Vigan Heritage Watch

haha. i also remember, may pinagtanungan kami sa agoo la union kung gano pa kalayo ang vigan. two hours din ang sabi sa amin. after more than two hours drive and we figured na malayo pa kami vigan, we stopped and ate dinner somewhere in ilocos sur. we asked the people there gano pa kalayo ang vigan at sabi sa amin, two hours pa. natawa at naiyak na lang kami, malayo pa pala. haha. sorry sa OT. share ko lang.
ndi kasi planado yung trip. yung map nga nabili lang sa nlex. pero we had fun.

palawan_buddy said:

its quite far, but its a leisurely drive.

we went there last year from manila with only a map and gps. its very easy and convenient to go to because there were enough signages and the highway was well-maintained. i remembered a long stretch of highway in ilocos sur which was smoothly paved though that area was deserted. we got to vigan by midnight and looked for a place to stay. it was holy week and we were told that hotels in the city were fully-booked. the helpful hotel staff helped us find available accommodation. we ended up staying somewhere 10minutes outside the city. the city is quite small but we enjoyed our stay there. calle crisologo really has a different charm during the day and at night.

since then, ive visited the city twice. the second time was supposed to be a laoag or pagudpod trip. we backed out the last minute coz, if im not mistaken, its still 4hours drive from vigan to laoag?

so anytime this summer, we will be visiting vigan again, but hopefully, on that occasion, just as a stopover to laoag or pagudpod. whew.

OT how far is laoag from pagudpod? thanks

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^^
Two hours

For those who feel the need or who would want to write the Vatican regarding (ugly and unnecessary) renovations and alterations of heritage Roman Catholic churches the contact information is:



H.E. Msgr. Gianfranco Ravasi
President of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church
Via della Conciliazione 5-7, Rome, Italy 00193
Fax no. +39 0669884621
E-mail [email protected]



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http://pinoyshooter.org/bogs/

VIGAN HERITAGE HOUSES TURNED INTO CLASSY HOTELS





















MARAMING MARAMI PANG HOTELS SANA EH... MORE WILL BE POSTED SOON!!!! Sorry guys, I have to still take pictures of the other hotels. These photos aren't mine by the way... But the next hotel photos will be mine then. Enjoy Vigan, even only in pictures.. Marami pa talaga promise, all streets are lined with classy and elegant hotels... Kaso, I still have to capture them next time

Vigan, the World Heriatage City

STA. MARIA, ILOCOS SUR

THE HOME OF ANOTHER UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN THE PHILIPPINES
A BLEND OF HERITAGE, HISTORY AND NATURE

“Ang pagbabago ng Calle Crisologo”
Post picked from a blogger

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Last we were in Vigan, there were clubs and bars. This time around, there was a newly installed Mang Inasal. According to VM Ryan Singson, they’re trying to attract more tourists by maintaining the colonial Spanish architecture, tweaking it a little to make it look more lively (and new) and then fusing it with Manila’s best — McDonald’s, Max’s, Red Ribbon and now, Mang Inasal.

I still feel the same. It would be a waste to lose Vigan’s heritage by giving it a “facelift” to generate more income from tourism. Maintaining the facade of these houses but giving them an almost complete make-over is tantamount to making Kobe Bryant look like Denzel Washington. You know it’s Kobe Bryant on the basketball court but from a far, you can’t help but notice he’s different somehow.

In short, I would just like Vigan to continue being Vigan, a World Heritage Site, with its Spanish Era atmosphere and not a localized SM hiding behind the walls of stone and lining up the cobble stone streets.

i can’t believe these singsons. this one, the vm, has a loose screw for believing in commercialism first rather than preserving a heritage site.

Good Lord, please stop it with the commercialization already! Why can’t they use the money to keep it as it is?! Don’t let mass consumerism and over-commercialization get to this heritage site. Should we set up another petition to restore Vigan as it is???

This is not what I envisioned as heritage and modernity coexisting.

