Ilocos separation headlines this week’s milestones: Feb. 1 to Feb. 7

Feb. 2, 1818 A Royal Decree from the king of Spain divided the Provincia de Ilocos into two separate provinces–Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. The decree was issued following a series of uprisings by residents protesting Spanish colonial government’s monopolies on tobacco, “basi” (sugarcane wine), and vinegar. Laoag City, which was then the biggest center