Tara Na Sa Norte: 7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Northern Philippines

Summer is over but there are still 7 reasons why you should go North! Check out why exploring Northern Philippines is your best bet when wanderlust kicks in come rain or shine.

1. THE NLEX



The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) is known as the “Gateway to the North”. It spans 84 kilometers of world-class expressway which connects Metro Manila to the Central and Northern Luzon regions. Built to ensure safety, convenience, and efficiency of motorists and passengers, the Manila North Tollways Corporation-operated (MNTC) expressway has 98 internationally recognized informational, directional, and warning signs along its entire stretch, as well as real-time en route travel advisories, and 24/7 CCTV cameras to monitor road conditions and ensure that you reach your Northern destination with ease.

2. COLORFUL FESTIVALS



Baguio may be known for its annual flower fest Panagbenga, or Dagupan for its Bangus Festival but there are more to Northern Philippines’ festival than meets the eye. Malolos, Bulacan has the Sto Niño de Malolos Festival, the biggest gathering of devotees to the Holy Child Jesus in the North, held every January. Kannawidan 'Ylocos' Festival in Ilocos Sur pays homage to Ilocano traditions, and include street parades, Ilocano poem writing contest, a talent night where performers sing Ilocano ballads, a dance drama, and marching band contest. Of course, Pampanga has its world-famous Lantern Festival held every December, and Sinukwan Festival, a festival immortalizing Aring Sinukwan, god of the ancient Kapampangans where groups outdo each other in dancing to the local anthem “Atin Cu Pung Singsing”.

3. AMAZING CHURCHES



Paoay Church, Photo by Edsel Ochoa[/caption] The country’s deep-rooted Christianity is mirrored in some of the country’s oldest churches located in Northern Luzon. Among them, Baguio Cathedral (Our Lady of Atonement) located atop Mount Mary Hill; Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church), a UNESCO World Heritage Site; St. William Cathedral, Laoag’s city’s landmark built in 1580; Betis Church (St. John the Apostle Parish Church) in Guagua, named a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum for its painted ceiling of murals depicting scenes from the Bible; and the San Guillermo Church in Bacolor, which doubles as a place of worship and a tourist attraction to this day with its Baroque architecture, particularly its pulpit which is intricately carved and heavily gilded in gold leaf.

4. WONDERFUL BEACHES AND WATER SPORTS



In Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, not only do the wide beaches lure you to swim but the excellent wind can give you the ultimate rush via kiteboarding and windsurfing. Zambales’ Potipot Island inspires visitors to go kayaking. Pangasinan’s Hundred Islands also boast of isolated caves, and snorkeling reefs. The more daring ones can go near and far Luzon to enjoy spectacular adventures. Deca Wakepark in Clark is a wakeboarder’s haven. Baguio has various trails which newbies and seasoned adrenaline junkies alike enjoy. Benguet also has challenging bike trails to conquer.

5. GLORIOUS FOOD



Organic food, pampanga, photo by Edsel Ochoa[/caption] Itself a unique adventure, food in Northern Philippines is both for the banal and the adventurous. Pampanga, of course, is the food lover’s haven with Bale Datung, a popular private kitchen perfect for intimate lunch or dinner with family and friends featuring Chef Claude Tayag’s homemade creations; Susie’s pichi pichi, tibok tibok, suman, moche and sapin sapin; Aling Lucing’s Sisig; and Nathaniel’s buko pandan. The Ilocos region boasts of its Vigan longganiza and crispy ukoy and empanadas.

6. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES



Aetas of Zambales, photo by Edsel Ochoa[/caption] Ethnic groups are known to have preserved the real culture of Filipinos. It would be good to encounter and learn more about the Aetas of Pampanga, the Igorots of the Cordillera Administrative Region, the Ilongots in the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains on the east side of Luzon particularly Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya

7. BEST ACCOMMODATIONS



Near or far, affordable or luxurious, North Luzon’s many hotels and accommodations await guests. From Baguio’s Camp John Hay and Baguio Country Club, to Bataan’s Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar where heritage structures are a sight to behold; to Anvaya Cove, a luxurious residential resort and private enclave that presents a balance between sustainable development and environmental preservation. Know more about how you can enjoy the best of North Philippines, its numerous travel spots and no-miss attractions by dropping by at ‘NLEX Tara na sa Norte,” a travel fair which will run on July 25-27, 2014, at the Glorietta Activity Center Makati City. At least 100 exhibitors are expected to gather for this travel and tourism fair mounted by the Manila North Tollways Corp (MNTC) - from the corporate sector, local government units, the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) regional offices, hotels, and restaurants, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and traders, among others. ‘NLEX Tara nasaNorte” will also provide a platform for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their craft, furniture, fashion accessories, food items and other regional products and make them accessible to Metro Manila residents.

