Vigan, officially the City of Vigan ( ilo, Siudad ti Vigan; fil, Lungsod ng Vigan), is a 4th class component city and capital of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur, officially the Province of Ilocos Sur ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Sur; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Sur), is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,935 people. Located on the western coast of the large island of

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, facing the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Ph ...

, it is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

and it is one of the few Spanish colonial towns left in the Philippines whose old structures have mostly remained intact.It is well known for its sett pavements and a unique architecture of the

Spanish Philippines Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

colonial era which fuses Native Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial Spanish architecture that is still abundant in the area, mainly the

Bahay na Bato ''Bahay na bato'' (Tagalog, literally "house of stone", also known in Visayan as ''balay na bato'' or ''balay nga bato; in Spanish as Casa Filipino'') is a type of building originating during the Philippines' Spanish colonial period. It is an ...

houses and an

Earthquake Baroque Earthquake Baroque or Seismic Baroque is a style of Baroque architecture found in the Philippines and Guatemala, which suffered destructive earthquakes during the 17th century and 18th century, where large public buildings, such as churches, were ...

church. Former Philippine president

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...

, the sixth

President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of ...

, was born in Vigan, at the former location of the Provincial Jail (his father was a warden); he resided in the Syquia Mansion. The entire city of Vigan was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City after being declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a member of the

Organization of World Heritage Cities The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization of 250 cities in which sites of the UNESCO World Heritage list are located. It was founded in 1993 in Fez, Morocco, during the second In ...

(OWHC). In May 2015, Vigan City was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor, it is home to m ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

and

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bol ...

. New7Wonders Foundation president and founding member Bernard Weber led a ceremony held at St. Paul Cathedral where he handed a bronze plaque to former Vigan Mayor Eva Grace Singson-Medina, signifying the heritage city's election as one of the world's wonder cities.Vigan named as one of the New7Wonders
/ref>

Etymology

The area of Vigan was originally a settlement of traders coming from the

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...

Province,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. At the time of Spanish colonisation, the Chinese settlers, whose language was

Southern Min Southern Min (), Minnan ( Mandarin pronunciation: ) or Banlam (), is a group of linguistically similar and historically related Sinitic languages that form a branch of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian (especially the Minnan region), most of Taiwa ...

(

Min Nan Southern Min (), Minnan ( Mandarin pronunciation: ) or Banlam (), is a group of linguistically similar and historically related Sinitic languages that form a branch of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian (especially the Minnan region), most of Taiwan ...

, often referred to as "

Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...

" by most Filipinos), referred to the area as ''Bee Gan'' (), which means "Beautiful Shore." Since the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

conquistadors interchanged V and the B to refer to the /b/ sound, they spelled the Hokkien Chinese name "Bee Gan" as ''Vigan'', which is the name used to this day. Vigan's Chinese heritage is still evident from the numerous elite Chinese creole families who come from the area, many of whom adopted Hispanic family names. Others, such as the Syquia family, have retained Chinese-derived surnames, though most, if not all, of the Christian Chinese creole families fully Hispanicised themselves culturally. The most commonly known source of the city's name is from the Biga'a plant, which once grew abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River, from which captain

Juan de Salcedo Juan de Salcedo (; 1549 – March 11, 1576) was a Spanish- Novohispanic conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549 and he was the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi and brother of Felipe de Salcedo. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accompa ...

derived the city's name (after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants).

Other names

The city's full name at the time of its Spanish foundation was ''Villa Fernandina'', or "Town of Ferdinand", in honor of Prince

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

, the firstborn son of King

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

. As the city grew, and the seat of the

Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It covers the province of Ilocos Sur, on the island of Luzon. The see of the archdiocese is the city of Vigan.

History

Landing Fields - Philippines - Luzon Island - NARA - 68161222

Due to silting of the Mestizo River, Vigan City is no longer separated from the mainland, therefore no longer an island. The city is unique in the Philippines because it is one of many extensive surviving Philippine historic cities, dating back to the 16th century. Vigan was a coastal trading post long before the Spaniards arrived; Chinese traders sailing from the South China Sea came to ''Isla de Vigan'' (Island of Vigan) via the Mestizo River that surrounded it. On board their ships were seafaring merchants who came to trade goods from other Asian kingdoms in exchange for gold, beeswax, and other mountain products brought by the indigenous peoples from the

Cordillera region The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR; ilo, Rehion/Deppaar Administratibo ti Kordiliera; fil, Rehiyong Pampangasiwaan ng Cordillera), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera (), is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...

