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118-682: Located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon , facing the West Philippine Sea , it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is one of the few Spanish colonial towns left in the Philippines whose old structures have mostly remained intact. It is well known for its sett pavements and a unique architecture of the Spanish Philippines colonial era which fuses native Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial Spanish architecture that

236-637: A ceremony held at St. Paul Cathedral where he handed a bronze plaque to former Vigan Mayor Eva Grace Singson-Medina, signifying the heritage city's election as one of the world's wonder cities. The area of Vigan was originally a settlement of traders coming from the Fujian Province, China . At the time of Spanish colonisation, the Chinese settlers, whose language was Southern Min ( Min Nan , often referred to as " Hokkien " by most Filipinos), referred to

354-588: A clause for a plebiscite and the law took effect in January 2001. On December 7, 2014, Vigan was named as one of the New7Wonders Cities . On July 27, 2022, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck parts of Luzon , damaging the city's UNESCO World Heritage sites including the Vigan Cathedral and old-century houses, as well as few power lines toppled along Calle Crisologo. Vigan is situated in

472-532: A land area of 31.65 hectares. The fifth, beach sand , with a land area of 7.28 hectares, is generally found on the shores of all the beaches of Vigan, and is best for coconut plantation. Vigan is politically subdivided into 39 barangays .   Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios . The sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that are present in the city are alluvium , fluviatile , lacustrine , paludal and beach deposits such as coral, stools, and beach rock. These are predominantly found along

590-433: A land area of 36.67 hectares, and is good as pastureland. The second, Umingan sandy , with a land area of 1191.57 hectares, is good for upland rice and vegetables. The third, San Manuel clay loam , which is best for bananas, cotton and vegetables, has an area of 1244.57 hectares. The fourth, Bantog clay —considered as the most significant type for soil, and the best clay material for making pots, jars and all earthenware, has

708-463: A large minority at about 20–30% of the population. The traditional anitist religions maintain a significant presence in the region and are still practiced by the tribal people. There is a significant increasing members of Iglesia Ni Cristo for the landmarks like kapilyas (chapels) in each town approximately 4-6% . Poverty incidence of Cordillera Administrative Region Source: Philippine Statistics Authority The Cordillera region

826-499: A later date. During the 1360s, the Javanese -centered Hindu-Buddhist Shivaite empire of Majapahit briefly ruled over Luzon as recorded in the epic poem Nagarakretagama , which reports imperial colonies in the Philippines at Saludong ( Manila ) and Solot ( Sulu ). Eventually, the kingdoms of Luzon regained independence from Majapahit after the 1365 Battle of Manila. Sulu also reestablished independence and in vengeance assaulted

944-538: A lot of broken rice, required two to three skilled men and women to work harmoniously and was actually a form of socializing among young folks in the villages. In old Latin, Italian, and Portuguese maps, the island is often called "Luçonia" or "Luconia." Luções, [luˈsõjʃ] (also Luzones in Spanish ) was a demonym used by Portuguese sailors in Malaysia during the early 1500s, referring to

1062-428: A lusong, explaining: Traditional milling was accomplished in the 1900s by pounding the palay with a wooden pestle in a stone or wooden mortar called lusong. The first pounding takes off the hull and further pounding removes the bran but also breaks most grains. Further winnowing with a bamboo tray (bilao) separates the hull from the rice grains. This traditional hand-pounding chore, although very laborious and resulted in

1180-574: A majority vote in the plebiscite on January 30, 1990 . The second law, Republic Act No. 8438 passed by Congress of the Philippines on December 22, 1997, also failed to pass the approval of the Cordillera peoples in a region-wide plebiscite on March 7, 1998 . At present, a third organic act of the Cordillera is in the offing supported by the Cordillera Regional Development Council. In September 2000,

1298-633: A million souls. People from the Philippines, primarily from Luzon, were recruited by France (then in alliance with Spain ), first to defend Indo-Chinese converts to Christianity being persecuted by their native governments. Eventually, Filipino mercenaries helped the French conquer Vietnam and Laos and to re-establish Cambodia as a French Protectorate. This process culminated in the establishment of French Cochinchina , centered in Saigon . After many years of Spanish occupation and resistance to reform,

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1416-526: A network that drain the Vigan plains. These rivers are not only important in safekeeping the city from floods, they also served as important ways of transport for trade-related activities from the 15th century to the 19th century, that helped make Vigan a thriving center. The most vital of these rivers is said to be the Mestizo River which was used by the small vessels to transport goods and people. There

1534-473: A priest; a Justice Alcalde Mayor (Governor); and a Deputy. The King collects 800 tributes (equivalent to 3,200 subjects)." During this period, Vigan was composed of 19 barrio s (districts). Between 1645 and 1660, Vigan was divided into 21 Cabezas de Barrio (Town Mayors) as mentioned in the Libro de Casamiento (Book of Marriage); from the records of the parish house of Vigan found in its archives. Separated from

1652-601: A prince from Mecca who became the Sultan of Brunei , a nation that then expanded its realms from Borneo to the Philippines and set up the Kingdom of Maynila as its puppet-state. The invasion of Brunei spread Chinese royal descent like Ong Sum Ping 's kin and Arab dynasties too into the Philippines like the clan of Sultan Sharif Ali . However, other Luzon kingdoms resisted Islam, like the Wangdom of Pangasinan . It had remained

1770-631: A request to the King Fernando VI to move the Diocese of Nueva Segovie to Villa Fernandina due to the deteriorating status of Lal-lo. In 1758, with the Royal Decree signed by Fernando VI, Villa Fernadina became Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan and the See of Nueva Segovia was transferred from Lal-lo, Cagayan. The bell ensconced within the belfry of Vigan, has the imprinted words of the decree. Wherever