Co-presenters are the Department of Tourism Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Glorietta and Ayala Malls, and supported by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), this three-day event is also sponsored by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark Development Corporation, Maynilad and PhilHydro with Cebu Pacific as the official airline partner and Philippine Daily Inquirer, media partner.

Images courtesy of Edsel Ochoa

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Vigan Vies for Slot in 'New 7 Wonders Cities in the World' List

From 1,200+ nominees from 220+ different countries, our very own Vigan is the lone Philippine entry to have make it to the Top 28 of "New 7 Wonders Cities" global poll."

In 2011, the Puerto Princesa Underground River was elected as one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" via an online and SMS poll of global proportions. The feat put the Philippines on the eco-tourism map together with 6 other winners namely the Amazon in South America, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Iguazu Falls in Argentina/Brazil, Jeju Island in Korea, Komodo National Park in Indonesia and Table Mountain in South Africa.

The inclusion of the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" is a testament of how we as Filipinos, here in the country and around the world, are proud of our heritage and that we can be united to achieve a common goal. No less than our President Noynoy Aquino appealed to Filipinos worldwide to vote for PPUR that time. As a result, we got the title and at the same time we saw the number of visitors in Palawan increased to more than 100% and prompted the government to build an international airport in Puerto Princesa which is expected to begin operation in early 2017.

This year, the unity of Filipinos will be tested again as UNESCO World Heritage Site--Vigan--made it to the top 28 of New 7 Wonders Cities global poll. From more than 1,200 nominees, Vigan is now the lone Philippine entry in the running for the title (7 slots) which is set to conclude on December 7, 2014.

In 1999, Vigan became the first and only site in the Philippines to be included in UNESCO World Heritage list joining the ranks of Pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, the Vatican, Paris and the Kremlin. UNESCO described Vigan as an "exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in East and Southeast Asia. The architecture is truly reflective of its roots in both materials and design, in its fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.”

This year, Vigan is about to take the spotlight once again if we can unite and power vote for its inclusion in the New 7 Wonders Cities. From the top 28, the list will trimmed down to 21 on July 7, 2014. If ever Vigan makes it to the Top 21, it will vie again for another voting phase that will reveal the Top 14 on October 7. From the final 14, the last phase of voting will run until the conclusion of the poll on December 7 and the announcement of the official "New 7 Wonders Cities" as chosen by hundreds of millions of votes from
around the world, will be revealed.

To vote for Vigan, log on to the global voting site www.new7wonders.com/en/cities. You need to choose 7 cities in order for your vote to be cast. You can also vote via SMS by texting VIGAN to 2929077, or by phone by following the instructions here.

Cross-published in Starmometer.com

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Vigan: Side by Side with Other Heritage Sites

THE HISTORIC CITY OF VIGAN: SIDE BY SIDE WITH OTHER HERITAGE SITES
by Engr. Ricardo Favis

What does Vigan have in common with the Pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, the Vatican, Paris and the Kremlin? Answer: all are World Heritage Sites.

But five years ago, no one would have dared to compare our small town of Vigan with any of these famous monuments and sites. It would have been unthinkable to place Vigan side by side with the wonders of the world. Then came the news last 2 December 1999 that the UNESCO World Heritage Convention has inscribed the Historic Town of Vigan in the World Heritage List of Cultural Properties for its ‘exceptional’ and ‘universal’ value.

To be able to fully appreciate the distinct honor that has been accorded to our small town, let us travel together and explore some World Heritage Sites whose magnificence enriches each one of us, and whose disappearance would thus be an irreplaceable loss for all humanity.

Among the Seven Wonders of the World (which caught our endless fascination during our high school days), the Pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China are the only survivors. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse in Alexandria and other ancient wonders no longer exist, thus depriving us the opportunity to enjoy and to learn from them.