. In the book ''The Philippine Island'' (Vol. III, p. 276, Blair and Robertson) two letters from

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Guido de Lavezaris to King

mention: "It seemed best to send Captain Juan de Salcedo with 70 or 80 soldiers to explore the coast of Los Ilocanos on the shores of the river called Bigan." The Spaniards led by Salcedo marched north from Manila on May 20, 1572. They arrived in Vigan on June 13, 1572. Tirad Pass, declared a National Shrine, had been the last stand of the Filipino Revolutionary Forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo during the same period

Thus, after the successful expedition and the exploration of the North, Juan de Salcedo founded "Villa Fernandina de Vigan" in honor of King Philip II's son, Prince Ferdinand, who died at the age of four. From Vigan, Salcedo rounded the tip of Luzón and proceeded to pacify Camarines,

Albay Albay,

Architecture

When

founded Vigan in 1572, he decided to pattern its urban plan with that of

Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day ...

, the walled city in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

. The urban planners of the Spanish government also followed a basic pattern that can be observed in most old towns in the country, whose establishment dates back to the Spanish colonial period. This pattern is detailed in the ''Ley de las Indias,'' the Law of the Indies, and was put into force in the 18th century. Under the Law of the Indies streets were to follow a grid pattern, the center of which being a

plaza A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

or central park. In Vigan, the central park is the Plaza Salcedo. Next to it are the administrative buildings—the Casa Real or provincial administrative office, and the ''municipio'' ( municipal hall). A stone's throw away are the religious buildings—the seminary of the archdiocese, the Arzobispado (Archbishop's Palace), and the

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gra ...

. Beside these religious structures is the church-run school, the Saint Paul College, known in its early days as the ''Colegio de Niñas.'' After the full transfer of the said school to the neighboring towns of Bantay and San Vicente, the building was handed over to the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and is currently being occupied by a retail store chain, with only a commemorative plaque at the building's entrance and the old "ROSARY COLLEGE" concrete sign at its rear reminding visitors of its past (the school's old logo, once found at the building's facade, has been removed sometime later). A unique thing is the existence of another plaza, the ''Plaza Burgos'', which is immediately beside the St. Paul's Cathedral. After the first tier emanating from Plaza Salcedo are the houses of prominent residents that now make up the preserved heritage houses of Vigan. This urban plan remained relatively intact despite wars and natural calamities that have been endured by Vigan since its foundation. The major changes to the original urban landscape were caused by fires. The Casa Real was replaced with a provincial capitol building during the American period when the original structure burned down. The archdiocese seminary was also destroyed by fire in 1968, and it lay in ruins until the late 1990s, when part of a shopping mall was built on the site. The residential areas were not spared. Some of the houses on Crisologo Street were casualties of fire during the Japanese period; several houses on Quezon Avenue were destroyed by fire as well in 1952; while in 1971, some houses near Plaza Burgos burned down as well. The houses along Crisologo Street that were burned were later reconstructed faithfully following the architecture of the former structures. Presently, there are other major areas of activities other than the two plazas, though these are still where most recreation and shopping are done. One may also go to the southern part of the city to reach the commercial area and public market. The current Public Market is a new one, as the old one (formerly the Imelda Socio-Commercial Complex), on the same site, was (also) destroyed by fire. A new mall (opened in December 2017) has risen from the site of the city's first Public Market, found in the center of the business district, after being the site of some business establishments and a tricycle-for-hire terminal.

Tourism

Popular sites include Calle Crisologo located in the Mestizo district- the old quarters of the city. Syquia Mansion Museum, Plaza Salcedo's Dancing Fountain, Padre Burgos House, and the National Museum of the Philippines. Nearby is the

Bantay Church The Saint Augustine Parish Church, commonly known as Bantay Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Bantay, Ilocos Sur in the Philippines. The church was dedicated to Saint Augustine of Hippo. It houses the venerated image of Our Lady of Charity. ...

