to preserve fruits and vegetables.

Tinubong A native delicacy usually served during the Christmas season in Cabugao, it also a best-seller in Magsingal and Santo Domingo towns as well as among street vendors in Vigan City.

Tinubong is made of ground glutinous rice with sugar, coconut milk, grated young coconut, ground peanut milk and margarine. The mixture is then placed in a native young bamboo and is cooked in an oven until done.

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Significant Sites and Landmarks

V

IGAN City is the capital of Ilocos Sur province.

On December 2, 1999, it was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (Unesco).

Vigan became a city on January 22, 2001.

During the Spanish period, Vigan assumed the name Villa Fernandina that later became the seat of the Bishopric of Nueva Segovia.

One historical place in the city is Vigan Cathedral, also known as St. Paul Cathedral. The church was built in 1641, but the present structure dates back to 1799. Its façade is divided into three levels “with the ground portals flanked by coupled columns topped by Chinese Fu Dogs.” The bell tower is located 10 meters from the church and has three levels. The lower level has a square

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St. Paul Cathedral

Significant Sites and Landmarks 179

Simbaan a Bassit

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shape, with the two upper levels in octagon form. A statue of a chicken is found on top of the bell tower’s dome.

On the left of the cathedral is the Archbishop’s Palace. The Palace has the stone house look, often referred to as the Vigan style, and is made entirely of bricks. The cathedral now houses a religious museum.

Fronting the cathedral is a plaza (town square) displaying a monument of Juan de Salcedo dating back to the 17th century.

Gabriela Silang, wife of the famous Ilocano hero Diego Silang, was said to have been executed in this plaza in 1763.

Another plaza in Vigan is Plaza Burgos. It is adorned by an obelisk which is Egyptian in character and a pedestal in the Greco-Roman style.

There are many homes in Vigan that serve as museums. One of these is the Padre Burgos House containing memorabilia of the martyred priest Fr. Jose Burgos, as well as Ilocano and Tingguian artifacts. The other homes that have been converted into museums are those owned by the Crisologo and Syquia families.

The homes were usually made of brick and wood.

At the end of Vigan’s Quezon Avenue, one finds the Simbaan a Bassit, a cemetery chapel with square columns for support. Two bells have been added to the chapel’s façade.

Not to be missed is the Mestizo Quarter highlighted by old Vigan houses on both sides of a cobblestoned street.

Most of the houses in this part of the city have tiled roofs and are made of bricks. The area is now called Vigan Heritage Village.

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Vigan Heritage Village The restored Vigan Heritage Village is a tribute to a rich and idyllic lifestyle during the Spanish period. The World Heritage List included the village in November 1999 because of its outstanding architectural, urban planning, and landscape design exemplifying a Spanish colonial town in Asia.

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Bantay’s Bell Tower The church of Bantay is dedicated to the Nuestra Señora de la Caridad or Our Lady of Charity. The statue of Our Lady is found in a niche at the top section of the façade. Below it, in another cornice, is the statue of St. Augustine of Hippo, suggesting that the church was a former Augustinian parish. With its pointed windows and blind arches, the church appears to be patterned after the pseudoGothic style. The bell tower is located on top of a hill not far from the church.

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Patroness of Ilocandia The Roman Catholic church in Bantay, established in 1591, is dedicated to the Nuestra SeĂąora de la Caridad, locally known as Apo Caridad, or Our Lady of Charity, patroness of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. Her feast day is celebrated on the second Sunday of January in commemoration of the canonical coronation of the image on January 12, 1956 by then Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Rev. Egidio Vagnozi.

Bantay Church

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Bessang Pass West of the town of Cervantes, Bessang Pass is situated 5,250 feet above sea level. It was here where the Japanese general Yamashita made his exit as he tried to escape from American and Filipino

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forces during the last stage of World War II in the Philippines. The Battle of Bessang Pass was eventually won by the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines, Northern Luzon (USAFP, NL) on June 14, 1945.

Cabugao Church Cabugao’s Catholic church was built by the Augustinians. The church is made of bricks and was done in the Renaissance style with columns flanking niches holding statues. A five-level octagonal bell tower is found on the left side of the church.

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Candon Church Augustinian priests were responsible for the building of a Catholic church in Candon. The church follows a “baroque 188 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

style with volutes and scrolls emphasizing the façade.” The façade has three levels “with portals flanked by coupled Corinthian columns.”

Caoayan Church Built by the Augustinians, the church of Caoayan is a mixture of the pseudoGothic and High Renaissance styles. The columns suggest a Renaissance influence while the pointed windows and arches remind one of the Gothic style. A fourlevel bell tower is found on the left side of the church.

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Magsingal Church The church of Magsingal built by the Augustinians is dedicated to St. William, the Hermit. It is made up of five structures: the new church of Magsingal, the ruins of the old church, the bell tower, the visita and the convent. The old church was destroyed by an earthquake that hit the province in the 18th century.

The visita, a small chapel which was designed in the simple High Renaissance style, now houses a museum featuring a collection of pottery and porcelain. The 190 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

new church, built on the right of the old ruins, is also in the High Renaissance style. The façade has three levels “with pilasters rising to pediment levels. Arched windows line the façade.”

