San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte
| San Nicolas | |
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| — Municipality — | |
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 San Nicolas
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| Coordinates: 18°10′21″N 120°35′45″E / 18.1725°N 120.59583°ECoordinates: 18°10′21″N 120°35′45″E / 18.1725°N 120.59583°E | |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Region | Ilocos Region (Region I) |
| Province | Ilocos Norte |
| District | 2nd District |
| Founded | |
| Barangays | 24 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alfredo P. Valdez, Jr. |
| Area | |
| • Total | 40.18 km2 (15.51 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 33,642 |
| • Density | 840/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 2901 |
| Income class | 1st class; rural |
| Population Census of San Nicolas | |||
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| Census | Pop. | Rate | |
| 1995 | 29,083 |
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| 2000 | 31,688 | 1.86% | |
| 2007 | 33,642 | 0.83% | |
San Nicolas is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 33,642 people in 7,423 households.[1] San Nicoleños are famous for their traditionally-designed pots (called "bangas") and their warm hospitality towards visitors.
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[edit] Historical background
The present name of San Nicolas was given in the year 1733, after Saint Nicholas de Tolentino who was believed to have protected the people against floods, earthquakes, fires, typhoons and other calamities. It is significant that in Ilocos Norte, only San Nicolas was named after a Saint.[1]
Like any other town in the ancient province of Ilocos, San Nicolas was established by Augustinian missionaries. Vigan, the first Spanish mission center in this region, was founded in 1575. In the year 1572, when the Spaniards first explored the Laoag (Padsan) River, they met hostile resistance from the natives of San Nicolas and Laoag. In another expedition dispatched from Vigan in 1584 San Nicolas was established and Laoag followed a year later.[1]
San Nicolas Catholic Church built in 1701 is one of the oldest buildings in this province. Its original structure is one of the must see places of the town. The Church and the attached Sta. Rosa Academy Building, the well preserved Municipal Hall and the old Town Plaza sprawled between them constitute the heart of the town center. These buildings and structures are originally built and continue to be festooned with earthen bricks, which is among the products of the surviving local earthenware industry.[1]
It is also located right at the center of the developing metropolis radiating from Laoag City. The town is a potential contributor to the social, economic and cultural development of Ilocos Norte in support to the Provincial Government’s program of reviving and enriching the Ilocano cultural heritage under the leadership of Governor Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.[1]
[edit] Schools
San Nicolas National High School (SNNHS) is the most popular high school destination for teens living in the urban-part of the town. It has two campuses: Main and Bingao campuses.
San Nicolas has 11 public elementary schools composed of:
CENTRAL ZONE
- San Nicolas Elementary School - Brgy. 3
- Eladio V. Barangan Memorial Elementary School - Brgy. 14
SOUTH ZONE
- Cayetano Bumanglag Memorial Elementary School - Brgy. 16 (formerly Payas Elementary School)
- Catuguing Elementary School - Brgy. 22
- Asuncion Elementary School - Brgy. 17
- Bugnay Elementary School - Brgy. 21
- Bingao Elementary School - Brgy. 18
EAST ZONE
- Filipinas East Elementary School - Brgy. 6(formerly Filipinas Elemntary School-Main Campus)
- Filipnas West Elementary School - Brgy. 7 (formerly Filipinas Elemntary School-Annex Campus)
- Pasion Barangan Memorial Elementary School - Brgy. 24
- Barabar Elementary School - Brgy. 23
The town has one private, Catholic school, the Sta. Rosa Academy, named after St. Rose of Lima, the patron saint of one of its founders. It is one of the oldest schools in the Diocese of Laoag. It was established in 1936 by the late Msgr. Fidel Albano, together with the late Miss Rosa Valdes, Mrs. Teresa Llopis Zabala and Miss Castora Bonoan.
[edit] Barangays
San Nicolas is politically divided into 24 barangays.
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[edit] Tourism
The first full-operating mall in the province, Robinsons, was built in San Nicolas. Opening last December 3, 2009, it makes a good income to the town and the province. The Town is also the site of the Northwestern University Ecotourism Park and Botanical Gardens- a member of the Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI), which caters to the conservation of important indigenous plant species of the province which are now on the verge of extinction .
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- 1995 Philippine Census Information
- 2000 Philippine Census Information
- 2007 Philippine Census Information
- Brgy. 22 Catuguing Website
- Local Governance Performance Management System
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