Vigan

Vigan is the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur. It is a 4th class component city and it is populated by 53, 935 people. It borders Santa Catalina to the north, Bantay to the northeast, Santa to the southeast, The South China Sea to the west and Caoayan to the south.

**Etymology**

The area of Vigan was originally a settlement of traders coming from the Fujian Province, China. At the time of Spanish colonisation, the Chinese settlers, whose language was Southern Min (Min Nan, often referred to as "Hokkien" by most Filipinos), referred to the area as *Bee Gan* (Chinese: 美岸; pinyin: *měi'àn*; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: *bí-gān*), which means "Beautiful Shore." Since the Spanish 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 derived the city's name (after a misunderstanding with the locals, thinking he was asking the name of the plants).

**History**

The city's full name at the time of its Spanish foundation was *Villa Fernandina*, or "Town of Ferdinand", in honor of Prince Ferdinand, the firstborn son of King Philip II of Spain. As the city grew, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia transferred to Vigan, it was later renamed *Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan* ("Ferdinand's City of Vigan/Fernandine City of Vigan").

ue 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.

In the book *The Philippine Island* (Vol. III, p. 276, Blair and Robertson) two letters from Governor-General Guido de Lavezaris to King Philip II of Spain 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. [1]

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, and Catanduanes. As a reward for his services to the King of Spain, Salcedo was awarded the old province of Ilocos, which consisted of the modern provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union and part of Mountain Province as his hacienda (estate), and was accorded the title of *Justicia Mayor de esta Provincia de Ylocos* (Province Mayor of Ilocos).

In 1574, Salcedo returned to the capital of his *encomienda* (trusteeship), Vigan, bringing with him his soldiers and some Augustinian missionaries to pioneer the evangelization of the Ilocos region. He established a Spanish city for the purpose of controlling the neighboring country.

Governor General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, in his account of *encomienda* dated in Manila on May 31, 1591, states: "The town of Vigan called *Villa Fernandina* consisted of Spanish settlers; a priest; a Justice Alcalde Mayor (Governor); and a Deputy. The King collects 800 tributes (equivalent to 3,200 subjects)." During this period, Vigan was composed of 19 *barrio*s (districts).

Between 1645 and 1660, Vigan was divided into 21 *Cabezas de Barrio* (Town Mayors) as mentioned in the *Libro de Casamiento* (Book of Marriage); from the records of the parish house of Vigan found in its archives. Separated from the indigenous population, the Chinese migrants were residents in a neighbourhood called El Pariancillo, los Sangleyes del parian (The Sangleyes of the Parian); and the Spanish settlers were residents in a town called *Los Españoles de la Villa* (The Town Spaniards).

During the Philippine Revolution, revolutionary forces under Manuel Tinio, supported by the Ilocano rebels, attacked and defeated the Spanish colonial forces and captured the city in the Siege of Vigan. During the Philippine–American War, American forces led by Commander McCracken and Lt. Col. James Parker occupied the town in Nov. 1899.

At the start of World War II, Vigan was one of the first places in the Philippines invaded by Japan on December 10, 1941. In 1945, combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth ground troops, aided by Ilocano resistance fighters, defeated the Japanese Imperial forces and liberated Vigan.

In 1999, Vigan was listed by UNESCO as the best preserved example of Spanish colonial towns in Asia. Its architecture is the conglomeration of cultural elements from the Philippines, China, and Spain, making it unique in the world.

**Cityhood**

On December 27, 2000, then President Joseph Estrada signed Republic Act No. 8988, that "revalidated and recognized" Vigan's city status granted by virtue of the Royal Decree of September 7, 1757, issued by Ferdinand VI, King of Spain. This legislation serves as Vigan's present city charter. The charter did not provide a clause for a plebiscite and the law took effect in January 2001

Vigan is politically subdivided into 39 barangays. In alphabetical order

* Ayusan Norte
* Ayusan Sur
* Barangay I (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay II (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay III (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay IV (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay V (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay VI (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay VII (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay VIII (*Poblacion*)
* Barangay IX (*Poblacion*)
* Barraca
* Beddeng Daya
* Beddeng Laud
* Bongtolan
* Bulala
* Cabalangegan
* Cabaroan Daya
* Cabaroan Laud
* Camangaan
* Capangpangan
* Mindoro
* Nagsangalan
* Pantay Daya
* Pantay Fatima
* Pantay Laud
* Paoa
* Paratong
* Pong-ol
* Purok-a-bassit
* Purok-a-dackel
* Raois
* Rugsuanan
* Salindeg
* San Jose
* San Julian Norte
* San Julian Sur
* San Pedro
* Tamag