Bell Tower. Of special note is the Hotel Luna, which houses an extensive collection of art, including La Mandolinera by Jose Luna. Centuries-old Sta. Maria Church, designated also as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Transportation

Metro transport

Modes of transport within the city are purely land-based. Vehicles for public use include

jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public transportation, public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their ...

tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes ...

s, vans-for-hire (or PUVs/public utility vehicles) and ''

calesa A kalesa or calesa is a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used in the Philippines. It is commonly vividly painted and decorated. It was a primary mode of public and private transportation during the Spanish colonial era of the Philippines, though ...

''s (horse-drawn vehicles). Buses, mini-buses and jeepneys provide transportation to and from Vigan. The metro Vigan transport system is mostly served by tricycles, which are color- and number-coded to identify their municipality of origin.

Land transportation

Vigan City is well-served by a network of roads and a major highway that connects to Manila North Road, the highway leading to

and the rest of the country. Major bus companies such as Dominion Bus Lines, Viron Transit, Partas, and Aniceto/St. Joseph operate terminals in Vigan. GMW Florida Transport operates a terminal in Bantay, just outside Vigan. Bus companies such as Maria de Leon and Fariñas pass by Vigan on their way to

Laoag Laoag, officially the City of Laoag ( ilo, Siudad ti Laoag; fil, Lungsod ng Laoag), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 111,651 people. ...

. They operate direct and/or indirect bus services from Vigan City to points in Luzon, mostly to Manila,

Baguio Baguio ( , ), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...

, and Laoag and vice versa. There are also independent bus operators plying the Laoag-Vigan-Carmen and Vigan-Abra routes, and have a joint terminal found at the New Vigan Public Market Annex. A taxi service started operating in 2019, just before the COViD-19 pandemic struck.

Air transportation

A secondary airport called Vigan Airport (also known as Mindoro Airport) is located at Barangay Mindoro. It has one asphalted runway, 900 meters long and 30 meters wide. The airport was once a dormant asset of the city for it does not generate revenue, with only chartered and private planes using it; it is currently being upgraded and is on its way toward commercialization.

Education

University of Northern Philippines The University of Northern Philippines (UNP; fil, Pamantasan ng Kahilagaang Pilipinas) is a university in Barangay Tamag, in the City of Vigan in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the first and oldest state university in Northern L ...

Main Campus — in Barangay Tamag. It is the oldest state university in Northern Luzon, founded by virtue of Republic Act 4449, authored by Congressman Floro Crisologo. *

Divine Word College of Vigan The Divine Word College of Vigan also referred to by its acronym DWCV is a private, Catholic, co-educational institution of higher learning run by the Philippine Northern Province of the Society of the Divine Word in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philip ...

(formerly known as the ''Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepción'') — the second oldest privately funded school in

, founded by priests belonging to the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). * Macro Colleges Inc. — the first computer college in the province, having evolved from being the first shop in Ilocos Sur to offer computer-based services. The school is now K-to-12 College, located at Quezon Avenue. Currently operated by the Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives. *Ilocos Sur National High School (ISNHS) — the major national high school in the province. *Lyceum de Ylocos — is a new school offering Technical-Vocational courses and is a registered Senior High School offering various Tracks that include ABM, GAS, HUMSS and TLE-Technical-Vocational Courses. Situated at the heart of the Heritage City, 3F Vigan Landmark Building, Barangay VIII. The school adopted a classical name to emphasize the grandeur of its location, the Heritage City of Vigan, the only awardee of the title New World Wonder City in the Philippines. It fosters the promotion of tourism and hospitality; promotes preservation of the cultural heritage and innovates towards service delivery and business processing. Lyceum de Ylocos is committed to be of service to students through the provisions of an environment where there would be opportunities to relate theories and knowledge to practical training. *Data Center Colleges Philippines Vigan Branch - Data Center Philippines (DCPI) first came to Ilocos Sur through a partnership with the University of Northern Philippines for its computerization efforts in the late 80s. It later evolved independently as a college offering computer- and non-computer-related courses. Formerly operating where Lyceum de Ylocos is operating today, they are currently located in a building just outside UNP's Vigan Campus.