/rant

Haven’t been there.. and this is not good..

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^^
Grabe ang ganda ng comment niya, and she got this fascination in the preservation of our heritage na kapag nasira, hindi na maibabalik pang muli..

"Umikot ako sa vigan! Ang ganda ng vigan. Woke up early para maka tour ng konti."
"Hay vigan. Babalik ako."

Tweets by John Pratts

Night mode in Vigan

Blogged by Mapanuri
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After watching Evelyn Salt got beaten up for several minutes in the bus, we found ourselves in Vigan, Ilocos Sur already. At around 7:20PM we arrived at the Library. It’s surprisingly cold – oh no, COLDER! But it’s good though. And hard to believe that there were only a few people walking around the streets and a couple of tricyle drivers waiting for passengers. Halos wala ng katao-tao.. From there we got our fully reliable brochures complete with lodging, places to visit, transportation contacts and city history. It’s free at the Library so all you have to do is a-s-k.

It took us 3-5 minutes to Casa Teofila. It’s just near the Library but not walking distance-near. 15 minutes is just enough to unpack some clothes and do some wash-ups then we headed to the famous Calle Crisologo. At last narating ko rin!







The winds added chills to the night as we walk around the popular Calle. Few people were walking and most of the stores are closing. Some close at 8PM and some at 8:30PM, still depends if there still are customers. I ran into one of the stores and checked out some souvenirs and shirts.



I was a little surprised to know that most of their souvenirs are cheap compared to other places I’ve been. But even if they are cheap, I didn’t get any hehe kuripot mode.. Though I plan to buy a shirt for 130php but the medium size won’t fit me, no other bigger size of that design – sorry me.



A coffee shop? but the street dining is way more interesting. That’s what we’re about to find out.





Right beside this abandoned (or haunted) house is the Los Majitos street dining. Well, it’s not the way I imagined it to be. It has a cozy ambiance with a very relaxing environment. Pero not the idea of street dining na tipong mga pagkaing you used to see sa street ang kakainin. The buffet table is just placed outside together with the chairs and tables – that for them is Street Dining. In search of finding good yet budget meals, we found ourselves here:


Oh ha, sinong mag-aakalang may carinderia sa hilera ng mga restaurant? Sa presyong wala pang 50 pesos, busog na ang tiyan mo. Instant college student budget all over again. hehe

We just enjoyed the windy night while walking along Burgos Park and I found a group of kids at the playground. Say CHEESE..



He’s the only one who did not run away from my camera.. Right across Burgos Park is the chain of fast food chains. Though Chowking, Jollibee and Mcdonald’s are familiar to everyone, in Vigan they have distinct and interesting looks.







I think it’s quite safe to stroll at night when most of the people are slumbering. Time check: It’s just 10 in the evening. There’s one police van near St. Paul’s Cathedral so I think that would serve as our help line when we got ourselves in trouble. Nevertheless, I didn’t feel anything bad that time.





Why so? In front of the park is a miniature of world renowned landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower of Paris, the Pyramids of Egypt, Sydney Opera House, Roman pillars, Mosques and the Great Wall of China. The whole park is huge, more romantic with the lights on and noticeably clean. The government must have worked hard in sustaining the cleanliness of the city.


2 Cities in 1 day? Quite an achievement huh? I know I should’ve given each city at least a day or two to explore more. We only have 3 days total so there’s nothing we can do but to squeeze in all these places in 3 days. Besides, I still have one morning here and we have to keep up with the itinerary. But if not, it’s still okay. I’m really after the adventure after all.


It’s been a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong day.. Figuratively..

Prelude to next post:


Find out why next

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Courtesy: Noel Ombrog

A Certified True Copy of the Royal Decree signed by King Fernando VI of Spain, elevating the status of Vigam, seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia; as a city in 1758. This document was extracted from the General Archives of Simancas in Spain.
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Vigan is the third oldest city in the Philippines after Cebu and Manila. It's cityhood was ratified on January 21, 2001.

