Photos Courtesy of www.visit-ilocos.com

Long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, settlements already existed along the coves (locally known as”looc”) in the northwestern part of Luzon. This region, then known as “Samtoy” (from ‘sao mi ditoy’ or ‘our language’) was a progressive trading post familiar to the ancient Japanese, Chinese and Malays and renowned for its gold mines.

These settlements, called the “Ylocos” which extended from Bangui (Ilocos Norte) in the north tot Namacpacan (Luna, La Union) in the south were discovered during the expedition led by Juan de Salcedo, grandson of the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, on June 13, 1572.

Salcedo decided to establish his headquarters in a settlement along the Mestizo River, then called “Kabigaan” because of the gabi-like plants abundantly growing by the bank of the river and made it the capital of his incomienda (fiefdom) for services rendered to Spain. Salcedo’s territory included what are now the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and parts of La union.

This capital, later known as Vigan, became the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in 1758 after it was transferred from Lal-lo, Cagayan Valley. Vigan was also called “Ciudad Fernandina” in honor of King Ferdinand.

The Spaniards’ efforts to Christianize this whole region was never completely successful owing to the abusive conduct of the Augustinian friars, as well as government and military personnel which led to several uprisings by the locals (the “Ylocanos”).

On February 2, 1818, a Royal Decree was signed splitting the Ylocos into two provinces: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte and also annexed Lepanto and Amburayan in Mt. Province. Act 2683 passed in March 1917 by the Philippine Legislature defined the present geographical boundaries of Ilocos Sur.

Vigan remains the capital of Ilocos Sur and was chartered into a city in 2001.