"BRIEF
HISTORY OF LAOAG CITY ILOCOS NORTE"
Laoag City,
the capital city of Ilocos Norte, is 463 kilometers north of
Manila
. The municipalities of San Nicolas, Paoay, Sarrat, Vintar, and Bacarra form its
boundaries. The foothills of the Cordillera Central mountain range to the east,
and the
South China Sea
to the west are its physical boundaries. Flourishing along the bank of the
Laoag
River
, it is the nerve center of the province and the seat of politics, business,
commerce, education and religion. It became a 2nd class city in 1965. According
to the 2000 census, it has a population of 94,466 people in 19,751 households.
"Laoag" (Ilocano for "the place of light or clarity"), is an
old, flourishing settlement known to Chinese and Japanese traders when the
Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo arrived at the northern banks of Padsan
River in 1572. Augustinian missionaries established the Roman Catholic Church in
the area in 1580 and designated Saint William, the Hermit as its patron saint.
Pedro Almazan crowned himself king of Laoag in 1661 in a bid of insurrection and
protest against Spanish tax mandates. Other rebellions flared throughout
colonial times, including against Spanish tobacco monopoly in 1782.
A
Glimpse of Downtown Laoag City
Laoag is an 9 to 10 hour drive from
Manila
depending on the traffic or how fast you are going. Provincial buses also
provide transportation from
Baguio
City
,
Manila
, and a number of other cities. There are air-conditioned buses that leave their
Manila
stations for Laoag. The buses, which leave on scheduled runs, do stopovers at
designated points along the route for refreshments and other necessities.
Laoag
International
Airport
services flights to and from
Taiwan
and some charter flights by Philippine carriers. It is a 1 hour flight from
Manila
. The town experiences the prevailing monsoon climate of
Northern Luzon
, characterized by a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May
to October, occasionally visited by powerful typhoons.