The bell tower is a few meters away from the ruins of the old church. It is octagonal in shape and is four levels high. A convent has been annexed to the new church. Inside is a antique wooden altar (retablo) divided into three levels, with niches housing the statues of various saints.

San Juan Church The brick church of San Juan was constructed by Augustinian priests during the Spanish period. It has three levels, with the ground and the second level adorned by solo columns between blind arches.

During the Japanese occupation, the townspeople of San Juan were herded inside this church by the Japanese who

wanted to know where a compatriot, believed to have been killed by guerillas, was buried. A machine gun was positioned by Japanese soldiers in front of this church as a grim warning to San Juan residents.

An eighteen-year old boy, Constante Varilla Castro bravely led the Japanese to the shallow grave of Tomoyoki San.

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San Vicente Church The Catholic church in this town is a late 19th century structure built by the Augustinians. Entirely made of brick, the church follows the Baroque style. Composite columns dominate the lower and mid-level. Small octagonal towers flank both sides of the façade. Pilgrims come in droves to visit the church because of miracles attributed to St. Vincent Ferrer, the town’s patron saint.

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Significant Sites and Landmarks 193

Santa Lucia Church The town’s Augustinian church has been restored recently in the pseudoRomanesque style. Consoles projecting downward from the cornice make the façade attractive. The church has been dedicated to Santa Lucia, a saint often invoked by people who need a cure for their eye ailments.

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Significant Sites and Landmarks 195

Santa Maria Church The church of Santa Maria has been included in the World Heritage List in 1993. Built on top of a promontory, it has a commanding view of the sea. Accessible through an 82-step stairway, its faรงade is flanked by two huge columns. A four-story octagonal bell tower is located beside the church. The exposed bricks on the faรงade give the structure a reddish hue.

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Significant Sites and Landmarks 197

Shrine of Apo Lacay The Catholic church of Sinait was also built by the Augustinians. A small niche and scroll work on the pediment can be found on the faรงade. Two square towers are also found on both sides of the faรงade.

This church is famous for its statue of the crucified Christ or Apo Lacay, as local folks call him. According to local lore, boxes bearing the images of the Virgen Milagrosa and Sto. Cristo Milagroso or Apo Lacay were washed ashore along the boundary of the towns of Badoc and Sinait. When the priests of Badoc and Sinait attempted to bring the images to their respective parishes, they reportedly had a hard time carrying the boxes.

The priests then decided to exchange their statues: the Virgen Milagrosa went to the Badoc parish while Apo Lacay went to Sinait. The task of carrying the boxes did not prove to be difficult this time.

Reputed to be miraculous, Apo Lacay attracts pilgrims even if it is not His feast day, which falls on May 3.

Descriptions of churches and old houses were taken from Heritage: Philippine Architecture, Region 1. United Architecture of the Philippines, 1997.

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Significant Sites and Landmarks 199

Narvacan Watch Tower The church of Narvacan was inspired by the Baroque style “with scroll designs on the pediment and flat buttresses supporting the façade.” A four-story octagonal bell tower is found on the right side of the church.

A watch tower is found in Sulvec Point.

It is a circular tower with indentations on top. Entirely made of bricks, the tower has two openings – one on the lower level and another in the middle portion.

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San Esteban Watch Tower Watchtowers were constructed in Ilocos in the 1750s to warn natives of approaching Moro slave traders who had been ravaging coastal settlements. Among the watchtowers built are those found in Cabugao, Narvacan and San Esteban towns.

Made of rubble and circular in shape, a watch tower warning townspeople of the impending arrival of pirates can be found in San Esteban. On top of the watch tower are rounded indentations.

On the lower level is an opening. Small holes that could have served as drain holes dot the upper part of the structure.

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Palacio de Gobernador The Palacio de Gobernador was said to have been built soon after the construction of the church of San Vicente de Ferrer in 1795. The gobernadorcillo of the town resided in this structure where he watched local zarzuelas and comedias performed in the church plaza. The residence, however, came to be known as Palacio de Gobernador.

During the American period, the house was abandoned and its administration was passed on to the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

In 1940, the Sisters of St. Paul used the house as their convent before they moved to Vigan after World War II. From 1949 to 1955, the Palacio de Gobernador became home to 40 Chinese seminarians who arrived in the Philippines after the takeover of China by the communists.

With the permission of the Archbishop of Nueva Segovia, it became the home of St. Vincent High School in 1955. The local government took over the administration of the school in 1980.

In June 2000, the school closed down and the residence was turned over to the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

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Tirad Pass Located in a town named after Gregorio del Pilar, this Pass was defended by the soldier-hero to enable Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo to keep a safe distance between him and his forces and pursuing American soldiers. The site has been declared a national shrine.

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Spanish Sundials This town boasts of two sundials built in 1841. Mounted on a simple pedestal is a square block tilted at a calculated angle. The face of the sundial 206 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

is marked by grooves showing the time and a simple iron rod as the hand. The sundials are found in front of the Tagudin Municipal Hall and in the church courtyard.