1888-463: A slope ranging from 3% to 8%. The eastern margin of the plain characterized by a steep to very steep slope, about 40% to 60%, the relief often reaches an elevation of more than 600 meters especially the northerly and easterly portion. The dominant topographic feature in the eastern margin of the town is the Vigan Gap Hill where the continuously shifting Vigan River cuts its way. The Gap Hill

2006-420: A tributary state of China and was a largely Sinified kingdom, which maintained trade with Japan. The Polity of Cainta also existed as a fortified city-state, armed with walls and cannons. The Portuguese were the first European explorers who recorded it in their charts as Luçonia or Luçon , calling the inhabitants Luções . Edmund Roberts , who visited Luzon in the early 19th century, wrote that Luzon

2124-447: Is 26 °C. The average warmest temperature is 30.9 °C and the average coldest temperature is 21.1 °C. An average of 7-10 typhoons visit Vigan annually. The average relative humidity is 81%. In the 2020 census, Vigan had a population of 53,935. The population density was 2,100 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,400/sq mi). Poverty incidence of Vigan Source: Philippine Statistics Authority Vigan, belonging to

2242-662: Is a highly urbanized city ; figures are excluded from Benguet. Cordillera is home to many ethnic tribes living on the Cordillera mountain range. They are commonly referred to as the Igorot . The Tingguians are composed of sub-groups known as the Itneg tribes which includes Adasen, Balatok, Banaw, Belwang, Binungan, Gubang, Inlaud, Mabaka, Maeng, Masadiit, and Muyadan or Ammutan.: Their places in Abra are as follows: The region has been called "the most diversified ethno-linguistic region in

2360-528: Is a faulting trend in the Vigan plain that ends in Santa Catalina. The land area of Vigan is generally flat. Slopes of 20 are found at Barangay V, Tamag, and Paoa. There are no forest reserves in the city in terms of potential and raw materials. Bamboo is the only forest product in Vigan. There are five soil types in the city. First, the Bantay Loam , located at the southern portion of Raois, has

2478-658: Is an administrative region in the Philippines , situated within the island of Luzon . It is the only landlocked region in the archipelago, bordered by the Ilocos Region to the west and southwest, and by the Cagayan Valley Region to the north, east, and southeast. The region comprises six provinces : Abra , Apayao , Benguet , Ifugao , Kalinga and Mountain Province . The regional center

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2596-681: Is being drained by the Vigan River and Bantay River, respectively, on the north and on the south by Mestizo River whose water discharge comes from the Bantaoay head waters. The relief of the Vigan-Bantay plain is actively level to undulating with a slope ranging from 0% to 8%. Vigan in particular is generally in level with several hills in Barangays Tamag, Bulala, and Salindeg, sometimes reaching about 50 meters in elevation and has

2714-485: Is covered by 8 administrative regions , 30 provinces and, as of 2014 , 68 cities (8 regions, 38 provinces and 71 cities if associated islands are included). Table note(s): Luzon is part of the Philippine Mobile Belt , a fast deforming plate boundary zone (Gervasio, 1967) hemmed in between two opposing subduction zones, the west-dipping Philippine Trench - East Luzon Trench subduction zone, and

2832-811: Is dominated by the Bicol Peninsula , a mountainous and narrow region extending approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) southeast from the Tayabas Isthmus in Quezon province to the San Bernardino Strait along the coasts of Sorsogon . The area is home to several volcanoes , the most famous of which is the 2,460-metre (8,070 ft) high symmetrically shaped Mayon Volcano in Albay province. The Sierra Madre range has its southern limits at Quezon province. Ultra-prominent mountains dot

2950-410: Is known for its unique musical instruments including the gangsa kalinga, nose flute , bamboo flute , buzzer , bangibang , tongatong , diwdiw-as , saggeypo , and bamboo zither. The region is also known for their dance, arts, and crafts like wood-carving, ibaloi basket, loom weaving, tinalik, loinclothes called ikat, amulets, tattoo, akob, bobo, suklang and ikat weaving. The symbol of the tattoo of

3068-512: Is located approximately 10 kilometers east of Vigan. The city of Vigan falls under ( tropical savanna ), which is characterized by two pronounced seasons – the dry season which starts from the month of November and ends in April; and the wet season which spans the months of May to October. The average annual rainfall is 2,506 millimetres (98.66 in) and the heaviest registered rainfall is 6,933 millimetres (272.95 in). The average temperature

3186-444: Is made up of 39 barangays. Thirty of them are classified as rural, but they occupy only 2,366 hectares. The remaining nine are classified as poblacion barangays and are together 144.75 hectares big. The barangays of Pagburnayan, Paoa, and Tamag are on the area of rolling plains. On the other hand, portions of Barangays Tamag and the barangays of Bulala and Salindeg are found on the city's hilly parts. Its most dominant hill feature

3304-599: Is situated in a Quaternary Age sedimentary plain called the Vigan-Bantay Plain which is part of the Ilocos coastal plain. The Vigan-Bantay Plain is bounded on the east by a moderately rugged Miocene sediments consisting of interbedded sandstones and shale to very rugged Meta-volcanics and Meta sediment topography; on the south is the Municipality of Santa where the north–south trending fault terminates; to

3422-527: Is still abundant in the area, mainly the bahay na bato houses and an Earthquake Baroque church. Former Philippine president Elpidio Quirino , the sixth president of the Philippines , was born in Vigan, at the former location of the Provincial Jail (his father was a warden). He also resided in the Syquia Mansion , which is a wedding gift of his in-laws to his wife. The entire city of Vigan

