Experiencing charms of Ilocos

If there is anything I remember about my three-day trip to the Ilocos region with members and friends of the Congregacion del Santissimo Nombre del Niño Jesus, it is that I was always chatting with Bambi Harper and Marylou Prieto.

Those who know Bambi would remember her as being the first to win the Maid of Cotton. She was also a model for the first Philippine Couture Association fashion show that went to the Seattle World Fair in 1961.

On the other hand, Marylou is the daughter of socialite and manners expert Mary Prieto and former Sports commissioner Leo Prieto. She grew up in convent schools and was educated in Europe. She later married the late Manolo Lovina.

Talking to these ladies was like taking a trip down memory lane. We were often busy exchanging stories about yesteryears, discussing about Manila’s elite, of glamorous happenings which we rarely see or hear about nowadays.

The next day, we were off to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, which was made famous by the movies produced by former MTRCB chair and Filipino song expert Armida Siguion-Reyna. Located 75 kilometers from Laoag, it was a good two-hour trip from Ilocos Norte’s capital town.

The trip to this faraway town would take us to a number of picturesque towns of Ilocos Norte. Our first stop that day was at Sinait, Ilocos Sur’s last town. Enshrined in the century-old Sinait Church is the miraculous image of the Black Nazarene found in the 17th century floating in a casket along the town’s coast. The day of the finding, May 3, has since been delegated as the town’s feast.

From Sinait, we passed through Badoc town and visited Badoc Church, home of the Ivory Virgin, before going to Paoay, where the Congregacion members visited Paoay Church. This wasn’t my first time to visit Paoay, and I have visited twice Paoay Church, with its popular bell tower. Instead, Bambi who was also no stranger to Paoay, took me along to the nearby Bangcol Training Center, which sells locally woven fabrics. However, it was a Sunday and the Center was closed.

I know Paoay for the Malacañang of the North, built during the Marcos administration as a vacation house. The mansion is near the scenic Paoay Lake and a golf course, where travelers looking for a challenging green can go to. Since the fall of the Marcos regime, the vacation house has been opened to the public and is now a popular tourist attraction.

In 1981, when Irene Marcos married Greggy Araneta, I was with a group of designers who graced the affair. We stayed in Paoay, which was just a 10-minute drive to Sarrat, site of the wedding.

Some of the more illustrious guests who were Mrs. Marcos’ guests at the wedding included Countess Lucia Pignatelli, wife of the world-famous photographer Richard Avedon, Italian socialite Gaea Pallivicini and the mother of George Hamilton.

That wedding was an unforgettable experience, with its lavish preparations. Such a grandiose event will not be equaled in a long time.

We passed by Paoay Lake to get to Fort Ilocandia Hotel.

We heard from some locals that the far end of the beach at Pagudpud had a better view of the sea. We stayed at Saud Beach where some people in the group went swimming. I just got my feet wet. We were there for around 90 minutes.

We drove back to Vigan that night and had dinner at Garden Cafe. I sang five songs for the group at the restaurant’s videoke machine. It was a pity that we didn’t even stop for a few minutes in Laoag to see the market. I was most interested in procuring abel fabric for future use.

That night, Dennis got word that his father, crooner Diomedes Maturan, had just died. He immediately gave his farewell to the group to return to Manila.

Until that time, I didn’t know that Dennis was related to the popular singer. I wasn’t surprised that in the few minutes I was by a karaoke machine that day, Dennis sang with me with gusto.

The next morning, the last day of our trip, after we had breakfast, we visited the Museo Nueva Segovia, which is near Vigan Cathedral, to see its display of vestments.

As a last stop before our return to Manila, the group was brought to Vigan City Market for last minute pasalubong shopping. I didn’t feel the urge to get off the bus. I decided to instead spend the time in the bus, conserving my energy for the return trip to Manila.

It was a long 12-hour drive back to Manila. We did stop in Tarlac for dinner at Max Restaurant, courtesy of Mellie Ablaza. It was a full dinner of chicken, a pleasant way to fill our cravings on the return home. We reached Manila by 1 a.m., our bus depositing us back to the DOT compound on T.M. Kalaw.

Among the major sponsors of our Ilocos tour were Ilocos Sur Gov. D.V. Savellano, Mayor Mary Jane Ortega of San Fernando City, La Union, Mayor Roger Fariñas of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Domingo Navarro of the Vigan Heritage Village Commission, and DOT Region 1 director Ernesto Malay, Jr.

The trip was a long one, but it was worth our while. The few moments we had to familiarize ourselves with the charms of Ilocos will surely convince to embark on a more extensive journey to the region in the future.

[ Paoay Church Wiki ]