Rice Wash and Dinengdeng

Dinengdeng, a delicious concoction of various vegetables boiled in rice-wash water, broiled or fried fish, onions, tomatoes and fish paste. This particular dinengdeng has winged beans (pallang), eggpplant and katuray flowers. Yeah, rice-was water, not plain water. That is the water by which rice has been washed the second time. You dont throw it away. You save it for broth for sinigang, nilaga, tinola and yes, dinengdeng. Hahaha, that is THE SECRET of delicious Ilocano food, if you dont know yet. ;)

Vigan Mataderos at Cargill Meat Solutions and XL Foods

Some successful graduates of the Eskwela de los Mataderos are now employed with Cargill Meat Solutions located at High River, Alberta, Canada.

Others have signed their contracts with the company but are still waiting for the processing of their visas. This is according to the school's lead trainer, Mr. Desiderius Martinez.


Still, others have signed contracts with XL Foods, Inc. This is a remarkable development in the program of the city government of Vigan, in partnership with the TESDA in providing skills for the people to make them employable in the international labor market which has a very strong demand for butchers.

Evaluation of the Cultural Properties of Vigan by ICOMOS

Vigan (Philippines)

No 502rev

Identification

Nomination The Historic Town of Vigan

Location Province of Ilocos Sur

State Party Philippines

Date 30 April 1998

Justification by State Party
Vigan, part of the 18th and 19th century network of Asian trading cities, demonstrates a unique architecture that effortlessly fuses Ilocano, Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish styles. It also demonstrates, in a tropical Asian setting rather than in the New World, the typical Spanish colonial urban layout as specified by the Ley de las Indias, thus linkingVigan to another network of colonial cities in Latin America. Criterion ii

Vigan is testimony to the Filipino cultural traditions and lifestyle of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Its domestic architecture, allowing business to be conducted on the ground floor and the family to reside above, reflects deep kinship with its Asian neighbours, where entrepreneurs
preferred to live and work in their houses. The lifestyle gave rise to streets lined with shop-houses, similar to the rows of Vigan houses that stand next to one another along the narrow
streets. The urban ensemble of Vigan is a group of buildings which, because of its architecture, its homogeneity, and its place in and relationship with the landscape, is truly of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history and art. Criterion iii

The architecture of Vigan is truly reflective of its roots. It is built from the wood, stone, shells (kapis), and terra cotta derived from its surroundings. The houses are in the traditional bahay na bato style, where the ground floor is enclosed by stone walls and the upper level is constructed
entirely of wood. A variant to this style exists in Vigan in which both storeys of some houses are built entirely in stone or brick. Criterion iv

Vigan is well known in the Philippines as the last urban area that has maintained the architecture and urban planning established during the Spanish colonial period. Modernization and progress are creating pressure for the transformation of many structures in the historic core zone as
well as the buffer zone. However, Vigan is determined to maintain its authenticity. Criterion v

Category of property
In terms of the categories of cultural property set out in Article 1 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, this is a group of buildings.

History and Description
History
Before the arrival of the Spanish, there was a small indigenous settlement on what was at that time an island, consisting wooden or bamboo houses on stilts. In 1572 the conquistador Juan de Salcedo founded a new town, which he named Villa Ferdinandina, on this site, and made it his
capital when he was appointed Lieutenant Governor (Encomendero) of the entire Ilocos region. Intended as a trading centre rather than a fortress, it was the northernmost city established in the Philippines by the Spanish. At the end of the 17th century a new form of architecture evolved, which combined the traditional construction with the techniques of building in stone and wood introduced by the Spanish. Brick was introduced by the Augustinian friars for their churches and other buildings. The seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia was transferred there in 1758, making it the centre of religious activity in the region. In 1778, as a result of its expansion, it
was renamed Ciudad Ferdinandina. The Mestizo river was central to the development of the
town in the 16th-19th centuries: large sea-going vessels could berth in the delta and small craft communicated with the interior. However, it is now no longer navigable owing to silting, as a result of which the town is no longer an island. As the major commercial centre for the region, Vigan traded directly with China. As a stage in the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade that lasted throughout the Spanish colonial period, it supplied goods that were shipped across the Pacific
to Mexico, and thence onwards across the Atlantic to Europe. These trading links resulted in constant exchanges of peoples and cultures between the Ilocanos, Filipinos, Chinese, Spanish, and (in the 20th century) North Americans.

Description
Vigan is located in the delta of the Abra river, off the coastal plain of the China Sea, close to the north-east tip of the island of Luzon. The present-day municipality covers some 27km2, divided
into nine urban districts (poblaciones) and thirty rural villages (barangays). Nearly half the total area is still in use for agriculture. The Historic Core Zone, which is proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List, covers an area of 17.25ha defined on two sides by the Govantes and Mestizo rivers.

