REGION 1
(ILOCOS REGION)
LEADER
Ailyn Claire C. Javier
MEMBERS
Irish Pauline Tominez
Realyn Guloy
Cherry May Labuanan
Gerlie Guillermo
Mark Jay Lopez
Physical Demographics of the Region
Regional Center: San Fernando City, La Union
Land Area: 12,840.2 sq. km
Population (2015): 5,026,128
Provinces: 4
Cities: 9
Municipalities: 116
Barangays: 3,265
Cong. Districts: 12
Languages: Ilocano, Pangasinan, Bolinao, Tagalog, English
Overview of the Region
Region I, popularly known as Ilocos Region, is located along the northwestern
coast of Luzon bounded by the West Philippine Sea on the Cordillera Mountains. The
region’s total land area is 12,840 square kilometers. It is comprised of four provinces
namely: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan. It has 9 cities: Alaminos
City, Batac City, Candon City, Dagupan City, Laoag City, San Carlos City, San Fernando
City, Urdaneta City and Vigan City. The regional capital is San Fernando City located in
the province of La Union. The region also has 116 municipalities and 3,265 barangays.
The region’s total population is 5,026,128 with an average annual population
growth rate of 1.09 percent from 2010-2015. In 2015, Ilocos Region has a population
density of 388, which translates to 388 person living in a square kilometer. The province
of Pangasinan had the highest population which registered 2,956,726, followed by La
Union with 786,653, province of Ilocos Sur with 689,668, and Ilocos Norte with 593,081.
In terms of annual average Population Growth Rate, the province of Pangasinan
registered the highest with 1.18 percent, higher than the regional level.
Ilocos Region had a total of 101 hospital that catered to the health needs of the
population. There were also 149 health centers and 1,141 Barangay Health Stations
distributed among the municipalities and barangays. In terms of education, Region I had
a total of 3,697 elementary and secondary learning institutions. The literacy rate of the
region for both women and men was 98.2 percent.
Based on the 2015 Census of Population, the population of Region 1 reached
5,026,128, which accounted for about 4.98 percent of the total Philippine population.
This figure is higher by 277,756 from the region’s population of 4.75 million in 2010. It
grew by 1.46 percent from 1990 to 2010 and increased by 1.09 percent, on average,
during the period 2010 to 2015. Among the four provinces in Region 1, Pangasinan
registered the biggest population in 2015 with 2.96 million. It was followed by La Union
with 787 thousand, Ilocos Sur with 690 thousand and Ilocos Norte with the smallest
population size of 593 thousand. San Carlos City was the most populous city in the
region in 2015 with 189 thousand followed by Dagupan City and Urdaneta City with
population sizes of 171 thousand and 132 thousand, respectively.Table 1 shows the
population sizes of the cities in Region 1 from 1990-2015 while Table 2 shows their
growth rates.
Table 1 Population by Province and City, Ilocos Region, in Thousands (Census Years
1990, 1995, 2000, 2007, 2010 and 2015)
Table 2.a Average Annual Population Growth Rate by Province and City, Ilocos Region,
in Percent (Census Years 1990-2015)
Table 2.b Average Annual Population Growth Rate by Province and City, Ilocos Region,
in Percent (Census Years 1990-2015) (continuation) Area 1990-2000 2000-2010 1990-
2010 201
Among the provinces, Pangasinan recorded the highest average annual population
growth rate from 2010-2015 at 1.18 percent followed by La Union at 1.12 percent which
are above the 1.09 percent regional average. In the case of the cities, Vigan registered the
highest population growth rate at 1.64 percent which is way above the 0.88 percent
growth rate of its province, Ilocos Sur. The other cities with higher growth rates than
their provinces are San Carlos City in Pangasinan at 1.50 percent, Laoag City in Ilocos
Norte and San Fernando City in La Union at 1.16 percent each, and Urdaneta City in
Pangasinan at 1.15 percent.
