Ilocos Region
The Ilocos Region, designated as Region I, is an administrative region of the Philippines. Located in the northwestern section of Luzon, it is bordered by the Cordillera Administrative Region to the east, the Cagayan Valley to the northeast and southeast, Central Luzon to the south, and the South China Sea to the west. The region comprises four provinces: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan, along with one independent-component city, Dagupan City. The regional center is the city of San Fernando in La Union, which serves as the administrative hub of the region. The largest settlement in terms of population is San Carlos City in Pangasinan.
The 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority census reported that the ethnolinguistic group composition of the region is predominantly made up of Ilocanos, followed by Pangasinans, Tagalogs, and various Cordilleran indigenous groups.
Natural attractions include hiking along the foothills of the Cordillera, scenic waterfalls and rivers, various surfing destinations with San Juan as the Surfing Capital of the North, beaches, and island-hopping in the Hundred Islands National Park. Cultural attractions include Spanish colonial buildings and structures, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Baroque churches of Paoay, Ilocos Norte and Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and the colonial city of Vigan.
History
Prehistory
The region was originally inhabited by Negritos as early as 30,000 BC but over time, these early settlers were displaced by successive waves of Austronesian migrants who arrived via the region's narrow coastal areas using traditional boats known as balangay boat. The migrations are explained by the widely accepted "Out of Taiwan" hypothesis, which posits that Neolithic Austronesian peoples migrated from Taiwan, forming the ancestral populations of contemporary Austronesians.Austronesians are believed to have originated from Southern China or Taiwan and arrived in the Philippines through at least two major migration waves. The first wave, approximately 10,000 to 7,000 years ago, brought the ancestors of indigenous groups in the Cordillera Central mountain range. Subsequent migrations introduced additional Austronesian populations, along with agricultural practices, which eventually supplanted the languages of earlier inhabitants.
These Austronesian settlers included the Cordilleran groups, such as the Itneg and the Isnag in the northern highlands, as well as the Kankanaey and Ibaloi in the southern highlands, who arrived during the first wave of migration. The second wave brought the Ilocanos, who settled in the northern coastal areas, alongside the Pangasinans, Bolinao and Zambals, who established communities in the southern and southwestern coastal zones.
Protohistory
With the establishment of commercial trading routes in Southeast Asia, settlements in the region flourished both culturally and economically through maritime trade.The Ilocanos, known as Samtoy in pre-colonial times, actively traded goods and products with local and foreign merchants, including the Chinese and Japanese. One notable coastal trading post was Bee Gan, meaning "beautiful shore," which is now the city of Vigan. This site served as a significant hub for early Ilocano trade.
File:玳瑁 Taipue - Unknown couple - Boxer Codex.jpg|left|thumb|212x212px|Possible Caboloan inhabitants with kampilan, Boxer Codex, Lingayen Gulf, Luzon
In the southern part of the region, the pre-colonial polity of Caboloan was situated at the Agno River basin with Binalatongan as the capital, while Pangasinan was located at the delta and near the Lingayen Gulf, became a center for maritime trade. Gold mined from the Cordillera Mountain Range was transported along the Aringay-Tonglo-Balatok gold trail and traded in settlements like Agoo. At the time, Agoo's coastal shape made it an ideal harbor for foreign vessels.
This trade network connected the region to maritime routes spanning the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Goods exchanged included porcelain, silk, cotton, beeswax, honey, gemstones, beads, precious minerals, locally crafted burnáy, and particularly gold.
Evidence of this trade has been uncovered in the Pangasinense port of Agoo, where porcelain and ceramic or pottery fragments were found during renovations of the Catholic church. These artifacts are now preserved in the Museo de Iloko. Japanese fishermen later established one of their first settlements in the Philippines in Agoo, introducing advanced fishing techniques and technologies to the local population.
Another notable aspect of the region's early history is the discovery of the Bolinao Skull, which dates to the 14th or 15th century and is associated with the early inhabitants of Pangasinan. The skull is particularly notable for its dental ornamentation, with teeth inlaid with gold. It was found alongside 67 other similarly adorned skulls and trade ware ceramics from the early Ming Dynasty. This discovery highlights the advanced aesthetic traditions, burial, trade practices, and social structures of ancient Filipino communities, offering valuable insights into the region's precolonial culture and history.
Spanish colonization
A year after Miguel López de Legazpi declared Manila the capital of the Philippines on June 24, 1571, Spanish colonization efforts expanded to Northern Luzon to "pacify the people."Spanish conquistador Martín de Goiti began the conquest of Pangasinan and established several Spanish settlements between 1571 and 1573. By April 5, 1580, Pangasinan became an administrative and judicial district of the province, with Lingayen as its capital. However, its territorial boundaries were first delineated in 1611, with the area originating from the Spanish settlement in Manila through Pampanga.
On May 20, 1572, a year after Goiti's conquest, conquistadores led by Juan de Salcedo, the grandson of Legazpi, ventured northward with eight armed boats and 80 men. They sailed to Lingayen Gulf and landed at the mouth of the Agno River. In 1574, Limahong, a Chinese pirate, fled to Pangasinan after his fleet was driven away from Manila. Limahong attempted to establish a colony in Pangasinan but failed as an army led by Salcedo chased him out of the region after a seven-month siege.
