Why It's Called That
Ilocos: our dialect, salt and a union
The oldest name of the Ilocos is said to mean 'our dialect'. One Ilocos split in 1818, La Union was named in 1850, and Pangasinan is said to mean 'where salt is made'.
1:00 · Ilocos Region · October 9, 2026
The story
They say the oldest name of the Ilocos meant simply: our dialect. Ilocos Sur's own history calls it Samtoy, from sao ditoy. It says the coast people built their villages by coves called looc, and were called Ylocos, from the lowlands.
For more than two and a half centuries, it was one Ilocos. Then a royal decree of February 2, 1818 cut it in two: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. In 1849 the governor-general proposed uniting towns of Ilocos and Pangasinan with highland settlements. He chose the name himself: La Union.
Officials debated it for 124 days before the decree of March 2, 1850. Farther south, the province says Pangasinan means the place where salt is made. Its inland country was Caboloan, after the bolo bamboo.
What does your town's name mean? Tell us in the comments.
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