Many of us have come to know the province of Ilocos through its historical and cultural side: From early education textbooks that introduced us to the Paoay church and the streets of Vigan; from history lessons that informed us how the Spaniards influenced Ilocanos' way of living-we are painted a picture of Ilocos as a region that is rich in heritage and cultural identity.
This side of Ilocos is still intact. And it gained even more prestige as the province became a political stronghold not only in North Luzon but in our whole country, as the Marcos family rose to prominence.
Ilocos is now a mixture of all these things, a united province that maintains integrity and character amidst our changing time.
In our 3rd and last day of exploring Ilocos, we will slow down from our nature adventures the day before, and walk perceptively through the lanes of history as we visit the region's historical and cultural markers.
Continuing on from Suba, Our day will begin in the shores of Paoay lake.
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From Suba, a local referred us to a newly opened hotel near Paoay lake. And though we weren't able to see the lake's view because we arrived at night, it was worth our wait because, in the morning, we got to see it in it's full splendor.
The calm lake looked like a scene out of a movie: with the morning mist, the sound of birds, and some fishermen rowing about in the lake for their morning catch. It was a peaceful morning, a calming antidote to the the rush that we felt from our adventure in Suba.
From a distance, I can catch a glimpse of the first place that we will visit today. A former seat of the Marcos family in the north that is now a tourist site in the shores of Paoay lake. Our stroll down history lane will begin as we made our way into the Malacañang of the north.
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As the name suggests, Malacañang of the north is an impression of the original palace at the banks of Pasig River in Manila. This one, overlooks the Paoay lake, and it served as the Marcos's presidential residence when staying in Ilocos.
Presently, it is a museum exhibiting memorabilia in forms of photographs, artworks, and texts chronicling the Marcos family's history, administration, and way of living. It was first opened to tourists in 2010, when it become a property of the Ilocos government.
There are several rooms inside its 2-story building. Curated to showcase the integral parts of the Marcos administration. Some of which includes a room for agriculture, a room for Philippine culture, a room for study, and the one I liked most: a room for diplomacy.
Touring the palace is indeed, like reading through a history book. I can say that certain fragments of the undeniable mark that the Marcos family etched in our national narrative is housed within its walls. Fragments that reflects our country's yesteryears; pieces of information that will advise us further of our history, especially now that we are again led by another Marcos.
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Our next destination is still in Paoay: the dignified San Agustin Church, or most commonly known as the Paoay church.
I still remember seeing photos of this iconic church in the pages of my grade school history textbooks. And just like then, I am still allured by its silhouette and architecture. Though not entirely Filipino-or even Spanish-in design, its overall aesthetic captures something that reflects Filipino identity.
Like how the our country is called the "melting pot of Asia," Paoay church itself is also a mixture of Javanese, Spanish, and Chinese Elements. This is most noticeable in its facade that is similar in design with the stone Buddhist temples of Indonesia. It's walls are made from corals stones and bricks, with a mixture of other materials like sand and lime. Its bell tower is also made in the same way.
Another famous detail of the church are its 24 buttresses; side-columns that supports the church's center building. It is determined that the reason for such number of buttresses was for it to serve as stabilizers to avoid the church's collapse in times of earthquakes or fires.
The inside of the church was a more simpler scenery. Piercing thin columns line up into an altar that contains a figure of Saint Augustine. The ceilings are plain and inornate. Though a beautiful stained glass honoring St. Augustine, on display at the entrance, makes up for the nave's lack of details.
As I see it now, the church is not just a marvelous architecture. It is instead a standing culmination of culture, resiliency, and faith, not only of the Ilocanos, but of our shared identity as Filipinos. Because just like our nationality, its architecture, details, and history remained unimpaired amidst all the wars and earthquakes that tested it. Aside from it's architecture, this could well be a defining reason why it became part of the UNESCO world heritage sites back in 1993.
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From Paoay, we now made our way to the Municipality of Batac, the hometown of the Marcos Family.