Santa Marker The brick marker in Santa town, as reflected in its inscription at the back (Gov. Felix Angco, C.O. Upington, J. Ortega, E. P. Schuman), could indicate

repairs done on the retained Spanish period walls during the early American period, particularly during the incumbency of Gov. Felix Angco (1906-1908).

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Syquia Mansion The ancestral home of Doña Alicia Syquia-Quirino, the Syquia mansion was a venue for official and public functions during the administration of the late President Elpidio Quirino, Doña Alicia’s husband. The structure was built in 1830 by Justo Angco and was given as a gift to his daughter Estifania when she wed Gregorio Syquia, Alicia’s father, in 1875. It is considered the first Malacañang in the north.

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Significant Sites and Landmarks 209

Famous Sons and Daughters Pedro Bukaneg Ilocanos acknowledge Pedro Bukaneg as the “Father of Iloko Literature.”

Born blind, Bukaneg was found wrapped in a woven mat (tampipi) floating in the Banaoang River that divided the towns of Bantay and Vigan. At that time, it was the practice to kill or bury alive babies who had defects to avoid what the ancients called the curse of the evil spirits.

Bukaneg was adopted and raised by the Augustinians of Bantay who baptized him and gave him the name Pedro.

Bukaneg, on the other hand, is an Isneg term for “Christianized Isneg.” Bukaneg’s adoptive family, who had discovered that he was a brilliant student, taught him the rudiments of education.

He later became fluent in Latin and Spanish, translating works in both languages to Iloko and Isneg. He is credited for helping in the translation of the Doctrina Cristiana into Iloko in 1621.

Fr. Francisco Lopez, who wrote the Arte de la Lengua Ilokana, also acknowledged the invaluable assistance of Bukaneg.

Bukaneg also translated many Spanish prayers and sermons into Ilocano. One of the oldest prayers in Ilocano, Cararag ken Sta. Maria, is said to his work. His fluency in Spanish, Latin, Ilocano and Isneg made him an ideal translator of the Augustinians for their gospels.

The Ilocano epic poem “Biag ni Lam-ang” has also been attributed to Bukaneg. It has been reported that his love and affection for the Augustinians led him to substitute some native ideas for Spanish concepts.

Bukaneg lives on through a poetical joust similar to the Tagalog ”balagtasan” called Bukanegan. He is said to have died between the years 1622 and 1626.

1591 (March): A laundry woman finds a baby inside a tampipi (woven bag) floating

along the bank of a stream (now called Banaoang River). The baby was the first Ilocano poet, orator, musician, lexicographer and linguist, Pedro Bukaneg, who was born blind.

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Famous Sons and Daughters 211

Jose Burgos Jose Burgos was born in Vigan on February 9, 1837 to Don Tiburcio Burgos, an officer of the Batallon Milicias de Ilocos 5 de Linea, and Doña Florencia Garcia, a Spanish mestiza. Burgos had two other sisters – Antonia and Maria.

At the age of 10, Burgos enrolled at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and obtained his Bachiller en Filosofia, sobresaliente in 1885. Four years later, Burgos received his second degree – 212 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Bachiller en Teologia – graduating at the top of his class.

After finishing his studies in the seminary, Burgos became a parish priest at the Sagrario de Intramuros.

Burgos decided to enroll at the University of Santo Tomas where he obtained the following degrees: Licenciado en Teologia (1862), Bachiller en Canones (1866), Doctor en Teologia (1868), Licenciado en Canones (1868) and Doctor en Canones (1871).

This qualified him to be a member of the examining board for priests. Disturbed by how the Spanish clergy looked down on Filipino seculars, Burgos wrote a manifesto entitled “La Verdad” where he expressed his liberal ideas and extolled the ability of native seculars. He eventually became one of the keen supporters of an advocacy that promoted the handing over the supervision of parishes not held by religious corporations to Filipino seculars.

This, in effect, made Burgos a marked man. On January 20, 1872, Filipinos working in the Cavite naval yard rose in arms when their exemption from the payment of tribute was withdrawn. This incident was known as the Cavite Mutiny.

For the Spaniards, the event was a convenient excuse to silence supporters of the secularization movement.

Falsely accused as the brains of the mutiny, Burgos, together with Frs. Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora were executed by means of the “garrote” on February 17, 1872.

Governor General Rafael Izquierdo earlier ordered Archbishop Meliton Martinez to defrock the three priests.

Believing in the innocence of the three, Martinez refused to do so.

Jose Rizal dedicated his novel El Filibusterismo to the three martyred priests.

Leona Florentino Leona Florentino was born in Vigan on April 19, 1849 to a rich family. Her parents were Marcelino and Isabel Florentino. She married Elias de los Reyes and had five children by him, the eldest of whom was Isabelo de los Reyes.

Florentino gained international prominence when her poems in Iloko were exhibited at the Exposicion General de Filipinas in 1887 and at the International Exposition in Paris in 1899 that marked the centennial of the French Revolution.

Isabelo de los Reyes paid homage to his mother when he included her poems in his El Folklore Filipino. Included in this work were Florentino’s congratulatory and erotic poems in Ilocano. Most of the congratulatory poems for birthdays and weddings were usually in acrostic form.