3540-586: Is the highly urbanized city of Baguio , which is the largest city in the region. The region was officially created on July 15, 1987, covering most of the Cordillera Mountain Range of Luzon that is home to numerous ethnic groups . Nueva Vizcaya province has a majority Igorot population transplanted by the American colonial government in the Cagayan Valley Region instead during the early 20th century, as does Quirino . According to

3658-415: Is the Vigan Gap Hill in the eastern part, just 10 kilometers away from the city. Vigan used to be separated from the rest of the mainland by the rivers of Abra , Mestizo and Govantes, making it an island during that time. The Govantes River cuts the current Vigan plain from North to South. The large Abra and Mestizo rivers, together with the rivers of Bantay, Bantaoay, Nauman and Santo Tomas serve as part of

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3776-441: Is the conglomeration of cultural elements from the Philippines, China, and Spain, making it unique in the world. On December 27, 2000, then President Joseph Estrada signed Republic Act No. 8988, that "revalidated and recognized" Vigan's city status granted by virtue of the Royal Decree of September 7, 1757, issued by Ferdinand VI , King of Spain. This legislation serves as Vigan's present city charter. The charter did not provide

3894-399: Is the revival of the U.S. political division of Mountain Province, with Abra which was part of Spanish province of Ilocos . Nueva Vizcaya & Quirino were not included in the region despite having an Igorot majority at the time. On February 14, 1995, Kalinga-Apayao, one of the five provinces of the region was split into two separate and independent provinces of Apayao and Kalinga with

4012-462: The Abra River is the main drainage network of the southern portion of the plain. The Abra River meanders into the hinterland but exhibits a braided pattern across the plain. The drainage network of the eastern margin of Vigan-Bantay plain consist of deeply cut valleys whose pattern is strongly controlled by main faulting trends, particularly those in the northerly and easterly directions. Vigan

4130-614: The Andres Novales uprising occurred and it was inspired by the Latin American Wars of Independence . Novales' uprising was primarily supported by Mexicans living in the Philippines as well as immigrant Latinos from the now independent nations of Colombia , Venezuela , Peru , Chile , Argentina and Costa Rica . Although the uprising failed it inspired the Cavite Mutiny , the suppression of which, lead to

4248-545: The Bontocs is about being brave (because of the pain while inking), a talisman or a good luck charm against evil forces, or a symbol of a status or position (ex. Chief captain, Leader, Mayor). They also use tattoos as a decoration and clothes to their body using arts by drawing or placing inks with a pattern or abstract on their skin. It has been observed that the people in Cordillera make arts based on their emotions and belief. They use their talents in making arts and crafts as

4366-582: The Cagayan to the north, and the Pampanga to the south. In the middle of the plain rises the solitary Mount Arayat . The western coasts of Central Luzon are typically flat extending east from the coastline to the Zambales Mountains , the site of Mount Pinatubo , made famous because of its enormous 1991 eruption . These mountains extend to the sea in the north, forming Lingayen Gulf , and to

4484-655: The Chico River Dam Project near Sadanga, Mountain Province and Tinglayan, Kalinga . Frustrated by the project delays caused by the opposition, Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree no. 848 in December 1975, constituting the municipalities of Lubuagan, Tinglayan, Tanudan, and Pasil into a "Kalinga Special Development Region" (KSDR), in an effort to neutralize opposition to the Chico IV dam. Empowered by martial law to conduct warrantless arrests,

4602-671: The Ilocos Region . The region is primarily mountainous, positioned in the Cordillera Central mountain range, which includes Mount Pulag , the highest mountain in Luzon. Within the region are several streams and rivers including the Chico River , which is a tributary of the Cagayan River . Other major rivers include Cordillera Administrative Region is politically subdivided into 6 provinces . It has 2 cities;

4720-597: The Indian Ocean , the Strait of Malacca , the South China Sea , and the medieval maritime principalities of the Philippines . His father and wife carried on his maritime trading business after his death. Another important Malacca trader was Curia de Raja who also hailed from Luzon. The "surname" of "de Raja" or "diraja" could indicate that Regimo and Curia, and their families, were of noble or royal descent as

4838-680: The Kapampangan and Tagalog people who lived in Manila Bay , which was then called Lusong ( Kapampangan : Lusung , Portuguese : Luçon ), from which Luzon was also derived. The term was also used for Tagalog settlers in Southern Tagalog region, where they created intensive contact with the Kapampangans. Eventually, the term "Luzones" would refer to the settlers of Luzon island, and later on, would be exclusive to

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4956-459: The Pacific War , the Philippines were considered to be of great strategic importance because their capture by Japan would pose a significant threat to the U.S. As a result, 135,000 troops and 227 aircraft were stationed in the Philippines by October 1941. Luzon was captured by Imperial Japanese forces in 1942 during their campaign to capture the Philippines . General Douglas MacArthur —who

5074-877: The United States in the Philippine–American War which the Republic's forces lost due to its diplomatic isolation (no foreign nation recognized the First Republic) as well as due to the numerical superiority of the American military . The Americans then set up the cool mountain city of Baguio as a summer retreat for its officials. The Americans also rebuilt the capital, Manila, and established American military bases in Olongapo and Angeles cities mainly Clark Airbase and Subic Naval Base . During

5192-543: The first congressional district of the province of Ilocos Sur , is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a city council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years. When Juan de Salcedo founded Vigan in 1572, he decided to pattern its urban plan with that of Intramuros ,