Great urban centers may exhibit important developments in architecture, town planning or landscape design. Several of them are Rome, Florence, Siena, Venice and Naples (Italy), Cairo (Egypt), Berne (Switzerland), Codoba, Caceres, Segovia and Toledo (Spain), Marrakesh (Morocco), Quebec (Canada), Havana (Cuba), Cracow and Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary), Lima (Peru), Paris, Avignon and Lyons (France), Mexico City, Prague (Czechoslovakia), St. Peterburg (Russia), Salzburg and Graz (Austria), Kathmandu (Nepal) and Bukhara (Uzbekistan).

Some archeological sites bear an exceptional testimony of a civilization which is living or has disappeared. This category includes Sukhothai and Ayutthaya (Thailand), Persepolis (Iran), Carthage (Tunisia), Petra (Jordan), Teotihuacan (Mexico), Machu Pichu (Peru), Troy (Turkey), Delphi and Mycenae (Greece), Damascus (Syria), and Jerusalem.

Some World Heritage Sites are associated with ideas or beliefs of outstanding universal significance, such as the case of Vatican City (Holy See), Temple and Cemetery of Confucius in Qufu (China), and the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha in Lumbini (Nepal).

There are also the castles and palaces that are magnets for tourists, like the Versailles (France), Alhambra and Escorial (Spain), Grand Palace of Brussels (Belgium), the Potala in Tibet, the summer Palace in Beijing and the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (China), and the Complex of Hue Monuments (Viet Nam).

Sana’a (Yemen), Timbuktu (Mali), Taos Indian Pueblo (USA), and the modern city of Brasilia (Brazil) are some cities with distinctive architecture.

The Office of the UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific first introduced the concept of the World Heritage Convention at the community level in four small towns: Vigan (Philippines), Luang Prabang (Lao PDR), Lijiang (China) and Hoi An (Viet Nam). These towns which are pilot demonstration sites under a UNESCO Programme on Integrated Community Development and Heritage Site Preservation in Asia Pacific through Local Efforts or LEAP have all been inscribed in the World Heritage List.

Aside from the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids and Necropolis of Egypt, other famous landmarks include the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae (Egypt), the Taj Mahal (India), the Statue of Liberty (USA), the Westminster Abbey and Palace (United Kingdom), and the Stonehenge (United Kingdom).

Religious structures and complexes include Acropolis (Greece), Borobudor (Indonesia), Angkor (Cambodia), Mont Saint Michel (France), Chartres Cathedral (France), Churches and Convents in Goa (India), the Four Baroque Churches (Philippines), Piazza del Duomo in Pisa (Italy), Cologne Cathedral (Germany), Monasteries in Mount Athos, Chios, Chora and Patmos Island (Greece), and the Jesuit missions of the Guarinis (Argentina and Brazil).

The Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci in the Church of Santa Maria delle Gracie (Italy) has been single out as a masterpiece of human creative genius. Other artistic works of outstanding universal value include the rock paintings in the Altamira Caves (Spain) and the rock carvings in Tanum (Sweden) and Alta (Norway).

Monuments that remind us of the horrors of war include Auschwitz Concentration Camp (Poland), the Defense Line of Amsterdam (Netherlands), and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Japan).

Archeological sites of scientific importance include the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (China), the Fossil Hominid Sites (South Africa), and the Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmaki (Finland).

The Wielickzka Salt Mine (Poland), Mines of Rammelsberg and the Volklinger Ironworks (Germany), and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (India) are sites that exhibit important developments in technology.

A site can also be a cultural landscape or an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement or land-use which is representative of a culture. An example of a cultural landscape is the Rice Terraces of the Philippines Cordilleras.

A natural site may be a geological wonder or it exemplifies a stage of the earth’s evolutionary processes, such as in the case of the Yellowstone, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Grand Canyon (USA). The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) manifest biological evolution and rich biodiversity. Natural sites that contain the natural habitats of endangered animals include the Komodo National Park (Indonesia), the Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino (Mexico), Iguazo National Park (Argentina) and the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (Senegal).

Natural sites cited for their rich biodiversity and natural beauty include the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), the Everglades (USA), The Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Lake Baikal (Russian Federation), and the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park (Philippines) and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Philippines) for large numbers of animals include the Ngorongoro and Serengeti Reserves (Tanzania). A natural site may also be a scene of exceptional beauty or spectacular view, such as Mount Taishan (China), Los Glaciares and the Peninsula Valdes (Argentina), the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Canada), the Redwood National Park(USA), and the New Zealand Sub- Antarctic Islands.