The traditional Spanish checkerboard street plan opens up into a main plaza, in two parts. The Plaza Salcedo is the longer arm of an L-shaped open space, with the Plaza Burgos as the shorter. The former is dominated by the Municipal Hall and the Provincial Capitol and the latter by the
Cathedral. The urban plan of the town closely conforms with the Renaissance grid plan specified in the Ley de la Indias for all 149 new towns in the Spanish Empire. There is, however, a noticeable difference between Vigan and contemporary Spanish colonial towns in Latin America in the Historic Core (known as the Mestizo district), where the Latin tradition is tempered by strong Chinese, Ilocano, and Filipino influences. As its name implies, this district was settled by
affluent families of mixed Chinese-Ilocano origin. The building materials used in Vigan are terra cotta, wood, shells (kapis), stone, and lime, all obtained from the surrounding area. The architecture of the typical Vigan house is derived from the traditional Filipino dwelling, the bahay kubo, which is a small one-room hut built of light woven materials (wood, bamboo, and thatch), raised off the ground on stilts for ventilation and as protection against monsoon flooding. Such structures are no longer to be found in Vigan, but their influence is discernible in the much larger bahay na bato (stone house). This is a much more solid structure, with a stone-built lower storey surmounted by a timber-framed upper storey, and with a steeply pitched tiled roof (reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture). The exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by window panels of kapis shells framed in wood which can be slid back for better ventilation. Most of the existing buildings were probably built in the mid 18th to late 19th centuries. Few have escaped internal reorganization to adapt them for alternative use with the decline of the town's prosperity. The Chinese merchants and traders conducted their business
from offices and warehouses on the ground floors of their houses, with the living quarters above. This is characteristic of Chinese society, to be observed in other Asian cities such as Penang, Singapore, and the older sections of Bangkok. The resulting townscape has a special quality not to be found elsewhere. It is a unique manifestation of the multi-cultural nature of Filipino society, which harmoniously blends Ilocano, Filipino, Chinese, and North American elements to
produce a homogeneous whole. In addition to the domestic and commercial architecture, Vigan possesses a number of significant public buildings, which also show multi-cultural influences. These include the Cathedral of St Paul (1790-1800), the Archbishop's Palace (1783), St Paul's College (1892), the Catholic Cemetery Chapel (1852), and the neo-classical early 20th century Provincial Capitol.

Management and Protection

Legal status
Vigan is currently protected by the following legal instruments at national level:
Presidential Decree No 374, 1974 "Amending certain sections of ... the Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act;
Presidential Decree No 756, 1975 "Amending Presidential Decree No 260 to include the Mestizo Section, the houses of Padre José Burgos and Leona Florentino in its scope";
Presidential Decree No 1505, 1978 "Amending Presidential Decree No 260, as amended, by prohibiting the unauthorized modification, alteration, repair, and destruction of original features of all national shrines, monuments, landmarks, and other important edifices";
Executive Order No 358, 1996 "Creating a Presidential Commission for the Restoration, Conservation and Preservation of Vigan Heritage Village." A new "Act providing for the Protection and Preservation of Philippine Cultural Heritage ..." is shortly to come into effect.
At local level, the Ordinance No 05 "Providing for the preservation and protection of ancestral houses and other properties in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, particularly in the Mestizo Section" was promulgated in 1990 by the Municipality of Vigan. Following the 2nd International Conference on Vigan in March 1997, the following Municipal Ordinances were roved by the Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council):
Ordinance No 12 "Defining the Core and Buffer Zones of the Historic Town of Vigan and the historical, educational, aesthetic, and economic parameters of its preservation and development";
Ordinance No 14 "Providing the guidelines for the conservation of the Historic Town of Vigan." The Council is still considering the proposed Ordinance "Creating the Conservation Authority of Vigan."

Management
Ownership of the buildings and open spaces included in the nomination is mixed. The public buildings are owned variously by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur, the Municipal Government of Vigan, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nueva Segovia, and most of these are accessible to the public. All the houses in the Core and Buffer Zones are privately owned, but none is open to the public. The Core and Buffer Zones are carefully defined so as to preserve the urban fabric and townscape. This action was taken following the deferral of the nomination in 1987, when the zones were not adequately delineated. Formal responsibility for the preservation of the Historic Core rests with the Vigan Heritage Commission, created by Executive Order No 358, 1996, in collaboration with the Municipality of Vigan. In addition, the Commission has links with the Department of Tourism, the National Historical Institute, the National Museum, the Intramuros Administration (Manila), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the non-governmental organizations involved in the conservation of the town. Church property is administered through the Archdiocesan Commission for the Conservation of the Cultural Heritage of the Church. Awaiting the establishment of the proposed specialist Conservation Authority, day-to-day management remains the province of the Municipality of Vigan. A number of land-use and other plans take account of the special needs of Vigan to varying degrees. These include:

National Tourist Master Plan for the Philippines 1991-2010;
Conservation Plan for the Historical Center of Vigan, 1995 (Tourconsult/International for the Commission of the European Union);
Tourism Development Master Plan for Region I, 1992; Vigan, 1995 (Department of Tourism);
Northwestern Luzon Growth Quadrangle Development Plan, 1995 (USAid Project);
Investment Promotion Package for the Northwestern Luzon Growth Quadrangle, 1997 (USAid Project);
Implementing Rules and Regulations: Action Plan, 1996 (Vigan Heritage Commission).
The Second International Conference for the Conservation and Development of Vigan, held in 1997, prepared a number of draft policies and ordinances for the development and preservation of the historic town. Negotiations are in progress at the present time with the Agencia Española de la Cooperación Internacional for the preparation of a "Comprehensive Conservation and Development Plan of Vigan." All funding for conservation projects at the present time comes from the limited budget of the Municipality of Vigan. Local non-governmental organizations are studying mechanisms for fund-raising, and private donations have been received for specific projects. When it is fully operational the work of the Vigan Heritage Commission, which is mandated to coordinate conservation programmes in the town, will be funded by the national government.

