Narvacan, officially the Municipality of Narvacan (Ilocano: Ili ti Narvacan; Filipino: Bayan ng Narvacan), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,234 people.[3]
History
A Spanish expeditionary force sent from Vigan by the military officer and navigator, Captain Juan de Salcedo was shipwrecked along the town's coast in 1576. When they were being rescued by the natives, the Spaniards asked the natives what was the name of their place. The resident's leader replied in an Ilocano dialect by asking the Spaniards "Nalbakan?" (Are you shipwrecked?). The Spaniards thought this to be the answer to their question, and from then on the place was referred to as Narvacan.
Salcedo befriended the small tribe of indigenous valley peoples that resided in the area while Spanish families established a township in 1576. As part of the modern township, a Roman Catholic parish was established by the Augustinianreligious order on 25 April 1587. The Narvacan parish became one of the first Roman Catholic parishes in present-day Ilocos Sur. Once dedicated to Saint Lucy, it was rededicated in 2017 to the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, leaving Saint Lucy as its secondary patron. The parish church boasts a facade of baroque architecture, with a bell tower situated on the right side of the church and a cemetery on the left side of the church. A school, The Narvacan Catholic School is situated beside the bell tower of Narvacan.
Narvacan was organized under the traditions of the royal government of Spain. The Habsburg royal family served as the heads of state which in turn appointed Santiago de Vera as President of the Royal Audiencia – governor over the region in which Narvacan was situated. In 1589, Governor Vera appointed Nicolas de Figueroa as the first Encomendero de Narvacan – principal administrator of the town and its neighbors in the encomienda system. His role eventually evolved into the office of alcalde.
Through Presidential Proclamation 684, October 23, 2024 was declared a special non-working day to commemorate the Aldaw Ti Wayawaya-lli A Narvacan.[5]
Narvacan, belonging to the second congressional district of the province of Ilocos Sur, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.
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