Physical Characteristics of Region 1 lies at the northwestern tip of the island of
Luzon. It is bounded in the east by the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and
Cagayan Valley and in the south by Central Luzon. As of 2016, Region 1 has total land
area of 1,284,019 hectares. Pangasinan accounted for the biggest share at 41.81 percent,
followed by Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union with 26.47 percent, 20.09 percent and
11.63 percent shares, respectively.
Ilocano Proverbs and Sayings
Ti bassít a káyo nalaká a lintegén, ngem no dakkél narigáten.
A young tree is easy to straighten, but when it's big it is difficult.
Ti táo nga mannaríta, awán ti ania nga magapuánanna.
A man that talks too much accomplishes little.
Mabiág ti kalkalsáda, matáy ti koskosína.
Captivating in the street, dead in the kitchen (lady who dresses beyond her means)
Ti napudpudno a gayyémmo, am-ammontó no addáka ití pelígro.
A true friend is known in time of need.
Tay áso nga taol nga taol saán a makakagát ken makadunor.
Barking dogs seldom bite.
Awán kas iti sursúro a sanikuá, ta daytá awán makatákaw kenká.
Knowledge is wealth that can't be stolen.
No trabáho, gulpién, no kanén, in-inúten.
If it's work, do it fast. If it's food, eat it little by little.
Ti táo a manákem, dína makíta ti panagdissó ti sakána ití dagá.
Kitáenna ketdi ti sumarunó a baddekánna.
A wise man doesn't see his foot on the ground, he watches his next step.
Ti nalaká ti pannakasápulna, nalaká met ti pannakapúkawna.
What is easily acquired is easily lost.
Ti kukuá masapúlan ngem ti pintas saán.
Wealth can be acquired but beauty cannot.
Ti agkuták, isú't nagitlóg.
He who cackles laid the egg (he who talks first is the guilty party).
Uray kukuá a tawíden, no addá la ket naimbág a nákem.
One need not inherit wealth if he inherits good manners.
No addá sabsábong, agaarák dagití kulibangbáng.
Where there are flowers there are butterflies (young women attract young men)
Kugtár ni kabaián, ilot ni kalantangan.
The kick of a female carabao, the massage of the male. (women can't hurt men
physically)
Aniánto pay serbí diay rúot no natáyto met diay kabálion?
Of what use is grass when the horse is dead? (said to misers)
Ti kamátis, di agbúnga ti manggá.
The tomato plant doesn't grow mangos. (A good person doesn't come from a bad family)
Ti útang mabayádan, ngem ti naimbág a nákem saán.
A debt can be paid, but a kind act cannot.
Ti napíli makapíli ti kuggangí.
He who is choosy often picks the worst.
Nalpás ti áni, awán ti garámi.
After the harvest, there's no hay. (Deeds cannot be undone)
Uray naáta tay tungo, no maisungród, sumgedtó.
Even if the firewood is green, it will burn when lit (man and women together will
eventually be attracted to each other)
Naim-imbág ti matáy ta malipátanen ngem ti agbiág a maibabaín.
It's better to be dead and forgotten than to live in shame.
Sasáor banbannóg no sabáli ti aglamlámot.
Useless labor if someone else eats from it (said if another reaps benefits of your work)
Ti madí a pagbagbagaán agturóng ití pagrigátan.
He who refuses advice will end up in hardship.
Ti agmúla, agápit.
He who sows, reaps.
Awan libég a di aglitnáw.
There is no muddy water that doesn't clear (One can always change one's ways)
Di pay nalúto ti pariá simmagpáw ti karabása.
The bittermelon is not yet cooked and the squash jumped in (who asked you to join in?)
Aluádam no matupraan met la ta rúpam.
Be careful that you don't spit on your own face.
Uray isubsúbomon, mateppáyto láeng.
Even if you put it in your mouth, it can fall out (it is not unconditionally yours)
No agtúdo, matuduán ámin a táo.
When it rains, everyone gets wet (gifts must be given to all)
Ti kabálio no bulbuloden, ti ngípenna di kitkitáen.
When a horse is borrowed, don't look at its teeth (don't criticize what you borrow)
Ti agsíli magasángan, ket ti agiggém ti bánga maugingan.
He who eats chili gets burned and he who touches the pot gets charcoal on his hands.