Conservation and Authenticity

Conservation history
The first attempt to sensitize proprietors of historic properties and administrators in Vigan to the need for adequate conservation was in 1975, when the National Museum organized a seminar at which the town's heritage and the need to preserve it were emphasized. Subsequently a team of
architects and engineers was sent by the Museum to carry out documentation work and advise property owners on necessary conservation measures. However, shortage of funds meant that this had little lasting impact. The 1995 Conservation Plan for the Historical Centre of Vigan (see above) surveyed the existing buildings (56 properties with wooden upper storeys, 130 entirely in
masonry or brick), and concluded that 86 structures were in a good state of conservation and 84 in a mediocre to poor state of conservation. A detailed inventory of 120 houses was carried out in 1996, funded by the Toyota Foundation, and this serves as the basis for future conservation planning.

Authenticity
The street pattern is entirely authentic, conforming completely with that laid down by the Spanish in the 16th century. The authenticity of the overall townscape and the open spaces is also high. So far as the buildings are concerned, lack of conservation control has resulted in the use of modern materials such as galvanized iron on roofs instead of tiles. An awareness of the need to preserve authenticity has only developed recently in relation to Vigan. Restoration and conservation practices that respect the authenticity of this town that has developed organically over several centuries are now being introduced, making use of the considerable reserve of traditional crafts that survives in the Philippines.

Evaluation

Action by ICOMOS
An ICOMOS expert mission visited Vigan in January 1999.

Qualities
Vigan is unique among the towns of the Philippines by virtue of the fact that it is the only one to preserve much of its Spanish colonial character intact. It is also significant because of the way in which distinct architectural traditions -European, Ilocano, Filipino, and Chinese - have fused to
create a homogeneous townscape of great cultural importance.

Comparative analysis
Vigan belongs to a group of important South-East Asian trading cities in which Asian and European elements blend together, such as Malacca, Macau, Singapore, and Hoi An. Closest to it is probably Hoi An, where the same pattern of shop-houses influenced strongly from China can be observed. Vigan is, however, unique in that it is the only town in this group in which the rigid Spanish colonial checkerboard street pattern survives intact. The only surviving parallels in this respect are to be found in Latin America, but these do not exhibit the multi-cultural fusion that Vigan demonstrates.

ICOMOS comments and recommendations for future action
The nomination of Vigan to the World Heritage List was first considered by the Committee at its 13th Session in Paris in December 1989. The Committee recommended that it should not be inscribed on the List, but exceptionally "suggested that the Philippine authorities contact ICOMOS and the Secretariat so as to study the possibility of elaborating a new nomination made up of particularly significant elements of the very special heritage of the Philippines" (Committee Report, XIV.46.C). ICOMOS had recommended rejection in 1989 on the grounds that "this cultural property has not been shown to have sufficient exemplarity, and the urban and architectural quality of Vigan is in no way comparable to that of Spanish cities in the Caribbean such as Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) or Trinidad (Cuba)." ICOMOS now acknowledges that comparison with Spanish colonial towns in Latin America and the Caribbean is not a valid one: historic towns should be evaluated in a regional context rather than globally. The expert mission that visited Vigan in January 1999 made a number of observations that should be referred to the State Party:
Minor modifications are suggested to the delineation of the Core Zone. The Divine Word of Vigan College in the north-eastern part of the Core Zone, which is a modern four-storey structure, should be excluded, as should certain buildings used for inappropriate purposes (soft
drinks store, petrol station).
Similarly, the limits of the Buffer Zone should be modified so as to exclude the former Vigan Central School, now used as an extension of the bus terminal complex.
The mission was concerned that the Vigan Heritage Commission created in 1996 is not fully operational, apparently for lack of professional personnel. There is also a duplication of responsibilities between the Commission and the National Museum, which is the agency to which all requests relating to protected historic buildings must be referred.
The Municipal Ordinance to establish the Conservation Authority was close to being approved when the mission took place. Since it provides for the creation of a team of conservation professionals, a further source of duplication seems likely to be introduced shortly.
ICOMOS recommends that the State Party should be a. requested to modify the boundaries of the Core and Buffer Zones slightly, so as to make them more appropriate for World Heritage inscription, and b. establish clear lines of responsibility and authority for the existing and proposed agencies involved with the preservation of the historic town, so as to avoid potential duplication and conflict.

Brief description
Vigan is the most intact example in Asia of a planned Spanish colonial town, established in the 16th century. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those of Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallels anywhere in East and South-East Asia.

Recommendation
The Bureau recommended that this nomination should be referred back to the State Party, requesting modifications to the boundaries of the nominated area and its buffer zone, as suggested by ICOMOS, and an unambiguous statement of the proposed conservation structure, to be supplied by 1 October 1999. This information had not been received when this evaluation was prepared for printing. In the event of this information being supplied and found acceptable, ICOMOS recommends that the property should be inscribed on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria ii and iv:

Criterion ii Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.

Criterion iv Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia.

ICOMOS, September 1999
Posted by: Geozita H. Guerrero, Planning Officer II, Vigan City, September 5, 2008.

A Citizens Charter for Biguenos

A CITIZENS’ CHARTER FOR BIGUENOS

Geozita A. Haygood-Guerrero, Planning Officer II

As Vigan City celebrates the 250th anniversary of its cityhood, the city government launches another milestone in its history—the Citizen’s Charter, a tool for facilitating the delivery of services to citizens with specified standards, quality and time frame, with commitments from the different departments of the city government and its clients. The term ‘Citizen’ in the Citizen’s Charter implies the clients or customers whose interests and values are addressed by the Charter.

The city government of Vigan has always endeavored to serve its constituents better and continually aim to do so. The Citizens Charter is the latest manifestation of this commitment. In establishing the Charter, the government took measures to cleanse and motivate civil service. Adopting a stakeholder approach, it ensured transparency and the right to information, making administration accountable and citizen friendly.

