Candon

Candon is a 4th class component city in the province of Ilocos Sur. It is bordered by Santiago and Banayoyo to the north, San Emilio, Galimuyod and Salcedo to the east, Santa Lucia to the south and the South China Sea to the west. It is populated by 61, 432 people.

**History**

According to the city archives, Malayan settlers were the first residents of Candon City that later turned into a village. Settlers were mostly farmers, fishermen, woodsmen and craftsmen. The Village was then ruled by three local chieftains: Abay-a, Madalang and Kalinio. Madalang chose as his abode the shade of a gargantuan tree which stood in the center of the said village and under this large tree people converged to exchange pleasantries and goods. This is also where the elders and the chief settle disputes and offer advice. The Villagers named the large tree “Kandong”.

Upon the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, the symbolic tree was cut down upon orders of the friars and its lumber was used for the construction of the first Catholic Church in the area. The people were easily led into the new church and were converted to Catholicism. The Spaniards named the place Candon from their version of the “Kandong” tree. The cemetery yard in the Catholic Church located south of the Poblacion area was constructed in 1797. In 1780, the village was turned into a municipality. Under the Spanish rule, the village was quickly taken over by wealthy Spaniards employing the natives in conditions of near slavery. Famine occurred in 1881 and 1882. Then on March 25, 1898, a revolutionary government was declared and attacked the Spaniards. However, Spanish troops were able to re-occupy Candon 2 days later. Most of the leaders and participants of the uprising were arrested and then summarily executed.

During the Japanese occupation in 1942, another revolution was staged. Several truckloads of Japanese forces and supplies perished along the national highway. However, the Japanese Soldiers retaliated back by burning the whole town in January 1942, which is considered the greatest event that ever happened in the history of Candon. Despite the hardships that the townsfolk went through during the World Wars, residents were steadfast to go through the process of redemption and rebuilding. And the tall acacia trees that now adorned the town plaza and municipal buildings are testimonies of the Candon's steadfastness. Large trees now spans alongside the National Highway of the Poblacion which towers up to 15 meters high and 20 feet in circumference

**Cityhood**

In the Charter of Candon City, Candon applied to become the second city in the Province of Ilocos Sur so it can undertake government programs with additional funding from the national government to benefit the people in the field of social services, economic growth, peace and order, health, education, agriculture and infrastructure development.

Like the "Kandong" tree of yore, Candon is just beginning to spread out its branches to reach out for the skies in its own bid to become the next city in Ilocos Sur. From the start of House Bill 7260 seeking to convert Candon into a component city was filed by then Congressman Eric D. Singson in the 10th Congress and later re-filed by Congresswoman Grace D. Singson in the 11th Congress. Owing to the merits and qualifications of Candon as the leading town in Southern Ilocos Sur, the bill easily got the approval of the Committees on Local Government in both House of Representatives and in the Senate.

Until recently the aspiration for Candon to become a city remained a dream, but its destiny inevitable when the counterpart Senate Bill No. 2242 was sponsored by no less than Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., Senators Frank Drilon, Sergio Osmeña III and all the members of the Senate Committee on Local Government. It was subsequently approved unanimously by the Senate in plenary session, and now it is up to the townspeople to embrace this honor with an equally unanimous "YES to Cityhood" vote.

Candon is politically subdivided into 42 barangays. In alphabetical order

* Allangigan 1st
* Allangigan 2nd
* Amguid
* Ayudante
* Bagani Campo
* Bagani Gabor
* Bagani Tocgo
* Bagani Ubbog
* Bagar
* Balingaoan
* Bugnay
* Calaoa-an
* Calongbuyan
* Caterman
* Cubcubbuot
* Darapidap
* Langlangca 1st
* Langlangca 2nd
* Oaig Daya
* Palacapac
* Paras
* Parioc 1st
* Parioc 2nd
* Patpata 1st
* Patpata 2nd
* Paypayad
* Salvador 1st
* Salvador 2nd
* San Agustin
* San Andres
* San Antonio (Poblacion)
* San Isidro (Poblacion)
* San Jose (Poblacion)
* San Juan (Poblacion)
* San Nicolas
* San Pedro
* Santo Tomas
* Tablac
* Talogtog
* Tamurong 1st
* Tamurong 2nd
* Villarica