Ilokandia 2008 - Badoc and Batac

Ilokandia is known for its magnificent landscapes, rugged coastlines, and the natural charm of the Ilocos Region, which have captivated international film makers, and has served as the perfect setting for some memorable movies like Tom Cruise's "Born on the Fourth of July and Mel Gibson's "Mad Max" series. It is also famous for its historic landmarks. This part of a series of videos focuses on the towns of Badoc and Batac.

Badoc was established as a pueblo (town) by the Augustinian friars in 1714, the same year that the parish church, known as the Saint John the Baptist Church, was constructed. The townfolk recounted that the church was built under the Spanish forced labor decree, and that during the whole construction process, not a single drop of water was used. The concreting materials were made purely of sugarcane juice, which the natives contributed under the "family quota system." The famous Filipino painter, Juan Luna, was baptized in this church on October 27, 1857. Now the church is the shrine of the La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc.

This sleepy town has also become a tourist attraction in Ilokandia because it is home to the famous Luna brothers, Juan Luna and Antonio Luna. The reconstructed house, now popularly known as the Juan Luna Historical Landmark, with its original grandeur and antiquity fully restored, together with the Luna Park (which is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Northern Luzon) continue to draw more visitors and tourists almost everyday. The restored house has been converted into a museum that showcases various memorabilia and artworks of Luna, including a reproduction of his masterpiece, the Spolarium, which won the gold medal in the 1884 Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Madrid. A more recent addition to the museum's collection is Luna's original painting "The Parisian Life," completed in 1892 - a significant period in Philippine history.

Batac, on the other hand, is a more popular tourist destination because it is the home town of former Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It is also the birthplace of Gregorio Aglipay, the founder of the Philippine Independent Church (the Aglipayan Church). The ancestral house of the late strongman has been converted into a museum, and adjacent to it is his mausoleum, where his remains are interred inside a refrigerated crypt.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Badoc
• Batac
• Ilocos
• Norte
• Ilokandia
• Juan
• Luna
• Ferdinand
• Marcos

[bajaosurfer]

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[lenno616]

wag kayo tumalikod galit c nanay...he he eh