[This article was provided by the City of Vigan]

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Vigan - UNESCO World Heritage City

Towards the end of November 1999, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention met in Marrakeeh, Morocco to decide which of the sites and monuments proposed by countries that have adhered to the World Heritage Convention should be included in the World Heritage List.  The selection process is quite difficult for the World Heritage Committee, composed of specialists from 21 countries elected from among the nations that have signed the Convention, which determined how each site or monument, as opposed to another, be judged to form part of the World Heritage and what constitutes the exceptional and universal value of a cultural treasure. 

     In this respect, the World Heritage Convention defines what kinds of monuments and sites may be considered as part of cultural heritage and what kinds of physical and geological formations may be considered as part of our natural heritage.  The Convention provides detailed criteria for the selection of sites and monuments, which the Committee applies rigorously to prevent the World Heritage List from becoming too long and to preserve its integrity as the checklist of the best among the world’s treasures.

     On 2 December 1999, our Historic City of Vigan, a municipality then was inscribed in the World Heritage List which now includes 630 cultural and natural properties of exceptional universal value in 158 States Parties or countries that have adhered to the Convention.

      The Historic City of Vigan was inscribed on the basis of the following:

Criterion (ii): “exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts or town planning and landscape design.”

      Under this criterion, the World Heritage Centre officially cites: “Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.”

                Criterion (iv): “be an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant change in human history.”

     Under this criterion, the citation reads: “Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and East Asia.”

     To understand better these citations, let us explore together the town planning, the evolution and typical lay-out of the Vigan House.

 Town Planning

     Strategically located at the mouth of the Abra River along the northwestern coast of Luzon which is nearest to mainland China, Vigan was an important coastal trading port from the pre-colonial era to the 19^th century.  The town plan is representative of the style the Spanish colonizers had designed and established in the 18^th century, conforming to the Ley de las Indias (the Law of the Indies) that regulated the lay-out, street patterns and open spaces of all new settlements during the Spanish era: a regular urban design of grid street pattern radiating from a central plaza (park).

     Dominating the central plaza (Plaza Salcedo) are the administrative and religious buildings: the Casa Real (Provincial Administrative Office), the Municipio (Municipal Hall), the Seminario (Archdiocesan Seminary), the Colegio de Niñas (which became the Rosary College, then St. Paul’s College), the Arzobispado (Archbishop’s Palace), the Cathedral (St. Paul’s Cathedral) with its detached campanario (belfry).  Another plaza (Plaza Burgos) is situated to the south of the cathedral.  Ancestral houses are tightly strung along narrow streets forming a grid-like pattern within the kasanglayan or mestizo district (historic district) which used to extend from the Mestizo River on the east to Rizal Street on the west.

     The ancient urban plan survived the ravages of time, nature and the last World War, but a number of historic buildings were destroyed by fire.  Before the turn of the last century, the Casa Real burned down and was replaced by an American colonial structure which became the Capitolio (Provincial Capitol Building).  During the Japanese occupation, fire destroyed several houses along Crisologo Street, which were fortunately replaced by structures conforming to the historic buildings within the Mestizo district.  In 1952, ancestral houses along Quezon Avenue were gutted down by fire.  They were replaced by modern structures, which started the erosion of the   ancient urban fabric of Vigan.  The old seminario was burned down in 1968, followed by arrow of ancestral houses on the southern periphery of Plaza Burgos in 1971.

Evolution of the Vigan House

     The Vigan house evolved from the pre-colonial bahay kubo of wood and bamboo, with roofs of nipa palm or cogon grass.  The bahay kubo however was easily destroyed by typhoons and fire.  In the 17^th century, the Spaniards and Mexicans started teaching the Chinese and native artisans how to quarry and dress stone, mould bricks, prepare and use lime mortar to construct fire-resistant brick and stone structures.  Again, these structures were easily toppled down by earthquakes.

     To counteract the dangers of fire and earthquakes, local artisans developed another type of architecture which incorporates the flexibility of interlocking wooden haligis (houseposts) and beams of the bahay kubo, and the durability and fire-resistance of stone and bricks.  Stone and brick were used only on the ground floor; the second floor was of timber.  The haligis carried the weight of the second floor, while the stone and   brick walls on the ground floor served as solid curtains for the wooden framework.

     A majority of the historic buildings in Vigan are two-storey structures, built in masonry on the ground floor and timber on the second floor.  Some of the timber           and bricks houses have voladas or extensions of the second floors that projects to the outside.  The volada is a passageway that runs along this projection and was used by servants to move discreetly around the house, without disturbing homeowners and guests in the sala and bedrooms.   

