http://www.ilocosnortetours.com/

Ilocos NORTE tours, Brgy 5, Laoag City (2026)

01/11/2015

Ilocos Norte and Pagudpud Tour Starting At Php 3000 (3D/2N)

our Price Starts At: PHP 3000/PAX

Max Attendees: 13

Tour Availability: Contact us for availability

If you want to give yourself a break then try to explore the North where Ilocos is located. Ilocos has been known for its own tourist attractions. It provides you history and unique places to go. We will definitely take you to the places that you’ve never been into. Consider it “the joyride of your life”. It will take for about 11 hours for you to reach Ilocos Norte thus everything will be worth it.

02/10/2015

This page was created to people who wants to tour around the ilocos norte region,,THE GATEWAY OF THE NORTH"

02/10/2015

SARRAT'S STA. MONICA CHURCH

In the town of Sarrat is a beautiful red brick church of Baroque and Neo-Classical style called the Sta. Monica Church. Irene Marcos, the daughter of former Philippine President Marcos, was married to Gregorio Araneta in a fairytale-like wedding in the church complete with red carpet stretching for kilometers. In the Philippines, it was termed the "wedding of the century." However, a little more than two months later, on Aug. 17, an earthquake of Intensity 7.6 ravaged Ilocos Norte and destroyed the altar and belfry of Sta. Monica.

The church is located some 7 kilometers to the east of Laoag City proper. It is an all-brick church with buttressed walls and a 3-level brick bridge and staircase connects the church to the convent making it one of the unique features of this church. The Sta. Monica Church, convent and bell tower began construction in 1669 and were completed in 1679. Rebuilt after a fire in 1817, the complex was again damaged by fire in 1882 but was rebuilt and finished in June 1896. The church features a 137-meter nave that is the longest in the country, according to the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. It follows a simple rectangular plan and another outstanding feature of the church is its unique system of roof trusses.

Like the bell tower, the convent stands apart from the church. Separate towers and rectories are characteristic of the province, a measure to minimize damage during earthquakes. At the ground level of the convent are housed memorabilia, books and photographs connected with the history of the parish. The ruins of Sta. Monica Church in Sarrat include a torture room where two huge brick-encrusted pillars dominate. Melvin dela Cuesta, a Filipino historian, said these pillars were used during the Spanish regime to hang Filipinos accused of treason and other high crimes.

02/10/2015

CURRIMAO'S NIPA BEACH RESORT

The Municipality of Currimao is located in the southwestern portion of the province of Ilocos Norte along the vast shorelines of the China Sea. It is bounded in the North by the town of Paoay, on the east by Batac, on the south by Pinili and Badoc, and on the west by China Sea. It is approximately 465 kilometers northwest of Manila and about 27 kilometers from Laoag City.

Currimao, small as it may seen, is blessed with several tourist attractions. These include the Gaang Beach Cove with its wide expanse of unpolluted beaches and tranquil waters which is a by-word of picnickers and beach lovers. It boasts also of beach resorts such as D'Coral Beach Resort and Hotel, the Old Fisherman's Beach Resort which cater to foreign as well as local tourists, and the D & D Girls Scout Beach Camp, the center of provincial and regional Girls Scouts camping and outdoor activities. The Pangil Beach Resort is where government agency outings and meetings are frequently held.

Currimao's latest tourist attraction is the Taiwanese-run Nipa Beach Resort in Barangay Salugan which caters mostly to Chinese and local tourists. A number of cottages have been constructed within the resort to accommodate its guests. It has its own restaurant, swimming pool, a well-designed and beautifully landscaped compound, and access to a nearby white sand beach. The sixteen photographs shown below were all taken at the Nipa Beach Resort.

02/10/2015

LA VIRGIN MILAGROSA SHRINE OF BADOC

Estimated to be 400 years old, the revered image of La Virgen Milagros de Badoc is enshrined and venerated in the more than 200 year old imposing brick-and-stone baroque Catholic Church of the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Inside the church one will find the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus wrapped in her arms.

Countless miracles have been ascribed to the beloved image of La Virgin Milagrosa de Badoc which have kindled and heightened the veneration and devotion of the people from the Ilocos region for which the image was really meant. Realizing the intense and widespread devotion, the Diocese of Laoag proclaimed the wooden image of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc as the Patrones of Ilocos Norte on May 2, 1980. This church in Badoc was the pilgrimate site for the Great Jubilee Year 2000.

