Ilocos norte: Ilocos Norte is set to come alive with festivities as the 21 towns and two cities across the province observe Marcos Day on September 11, a special non-working holiday honoring the legacy of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., whose birthplace and family hometown are in this city. For many Ilocanos, the occasion is an opportunity to reflect on the province's place in Philippine history and its connection to one of the country's most consequential political figures.
According to Philippines News Agency, beyond the historical significance, the festivities, which run from September 4 to 14, provide an opportunity to showcase the distinctive culture of Ilocos Norte. Local food, music, dance, traditional practices, and community activities will form part of the celebration, giving residents and visitors a glimpse of the province's rich cultural heritage. Batac, in particular, becomes a focal point of activities, with the city welcoming visitors who are expected to come and experience the celebration and explore its historic and cultural attractions.
Over the weekend, the Ilocandia Cultural Center (ICC), a mini version of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, took the spotlight as it hosted for the first time the three-day musical play, "Ibarra.Ngayon," a contemporary musical adaptation of Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere." By making the ICC a hub for local creatives, Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos hopes that a local theater group would soon be created. "My next dream is that we will have our own theater group that we will witness and stage our wealth of Ilokano resources as well," she said in a statement.
The governor also acknowledged former First Lady Imelda Marcos for her original vision to establish the Ilocandia Cultural Center, Senator Imee Marcos, and Vice Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc for requesting the funding that completed the center, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos for her continued support for the center's development. Like in the previous years, a "natnateng" cook-off showcasing local vegetable dishes and other Ilocano cuisine will be held in Batac City.
Meanwhile, a thanksgiving Mass and wreath-laying ceremony will be conducted in the town of Sarrat and in Batac, where the two Marcos Sr. monuments are located. The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative will also stage a separate wreath-laying ceremony on Friday afternoon at the Marcos bust inside INEC's main branch in Dingras town, to be followed by a ceremonial energization of a sitio's electrification as a tribute to the late strongman for laying the foundation of the country's rural electrification program.
On September 12, a literary and arts competition will be held at Robinsons Mall in San Nicolas town. This will be followed by a job fair where a thousand vacancies will be offered by local employers.
