Historical Landmarks in the Philippines free essay sample

Adams In the year 1900, an American Governor named William Taft was fascinated by Baguids gentle weather especially during summer when Manila would be really hot that many American adventurers and missionaries would choose to stay north of Manila. Some of them landed in a village along the shoreline of Pasaleng Bay on the lower slopes of the northwestern peak of the Cordillera mountain rages called Tinamburan which is now known as Pancian, Pagudpud where peace-loving tribesmen were residing. There were lots of deers and wild pigs in those days. The villagers feasted on birds they caught and also squirrels and wild fruits. People believed that Adams as blessed and called it Karayan ni Adan which means River of Adam. This was to honor the first man on earth which they learned from the Spaniards. From then the place was called Adams. Before 1918, Adams was made into a reservation for cultural minorities. Their forefathers choice to possess properties was to live deep in the forest beds. It was called their own for a living and be it was to support their families. Later, it was created and recognized as a Municipality District by virtue of law passed by the defunct Department of Interior. Bacarra Bacarra is bounded on the north by the Municipality of Pasuquin, on the east by Vintar; on the south by Laoag City; and on the west by China Sea. It has a land area of 66. 07 square kilometers, with a population of 27,827 in 1995. The first settler of the town was an Igorot named Bacsalandoc, who became its first chief. The present site of the Roman Catholic Church was the spot where he built his hut. In 1590, the Augustinians started missionary work in Bacarra which was at that time, was reported to be an encomienda of one Capitan Castillo and one Andres de Hermosa. It had one convent with two priests ministering to 4,000 souls. In 1956, the convent was granted the status of a priory with the right to vote in the provincial chapters. In 1599, Bacarra had the following visitas: San Nicolas de Vintar, Santiago de Pasuquin, Bambang san Lorenzo de Banguisan (Bangui), Sta. Catalina de Adang and Vera. In 1603, Bacarra became a visita of Laoag. In 1608, it was made a vicariate under the immediate Jurisdiction of the father provincial. In 1614, it became an independent parish. Agriculture is the main industry of the Bacarrehos. Farmers raise rice, tobacco, corn, garlic, onion, mongo beans, sugarcane, cotton and vegetables. Fishing is the second major industry of the people. Both its sea and river teem with fish which include the legendary bac-bacarra. They also engage in woodworking and weaving. The Bacarrehos, like other ilocanos, are adventurous, industrious and are incessantly in quest of greener pastures. Long before the great rush of Filipinos to foreign lands, there were already thousands of them abroad, particularly in the U. S. mainland. Their remittances are a strong boost to the economy of the town. The electrification program of the government to the remote barangays has sparked the interest of balikbayans who have Joined hands in the development of the town. In the arly 1970s, Bacarra won the National Barangay Award (Barangay Category) when it registered Badoc the most numb a kbayan who visited the country. The town Badoc got its name from badok-badok (phleumpratense). It is a plant which abounds locality. Its lands are of 66. 41 square kilometers and with a population of 26,737 in 1995. The first settlers of Badoc belonged to a tribe officially known as Tingguian and also known as ltneg by the Ilocanos. The Spaniards first explored the area in 1572 when Juan de Salcedo made an expedition to the north. He returned in 1574 to formally organize the government of locos. He made Badoc an encomienda of Juan de la Pena. In 1714, Badoc became an independent parish. In the late 18th and first half of the 19th century, the cultivation of indigo became a lucrative business in Badoc and the rest of locos. Badoc was occupied by the revolutionary forces of General Manuel Tinio during the Philippine Revolution of 1898. When the war went against America, the town and the surrounding areas of Badoc and Paoay became the fields of operation of the guerillas of Gregorio Aglipay. When Gregrio Aglipay established the Philippine Independent Church, Badoc became one of the centers of the newly established eligious sc. Today, Badoc remains an agricultural town but continues on towards progress. The major sources of income of the people are farming, fishing, salt-making and cottage industries like the weaving of cotton cloth and the making of basi wise. An irrigation system serves over 500 hectares of agricultural lands producing primary crops like tobacco, garlic, and onions. Bangui Bangui is bounded by the Bangui Bay on the north; the Municipality of Burgos on the west; Pagudpud on the northeast; Dumalneg on the east; and Adams on the southeast. The town is 66 kilometers away north of locos Nortes capital, Laoag. About 10 kilometers south of the town is the famous Zigzag Road which provides travelers a sweeping view of Banguis verdant mountains, the blue sea, and the flowing river that sneaks through its western barrios. It has a total land area of 163. 