Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive
region consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra
and La Union renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would
often visit the area to trade gold with beads, ceramics and silk. The
inhabitants of the region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place
“samtoy," from “sao mi itoy," which literally meant “this is our
language”.
In 1571, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their
control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi’s grandson, Juan