Media

TV Stations

*PTV Vigan Channel 4 * GNN Vigan Channel 30 *TV5 Vigan Channel 32 *UNTV Vigan Channel 36 *Sonshine TV Vigan Channel 38 *GTV Vigan Channel 40 *One Sports Vigan Channel 46 * GMA Vigan Channel 48

Cable & Satellite

*Eaglevision Cable *Vigan Satellite Cable TV *

Cignal TV Cignal TV, Inc. (formerly known as GV Broadcasting System), also known by its legal trading name Mediascape Inc., is a Filipino media and telecommunications firm in the Philippines. A wholly owned subsidiary of the media conglomerate MediaQue ...

Sky Direct Sky Direct was a direct-broadcast satellite subscription television service in the Philippines owned and operated by Sky, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN. Sky Cable had been eyeing for a DBS service and considered on acquiring Dream Satellite TV from A ...

Radio

AM Stations: * DZVV Bombo Radyo 603 (

Bombo Radyo Philippines Bombo Radyo Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a Bombo Radyo Philippines) is a Philippine radio network of the ''Florete Group of Companies'', which also manages banking and pawnshop operations. Its main office and headquarters are located at Florete Bldg., 2 ...

) *DWAE Radyo Pilipinas 747 (

Philippine Broadcasting Service Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) ( fil, Paglilingkod Panghimpapawid ng Pilipinas), also known by its government agency Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) (Filipino: ''Kawanihan ng mga Serbisyong Pambrodkast''), is a state radio network ...

) * Radyo Commando 927 (Solidnorth Broadcasting) * DZNS 963 Radyo Totoo (

Catholic Media Network Catholic Media Network, also known as CMN, is a Catholic radio network in the Philippines. CMN serves as the broadcasting arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippi ...

) *DWCS Radyo Uno 1188 (

Capitol Broadcasting Center Capitol Broadcasting Center is a Philippine radio network. Its corporate office is located at Unit 1802, 18/F, OMM-Citra Building, San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), ...

) FM Stations: *92.5 Radio Maria (

Radio Maria Philippines Radio Maria Philippines is the Philippine radio division of The World Family of Radio Maria Radio Maria (formally known as The World Family of Radio Maria; es, link=no, Radio María, pt, Rádio Maria, hr, Radio Marija, mt, Radju Marija, ...

) *93.3 Love Radio (

Manila Broadcasting Company Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) is a radio and television network in the Philippines. MBC is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusement park Star City. Its AM fl ...

) * 94.1 Magik FM (

Century Broadcasting Network Century Broadcasting Network is a Philippine radio network. Its corporate office is located at S-510, Comfoods Bldg., Gil Puyat Ave. cor. Chino Roces Ave., Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is ...

) * 98.9 XFM Radio Vigan (

Southern Broadcasting Network Southern Broadcasting Network, Inc. (SBN) is a Filipino-owned media company based radio and television network based in Metro Manila. SBN is a subsidiary of Solar Entertainment Corporation, a Filipino-owned television company managed by t ...

/Yes2Health, Advertising, Inc.) * 99.7 Core FM (

Iddes Broadcast Group Iddes Broadcast Group, Inc. is a Media in the Philippines, Philippine radio network. Its corporate office is located at 3/F, Kingsheen Bldg., Don Mariano Marcos Ave., Roxas, Isabela. IBG operates a number of stations across regional places in th ...

) *100.5 Campus Radio (

) *101.3 Brigada News FM (Soon to Air) (

Brigada Mass Media Corporation Brigada Mass Media Corporation (BMMC) is a newspaper company and Mass media, media network in the Philippines. It is the first-ever local Tri-media organization to have emerged from the Soccsksargen area as a national network with its array o ...

)

Sister cities

References

External links

Vigan.ph
* *

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

br>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Cities in Ilocos Sur Populated places established in 1572 1572 establishments in the Philippines Provincial capitals of the Philippines Architecture in the Philippines World Heritage Sites in the Philippines Populated coastal places in the Philippines Spanish colonial infrastructure in the Philippines Component cities in the Philippines