ILOCOS SUR’S LIVING TREASURES
Leather craft is one of the traditional industries in
Apart from its rich history, Ilocos Sur is also known
for its industries, cuisine and places of interest.
Some of these industries have been developed and
given generous support by the local government in
order to fully realize its potentials by way of the
economic opportunities these may provide.
Honey
Honey is a healthy substitute for sugar. It comes
from honeybees that thrive in the hinterlands of the
province that produces pure, natural and
unadulterated honey.
Canton NOODLES with squash
The pancit canton noodles with squash is a local
version of the Chinese canton noodles. Squash has
been added as an ingredient for its nutritive value.
It came about as one way of adding value to the
abundant harvest of squash in the province.
Loom-weaving
Loom-weaving is an industry handed down
through generations and dates back to the Spanish
period. A craft mastered by small-scale weavers, it
thrives in a number of municipalities in the
province. Sails of galleons that plied the Manila to
Mexico route were made of abel manufactured
from the looms of Ilocos.
Product lines include placemats, table runners,
table napkins, hand towels, blankets, pillow cases,
and clothing materials or fabrics.
Buri craft
Buri craft is made from buri palms that grow
abundantly in Ilocos Sur. Buri-weaving is a
century-old industry in the province and is a
common source of livelihood for residents,
especially women and out-of-school youth.
Belgian lace
The town of Tagudin is the main source of this
industry introduced to the area by the ICM
Missionary sisters, most of whom came from
Belgium, which is known for its lacework.
Sister Loiuse de Moester was the founder of the
ICM Congregation and the first ICM sister to come
to the Philippines in 1910. The ICM Missionary
order established St. Augustine’s School where
lacework was taught to its students.
Leather craft
the province which is concentrated in Bantay. The
leather craft industry that utilizes carabao skin or
cow skin, started with the need for saddles and
castings for blacksmith products.
Indigo-making
Ilocos Sur farmers cultivate a plant called “tayum,”
a source of indigo.
Bamboo craft
This traditional industry thrives in the towns of
Cabugao, Quirino, Galimuyod San Juan, Santa and
Sugpon. Soft-trip bamboos taken from the interior
flesh of the bamboo are made intro trays and
baskets called “labba.”Today, the industry has
introduced innovations to meet the demands of the
market. Product lines now include furniture, bags,
placemats, curtains and other home decors.
Furniture-making
The making of wooden furniture with an antique
finish has become a major industry in the province,
giving employment to many residents and
contributing significantly to the local economy.
Garlic industry
An essential cooking ingredient, garlic is
cultivated in Sinait, the “Garlic Center of the
North.” A Garlic Trade Center has been established
in front of the public market where trading is
observed.
Onion industry
Ilocos Sur and Norte are the country’s biggest
producers of red shallot onions. Sinait remains the
major producer of this variety of onion often eaten
with bagnet and tomatoes or may be prickled as
accompaniment to other dishes.
Salt-making
The towns of Cabugao and San Vicente are known
for this particular industry. The salt produced is
either rock salt or refined salt.
Opia-making
A nutritious and crunchy snack made of rice flour
and sesame seeds. The delicacy is made in San Juan
and Cabugao. It is a mixture of kneaded rice flour
and tagapulot, shaped in a half-moon with toasted
sesame and sugar. The opia is cooked in a big
Vigan jar that serves as an oven until it is done.
Blacksmith
The towns of San Juan and Santa are known for this
particular industry. Bolos, scythes, knives and
scissors are produced in these two towns.
Burnay-making
Burnay can be found only in Vigan where there is
an abundance of clay. Before burnay was used only
to store salt, vinegar, basi and fermented fish sauce.
But consumer demands have transformed some of
these storage jars into decorative items and
indispensable landscape ornaments.
Stone craft
The town of San Esteban is known for its
mountains that yield big stones made into mortars
and pestles, which are sold all over the country.
Terra cotta red clay
This traditional craft making is called as “damili,”
an enduring industry in Vigan. Craftsmen produce
items such as traditional cooking stoves, cooking
pots, water vessels, basins for water and animal
feeds, plant pots, pipes for wells, decorative pottery
and roof tiles.
Jewelry-making
With gold abundant in the mountains of
neighboring Kalinga and Apayao, the Ilocanos of
Bantay and Vigan used the supply to make combs,
hairpins, chains, necklaces earrings, brooches,
rings and bracelets.
Tobacco industry
Ilocos Sur did not enjoy a tobacco monopoly
during the Spanish period. Under the monopoly,
the cultivation of tobacco was confined to the town
of Gapan, Nueva Ecija and in some towns of
Bulacan and Cagayan.
A team from Kuksai Shiji Kaishai, one of the
biggest cigarette factories in Japan, arrived in the
country to analyze the soil, climate, rainfall and
weather conditions in La Union for the purpose of
looking into the province’s potential of growing
tobacco.
Presidential Decree No. 628 designated specific
areas for growing the crop. Ilocos Sur was
designated to grow Virginia Leaf. Today, Virginia
Tobacco is considered a major cash crop of farmers
in the province.