59 square kilometers and is composed of 15 barangays, with a population of 13,774 in 1995. The first mission of Bangui was established by the Augustinians of February 14, 1607 supposedly at the request of one Capitan Ribero, the encomendero of the place. The natives who rejected baptism were called pagans and they were driven away from their lands. Those who accepted baptism were called Christians. In 1624, the town was made into a parish with Father Pedro Valenzuela as the first minister. The Spanish missionaries considered the date as the foundation year of Bangui. During the revolution in 1896, the remnants of the Spanish army in Luzon, driven b superior Filipino forces under the command of General Jorico retreated to Bangui and took their last foothold in the are. Bangui is famous for its swimming resort along a circumferential bay which is considered as the best scenery in the whole island of Luzon. The livelih ot the people comes trom tarming, fishing, and mat-making. The construction of the Pl . Million Lipsoc communal irrigation dam project in Bangui is a boon to its agricultural economy. The dam can irrigate 205 hectares of land and will benefit some 300 farmers in seven adjacent barangays, resulting in increased production of rice, corn, garlic, vegetables, and mongo. Bangui today is already considered as an urban community. It is groomed as a possible site for a free port or specialized economic zone because of its favorable location. Furthermore, when the Laoag-Allacapan road is fully completed, it will enhance Banguis emerging rominence, extending its influence as far as the eastern towns of Cagayan Province. Banna (Espiritu) Banna is bounded on the north by Marcos and Dingras; on the northeast by Batac; and on the east by Mt. Sicapoo. It is one of the smallest towns of the province, having a land area of only 97. 68 square kilometers. Banna had a population of 1 5,975 in 1995. The municipality used to be known as Banna. It has preserved this name until 1964. According to legend, Banna had pre-hispanic origin. It was a prosperous village, inhabited bt Tinggguian settlers, located in the eastern part of locos Norte. It was ruled by a chieftain named Banna. Whose wisdom and courage united and emboldened his people. It was said that when the Spanish colonizers tried to Christianize the village, Banna resisted. He fought the Spanish priest. Soldiers and native Christian settlers who treacherously railed it while Banna and his subjects were celebrating his birthday. The Tingguians were defeated, but managed to escape with their chief. What was left of their settlements was consequently turned into a Spanish town, with a parish priest and native local officials. In honor of its former re-hispanic ruler, its inhabitants preferred to call their new Christian village, Banna. During the Spanish regime, banna was a barrio of bigger towns like batac and Dingras. Archival records show that the eastern part of its Magalis River was once a part of Dingras and its western part, of the town of Batac. During the American administration, particularly in 1913, Bannas status as a barrio became a subject of discussion among its residents, especially Governor Santiago Espiritu, who worked hard to make it own. It became a town that same year, with one named Ishmael as its first Presidente Municipal. On June 18, 1964, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3997, the towns name was changed to Espiritu, in honor of Governor Espiritu. Though small, Espiritu is a progressive town. Rice, garlic, cotton and beans and other vegetables are its principal cash crops. As for its home industries, the town is famous for its woven Ilocano blankets, bathrobes, bed spreads and pillow cases, which are highly priced in manila as well as the neighboring provinces. Batac City The town was founded by the Augustinians in 1587 under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception. It is the second oldest town established by the Augustinians n the province of locos Norte. Hence, in 1987 Batac reached its 4th centennials. Batac was officially organized into a ministry on January 5, 1586. The