Awán ti ngumáto a dínto bumabá.
What goes up must come down.
Saánmo a mapadára ti awán dárana.
You cannot squeeze blood out if there's none left. (said by a debtor)
No awán ti ánus, awán ti lámot.
If there is no patience, there will be no food.
Matáy ti agur-úray, mabiág ti paur-úray.
He who waits dies, he who makes others wait lives.
No sáan nga makaammó nga nangtaliáw ti naggapuánna, saán a makadánon ti
papanánna.
He who does not look back to his origins will not reach his destination.
Yánud ti danúm ti matmatúrog nga udáng.
A sleeping lobster is carried away by the current.
Perdisión bagás, agráman tuyo.
Rice is wasted, even the bran. (said when everything ventured is lost)
No aniá ti imúlam, isú ti apítem.
Whatever you sow, you reap.
Ti ubing nga matungpal amin a kayatna, awan ti nasayaat a banagna.
A child that is given everything will rarely succeed in life.
Awan lalaki nga natured wenno nabaneg no ti babai ti sanguanan agsainnek.
No man is brave in the presence of a crying woman.
Sabali nga ili, sabali nga ugali.
Different towns have different customs.
Songs
Ayat ti Ina (Love of a Mother)
- Is a song that expresses how a mother loves and takes care of her child.
Napateg a Bin-I (Cherished Seed)
- This song basically uses metaphors comparing woman to seed.
Pamulinawen (Hardened Heart)
- This is the most popular Ilocano love song, which portrats a girl who does not
heed the pleading of her lover. It compares the heart of a girl to hardened flint.
Epic
The word epic is derived from the Ancient Greek adjective, “epikos”, which
means a poetic story. In literature, an epic is a long narrative poem, which is usually
related to heroic deeds of a person of an unusual courage and unparalleled bravery. In
order to depict this bravery and courage, the epic uses grandiose style.
The hero is usually the representative of the values of a certain culture, race,
nation or a religious group on whose victor of failure the destiny of the whole nation or
group depends. Therefore, certain supernatural forces, deus ex machina, help the hero,
who comes out victor at the end. An epic usually starts with an invocation to muse, but
then picks up the threads of the story from the middle and moves on to the end.
Epic of Ilocos Region
BIAG NI LAM-ANG (Life of Lam-ang) is pre-Hispanic epic poem of the Ilocano
people of the Philippines. The story was handed down orally for generations before it was
written down around 1640 assumedly by a blind Ilokano bard named Pedro Bucaneg.
Riddle
A riddle is a question, a puzzle, a phrase, or a statement devised to get unexpected
or clever answers. It is a folklore genre as well as rhetorical device, often having veiled or
double meanings. When someone uses it as a puzzle or a question, it could be a thought-
provoking challenge for the audience to figure it out themselves, or it could be a funny
comment intended to make the audience laugh.
Purpose of riddles
Some riddles show the wit of protagonists in a narrative, allowing them to escape
a terrible situation by using their wit rather than their strength. Often times, puzzling
riddles tell us that we cannot answer some questions, leading to hours of perturbed head
scratching. However, they open our minds to a number of possibilities.
Riddles of Ilocos Region
1. Ania ti uppat ti sacana dudua ti tugotna? (What has four feet but only two foot-prints?)
Answer: Pasagad (Rice-sled)
2. Ania iti pinarsua iti Dios a balin suec a maturog? (What thing made by God sleeps with
its head down?) Answer: Panniqui (Bat)
3.Ania ti pinarsua ni Apo Dios nga ipagnana ti bocotna? (What creature made by the
Lord God walks on its back?)Answer: Baloto (Boat)
Short Stories
1. The Other Woman by Virgilio Samonte
This short story revealed the love and care of an aged wife to her ailing husband. And
it gave a viewpoint on a possible happening inside a household and marriage relationship.
Virgilio Samonte is an award-winning Filipino writer resides from Laoag, Ilocos
Norte. His short story 'The Other Woman' won third prize in the Carlos Palanca
Memorial Awards for Literature in 1954-1955
2. Waywaya by Francisco Sionil Jose
'Waywaya' is an Ilocano term which means freedom. This short story craved a
solution how to end hostility and hate between the two communities once and for all.
