VIGAN: Following the cobblestone road

The first thing that entered my

mind when I first saw Calle

Crisologo in Vigan was a scene

from ''The Wizard of Oz.'' For a

moment I thought I was Dorothy

facing the yellow brick road. But,

in my case, it was a half-kilometer

stretch of cobblestone and my

journey was one into culture and

history.

Recently, I was invited by the Department of Tourism, together

with other travel writers to the Ilocos Sur capital cited as "the best

preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia."

Unlike the other major Spanish settlements in the country such as

Intramuros in Manila, Vigan survived the ravages of war, with -

miraculously - only a few scratches. Calle Crisologo serves as the

cultural heritage center of Vigan with its rows of ancestral houses

preserving their original 18th century, Spanish colonial

architecture. This street is also unique because it is the only one

still paved with cobblestones.

Our trip to Vigan was timely as it coincided with the 9th Viva Vigan

Festival of the Arts and Regional Agri-Aqua Trade Fair. This annual

event showcases the talents and the diverse culture of Vigan and

serves as one of the city's biggest come-ons.

The opening of this year's festival was made more special with the

formal turn-over of the Vigan Culture and Trade Center from the

Spanish Government, represented by Spanish Amabassador to

the Philippines Tomas Rodriquez-Pantoja to the City of Vigan

represented by local government officials such as Vigan City

Mayor Eva Marie Medina and Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit"

Singson, among others.

Although the DoT staff had prepared a tour with a guide, Damaso

Quines King, I couldn't resist "following the brick road" on my own

and discovering where it would lead me. After all, as one writer put

it Vigan "was built for walking."

Where it all begins

First, a little FYI on Vigan taken from a brochure: The city is 405

kilometers, or a seven-hour ride, from Manila. Vigan was founded

by Juan de Salcedo in 1574 and is chronologically the third

Spanish town established in the Philippines. Its lay-out adheres to

a typical Spanish city, with highlight on the plazas where

government and religious offices are located. It was declared a

UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2, 1999 and was

officially converted into a city earlier this year.

Antiques, antiques, antiques

Fortunately for my group, we were

billeted at the Cordillera Inn located

right smack in the middle of Crisologo

street. It made my walking tour a lot

easier since I didn't have to go far to

get to the most interesting attractions.

A word of advice: it is better to go

exploring early in the morning or late

in the afternoon as the hot and humid

weather in Vigan could get really

unbearable.

The houses along Crisologo remain awe-inspiring despite its

crumbling facades - even with some peeling paint here and broken

bricks showing there. In fact, the "worn out" look is attractive,

adding to the sense of history and of the passage of time. Some of

the houses have been converted into hotels, antique shops,

souvenir stores or residences.

Although there are still a number of old mansions located

elsewhere, such as Quirino street, it is only in Crisologo where the

most number of houses are located. There are also a few ruins,

too. (I was saddened, though, to see a lot of the old houses

mercilessly wallpapered with campaign posters.)

One of the things I appreciated about Crisologo are the creative,

"antique" benches found in front of almost every house. In the early

morning you can sit in one of those benches and share a breakfast

of taho with friends while watching life on the street. Or in the

balmy evenings you could go to one of the swings and talk the

night away.

Aside from the beautiful row of houses, Crisologo is also the best

place to shop for souvenirs, antique furniture and the native cloth,

Abel Iluko. Just some of the recommended buys are miniature

wooden furniture such as chests, rocking chairs, dressers for

about P250; native bags, P75-P350; fans P15-P35; T-shirts,

P150-P250; table runners for P150-P350; wall hangs for P250; an

abel kimono top for P250 or placemats at P350 per dozen. Shops

close early so it is best to do your buying before evening.

Another attraction at one end of Crisologo street is the ancestral

residence of Leona Florentino, who is touted as the country's first

female poet. Today, one part of the house serves as the office of

the Vigan Heritage Foundation while another has been converted

into a semi-fine dine restaurant.

Café Leona serves a variety of popular Ilocano dishes such as

longgonisa, native sausage; pakbet, stewed vegetables in

fermented fish sauce (bagoong); and the bagnet, which I can only

describe as a cross between inihaw na baboy and chicharon -

twice the tastiness, twice the cholesterol.

In the evening, tables with checkered covers are set outside so

customers can dine al fresco. The restaurant serves barbequed

chicken, and even grilled lobsters. They also serve a mean sizzling

squid dish. There isn't much of a nightlife in Vigan (much to the

chagrin of my Manileño group) but you can have a beer at Café

Leona and sing the night away (that is, until midnight) with the

restaurant's videoke machine.

Seat of faith and power

When you reach the end of Crisologo

Street you can pass through the

Burgos Plaza, named after Padre

Burgos of the GOMBURZA. Across

the plaza is the St. Paul's Metropolian

Cathedral, which was built by the

Augustinians in the late 18th century.

It typifies Ilocano baroque architecture

with a touch of Chinese design such as a pair of Fu dogs on the

facade.

Interestingly, the octagonal belfry of the church is located 10

meters from the nave. It stands 25 meters high and is topped by a

huge weathercock made of bronze, which symbolizes St. Peter.

A few meters away is the Arzopispado or the Archbishop's Palace

which was built in 1783 by Juan Garcia Ruiz de San Agustin,

ORSA. Inside is the Museo Nueva Segovia which showcases a

vast collection of ecclesiastical artifacts and antiques. Among its

treasures are antique portraits of bishops, early 18th century icons

made of ivory, life-sized wooden statues of saints and martyrs,

altar frontals, vestments, religious documents, and the bishop's

throne, which were gathered across the Ilocos region.

After the tour of the Archbishop's Palace, go back to Plaza

Burgos. At around 3 p.m. street vendors start cooking up the tasty

Ilocos empanada. At this point, I recommend explorers to stop for

merienda and do a little "food-tripping." You can walk off the

calories by going back to Crisologo for shopping!

If you have time…

If visitors wish to experience more of Vigan City, I suggest the

Burgos National Museum and the burnay jar factories. These are a

few kilometers away from the center of town but they're worth a

visit.

The Burgos National Museum is the ancestral house of Padre

Burgos. It has an extensive display of archeological and

ethnographic treasures, antiques, dioramas of local historical

events and photographs of Ilocano heroes and achievers. On the

second floor are 14 Esteban Villanueva paintings of the 1807 Basi

Revolt and the bedroom of Padre Burgos.

Meanwhile, jar-making or pagbuburnay, is one of the oldest crafts

in Vigan. It was introduced centuries ago by the Chinese

merchants who settled in the area before the Spaniards came. It is

said that the Chinese found that the soil in that area was mostly

clay which is ideal for making the jars. They taught their Filipino

helpers only the basics to making the jars but kept the process of

making fine ceramics a secret. Still, the jars made locally have

been in demand and have been used in making wine, vinegar, or

bagoong, among other uses. You can visit one of the burnay jar

shops and get a crash cou