Ilocos on my mind

CEBU, Philippines - I have an eye for monuments of the past, heritage buildings and ancestral houses and it was like a dream come true when I first stepped into one of the best preserved cultural and  historical cities in the Philippines, Vigan or popularly known as the country’s Spanish Heritage City.

Let me share to you my experience along with the other 14 members and officers of the Barangay Councilors’ League of the Philippines (BCLP) Cebu City Chapter when we had our four-day visit in the Ilocos Region – the Province of Ilocos Sur and the Province of Ilocos Norte.

It was quite tiresome as we traveled for almost 12 hours (including stop overs) to reach Vigan City but it was rewarding for all of us as every corner of the place is filled with stories of the past, in the midst of surviving Filipino-Hispanic heritage.

We stayed at the 18th century ancestral house, which was converted to the well-known Vigan Hotel.  

A brief background: Vigan is believed to have come from the word bigaa, a giant Taro plant. Vigan was nominated three times for the UNESCO World Heritage List and was finally included in the said list on December 2, 1999. 

For a first-timer like me who loved to travel and like to see the beauty of the past, it is incomplete if you fail to walk down the cobblestone streets of Calle Crisologo or the Mena Crisologo Street, a major attraction of Vigan because of the Spanish houses where the rich people lived during the Spanish era. 

Walking along the rows of ancestral houses is enjoyable because of the opportunity to shop and do sight-seeing for Vigan’s best products like antiques, woven products, bags, basi wine, burnay jars and chicharon, jewelry, sweets, and woodcrafts.

The City of Vigan is also proud of its being the birthplace of the Philippines’ sixth president, Elpidio Quirino. It is where the Syquia mansion, which houses President Qurino’s extensive memorabilia and owned by his wife, Dona Alicia Quirino.

To find the Syquia Mansion, visitors may walk through Crisologo Street towards Gordion Inn. Inside the Syquia Mansion, you will marvel at the huge rooms, huge oil portraits of the family and a huge replica of Juan Luna’s Spolarium.  

Crisologo mansion, on the other hand, is also open for public viewing. It is located on Vigan’s Liberation Boulevard and one may enter for free to visit the museum and view the antiques, memorabilia and other prized possessions of the Crisologos steeped with history.

One can also visit Father Jose Burgos’ home, where visitors can see a collection of the priest’s memorabilia and photographs. And in Vigan City is a must-see attraction, the Baluarte, which offers a mini zoo that occupies over hectares of land. It is the home of Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson. 

There is a lot more to see and explore in Ilocos. Our travel would not have been complete without ever visiting Ilocos Norte, the northernmost parts of Luzon, where you can visit famous attractions like its windmills, churches, sand dunes, among others.

Our first stop in Ilocos Norte is Juan Luna’s shrine in Badoc. According to the caretaker of the house, the house was burned down in 1861 and was restored, a faithful reconstruction of the painter’s brick house, in 1977 by then first lady Imelda Marcos. 

The house is now known as the Luna House, where his memorabilia, a replica of his “Spolarium,” “Parisian Life,” “Blood Compact,” “Death of Cleopatra,” photographs of Luna, Jose Rizal and Valentin Ventura after their fencing sessions, and some of his artworks are proudly displayed for visitors to appreciate.

Then we headed on to the Paoay Church, a UNESCO heritage site.

Visiting Ilocos Norte will not be complete without visiting the hometown of the late Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos in Batac.

A peek at the Marcos Museum can serve as one’s introduction to Batac. The Marcos mansion as it is now popularly known is where the late Philippine president grew up and where his remains are still encased.

We took a peek at the glass coffin, inside a dimly lit mausoleum; other parts of the mansion house his memorabilia, including notes from his exile, car plates that trace back to his Congress and Senate days including some clothes that he wore during his political heydays.

One of the unforgettable experiences was that despite the heavy rain, did not stop us from climbing the stone stairs of the 65-foot tall Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as Burgos Lighthouse, a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. that It was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. The view from the light house veranda is simply breathtaking. I can dare claim that it was perfect.  

One can also visit the Presidential Palace of the North, the official residence of the Marcos family in Ilocos Norte. And a beautiful attraction in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, is the Kapurpurawan, which is formed through rock formations. I paid P100.00 for a horse back rides to reach the huge white rock formation by the sea. Reaching the Kapurpurawan by foot is a tremendously satisfying feat.

I truly admire the Wind Mills of Bangui as the place is getting popular among local and foreign tourists.

Our group tried to reached our last destination, the Patapat Viaduct, an elevated concrete highway constructed along rocky mountains in Ilocos Norte, but unfortunately, we fail because of the strong wind and rain when typhoon Ofel hit the place. Our van had a hard time traversing, so our safety was considered. 

Visiting Ilocos, one must try and taste their famous Ilocano empanada with its characteristic chewy orange crust and their famous dishes like bagnet, longanisa and poki-poki or the eggplant salad.

My four-day trip in the Ilocos region proved to be quite educational and inspiring. My special thanks to Ilocos Sur Rep. Ryan Luis Singson for inviting the BCLP-Cebu City chapter to visit their place. It was truly rewarding. Also, thanks to BCLP President Franklyn Ong, Cebu City Reps. Tomas Osmeña and Raul del Mar for taking care of the trip and former barangay councilman Lemar Alcover for allowing us to stay in his condominium unit after our trip.