The foremost Ilocano poetess died on October 4, 1884 at the age of 35.

1887

The Exposicion General de Filipinas in Madrid featured Spanish poems

by Leona Florentino, then the foremost Filipino woman poet in Spanish.

Famous Sons and Daughters 213

Isabelo de los Reyes The son of Elias de los Reyes and Leona Florentino, Isabelo de los Reyes was entrusted in the care of Don Mena Crisologo.

As a young man, he enrolled at the Vigan Seminary, then proceeded to Manila as a self-supporting student at the San Juan de Letran where he finished a bachelor’s degree with flying colors. He then transferred to the University of Santo Tomas to pursue a degree in law, becoming a notary public at the age of 22. As the legal age to practice law was 25, he turned his attention to journalism.

De los Reyes contributed an article, “Invasion of Limahong” to the Diario de Manila, and later founded the first vernacular paper, El Ilocano. He eventually published prizewinning books, like Historia de Ilocos, Folklore Filipino, and Las Islas Filipinas en la epoca de la Conquista.

Arrested by the Spaniards during the Philippine Revolution of 1896, he wrote from his Bilibid prison cell the Sensecional Memoria sobre la Revolucion Filipina where he accused the friars of being the root of the Filipinos’ disenchantment with Spanish colonial rule. For this piece, De los Reyes was deported to Spain where he was imprisoned at the Montjuich Castle in Barcelona.

While in Spain, he founded and edited two nationalist papers, El Defensor de Filipinas and Filipinas Ante Europa.

Released from prison by virtue of the Truce of Biak na Bato in 1897, he was appointed Consejero del Ministerio de 214 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Ultramar from 1898-1901.

Returning to the Philippines in 1901, De los Reyes established the country’s first labor union, Union Obrera Democratica Filipina on February 2, 1902, spearheading the first Labor Day celebration on May 1 of the same year.

In the first labor congress held on August 3, 1902, he proposed the establishment of the Philippine Independent Church and nominated Fr. Gregorio Aglipay, vicar general of the Revolutionary Army as the Supreme Bishop.

De los Reyes was a councilor of Manila from 1912 to 1919 and senator of the first senatorial district from 1922-1928.

At the end of his senatorial term, he devoted his time to religion and writing.

He is the author of the Biblia Filipina, Aglipayan Calendar and Divine Office.

De los Reyes died on October 10, 1938.

Federico Isabelo Abaya Isabelo Abaya was the son of a well-to-do couple of Candon. He finished his secondary education at the Vigan Seminary. Resisting a Spanish-influenced education, Abaya decided to stop schooling and instead helped his parents in their business.

In 1898, Abaya, along with townmate Fernando Guirnalda, organized a cell of the Katipunan which they called Estrella del Sur. While revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo was in Hong Kong, the Katipuneros of Ilocos, like Abaya and Guirnalda, informed the leader that they were busy organizing and were ready to start the revolution on his return to the Philippines.

On the night of March 24, 1898, when the Candon Katipunan was discovered, Abaya and Guirnalda were left with no choice but to occupy the headquarters of the Guardia Civil, wounding the commanding officer and arrested three friars and a few Spanish residents. The following day, Guirnalda assumed control of the civil government in Candon while Abaya was appointed Commander-in-Chief with the rank of general. The Spaniards, however, brought in “cazadores,� Spanish shock troops headed by Jose Garcia Herreros, to quell the protesters. Abaya and Guirnalda, however, were able to escape and avoid arrest.

Abaya later joined the forces of Col. Juan Villamor during the Philippine-American War, bringing in Igorot soldiers with whom he had ethnic affinity.

He was killed in action, fighting American troops this time, on May 3, 1900.

Famous Sons and Daughters 215

Elpidio Rivera Quirino A native of Vigan, Elpidio Quirino was the son of Mariano Quirino, a former sergeant of the Spanish army and warden of the Vigan provincial jail, and Gregoria Mendoza Rivera of Agoo, La Union.

In his early years, Quirino attended the Aringay Elementary School in La Union. He obtained his high school education from La Union High School and Ilocos High School.

He enrolled at the College of Law of the University of the Philippines and graduated in 1915, passing the bar the same year.

Quirino became the private secretary of Manuel Quezon who was then Senate President. Later, he accompanied Quezon to the United States when the latter met with President Woodrow Wilson and offered the services of the Filipino militia in the war against Germany.

In 1919, Quirino became a representative of the first district of Ilocos Sur. In 1925, he was elected to the Senate and was the chairperson of the Special Joint Committee on Taxation.

He accompanied Quezon to the United States in 1933 to secure the passage of an independence bill, the Tydings-McDuffie Law, which the Philippine Legislature approved on May 1, 1934. In the same year, Quirino became a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, representing Ilocos Sur. When the Commonwealth government was inaugurated in 1935, Quezon appointed Quirino as Secretary of Interior and Finance. Quirino resigned from the position later to run for a seat in the National Assembly.

Elected senator on November 11, 1941, Quirino was unable to assume the position because of the outbreak of World War II. His active support for the guerilla movement led to his incarceration in Fort Santiago.

