Feud to Success

    Vigan was one of the UNESCO World Heritage city, boasts a rich and captivating history. It is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Vigan, a city in Ilocos Sur, has changed a lot for the past years. Before achieving cityhood, vigan was then a municipality. In this blog, the significant changes will be highlited comparing the life of vigan as a municipality to its current status as city. 

    Before vigan became a city, vigan wasn't always the popular tourist destination it is now.  In the years before the 1990s, a bitter feud between the Crisologo and Singson families caused a lot of violence, forcing many residents to leave and leaving the city rundown and neglected. Back then, some people believed Vigan's old houses were unlucky, even blaming them for the city's slow progress, saying the buildings were haunted. The feud between the two families have scared people that caused them to go out of the municipality. This may have caused a downfall on the economy. However, due to a progressive journey of vigan, vigan is planning to develop a place by including several nearby towns—Bantay, Caoayan, Sta. Catalina, San Ildefonso, and San Vicente—to create a bigger, more connected city. Because more and more tourists and investors are coming, Vigan expects its economy to grow a lot in the next ten years. Vigan's vision is also to be a successful place to live and do business, keeping its history and culture alive while also being environmentally friendly and creating jobs to help people escape poverty.  This resulted to a major change in vigan's society which helped a lot in the progress of their economy. 

    Vigan's transformation from a small town to a city shows the strength of its people and the positive effects of becoming a city.  The improvements are clear: better infrastructure, more jobs, and a better quality of life.  Vigan is now a key historical and cultural place in the Philippines, and its future looks promising—continued growth while protecting its unique past.  More research would make this story even better.

Picture References:

-Anwar. (2025, January 26). 14 must see tourist spots in Vigan City [2025] - Philippines. Beyond my Door. https://www.beyondmydoor.com/things-to-do-vigan-philippines/
-Martin. (2023, July 3). Vigan City Guide: Where to stay and how to get there — LAIDBACK TRIP. LAIDBACK TRIP. https://www.laidbacktrip.com/posts/vigan-ilocos-sur-hotels-bus

-https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/948

References:

-"Historic City of Vigan - UNESCO World Heritage Centre" https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/502/  -"VIGAN: A THRIVING HERITAGE CITY" https://www.league.ph/items-8/vigan%3A-a-thriving-heritage-city -Galicia, D., & Galicia, D. (2024, October 10). What was Vigan like before the UNESCO Heritage fame? BluPrint. https://bluprint-onemega.com/architecture/heritage/vigan-fernando-zialcita/