Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan: A Tapestry of Rich Culture and History

Founded in 1572 by Novo-Hispanic conquistador Juan de Salcedo, Vigan sits at the heart of the Heritage Province of Ilocos Sur, standing bright and proud of what it has attained over the past centuries. Our beloved city had witnessed two world wars, and fortunately, its historic houses and image were saved, and it was all because of the love that was shared between Fujiro Takahashi, a captain of the Japanese military, and his significant other, Adela Tolentino, a Bigueña native. At present, the City of Vigan is known for its rich and vibrant culture, history, and heritage, thanks to the Chinese, Spanish, and Mexican influences that were slowly adapted by our ancestors and are now a part of our many customs. As Bigueños, we are proud of what our city has attained. We are thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us Bigueños over the past centuries, and as a manifestation of our genuine thanks to God Almighty, we annually celebrate the grand Vigan City Longganisa Festival on the 25th of January, during the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, exhibiting our deep devotion and gratitude to our patron saint, Saint Paul the Apostle. During this festival, we are also displaying the main highlight of our city's One Town, One Product, the Vigan longganisa. Now that that particular time of the year has come once again, feast your eyes with the different events and festivities contested in this year's edition of the Longganisa Festival!

 

In order to provide you with the most accurate and credible information regarding this year's Longganisa Festival, I attended the different activities contested during the aforementioned festival myself. 

 

To officially start the festivities, the first-ever Zumba Night was conducted. Different teams in Vigan hailing from Barangay Pantay Fatima, Ayusan Norte, Cuta, Paratong, and Nagsangalan competed for the championship title. After the teams had executed their energetic dance steps, Barangay Cuta had brought home the title, while dancers from Nagsangalan placed second and Paratong came third. The winners brought home 10,000 pesos, and the runner-ups also brought home 7,000 and 5,000 pesos, respectively. Barangay Pantay Fatima and Ayusan Norte did not leave feeling distraught, also bringing home 3,000 pesos each as their consolation prize. Witnessing a health and fitness-inclined activity in the festival was new to me, and I was delighted, of course, thinking that this was a way of the City Government of Vigan showing how they deeply value the health of every Bigueño.

 

Of course, I would not dare miss the most anticipated part of the whole festival, the Longganisa Festival Street Dancing. Witnessed by hundreds of locals and tourists, every contingent brought out the best in them as their bodies swayed to the tune of San Pablo, Kamang ti Ili, the official song of the Longganisa Festival. The said competition was adjudged by Mr. Sherwin Santiago from Saint Louis University, Mr. Jay-R Viernes Cobangbang from Mariano Marcos State University, and Ms. Pompeya Oliva Viloria, former head teacher of the MAPEH Department of Ilocos Sur National High School. In Category A, San Nicolas National High School from San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte brought home the bacon, while dancers from the University of Northern Philippines were hailed as the champions in the second category. Both teams brought home 150,000 pesos each, and the second and third runner-ups also brought home 100,000 and 75,000 pesos, respectively. Being able to listen to the rhythm of San Pablo, Kamang ti Ili after how many years of lockdown, it truly felt like home. The passion exhibited by the dancers while swaying to the beat of the drums and the tune of the lyres successfully showed our beloved city's culture and traditions. I must say that I was satisfied watching the street dancing competition.

 

And lastly, I fascinatingly watched one of the highlights of the festival, the Vigan City Grand Parade. Just in time for the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, many locals exerted time and effort to watch the parade attended by City Mayor Jose "Bonito" C. Singson, Jr., accompanied by her wife, Mia Aguila Singson, the city's first lady. It was also attended by Vice Mayor Randolph "Randy" Singson and ten different city officials. Ilocos Sur Governor Jeremias "Jerry" Singson also took part in the said activity. All thirty-nine barangays of Vigan, headed by their barangay captains, were also present in the grand parade. Different government employees working at the City Hall and Provincial Capitol were also in attendance. Several teachers and students also attended the foot parade. Lastly, business centers, radio stations, and shops around the city also took part in the activity, with their speakers advertising their stores and products. Watching the wave of people roaming the roads of Vigan truly gave me a feeling of déjà vu. Back in my childhood days, I was happily attending the parade, holding the banner of Vigan Nan Chong School on one hand and throwing candies at the other. I felt glad and disappointed at the same time, glad because I had the chance to watch this again and disappointed because it lacked life, maybe because marching bands lacked during the parade. Nevertheless, being a spectator in the parade was fun, catching candies and goodies thrown by people who were joining the parade.

 

Truly, the City of Vigan's celebration of the Longganisa Festival is indeed grand and marvelous, consisting of events that will always remain in the back of your mind. This festivity is surely a manifestation of our colorful culture, history, and identity, which makes us unique and distinct from others. We, Bigueños, are proud of what our city has attained over the past centuries, may it be local, national, or international achievements. It is definitely fitting to consider the culture, history, and heritage we inherited from our ancestors as our treasures, as they contribute to who we are today as Bigueños. With these in mind, I hope that Vigan City will continue to preserve these traditions and customs, enriched by our culture and history, ready to be passed on to the next generations of Bigueños. With the love and guidance of God Almighty and Apo San Pablo, we, Bigueños, can face the uncertainties of life and continue to fulfill our plans in preserving our rich culture, heritage, and identity, thus vitalizing our plan in establishing a better Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan, a tapestry of rich culture and history!

 

I hope you enjoyed our short voyage to Vigan! I look forward to seeing you here soon and witnessing the Vigan City Longganisa Festival yourself. Umaykan gayyem, ta umaymo met padasen ti naisangsangayan a pintas ken ragsak iti panagpiyestami ditoy Ciudad Vigan! 💗

 

Viva, San Pablo! Viva, Vigan! 🎉