Salcedo then continued his journey to Agoo, where he discovered a Japanese settlement and named it "El Puerto de Japón" after its conquest. He then reached Vigan on June 13, 1572, which had been a Chinese trading post from the Fujian province of China. In Vigan, he founded 'Villa Fernandina de Vigan
File:Calle Crisologo at night, Vigan, Philippines - One of The New 7 Wonder Cities of The World - 16632334348.jpg|left|thumb|241x241px|Villa Fernandina de Vigan is the diocesan seat of Nueva Segovia in the North
In 1574, Salcedo returned to Vigan with soldiers and Augustinian missionaries to initiate the evangelization of the Ilocos region. He established a Spanish city to control the neighboring territories and convert the native population to Catholicism.
As a reward for his services, Salcedo was granted the province of Ylocos, covering what is now Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, and parts of Mountain Province, as his estate. He was also given the title Justicia Mayor de esta Provincia de Ylocos. By the end of the 1700s, Ilocos had a population of 44,852 native families, 631 Spanish Filipino families, and 10,041 Chinese Filipino families.
File:Basi Revolt.jpg|thumb|191x191px|Portrait of the Bloody Basi Revolt between the Ilocanos and local Spanish in Bantaoay, c. 1807
Despite Spanish efforts, the Ilocanos in the northern parts of the region were less easily swayed and remained resistant to Spanish rule. These resentments led to several uprisings throughout the region's history, including the insurrections of Andrés Malong in 1660, Palaris of Pangasinan in 1762, Pedro Almazán in Ilocos Norte in 1661, Diego Silang and Gabriela Silang in 1764 and Basi Revolt in 1807. After the Basi Revolt, tensions culminated in the division of Ilocos into two provinces on February 2, 1818. The Pangasinans in the south were the last to resist Spanish rule.
During the Philippine Revolution of 1896–1898, General Manuel Tinio allied with Emilio Aguinaldo to lead the revolution in Northern Luzon, alongside General Francisco Makabulos. Makabulos led his forces to liberate Pangasinan and led revolutionaries in the Battle of Dagupan against the Spanish army. By August 1898, the revolutionaries had driven Spanish forces out of several towns, including Laoag, Ilocos Norte, marking a turning point in the revolution.
On June 12, 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence and became the first president of the Republic of the Philippines.
American colonization
The American colonization of the Ilocos Region began following the conclusion of the Spanish-American War in 1898, when the Philippines was ceded to the United States under the Treaty of Paris. This marked a period of profound transformation for the region, which came under American colonial administration after the Philippine-American War.On November 18, 1899, American forces landed in the Ilocos Region in pursuit of Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the Philippine resistance. While American troops swiftly occupied towns, they faced persistent resistance in the rural areas, where guerrilla forces led by Gen. Manuel Tinio continued the struggle. Tinio, a veteran of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain, orchestrated a widespread guerrilla campaign, harassing American forces in the countryside.
One of the most iconic events during this period was the Battle of Tirad Pass on December 2, 1899. Gen. Gregorio del Pilar and his 60 soldiers faced over 300 troops of the U.S. 45th Infantry Division, led by Gen. Peyton C. March. Despite a valiant defense, the Filipinos ultimately lost their position, marking a significant, albeit symbolic, moment in the resistance against American forces.
The Philippine-American War officially ended in 1902, following years of intense conflict, with the establishment of a Filipino civilian government under American oversight. Civil governance was introduced in the Ilocos Region, as well as the rest of the Philippines, on July 1, 1901, with William H. Taft serving as the first Civil Governor. The position was later renamed Governor-General by the U.S. Congress on February 3, 1903. One of the most notable reforms was the establishment of a centralized public school system in 1901, using English as the medium of instruction. To address a shortage of educators, the colonial government deployed 600 American teachers known as the Thomasites.
By September 1902, public secondary schools had been established across the region, including institutions in Lingayen, Vigan and Santa Maria, Bauang, Bacnotan, and San Fernando, and Laoag and Dingras with several US Thomasites serving as educators. The Taft Commission per instructions of US President McKinley introduced free primary education, designed to prepare citizens for civic duties. Additionally, church lands were purchased and redistributed following the disestablishment of the Catholic Church, further signaling the shift in socio-political structures under American rule.In 1901, several towns from Nueva Ecija including Balungao, Rosales, San Quintin, and Umingan were annexed to the province of Pangasinan. On November 30, 1903, additional municipalities from northern Zambales such as Agno, Alaminos, Anda, Bani, Bolinao, Burgos, Dasol, Infanta, and Mabini were transferred to Pangasinan. These towns, originally part of the homeland of the Sambal people, were reassigned due to their geographic distance from their original provincial capitals. Despite resistance from local communities, this decision has remained unchanged.
Under the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, the Ilocos Region experienced significant political, economic, and social changes. Infrastructure development flourished, with the construction of public schools, bridges, railways, airports, and ports, enhancing the region's connectivity with other parts of the country.
However, these developments were accompanied by local unrest. Reports of war crimes, forced relocations, extrajudicial killings, and destruction of property by American forces fueled discontent among the population. While the introduction of modern governance and infrastructure brought progress, these human rights abuses left a lasting impact on the region's history.
American colonization ended on July 4, 1946 in WWII's aftermath gaining Philippine Independence from the United States.