Located in Batac is the Marcos ancestral house and museum. A former property of Marcos Sr's father, Mariano Marcos. This museum like the Malacañang of the north provides information into Marcos' Sr's life: his formative years, his stint in the military, all the way to his presidency.
The majority of the displays in the museum are paintings, news clippings, photographs, and wall texts that gives details of his political career. There are also personal items on display such as a used military jeep, clothes, and journals.
It is also where his remains was kept before it got transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Though his former tomb is now empty, the museum is still a notable destination for tourists seeking to read and learn about our country's recent history. Visiting Marcos museum is a valuable extended tour of the Malacañang of the north, one that gives more information about Ferdinand Marcos Sr's personal history.
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From the Marcos Museum, we got back on the road, once again, to Ilocos Sur. Our next destination is another world heritage site: the city of Vigan.
Vigan city is the capital of Ilocos Sur. Home to many cultural products such as Burnay (clay jars), longganisa, bagnet, and empanada. Like Intramuros in Manila, colonial Spanish atmosphere is well-preserved here, as reflected by the numerous bahay na bato, brick roads, and other colonial themed buildings in its streets and complexes.
And nothing captures this atmosphere the most than the city's proper, specifically, in the famous street of Calle Crisologo.
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Calle Crisologo is a street filled with antique shops, cafes, and hotels. It may be just 500 meters long but walking through it felt like a long time. Our incessant stops for photos could be one reason, but I would say that our appreciation of the street's beauty and atmosphere caught our attention the most, and made us slow our pace down while strolling.
Walking is just one way of touring the streets of Vigan, there is another more historical way: riding a Kalesa.
Riding a Kalesa allowed us a faster and more inclusive way of exploring Vigan. The tour allowed us to see the Burnayan (pottery house), the house of Jose Burgos, and the local stores selling more bagnet and longganisa.
The Calle Crisologo leads to the town square, which has two plazas: Plaza Burgos and Plaza Salcedo.
At the time of our visit, Plaza Burgos serves as the town's temporary multipurpose hall where locals conduct meetings, group exercises, and catholic mass, in place of the original buildings damaged by the 2022 North Luzon earthquake.
Damages remain visible in some buildings. Like in Vigan Cathedral, whose facade got heavily damaged that it remains under restoration, one year after the catastrophe.
Plaza Salcedo, in front of the Vigan Cathedral, is also a famous part of Vigan. And most tour of the city ends here, by witnessing the spectacular dancing fountain held every night from 7:30 to 8 PM.
On our way back to our hotel, we walked into Calle Crisologo again and was surprised to see it change. The antique lamp posts lighted up the streets and the antique buildings, illuminating a scene that is even more vibrant and bustling. The cafes now have stalls put up in front of their stores for al fresco drinking and people seemed to gather at the street, more so than in daytime.
Indeed, this is Vigan's night life. And I bet that it will continue to flourish, as businesses continue to grow and more people, both Filipinos and foreigners, spend time in this historic city.
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Our travel in Ilocos is coming to an end, but we can't help seeing one more place before we go home. On the morning before our drive back to Manila, we stopped by the Bantay bell tower.
The bell tower is located on top of a small hill in the municipality of Bantay, and serves as the belfry of the nearby St. Augustine church, also known as the church of Bantay.
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Used also as a military watch tower during Spanish occupation and world war II, Bantay bell tower has seen its fair share of history.
Today, it is a scenic tourist site that allows people to dig deeper into Ilocano's bygone days, while also giving a hilltop view of the nearby Vigan city in the distance. This could be the perfect way for us to say farewell to Ilocos, but unfortunately, access to the bell tower is prohibited because of the damage it sustained from the 2022 North Luzon Earthquake.
Nevertheless, seeing it's beauty alone was more than we could ask for. A perfect last glance at Ilocos before we head home.
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Our journey in Ilocos allowed me to know a side of our country that is filled with history and pride. A side that I am now conscious of, and takes into account when I think about our culture and what it means to be a Filipino.
There are other beautiful parts of the Philippines that I am yet to uncover, but this recent journey up north will have a valuable and lasting imprint in my memory, life experience, cultural understanding.
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