5310-709: The highly urbanized city of Baguio , and the component city of Tabuk . There are 1,178 barangays in the region. Geographically, the western half of Nueva Vizcaya is part of the main Cordilleras, while its eastern half is part of the Caraballos, the meeting point of the Cordilleras and the Sierra Madre. There have been moves to reunify Nueva Vizcaya with the Cordilleras, however, no such legislation has yet been introduced in Congress.  †  Baguio

5428-489: The 12th century, and local Tagalog , Kapampangan and Pangasinan potters had marked each jar with Baybayin letters denoting the particular urn used and the kiln the jars were manufactured in. Certain kilns were renowned over others; prices depended on the reputation of the kiln. Of this flourishing trade, the Burnay jars of Ilocos are the only large clay jar manufactured in Luzon today with origins from this time. In

5546-662: The 16th century saw the incorporation of the Luções people and the breaking up of their kingdoms and the establishment of the Las Islas Filipinas with its capital Cebu , which was moved to Manila following the defeat of the local Rajah Sulayman in 1570. Under Spain, Luzon also came to be known as the Nueva Castilla or the New Castile . In Spanish times, Luzon became the focal point for trade between

5664-495: The 2015 census, the population of Luzon Island is 57,470,097 people, making it the 4th most populated island in the world . Cordillera Administrative Region The Cordillera Administrative Region ( CAR ; Ilocano : Rehion/Deppaar Administratibo ti Kordiliera ; Filipino : Rehiyong Pampangasiwaan ng Cordillera ), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera ( IPA: [kɔrdiljɛra] ),

5782-545: The 2020 Census of Population and Housing, this region is the least populated region in the Philippines, less than that of the national capital, the City of Manila . During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines , Christianization and eventual subjugation of the mountain region proved difficult for the Spanish colonial government. Several comandancias were established by the Spanish colonial government in strategic areas of

5900-528: The 60th PC Brigade had arrested at least 150 locals by April 1977, accusing them of supposed subversion and of obstructing government projects, and various other offenses such as boycotting the October 1976 Constitutional Referendum. Individuals arrested included tribal papangat (leaders/elders), young couples, and in at least one case, a 12-year-old child. By December 1978, parts of the Chico IV area had been declared "free fire zones", no-man's-land areas where

6018-630: The Americas and Asia. The Manila Galleons constructed in the Bicol region brought silver mined from Peru and Mexico to Manila. The silver was used to purchase Asian commercial goods like Chinese silk , Indian gems and Indonesian spices , which were then exported back to the Americas. The Chinese valued Luzon so much, in that when talking about Spain and the Spanish-Americas, they preferred to call it as "Dao Lusong" (Greater Luzon) while

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6136-407: The CPLA on September 13, 1986, ending hostilities. On July 15, 1987, President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order 220 which created the Cordillera Administrative Region. The provinces of Abra , Benguet and Mountain Province (of the Ilocos Region), and Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao (of the Cagayan Valley ) were annexed as part of the newly created region. Cordillera Administrative Region

6254-421: The Cordillera Central mountain ranges is the large Cagayan Valley . This region, which is known for being the second largest producer of rice and the country's top corn-producer, serves as the basin for the Cagayan River , the longest in the Philippines. Along the southern limits of the Cordillera Central lies the lesser-known Caraballo Mountains . These mountains form a link between the Cordillera Central and

6372-494: The Majapahit province of Poni ( Brunei ) before a fleet from the capital drove them out. In 1405, the Yongle Emperor appointed a Chinese governor of Luzon, Ko Ch'a-lao, during Zheng He 's voyages . China also had vassals among the leaders in the archipelago. China attained ascendancy in trade with the area in Yongle's reign. Afterwards, some parts of Luzon were Islamized when the former Majapahit province of Poni broke free, converted to Islam , and imported Sharif Ali ,

6490-516: The Mestizo River that surrounded it. On board their ships were seafaring merchants who came to trade goods from other Asian kingdoms in exchange for gold, beeswax, and other mountain products brought by the indigenous peoples from the Cordillera region . In the book The Philippine Island (Vol. III, p. 276, Blair and Robertson) two letters from Governor-General Guido de Lavezaris to King Philip II of Spain mention: "It seemed best to send Captain Juan de Salcedo with 70 or 80 soldiers to explore

6608-407: The Mestizo River, Vigan is no longer separated from the mainland, therefore no longer an island. The city is unique in the Philippines because it is one of many extensive surviving Philippine historic cities, dating back to the 16th century. Vigan was a coastal trading post long before the Spaniards arrived; Chinese traders sailing from the South China Sea came to Isla de Vigan (Island of Vigan) via

6726-404: The Philippines" with the many "sub-dialect variations" of its major languages. This diversity has been attributed to the mountainous topology of the region. However, this did not lead to variations in "cultural development", and the majority of the people share a "similar cultural identity". The region has been using the Ilocano language as a lingua franca across different Igorot groups after

6844-412: The Portuguese conquest in 1511. Antonio Pigafetta notes that one of them was in command of the Brunei fleet in 1521. However, the Luções did not only fight on the side of the Muslims. Pinto says they were also apparently among the natives of the Philippines who fought the Muslims in 1538. On Mainland Southeast Asia , Lusung/Luções warriors aided the Burmese king in his invasion of Siam in 1547 AD. At

6962-435: The Sierra Madre Oriental, Angat, Zambales , Central Cordillera of Luzon , Bicol, and Catanduanes Island blocks. Using seismic and geodetic data, Luzon was modeled by Galgana et al. (2007) as a series of six micro blocks or micro plates (separated by subduction zones and intra-arc faults), all translating and rotating in different directions, with maximum velocities ~100 mm/yr NW with respect to Sundaland/Eurasia. As of

