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 16th 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.