first priest assigned to catnecize the natives ot tile community was Fr. Esteban Marin, an Augustinian who probably arrived in Batac in 1585. Paoay and Dinglas (Dingras) were then the visitas of Batac. Folk history states that there were two villages in Batac during the early part of tile foundation of the town, one was an ltneg community which occupied sitio Nangalisan and a Christian community occupying San Jose. The irst site of tile poblacion was in San Jose, which is now called Barangay Palpalicong. It is said that the ethnic minority groups of Bangui and Nueva Era are the pre-Spanish descendants of early inhabitants of Batac. The Augustinians considered the people of Batac more civilized than tile other tribes, because they were better than the other Indios in personal cleanliness. The word Batac in a local dialect translates as pull. More loosely, it refers to the peoples pulling their efforts together. Batac has an interesting colloquial origin of its name. According to a legend, set in pre- ettlement Batac, a man fell into a deep hole while he was digging for the root crop camangeg. He struggled to get out but could not despite his best efforts. He cried for help but nobody was around. He waited for hours and had given up hope of being saved. Fortunately, two men from the neighboring town of Paoay happened to pass by. They heard the man shouting and traced it to where he was trapped. Upon seeing him, they heared the man said Bataquennac! Bataquennac! The two men did not understand until the man explained that he was saying, Pull me up! Pull me up! They did Just that. When the two men reached their hometown, they told their story to their friends. Since then, the town has been called Batac, which is derived from the word bataquennac. Burgos The town was first known as Nagparitan, the early inhabitants were calledMumburi and known as a wild and fierce people who prevented the Christianized natives from settling in the vicinity. When the Spaniards came to the area, the people staged a revolt, captured the priest and mutilated his body. Because of this incident, the Spaniards change the name of Nagparitan, meaning prohibit, to Nagpartian which means the place of slau ghter. In 1903, Nagpartian was then fused with the Municipality of Bangui because of the unstable condition due to low collection of government taxes. On February 28, 1914, by virtue of a legislative act, Nagpartian was renamed Burgos in honor of one of the three martyred priest, Fr, Jose Burgos. Sehor Juan Ignacio was the first Presidente Municipal of the town. Majority of people in the municipality are engaged in the production of commercial crops like rice, garlic, tomato, mongo and corn. However, aside from producing agricultural products, most of them also venture into fishing, livestock and swine-raisin, rice illing, and cottage industries like furniture and hollow-blocks making, smelting, salt- making, and mat weaving. The town is endowed with scenic and tourist-attracting shores or coastline from plain white beaches in Barangays. Paayas and Bobon to rugged and sharp cliffs naturally formed through the centuries like Gagamtan Cliff in Barangay Bayog, and Kapur-purawan Cliff in Barangay Saoit. The Digging Falls is another pride of the town, with a beautiful cascade at the boundary of Barangays Ablan and Buduan, certainly a perfect place for local and foreign tourist to spend their summer escapade. Another worth-mentioning tourist attraction is the historic Cape BoJeador Lighthouse, built during the latter part of the 19th century. Located on a top of a hill overlooking the vast expanse of the China Sea, it serves as a beacon light to passing ships and to local fishermen . Because ot i ts high elevation, it otters travelers with a panoramic view of the rugged coastline of Burgos Carasi The name Carasi is derived from the word Carosikis, a tree of exuberant growth later called Carasi. The site is near a forest which made people believed that the ltnegs were the first lowlanders to settle, staying as late as 1902. Carasi was a formerly a sitio of Sta. Maria, Piddig, locos Norte. It became a municipal district in 1903 under Piddig, which was then completely occupied by the ltneg tribes. In 1913, Juan Melad Infiel was appointed alcalde of Carasi. With foresight that Parparia (now Barbaqueza) would become a good ground for settlement, Melad encouraged his tribements to settle in the place. Some stayed in Parparia while the others went to Carasi. In 1923, when Carasi was already a municipal district of Piddig, it was designated as the Non- Christian Reservation in Nagpapalcan. It was proclaimed the following year a a Cultural Minority Resevation. In 1939, Juan Cawada