THE SAN ESTEBAN MARKER

“In our desire to leave a lasting legacy and prove to all that in spite of our twilight years we can actively contribute and show concern towards community development, we humbly dedicate to the present and future generations of our beloved hometown of San Esteban this boundary marker”.

Thus goes the dedication etched in the marble plaque composed by the Senior Citizens of San Nicolas, the people behind this project. It is mounted on the pedestal of the newly build 20 ft. high and triangular shaped San Esteban Marker, the latest landmark that dots the changing landscape of the town.

The marker was planned by architects of the Historical Preservation Division, national Historic Institute, Manila  and was built from indigenous materials like the San Esteban stone and Vigan red tiles. The alsong is an original creation of stone  crafters from San Pablo.

THE MORO WATCHTOWER IN BATERIA

This is perhaps the oldest landmark in San Esteban, an accredited tourism site as declared by the Philippine Tourism Authority and an authentic historical structure found in the registry of the National Historical Institute.

There is no information on the exact year the tower was built but the looks of it suggest it has been in existence since the 16^th or 17^th century or during the Spanish times.

The old people say this was a vanguard against approaching pirates. Strategically located on a cove, the guards positioned at the tower could forewarn the residents of incoming marauders. The pirates may have been Moros, thus the name Moro Watchtower. The place was named Bateria because of the tower. In military parlance, “battery” refers to  a row of cannons and the tower has serrated openings where they can fit the barrel of the cannon and fire on invaders.

Aware of the importance of the landmark, residents if Bateria recently turned the adjacent area of the watchtower into an ark. They have grown ornamental plants, built benches and picnic tables for visitors and continue to maintain its surroundings. The watchtower has become a symbol of San Esteban and a permanent structure representing a rich culture and heritage.

THE SAN ESTEBAN PORT (PANTALAN)

This is one of the few seaports found in the province. Built during the Japanese time it has weathered the harshest typhoons and undergone several improvements. The port is now 100 meters long. Because the waters are too shallow at the end, around 25 ft. in depth, it only allows medium sized purse seine fishing vessels to unload its cargo. On the peak of the fishing season, a vessel can unload an average of 10 tons of yellow fin tuna (oriles). The freshly caught fish are brought to the wet market or to the canning factory.

On the early part of the day; people living nearby go out for their jogging and morning exercises and enjoy the  sea breeze. On warm nights, you can go for a leisure drive, park your car at the end of the port and savor the light breeze. This is San Esteban’s own version of the Luneta Park. You will find lovers sitting on the seawall, people strolling and others trying their luck at fishing using the hook and line.

SAN ESTEBAN LANDING SITE

“Twice surfacing at Santiago Cove on November 21, 1944, the USSGAR landed on this beach. Commandoes of the Army of the United States with equipment, arms, ammunitions and supplies led by Capts. William Vaughn and William Farell were Lts. Fred Behan and “Donald Jamison with two other Americans and Larry Guzman with other G Filipinos of the First Filipino regiment. The landing was effected by USAFIP-NL under Col. Russell W. Volkmann with other paramilitary and guerilla units. By order of Volkmann, Jamison  and Maj. Ferdinand E. Marcos sneaked through the cordon of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita to an air strip in Isabela and flew to camp Spencer”.

The above words are etched on the marble tablet of the historical San Esteban Landing Marker unveiled by no less than the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in grandiose ceremonies in 1979, one of the few occasions where a Philippine President set foot on this town. Mr. Larry Guzman, a native of San Esteban and a guerilla during World War II, thought of erecting the marker to immortalize the significant events that transpired in San Esteban and led to the eventual liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese Imperial Army.

Unfortunately, the pedestal of the marker was swept by strong currents caused by Typhoon Feria on July, 2001 and only the table remains intact.  The name Ferdinand Marcos on the marker was even scraped by vandals during the post Marcos era. The extent of damage was reported to the National Historical Institute whose personnel came and made an ocular inspection and designed a new concept of the marker. They agreed to the suggestion that it will be relocated a little bit to the north so it will rest on San Esteban soil. The original one is situated in Santiago and is in contradiction to its name-San Esteban Landing.

GLORIETTA

The Glorietta was the scene of all public programs in the 1950’s and 60’s. It was seldom used when the plaza was constructed. Later in the 1990’s it deteriorated into such a decrepit state that is was used only as stable for goats. In 2001, the old glorietta was rebuilt, its original design restored. Now it sports a fresh look, a new roof, the floors are tiled  and  decorative balusters surround the stage. There are  wooden benches all over the place surrounded by ornamental plants, colorful bougainvilleas and yellow bells blooming through a horizontal trellis. It is a perfect place where you can chat, relax and while away the time particularly in the afternoon when it is cooler. The place is now called the Manolo Memorial in memory of her loving husband.

GROTTO OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is built at the San Esteban Catholic Church Mini-Park. The cave and walls are made of sea corals, the Blessed Virgin Mary in a life-size statue is made of fiberglass and in front of the grotto is a fountain and pond teeming with goldfish and other aquatic species. Complementing the grotto is the  concreted pathway, lined with antique-style lampposts, leading to the church.

NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION

Only a few people in San Esteban understand the purpose of its existence. Built in 1976, this facility is a vital cog, a part of the Luzon Grid that  uses transmission lines to distribute electricity to the Provinces of Ilocos Sur, Abra and Ilocos Norte. It is one of the region’s largest power plants, built in Barangay San Pablo in an enclosed area of 3.8 hectares with well maintained lawns. Inside the compound is a complex of power transformers, generators and circuit breakers . It is a modern plant and is ISO 9000 certified for total quality system for sub-stations. There is the main office, a control room and an employee’s quarters.

So, why did they choose sleepy San Esteban as location? Because it is within the load center of the Ilocos area, it is along the highway and it is near a port where a service barge can dock and act as a back-up generator in case of mechanical failure.

The San Esteban substation  gets its power supply from all sources in the entire the country. The hydroelectric dams like Binga, Ambuklao, Pantabangan and lately the giant San Roque Dam, geothermal plants like Macban in Laguna and Tiwi in Albay and diesel or bunker-fired Bauang Power Plant are just a few of its sources. It then  reduces the voltage and passes on to electric cooperatives that, in turn, further reduce the voltage to 220V for household use.

MORTAR AND PESTLE INDUSTRY

The making of mortar and pestle is one of the industries in San Esteban. The stones are taken from the hills of barangays Bateria, Cappa-Cappa and San Pablo. The most popular finished product out of the granite stones are the ‘alsong’, gilingan’ and ‘almeres’. But through the ingenuity of our local producers, they are now making slabs used for landscaping. The most popular are cobblestones similar to those found along the street at the Heritage Village in Vigan City. Stone carvers also make benches and tables out of our natural resources. All products are made manually.

These finished products are displayed along the National Highway in barangay San Pablo. Souvenirs such as ashtrays and miniature mortar and pestle as well as grinders are also available.