Ilocos Norte welcomed over 500,000 day visitors during the Holy Week season, posting an increase of at least 115 percent in a span of three years from the recorded 232,678 tourist arrivals in 2015.
The Provincial Tourism Office said the tourist influx is expected to continue throughout the upcoming Labor Day weekend, the rest of the summer season, and the extended vacation for schools still undergoing a shift in their school calendars.
Among the top tourist destinations for 2018 was the San Agustin Church in Paoay, followed by the Bangui Windmill Farm, the Blue Lagoon Resort in Pagudpud, the Karpurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos; the La Milagrosa Cove and Chapel, also in Badoc, together with the Badoc Gateway; the Marcos Heritage Trail in Sarrat, the Davila Seafood Area in Pasuquin; the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also in Burgos; and the Batac Empanadahan alongside the city’s Immaculate Conception Parish.
The Pagudpud resorts, Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, and Davila Seafood Area are largely founded on Ilocos Norte’s rich and diverse natural resources: white-sanded beaches often compared to those of Boracay Island; the white limestone cliffs shaped by oceans waves; and the bounty of fish, squid, seaweed, and other coastal delicacies caught and prepared by locals into savory dishes.
Badoc’s La Milagrosa Chapel and Shrine, overlooking the sea, is home to the provincial patroness, La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc. Being the first town of Ilocos Norte when arriving from the south, it also marks the tangible gateway into the province.
The town of Sarrat, being the birthplace and childhood hometown of former President Ferdinand Marcos, offers the Marcos Heritage Trail, which includes a tour of the late strongman’s actual childhood home as well as of the Sta. Monica Church, the longest and largest church in Ilocos Norte.
Events that potential tourists can look out for in coming weeks include the opening of a Marian Exhibition in Arte Luna, Paoay, on April 25; the Himala! Sa Buhangin Arts and Music Festival at the Paoay Sand Dunes on April 28; the Miss Ilocos Norte pageant at the Centennial Arena, Laoag City, on May 11; and the Canonical Coronation of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc on May 31.