was appointed alcalde of the town. He led the townspeople in the ambuscade against the Japanese in Pan- panniqui. He served as alcalde until the end of the war. He run unopposed in the local election in 1946. He was succeded by Gerardo Aguibay who pioneered a tax declaration campaigne and subdivided the district into small political units creating Barbaqueza, Virbira and Angset. The election of 1959 brought more progress and development to the town under its longest serving mayor, Cecilio S. Bulil-lit. He was responsible for the issueance of a Presidential Decree declaring Carasi as a regular own on May 16, 1983. The inhibitants of Carasi raise rice, corn and vegetables which are the towns main products. Secondary products include rattan, lumber, firewood and gogo bark. The Pan-panniqui and Cora Rivers are potential tourist spots. Currimao This town was formerly a barrio of Paoay. It was made a municipality by virtue of an Executive Order issued by Governor General Francis Burton Harrison on December 28, 1920, and officially inaugurated as a municipality on January 21, 1921. Several rivers, like the Tipcal or Gang River, Manglaoi Norte River, Maglaoi Sur River and the Poblacion River, serve as outlets for water during the rainy days. At the Palacapac Spring, Barangay Pias Sur, a water reservoir was built ten years ago. It still supplies the adjacent Barangay with portable water. Since the spring cannot supply the residents with enough water the whole year round, the people also resort to the used of open wells. Farming is the primary source of livelihood. Most of the agricultural lands are devoted to rice while other corps like corn, garlic, sugar cane tobacco and vegetables is also grown. The farmers practice crop rotation and diversification herein crops are planted utilizing the same area. The farmers sell their products direct to customers. Still other practice the barter system especially during good fishing season when the fishermen may exchange their catch for agricultural crops like rice. Fishing is also a good means of livelihood. The catch usually consists of tuna, mackerel, tangigi, lapu-lapu, talakitok, maya-maya, and others. Other marines products are seaweeds like pukpuklo, kulot and aragon-ilik. The fresh waters yield mudfish, catfish, tilapia and gurami. The town has no minerals resources or deposits t commercial value because i t nas no big mountain ranges. However, it n abundant supplies of bamboo, cogon, and fire wood and sea sand. Bamboo and fire wood are of great commercial value. Upland grasses grow tall and teeming on the hill sides and in the fields which yield excellent feed for cows, carabaos, horses, goats and other livestock. Dingras The town was said to have derived from the names of Ding and Ras. Ding was the son of a chieftain called Naaslag, who ruled the northern part of the river of Dingras. Ras, on the otherhand, was the daughter of Allawigan, the chief of the southern part of he river. At one time, these two chiefs were in perennial war with each other. One day, son Ding defeated the warriors of Allawigan. Ding took ras as his prize from the conquered northern ruler and married her. The union ended the feud between Naaslag and Allawigan. As the two kingdoms merged as one great power in the valley, their place became known henceforth known as Dingras. In 1598, the Augustinians founded Dingras as Ginglas. On the same year, it was placed under the patronage of San Jose. Dingras became one of the oldest and biggest ministries in the entire locos region until year 1690. It was one of the visitas of batac in 1589. On July 8 of that year, Dingras was made a ministry with Fray Bartolome Conrado as its first parish priest. As such, it remained as one of the six encomiendas in locos of the King of Spain in 1591. However, on October 31, 1603, Dingras was given back as visita to Batac, perhaps, because of its failure to become the mission center for the conversion of the interior settlements in the locos. In 1680, the Augustinians built a church. However it was destroyed by a strong earthquake in 1707. Another church which was more spacious and massive was erected by Fray Damaso Vieztez. In 1838, Fathers Deza and Franco remodeled the church impressively. But fire later gutted the edifice. Te ruins still evidence of a once splendid structure, regarded by historians as one of the three earthquake baroque churches. The others are those of Magsingal (locos Sur Province) and Laoag City. Rice has remained the major agricultural income earner with tobacco coming in as a closed second. The farmers of Dingras also hybrid corns, garlic, vegetables bananas and coffee. They are engaged in poultry raising piggery, as