ILOCANOS

Demographics  Ilocanos number about 9,136,000. The Ilocanos are primarily of Austronesian stock, like the rest of the Filipino people. As their homeland is the closest region in the Philippines to China, there are significant amounts of Southern Chinese DNA and even some Japanese blood as well. A very small number of Ilocanos have Spanish descent; others are city settlers with Indian and Arab blood.AustronesianFilipino peopleChinaSpanish descentIndianArab

Demographics  A few Ilocanos living in the Cordilleras have some Cordillerano blood. Ilocanos speak the Ilokano language (also called Iloko), which is part of the Northern Philippine subgroup of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages. They also speak Cebuano (in Mindanao), Tagalog, and English as second languages. Most Ilocanos are Roman Catholics, while a significant number belong to the Aglipayan Church, which originated in Ilocos Norte. Many Filipino-Americans are of Ilocano descent. They make up 85% of the Filipino-American population in Hawaii.

History of Locale  The Austronesian ancestors of the present- day Ilocanos came to the Philippines through bilogs, or outrigger boats during the Iron Age.

History of Locale  Spanish Era In 1572, when the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo conquered the Ilocanos, he described them as being more barbarous than the Tagalogs. During the Spanish Colonial Era, the Ilocanos were one of the first ethnic groups to revolt against the Spaniards. The first Ilocano revolt occurred in January 1661, when the Ilocanos proclaimed their illustrious leader and wealthy provincemate, Don Pedro Almazan as their King. Almazan was executed by the Spaniards after the kingdom was dissolved. Juan de Salcedo

 Diego Silang and his wife Gabriela Silang declared independence of Free Ilocos on during the British occupation of Manila. The said republic was dissolved on September 20, 1763 through the execution of Silang and his Ilocano associates. During the American Colonial Period and up to the Independence Years, leaders encouraged the Ilocanos to resettle in Mindanao. On 1965, Ferdinand Marcos was the fourth Ilocano to be elected president of the Philippines. Under his presidency, thousands of Ilocanos benefited from his land reforms.Diego SilangGabriela SilangManilaFerdinand MarcosPhilippines

Culture  Food  Ilocanos boast of a somewhat healthy diet heavy in boiled or steamed vegetables and freshwater fish, but are particularly fond of dishes flavored with bagoong, fermented fish that is often used instead of salt. Ilocanos often season boiled vegetables with bagoong monamon (fermented anchovy paste) to produce pinakbet. Local specialties include the "abuos," soft white larvae of ants, and "jumping salad" or tiny, live shrimp with kalamansi juice.bagoongpinakbetkalamansi

 Literature  One of the most well-known Ilocano literary works written in Iloco is the Biag ni Lam-ang (The Life of Lam-Ang), an epic poem about the fantastic life and escapades of an Ilocano hero named Lam-ang.IlocoBiag ni Lam-angepic poem  Ilocanos are also known for their beautiful folk songs.