Upon the inauguration of the Philippine Republic in 1946 with Manuel Roxas as president, Quirino was elected as his vice president. President Roxas initially gave the secretary of finance portfolio to Quirino, who was later appointed secretary of foreign affairs.

With the death of President Roxas on April 15, 1948, Quirino became president, serving the late president’s unexpired term. He was elected President of the Philippines 216 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Elpidio Quirino was elected President of the Republic of the Philippines on November 8, 1949.

on November 8, 1949. He died on February 29, 1956.

Quirino was married to Alicia Syquia of Vigan with whom he had five children. His wife and three of his children died during the liberation of Manila from Japanese forces in 1945. Two children survived – Tomas and Victoria.

Famous Sons and Daughters 217

Diego Silang saw Spain’s vulnerability vis-a-vis the British when the latter made its presence felt in the Philippines in 1872. This emboldened him to declare Ilocos’ independence from Spanish rule. With his supporters, he sought the removal of the Spanish alcalde mayor of Ilocos Sur, the abolition of the tribute and the expulsion of the bishop and all Spanish mestizos in the province. Seeing the growing influence and popularity of Silang, the Spaniards, with the connivance of Miguel Vicos and Pedro Becbec, conspired to assassinate the Ilocano leader.

Silang’s widow Gabriela, with the help of her fellow Itnegs, continued her husband’s unfinished task. She was, however, captured and hanged in public on September 20, 1763.

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Epic of Lam-ang

This epic poem is considered “the oldest recorded Philippine folk epic and the only complete epic to come down to us,” according to Filipino folklorist, Damiana Eugenio. The authorship of the poem was attributed to Pedro Bukaneg in some accounts. The earliest data on the poem was given by Father Gerardo Blanco to Isabelo de los Reyes, who published it as a series in the periodical El Ilocano from December 1899 to February 1890. The poem was later reprinted in De los Reyes’ El Folkore Filipino.

Famous Sons and Daughters 219

Prominent Ilocos Surians S

INCE the establishment of the civil government in 1901, Ilocos Sur has had its share of capable provincial executives, each an achiever in ways too numerous to be chronicled here. Their names are engraved in the hearts of the people they served unselfishly or continue to serve.

The following is a roster of governors in chronological order:

ROSTER OF ILOCOS SUR GOVERNORS 1901 1906 1908 1910

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1906 1908 1909 1912

-

Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon.

Mena Crisologo Felix Angco Estanislao Reyes Manuel Singson

1912 - 1916 1916 - 1919 1919 - 1925 1925 - 1928 1928 - 1931 1931 - 1932 1933 - 1936 1937 - 1941 1943 - 1945 1945 - 1946 1946 - 1952 1952 - 1955 1956 - 1959 1960 - 1963 1964 - 1971 1972 - 1986 1986 - 1987 1987 1987 - 1988 1988 1989 - 1992 March 23 to June 30, 1992 1992 - 2001 2001 - 2004 2004 - 2007 2007 - present

-

Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon.

Juan Villamor Jose Villanueva Simeon Reyes Alberto Reyes Alejandro Quirolgico Lupo Biteng Alejandro Quirolgico Pedro Singson Reyes Pascual Pimentel Sixto Brillantes Perfecto Faypon Eliseo Quirino Pedro Singson Reyes Godofredo S. Reyes Carmeling P. Crisologo Luis “Chavit” C. Singson Jose G. Burgos Jr. (OIC Governor) Antonio “Yeng” Abaya (OIC Governor) Anita Lorenzana (OIC Governor) Evaristo “Titong” C. Singson Mariano M. Tajon (By Operation of Law) Deogracias Victor B. Savellano (By Operation of Law) Luis “Chavit” Singson Deogracias Victor B. Savellano Luis “Chavit” Singson Deogracias Victor B. Savellano

Prominent Ilocos Surians 221

Hon. Mena Crisologo (1901 - 1906)

Hon. Felix Angco (1906 - 1908)

Hon. Estanislao Reyes (1908 - 1909)

Hon. Manuel Singson (1910 - 1912)

222 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Hon. Juan Villamor (1912 - 1916)

Hon. Jose Villanueva (1916 - 1919)

Hon. Simeon Reyes (1919 - 1925)

Hon. Alberto Reyes (1925 - 1928) Prominent Ilocos Surians 223

Hon. Alejandro Quirolgico (1928 - 1931; 1933 - 1936)

Hon. Lupo Biteng (1931 - 1932)

PASCUAL RIVERA PIMENTEL. Pascual Rivera Pimentel was a lawyer by profession. He was born in Poblacion Weste, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. Pimentel was the Executive Secretary of President Jose P. Laurel during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines and was later appointed governor of Ilocos Sur from 1943 to 1945. Pimentel was killed by the Japanese near the close of World War II in 1945. In his memory, a school was founded by his brother Marcial in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur and named Pascual Rivera Pimentel Memorial School on February 11, 1947.

