South of North

photo from http://www.wowphilippines.com

I was fortunate enough to visit one of the richest places in the Philippines for work... and we managed to insert a very good deal of leisure in, too.

Ilocos is a blessed province. It is rich in natural resources, history, and culture. Historically and culturally speaking, we can probably attribute it to the way the Ilocanos know how to preserve things. It also helps that they had probably the most number of presidents who held office there. The house of the Sy Quias in Ilocos Sur, which served as Elpidio Quirino's Malacanang of the North, is still preserved in its next-to-pristine state with all the original furnishing in it. En route to Ilocos Sur from Laoag airport, you pass the Malacanang of the North in Paoay, which Ferdinand Marcos built.

I am proud of the Ilocanos for preserving history and culture the way they did. They even protect and support family industries that have been handed down from generation to generation. The architecture is preserved quite well and they have passed laws requiring modern establishments to build in the same format as the old houses to preserve the beauty of the place.

One other aspect of the province that people should know about is the beautiful beaches and nature scenes.

Ilocos probably has the most number of natural streams where people can still bathe and fish the way they used to in olden times. I can't count the number of times I craned my neck to see the scenery. The skyline is extremely pristine that you can see the various hues and shapes in the sky that you can never see in Manila.

The beaches in Ilocos Sur are amazing! The sand is so fine, it's almost like powder. It doesn't matter if it's not "white sand" it looks beige-ish and is still clean. One beach would give you varying degrees with one end being rocky that progresses to the other end that has the finest powdery sand. The waves are so much fun, too!

The food is something that one should not miss when going to the province. Miki, bagnet, longganisa, pinakbet, upo, and all the native delicacies. There is also a place at the Vigan Heritage Center that one should not miss. Cafe Leona serves the best four cheese pizza topped with Chorizo slices. I guess it tastes that way because it's not the typical oven that uses gas -- they use a actual wood to fire the pizza.

Overall, I would invest in a trip to visit the entire Ilocos province and experience everything they have to offer. Including the surfing spots and the cockpits. One thing i regret though is not being able to sample the empanadas everyone has been raving about.

Here's looking forward to my next trip :)