Ilocos Norte
2000 census—514,241 (48th largest)
Density—151 per km² (27th lowest)
Highly urbanized cities—0
Component cities—1
Municipalities—22
Barangays—557
Congressional districts—2
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.
Ilocos Norte is noted for being the birthplace of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the country during the latter half of his incumbency. The Marcoses enjoy a modicum of popularity in the province. Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.
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People and culture
Religion
Although Ilocos Norte is mostly Roman Catholic, several other religious sects have a strong following in this area. Of these, the most notable is the Aglipayan Church, founded by Batac native Gregorio Aglipay.
Ilocos Norte is home to several famous Roman Catholic churches:
- Paoay Church (St. Agustine Church) - named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
- St. William's Cathedral in Laoag - famous for its Sinking Bell Tower, found 85 meters away.
- St. Monica Church in Sarrat - biggest church in the Ilocos Region.
- Bacarra Church - destroyed during an intensity 7.8 earthquake in 1983, reconstructed and reinaugurated in 1984.
Economy
The province specializes in the following products and industries:
- Agriculture - rice, corn, garlic, legumes, root crops, tobacco, and other fruits and vegetables
- Fishery - tilapia and assorted fishes
- Livestock - swine and cattle
- Cottage industries - loom weaving, furniture, ceramics, iron works
- Manufacturing and food processing - salt, bagoong, patis, basi (native Ilocano wine), vinegar, longganisa, chicharon, bagnet, jewelry, garments, cereal processing, packaging, mechanized processing equipment
Political Divisions
Ilocos Norte is subdivided into 557 barangays, 22 municipalities, and 1 city.
| City/Municipality | No. of Barangays | Population (2000) | Area (km²) | Pop. density (per km²) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Laoag City (Capital) | 80 | 94,466 | 101.88 | 927.2 |
 | Adams | 1 | 1,480 | 159.31 | 9.3 |
 | Bacarra | 43 | 29,668 | 66.07 | 449.0 |
 | Badoc | 31 | 27,862 | 66.41 | 419.5 |
 | Bangui | 15 | 14,327 | 163.59 | 87.6 |
 | Banna (Espiritu) | 20 | 16,704 | 97.68 | 171.0 |
 | Batac | 43 | 47,682 | 161.06 | 296.1 |
 | Burgos | 11 | 8,534 | 128.90 | 66.2 |
 | Carasi | 3 | 1,154 | 157.38 | 7.3 |
 | Currimao | 23 | 10,615 | 33.08 | 320.9 |
 | Dingras | 31 | 33,310 | 96.00 | 347.0 |
 | Dumalneg | 1 | 1,486 | 88.48 | 16.8 |
 | Marcos | 13 | 15,154 | 226.38 | 66.9 |
 | Nueva Era | 11 | 6,095 | 515.02 | 11.8 |
 | Pagudpud | 16 | 19,315 | 194.90 | 99.1 |
 | Paoay | 31 | 21,745 | 76.24 | 285.2 |
 | Pasuquin | 33 | 24,739 | 189.39 | 130.6 |
 | Piddig | 23 | 19,059 | 121.33 | 157.1 |
 | Pinili | 25 | 15,903 | 89.48 | 177.7 |
 | San Nicolas | 24 | 31,688 | 40.18 | 788.7 |
 | Sarrat | 24 | 22,886 | 57.39 | 398.8 |
 | Solsona | 22 | 21,338 | 167.91 | 127.1 |
 | Vintar | 33 | 29,031 | 624.85 | 46.5 |
History
Ilocos Norte was the birthplace of president Ferdinand Marcos.There is also a windmill in Ilocos Norte, the only one in the whole Philippines. It is located at the Bangui Bay in Ilocos Norte, It consists of 15 wind turbines, totaling 24.75 megawatts. Annual energy production is estimated to be about 74.48 gigawatt hours. The project sponsor is a local private company, NorthWind Power Development Corporation.
External links
| Province of Ilocos Norte Laoag (Capital)</span> |  | |
| City | Laoag | |
|---|---|---|
| Municipalities | Adams | Bacarra | Badoc | Bangui | Banna | Batac | Burgos | Carasi | Currimao | Dingras | Dumalneg | Marcos | Nueva Era | Pagudpud | Paoay | Pasuquin | Piddig | Pinili | San Nicolas | Sarrat | Solsona | Vintar | |
Categories
Provinces of the Philippines