well as in weaving. The streams across rive fields yield fish in abundance. Dumalneg About 90 percent of the inhabitants of the municipality belong to the cultural minority group. Originally, its population was composed purely of mountain tribal people, but intermarriages and migrations caused the assimilation of lowlanders into the municipality through the passage of Sanggunian Panlalawigan Resolution No. 78. A proclamation was issued by the Office of the President upon its approval. The only church in the municipality was erected by Aglipayans. It influenced the conversion of the natives into the Christian faith by baptism and marriage according to church laws. The necessary of the municipality to the national highway leading to Bangui and the availability of public utility Jeeps and motorized tricycles make transportation easy. If transportation is not available, one could easily walk from Dumalneg to Barangay Lanao og Bangui, where the national highway connects several municipalities ot locos Norte, including Laoag ty, to Cagayan and Isabela. Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood of the people, who plant such root crops as gabi, camote and tugue. Some derive meager incomes from planting maliket, an upland rice variety and from the gathering of forest products like firewood rattan nd nito. A few of them are also engaged in fishing and in hunting wild animals like deer and pigs. Aside from the natural its native beauty of the place, the peoples tradition like chewing beetle nuts, including its native costumers such as Baog or G- string for men and tapis for women. As well as its captivating dance called tadek are some of Bumalnegs tourist attractions. Marcos The town was created on June 22, 1963 under Republic Act 3753. The seven barangays of Dingras namely: Caparian, Biding, Escoda, Culao, Alabaan, Ragas, and Agunit were separated from the municipality and constituted into A new town called Marcos in honor of the late Don Mariano Marcos, the father of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The author of this act was former Congressman Simeon M. Valdez of the second district of locos Norte. On March 6, 1976, a monument of Don Mariano Marcos, installed at the town plaza, was unveiled. And on August 23 of the same year, Proclamation No. 92-A was issued reserving for townsite purpose of the municipal government of Marcos, a parcel of land situated in Barangay Biding as the towns seat of government. Marcos is called Promise land by the inhabitants because of its vast expanse of contiguous and fertile delta areas. The town has lush vegetation and terrain which is suitable for rice faming- the main livelihood of the Ilocanos. Marcos is being groomed to become for bread basket of locos Norte in the near future. To sustain this vision, various infrastructure projects have been developed. One of these are the Boris-Kuripat Gravity Irrigation Dam. The dam is 6. 2 meters high and 43 meters long with concrete slabs and slush ways. When fully operational, it will benefit not only the farmers of Marcos town but also the famers of the neighboring towns of locos Norte. The Municipality of Marcos aspires to rise to rominence as another important town in the Province of locos Norte and this is not a remote possibility considering the towns potential as a growth center. Nueva Era This site had been a Spanish settlement as early as 1672. A local historian claimed that it was originally peopled by 800 Tingguians who came from Abra. It was believed that they were the progeny of the missionaries and other foreigners like the Calibug Bulawa, Kapitan Tico, Santiago Duyan and Cipriano Acnam. The town was created out of the union of nine Rancherias, namely; Padsan, Cabittauran, Paor, Patoc, Pagpagong, Bugayong, Uguis and Tabangran. The conversion into a municipality was sought in a petition by their ltneg settlers, led by Calibog, their chieftain. The approval of the petition came on New Years Day, hence, the towns name, which means new age. The early town development started with the leadership of Ulpiano Acuam, who became the town Mayor in 1 The highway trom Nueva Era to Laoag construction of roads connecting Nueva Era to the Provinces of locos Sur and Abra were two of the major projects that were completed.. Education was also the priority of Acuams administration, a municipal high school was opened and all barangays of he town were provided with elementary and primary schools. Most of the people in the municipality are engaged in farming, with rce, garlic, and tobacco as their primary products. One-fourth of its land, which lies at the foot of the Cordillera Mountain ranges, is irrigated by several rivers such as Badoc, Padsan