Ilocos

In the 1960s and 70s, Wild West stories of shootouts between clans made the Ilocos region seem barren and hostile. But a few decades later, regional tours of the Philippines became de rigueur, and Vigan, Ilocos Sur, one of the “noble cities,” began to attract local tourists with its centuries-old bahay na bato [stone houses], museums, churches, and food.