The Charter describes the services provided by the city government. Written for the clients’ benefit, the services are presented with a detailed description with a step-by step guide on how to use the service, the standard response time for its delivery, and the persons responsible for its operation. This information is complemented by a list of required documents and fees that a customer must comply with to facilitate service delivery. Sketched maps of the location of the department handling the service further enhance the charter.

The Citizens’ Charter highlights this administration’s commitments towards its clients ,and responsibility amongst its officials and staff. This is not a legal document creating rights and obligations. It is meant to promote fair practices and to give information with respect to various services provided by the city government. The Performance Pledge from each office serves as a contract by which clients can gauge whether they are being given quality services and pinpoint people responsible for ineffective service delivery as a basis for grievances.

Mayor Medina believes that the ability to achieve the city’s vision largely depend on the satisfaction of those it serves. A satisfied customer is an ambassador in developing and promoting a city.

With the Citizens Charter the city government looks forward to share with the Biguenos a mutually beneficial relationship.

City Government Graduates Second Batch of Mataderos for 2008

BATCH 2 OF 2008 Mataderos held their graduation rites on August 28, 2008 at the Vigan Culture and Trade Center. Gracing the occasion was the School's Vice President, Vice Mayor Francisco Ranches, Jr, who also confirmed their graduation after being presented to him by the School Registrar, Geozita H. Guerrero. Also present was TESD Specialist, Mr. Arnel Gallardo, the school's Student Affairs Officer, Edgar de la Cruz.

The batch is the 5th group to be graduated by the city, putting the the total number of graduates to one hundred sixteen. The class was led by its valedictroian, ANDREW AVILA of Barangay VII, Vigan City.

The 25 Graduates and their respective municipalities:

ABALOS, Florencio (Lidlidda, Ilocos Sur); ABELLA, Ronald (Rugsuanan, Vigan City); AGCARAO, Elvin (V. de los Reyes, Vigan City); AGOOT, Roderick (San Esteban Ilocos Sur); ALFONSO, Dexter (Ayusan Norte, Vigan City); AVILA, Andrew (Barangay VII, Vigan City)-Valedictorian; BALLOCANAG, Jose (Tagudin, Ilocos Sur); BARTE, Virgilio (Barangay IX, Vigan City); BAUTISTA, ISRAEL (Ayusan Norte, Vigan City); ELAYDO, Louie (San Esteban, Ilocos Sur); ERRO, Joseph (Jose Singson, Vigan City); ESPEJO, Noli (San Julian Norte, Vigan City); GAMIS, Edlyn (Gov. Reyes, Vigan City); GUMASING, Edgardo (Crisologo, Vigan City); HADLOC, Edwin (Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur); LICUDINE, Saturnino (Tagudin, Ilocos Sur); PABLO, Mario ( Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur), PAGDILAO, Joseph (Pinili, Ilocos Norte); PERALTA, Ferdinand Paulino (Santiago, Ilocos Sur); QUINTAL, Jomar (Caoayan, Ilocos Sur); RAQUEPO, Gilbert (Pantay La-ud, Vigan City); SALVADOR, Emelito Pedro (San Juan, Ilocos Sur); SALVADOR, Russel (Magsingal, Ilocos Sur); SATURNIO, Jennifer (Pinili, Ilocos Norte); TABILA, Jonathan (San Esteban, Ilocos Sur).

Vigan in Region 1

Vigan City is in Region I, along with the other cities of Candon, Laoag, Dagupan, Alaminos, Urdaneta, and Batac. It was once a municipality of the province of Ilocos Sur until it became a city in 2001 and inscribed in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites.

THE GIS SURVEY: A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

(An article published at the Vigan Chronicle, August 2008 issue)

A year after it begun, the City Planning and Development Office is now in the final stage of data processing, the initial step in the formulation of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan or CLUP. Initial data came from the GIS (Geographic Information System) Survey done by the secretaries of the thirty nine barangays of Vigan City in August 2007. The data processed from the information found in this survey shall be used as the foundation for the formulation of the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2007-2017.

The secretaries, aided by their councilmen and other members of NGOs, collected the data by going from house to house within the barangay. These were then taken to the Planning Office for validation of the Map Codes which show the exact location of the houses occupied by the different households, buildings like schools, churches, chapels, day care centers and barangay halls, commercial and business establishments, clinics, including agricultural and vacant lots and bodies of water. The raw data from the accomplished surveys were encoded and then sent back to the barangays for revalidation. In revalidation, the survey forms were taken back to the respondents to fill in the blank columns to complete the data required for each household for a more accurate representation of the barangay. Other irregularities like misspelled names were also considered.

If the process seems long and tedious, it is because a good plan is founded on accurate data. And that is what the Survey is all about. The results of the survey done in the thirty nine barangays shall form the database of Vigan City’s Land Use Plan.

What happens after the data from the survey forms have been processed?

The Beauty of GIS

As the acronym implies, GIS or Geographic Information System, the information from the survey sheets when processed shall yield the demographic profile of the barangay like population, number of households, data on gender, age groups, occupation, educational attainment, and where they are located within the barangay, thus the entry for a Map Code in the survey. If we analyze the word Geographic, we find two words, Geo and graph. Geo means land or earth. Graph, which means the coordinates, latitude and longtitude, or that which locates or points to the exact location of people and buildings existing on the face of the earth, the portion of which we are concerned to be Vigan City.

