Where is ilocos region

In , when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan De Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions.

Together with 8 armed boats and 45 men, the 22 year old voyager headed north. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves "looc" where the locals lived in harmony.

As a result, they named the region "Ylocos" and its people "Ylocanos". As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracks of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of "bajo las campanas". In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out.

The Spanish colonization of the region, however, was never completely successful. Owing to the abusive practices of many Augustinian friars, a number of Ilocanos revolted against their colonizers. In , Diego Silang led a series of battles aimed at freeing the Ilocanos from the Spanish yoke.

When he died from an assassin's bullet, his widow Gabriela continued the cause. Unfortunately, she too was captured and hanged. In , the sugar cane "basi" brewers of Piddig rose up in arms to protest the government's monopoly of the wine industry.

In , the church excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay for refusing to cut off ties with the revolutionary forces of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Unperturbed, he established the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente". In an effort to gain more political control and because of the increasing population of the region, a Royal Decree was signed on February 2, splitting Ilocos into two provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Soon thereafter, the provinces of La Union and Abra likewise became independent.

The new Ilocano searched for greener pastures towards new lands local and foreign - Palawan, Mindanao, Hawaii, the United States and Greece. The total number of barangays in the region is 3, According to the Census, the age group with the highest population in Ilocos Region is 5 to 9 , with , individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 75 to 79 , with 61, individuals.

The population of Ilocos Region grew from , in to 5,, in , an increase of 4,, people over the course of years. The latest census figures in denote a positive growth rate of 1.

The total number of registered voters or electorate in Ilocos Region for the year was 3,,