Past Captured in Present- Vigan
by: Angarish Otta of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India



A curb-side parking lot near Crisologo street, Vigan. A place where swanky Gen-Z cars meet humble Calesas (horse carriages) from the spanish past.

VIGAN PHOTOS
from Nomadic Experience

The Museum City
Vigan has a lot titles, and one of these titles is 'The Museum City, and I think, Vigan is so deserving.

Vigan is the home of the National Museum branch of the Philippines, aside from that, Vigan also houses 5 other precious museums about religion, culture and the arts.

By the way, Ilocos Sur is the only province in the Philippines with two branches of National Museum, the other one is located at Magsingal Ilocos Sur.

And to note, the province of Ilocos Sur is the only province in the Philippines with two man-made UNESCO World Heritage Sites, being the architectural haven and cultural heritage center in the Philippines.

And it is safe to say, it is also the historical religious center in the Northern Philippines for being the seat of the Nueva Segovia, the religious seat that has control most of Northern Luzon after the seat has transferred from Lallo, Cagayan to Vigan which dates back in the Spanish era. Vigan is also the only city in the Philippines with a colonial Archbishop Palace called the Palacio de Arzobispado de Nueva Segovia with a throne room. Since the Philippines is the only major Christian nation in the Philippines, Vigan City houses the oldest surviving Archbishop palace in Southeast Asia.

Vigan is also the home of Museo San Pablo, the first and only museum in the region committed to conservation through a distinct faith-culture approach.

Buridek Museum in Mira Hills, Vigan City is the first Kid's Museum in Northern Luzon!

I'm sharing these facts to share the importance of Vigan in shaping the cultural, religious, artistic heritage and historical value of our country Philippines, as Filipinos, lets, trace our root, why not visit Vigan? It is gaining recognition worldwide, truly a Philippine pride!


The Padre Burgos Museum, National Museum Branch
The birthplace of our hero, Padre Burgos.


Crisologo Museum


Museo San Pablo, it is the first and only museum in the region committed to conservation through a distinct faith-culture approach.


Syquia Mansion and Museum, the then Malacanang of the North during the rule of Pres. Elpidio Quirino, a son of Vigan.


The Museo de Nueva Segovia, the only museum in the Philippines with a Throne Room!


Buridek Museum: First kids museum in Northern Luzon


Magsingal Museum
The Magsingal National Museum Branch or the Museum of Ilocano Culture and Artifacts is a Philippine museum that displays an ethnographic collection on the material culture and liturgical artifacts of the entire Ilocos Region. One of the branches of the National Museum of the Philippines, it is housed in the rectory of an old Spanish brick church in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, a municipality near the provincial capital of Vigan. The museum is open from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays and Sundays by appointment. There is no entrance fee.

Vigan City then and Now


Courtesy

Before^^^^
Look at the people. they are wearing Maria Clara in white..



Photo by: Ronnie Muring


Note: This is the closest photo I can see at the internet.

share ko din photo ko ng ilocos sur capitol, taken last month lang. More pictures taken during our kalesa tour at The Walking Tripod

palawan_buddy said:

haha. i also remember, may pinagtanungan kami sa agoo la union kung gano pa kalayo ang vigan. two hours din ang sabi sa amin. after more than two hours drive and we figured na malayo pa kami vigan, we stopped and ate dinner somewhere in ilocos sur. we asked the people there gano pa kalayo ang vigan at sabi sa amin, two hours pa. natawa at naiyak na lang kami, malayo pa pala. haha. sorry sa OT. share ko lang.
ndi kasi planado yung trip. yung map nga nabili lang sa nlex. pero we had fun.

Click to expand...

Agoo to Vigan sasabihin nila 2 hrs lang? asus! siguro kumapit sila noon sa mga hawakan sa pinagsakyan nila dahil masyadong mabilis ang byahe pag ganoon. 4 hrs pag daytime at 3hrs pag nighttime. super heavy traffic pa sa san fernando