Ilocos Hotels and Resorts News and EventsTime-locked Ilocos is a broad hardy country blessed with impressive wide highways and stretches of narrow cobblestoned roads, antiquated towns dominated by heavily-buttressed grand churches and Antillan ancestral homes, and a brave people who, by sheer industry, harnessed a formidable terrain into a source of sustenance. A seemingly tempestuous sea rimmed with uneven rock formations and ascetic mountains are the two scenic images that first impress the visitor to Ilocos. Wedged between the wild China Sea and the rugged Cordillera mountain range, the region presents a visual feast that is at once dazzling in its boldness. Divided into Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, their capitals - Vigan and Laoag City - are anchor tourist destinations and part of the 7,000 times more islands that make up the Philippine archipelago. Because of its difficult terrain and arid temperature, the Ilocos was once described as a "God-forsaken land" and one was well-advised to have the "patience of a spider" in order to survive it. But Ilocanos, the hardy people that they are, not only survived in this formidable land but were able to turn this highland country into "God’s own paradise." Ilocos has many churches of distinction which include two that are inscribed in the World Heritage List. In Ilocos Sur is the salmon-bricked Santa Maria Church. Built in 1769, it sits atop a hill towering over the town proper. In Ilocos Norte is Paoay Church. Built by the Augustinians in 1596, the church looks like a cross between a Javanese temple and a European church. The town of Bantay was the scene of fierce uprising led by Diego Silang against the tobacco monopoly in 1762. The town’s savage seascape has been immortalized in the films of Philippine Action King Fernando Poe, Jr. The town church is an architectural gem combining Baroque with Gothic motifs. Currimao has a burgeoning beach resort industry. Visitors to this coastal town never fail to appreciate the sight of fishermen pulling in their nets shortly before dusk while performing a song-and-dance ritual for a bountiful harvest. Everybody is welcome to join in and each participant is given a rightful share of the catch. The town of Pagudpud offers a breathtaking landscape which includes the enchanting Bantay Abot-abot, a natural sculpture carved by the wind and sea, the white sand Saud beach and the majestic Mabogabog Falls. Impressive living canvasses unravel as one traverses the winding Patapat and Calvario roads. Aside from its church, Paoay has a national park that envelops a placid lake. Built along its edge is the Malacañang of the North, official residence of the late President Marcos in northern Luzon. The town also has stretches of undulating sand dunes, the setting of Mel Gibson’s "Mad Max" series and Tom Cruise’s "Born on the Fourth of July." The Paoay Sports Complex is the biggest in northern Luzon. The pastoral town of Pasuquin has many fine beaches and is known for its salt-making industry. Its hills and mountains abound with wild game. Pasuquin Cave can be reached after some 45 minutes of traveling via a dirt road. A Mayor’s Permit is necessary. The simplicity of Ilocano cookery is its own virtue. Bitter-flavored dishes are part of the Ilocano cuisine. Purposely laced into meat stews, fish grills and salads, the bitter taste is as enjoyable as the other aspects of taste, such as sweet, sour and salty. A popular dish is pinakbet, a vegetable stew of bitter melon, squash, eggplant and okra with crisp pork belly. The town plaza and the marketplace are the best places to savor local flavors. The hotels and resorts have their own dining outlets and serve both native and international dishes. They can prepare picnic meals upon request.
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