REGION I: ILOCOS REGION

REGIONAL PROFILE
Region I referred to as the Ilocos Region mainly because it is home to a majority of Ilokanos and
the seat of the Ilokano culture, heritage and language.

There are two distinct versions as to where the word “Ilocos” originated In Isabelo de los Reyes
„Historia de Ilocos’ (1885), it evolved from the word “ilog” (river). Ilocos means “people in the
river”, very much like the Tagalog‟s “taga-ilog” which referred to the early settler‟s living along
riverbanks.

Total land area of Region I: 13,013 square kilometers.

Region I occupies the narrow plain between the Cordillera Central mountain range and the South
China Sea. It also occupies the northern portion of the Central Luzon plain, to the north-east of the
Zambales Mountains.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

Located on the northwestern coast of Luzon island, it includes four (4) provinces: Ilocos Norte,
Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.

Father of Ilocano literature

Pedro Buc(k)aneg a Filipino poet

Born March 1592 and died circa 1630, his works of literature are preserved to be written in
history.

Acknowledged author of the epic Biag ni Lam-ang.

Blind since birth, but grew up as smart and talented.

Known to translate prayers and sermons in local language.

Although blind, he dictated the text of his poems, songs and translations as someone wrote it
down.

Mother of Ph Women’s Literature

Leonora Florentino born April 19, 1849 and died October 4, 1884. At the age of 10, she can write
poems in Ilocano and speak well in Spanish.

Was really intelligent, yet she wasn’t allowed to study due to her gender. She was instead
tutored by her mother and a series of private teachers. She married a politician, Elias de los Reyes
at the age of 14. Together had 5 children.

Due to the feminist nature of her writings, she was shunned by her husband and son, she lived
alone in exile and separated from her family. She died at the age of 35.
Nalpay na namnama
by Leona Florentino (Ilocano Version)
Atoy ngatan ti ayat a kunada.
Aldaw rabii pampanunuten ka.
Summangpet ka, lubong ko nga natalna.
Ket biag gummulon sa dinakita ka.
Ditoy dalan ko no sikan ti magna,
Sirsirpatangkan nga awan labas na.
Matmatak imnas mo awan kapada na,
Diak ngarud mapukaw ti pinagduadua,
Pinagduadua no sika ket agmaymaysa
Wen no ti pusom addan nakaala.
Toy manong mo, piman nga agsagaba
No awan kanton, malpay tay namnama.
Namnama ta ti pusom iyawat mo;
Ta ti diro ni ayat danggayantanto;
Ta ti rabii sika kumat’ raniag ko,
Kas naslag a bulan sadiay ngato.
Dayta pintas mo a dardaripdepek.
Tungal rabii no innak iredep
Agtalnan toy nakem kentoy utek,
Ta sikan ti kaduak diay tagtaginep.
No nairedep, sam-it nannanamek.
Nagragsak ta a dua diay tagtaginep.
Ngem no makariing, pa-it balbalunek
Ta nalpas manen diay dardaripdepek.
Nu tay sika kenyak makagura,
Yeb-ebkas toy pusok ket sika latta.
Nalabit ti ayat ket kastoy ngata;
Pintas mo umunay a liwliwa.
Amin a pinagdungngo impakitak.
Sipupudnuak ta diak pay naglibak
Nagbabaan toy gasat no siak ti agayat
Ta apay madinak man lang maayat.
Gasat nadanunen ti pannakapaay,
Sinaom a dinak a mauray.
Naut-ot launay ti inka impaay.
Naupay a ayat, kas sabong a nalaylay.
Gayagayek a ipalpalawag
Sika ti kayat ko a pagtungpalk
Ngem makitak met a sibabatad,
Ni pay ken liday ti kalak-amak.
Ket aniakad payso ti ur-urayek?
Malaksid a ni rigat ti lak-amek!
Gapu piman ti ayat ko ken pateg,
Ta madim pay rinekna ken dinengngeg.
Yantangay siak ket linipatnakon,
Liday ti yas-asog toy barungkonko.
Nuray agsagabaak nga agnanayon,
Nalpay a namnama aklunekon.

Ket gapu ti nalaus nga ayat ko

Pinamuspusak inyapan ka diay ungto
Ta adaddiay ti maysa nga kayo
Inukit ko nagan mo nga sinanpuso.

Adu a tawenen ti nabilangko.

