Ilocos Norte is a province of thePhilippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, andAbra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.
Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.
Although majority of the People in the Philippines are adherents to the Roman Catholicbut its not the majority religion in the province. The Aglipayan Church, founded by Batacnative Gregorio Aglipay has a strong following in the province.
Ilocos Norte is home to several famous Roman Catholic churches:
- Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church) - named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
- St. William's Cathedral in Laoag - famous for its Sinking Bell Tower
- St. Monica Parish Church in Sarrat - documented to be the biggest church in theIlocos Region.
- Bacarra Church - destroyed during an intensity VII (on the Rossi-Forel scale) earthquake on August 17, 1983,[2] reconstructed and re-inaugurated in 1984.
Ilocos Norte is the home of the Aglipay Shrine(Aglipayan Church) where the church first supreme leader is buried.
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The province offers a number of popular destinations for tourists, locals and foreigners alike. Because of its proximity to the South China Sea, tourist arrivals peak during the summer seasons, the beach resorts topping the most visited list.
- Fort Ilocandia Beach Resort and Hotel
- The sandy beach spans 2 kilometers. It also offers the only 5-star hotel in northern Philippines sprawling over 77 hectares of land. It is located in Laoag City and is a 10-minutes drive from the Laoag International Airport.
- Laoag Sinking Bell Tower
- Over the years the 45m high bell tower has shelved few meters downward. This is evident by the tower's entrance that at present day a man of ordinary height must bent over to get inside.
- Bangui Wind Farm
- Saud Beach Resort
- Sta. Monica Church Complex
- Paoay Church
- This baroque architecture church is inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List.
- Juan Luna Museum
- Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
- Marcos Museum
Political Divisions
ILOCOS NORTEIlocos Norte is subdivided into 558 barangays, 21 municipalities, and 2 cities.
| City/Municipality | No. of Barangays | Population (2000) | Area (km²) | Pop. density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 1 | 1,480 | 159.31 | 9.3 |
| Bacarra | 43 | 29,668 | 66.07 | 449.0 |
| Badoc | 31 | 27,862 | 66.41 | 419.5 |
| Bangui | 15 | 14,327 | 163.59 | 87.6 |
| Banna (Espiritu) | 20 | 16,704 | 97.68 | 171.0 |
| Batac City | 43 | 47,682 | 161.06 | 296.1 |
| Burgos | 11 | 8,534 | 128.90 | 66.2 |
| Carasi | 3 | 1,154 | 157.38 | 7.3 |
| Currimao | 23 | 10,615 | 33.08 | 320.9 |
| Dingras | 31 | 33,310 | 96.00 | 347.0 |
| Dumalneg | 1 | 1,486 | 88.48 | 16.8 |
| Laoag City | 80 | 94,466 | 101.88 | 927.2 |
| Marcos | 13 | 15,154 | 226.38 | 66.9 |
| Nueva Era | 11 | 6,095 | 515.02 | 11.8 |
| Pagudpud | 16 | 19,315 | 194.90 | 99.1 |
| Paoay | 31 | 21,745 | 76.24 | 285.2 |
| Pasuquin | 33 | 24,739 | 189.39 | 130.6 |
| Piddig | 23 | 19,059 | 121.33 | 157.1 |
| Pinili | 25 | 15,903 | 89.48 | 177.7 |
| San Nicolas | 24 | 31,688 | 40.18 | 788.7 |
| Sarrat | 24 | 22,884 | 57.39 | 398.8 |
| Solsona | 22 | 21,338 | 167.91 | 127.1 |
| Vintar | 34 | 29,031 | 624.85 | 46.5 |
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