I was in Lallo, Cagayan

I was with the Vigan delegation on a pilgrimage trip to Lallo, Cagayan, the ancient seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, 250 years ago.

The pilgrimage was the kick-off of the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Transfer of the Seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and the Establishment of Ciudad Fernandina.

Lallo, or formerly Nueva Segovia, is a sleepy town, a 2nd class municipality led by its lady mayor, Maria Olivia Pascual.

Having left Vigan at 1:30 am of Tuesday, September 2,2008 the delegation arrived at the mayor's home at 8:30 where we had a hearty breakfast of beef tapa, scrambled eggs, rice and coffee. There were also "miniature patupat," complete with coco-fiber strings to hold it so as not to soil our fingers when you hold them.

A welcome program was held in front of the municipal hall where Mayor Pascual recalled the history of the transfer of the seat.

... when the statue of Our Lady of Piat arrived, we were asked to follow on its way to the church.

The historic church of Lallo was facing west, fronting the Rio Grande de Cagayan.. It beats me why the church didnt face eastward to greet the rising sun, like most structures do. Of course, if the church was built first, it would have been anathema to build the presidencia facing east. It would have lain its back to the church which would have rendered the plaza an awkward angle which was built in between. The own gymnasium was beside the church, facing east fronting the modern police station that faced west. It didnt look right to my sense of perspective. Maybe because I have been used to seeing the land uses of most Spanish cities with its institutional structures strategically located . Comparatively, Vigan has a more centralized blocking. The central plaza, Plaza Salcedo is centrifugal to the church and the municipal hall. Similarly though, the Vigan Cathedral faces west too, like its sister church of Lallo.
...
..to be continued

Jubilee year celebration of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and the Establishment of Ciudad Fernandina

1. September 1-8, 2008 Open House for Museums (Free Entrance)
2. September 1-8, 2008 Plaza Encarnacion Comidas de Ayer and Ylocos Trade Fair
(Ilocos Norte, Abra, Cagayan, Baguio-Benguet, Batanes
3. September 2, 2008 Pilgrimage from Lal-lo to Vigan
4. September 5 or 6 Fun Ride Motorcycle Caravan from Lal-lo to Vigan
5. September 4, 2008 History Writing Contest
6. September 6, 2008 7:00 pm Plaza Burgos Cultural Show (Songs and Dances by local
talents (Vigan) with intermission from Lal-lo
7. September 7, 2008 GSPH Search for the First Child born on September 7,
2008 (natural born)
8. September 7, 2008 8:00 AM Family backyard Simultaneous Tree Planting
(2500 trees/families) with time capsules
9. September 7, 2008 2:00 PM Front of Arzobispado Awarding of Commemorative Pins to
all Biguenos born on September 7
10. September 7, 2008 4:00 pm Front of Arzobispado Re-enactment of the
transfer of the Seat of Nueva Segovia (with
procession of the symbolic cross around
Vigan)
11. September 8, 2008 1:30 pm Mira Hills Inauguration of the Buridek
Children’s Museum; MOA Signing of MVCC
12. September 8, 2008 3:00 pm UNESCO Marker Renewal of Pledge
13. September 8, 2008 4:00 pm Repazzo de Vigan
14. September 8, 2009 Jubilee Year Souvenir Book of Vigan

Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan

(Image courtesy of CPDO Files, Vigan City)
By 1764, there were already 21 sitios or barrios in Vigan as mentioned by Father Pedro de Vivar in the document entitled as “Relacion de los Alzamientos dela Ciudad de Vigan, cavesera dela provincia de Ilocos Sur el los años 1762 y 1763.”

In 1803, Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan has a population of 10,585 souls with 1,966 paying tributes. The natives were working on agricultural land and the mestizos engaged in business with other provinces including Manila. The mestizos played a very important role in the progress and prosperity of the city of Vigan.

The Chinese in Vigan on the other hand, settled in a place called “Pariancillo” while in Manila they were in “Parian”. With their talent and knowledge in business as well as their skills and mastery of the art of manufacturing, the Chinese became rich and powerful in society. They opened business in the heart of Vigan, employed the naturales, intermarried with the natives and mestizos of Vigan and as time passed by; they rose into the class of the elite. They triggered a business boom in the community and engaged in domestic and foreign trade. They exported indigo, lime, maguey, basi, jars, tobacco, woven cloth called abel, and other local products to Europe, China, Borneo and Malaysia. As a consequence of this business boom, there was a mark change in the lifestyle of the inhabitants.

Found in the Philippine Archives in Manila is a report in 1870 describing Vigan, the place. West of the cathedral are the Casa Real and the monument of Salcedo, north of the cathedral is a small house, and south of the cathedral is the Seminary. West of the Seminary were the hacienda publica, barracks of the Carabineros and the Ayuntamiento Municipal. Source: http://www.santa.gov.ph

To further justify the to category of Vigan as a city are the documents from “Instituto de Historia Programa de Modernization del Archivo Nacional de Filipinas” that describes that Vigan has its own carcel, casa de gobierno, mercado publico, Provincial High Court and one the only four (4) Public Works District in the entire Island of Luzon. More importantly, it has an Audencia Territorial, an implicit indication that it was a City.