Ilocos (province)

For the current provinces, see Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. For the region, see Ilocos Region.

Ilocos
Province of the Philippines
1571–1818
Location of the historical province of Ilocos.
Capital	Vigan
Historical era	Colonial Period
• Established	1571
• Disestablished	2 February 1818
Succeeded by Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur
Today part of	· Abra  · Ilocos Norte  · Ilocos Sur  · La Union

Ilocos was a province in northern Luzon, Philippines that comprised the present-day provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, parts of La Union, and Abra. ^[1] In 1818, the province was disestablshed when it was split into Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur through a royal decree ^[2] due to rapid population growth. ^[3]

Etymology

Ilocos is derived from Ylokos, the pre-Hispanic name for the coastal plains stretching from Bangui in the north to Namacpacan in the south. It is also derived from the Spanish words y-looc, which translates to "from the coves" or coastal bays or looc/look where inhabitants had built settlements. ^{[4] [5]} When Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo arrived in present-day Vigan on June 13, 1572, he observed the area's natural coves and named the region Ylocos and its people Ylocanos.

History

In 1571, after gaining control over Manila, Spanish conquistadors led by Juan de Salcedo ventured northward with eight armed boats and a small force of 45 men. Salcedo landed in present-day Vigan in 1572 and traveled through present-day Laoag, Currimao, and Badoc, encountering indigenous communities settled in sheltered coves, or looc, and naming the area Ylokos after these coastal inhabitants.

Initially administered as part of an encomienda, the Spanish established Christian missions and governmental institutions across Ilocos to convert the native population to Catholicism. Augustinian missionaries built enduring churches and parishes, and Vigan later became the diocesan seat of Nueva Segovia. ^{[6] : 539  [7] : 31, 54, 113} It also had 10,041 Chinese Filipino families. ^{[7] : 9} However, the Spanish faced resistance due to abusive colonial practices, triggering notable uprisings, including the Dingras uprising (1589), Pedro Almazan revolt (1660), the Diego and Gabriela Silang Revolt (1762–1763), and the Basi Revolt (1807). ^[4] In 1762, the province became part of the independent Free Ilocos state, when Diego Silang declared liberation from Spanish rule, which then momentarily lost control due to the British occupation of Manila. It was later disestablished upon Silang's assassination in 1763. ^{[8] [9]}

On February 2, 1818, the province was split into Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur by the promulgation of a royal decree due to rapid population growth. ^{[2] [3]}

See also

• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Ilocos Region

References

1. Reyes, Pedrito (1953). Pictorial History of the Philippines. Capitol Publishing House. p. 484. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
2. Castello, Lea T. (1977). This is the Philippines!. p. 30. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
3. Office, Philippines Census (1920). Census of the Philippine Islands Taken Under the Direction of the Philippine Legislature in the Year 1918. Bureau of printing. p. 160. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
4. "History of Ilocos Sur | Province of Ilocos Sur" . Retrieved 2023-09-04.
5. "Purchase and Delivery of a Delivery van for the Botika ti Probinsya ti Ilocos Sur Office". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
6. "ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO PRIMERO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
7. ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO SEGUNDO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)
8. "Ilocano Cultural Orientation". Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. July 2006. p. 6.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
9. Zaragoza, Ramón Ma. "History of Villa Fernandina II". Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture. 2004. 8 (3). Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.