7080-413: The Sierra Madre mountain ranges, separating the Cagayan Valley from the Central Luzon plains. The central section of Luzon is characterized by a flat terrain, known as the Central Luzon plain , the largest in the island in terms of land area. The plain, approximately 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) in size, is the country's largest producer of rice, and is irrigated by two major rivers;

7198-442: The Spanish, then settled in Cainta, Rizal . Newcomers who were impoverished Mexicans and peninsulares were accused of undermining the submission of the natives. In 1774, authorities from Bulacan, Tondo, Laguna Bay, and other areas surrounding Manila reported with consternation that discharged soldiers and deserters (from Mexico, Spain and Peru) were providing Indios military training for the weapons that had been disseminated all over

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7316-439: The United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Saudi Arabia . Eventually, the People Power Revolution led by Corazon Aquino and Cardinal Jaime Sin , removed Marcos and his cronies from power and they fled to Hawaii where the US granted them asylum. The following administrations are subsequently managing the political and economic recovery of the Philippines with the particular aim of spreading development outside of Luzon and into

7434-414: The area as Bee Gan ( Chinese : 美岸 ; pinyin : měi'àn ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : bí-gān ), which means "Beautiful Shore." Since the Spanish settlers interchanged V and the B to refer to the /b/ sound, they spelled the Hokkien Chinese name "Bee Gan" as Vigan , which is the name used to this day. Vigan's Chinese heritage is still evident from the numerous elite Chinese creole families who come from

7552-418: The area, many of whom adopted Hispanic family names. Others, such as the Syquia family, have retained Chinese-derived surnames. However all of the Chinese creole families are Christian and adopted the Hispanic culture themselves. The most commonly known source of the city's name is from the Biga'a plant, which once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which captain Juan de Salcedo derived

7670-459: The army could freely shoot people without permits and animals. On April 24, 1980, Marcos-controlled military forces assassinated Macli-ing Dulag a pangat (leader) of the Butbut tribe of Kalinga . The assassination became a watershed moment, marking the first time the mainstream Philippine press could be openly critical against Marcos and the military, and building up a sense of Igorot identity that eventually led to Cordillera autonomy. After

7788-453: The capital of his encomienda (trusteeship), Vigan, bringing with him his soldiers and some Augustinian missionaries to pioneer the evangelization of the Ilocos region. He established a Spanish city for the purpose of controlling the neighboring country. Governor General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas , in his account of encomienda dated in Manila on May 31, 1591, states: "The town of Vigan called Villa Fernandina consisted of Spanish settlers;

7906-423: The center of which being a plaza or central park. Luzon Luzon ( / l uː ˈ z ɒ n / loo- ZON , Tagalog: [luˈson] ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines . Located in the northern portion of the Philippine archipelago , it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila , as well as Quezon City ,

8024-514: The city's name (after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants). The city's full name at the time of its Spanish foundation was Villa Fernandina , or "Town of Ferdinand", in honor of Prince Ferdinand , the firstborn son of King Philip II of Spain . As the city grew, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia transferred to Vigan, it was later renamed Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan ("Ferdinand's City of Vigan/Fernandine City of Vigan"). Due to silting of

8142-504: The clang of the bell reaches, it marks the territory of Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan. In 1849, Leona Florentino , the mother of Philippine women's literature, was born in Vigan. During the Philippine Revolution , revolutionary forces under Manuel Tinio , supported by the Ilocano rebels, attacked and defeated the Spanish colonial forces and captured the city in the Siege of Vigan. During the Philippine–American War , American forces led by Commander McCracken and Lt. Col. James Parker occupied

8260-414: The coast of Los Ilocanos on the shores of the river called Bigan." The Spaniards led by Salcedo marched north from Manila on May 20, 1572. They arrived in Vigan on June 13, 1572. Thus, after the successful expedition and the exploration of the North, Juan de Salcedo founded "Villa Fernandina de Vigan" in honor of King Philip II's son, Prince Ferdinand, who died at the age of four. From Vigan, Salcedo rounded

8378-406: The coastal areas of Vigan. An important non-metallic mineral resource found in Vigan is the kind of clay that is used in making earthen jars locally called burnay. Earthenware of different uses and sizes are made of this kind of clay. Known as Bantog clay , the mineral is the basic material in making bricks . These bricks are the original materials in building the Hispanic houses of Vigan. Vigan

8496-546: The country's most populous city. With a population of 64 million as of 2021 , it contains 52.5% of the country's total population and is the 4th most populous island in the world. It is the 15th largest island in the world by land area . Luzon may also refer to one of the three primary island groups in the country . In this usage, it includes the Luzon Mainland , the Batanes and Babuyan groups of islands to

8614-484: The creation of an autonomous Cordillera. However, questions lingered on the issue of Nueva Vizcaya's exclusion from the proposed region, despite being culturally and geographically part of the Cordilleras, leaving Nueva Vizcaya Igorots left out from the proposal. The region is the only landlocked region in the Philippines, bounded on the northeast and east by the Cagayan Valley , and on the southwest and west by

8732-626: The early 1300s the Chinese annals, Nanhai zhi , reported that Hindu Brunei invaded or administered Sarawak and Sabah as well as the Philippine kingdoms of Butuan , Sulu , and in Luzon: Ma-i (Mindoro) and Malilu 麻裏蘆 (present-day Manila ); Shahuchong 沙胡重 (present-day Siocon or Zamboanga ), Yachen 啞陳 Oton (Part of the Madja-as Kedatuan), and 文杜陵 Wenduling (present-day Mindanao ), which would regain their independence at