3. How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife by Manuel E. Arguilla
This story showed that one must preserve, even through certain sacrifices, in order to
reach one's goal. The wife admits to having some fear, but also shows clearly it did not
stop her. The theme is related to how one may have to give up some things in order to
find happiness in life or at least the best happiness that can be found in that particular life.
Legends
Legend of Angalo and Aran
A cyclopean beings who were the first being on earth. They are believed to be the
biggest giants in legend. Angalo created the world at the command of the supreme god.
Paoay lake
This story is about a village that was punished because of the rivalry of the people
and they forgotten to worship God.
Legend of the hundreds island
It's about the story of 100 wariors that sacrifice their life to defend their homes
Poems
Naangaw A Kablaaw by: Leonora F Florentino
Nalpay a Namnama by: Leonora F Florentino
Kaputotan by: Pedro Bucaneg
Ti Gloria by: Fr. Justo Claudio Fojas
Revolt by hymen by: Angela Marie Manalang
Famous Writers
1. Leona Florentino
Ipinanganak noong 19 Abril 1849 sa isang mayamang pamilya ng nasabing
bayan.
Siya Ang tinaguriang kauna unahang makatang babaeng Pilipina.
Ang mga naisulat ni Leona ay binubuo ng mga tula at dula.
Karamihan ay nakasulat sa wikang Ilokano.
Namatay siya noon Oktubre 4 , 1884.
Ang mga nakilalang tula ni Leona Florentino ay Rucrunoy, (Dedication),
Naangaway a Cablaw (Good Greetings), Nalpay a Namnama (Vanishing Hope),
Panay Pacada (Farewell), at iba pa.
2. Isabela De Los Reyes
Born on July 7, 1864 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Kabilang sa tatlong panahon ng Panitikang Tagalog sa Panahon ng Propaganda,
Panahon ng Himagsikan at Panahon ng mga Amerikano.
Tinagurian din siyang Ama ng Sosyalismo sa Pilipinas at Ama ng mga Iloko.
Siya ay isang mamamahayag, manunulat, manananggol at pinuno ng mga
manggagawa.
Siya ay tinaguriang felibustero o traidor ng mga español.
Siya ay Namatay noon Oktubre 10, 1938.
Ang ilan pa sa kanyang mga naisulat ay Las Islas Bisayas en la Epoca de la
Conquista, Historia de Ilocos , La Il Sensacional Memoria Sobre La Revolucion
Filipina,Ang Singsing ng Dalagang Marmol at iba pa.
3. Leon Pichay
Isinilang siyá noong 27 Hunyo1902 sa Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Siya ay isang makata, nobelista, mandudula, at kuwentista sa wikang Ilokano.
Kinikilála siyáng Hari ng mga Makatang Ilokano.
Namatay siyá noong 11 Agosto 1970.
Ang ilan sa mga naisulat niya ay: (tula) “Balladaw ken Espada,” “Imnas,” “Ni
Kaingungotko,” “Ayatenka Uray Ulpitannak,” “O Apo Jesucristo nga Ari.
4. Marcelo Crisologo
Pinanganak siya noong November 11 1844
Was a Filipino politician, poet, writer and playwright.
He was known for being one of the representatives for Ilocos Sur in the Malolos
Congress
He popularized Ilocano art and literature.
He became the first governor of Ilocos Sur
Crisologo’s work, “Nagtacneng a Panagsalisal
Namatay siya noong July 5, 1927.
5. Roy Aragon
Pinanganak siya noong October 31, 1968.
He is an award-winning fictionist and poet, and also works as a translator, an
editor, a book designer.
He is a member of GUMIL Filipinas, the leading association of Ilokano writers.
Short Stories: "Balang," "Babe," "Siak ni Kafka, Pusa," "Kanibusanan,"
"Bannuar," "Garami, Bislak, Bamban ken Padeppa,"
Awards
Palanca Awards
Talaang Ginto-Gantimpalang Collantes, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
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