Hon. Pedro Singson Reyes (1937 - 1941; 1956 - 1959) 224 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Hon. Pascual Pimentel (1943 - 1945)

Hon. Sixto Brillantes (1945 - 1946)

Hon. Perfecto Faypon (1946 -1952)

Hon. Eliseo Quirino (1952 - 1955)

Hon. Godofredo S. Reyes (1960 - 1963) Prominent Ilocos Surians 225

Hon. Carmeling P. Crisologo (1964 -1971)

Hon. Luis “Chavit” C. Singson (1972 - 1986; 1992 - 2001; 2004 - 2007)

Hon. Jose G. Burgos Jr. (1986 - 1987 / OIC Governor)

Hon. Antonio “Yeng” Abaya (1987 / OIC Governor)

226 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Hon. Anita Lorenzana (1987 - 1988 / OIC Governor)

Hon. Evaristo C. Singson (February - December1988)

Hon. Mariano M. Tajon (December 1989 - March 22, 1992)

Hon. Deogracias Victor ‘DV’ B. Savellano (March 23 to June 30, 1992; 2001 - 2004; 2007 to present) Prominent Ilocos Surians 227

ILOCOS SUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

INTERIM BATASANG PAMBANSA (1978 – 1984)

FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 2007 – 2010 First District - Ronald Singson Second District - Eric D. Singson

REGION 1 First District - Salacnib F. Baterina Second District - Lucas V. Cauton

THIRTEENTH CONGRESS 2004 – 2007 First District - Salacnib Baterina Second District - Eric D. Singson TWELVE CONGRESS 2001 – 2004 First District - Salacnib Baterina Second District - Eric D. Singson ELEVENTH CONGRESS 1998 – 2001 First District - Salacnib Baterina Second District - Grace G. Singson TENTH CONGRESS 1995 – 1998 First District - Mariano M. Tajon Second District - Eric D. Singson NINTH CONGRESS 1992 – 1995 First District - Mariano M. Tajon Second District - Eric D. Singson EIGHT CONGRESS 1987 – 1992 First District - Luis C. Singson Second District - Eric D. Singson

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGULAR BATASANG PAMBANSA (1984 – 1986) REGION 1 First District - Salacnib F. Baterina Second District - Eric D. Singson 228 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEVENTH CONGRESS 1969 – 1972 First District - Floro Crisologo Second District - Lucas V. Cauton SIXTH CONGRESS 1965 – 1969 First District - Floro S. Crisologo Second District - Pablo C. Sanidad FIFTH CONGRESS 1961 – 1965 First District - Floro S. Crisologo Second District - Pablo C. Sanidad FOURTH CONGRESS 1957 – 1961 First District - Faustino B. Tobia Second District - Godofredo S. Reyes THIRD CONGRESS 1953 – 1957 First District - Floro Crisologo Second District - Ricardo Gacula SECOND CONGRESS 1949 – 1953 First District - Floro Crisologo Second District - Ricardo R. Gacula FIRST CONGRESS 1946 – 1949 First District - Floro Crisologo Second District - Fidel Villanueva

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES THIRD NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 1941 – 1946 First District - Jesus Serrano Second District - Prospero Sanidad SECOND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 1938 – 1941 First District - Benito Soliven Second District - Prospero Sanidad FIRST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 1935 – 1938 First District - Benito Soliven Second District - Sixto Brillantes TENTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1934 – 1935 First District - Pedro Singson Reyes Second District - Prospero Sanidad NINTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1931 – 1934 First District - Pedro Singson Reyes Second District - Fidel Villanueva EIGHT PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1928 –1931 First District - Benito Soliven Second District - Fidel Villanueva SEVENTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1925 – 1928 First District - Simeon Ramos Second District - Lupo Biteng

SIXTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1922 – 1925 First District - Vicente Singson Pablo Second District - Lupo Biteng FIFTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1919 – 1922 First District - Elpidio Quirino Second District - Ponciano Morales FOURTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE 1916 – 1919 First District - Alberto Reyes Second District - Ponciano Morales Third District - Eustaquio Purugganan THIRD PHILIPPINE 1912 – 1916 First District Second District Third District

ASSEMBLY - Alberto Reyes - Gregorio Talavera - Julio Borbon

SECOND PHILIPPINE ASSEMBLY 1909 – 1912 First District - Vicente Singson Encarnacion Second District - Jose Ma. Del Valle Third District - Juan Villamor FIRST PHILIPPINE ASSEMBLY 1907 – 1909 First District - Vicente Singson Encarnacion Second District - Maximino Mina Third District - Juan Villamor

Prominent Ilocos Surians 229

SENATORS WITH ROOTS IN ILOCOS SUR 1916 – 1917 AQUILINO CALVO - With roots in Vigan, Calvo was elected senator to the Senate during the 4th Philippine Legislature, representing the second senatorial district then comprised of the provinces of La Union, Pangasinan and Zambales.

1916 – 1919 JUAN VILLAMOR - Elected senator during the 5th Philippine Legislature, Villamor represented the first senatorial district comprised of Batanes, Cagayan , Isabela, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur provinces.

1916 – 1922 VICENTE ENCARNACION - Elected to the Senate during the 4th Philippine Legislature, Encarnacion represented Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur provinces, that made up the first senatorial district.