and Bongo, Although, a prominently agricultural town, some of its inhabitants are also involved in small businesses. The town has bewitching scenic attractions to offer. The Cacanan Falls, Papa Dam, Tree Park, Mine Site, and the Piaw Falls are among the ideal sites for natural love excursionists and travelers. Also, the view from a high-lying municipal buildings view deck provides sightseers a panoramic vista of the mountain town. Pagudpud Pagudpud was formerly a barrio of the town of Bangui. A group of political leaders, headed by Rafael Rebianos, petitioned its separation from Bangui, but they failed. After World War II, another group, this time led by Constantino Benemerito, revived the old petition. Through the recommendation of Dr. Damso Samonte, then the Cogressman of the first District, President Ramon Magsaysay signed Executive Order No. 3 on February 3, 1954, separating Pagudpud from Bangui and granting it the status of a town. However, on February 16, 1957 President Ramon Magsaysay issued Executive Order No. 240 abolishing the Municipality of Pagudpud and returning the barrios comprising it to the Municipailty of Bangui, Pagudpud included. Following Magsasays death in a plane crash on March 17, 1957, influential people from Pagudpud and prominent political fgures from the provinc e made representations with the Office of the President to make Pagudpud an independent municipality. On January 14, 1959, President Carlos P. Garcia issued Executive Order No. 328, reverting Pagudpud to the status of an independent municipality and returning to it all its former barrios. Most of the people in the town are engaged in farming, hunting, fishing and livestock and raising poultry. Rice is the major agricultural crop, while coconut, corn, garlic and vegetables are the other important crops grown in the municipality. Copper, feldspar, tektite, pyrite and magnetic minerals are also abundant in this locality. The town produces enough feldspar to supply the needs of ceramic manufacturing firms in Metro Manila. With its peace-loving people, rich natural resources, and breathtaking tourist attractions like the Sand White Beach, the Kabigan Falls, The Banua Presidential Guest House, the Bagong Lipunan Lodge, The alf-moon shaped Malingay Bay, and the Maramraot Dam, the first dam constructed in the Philippines, Pagudpud may someday be the Garden City of the North. Paoay To spearhead the spiritual conquest of locos Norte during the early years of Spanish rule, the Augustinians founded Paoay in 1593 along with other towns of locos Norte, locos Sur, Abra and La Union. On February 2, 1818, a royal Decree was issued dividing the locos province into locos Norte and locos Sur. Paoay was annexed to locos Norte. Simultaneously revolts against the Spanish colonial government broke out in Paoay and in other neighboring towns. One of which was the protest against the May 14, 1814 decree of Fredinand VII abrogating the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812. However, poor leadership and inferior arms resulted in the failure of the revolt. At the outbreak of the revolution in 1896, a chapter of the Katipunan was organized by Gabriel Dumlao in Paoay. During the Filipino-American War (1898-1902), the town suffered tremendous losses of lives and property. The stubborn resistance of the people against the American occupation of the town led to the indiscriminate burning of houses and the incarceration of suspected rebels. Paoay has a high agricultural yields and stable handicraft industries. The major crop of the town is garlic, sometimes called white gold by the farmers deriving their income from this produce. Other agricultural crops are rice, corn, tobacco, sugarcane, and vegetables. The town is also noted for its weaving industry. Among its finished products are blankets, towels and pillow cases, which are favorite souvenir items of foreign and local visitors. He long stretch of Paoays coastline is both an intensive fishing ground and a site for many beach resorts. The town is also rich in cultural and historical andmarks. A two-storey Spanish-style brick house, better known as the Malacahang of the North, nestling on top of a hill overlooking the legendary lake in Barangay Suba was coverted into a museum by the government. The Paoay Church, on eof the best religious structures left by the Spaniards, built and completed in 1699 to 1707 under forced labor, is regarded as the embodiment of the colonial Filipino style. Pasuquin ltnegs were the first settlers of the town. They were followed by a group known as the Ibaliws, who were the first to put up encampments with flat roofs of cogon grass and arge tree leaves. Pasuquin was a visita