GIS is a beautiful software. It sounds technical, but the graphic image it produces is very useful and extremely relevant to those who will use it and understand how it works. A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. It yields more than just a map as it is often associated with. It does sound high-tech because it looks very much like the images in Google Earth. Well, it is because the technology behind Google Earth is GIS.

The data fed from the survey forms will determine the kind of picture produced of a barangay when viewed as a GIS map.

So, when data is fed into the system, the GIS will automatically yield a map that shows in the planning area the spaces for residential, agricultural, commercial, and bodies of water. As prompted with a click of the computer mouse, data required will be shown, or answer questions like “Where are the poor located in Vigan City? Where are the professionals? Where are the women and children? Where are the OFWs? …and more. In other words, the GIS System translates data into images that will make planning easier. In essence, the GIS points out the areas that need development, and what kind of development it needs. Having identified the kind of development needed, we will know how we will arrange or build our environment. The arrangements of buildings, manufacturing facilities and businesses, and playgrounds affect land values, the provision of community or public services like transportation, water and sewer lines, education, agriculture, and emergency services. In short, the state of the social, economic and infrastructure sectors of the area shall be visible from the geographical map and will provide the direction of development that Vigan City must take.

GIS, therefore is a great tool for development planning. It tells how we look now and help us answer, “How will we look like in the future?”

History of Vigan

Source: http://www.santa.gov.ph/ilocossur/cmviganhistory.html

igan is an island, which used to be detached from the mainland by three rivers - the great Abra River, the Mestizo River and the Govantes River. It is unique among the Philippine towns because it is the country’s most extensive and only surviving historic city that dates back to the 15th century Spanish colonial period.

Vigan was an important coastal trading post in pre-colonial times. Long before the Spanish galleons, Chinese junks sailing from the South China Sea came to Isla de Bigan through the Mestizo River that surrounded the island. On board were sea-faring merchants that came to barter exotic goods from Asian kingdoms in exchange for gold, beeswax and other mountain products brought down by natives from the Cordilleras. Immigrants, mostly Chinese, settled in Vigan, intermarried with the natives and started the multi-cultural bloodline of the Bigueños.

In the book, The Philippine Island, Vol. III, p. 276, Blair and Robertson, two letters of Governor General Guido de Lavezares to King Philip II of Spain mentions: “It seemed best to send Captain Juan de Salcedo with 70 or 80 soldiers to people the coast of Los Ilocano on the shores of the river called Bigan.” Salcedo then sailed from Manila on May 20, 1572 and arrived in Vigan on June 12, 1572.

Thus, after the successful expedition and exploration of the North, Don Juan de Salcedo founded “Villa Fernandina de Vigan” in honor of King Philip II’s son, Prince Ferdinand who died at the tender age of four. From Vigan, Salcedo rounded the tip of Luzon and proceeded to pacify Camarines, Albay, and Catanduanes.

As a reward for his services to the King, Salcedo was awarded the old province of Ylocos which then composed of the Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union and some part of Mountain Province as his Encomienda and was accorded the title as Justicia Mayor de esta Provincia de Ylocos.

In January 1574, Salcedo returned to the capital of his Encomienda, Vigan, bringing with him some Augustinian Missionaries to pioneer the evangelization of Ylocos and established a Spanish city, for the purpose of controlling the neighboring country.

Governor General Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, in his Account of Encomienda dated in Manila on May 31, 1591 states: “The town of Vigan called Villa Fernandina has five or six Spanish citizens with one priest, a Justice, one Alcalde Mayor (Governor) and a Deputy. The King collects 800 tributes (equivalent to 3,200 subjects). During this period, the old Vigan was composed of 19 barrios.

In 1645-1660, Vigan was already divided into 21 Cavezas de Barangay as mentioned in the “Libro de Casamiento”, the oldest records of the parish house of Vigan found in its Archives. Separated from the naturales, the Chinese have their own place of settlement called pariancillo, “Los Sangleyes del parian” and the Spaniards were residents in a villa called “Los Españoles de la Villa”.

How Vigan got its name is told from an anecdote carried by the tongue of generations, which tells of a Spaniard walking along the banks of the Mestizo River. There, he met a native of the place and stopped to inquire: “Como se Ilama usted de esta lugar?”

Not understanding a word of Spanish, the native scratched his head and upon seeing that the Spaniard was pointing to a plant, exclaimed in Ilocano: “Bigaa Apo”. Bigaa being Alcasia Macroniza, a giant Taro plant belonging to the Gabi family which used to thrive at the bank of the Mestizo River. From the name of the plant – Bigaa, whence Vigan derived its name.

ERECTION OF THE DIOCESE OF NUEVA SEGOVIA AND THE CIUDAD FERNANDINA DE VIGAN

The Episcopal See of Manila was erected by Pope Gregory XVIII with the publication of his Bull Fulti Praesidio on December 21, 1581. It was elevated into a Metropolitan Church on August 14, 1595 through the Bull of erection of Pope Clement VIII with the Diocese of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus in Cebu, the Diocese of Nueva Caceres in Naga and the Diocese of Nueva Segovia in Lallo, Cagayan as its suffrage.

The Bull of Pope Clement VIII likewise elevated the seat of the four diocese including Lallo, Cagayan to the dignity of a city being the center of evangelization in their respective territories.

For 160 years from 1595 to 1758, all the Bishops of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia in Lallo Cagayan, starting with Fray Miguel Benavidez to Fray Diego de Soria preferred to stay in Vigan due to the deteriorating condition of Lallo at that time. Malaria was endemic to the place and was constantly flooded during the rainy season. The Rio Grande de Cagayan was eroding and destroying the site of the Diocese leading to a progressive decay of the town.

