Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Norte (Ilokano:Amianan nga Ilocos; Filipino:Hilagang Ilokos) is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the West Philippine Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.
Ilocos Norte is noted for being the birthplace of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the country during the latter half of his incumbency. The Marcoses enjoy a modicum of popularity in the province. Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class hotel and beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.

Religion

Although majority of the people in the Philippines are adherents to the Roman Catholic, the majority in the province are adherents to the Aglipayan Church, founded by Batac native Gregorio Aglipay.
Ilocos Norte is home to several famous Roman Catholic churches:

• Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church) - named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
• St. William's Cathedral in Laoag - famous for its Sinking Bell Tower
• St. Monica Parish Church in Sarrat - documented to be the biggest church in the Ilocos Region.
• Bacarra Church - destroyed during an intensity VII (on the Rossi-Forel scale) earthquake on August 17, 1983,^[2] reconstructed and re-inaugurated in 1984.

Ilocos Norte is the home of the Aglipay Shrine (Aglipayan Church) where the church's first supreme leader was buried.

Tourism

The province offers a number of popular destinations for tourists, locals and foreigners alike. Because of its proximity to the South China Sea, tourist arrivals peak during the summer seasons, the beach resorts topping the most visited list.

• Fort Ilocandia Beach Resort and Hotel

  The sandy beach spans 2 kilometers. It also offers the only 5-star hotel in northern Philippines sprawling over 77 hectares of land. It is located in Laoag City and is a 10-minutes drive from the Laoag International Airport.

• Laoag Sinking Bell Tower

  Over the years the 45m high bell tower has shelved few meters downward. This is evident by the tower's entrance that at present day a man of ordinary height must bent over to get inside.

• Bangui Wind Farm
• Saud Beach Resort
• Sta. Monica Church Complex
• Paoay Church

  This baroque architecture church is inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List.

• Juan Luna Museum
• Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
• Gov. Roque Ablan Sr. Shrine
• Paoay lake
• Marcos Museum and Mausoleum, Batac City

  Shows the memorabilia of Former President Ferdinand Marcos. The mausoleum is where the body of the late president is found, laid and preserved in a refrigerated crypt.

• Batac City Riverside Empanadaan

  Known for the Batac Empanada.

• Robinsons Ilocos Norte

  This is the biggest mall in Ilocos Norte situated in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.