Laoag Snapshot

When you are planning to travel Ilocos Norte and you want something soothing to the eyes, you shouldn’t miss visiting one of its proudest towns that is teeming with different landmarks that has been favorite destination for many visitors throughout the country. Laoag City provides a variety of enjoyable activities, great experiences and, unforgettable memories for everyone who visits.

To get you started here is a glimpse of the city’s proudest attractions.

Wow! Laoag…

Tourism has become a major economic driver of Laoag City, paving the way for new commercial investments and infrastructure development. Places of interest include a tour of heritage sites featuring Spanish colonial buildings, Philippine-baroque churches, white-sand beach resorts of Pagudpud, and Marcos-era mansions. A recent surge in Chinese and Taiwanese tourists have been flocking to splurge in the city's profitable casino located inside the only 5-star hotel in the northern Philippines, Fort Ilocandia Hotel and Resort.

The dramatic increase in tourist arrivals also prompted the establishment of a Chinese consulate to oversee the security of Chinese citizens living or visiting the city. A new immigration policy set to simplify entry of Chinese tourists into the country by issuing visitor visas in the airport after arrival is expected to entice more guests to come.

To supplement the anticipated growth in tourist-related business activity, the government of Ilocos Norte has started construction on a multimillion dollar convention center and hotel to supply the demand and diversify services. Laoag City has been recently adjudged as the number one tourist destination in Region I and among the top ten in the whole archipelago.

What to see?

Laoag Sinking Belltower

• This 45 meter high bell tower is one of the tallest built in the country. A landmark in the city’s skyline the bell tower was constructed by the Augustinian Fathers several hundred years ago. The sinking tower is a unique landmark of Spanish occupation in the Philippines. When the tower was new, a man on horseback could pass through its door. Today, a man of ordinary height could hardly pass without stooping. What strikes many observers is the peculiarity of its distance from the church. The distance from the church is 85 meters a rare position among church edifices.

St. Williams Cathedral

• One of the biggest cathedrals in the country and it is the seat of the Diocese of Laoag. The construction of the cathedral began in 1612 and was the site of the Diocesan Congress in 1932 and 1949. The Augustinians built the church of Italian Renaissance design in 1612. Its unique 2-storey façade is held by 4 pairs of coupled columns. The deeply recessed niche shows the image of the Patron Saint of Laoag- San Guillermo.

Tobacco Monopoly Monument

• The monument was constructed in 1882 at the foot of the Marcos Bridge to serve as a memorial to the lifting of the Tobacco Monopoly in 1881. It is a gesture of thanksgiving to the Spanish King Alfonso XIII for having lifted the tobacco monopoly which from 1872 to 1881 gave the Ilocanos untold miseries as they were obliged to plant tobacco to be delivered solely to the government.

Aurora Park

• At the heart of the plaza, a fountain stands which features the sculptured figure of a young woman. Based from the artistic concept, it represents the maiden Pamulinawen, the prototype of an ideal Ilocano. On both arms of the sculpture piece are garlic and tobacco leaves which are the gold mine industry of Ilocandia.

Ilocos Norte Museum

• Showcases the varied ethnicity and multifaceted cultural heritage of a sturdy, hardworking people known for their industry, resourcefulness and loyalty.

Fort Ilocandia resort and Casino

• It is the only first class/ deluxe hotel in the Northern Philippines. The hotel is sprawled over 77 hectares of land amidst gentle sand dunes, pine forests and 2 kilometers of fine sandy beach facing the South China Sea. The hotel is situated on the northwestern tip of Luzon Island in the province of Ilocos Norte. Laoag City and the Laoag International Airport are a short 10 minute drive from the hotel. Fort Ilocandia was conceived in 1980 and opens its doors in 1983. The complexes consist of five Spanish colonial buildings and are finished in cool red bricks inspired by the Spanish Mediterranean designs of Marrakech, Morocco.  It caters to international flights direct from Kaoshiung & Taipei, Taiwan, Guangzhou, China, Hongkong and connecting flights from Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Vancouver.

Plaza Del Norte Hotel and Ilocos Norte Convention Center

• It is a great and neat place for lodging. It can hold conventions and gatherings where around 1,500 people can be accomodated.

La Paz Sand Dunes

• La Paz Sand Dunes offers a spectacular vista of the South China Sea. It is located in Brgy. La Paz, Laoag City which has been declared as National Geological Monument. It covers an area of 85 square kilometers and is declared and protected as a geological monument because of its unique land formation. La Paz is a favorite shooting location for local as well as international films.

How to get there

Laoag International Airport services flights to and from Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as, domestic flights by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. Foreign airlines offer direct charter flights to Laoag as part of travel packages with optional excursions to tourist sites outside of the city. Once in the city, tourists can find travel agencies all over including ticket offices of several airlines in the airport terminal.

Several large bus companies serve Laoag City making connections to major and minor Philippines destinations. These transportation services are provided by GV Florida Transport, Maria de Leon Bus Lines, RCJ Lines, RCJ Trans, Dominion Bus Lines, Partas, Philippine Rabbit, Sta. Lucia Express and Farinas Transit Company. Partas is also a major national bus line and also Autobus Busline. Laoag is a 10-14 hour drive from Manila. A South Korean airline has recently unveiled plans to open direct flights to Laoag.

 

Accommodations in Laoag are also available. There are lots of inns and hotels throughout the town offering comfortable rooms and cottages at a reasonable price.

•    Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel - Brgy. 37 Calayab, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Pamulinawen Hotel - National Highway, Brgy. 22, 2901 San Nicholas, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Plaza Del Norte Hotel and Convention Center- 15 Suba, Paoay, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Grand Octagon Resort - Airport Ave., Brgy.50, Butong, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Java Hotel - 55B Salet Gen. Segundo Avenue, Laoag City, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines