Posts Tagged ‘Vigan’

Aside from Vigan City Philippines’s ancestral homes, Sta. Maria Church, Tirad Pass National Shrine, and Bessang Pass, there are cultural heritage sites one could visit and witness at Ilocos Sur Philippines, namely, beautiful museums and churches.

One of these is the Bantay Church or the St. Agustine Church and the Bell Tower aloof only a few meters away from it. Both the St. Agustine Church and the Bell Tower were said to be built during 1530s at Spanish occupation in the Philippines. They were just reconstructed after they were hit by the calamities brought by World War I and II. St. Agustine Church and Bell Tower can be found at Bantay, Ilocos Sur Philippines.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines is the Father Burgos Museum. This Museum was erected in memory of Father Burgos or one of the three known martyred priest. The museum which is of course the former house of Father Burgos is full of memorabilia’s of Father Burgos as well as classical paintings Of Esteban Pichay Villanueva depicting the times of Father Burgos or 1800s. The museum is filled with antique collections, a library, dioramas, archeological and ethnological treasures and other artifacts. Father Burgos Museum is located at Vigan City Philippines.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur at Vigan City also is the Archbishop Palace and Museum or the Palacio Del Arzopispado. This archbishop palace is the only surviving 18 century palace in the Philippines which miraculously survived the vehement blows of World War II. This archbishop palace also serves as headquarters of Emilio Aguinaldo during 1898 and a garrison place during 1899.

There is a Museum within this palace, which is the Museo Nueva Segovia. It is a museum that preserved a large collection of ecclesiastical artifacts and relics from all the region of Ilocos Sur.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur Philippines is the Crisologo Museum which is also of Vigan city Philippines at Liberation Boulevard. It caters Crisologos memorabilia’s. By the way, who are the Crisologo? This ancestral house turn into a Museum is a former house of the former congressman of Vigan, which is Floro Crisologo. In the Museum you could see a lot of paintings and pictures of the Crisologos and their vintage car that almost eaten up by rust but however, preserved in any way. Moreover, you could also see a vintage vehicle there which is somewhat a modern calesa with four to six seater on the back.

Another Cultural church in Vigan city Philippines that is beautifully crafted is the St. Paul Church or St. Paul Cathedral. The Cathedral has an earthquake baroque architecture style with white cream in color. Aloof a few centimeters away are its separate Bell tower. Its present baroque style is only a reconstruction of the original church during 1574 which was damaged by an earthquake during 1600s.The reconstruction took place during 1800s.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur is the Leona Florentino House and Statue where a large Statue of Leona Florentino was erected in front of the house. I guess the house already houses the Max restaurant. Leona Florentino is a famous Ilocano poet, satirists and playright artist during the Spanish times.

When Filipinos heard the word “Ilocos”, they already Know what the word connotes, that is, Pagudpud beach, Vigan ancestral houses, Laog city Philippines, Fort Ilocandia, Ilocos homes and architecture,Paoy church, the Qurino Bridge, former President Ferdinand Marcos or Sarrat Ilocos, ceramic products, Ilocos garlic and bagoong, etc.

As we or as Filipinos knew, Ilocos in the Philippines is divided into two regions, namely Ilocos Sur Philippines and Ilocos Norte Philippines. Ilocos Philippines is located at the northern part of Luzon Philippines, somewhere at the top of Baguio Philippines and La Union Philippines.

Ilocus Sur Philippines is closely adjacent to La Union Philippines or the southerpart of Ilocos in the Philippines. It is part of Ilocos Philippines that features cultural heritage or Ilocos Sur Philippines is so-called the Heritage Village of the Philippines. This is due because, Ilocos Sur Philippines capital is the well known Vigan City Philippines where the World Heritage Known Ancestral Homes where situated. Vigan City Philippines, as we all know boast of its 16^th century old ancestral homes where UNESCO World Heritage have noted it and included it on their List of World Heritage places in the world.

Another cultural heritage one could see at Ilocos Sur Philippines is the Sta. Maria Church. This church is an ancestral fortress of the Philippine Revolution during 1896.This church is a landmark church, thus you could immediately saw Sta. Maria Church the moment you foot set upon Ilocos Sur in the Philippines, specifically at the Municipality of Sta.Maria Ilocos Sur where Sta. Maria Church is located.

Another cultural heritage that can be found at Ilocus Sur Philippines is the Tirad Pass National Shrine. Tirad Pass is known as the last stand or last defense fortress of General Emilio Aguinaldo’s revolutionary forces. The young Filipino general whom General Emilio Aguinaldo has appointed to head over the forces to defend Tirad Pass is the young General named Gregorio Del Pilar. This National Shrine is located at Municipality of Conception which now known as the Municipality of Gregorio Del Pilar.

Another cultural heritage of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines is the Bessang Pass. Bessang Pass is the last stronghold of the Japanese occupation in the Philippines which fall at the hands of the forces of the United States. Actually, Bessang Pass is a controversial place at the time of Marcos Regime. This is so because President Ferdinand Marcos then claims that he is the “real hero” of the Bessang Pass which sparks shocks among the real Filipinos who suffer and fight at the place itself. Even the guerillas then were shock because they never see any President Ferdinand Marcos trace at the site. They even thought that President Ferdinand Marcos was at Nueva Viscaya Philippines then. But President Ferdinand Marcos then insist that he is the real hero behind it, and since he is dictator leader then no one can rebuke him. But until a late military man named Col. Bonifacio Gillego who becomes a congressman then make a probe of President Ferdinand Marcos claim. He has discovered at the archives of US military that indeed President Ferdinand Marcos is a big Liar or a real fake hero of Bessang Pass.

The Nostalgic Vigan City Philippines

The moment you step in into this city, a nostalgia of Spanish era in the

Philippines will flashback your soul in this era in the Philippines as if you

immediately return into the past life and settings of the Philippines during the

Spanish times. That is the thrill Vigan City Philippines will give you once you

visit this city. Both local of the Philippines and foreigners who visit this

place were awe by the nostalgic beauty of Vigan City Philippines and exclaim “It

is a place no other”.

The landscape of the whole city or town is all dressed up during the Spanish era

in the Philippines. The town is filled with antiquated houses with a blend of

Spanish, Latin American, European and Asian architecture with cobbled narrow

streets and calesas. However, these ancestral houses were built by the Chinese

taipans at that time but manage to survive during World War II. You could see

these 180 ancestral houses and other historical landmarks strung altogether at

Mestizo District.

Moreover, did you know that Vigan’s historical town was place by UNESCO World

Heritage Convention side by side with the Pyramids of Egypt, Taj Mahal of India,

The Great Wall of China, and other famous world heritage? Yes, you heard it

right, UNESCO World Heritage Convention did. At December 2, 1999 UNESCO World

Heritage Convention inscribed Vigan City among the list of World Heritage

Cultural Properties for the exceptional and universal beauty of Vigan’s historic

town.

So, where is Vigan City in the Philippines located and how to get there? Vigan city

Philippines is located at the northern Luzon Philippines at the province of

Ilocos Sur Philippines. It is 408 kilometers away from Manila Philippines, 139

kilometers away from San Fernando La union Philippines and 80 kilometers away

from Laog city Philippines.

Once you get there, you can either ride their calesas or jeep or tricyle to tour

the town. Moreover, if you like to stay for few days in Vigan’s historic town,

you can pay for board and lodging there at the historical town. For some

ancestral houses there were turn into hotel for the accommodations of some

tourist who want to stay for few days at the area. However, there are also hotels

in Vigan city which of rural settings if you don’t like to stay at the ancestral

houses. However, there are also resorts accommodations in rural settings if you

don’t want to feel the nostalgia effect of the town.

Aside from nostalgic Vigan’s historical town, you could also witness the Burnay

Industry or Vigan’s earthenware jars process how a potter’s hand molds

earthenware. Is that exciting to see? Moreover, we could also see the art of

“abel-weaving”. Abel-weaving is the art of making fabrics using a wooden handloom

and other accessories use in it to produce clothings, blankets, etc. It is one of

the industrial prides of Vigan City aside from earthenware jar making.

There is also the “damili” industry or the terra-cotta craft which indigenous

people of Vigan city in the Philippines made and produces cooking pots, water vessels, charcoal-fed

-cooking stoves, etc.