| Flag Size: | 120x80px |
| Seal Size: | 100x80px |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Pushpin Map: | Philippines |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Philippines |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Anthem: | Vintar Hymn (Agbiag Ka Vintar) |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1909 |
| Parts Type: | Barangays |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | (see Barangays) |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Hon. Richard A. Degala |
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | Hon. Maribel A. Albano, MD |
| Leader Name2: | Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III |
| Leader Title3: | Municipal Council |
| Leader Title4: | Electorate |
| Leader Name4: | voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|) |
| Elevation Max M: | 338 |
| Elevation Min M: | 8 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Households |
| Timezone: | PST |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Demographics Type1: | Economy |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Poverty incidence |
| Demographics1 Info2: | % |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Revenue |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Revenue rank |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Assets |
| Demographics1 Title6: | Assets rank |
| Demographics1 Title7: | IRA |
| Demographics1 Title8: | IRA rank |
| Demographics1 Title9: | Expenditure |
| Demographics1 Title10: | Liabilities |
| Demographics Type2: | Service provider |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Electricity |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Water |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Telecommunications |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Cable TV |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Native languages |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Crime index |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Major religions |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Feast date |
| Blank3 Name Sec2: | Catholic diocese |
| Blank4 Name Sec2: | Patron saint |
Vintar, officially the Municipality of Vintar (ilo|Ili ti Vintar; tl|Bayan ng Vintar), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
Vintar is the largest municipality in Ilocos Norte by land area. Its patron saint is Saint Nicholas de Tolentino. It is home to one of the biggest convents in the province, which also hosts the Saint Nicholas Academy.
The town is also where the Vintar Dam, the first dam funded by the World Bank in Southeast Asia and an important cultural property listed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), is located. It is also the site of the Umok ni Siwawer Eco-Tourism Nature Park, the town's popular picnic resort.
Vintar derived its name from the Ilocano word, "intar", which used to describe the formation or order taken by the subject from their ruler whenever the chief called them to attention. It is said that a visiting Spanish missionary heard the word and added the letter V, referring to the “V” formation that the missionary saw.
The town's earliest settlers are believed to be of Malay in origin. They first settled on a hill overlooking the Bislak. The town was founded by the Spanish missionaries who got lost in the woods while hunting between Sarrat and Piddig. Vintar became a visita of Bacarra but it was later established as a Parish of San Nicolas de Tolentino. Earlier in 1763, Vintar was reverted to a visita until it became independent in 1774.
In 1903, Vintar was annexed as a barrio of Bacarra. It gained its separation and independence in 1909.
The town is home to one of the biggest convents in Ilocos Norte. In 1931, an earthquake partially destroyed its church and convent. Five years later, it was restored. The convent which houses the Saint Nicolas Academy was restored in 1982.
Vintar was one of the Ilocos region municipalities where various human rights violations were documented during the martial law era, despite public perception that the region was supportive of the Marcos administration.[1] Three indigenous community members in Vintar are documented to have been "salvaged" in 1984,[1] the same year as eight farmers in Bangui also disappeared, while farmers from the towns of Vintar, Dumalneg, Solsona, Marcos and Piddig were also documented to have been tortured.[1]
Vintar celebrates the feast of St. Nicholas every 10 September, a religious tradition inherited from the Augustinians lives that still practice the distribution of “tinapay ni San Nicolas” (unleavened bread). But the Siwawer Festival, the annual town fiesta of Vintar is held from December 26–30 of every year.
The people of Vintar engage in farming, fishing and herding. The town is generally rural but famous all over the province for its beautiful women with strongly Spanish features. Hence the town has its monicker, “The Home of Beautiful People”.
Vintar is also the site of four (4) important cultural properties listed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. These are Vintar Dam, the Old Municipal Building, San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church and the Gabaldon Building.
Vintar was once known for Abel Iloco or Inabel, especially the classic Binandera Abel, which flourished “in the north of the river,” as proven by a loom displayed at the Museo de Siwawer in Barangay Abkir.[2]
The Municipality of Vintar is considered as the sixth major river system in the region. Its head waters are on the western Cordillera slopes at the Kalinga and Apayao borders. It flows eastward and irrigates most of the flat lands of Ilocos Norte before making its exit into the South China Sea. Vintar has the largest land area in Ilocos Norte.
It is located on a plain land surrounded by mountains. Vintar is surrounded and bordered by:
Vintar is situated from the provincial capital Laoag, and from the country's capital city of Manila.