1922 – 1928 ISABELO DELOS REYES - This son of Vigan, Ilocos Sur was elected senator of the 4th senatorial district consisting of Manila and the provinces of Bataan, Rizal and Laguna.

1925 ELPIDIO QUIRINO - A Vigan, Ilocos Sur native, Quirino was elected senator for the 2nd senatorial district. He was reelected in 1931, 1941 and 1945. He later became President of the Republic.

230 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

1927 MELECIO ARRANZ - Elected senator representing the first senatorial district comprised of Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Abra provinces. Arranz was reelected in 1934, 1941 and 1946.

1946 – 1949 PROSPERO SANIDAD - Elected senator during the first Philippine Congress, Sanidad was born in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. 1961 – 1969 RAUL S. MANGLAPUS - Born in Manila to Valentin Manglapus, a congressman from Tagudin, Ilocos Sur and the former Justina Sevilla of Malabon, Rizal province.

He was elected to a Senate seat by a landslide in 1961.

1971 – 1998 ERNESTO M. MACEDA - Born in Pagsanjan, Laguna to Antonio Abarquez Maceda and Corazon Vergara Madarang of San Esteban, Ilocos Sur. Maceda won a seat in the Senate in 1971. He ran for the same post in 1987 and became Senate President from 1996 to 1998.

1998 – 2004 ROBERT Z. BARBERS - born in Surigao City to Felix Barbers of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur and Regina Zabala, the senator was a former police officer before he joined the Senate.

Acknowledgements

M

UCH has been written about Ilocos Sur. Library shelves, archives and bookstores are full of accounts documenting the colorful past of the province and its place in local history.

I had observed, however, that no history of Ilocos Sur has yet been published in illustrated form that would be attractive not only to young students but also to those who either have an aversion for reading what they believe to be tedious tomes laden with facts, or are turned of by its text-heavy nature.

In my growing up years, I had looked around for this type of book, but the quest proved to be futile. Through the years, the dream had been a constant – to someday have a book about the province that would not only be easy reading but also easy on the eyes.

The opportunity to offer this alternative route to history came my way when I entered the government service and I began interacting with Ilocos Sur’s young and vibrant citizens, the future leaders of the province. With them, I shared a vision of a future that held a lot of promise, from lessons learned in the past.

The path to that dream was well within sight in the years to come.

And thanks to a dedicated group of professionals from different fields who helped me in this effort, the story of Ilocos Sur has now become accessible not only to natives of the province, but to all Filipinos and other interested readers – in a more exciting and visually attractive version.

For this, I would like to express my gratitude to the following: DR. MARIA LUISA T. CAMAGAY, former chair of the University of the Philippines History Department in Diliman, Quezon City, and now Director of the UP Press, who diligently collated and cross-checked the historical data for the book; RENE A. ARANDA, chief cartoonist of the Philippine Star, who drew the illustrations for the book that take out the boredom of reading what could have been “just another historical publication;” ARMAND B. BACALTOS, award-winning senior lecturer of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, who has exhibited his works in major shows here and abroad; NATIVIDAD ALA DADOR, Book Project Director, who was not only responsible for bringing together all the talented people who worked towards making the book possible, but took care that deadlines were met, no matter how late in the night; BENJO LAYGO, the book’s Art Director, who brought a deep reserve of enthusiasm and long experience as layout artist and editorial cartoonist for various newspapers, magazines and books to the project; NANIE S. GONZALES, Assistant Art Director for the project, and creative artist for the ASEAN Centre of Biodiversity, who suffered long hours and countless sleepless nights working on the book with no complaints; ARNOLD AZURIN, poet-anthropologist, who supplied insightful information on the origins of the universe and the Ilocos region; AMADO NAVAL, researcher, who patiently dug up dusty files on Ilocos Sur facts and trivia; ESTER G. DIPASUPIL, desk editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the book’s editorial consultant, and THE PEOPLE OF ILOCOS SUR and young people everywhere, who must learn from the past in order to prepare for the future. I dedicate this book to you.

I’m sure you will enjoy reading ILOCOS SUR: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY as much as I enjoyed being part of this project.

DEOGRACIAS VICTOR ‘DV’ B. SAVELLANO Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History 231

Bibliography Books Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino People. Quezon City: Garotech Publishing, 1990.

Blair, Emma and Robertson, James. The Philippine Islands. Manila: Cacho Hermanos, 1987.

De los Reyes, Isabelo. El Folklore Filipino. With an English translation by Salud Dizon And Maria Elinora P. Imson. Diliman, Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1994.

Dela Torre, Visitation. The Ilocos Heritage. Makati City: Tower Book House, 2006.

Gatbonton, Esperanza. Vigan Album. Manila: National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2002.

Kalaw, Teodoro. The Philippine Revolution. Kawilihan, Mandaluyong Rizal: Jorge B. Vargas Filipiniana Foundation, 1969.

Kasaysayan; The History of the Filipino People. Asia Publishing Company Limited, 1998. Vols. 1 and 7.

Ochoso, Orlino. The Tinio Brigade. Quezon City, Philippines: New Day Publishers, 1989.