8850-729: The east-dipping north–south trending Manila Trench - Negros Trench- Cotabato Trench . The Philippine Sea Plate subducts under eastern Luzon along the East Luzon Trench and the Philippine Trench, while the South China Sea basin, part of the Eurasian Plate , subducts under western Luzon along the Manila Trench. The North-Southeastern trending braided left-lateral strike-slip Philippine Fault System traverses Luzon, from Quezon province and Bicol to

8968-683: The enactment of Republic Act No. 7878 . Several attempts at legalizing autonomy in the Cordillera region have failed in two separate plebiscites . An affirmative vote for the law on regional autonomy is a precondition by the 1987 Philippine Constitution to give the region autonomy in self-governance much like the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (now the BARMM ) in southern Philippines. The first law Republic Act No. 6766 , took effect on October 23, 1989 but failed to muster

9086-594: The end of the Marcos administration due to the 1986 People Power Revolution, the succeeding government under President Corazon Aquino secured a ceasefire with the main indigenous armed group in the Cordilleras, the Cordillera People's Liberation Army led by Conrado Balweg . The Aquino government made a sipat or indigenous treaty, which would be known as the Mount Data Peace Accord , with

9204-474: The following number of tributes, with each tribute representing a family of 6-7, and he reported 90,243 native Filipino tributes; 10,512 Chinese (Sangley) and mixed Chinese Filipino mestizo tributes; and 10,517 mixed Spanish Filipino mestizo tributes. Pure Spaniards are not counted as they are exempt from tribute. Out of these, Fr. Joaqin Martinez de Zuñiga estimated a total population count exceeding half

9322-604: The freedom to devastate tribal lands, allowed 100% foreign ownership, and gave companies the right to displace and resettle people within their concessionary areas. Some influential people filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court against the IPRA, because it contradicted with the Mining Code and would therefore be unlawful. The petition was dismissed in a 7–7 vote by the Supreme Court. A bill creating an autonomous Cordillera

9440-463: The imposition of a migration policy for Ilocano settlers into the area. The use of Filipino and English as the official languages of the Philippines is also implemented within the Cordillera. Like most other regions of the Philippines, Roman Catholicism is the single largest denomination in this region, however, a slightly lower (around 60–70% of the population) adhere to the faith, while Protestants, mostly Anglicans and Evangelicals forming

9558-570: The indigenous population, the Chinese migrants were residents in a neighbourhood called El Pariancillo, los Sangleyes del parian (The Sangleyes of the Parian); and the Spanish settlers were residents in a town called Los Españoles de la Villa (The Town Spaniards). The Spaniards consisted of about 60 Spanish Households. The region of Ilocos where Vigan is located is also recorded to have had 631 mixed Spanish-Filipino families. It also had 44,852 native families. In 1755, Bp. Juan de la Fuente Yepes made

9676-441: The island, which encompasses most of the Ilocos Region , is characterized by a flat terrain extending east from the coastline toward the Cordillera Central mountains . The Cordillera mountain range, which feature the island's north-central section, is covered in a mixture of tropical pine forests and montane rainforests , and is the site of the island's highest mountain, Mount Pulag , rising at 2,922 metres. The range provides

9794-403: The jurisdiction of the Cagayan Valley region, with Benguet and Mountain Province placed under the Ilocos Region . From that time on, Ferdinand Marcos imposed a migration policy for Ilocano settlers into those provinces. After the declaration of martial law by Ferdinand Marcos in 1972, the region became the focus of militarization as a result of local objections to the government's push for

9912-682: The landscape, which include Mount Isarog and Mount Iriga in Camarines Sur , and Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon . The peninsula 's coastline features several smaller peninsulas, gulfs and bays , which include Lamon Bay , San Miguel Bay , Lagonoy Gulf , Ragay Gulf , and Sorsogon Bay . Several outlying islands near mainland Luzon are considered part of the Luzon island group . The largest include Palawan , Mindoro , Masbate , Catanduanes , Marinduque , Romblon and Polillo . The island

10030-524: The largest lake in the country. The 949-square-kilometre (366 sq mi) lake is drained into Manila Bay by the Pasig River , one of the most important rivers in the country due to its historical significance and because it runs through the center of Metro Manila . Located 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Laguna de Bay is Taal Lake , a crater lake containing the Taal Volcano ,

10148-521: The living environment of the Igorot. The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), an indigenous rights organization in the region, in co-operation with other organizations, had highly resisted this project and thus booked a little victory. In May 2001, however, President Arroyo stated that the San Roque Dam project would proceed regardless due to the fact that it had already been initiated and therefore

10266-569: The main port for Luzon and many Mexican soldiers and sailors were stationed in the naval garrisons there. When the Spanish evacuated from Ternate , Indonesia; they settled the Papuan refugees in Ternate, Cavite which was named after their evacuated homeland. After the short British Occupation of Manila , the Indian Sepoy soldiers that mutinied against their British commanders and joined

10384-836: The martyrdoms of Priests, Gomburza and the subsequent execution of the reformist and hero, Jose Rizal . Reeling against this, the Philippine Revolution against Spain erupted in Cavite and spread all throughout Luzon and the Philippines. Consequently, the First Philippine Republic was established in Malolos, Bulacan . In the meantime, Spain sold the Philippines to the United States and the First Philippine Republic resisted

10502-537: The more isolated provinces of the Visayas and Mindanao . During the administration of Ferdinand Marcos' son, Bongbong Marcos , Luzon became a destination of American and Japanese investments, it being the location of the Luzon Economic Corridor. Luzon island alone has an area of 109,964.9 square kilometres (42,457.7 sq mi), making it the world's 15th largest island . It is bordered on