Badoc is the southernmost town of the province of Ilocos Norte and lies 40 kilometers south of Laoag City. Being the gateway to the province from the south, it serves as the show window of historic Ilocos Norte. The establishment of the town as a parish in 1714 was also the approximate start of the construction of the Spanish built Catholic church, known as the Saint John the Baptist Church. It is said that the place of the Isneg settlement, wherein the first Spanish missionary team also established camp, was the seat of the Christianization of the town. It was also in the place where the church was established and where the first mass was said by Padre de Alvarado, an Augustinian priest who was the spiritual adviser of the expedition led by the youthful Spanish conquistador, Juan de Salcedo. The first mass, which was celebrated on June 24, 1572, or more than two centuries before the construction of the Catholic church, was said in thanks-giving for the peace treaty between Salcedo and the native leaders and was also dedicated to those who were slain in battle. It coincided with the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, who was made Badoc's patron saint.

Folks recounted that the huge and imposing house of worship, made of bricks and stones and roofed with Spanish-style corrugated clay tiles, was constructed under the Spanish forced labor decree. It was also said that not a single drop of water was used in the whole construction process. The concreting materials were made purely of sugarcane juice, which the natives contributed under the "family quota system." Now, the church, already weather-beaten but unweakened by time and age is the sanctuary and shrine of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc, because it was found in the year 1620 by Badoc and Sinait fishermen along the shore of Lugo village. The image, encased in a wooden box, together with a life-sized picture of Santo Cristo Milagroso, the statue of angels and one violin, were given to the Sinait fishermen as their share from the mysterious discovery, Since, then, the Sinait Catholic church has become the shrine of the Santo Cristo Milagroso.

02/10/2015

SALT MAKING IN PASUQUIN

Along the highway a few kilometers north of the town of Pasuquin, there are roadside stalls selling bags of what is arguably the finest salt in the Philippines. It is a common sight to see people riding in provincial buses that often stop at these stalls to purchase salt. Sold by the kilo and contained in plastic bags, the salt is cooked in large vats in huts which are usually found behind the stalls.

Pipes stretched from the beach to the huts carry salt water to the cooking vats. Although the initial cost of setting up and laying the pipes and then pumping salt water to the huts involves a significant amount of capital for these entrepreneurs, the convenience of having a steady supply of salt water becomes an added advantage. This process of salt making is quite different from the way salt is produced in the town of Paranaque (south of Metro Manila) where a thin layer of sea water is poured over salt beds and left to dry by exposure to the sun. However, the quality and fineness of the salt crystals made by this process does not come to par with the salt made in Pasuquin.

The salt makers of Pasuquin have improved their product by adding a minute amount of iodine to plain salt to help reduce the chance of iodine deficiency, which can lead to thyroid gland problems such as goiter. The conventional way of adding iodine to plain salt is done by using either potassium iodide or potassium iodate.

The salt makers of Pasuquin save on fuel by burning bags of sawdust during the cooking process. The sawdust, which are usually waste products in lumber yards, are now sold in sacks at minimal prices to those involved in salt making. In this cottage industry entire families are engaged in salt making, carrying on the traditional livelihood of previous generations. The Mendoza family of Pasuquin whose salt making operation I had a chance to witness is just one of the many families engaged in this cottage industry. To augment their income from selling salt, they also sell Iloko vinegar and other crops such as garlic and onions.

02/10/2015

MALACANANG OF THE NORTH

This imposing two-storey structure was built as the official residence of the President Marcos in Ilocos Norte. It overlooks the legendary Paoay Lake and was designed to resemble a 19th Century "bahay na bato." It is complete with bedrooms, dining area, kitchen, an office, a spacious ballroom on the second floor, and even had an olympic size swimming pool. During the term of Fidel Ramos, he has also used this former official residence in Ilocos Norte and so did President Gloria M. Arroyo whenever she travels to the north.

The main and official residence of the president of the Philippines is actually the Malacanang Palace. It is located along the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila. The name "Malacanang" comes from a Tagalog phrase "May lakan diyan," which means there is a nobleman there. This palace was once the home of a wealthy Spanish merchant before it hosted the nation's chief executive.

When Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo became the president, she opened the Malacanang of the South in August 19, 2004. It is a refurbished old building of the Bureau of Customs in Cebu City and was established to bring the national government closer to the people in the Visayas and Mindanao. In Tacloban City, Leyte, former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos had her "Sto. Nino Shrine" which also doubled as the Malacanang of the South.

Malacanang Palace of the North has since been converted into a museum and it is open to visitors. It is sad to note that the structure has not been well maintained and is now badly dilapidated. Even the swimming pool beside it is no longer used and appears to have been converted into a small fish pond. There is a mininal fee collected for those who want to see the place.

02/10/2015

BACARRA CHURCH & BELL TOWER RUINS

The Bacarra Church together with its bell tower were constructed by the Spanish Augustinian Friars in 1593 and subsequently inaugurated in 1782. It was destroyed by the intensity 7.8 earthquake on August 1983 and reconstructed and once again inaugurated in August 1984. The image of the patron saint, San Andres, stands in front of his x-shaped cross in the central niche.

The Bacarra Bell Tower is located at the right side of the Roman Catholic Church. It was built in 1830’s and made up of coral blocks and stocco with an original height of fifty (50) meters and a three (3) storey with a wall of five (5) meters thickness. The earthquake wrecked it in 1931, which had caused the top most portions to tilt a little sideward on the right. The bell tower with its unusual elongated cupola, was built during the term of Fray Pedro Berger (1828-1848). It was made to stand a good distance from the church to reduce damage to the later in case the tower buckled during a tremor. Chunks of brick debris, hurtled down during earlier earthquakes practically at the foot of the church.

The bell tower, which is now in its advanced stage of dilapidation due to the effect of strong earthquakes, serves not only as a tourist attraction but also as a historical landmark of the painfull sacrifices of the ancestors of the Bacarenos who rendered forced labor under the Spanish conquerors.

02/10/2015

MUSEO ILOCOS NORTE

Located in the downtown area of Laoag City and just close to the provincial capitol and about a block away from the town plaza is the Museo Ilocos Norte. One of the best ways to get to know Ilocano culture is by visiting the museum. The museum is housed in the restored historic Tabacalera warehouse, which was a factory of sorts for tabacco back in the Spanish Era. The museum was primarily designed to bring a sense of pride to the citizens of the province. It showcases the varied ethnicity and multi-faceted cultural heritage of the Ilocano people. It is one of the few attractions in Laoag City which is most visited by school children, visitors, and tourists.

The museum is nicknamed, "Gameng," from the Iloco word meaning treasure. It symbolizes the wealth of Ilocos Norte. There is an assortment of items displayed on both floors of the two-storey building. Before you exit out of the museum, you will find a small giftshop which sells an assortment of native products and handicraft of Ilocos Norte, and a few books and other publications written about the province. There is a minimal fee charged to view the contents of Museo Ilocos Norte. The museum is opened during office hours in the morning and afternoon of the work week, however, it is closed at noon time which allows it's staff time for their lunch break. The symbol of the museum, a many-rayed sun, was taken from one of the finials at the back of the 19th century church in San Nicolas.

02/10/2015

ST. WILLIAM'S CATHEDRAL & SINKING BELL TOWER

A chapel of wood and thatch was originally built on the same site when the Augustinian Friars founded the parish in 1580. Later in 1612, foundation for the replacement of the church was laid by the friars and construction of the cathedral with Italian Renaissance design began. The church was damaged by fire in 1843 and repaired through the efforts of the Obras Publicas under the supervision of Engr. Antonio de la Camara and Fray Santiago Muniz from 1873 to 1880.

The reconstructed church has a unique two-storey facade held by four pairs of coupled columns and was called the St. William's Cathedral. The deeply recessed niche shows the image of Saint San Guillermo. It is the one of the biggest cathedrals in the country and became the seat of the Diocese of Laoag. In 1898 it was occupied by Revolutionarists and also by the American forces in 1899. The cathedral was the site of the Diocesan Congress in 1932 and 1949.

Located 85 meters away is its bell tower which has sunk to the grounds and leans slightly. The 45 meter high bell tower is one of the tallest edifice built in the province. When the tower was newly erected a person on horseback can pass through its door freely. Today, a person of average height could hardly pass without stooping.

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