Scott, William Henry. Ilocano Responses to American Aggression, 1900-1901. Quezon City, Philippines: New Day Publishers, 1986.

United States. Annual Report of the Philippine Islands Commission to the President of the United States. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1904.

United States. Annual Report of the Philippine Islands Commission to the President of the United States. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1906.

United States. Annual Report of the Philippine Islands Commission to the President of the United States. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1907.

Zaide, Gregorio. The Philippine Revolution. Manila, Philippines. The Modern Book Company, 1968.

Periodicals Bueno, Cristopher. “Federico Isabelo Abaya: Freedom Fighter of Ilocandia During The Philippine Revolution. History from the People; Kasaysayan mula sa Bayan. Proceedings of the 1998 Centennial Regional Seminar-Workshop On Oral and Local History. Vol. 1.

Manila, Philippines: National Historical Institute, 1998.

“Fr. John Thompkins Writes.” Ilocos Review. Vol. 23, 1990.

Ilocos Review. Vol. 18, 1986.

“Ilocos Sur in 1842.” Ilocos Review, Vol. 22, 1990.

Soria, Jimmy. “Eleuteria ‘Capitana Teriang’ Florentino Reyes.” History from the People; Kasaysayan mula sa Bayan. Proceedings of the 1998 Centennial Regional Seminar-Workshop Series on Oral and Local History. Vol. 1. Manila, Philippines: National Historical Institute, 1998.

Scherpf, Frederick, SVD. “Memorable Days of Vigan.” Ilocos Review. Vol. 17, 1985.

Unpublished Materials Historical Data Papers. “Ilocos Sur.” Manila: National Library.

Olivar, Celia. “The First Pensionados: An Appraisal of their Contribution to the National Welfare.” Master’s Thesis, University of the Philippines, 1950.

Viloria, Rev. Fr. Loreto. “War Memoris; Personal Experiences during World War II.”

Website www.ilocossur.com.ph – Official Website of the Province of Ilocos Sur

Illustrations

Rene A. Aranda made the illustrations found in Chapters I, II,III, IV, V, VI, V11, VIII, IX , Chapter X, pages 148, 154, 160, Chapter XI, pages 170 and 172, Chapter XII, page 177, Chapter XIII, pages 182, 184, 196, 200 and 201, Chapter X1V, Chapter XV (portraits of all governors except that of Gov. DV Savellano). Bim B. Bacaltos drew the illustrations for author’s photo on the jacket cover, portrait of Gov. DV Savellano , message illustration, pages 29, 34, 35, 109, 138, Chapter X, Chapter XI, Chapter XII, Chapter XIII, page 227 (portrait of Gov. DV Savellano).

232 Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History

Other Sources Faustino Centeno – Centeno was the only native of Ilocos Sur linked to the Katipunan.

Members of the Centeno family of Cabugao were known for their separatist tendencies, both in the wars against Spain and the United States. The other Centenos that participated in the Philippine Revolution were Antonio, Telesforo and Valentin.

Pedro Damaso of Narvacan – He used the Guardia de Honor prayer meetings in Narvacan town as a ruse to mobilize the people against the Spaniards. Damaso was later expelled from Narvacan by Spanish authorities.

Fr. Joaquin Martinez de Zuñiga – An Augustinian friar who arrived in the Philippines on August 3, 1786. An account on the province of Ilocos written by Zuñiga appeared in his work entitled Estadismo de las Islas Filipinas (Status of the Philippines).

Miguel Lopez de Legaspi – The first Spanish governor in the Philippines who served from 1565-1572. He founded the first permanent Spanish settlement in Cebu and made Manila the capital of Spain’s new colony in 1571.

Guido de Lavezares – A Spaniard who succeeded Miguel Lopez de Legaspi as governor general of the Philippines. He served from 1572-1575.

Juan de Salcedo – A grandson of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, he was given an encomienda in what is now Vigan in Ilocos Sur. The encomienda was initially called Villa Fernandina.

Francisco Colin – A Jesuit priest who wrote a study entitled Labor Evangelica describing the culture of the early Filipinos.

Miguel de Loarca – One of the early conquistadores, he wrote Relacion de las Islas Filipinas which describes the mode of life of the early Filipinos, particularly the Pintados or Visayans.

Andres Malong – A native of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City), Pangasinan province, he led a revolt against abusive Spanish encomenderos and alcaldes and later proclaimed himself “King of Pangasinan.” Later, he sent his ally, Pedro Gumapos, to Ilocos to rally the Ilocanos against the Spaniards.

Francisco Primo de Rivera – Spanish governor general who recommended to the Spanish Queen the conferment to Vigan of the title of Very Noble and Loyal City in 1897.

Gen. Samuel Young – Head of the American forces who arrived in Ilocos on November 18, 1899 in pursuit of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, who would later become the first President of the Philippine Republic.

William Howard Taft – First American Governor General of the Philippines.

Antonio Zabala – Alcalde Mayor of Ilocos during the British Occupation of the Philippines in 1762. Ilocano leader Diego Silang demanded from Spanish authorities Zabala’s dismissal for abuses he committed while in office.

Ilocos Sur: An Illustrated History 233

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