ILOCOS SUR’S LIVING TREASURES Leather craft

Leather craft is one of the traditional industries in

Apart from its rich history, Ilocos Sur is also known
the province which is concentrated in Bantay. The
for its industries, cuisine and places of interest.
leather craft industry that utilizes carabao skin or
Some of these industries have been developed and cow skin, started with the need for saddles and
given generous support by the local government in castings for blacksmith products.
order to fully realize its potentials by way of the
economic opportunities these may provide. Indigo-making
Ilocos Sur farmers cultivate a plant called “tayum,”
Honey a source of indigo.
Honey is a healthy substitute for sugar. It comes
from honeybees that thrive in the hinterlands of the Bamboo craft
province that produces pure, natural and This traditional industry thrives in the towns of
unadulterated honey. Cabugao, Quirino, Galimuyod San Juan, Santa and
Sugpon. Soft-trip bamboos taken from the interior
Canton NOODLES with squash flesh of the bamboo are made intro trays and
The pancit canton noodles with squash is a local baskets called “labba.”Today, the industry has
version of the Chinese canton noodles. Squash has introduced innovations to meet the demands of the
been added as an ingredient for its nutritive value. market. Product lines now include furniture, bags,
It came about as one way of adding value to the placemats, curtains and other home decors.
abundant harvest of squash in the province.
Furniture-making
Loom-weaving The making of wooden furniture with an antique
Loom-weaving is an industry handed down finish has become a major industry in the province,
through generations and dates back to the Spanish giving employment to many residents and
period. A craft mastered by small-scale weavers, it contributing significantly to the local economy.
thrives in a number of municipalities in the
province. Sails of galleons that plied the Manila to
Mexico route were made of abel manufactured Garlic industry
from the looms of Ilocos. An essential cooking ingredient, garlic is
Product lines include placemats, table runners, cultivated in Sinait, the “Garlic Center of the
table napkins, hand towels, blankets, pillow cases, North.” A Garlic Trade Center has been established
and clothing materials or fabrics. in front of the public market where trading is
observed.
Buri craft
Buri craft is made from buri palms that grow Onion industry
abundantly in Ilocos Sur. Buri-weaving is a Ilocos Sur and Norte are the country’s biggest
century-old industry in the province and is a producers of red shallot onions. Sinait remains the
common source of livelihood for residents, major producer of this variety of onion often eaten
especially women and out-of-school youth. with bagnet and tomatoes or may be prickled as
accompaniment to other dishes.
Belgian lace
The town of Tagudin is the main source of this Salt-making
industry introduced to the area by the ICM The towns of Cabugao and San Vicente are known
Missionary sisters, most of whom came from for this particular industry. The salt produced is
Belgium, which is known for its lacework. either rock salt or refined salt.
Sister Loiuse de Moester was the founder of the
ICM Congregation and the first ICM sister to come
to the Philippines in 1910. The ICM Missionary Opia-making
order established St. Augustine’s School where A nutritious and crunchy snack made of rice flour
lacework was taught to its students. and sesame seeds. The delicacy is made in San Juan
and Cabugao. It is a mixture of kneaded rice flour weather conditions in La Union for the purpose of
and tagapulot, shaped in a half-moon with toasted looking into the province’s potential of growing
sesame and sugar. The opia is cooked in a big tobacco.
Vigan jar that serves as an oven until it is done.
Presidential Decree No. 628 designated specific
areas for growing the crop. Ilocos Sur was
Blacksmith
designated to grow Virginia Leaf. Today, Virginia
The towns of San Juan and Santa are known for this
Tobacco is considered a major cash crop of farmers
particular industry. Bolos, scythes, knives and
in the province.
scissors are produced in these two towns.
R.A. 7171, known as the Tobacco Excise Tax Law,
Burnay-making mandates the allocation of millions of pesos from
Burnay can be found only in Vigan where there is tobacco excise taxes as shares for the four tobacco
an abundance of clay. Before burnay was used only producing provinces. The shares of each province
to store salt, vinegar, basi and fermented fish sauce. are used for infrastructure and livelihood
But consumer demands have transformed some of development projects that benefits farmers and
these storage jars into decorative items and their families.
indispensable landscape ornaments.

Stone craft
The town of San Esteban is known for its
mountains that yield big stones made into mortars FAMOUS SONS AND DAUGHTER OF
and pestles, which are sold all over the country. ILOCOS SUR

Terra cotta red clay

This traditional craft making is called as “damili,” PEDRO BUKANEG
an enduring industry in Vigan. Craftsmen produce
items such as traditional cooking stoves, cooking “father of Iloko literature”
pots, water vessels, basins for water and animal Credited for helping in the translation of the
feeds, plant pots, pipes for wells, decorative pottery Doctrina Cristiana into Iloko in 1621.
and roof tiles.
“Cararag ken Sta. Maria”
Jewelry-making
“Biag Ni Lam-ang”
With gold abundant in the mountains of
neighboring Kalinga and Apayao, the Ilocanos of
Bantay and Vigan used the supply to make combs,
hairpins, chains, necklaces earrings, brooches, JOSE BURGOS
rings and bracelets. Was born in Vigan on Feruary 9, 1837 to Don
Tiburcio Burgos and Florencia Garcia.