10620-556: The mountain region. Among them were Amburayan , Cabugaoan, Kayapa , Quiangan , Itaves, Apayaos, Lepanto, Benguet, Bontoc , Banaue , and Tiagan. On August 18, 1908, during the American regime, Mountain Province was established by the Philippine Commission with the enactment of Act No. 1876 . Ifugao , which was part of Nueva Vizcaya province, and the former Spanish comandancias of Amburayan , Apayao , Benguet , Bontoc, Kalinga and Lepanto, were annexed to

10738-478: The municipal council of Itogon, Benguet , withdrew support for the San Roque Dam project. The project had met a lot of resistance, because of the reported failure of its proponents to update its Environmental Certificate of Compliance (ECC) and to submit a watershed management plan required for a project of that magnitude. The San Roque Dam was to become one of the biggest dams in the world and would threaten

10856-580: The newly created province as sub-provinces. Amburayan was later abolished in 1920 and its corresponding territories were transferred to the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union . Lepanto was also reduced in size and its towns were integrated into the sub-provinces of Bontoc and Benguet, and to the province of Ilocos Sur. On June 18, 1966, Republic Act No. 4695 was enacted to split Mountain Province and create four separate and independent provinces namely Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao , and Mountain Province. Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao were placed under

10974-547: The north, Polillo Islands to the east, and the outlying islands of Catanduanes , Marinduque and Mindoro , among others, to the south. The islands of Masbate , Palawan and Romblon are also included, although these three are sometimes grouped with another of the island groups, the Visayas . The name Luzon is thought to derive from ᜎᜓᜐᜓᜅ᜔ lusong , a Tagalog word referring to a particular kind of large wooden mortar used in dehusking rice. A 2008 research paper by Eulito Bautista and Evelyn Javier provides an image of

11092-490: The north, east, south, and west are the municipalities of Bantay , Santa , Caoayan , and Santa Catalina , respectively. The South China Sea is on its southwest portion. Majority of its land, 60 percent of it, is used for agriculture. Around 32 percent is made up of residential area, nearly three percent are for commercial and industrial use, and around one percent is for institutional purposes. There are also forest reserves and fishponds included in Vigan's land area. Vigan

11210-594: The northern part of Luzon, the Philippines’ largest island. It serves as the capital of Ilocos Sur and has been a major political and trading center since before the Spanish colonizers arrived in the Philippines. It is 407 kilometres (253 mi) away from Manila , 82 kilometres (51 mi) away from Laoag City , and 138 kilometres (86 mi) away from San Fernando, La Union , the regional capital of Ilocos Region. Its 2,511 hectares (6,200 acres) of land consists mostly of plains with gentle hills. Its boundaries on

11328-641: The northwestern part of the island. This fault system takes up part of the motion due to the subducting plates and produces large earthquakes. Southwest of Luzon is a collision zone where the Palawan micro-block collides with SW Luzon, producing a highly seismic zone near Mindoro island. Southwest Luzon is characterized by a highly volcanic zone, called the Macolod Corridor, a region of crustal thinning and spreading. Using geologic and structural data, seven principal blocks were identified in Luzon in 1989:

11446-527: The original Luzon was referred to as "Xiao (Small) Lusong" to refer to not only Luzon but the whole Philippines. Luzon also became a focal point for global migration. The walled city of Intramuros was initially founded by 1200 Spanish families. The nearby district of Binondo became the center of business and transformed into the world's oldest Chinatown . There was also a smaller district reserved for Japanese migrants in Dilao . Cavite City also served as

11564-886: The peoples of Central Luzon . Before 1000 CE, the Tagalog , Kapampangan , and Pangasinan peoples of south and central Luzon had established several major coastal polities , notably Maynila , Tondo and Namayan . The oldest known Philippine document, written in 900, is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription , which names places in and around Manila Bay and also mentions Medan , a place in Indonesia. These coastal Philippine kingdoms were thalassocracies , based on trade with neighboring Asian political entities, and structured by leases between village rulers ( Datu ) and landlords ( Lakan ) or Rajahs , by whom tributes were extracted and taxes were levied. There

11682-409: The peoples of the Cordillera decisive influence over the establishment of foreign mining companies. In this act, ownership over the lands was regarded as communal, rather than individual and thus coincided more with the view on ownership of the Igorot. The IPRA was totally different in tone than the 1995 Mining Code. Without consultation from the people of the Cordilleras, the Mining Code gave companies

11800-601: The same time, Lusong warriors fought alongside the Siamese king and faced the same elephant army of the Burmese king in the defence of the Siamese capital at Ayutthaya. Luções military and trade activity reached as far as Sri Lanka in South Asia where Lungshanoid pottery made in Luzon were discovered in burials. Scholars have thus suggested that they could be mercenaries valued by all sides. The Spanish arrival in

11918-500: The smallest in the country. The environs of the lake form the upland Tagaytay Ridge , which was once part of a massive prehistoric volcano that covered the southern portion of the province of Cavite and the whole of Batangas province. South of Laguna Lake are two solitary mountains, Mount Makiling in Laguna and Batangas provinces, and Mount Banahaw , the highest in the region of Calabarzon . The southeastern portion of Luzon

12036-574: The south, forming the Bataan Peninsula . The peninsula encloses Manila Bay , a natural harbor considered to be one of the best natural ports in East Asia, due to its size and strategic geographical location. The Sierra Madre mountain range continues to stretch across the western section of Central Luzon, snaking southwards into the Bicol Peninsula . Southern Luzon is dominated by Laguna de Bay ( Old Spanish , " Lake of Bay town "),