Dumteng manen nalammiis a tiempo
Awan man lang asi nga mauray ko,
Ta ti ibagbagam puro sentimiento.
"Blasted Hopes" Kasla sabong nga apag-ukrad
M.Foronda Jr. Iti bulan ti Abril
What gladness and what joy
and endowed to one who is loved Ti ayat ti maysa a lakay,
for truly there is one to share Aglalo no agkabaw,
all his sufferings and his pain. Napait, napait, napait a makasubkar.
My fate for dim, my stars so low
perhaps nothing to it can compare, Anansa a tao lelong,
for truly I do not doubt Agsapulka tay balo
for presently I suffer so. A kapadpad ta ubanmo
For even I did love Ken dayta tuppolmo
the beauty whom I desired Ta bay-am a panunuten
never do I fully realize Ti ayat ti maysa nga ubing
that I am worthy of her. Aglalo, aglalo no addan makin-aywanen
Shall I curse the hour
when first I saw the light of day Ti ayat ti maysa nga ubing,
would it not have been better a thousand Nasamsam-it ngem hasmin
times Kasla sabong nga apag-ukrad
I had died when I was born. Iti bulan ti Abril.
Would I want to explain
but my tongue remains powerless Ti ayat ti maysa a lakay,
for now do I clearly see Aglalo no agkabaw,
to be spurned is my lot. Napait, napait, napait a makasubkar.
But would it be my greatest joy
to know that it is you I love, Anansa a tao lelong,
for to you do I vow and promise I make Agsapulka tay balo
It's you alone for whom I would lay my A kapadpad ta ubanmo
life. Ken dayta tuppolmo
Ta bay-am a panunuten
"Ti ayat ti maysa nga ubing" Ti ayat ti maysa nga ubing
Ti ayat ti maysa nga ubing, Aglalo, aglalo no addan makin-aywanen
Nasamsam-it ngem hasmin Aglalo, aglalo no addan makin-aywanen
Biag ni Lam-ang
Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union in the northern part
of the Philippines. They had a son named Lam-ang. Before Lam-ang was born, Don Juan went to
the mountains in order to punish a group of their Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son
Lam-ang was born. It took four people to help Namongan give birth. As soon as the baby boy
popped out, he spoke and asked that he be given the name Lam-ang. He also chose his godparents
and asked where his father was.

After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he would go look for him.
Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the challenge but she was sad to let him go. During his
exhausting journey, he decided to rest for awhile. He fell asleep and had a dream about his father's
head being stuck on a pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what had
happened to his father. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he let
go so that he could tell other people about Lam-ang's greatness.

Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All the
fish died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang's body.

There was a young woman named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to woo. She lived in
Calanutian and he brought along his white rooster and gray dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang
met his enemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated. Lam-ang
found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch her
attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines look out.
He had his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl's parents witnessed
this and called for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents agreed to a
marriage with their daughter if Lam-ang would give them a dowry valued at double their wealth.
Lam-ang had no problem fulfilling this condition and he and Ines were married.

It was a tradition to have a newly married man swim in the river for the rarang fish. Unfortunately,
Lam-ang dove straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had Marcos get his
bones, which she covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog barked and slowly
the bones started to move. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife lived happily ever after with his
white rooster and gray dog.

Manang Biday
Ay, matayakon no dinak kaasian
Manang Biday, ilukatmo man

‘Ta bintana ikalumbabam

Siasinnoka nga aglabaslabas
Ta kitaem ‘toy kinayawan
Ditoy hardinko pagay-ayamak
Ngem labaslabasamto met laeng
Ammom ngarud a balasangak

Sabong ni lirio, di pay nagukrad

Daytoy paniok no maregregko

Ti makapidut isublinanto
Denggem, ading, ta bilinenka
Ta nagmarka iti naganko
Ta inkanto ‘diay sadi daya
Nabordaan pay ti sinanpuso
Agalakanto’t bunga’t mangga

Ken lansones pay, adu a kita

Alaem dayta kutsilio

Ta abriem ‘toy barukongko

No nababa, dimo gaw-aten
Tapno maipapasmo ti guram
No nangato, dika sukdalen
Kaniak ken sentimiento
No naregreg, dika piduten

The other woman by Virgilio Samonte

Manuel possessed a vitality that was insatiable. His healthy, younger years were marked by a
succession of mistresses. Even servant girls were prey to his desires. Cecilia, the wife had taken
Loida, the harelip as a househelp in a desperate hope that she would repel him. His philandering
caused the state of penury in which they existed.

So it was surprising how even with his intended imperfections, Cecilia seemed to have loved him
even more.Loida had been with the couple since. She possessed a face which to a stranger would
most likely be described as hideous.The cleft lip, with repulsively livid gums went up in an angle
to a flat nose framed in an equally flat face as though it had been bashed in by repeated fist blows.

Now Manuel is dying, his appearance a far cry from the lusty man he was once known to be and
he has the ashen look of a corpse. Cecilia cares for him and she seldom goes out his room. For
Cecilia, Manuel has finally became hers. Loida on the other hand had adopted an unservantly
attitude. Suspicious of strangers and guests, she doesn''t bother to hide her bitterness at the thought
of Cecilia alone caring for Manuel and sleeping in a room with him.

She seems to bristle with suppressed anger and moves around doing her chores in furious haste. In
one of those rare times when Cecilia went out of the room, Loida screamed repeatedly. Her
screams sent Cecilia back to the room where she saw Loida holding the inert form of Manuel,
screaming while tears flowed down her face.

Cecilia tried to pull away Manuel from Loida but she could not.Then fircely she struck her with
succesive resounding slaps,crying insanely for her to release him. The nasal twang in her voice
crazier than ever, saliva flying from her mouth saying “No! No! I will not! He is mine , too! He
loved me! .