Vigan City

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Heritage City of Vigan
Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan
Lungsod ng Vigan Calle Crisologo in Vigan
Seal

Map of Ilocos Sur showing the location of Vigan. Country Philippines Region Ilocos Region (Region I) Districts 1st District of Ilocos Sur Barangays 39 Cityhood January 22, 2001 Government - Mayor Ferdinand C. Medina (Liberal) Area - Total 11 km² (4.2 sq mi) Population (2007) - Total 47,246 - Density 4,295/km² (11,124/sq mi) Time zone PST (UTC+8) Area code(s) 77 Website: City of Vigan Historic Town of Vigan* UNESCO World Heritage Site State Party PhilippinesType Cultural Criteriaii, iv Reference 502Region† Asia-PacificInscription history Inscription 1999 (23rd Session) * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.

The City of Vigan is a 3rd class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the capital city of Ilocos Sur. The city, located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea.

It is a World Heritage Site in that it is the most intact example of a Spanish colonial town in the Philippines, and is well-known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.

According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 47,246 people.

Elpidio Quirino, the 6th president of the Philippines, resided in Vigan.

1 History
2 Origin of the City's Name
3 Barangays
4 Major Schools Based in Vigan
5 Gallery
6 External links

History

Vigan is an island, which used to be detached from the mainland by three rivers - the great Abra River, the Mestizo River and the Govantes River. It is unique among the Philippine towns because it is the country’s most extensive and only surviving historic city that dates back to the 15th century Spanish colonial period.

Vigan was an important coastal trading post in pre-colonial times. Long before the Spanish galleons, Chinese junks sailing from the South China Sea came to Isla de Bigan through the Mestizo River that surrounded the island. On board were sea-faring merchants that came to barter exotic goods from Asian kingdoms in exchange for gold, beeswax and other mountain products brought down by natives from the Cordilleras. Immigrants, mostly Chinese, settled in Vigan, intermarried with the natives and started the multi-cultural bloodline of the Bigueños.

In the book, The Philippine Island, Vol. III, p. 276, Blair and Robertson, two letters of Governor General Guido de Lavezares to King Philip II of Spain mentions: “It seemed best to send Captain Juan de Salcedo with 70 or 80 soldiers to people the coast of Los Ilocano on the shores of the river called Bigan.” Salcedo then sailed from Manila on May 20, 1572 and arrived in Vigan on June 12, 1572.

Thus, after the successful expedition and exploration of the North, Don Juan de Salcedo founded “Villa Fernandina de Vigan” in honor of King Philip II’s son, Prince Ferdinand who died at the tender age of four. From Vigan, Salcedo rounded the tip of Luzon and proceeded to pacify Camarines, Albay, and Catanduanes.

As a reward for his services to the King, Salcedo was awarded the old province of Ylocos which then composed of the Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union and some part of Mountain Province as his Encomienda and was accorded the title as Justicia Mayor de esta Provincia de Ylocos.

In January 1574, Salcedo returned to the capital of his Encomienda, Vigan, bringing with him some Augustian Missionaries to pioneer the evangelization of Ylocos and established a Spanish city, for the purpose of controlling the neighboring country.

Governor General Gomez Perez Darmarinas, in his Account of Encomienda dated in Manila on May 31, 1591 states: “The town of Vigan called Villa Fernandina has five or six Spanish citizens with one priest, a Justice, one Alcalde Mayor (Governor) and a Deputy. The King collects 800 tributes (equivalent to 3,200 subjects). During this period, the old Vigan was composed of 19 barrios.

In 1645-1660, Vigan was already divided into 21 Cavezas de Barangay as mentioned in the “Libro de Casamiento”, the oldest records of the parish house of Vigan found in its Archives. Separated from the naturales, the Chinese have their own place of settlement called pariancillo, “Los Sangleyes del parian” and the Spaniards were residents in a villa called “Los Españoles de la Villa”.

Origin of the City's Name

During the conquest days of the Spanish, The conquistador Juan de Salcedo headed up north to the Ilocos to establish a military base in present-day Vigan. When he first arrived in the place, though it is now called "Pagpartian" (Ilocano, "butchering place") through the Mestizo River, he noticed the lush, green plants growing along the riverbanks. He asked a local about the name of the place. The local, not understanding Spanish, thought he was asking the name of the plant, told him that they were biga'a. So Juan Salcedo derived the city's name, "Vigan," from the plant.

Its full name at the time of its founding was Villa Fernandina, in honor of the first born son of King Philip II of Spain. As the city grew, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia transferred to the place, it was later named Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan, in honor of the reigning Spanish king.

Barangays

Vigan City is politically subdivided into 39 barangays.

Ayusan Norte
Ayusan Sur
Barangay I (Pob.)
Barangay II (Pob.)
Barangay III (Pob.)
Barangay IV (Pob.)
Barangay V (Pob.)
Barangay VI (Pob.)
Barraca
Beddeng Laud
Beddeng Daya
Bongtolan
Bulala

Cabalangegan
Cabaroan Daya
Cabaroan Laud
Camangaan
Capangpangan
Mindoro
Nagsangalan
Pantay Daya
Pantay Fatima
Pantay Laud
Paoa
Paratong
Pong-ol

Purok-a-bassit
Purok-a-dakkel
Raois
Rugsuanan
Salindeg
San Jose
San Julian Norte
San Julian Sur
San Pedro
Tamag
Barangay VII
Barangay VIII
Barangay IX (Cuta)

Major Schools Based in Vigan

University of Northern Philippines - the oldest State University in Northern Luzon, founded by virtue of Republic Act 4449, authored by the late Congressman Floro Crisologo
Saint Paul College of Ilocos Sur (formerly Rosary College) - the oldest privately-funded school in Ilocos Sur, founded by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in Vigan (but recently fully transferred to nearby Bantay)
Divine Word College of Vigan - the second oldest privately-funded school in Ilocos Sur, founded by priests belonging to the Society of the Divine Word (SVD)