30+ Interesting Facts About The Ilocanos

I am an Ilocano and I am proud to be one. Ilocano is one of the leading dialects in the Philippines. Most Ilocanos can be found in the island of Luzon particularly in Northern and Central Luzon.

1.) Ilocano is the 3rd largest spoken language in the Philippines with a total of more than 10 million speakers.

2.) About 10.1% of the population of the Philippines consists of Ilocanos.

3.) The Ilocanos are descendants from Astronesian-speaking people from Southern China who traveled to the archipelago through Formosa, now known as Taiwan.

4.) The term “Ilocano” is commonly known to be derived from “look” or bay which made them known as “people of the bay”.

5.) Some modern historians believed that the term Ilocano comes from “i-”, “from”, and “lucong”, “the flat lands” or “the lowlands”.

6.) About 85% of the Filipino-Americans in the state of Hawaii, USA are of Ilocano descent.

7.) And as a fact to the matter, Ben Cayetano, the 5th Governor of Hawaii (1994–2002) is an Ilocano who hailed from the province of Pangasinan.

8.) There is also a considerably large population of Ilocanos in Mindanao because from the American Colonial Period and up to the Independence Years, leaders encouraged the Ilocanos to resettle in Mindanao.

9.) Ferdinand E. Marcos was the 4th Ilocano to be elected President of the Philippines in 1965. He stayed in power up to 1986.

10.) In 1903, over 290,000 Ilocanos migrated to Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley and Metro Manila and over 180,000 moved to Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. About 50,000 proceeded to Cagayan Valley most of them stayed in Isabela and less than 50,000 moved to Zambales.

Image Source

11.) The so-called Ilocano Diaspora continued in 1906 when Ilocanos started to migrate to Hawaii and California. That’s why Ilocano says; Any where you go, you’ll find an Ilocano.

12.) Succeeding migrations brought Ilocanos to other parts of the country such as Aurora, Cordilleras, Mindoro, Palawan, North Cotabato, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao.

13.) The Ilocanos were one of the first ethnic groups to revolt against the Spaniards. In 1661, the first Ilocano revolt occurred and proclaimed Don Pedro Almazan as their King. This illustrious leader and wealthy Ilocano was executed by the Spaniards after the kingdom was dissolved.

14.) From 1762 to 1764, during the British occupation of Manila, Diego Silang and his wife Gabriela Silang declared independence of Free Ilocos. Diego Silang and his associates were executed after the said republic was dissolved.