In sharp contrast, Vigan, during the same period, was a flourishing Spanish settlement nearer to Manila. It was fast developing into the center of Spanish influence and politico-economic power in the north.

When Don Juan dela Fuentes de Yepes became Bishop of Nueva Segovia in 1755, he requested the King Spain and the Pope for the transfer of the Diocese from Lallo, Cagayan to Vigan, which was at the height of its progress as center of religious, commercial and socio-cultural activities.

He summoned three former Alcalde Mayores: Don Maximino Ballero of Vigan, Don Juan Antonio Panelo of Pangasinan, and Don Francisco Ledem of Cagayan to testify and give their support of the requested transfer of the Diocese. Aside from the former Alcalde Mayores, Bishop Yepes also solicited the favorable endorsement of Fray Bernardo Ustaris of the Dominican Order and Fray Manuel Carillo of the Augustinians.

The transfer of the Seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia from Lallo, Cagayan to Vigan was formally approved during the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XIV during the reign of Fernando VI, King of Spain by virtue of the Royal Decree of September 7, 1758.

By this Royal Decree, Villa Fernandina which became the new seat of the Diocese automatically elevated its status as a City known as Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan in honor of the then current King of Spain.

By 1764, there were already 21 sitios or barrios in Vigan as mentioned by Father Pedro de Vivar in the document entitled as “Relacion de los Alzamientos dela Ciudad de Vigan, cavesera dela provincia de Ilocos Sur el los años 1762 y 1763.”

In 1803, Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan has a population of 10,585 souls with 1,966 paying tributes. The natives were working on agricultural land and the mestizos engaged in business with other provinces including Manila. The mestizos played a very important role in the progress and prosperity of the city of Vigan.

The Chinese in Vigan on the other hand, settled in a place called “Pariancillo” while in Manila they were in “Parian”. With their talent and knowledge in business as well as their skills and mastery of the art of manufacturing, the Chinese became rich and powerful in society. They opened business in the heart of Vigan, employed the naturales, intermarried with the natives and mestizos of Vigan and as time passed by; they rose into the class of the elite. They triggered a business boom in the community and engaged in domestic and foreign trade. They exported indigo, lime, maguey, basi, jars, tobacco, woven cloth called abel, and other local products to Europe, China, Borneo and Malaysia. As a consequence of this business boom, there was a mark change in the lifestyle of the inhabitants.

Found in the Philippine Archives in Manila is a report in 1870 describing Vigan, the place. West of the cathedral are the Casa Real and the monument of Salcedo, north of the cathedral is a small house, and south of the cathedral is the Seminary. West of the Seminary were the hacienda publica, barracks of the Carabineros and the Ayuntamiento Municipal.

To further justify the to category of Vigan as a city are the documents from “Instituto de Historia Programa de Modernization del Archivo Nacional de Filipinas” that describes that Vigan has its own carcel, casa de gobierno, mercado publico, Provincial High Court and one the only four (4) Public Works District in the entire Island of Luzon. More importantly, it has an Audencia Territorial, an implicit indication that it was a City.

Revolts and Social Unrest

Being the nucleus of religious, economic, political, social, commercial and cultural activities in the north for more than three centuries, Vigan became a hotbed of social unrest. The social inequity of caciquism and landlordism, the imposition of unfair tributes and other taxes on the natives, the abuses of foreign friars and civil administrators, the demand for free labor in the construction of civil and religious infrastructure, monopolies in some local industries, and the continued infringement on the rights of the citizens provoked the natives to revolt against established authorities.

In 1762, Diego Silang, the first Filipino emancipator led the famous Ilocano Revolt against the collection of exorbitant tributes and the imposition of monopoly on provincial commerce by the Alcalde Mayor and the “babaknangs” of Vigan. The revolt coincided with the short-lived British occupation of Manila. After Diego Silang was assassinated on May 28, 1763, his wife, Gabriela Silang, took over as leader of the uprising until she was captured and hanged publicly in Vigan four months later. She was later extolled as the Filipino Joan of Arc and the first woman to lead a revolt in the Islands.

In 1817, the civil government imposed a monopoly forbidding the Ilocanos to brew “basi” the sugarcane wine compelling them to buy the product from government controlled stores. On September of that year, Ambaristo led a popular uprising until they were caught and summarily executed along the banks of the Bantaoay River in the neighboring town of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

To warn the restless natives against any future attempts to overthrow the colonial government, a series of paintings was commissioned. In 1821, fourteen oil paintings measuring 91.44 by 91.44 centimeters each were produced by a Vigan-born painter named Esteban Pichay Villanueva (1797-1878).

Retelling the Basi Revolt from the Spanish colonial viewpoint, the fourteen paintings echo the via cruces or way of the cross paintings in churches. According to art historian Santiago Pilar, the paintings, in sequence show the following scenes: (1) Alcalde Mayor Juan Ybanez and local troops at vigil; (2) Ybanez calls the chiefs of Bantay, San Vicente, and Santa Catalina; (3) Chiefs of Candon and Santiago are reprimanded for tardiness; (4) Rebels of Ilocos Norte march to Ilocos Sur; (5) Troops sent to confront the revels; (6) An arrested rebel dies of lashing; (7) Vigan troops are sent to repel the enemies; (8) Natives flee to Bantay Church; (9) Bloody battle is wage at Bantaoay; (10) Dead rebels are buried; (11) Victory comes on September 7, 1807; (12) Convicts are brought to the gallows; (13) Revel leaders are hanged; (14) The condemned are decapitated.

