Dr Abe V Rotor
Dedication: San Vicente Ferrer, patron saint of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, other towns, villages, schools and other institutions in many parts of the world, whose feast day is celebrated in April.
Main road from Vigan going to San Vicente town, 3 km.
1970 photo on a helicopter by the author
1970 photo on a helicopter by the author
Shaded area in first photo - the poblacion showing the church,
plaza, elementary school, market and municipal Hall, circa 1970
17th century church after the war. Note: Photo distorted, stretched to the right.
Both towers are of the same size an height.
Both towers are of the same size an height.
In my childhood I saw detours of footpaths
dividing East and West, two warring niches
where the zone of peace was the holy ground,
and beyond was wilderness - and the unknown,
beyond the confines of Subec and the Cordillera,
the memory of Diego Silang, and the Basi Revolt
on old, meandering Bantaoay River.
In my youth I saw the sun sitting
on acacia stumps and on the tired landscape,
but rising in dreams and visions on the horizon,
and in the wisdom of my forebears,
the old guards of your fort.
Time has stood still since then.
I come to pay homage to your temple,
and into the arms of my people, my roots;
I see the footpaths of yesteryears,
now grown and multiplied, and always fresh,
leading from the East and West,
and the many corners of the earth
converging at your portals in pilgrimage.~
dividing East and West, two warring niches
where the zone of peace was the holy ground,
and beyond was wilderness - and the unknown,
beyond the confines of Subec and the Cordillera,
the memory of Diego Silang, and the Basi Revolt
on old, meandering Bantaoay River.
In my youth I saw the sun sitting
on acacia stumps and on the tired landscape,
but rising in dreams and visions on the horizon,
and in the wisdom of my forebears,
the old guards of your fort.
Time has stood still since then.
I come to pay homage to your temple,
and into the arms of my people, my roots;
I see the footpaths of yesteryears,
now grown and multiplied, and always fresh,
leading from the East and West,
and the many corners of the earth
converging at your portals in pilgrimage.~
From Light in the Woods, AVRotor 1995
Idyllic scene of rural San Vicente mural in acrylic by the author circa 2003.
Mural graces the second floor of the Municipal Hall.
San Vicente is a fifth
class municipality
in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has
a population of 11,720 people.
The
municipality is known for its production of beautiful furniture made from narra and other tropical hardwoods, even from old
wood previously used in wooden sugarcane crushers and old houses to make
reproduction antiques.
Barangays
San Vicente is politically
subdivided into 7 barangays.
- Bantaoay
- Bayubay Norte
- Bayubay Sur
- Lubong
- Poblacion
- Pudoc
- San Sebastian
Etymology
The municipality's name came from
the name of Saint Vincent Ferrer,
whose winged statue was found inside a box entangled in fishing nets. The
fishermen consulted this matter to the friars in Villa Fernandina (now Vigan),
who identified the person depicted by the statue. The statue was carried to the
town's center, where a church was built. From then on, the town formerly known
as Tuanong (sometimes called Taonan) became San Vicente.
History
In tracing the history of San
Vicente, one always has to start from Vigan. Vigan was established by the
Spanish colonizer, Juan de Salcedo on June 13, 1573 up to 1582, there were only
800 residents.
Upon Salcedo’s return in 1574, he
brought with them the Augustinian friars in order to teach Christianity to the
inhabitants. After Salcedo’s death on March 11, 1576, Franciscan friars
replaced the Augustinians in the year 1579. These same friars spread up to San
Vicente to convert the people to the Catholic faith.
In 1591, Vigan has already an
organized form of government, which included these barrios namely: Bo. Tuanong,
Bo. Sta. Catalina de Baba and Bo. Caoayan. There were then a population
numbering about 4,000 inhabitants.
Between the years 1720 and 1737, the
first chapel of Bo. Tuanong was erected. Later in 1748, the Confraternity of
Jesus of Nazareth was organized. In one record of the Vigan Convent archives, a
funeral that happened on January 29, 1748 at the Chapel Bo. Tuanong was
recorded. Two chaplains Bro. Don Agustin de la Encarnacion and Don Pedro
Geronimo de Barba were the priest stone the chapel in that year 1748. It is
believed that the chapel is the first stone building that sees upon entering
the San Vicente Central School from the main road. Bo. Tuanong which belonged
to Vigan was the old name of San Vicente.
On June 16, 1751, the chaplain was
Don Miguel de Montanez. He was the first priest there and also in the chapel of
San Sebastian. It is found out that Barangay San Sebastian already erected.
Hardship in reaching Bo. Tuanong and
Bo. Sta. Catalina de Baba from Vigan especially during the months of June to
October was experienced, due to the absence of dike or bridge. Priests from
Vigan reached these places by means of a raft. The problem prompted the
separation of these two barrios from Vigan in 1793.
In 1795, it was the initiation of
the seat of municipality and the church and Bo. Tuanong became San Vicente de
Ferrer. Don Pedro de Leon was the first parish priest and he was believed as
the initiator of the construction of the Church of San Vicente.
Demographics
Year
|
Pop.
|
±% p.a.
|
1990
|
9,989
|
—
|
1995
|
9,848
|
−0.27%
|
2000
|
10,877
|
+2.15%
|
2007
|
11,907
|
+1.26%
|
2010
|
11,720
|
−0.57%
|