of Bacarra I early times. It became an independent parish in 1784. Its church was a built in the early 19th century through forced labor. The towns titular patron is Santiago Apostol. In 1944, when the town was occupied by the Japanese, the church was turned into headquarters. It was said that many guerillas were beheaded in this edifice. At present, it is still I ruins. The townspeople are involved in farming, fishing, mining and commerce. Rice is the main crop while garlic is considered as the second most important product. Feldspar ining, a non-metallic material, is also common in the town wherein raw materials are brought to Manila for processing. Favored with good waters, the people along the coastal areas depend mostly on fishing for their livelihood. Noted fishports are Tulnagan, Davila, Nalvo, Bingsang and Puyupuyan. Pasuquin is also known for its fine, sandy beaches and its salt-making industry. Puyupuyan Beach in Raquiza cove is popular. Tourist spots that can be found in the area are the following, namely: Imelda Garden at Naang-angri falls which is famous for its underground caves, swimming ool and cottages; the Paredes Air Station, 2,000 feet above sea level with its radar and clubhouse; and the old watch tower in barangay Puyupuyan. Piddig Piddig is picturesquely spread on the crests and slopes ot rolling hills between the Guisit and Baramban rivers. Because of it hilly position, the people calledPidipid which was later changed to Piddig. The area of what is now Piddig was probably a part of Batak, which was established by the Augustinians on January 1 5, 1585. It was subsequently elevated into a visita when Dingras was made into a ministry. Finally, it was established as a parish in 1775. In 1762, the Spanish authorities conscripted the skilled native archers of Piddig known as the Tingguian, in the pursuit of Gabriela Silang and her troops who led and continued the armed rebellion after the treacherous death of her husband, Diego Silang. Gabriela was overpowered by the Piddig pursuers and was brought to Vigan where was hanged in October 1763. During the Philippine Revolution, Piddig was occupied by the revolutionary forces of General Manuel Tinio in August 1898. In Filipino-American War that was to follow, the town became a part of the operational area of Bishop Aglipays guerrillas. In 1902, Aglipay established the Philppine Independent Church. At the height of the World War II, Piddig and the surrounding towns became the strong hold of guerrilla resistance against the occupying Japanese forces in locos Norte. It was also in this town that the 15th Infantry USAFFE-NL was formed. This command was responsible for the liberation of the locos Region from the Japanese. Piddig was also made the military capital of locos Norte when the 21st Infantry was stationed there during the early part of war. Piddig is home to Sgt. Teofilo Ildefonso, a great swimmer and a war hero. A monument has been erected to honor him. The town is also the birthplace of Claro Caluya, the prince of locos poets. Piddig is basically an agricultural town. Its primary crops are rice, garlic, tobacco, sugarcane, and a variety of vegetables. Its chief cottage industry, which dates back to the Spanish Era, is weaving cloth. The place is known for its blankets, bathrobes, towels, bedsheets, pillows and clothings. The towns suaco (cigar pipe) is greatly admired for its tide industry. Pit-lili Piddig is onev of the youngest and smallest town of the Province of locos Norte. Historically, the town of Pinili was used as training ground of the Sandatahans led by Bishop gregorio Aglipay, the founder of the Aglipayan Church, who used his influence as a Catholic priest to prevent the execution of the Filipinos at the height of the Filipino-American War. Pinili, which means selected, was chosen as the name of the town because it was here that Bishop Aglipay constructed his hideout as a last ditch effort to foght the aggressors. On November 28, 1919, the petition of 1,180 residents was elevated to the Governor-General to established Pinili as a town through the help of Bishop Aglipay and the endorsement of the Provincial Council. Likewise, local leaders also negotiated for the establishment of a Philippine Independent Churc, cemetery and school for lower grades. Finally, Pinili was established as a town on January 1, 1920 by virtue of an Executive Order which was signed on December 20, 1919. The first mass of the Philippine Independent Church was celebrated here by Supreme Bishop Gregorio Aglipay. Following the establishment of the Aglipayan Church in 1804, other denominations took root, namely the United Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) in 1910,