Villanueva’s style is naïve. The figures appear two-dimensional, and follow the hierarchical perspective (the government officials are larger than the farmers on the same plane). According to Pilar, Villanueva did not take formal lessons in an established artistic tradition. He derived artistic devices in his environment. He stylized clouds in the manner of carved santo images.

The Basi Revolt paintings are important, not only because they chronicle, albeit rather prejudicially, a milestone in the Filipino struggle for freedom. The fourteen panels are important also because they are some of the finest examples of a particular stage in the development of paintings in the Philippines. Before the time of Villanueva, subjects for paintings were predominantly religious in nature. It was only in the 19th century that non-religious subjects became popular.

Today, the Basi Revolt paintings are on display at the Vigan branch of the National Museum, inside the ancestral house of Father Jose Burgos.

The Edict of Governor General Narciso Claveria in 1847 required all inhabitants of the Philippines to adopt surnames to facilitate the collection of taxes. Being the capital town, the “naturales” or natives in Vigan were required to adopt surnames beginning with the letter “A” while the mestizos with the letter “F”. In the case of the De Leon, Dela Cruz, Prudencio, Donato and Del Rosario families, each added another surname beginning with the letter “F”. Thus, Faz de Leon, Filar dela Cruz, but later dropping the dela Cruz and added the “T” to Filart, Foz Prudencio, Ferre Donato, and Fino del Rosario. It was also during this period that the influential Mariano family changed their surname to Formoso.

As early as in 1890, the prominent families of Vigan were quick to support the revolutionary movement of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo against the Spaniards. Aguinaldo finally captured Vigan in 1896 making the Archbishop’s palace as the province’s revolutionary headquarters during the first phase of the Philippine revolution. General Tinio arrived in Vigan in 1898 to drive away all Spaniards out of Ilocos. Finally, on August 13, 1898, the Filipino flag was raised on top of the Archbishop’s palace for the first time in 325 years. Vigan and the rest of the Ilocos region were left completely in Filipino hands.

But on the same year, the Dewey squadron sank the entire Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. The Spanish-American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ceded the Philippines to the victorious Americans. This precipitated the Philippine-American War, which was announced in Vigan with the ringing of the bells. The Ilocos under the leadership of Gen. Tinio, the brothers Blas and Juan Villamor, and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay became the last bastion of defense against the incoming American forces until the US 45th Infantry under Col. James Parker captured Vigan in December 4, 1899.

In the fight against the Americans, the Katipunan movement was very much alive in Vigan. According to William Henry Scott – Ilocano Responses to American Aggression, 1900-1901, “ The Calvo family was associated with the family of Estanislao delos Reyes in a supply network which served Filipino forces from his mother’s house for more than a year before it was discovered and broken-up. Five feisty females operated it: Eleuteria Florentino, Salome Reyes, Lucia del Rosario, Conching Calvo and Carmen delos Reyes. They were arrested for “communicating with and giving aid and comfort to the insurgents and shipped to Fort Santiago in Manila on 18 February 1901. Eleuteria was Estanislao’s widowed mother whom “Dangadang” (Struggle) called “Capitana Teriang”. At the time of her death 30 years later, she was compared to Balintawak’s Tandang Sora. This family alliance, whose members occupy so much space in Vigan’s list of “names of natives connected with the insurgent government”, was based on the marriage of two Reyes brothers with two Florentino sisters and illustrates the sort of family solidarity which supported men in the field”.

The revolutionist finally surrendered to the Americans on February 1901. The Americans established a civil government in September 1, 1901, with Mena Crisologo as the first provincial governor. Ironically, Mena Crisologo was the husband of Felipa Florentino, Eleuteria’s elder sister.

MIRACLE DURING THE LIBERATION PERIOD

A miracle actually saved the town of Vigan during the last days of the Japanese occupation. As part of their military strategy at the end of the war, the Japanese were ordered to burn and completely destroy occupied zones before withdrawal. On the eve of their departure from Vigan, the Japanese Military Commander, Captain Fujiro Takahashi pleaded with the SVD procurator of the Vigan Seminary, Fr. Joseph Kleikamp, to take custody of the Japanese officer’s Filipino wife and their love child. The priest agreed on the condition that Takahashi and his men would leave Vigan without burning the town to prevent the town folks from seeking revenge on his family. (At that time, drums of gasoline was already strategically stored at the town plaza, ready to be used in burning the town). Takahashi agreed and left with his troops during the night.

The following morning, the people of Vigan discovered that the Japanese had left peacefully. They immediately spread an oversized American flag at the plaza forestalling the planned bombing by the Americans to flush out the Japanese forces. Thus, Vigan miraculously escaped total destruction, a misfortune that befell other colonial cities like Cebu and Intramuros in Manila.

POST WAR PERIOD

The Philippines was fully liberated from the Japanese on July 1, 1946. The Japanese lost in all, 409,267 killed and only 9,744 were taken as prisoners. American losses were 11,921 killed, 401 missing and 42,569 wounded or a total of 54,891. The ratio was 8 to 1. Over a million Filipinos, military and civilians were killed and the overall property damage in the Philippines was 16 billion pesos.

When the Japanese left Vigan on January 9, 1945, Dr. Gregorio Favis, the Japanese appointed mayor, went in hiding for fear of being caught by the guerillas. Late in March of 1947, Dr. Favis and Remedios Donato, his chief of police, were captured in Narvacan by the guerillas. They were tortured and executed at the outpost of the USAFE-NL “M” company near the junction of the national highway in Narvacan leading to Abra.

