Lidlidda
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It is home to the Lidlidda Protected Landscape, a protected area situated in the municipality's watershed.
Lidlidda is 64 km from Vigan City and 361 km from Manila.
In the year 1800, there lived a group of people called Agsalog (Igorot) in the East Hinterlands of Golot (Mountain Province). Some groups of these people were hospitable, while some were fierce fighters, head hunters, animal rustlers, robbers and the like which worsened the already impoverished state of their place. Tired of such constant inconveniences, the hospitable and peaceful people plotted to leave after holding a secret meeting. They grouped themselves into three: one group to head for the North, another to the South and the third to the West. Being Igorots with customs and traditions firmly instilled by their ancestors, they observed their usual religious rites before starting the journey. A number of chickens were killed and offered to Kabunian (God) and his son Lumawig. It is a peace offering meant to appease the gods in order not to anger them. After the ceremony, a safe and peaceful passage to a wonderful land destined especially for them, is expected. The night after the ceremony was held, the peaceful people started their journey. They moved silently under cover of the tall, thick trees eastward and the shining stars up above served as their guide. The group that traveled to the west were the ones who reached the place, which would be known in the future as Lidlidda. Members of this group had such names as Conay, Caoas, Digay, Caoeng, San-E, Gumanab, Anggon, Calugay and others. Along the way, they met obstacles and hardships associated with the mountainous terrain and the constant feeling of hunger and tiredness. After twenty days of hiking, they arrived in a place that looked suitable for building homes. It was a valley with grassy plains, a river along its sides, creeks, brooks, and wells. There were plenty of fish, wild animals and game for food. The surrounding hills and mountains abundantly covered with tall trees and bamboo could provide them with shade and fruit. The immediate belief that soon a peaceful, progressive and happy community would be positively established in the said place compelled the travelers to stop their seemingly nomadic existence and settle on the area.
They made a begnas (fiesta) to express their gratitude to Kabunian because of their successful journey. Within three days after the fiesta, they started digging and pulling the ledda (Thick tall grasses or ‘Talahib’ in the Tagalog dialect) to convert the land into rice paddies. Years passed and the population increased. The inhabitants started to search further places for food and dwelling. One time, a group of hunters saw smoke near seashore from atop of the mountains west of the place. Eager to see what was there, they bravely hiked to the place. Suddenly they came to reach a street and houses. The people who inhabited the place were Ilokanos, who were also kind and friendly. An elderly rich man met them and told them of his great desire to visit their place. He said that he wanted to make friends with them as well as barter with their goods. Furthermore, he wishes to teach religion (Christianity) to the tribe. In the process, he will teach them the three R's of education: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. The impressionable elderly man's offer was highly appreciated. The rich man along with his neighbors bundled some clothes, utensils, reading and writing materials and went with the hunters. After a few hours, they reached the top of ‘Baggiing Hill’ where they rested. The rich man anxiously asked how far more to go. A hunter stood and said, “Sir, our home is located there at the edge of that plain covered with those ‘Adu nga Ledda’ (many thick tall grasses)”. Then, they hurried down and in a few minutes reached the place. The natives came around and made friends with the strangers. As a show of respect and hospitality, they performed their native dances and songs and offered ricewine along with other delicious and nutritious foods. The rich man and his companions were exhilarated to meet these peaceful people.
Map - Lidlidda
Map
Country - Philippines
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| Flag of the Philippines | |
Negritos, some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Adoption of animism, Hinduism and Islam established island-kingdoms called Kedatuan, Rajahnates, and Sultanates. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Spain, marked the beginning of Spanish colonization. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. Spanish settlement through Mexico, beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming ruled by the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. During this time, Catholicism became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade. In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began, which then became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War. Spain ceded the territory to the United States, while Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic. The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States establishing control over the territory, which they maintained until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II. Following liberation, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Since then, the unitary sovereign state has often had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship by a nonviolent revolution.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP | Philippine peso | ₱ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| TL | Tagalog language |