R.A. 7171, known as the Tobacco Excise Tax Law,
mandates the allocation of millions of pesos from
tobacco excise taxes as shares for the four tobacco
producing provinces. The shares of each province
are used for infrastructure and livelihood
development projects that benefits farmers and
their families.
FAMOUS SONS AND DAUGHTER OF
ILOCOS SUR
PEDRO BUKANEG
“father of Iloko literature”
Credited for helping in the translation of the
Doctrina Cristiana into Iloko in 1621.
“Cararag ken Sta. Maria”
“Biag Ni Lam-ang”
JOSE BURGOS
Was born in Vigan on Feruary 9, 1837 to Don
Tiburcio Burgos and Florencia Garcia.
“La Verdad”
Leona florentino“poem writer”
Born in Vigan on April 19, 1849 to a rich family.
She married Elias delos Reyes and had five
children by him. She died at the age of 35.
ISABELO DE LOS REYES
He published prize winning books, like “ Historia
de Ilocos”, “Folklore Filipino” and “Las Isla
Filipinas en la epoca de la Conquisita”
Founded and edited two nationalist papers, “El
Defensor de Filipinas”and Filipinas Ante europa”
ELPIDIO RIVERA QUIRINO
A native of Vigan, and was born in Vigan
provincial jail.
He was married to Alicia Syquia, the heiress of
Syquia mansion.
Syquia mansion was referred to as the First
Malacanang of the North.
CULINARY HERITAGE
BAGNET
Bagnet is a specialty of Ilocos sur. It is made of
selected parts of swine like the belly, shoulder,
stomach and pigue, boiled in water and seasoned
with salyand garlic until tender. After it is cooled,
it is deep fried until tender.
BASI
An Ilocano native wine made from sugarcane. Basi
is produced by extracting the sap from the sugar
cane that is boiled later. The bark of trees like
kariskis or samak is mixed with the boilde sap.
Then, the mixture is allowed to ferment and age.
EMPANADA
Empanada is a famous Ilocos delicacy ought after
the tourist and visitors. Its dough is made of rice
flour, with fillings of graed pork, sprouted mongo,
carrots, cabbage, and eggs and salt and pepper for
seasoning. Deep fried in oil to a crisp, it is served
with sukang iloko, native onions and hot pepper.
KALAMAY
A specialty of Candon, this delicacy is made of
grounded glutinous rice, brown sugar and coconut
milk. Kalamay is cooled with coconut milk until
the sugar is dissolved together with glutinous rice,
and is stirred continuously until its done.
LUDONG
A delicious big fish caught along the Abra river at
Barangay Rancho to Banaoang, Santa. Ludong is
plentiful during the months of May to October.
Sigay and gillnet is used in catching ludong. It is
good for sinigang, broiled and paksiw dishes.
Ludong is referred to as the president’s fish.
TINUBONG
A native delicacy usually served during the
Christmas season in Cabugao. Tinubong is made of
ground glutinous ricre with sugar, coconut milk,
grated young coconut, ground peanut milk and
margarine. The mixture is then place in a young
native bamboo and is cooked until done.
SITES AND LANDMARKS
Bantay’s Bell Tower
The church of BANTAY IS DEDICATED TO
THE Nuestra Senyora de la Caridad. The statue of
Our Ladi of Charity in a niche at the top section of
the façade.
CABUGAO CHURCH
Cabugao’s catholic church was built by the
Augustinians. The church is made of bricks and
was done in the Rennaisance style with columns
flanking niches holding statues. A five level
octagonal bell tower is found on the left side of the
church.
CANDON CHURCH
Augustinian priests was responsible for the
building of a Catholic church in Candon. The
church follows a “barouque style with volutes and
scrolls emphasizing the façade. The façade has
three levels with portals flanked by coupled
Corinthian style.
CAOAYAN CHURCH
Built by the Augustinians, the church of caoayan is
a mixture of the Pseudo-Gothic and high
Rennaissance styles. A four level bell tower is
found on the left side of the church.

MAGSINGAL CHURCH
The church of magsingal built by the Augustinians
is dedicated to St. William the Hermit. It is made
up of five structures: the new church of Magsingal,
the ruins of the old church, the bell tower, the visita
and the convent.
SANTA MARIA CHURCH
The church of Sta. maria has been include in the
World heritage List in 1993. Built on top of a
promontory, it has a commanding view of the sea.
Accesible though an 82-step stairway, its façade is
flanked by two huge columns. A four-story
octagonal bell tower is located beside the church.
PALACIO DE GOBERNADOR
The Palacio de gobernador was said to have been
built soon after the construction of the church of
san Vicente de Ferrer in 1795. The gobernadorcillo
of the town resided in this structure where he
watched local zarzwelas and comedias performed
in the church plaza.
SYQUIA MANSION.
The ancestral home of Donya Alicia Syquia-
Quirino, the Syquia mansion was a venue for
official and public functions during the
administration of the late President Quirino, Donya
Alicia’s husband. The structure was built in 1830
by Justo Angco and was given as a gift to his
daughter Estifania when she wed Gregorio Syquia,
Alicia’s father, in 1875. It is considered the first
malacanang of the North.