President Roxas succumbed to a heart attack while delivering a speech at Clark Field on April 16, 1948 and his Vice President, Elpidio Quirino assumed office as the 2nd President of the Republic. President Quirino was born in the building, which now houses the Provincial Jail in Vigan because his father was the prison warden then. He became the first Ilocano President and will long be remembered as the architect of the country’s foreign policy and for implementing the total economic mobilization program to rehabilitate a ravaged country just after the war. Because of his negative stand in the retention of the American bases in the Philippines, the CIA mounted a vicious propaganda campaign against him to prevent his re-election so that he could not continue as President in 1954 when the review of the bases agreement was to be resumed. He lost the Presidency to Ramon Magsaysay, his Secretary of National Defense, in the national elections of 1953.

The hand of fate wrote an unforgettable line in the history of Vigan when Congressman. Floro Crisologo was assassinated inside the St. Paul Cathedral on October 18, 1970 during the 4:00 PM mass. Following the death of the family Patriarch, the political leadership of the Crisologos ended on November 8, 1971 with the election of the charismatic Singson brothers – Luis as governor of Ilocos Sur and the elder Evaristo as Mayor of Vigan.

Towards the new millennium

At present, under the leadership of its first lady Mayor Eva Marie S. Medina, Vigan was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Sites and Monuments last December 2, 1999 which now includes 630 cultural and natural properties of exceptional universal value in entire the world and one of the only five heritage sites found in the Philippines. With its inclusion in said prestigious list of world heritage sites, Vigan has become a source of pride, and a national symbol of the Filipinos.

As a sign of its continuing economic boom in the new millennium, Vigan became the first component city of the province of Ilocos Sur known as the City of Vigan through an overwhelming “Yes” votes cast by the Bigueños during the plebiscite last January 22, 2001. Indeed, once a city is always a city.

ROAD TO CITYHOOD

December 14, 1998 - Resolution No. 28, Series of 1998 was approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of Vigan and consequently approved by Mayor Eva Marie S. Medina requesting Congressman Salacnib Baterina to file in Congress a bill restoring the cityhood of Vigan based on its historical, cultural and architectural significance.

February 13, 1999 - H.B. 7122 entitled “ An Act Converting the Municipality of Vigan into a Component City of the Province of Ilocos Sur which shall be known as the City of Vigan” was filled in the House of Representatives sponsored by Congressman Salacnib Baterina and House Majority Floor Leader Mar Roxas.

April 27, 1999 - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Ilocos Sur approved SP Resolution No. 142, Series of 1999 entitled “A Resolution Approving Resolution No. 28, S. 1998 of the Sangguniang Bayan of Vigan, Ilocos Sur requesting the Hon. Congressman Salacnib Baterina to File a Bill in Congress Restoring the Cityhood Status of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, and Indorsing Favorable Congressional Attention Thereon”.

November 29, 1999 – The Public Hearing on H.B. 7122 was conducted by the Committee on Local Government of the House of Representatives headed by Rep. Romeo Candazo at the Vigan Youth Center. H.B. 7122 was approved in principle for the Second Reading because of the overwhelming support of the Bigueños.

December 6, 1999 – The Committee on Local Government approved H.B. 7122 for the Second Reading.

December 16, 1999 – The House of Representatives approved H.B. 8883 formerly known as H.B. 7122 for the Third Reading.

March 20, 2000 – The Committee on Local Government chaired by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel conducted a public hearing on Senate Bill 1801 “An Act Converting the Municipality of Vigan into a Component City of the Province of Ilocos Sur to be known as the City of Vigan” introduced by Sen. Serge Osmeña III.

October 4, 2000 - The Senate approved on Second Reading SB 2174, the substitute bill of SB 1801, entitled “An Act Validating and Recognizing the Creation of the City of Vigan by the Royal Decree of September 7, 1757 issued by Fernando VI, King of Spain” sponsored by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Sen. Serge Osmeña III.

October 9, 2000 – S.B. 2174 otherwise known as “ An Act Validating and Recognizing the Creation of City of Vigan by Royal Decree of September 7, 1757 issued by Fernando VI, King of Spain was approved in the Senate for the Third Reading.

December 8, 2000 – Officially forwarded to the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) the consolidated H.B. 8883 and S.B. 2174 for the President’s signature. This was the start of the 30-day-rule for the President to act or not to act on it otherwise it is deemed approved.

December 27, 2000 - Signed into law Republic Act No. 8988 otherwise known as “An Act Validating and Recognizing the Creation of the City of Vigan by the Royal Decree of September 7, 1757 issued by Fernando VI, King of Spain”.

January 22, 2001 – The first Plebiscite ever to happen in Ilocos Sur regarding the conversion of a municipality into a component city was held in Vigan. Conducted and supervised by the Commission on Election, the question was: “Do you approve the validating and recognizing the creation of the City of Vigan by the Royal Degree of September 7, 1757 issued by Fernando VI, King of Spain, hereafter to be known as the City of Vigan, pursuant to R.A. No. 8988?” The people of Vigan unanimously ratified the creation of the City of Vigan where in 93% of the votes cast is YES and only 7% is No. Above all, the City of Vigan made a history of having the greatest number of electorates who participated in a Plebiscite up to this date. On this date on, Vigan is now the City of Vigan, the 1st City of the Province of Ilocos Sur.