     A third type of Vigan house is the two-storey buildings, built in masonry on both floors, which is remarkable in this earth-quake prone are.  Most of the houses along Crisologo Street are of this type, which manifests the highest technological achievement of local artisans in building construction before the introduction of modern building materials and technology from the west.

The Vigan Ancestral House

     Like the shop-houses in Asian trading cities like Melaka, Penang and Kuching (Malaysia), Macau, Singapore and Hoi An (Viet Nam), the Vigan house was built on a larger scale than its Asian counterparts.

     The lay out and partitioning of the Vigan house were designed for specific purposes.  One enters the puerta (main door), which is wide enough to accommodate the width of the caruaje (horse-drawn carriage) and high enough for the carroza (shoulder-borne and later on, carriage-mounted religious images), into a zaguan or hall on the ground floor.  The inhabitants of the house can let visitors in by pulling a string from the second floor to open a puertita (smaller door) hinged to the main door.  Horses for carriages were tethered in the caballoreza (horse stable) at the rear of the ground floor.  Shops and bodegas (storage rooms) take up the rest of the space on the ground floor.

     The grand staircase has two sections: a few steps to a landing where ordinary visitors were received; then a long flight of staircase to the second floor.  More important visitors were received in the caida or antesala where informal entertaining was held.  The sala, the biggest and most important part of the house was used for family gatherings and for important occasions.  As in the pre-colonial bahay kubo, families slept together in two to three large cuartos (bedrooms).  Either located at the end of the sala or separated by partition is the comedor (dining room) which leads to the cocina (kitchen).  Adjacent to the cocina is the cobeta (toilet) which is a separate structure that was built at a later stage when sanitary toilets were introduced in the late 1800s.  The azotea (open terrace) is an extension at the back of the second floor where residents and guests gathered to cool off and enjoy the stars after dinner.

     The large ventanas (windows) which provide a maximum of ventilation are of two layers of sliding panes: an inner pair of sliding windows made of translucent capiz shells (of Chinese/Japanese origin) that permit natural sunlight to enter into the house; and an outside pair of sliding wooden storm shutters.  Below the ventanas are smaller windows of sliding wooden panels called ventanillas that are protected by wooden balusters.  Children can safely watch the street scene below through the balustered ventanillas.  Tiled roofs and eaves extend well into the street to prevent rain from entering the inside of the house.  Calados (cutwork friezes) decorating the top portion of the internal wooden partitions permit breeze to waft through.  Some houses have window eaves made of tin and decorated with decorative cutouts on the fringes.

Significance of Vigan’s Inscription

     The historic buildings of Vigan manifest the unique artistic and technological achievements of 18^th and 19^th century native artisans who developed an architectural style adapted to the earthquake-prone tropics and reflected their native art, using indigenous materials of wood, stone, terra cotta and capiz shells.  The authenticity of the built heritage of Vigan has been established by experts: much of its original architectural, structural and decorative elements are still intact.

     Vigan is a unique monument for having retained its ancient urban plan.  In the Philippines, our town has the most extensive number of surviving religious, civic and traditional buildings that date back to the 18^th century. Today, 187 historic structures have survived.  Most of them continue to be inhabited by descendants of the original builders or used for the original purposes for which they were built (religious and administrative buildings).  Vigan is a ‘living heritage site’ where local inhabitants continue to be the custodians of their patrimony, where traditional industries continue to fuel local economy and where local traditions continue to be practiced.

        Over the centuries, Vigan has maintained its visual and architectural unity and homogeneity.  The built heritage of Vigan expresses the fusion and continuing adaptation of various cultural influences (Ilocano, Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, Mexican and more recently American) into a homogenous urban landscape and into an architectural style that is uniquely Filipino.

      Vigan is likewise historically important to the nation as the scene of major historical events in the nation’s struggle for independence from foreign domination and is the birthplace of heroes, heroines and illustrious personages who shaped regional and national destiny.

     Vigan’s inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Cultural Properties is therefore an acknowledgement of the genius of our native artisans who built our historic buildings and monuments, and a recognition of the commitment of our present generation to preserve our architectural legacy for the future generations of not only Bigueños, but of the entire world.  With its inclusion in the World Heritage List, the Town of Vigan has become a source of pride, and a national symbol of the Filipinos.

(Written by Engr. Ricardo L. Favis, a Consultant for Culture at UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok, Thailand and former Tourism Operations Officer of the City of Vigan)

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