SEGUNDO DISTRITO TI ILOCOS SUR: A TOTAL PACKAGE FOR EVERY TRAVELLER

FROM CULTURE AND ARTS TO FARM LIFE AND COMMUNING WITH NATURE TO EXCELLENT FOOD AND ACCOMMODATIONS, ILOCOS SUR’S SEGUNDO DISTRITO HAS IT ALL.

The 2nd District of Ilocos Sur, particularly Candon City and neighboring municipality of Santiago, continues to awe travellers who looking for destinations other than churches and old structures. Following is a sampler of what the district has to offer.

HOTEL VAN GOGH

One of the newest and definitely one of the best hotels in the North today, Hotel Van Gogh has become a top choice for those looking for excellent accommodations and superb dining experiences in Ilocos Sur. Located in Bagani Campo, Candon City, this captivating hotel also offers a good vantage point from which to view downtown Candon any time of day.

Entering the hotel lobby is like walking into the sunflowery world of Vincent Van Gogh and the Ilocanos’ vibrant universe. The hotel offers affordable luxury—premium rooms and amenities as well as exceptional services at different budgets. Enjoy the spacious rooms and co-working space. Try the hotel restaurant’s local and international dishes as well as Terrance Café’s selection of coffee and non-coffee beverages and snacks before going on a trip around the city. Sip on Chandelier Bar’s signature cocktails, fine wines, and premium spirits as well as Irish Pool Bar’s cold drinks for a relaxing experience after a day of exploration.

VITALIS VILLAS

Wishing to have the Santorini experience while in Ilocos Sur? Look no farther than Vitalis Villas in Barangay Sabangan, Santiago, Ilocos Sur. Built on a cliff overlooking Santiago Cove, the hotel complex features blue and white villas built in the Greek Santorini tradition.

VItalis offers a wide range of rooms, from superior rooms to three-room villas with a private pool. It also offers a superb dining experience built on fresh ingredients sourced from reputable local farmers and craftspeople. More than the excellent accommodations and unforgettable food, Vitalis also offers water sports activities, interaction with non-native animals atop a hill, and a cruise. Try the Hilltop Adventure which offers an unforgettable zipline experience as well as animal feeding and interaction. Go paddleboarding, jetskiing, kayaking, or pedal boating in the calm sea. Sail into the sunset while enjoying your favorite beverages and finger foods with the premium Sunset Cruise.

CANDON CENTER FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS

This performance art theatre was built through the efforts of Mayor Eric G. Singson and then-Congressman Eric D. Singson. Inaugurated in 2015, the center is home to the city’s chamber orchestra and other beneficiaries of the city government’s music and arts program.

Young musicians ranging from six-year-olds to teenagers are given free music training as well as provided with musical instruments under a program launched over a decade ago. The program, which is supported by both Mayor Singson and Congresswoman Kristine Singson-Meehan, now benefits 300 young musicians—a ten-fold increase from a few years ago.

The center serves as a venue for performances by the chamber orchestra and other artists, as well as for the regular rehearsals and trainings for the city’s young musicians and artists. Take a peek behind the building’s main door during orchestra rehearsals (after getting permission, of course!) and have a clear idea of how good Candon’s young musicians are.

INABEL WEAVING

In a nondescript building in Barangay Santo Tomas, Candon, a small group of women spends eight hours a day, six days a week working their magic on their looms. Their product: beautifully woven abel Iloco fabric. Less than two years after their intensive training in the craft of traditional weaving, they have slowly but surely made their own mark, as their products are now being sought by local as well as foreign customers.

The Candon City government is one of the biggest supporters of Santo Tomas’ weavers, as inabel fabric is being used for the city government employees’ Filipiniana-inspired uniforms. The city government also provides the weavers with cotton thread for them to weave.

Pay the group a visit and get to know the dedicated weavers better. Watch them execute the intricate designs. If you are lucky, you could see for yourself that here is hope that the living tradition of inabel weaving in Candon will live on for at least yet another two generations—children seated beside their mothers or grandmothers trying their hand at the looms. Want to have a dress made from their inabel? Purchase a three-yard piece for only Php1500!

CANDON ECO PARK

This sprawling nature park has become a haven for biodiversity and communing with nature. Open to the public free of charge, Candon Eco Park is a must-see for those who want to experience farm life and how to commune with nature.

The ecopark offers nature tourism with its Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Garden, peacock-shaped garden, and bamboo plantation; culture tourism with its bahay kubos and Bag-o inspired houses; and farm tourism with its imported animals such as water buffalos, goats, sheep, alpacas, as well as pheasants and peacocks. The eco park hall is a perfect place to rest and let your total experience sink in after a leisurely stroll at the park or a trek on its eco-trail.

Before leaving the park, have a taste of the all-organic fresh cow’s milk and goat’s milk as well as other dairy products which are available at the park’s Kusina Kabakiran. You may also try out the spacious resto’s many food offerings. Whether it is a family looking for an intimate meal or a big group longing to feast on a wide array of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes, Kusina Kabakiran has become a favorite for those who want to dine surrounded by nature.

ALLANGIGAN TOBACCO FIELDS

Wondering how Ilocos Sur’s famed tobaccos are grown and prepared before being sold to merchants? Take a trip to Barangay Allangigan Primero, Candon, where hardworking farmers produce the finest tobaccos.

Take a walk amidst tobacco plants (careful not to touch or pinch the leaves, as this could lead to skin irritation), watch the farmers prepare the harvested leaves for drying, and take a peek inside the pugon (furnace). Talk to the farmers to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of tobacco farming and how the local government and their congresswoman is helping them.

Indeed, Candon and Santiago offer both simplicity and elegance. Over and above the beauty of the districts’ attractions, however, it is the Ilocano hospitality exuded by its people that completes the Segundo Distrito ti Ilocos Sur experience.