he former name of this town is CONCEPTION. By virtue of Republic Act 1246 dated June 10, 1955, it was renamed Gregorio del Pilar.

The Town lies among the western hills of the Cordilleras in the interior east of the province of Ilocos Sur.  It is bounded in the north by the town of san Emilio, Quirino in the east, Sigay in the south and Salcedo in the west. Its 7 barangays and sitios are connected to another by winding foot trails and seasonal rugged roads.  Aside from its historic Tirad pass, the town is likewise endowed with natural scenery and wonders such as the payoh or rice terraces, the distinctive Mt. Tirad peak and pristine waterfalls.  There are also trails crisscrossing Tirad pass – the so called Spanish trail which were built through polo y servicio or forced labor during the Hispanic times.

The inhabitants are Igorots, but belong to the Bag-o ethno linguistic group.  This mixture of Ilocano and Igorot intermarriages speak the Kankanaey dialect but can speak and understand the dialects of their neignboring towns.  Many have already acquired college education and some serve the government and private institutions.  The people are industrious, cooperative, friendly, hospitable and peace loving.  It may seem unbelievable but not one has ever been sued and tried since the creation of the Municipal Circuit Court. The elders settle misunderstanding and disputes amicably in the shortest time possible.  Crimes like killing, kidnapping and stealing are virtually out of the townfolks vocabulary.  One can sleep with windows and doors open at night and safety leave his produce at the farm for weeks.  Children prefer to sleep with peers. The townfolks love to celebrate barangay and town fiestas, weddings, baptisms, death anniversaries, feasting in the native styles – opportunities to display their native cultural dances, songs and ballads.

One native festival worth witnessing is the Begnas.  Performed from five to seven days, Begnas is a celebration of thanksgiving to Kabunian (the god Almighty).  It is also meant to drive away bad spirits who might have caused misfortunes, such as droughts and anxieties among the people in the community.  Leading the Begnas is the Mannapo or native priest who offers prayers and live chicken as sacrifice.  Meanwhile, the community engages itself in dance and songs. In the final stage of the ritual called the Obaya, a pig is also butchered and the meat is apportioned among the various households.  The Mannapo then ends the Begnas with prayers.

The houses are neither too big nor too small.  There are numbers of Solar Photo Voltaic System and there are few electric appliances.  The houses though have at least one bed and couple of chairs.  The people thrive on rice, root crops, fruits and vegetables.  Sometimes they enjoy meat from their livestock.  They content themselves, with one or two courses on the table.

Generally speaking the people depend on their farms for living. However, some have already sought employment as laborers and as domestic helpers abroad while others are employed in the government.  No family is considered so rich as to have servants, yet nobody is so poor as to be homeless and squatting on somebody else’s land.

Rice is the number one product.  Second is Virginia tobacco, their cash crop, which is planted after the rice harvest. Coffee trees are planted along brooklets and on the hill slopes.  Slash-and-burn farms (Kaingin) are also planted with corn, camote and different varieties of beans.  Mango fruits also give modest cash to those who can afford to buy flower-inducing chemicals. Except for tobacco, crops are raised for the home consumption.  Due to the lack of all-weather roads, the transport of products to the market remains a problem.  The Quinibor River is the only outlet to the west that leads to the national road about 24.5 kilometer away.  Transportation is only available during the dry months because the winding river has to be crossed seventeen times, not to mention the several brooklets and streamlets threading the winding road leading to the Poblacion.

The Gregorio del Pilar national School founded in June 1995 has five buildings and a blooming enrollment.  New barangay halls were built while some underwent improvements.  Hanging footbridges across rivers in the barrios were constructed.  The municipal building was completely reconstructed and the municipal plaza concreted.  Potable water sourced from springs is available in almost all barangays.  There are now two tilapia fish nurseries to spawn river fishponds.

There is a Health Center, which houses the main clinic.  The center has a Solar Photo Voltaic System, which also runs a television set and a mini refrigerator.  Aside from the Health Center, electricity is available at the municipal building and at the Concepcion Adventist Academy.