San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte
Encyclopedia
San Nicolas is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. According to the latest census, it has a population of 33,642 people in 7,423 households. San Nicoleños are famous for their traditionally-designed pots (called "bangas") and their warm hospitality towards visitors.

Historical background

The present name of San Nicolas was given in the year 1733, after Saint Nicholas de Tolentino who was believed to have protected the people against floods, earthquakes, fires, typhoons and other calamities. It is significant that in Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte 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...

, only San Nicolas was named after a Saint.

Like any other town in the ancient province of Ilocos, San Nicolas was established by Augustinian missionaries. Vigan, the first Spanish mission center in this region, was founded in 1575. In the year 1572, when the Spaniards first explored the Laoag (Padsan) River, they met hostile resistance from the natives of San Nicolas and Laoag. In another expedition dispatched from Vigan in 1584 San Nicolas was established and Laoag followed a year later.

San Nicolas Catholic Church built in 1701 is one of the oldest buildings in this province. Its original structure is one of the must see places of the town. The Church and the attached Sta. Rosa Academy Building, the well preserved Municipal Hall and the old Town Plaza sprawled between them constitute the heart of the town center. These buildings and structures are originally built and continue to be festooned with earthen bricks, which is among the products of the surviving local earthenware industry
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...

.

It is also located right at the center of the developing metropolis radiating from Laoag City
Laoag City
The City of Laoag is a 1st class city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Ilocos Norte, and the province's political, commercial, and industrial hub. It is the location of the Ilocos region's only commercial airport...

. The town is a potential contributor to the social, economic and cultural development of Ilocos Norte in support to the Provincial Government’s program of reviving and enriching the Ilocano cultural heritage under the leadership of Governor Ferdinand Marcos, Jr
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. , also known as Bongbong Marcos is a Filipino politician and a senator to the 15th Congress. He is the only son of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the former president of the Philippines , and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos...

.

Schools

San Nicolas National High School (SNNHS) is the most popular high school destination for teens living in the urban-part of the town. It has two campuses: Main and Bingao campuses.

San Nicolas has 10 public elementary schools composed of:

CENTRAL ZONE
  1. San Nicolas Elementary School - Brgy. 3
  2. Eladio V. Barangan Memorial Elementary School - Brgy. 14


SOUTH ZONE
  1. Cayetano Bumanglag Memorial Elementary School - Brgy. 16 (formerly Payas Elementary School)
  2. Catuguing Elementary School - Brgy. 22
  3. Asuncion Elementary School - Brgy. 17
  4. Bugnay Elementary School - Brgy. 21
  5. Bingao Elementary School - Brgy. 18


EAST ZONE
  1. Filipinas Elementary School - Brgy. 6
  2. Pasion Barangan Memorial Elementary School - Brgy. 24
  3. Barabar Elementary School - Brgy. 23

The town has one private, Catholic school, the Sta. Rosa Academy, named after St. Rose of Lima, the patron saint of one of its founders. It is one of the oldest schools in the Diocese of Laoag. It was established in 1936 by the late Msgr. Fidel Albano, together with the late Miss Rosa Valdes, Mrs. Teresa Llopis Zabala and Miss Castora Bonoan.

Barangays

San Nicolas is politically divided into 24 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s.


  • Brgy. 1 San Francisco (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 2 San Baltazar (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 3 San Ildefonso (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 4 San Bartolome (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 5 San Silvestre (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 6 San Juan Bautista (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 7 San Miguel (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 8 San Rufino (Pob.)
  • Brgy. 9 San Lucas (Pob.)
  • Brgy.10 San Paulo (Pob.)
  • Brgy.11 San Fernando (Pob.)
  • Brgy.12 San Cayetano (Pob.)

  • Brgy.13 San Eugenio (Pob.)
  • Brgy.14 San Gregorio (Pob.)
  • Brgy.15 San Jose (Pob.)
  • Brgy.16 San Marcos (Payas)
  • Brgy.17 Santa Asuncion (Samac)
  • Brgy.18 San Pedro (Bingao)
  • Brgy.19 San Lorenzo
  • Brgy.20 San Pablo
  • Brgy.21 San Agustin (Bugnay)
  • Brgy.22 San Guillermo (Catuguing)
  • Brgy.23 Santa Cecilia (Barabar)
  • Brgy.24 Santa Monica (Nagrebcan)


Tourism

The first full-operating mall in the province, Robinsons, was built in San Nicolas. Opening last December 3, 2009, it makes a good income to the town and the province. The Town is also the site of the Northwestern University Ecotourism Park and Botanical Gardens- a member of the Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI), which caters to the conservation of important indigenous plant species of the province which are now on the verge of extinction .

External links

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