Ilocos

Laoag, about 9 hours from Manila by land is one of the princess cities in the North. It is a microcosm of the country’s rich historical heritage and natural resources—a proud city of Ilocos. Visit the Bojeador Lighthouse which is Asia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse built in 1892. Enjoy the super fine white sand of Pagudpud 2 hours further north from Laoag. The place also offers a superb view of the South China Sea. See the centuries-old St. William’s Cathedral—one of the country’s big Catholic churches. It houses the seat of the Laoag Diocese. It was built by Augustinan monks in 1612 following an Italian Renaissance. It has an amazing sinking bell tower tourists shouldn’t miss. It stands 45 meters high but probably stood higher before it began sinking. Augustinians built it on sand, blocks away from the church—missing what Christ said about wisely building on rock—and the sinking episodes had begun ever since. Its main door now is buried halfway—it used to accommodate a man sitting erect on horseback. So visit there while the door is passable..

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