12154-636: The term is an abbreviation of Sanskrit adiraja . Fernão Mendes Pinto noted that a number of Luções in the Islamic fleets went to battle with the Portuguese in the Philippines during the 16th century. The Sultan of Aceh gave one of them (Sapetu Diraja) the task of holding Aru (northeast Sumatra) in 1540. Pinto also says one was named leader of the Malays remaining in the Moluccas Islands after

12272-521: The territory during the British war. There was also continuous immigration of Tamils and Bengalis into the rural areas of Luzon: Spanish administrators, native nobles, and Chinese businessmen imported them as slave labor during this period. In the 1600s, Fr. Joaqin Martinez de Zuñiga, conducted a census of the Archdiocese of Manila which held most of Luzon under its spiritual care, and it had

12390-518: The tip of Luzón and proceeded to pacify Camarines , Albay , and Catanduanes . As a reward for his services to the King of Spain , Salcedo was awarded the old province of Ilocos , which consisted of the modern provinces of Ilocos Norte , Ilocos Sur, Abra , La Union and part of Mountain Province as his hacienda (estate), and was accorded the title of Justicia Mayor de esta Provincia de Ylocos (Province Mayor of Ilocos). In 1574, Salcedo returned to

12508-606: The town in Nov. 1899. At the start of World War II , Vigan was one of the first places in the Philippines invaded by Japan on December 10, 1941. In 1945, combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth ground troops, aided by Ilocano resistance fighters, defeated the Japanese Imperial forces and liberated Vigan. In 1999, Vigan was listed by UNESCO as the best preserved example of Spanish colonial towns in Asia. Its architecture

12626-524: The upland headwaters of the Agno River , which stretches from the slopes of Mount Data , and meanders along the southern Cordillera mountains before reaching the plains of Pangasinan . The northeastern section of Luzon is generally mountainous, with the Sierra Madre , the longest mountain range in the country, abruptly rising a few miles from the coastline. Located in between the Sierra Madre and

12744-662: The walled city in Manila . The urban planners of the Spanish government also followed a basic pattern that can be observed in most old towns in the country, whose establishment dates back to the Spanish colonial period. This pattern is detailed in the Ley de las Indias, the Law of the Indies , and was put into force in the 18th century. Under the Law of the Indies streets were to follow a grid pattern,

12862-661: The west by the South China Sea ( Luzon Sea in Philippine territorial waters), on the east by the Philippine Sea , and on the north by the Luzon Strait containing the Babuyan Channel and Balintang Channel . The mainland is roughly rectangular in shape and has the long Bicol Peninsula protruding to the southeast. Luzon is roughly divided into four sections; Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Southeastern Luzon. The northwestern portion of

12980-522: The west is the South China Sea; while the northern boundary opens to the northern extension of the Ilocos coastal plain. The central part of the plain is characterized by a dissected ridge of Plio-Pleistocene age that trends in a northeast–southwest direction. The ridge divides the Vigan-Bantay Plain into northern and southern plains. The northern part of the plain is drained by minor rivers namely: Bantaoay, Santo Tomas, and Nauman rivers, while

13098-443: The world's many colonies. Subsequently, the Philippines gained independence from the United States. Luzon then arose to become the most developed island in the Philippines. However, the lingering poverty and inequality caused by the long dictatorship of US-supported dictator, Ferdinand Marcos , gave rise to the Philippine diaspora and many people from Luzon have migrated elsewhere and had established large overseas communities; mainly in

13216-543: Was "discovered" in 1521. Many people from Luzon were employed within Portuguese Malacca. For example, the spice magnate Regimo de Raja , based in Malacca, was highly influential and was appointed as Temenggong (Sea Lord)—a governor and chief general responsible for overseeing of maritime trade—by the Portuguese. As Temenggong , de Raja was also the head of an armada which traded and protected commerce in

13334-461: Was also a Buddhist polity known as Ma-i or Maidh, described in Chinese and Bruneian records in the 10th century CE, although its location is still unknown and scholars are divided on whether it is in modern-day Bay, Laguna or Bulalacao , Mindoro . According to sources at the time, the trade in large native Ruson-tsukuri (literally Luzon-made , Japanese: 呂 宋 製 ) clay jars used for storing green tea and rice wine with Japan flourished in

13452-467: Was certain. MacArthur had to wait two years for his wish; it was 1944 before a campaign to recapture the Philippines was launched. The island of Leyte was the first objective of the campaign, which was captured by the end of December 1944. This was followed by the attack on Mindoro and later, Luzon. The end of the World War necessitated decolonization due to rising nationalist movements across

13570-554: Was difficult to stop. At the same time, she promised not to sacrifice the environment, to rehabilitate the people who will lose their homes, to compensate those who will suffer, and to not initiate any more large-scale irrigation projects in the future. In December 2000, the Supreme Court of the Philippines dismissed a petition that questioned the constitutional legality of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), and act which came into existence in 1997 giving

13688-509: Was filed in Congress in 2014, but it was not backed by strategic politicians in the region due to lack of support from the national government. However, in 2017, all provincial congressmen within the CAR jointly filed a new Bill creating an autonomous Cordillera, the first time in three decades where all provincial district representatives called in unison for autonomy. The move was made due to the election win of President Duterte, who publicly supported

13806-443: Was in charge of the defense of the Philippines at the time—was ordered to Australia, and the remaining U.S. forces retreated to the Bataan Peninsula . A few months after this, MacArthur expressed his belief that an attempt to recapture the Philippines was necessary. The U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Chester Nimitz and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest King both opposed this idea, arguing that it must wait until victory

13924-540: Was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City after being declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). In May 2015, Vigan was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Beirut , Doha , Durban , Havana , Kuala Lumpur , and La Paz . New7Wonders Foundation president and founding member Bernard Weber led

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