Tobacco industry “La Verdad”

Ilocos Sur did not enjoy a tobacco monopoly Leona florentino“poem writer”
during the Spanish period. Under the monopoly, Born in Vigan on April 19, 1849 to a rich family.
the cultivation of tobacco was confined to the town She married Elias delos Reyes and had five
of Gapan, Nueva Ecija and in some towns of children by him. She died at the age of 35.
Bulacan and Cagayan.
A team from Kuksai Shiji Kaishai, one of the
biggest cigarette factories in Japan, arrived in the
country to analyze the soil, climate, rainfall and
ISABELO DE LOS REYES the sugar is dissolved together with glutinous rice,
and is stirred continuously until its done.
He published prize winning books, like “ Historia
de Ilocos”, “Folklore Filipino” and “Las Isla LUDONG
Filipinas en la epoca de la Conquisita”
A delicious big fish caught along the Abra river at
Founded and edited two nationalist papers, “El Barangay Rancho to Banaoang, Santa. Ludong is
Defensor de Filipinas”and Filipinas Ante europa” plentiful during the months of May to October.
Sigay and gillnet is used in catching ludong. It is
ELPIDIO RIVERA QUIRINO good for sinigang, broiled and paksiw dishes.
A native of Vigan, and was born in Vigan Ludong is referred to as the president’s fish.
provincial jail.
TINUBONG
He was married to Alicia Syquia, the heiress of
A native delicacy usually served during the
Syquia mansion.
Christmas season in Cabugao. Tinubong is made of
Syquia mansion was referred to as the First ground glutinous ricre with sugar, coconut milk,
Malacanang of the North. grated young coconut, ground peanut milk and
margarine. The mixture is then place in a young
native bamboo and is cooked until done.
CULINARY HERITAGE

SITES AND LANDMARKS

BAGNET Bantay’s Bell Tower
Bagnet is a specialty of Ilocos sur. It is made of The church of BANTAY IS DEDICATED TO
selected parts of swine like the belly, shoulder, THE Nuestra Senyora de la Caridad. The statue of
stomach and pigue, boiled in water and seasoned Our Ladi of Charity in a niche at the top section of
with salyand garlic until tender. After it is cooled, the façade.
it is deep fried until tender.
CABUGAO CHURCH
BASI
Cabugao’s catholic church was built by the
An Ilocano native wine made from sugarcane. Basi Augustinians. The church is made of bricks and
is produced by extracting the sap from the sugar was done in the Rennaisance style with columns
cane that is boiled later. The bark of trees like flanking niches holding statues. A five level
kariskis or samak is mixed with the boilde sap. octagonal bell tower is found on the left side of the
Then, the mixture is allowed to ferment and age. church.
EMPANADA CANDON CHURCH
Empanada is a famous Ilocos delicacy ought after Augustinian priests was responsible for the
the tourist and visitors. Its dough is made of rice building of a Catholic church in Candon. The
flour, with fillings of graed pork, sprouted mongo, church follows a “barouque style with volutes and
carrots, cabbage, and eggs and salt and pepper for scrolls emphasizing the façade. The façade has
seasoning. Deep fried in oil to a crisp, it is served three levels with portals flanked by coupled
with sukang iloko, native onions and hot pepper. Corinthian style.
KALAMAY CAOAYAN CHURCH
A specialty of Candon, this delicacy is made of Built by the Augustinians, the church of caoayan is
grounded glutinous rice, brown sugar and coconut a mixture of the Pseudo-Gothic and high
milk. Kalamay is cooled with coconut milk until
Rennaissance styles. A four level bell tower is
found on the left side of the church.

MAGSINGAL CHURCH
The church of magsingal built by the Augustinians
is dedicated to St. William the Hermit. It is made
up of five structures: the new church of Magsingal,
the ruins of the old church, the bell tower, the visita
and the convent.
SANTA MARIA CHURCH
The church of Sta. maria has been include in the
World heritage List in 1993. Built on top of a
promontory, it has a commanding view of the sea.
Accesible though an 82-step stairway, its façade is
flanked by two huge columns. A four-story
octagonal bell tower is located beside the church.
PALACIO DE GOBERNADOR
The Palacio de gobernador was said to have been
built soon after the construction of the church of
san Vicente de Ferrer in 1795. The gobernadorcillo
of the town resided in this structure where he
watched local zarzwelas and comedias performed
in the church plaza.
SYQUIA MANSION.
The ancestral home of Donya Alicia Syquia-
Quirino, the Syquia mansion was a venue for
official and public functions during the
administration of the late President Quirino, Donya
Alicia’s husband. The structure was built in 1830
by Justo Angco and was given as a gift to his
daughter Estifania when she wed Gregorio Syquia,
Alicia’s father, in 1875. It is considered the first
malacanang of the North.