Vintar is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
PoblacionPoblacion is the center-most subdivision of Vintar. Poblacion is composed of 5 barangays namely:
Metro PoblacionMetro Poblacion is located on the outer-most of the center of the poblacion and composed of 5 barangays namely:
Pallas ValleyIt is located at the north-east of Vintar. Pallas Valley is composed of 4 barangays namely:
North of the River (Amian ti Karayan)North of the River or "Amian ti Karayan" is located north of the Bislak River from Poblacion. It is called so after the Ilocano word "Amian" which means north. Amian ti Karayan is composed of 8 barangays namely:
Lower Surong Valley
Upper Surong ValleyUpper Surong Valley is composed of 4 barangays namely:
Barangay #6 Parut
Barangay #7 Alejo Malasig
Barangay #9 Lubnac
Barangay #10 Parparoroc
Barangay #17 PF Alviar
Barangay #18 Abkir
Barangay #19 Columbia
Barangay #20 Cabisuculan
Barangay #21 Malampa-Peninaan
Barangay #26 Canaam
Barangay #29/30 San Jose/Sto. Tomas
Mount Baguinsuso, also known as Mount Masadsada (Ilocano which means "passable valley"), is among the most recognized landmarks located in Barangay 15-Visaya.
Vintar is divided into two types of climate:
In the 2024 census, the population of Vintar was 35,051 people, with a density of NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2.
Vintar can be reached through air via Laoag International Airport at Laoag City, then hiring a tricycle or any other public transportation. From Manila by bus, it will take about 10 to 12 hours in reaching the center of Vintar. Farinas and Maria De Leon are the major companies that have a daily trip to Vintar.
Siwawer Festival is the annual festival of Vintar. This festival of the town is being celebrated in honor of the Siwawer, the local name of the brahminy kite species of eagle that soars the skies of Vintar. The Festival starts on December 4, which is also Vintar Day, the foundation of the municipality when it was separated from the town of Bacarra in 1909.This festival was later seconded by the Imalawa tribe that resides in Vintar which is believed to be the first tribe that settled there—living within the boundaries between Vintar and Dumalneg.
See main article: Sangguniang Bayan. Vintar, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of Ilocos Norte, 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.
| Position | Name | Other Title/Chairmanship |
|---|---|---|
| Congressman | Hon. Ferdinand Alexander "SANDRO" Marcos] | Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Representative, First District of Ilocos Norte |
| Municipal Mayor | Hon. Richard Degala | Local Chief Executive |
| Municipal Vice-Mayor | Hon. Maribel Albano | Presiding Officer/ Chairperson, Committee on Health and Sanitation |
| Sangguniang Bayan Members | Hon. Amando Federico "Rik-Rik" E. Ong II | Chairperson, Committee on Social Welfare and Community Development/ Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management/ Committee on Zoning, Urban and Rural Development Housing and Land Utilization |
| Hon. Randy "Antikel" A. Degala | Chairperson, Committee on Ways and Means/ Committee on Education, Manpower, Development and Public Information | |
| Hon. Maricel Foronda | Chairperson, Committee on Women, Children and Family Welfare/ Committee on Labor and Employment | |
| Hon. Antero A. Caluya | Chairperson, Committee on Peace and Order, Public Safety and Human Rights/ Committee on Agriculture and Food Security | |
| Hon. Josey Florian C. Foronda | Chairperson, Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Industry/ Committee on Environmental Protection, Natural Resources Conservation and Ecological Security | |
| Hon. Jobel Fred M. Foronda | Chairperson, Committee on Cooperatives and Livelihood/ Committee on Markets, Slaughterhouse and other Municipal Economic Enterprises/ Committee on Games and Amusements | |
| Hon.Lidenbergh "Lindy" S. Castillo | Chairperson, Committee on Laws, Rules, Ethics and Privileges/ Committee on Appropriation and Finance/ Committee on Infrastructure and Public Works | |
| Hon. Carlito V. Rasdas | Chairperson, Committee on Good Governance, Public Ethics and Accountability/ Committee on Tourism, Culture and Arts/ Committee on Transportation, Communications, and other Public Utilities (Power and Water Facilities) | |
| LNB President/SB Ex-Officio Member | Hon. Rolando B. Boque | Chairperson, Committee on Barangay Affairs |
| PPSK President/SB Ex-Officio Member | Hon. Kyle Vincent R. Dalere | Chairperson, Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development |
| Municipal IPMR/SB Ex-Officio Member | Hon. Macario "Chieftain Macky" B. Gudayan | Chairperson, Committee on Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples |
There are two schools district offices which govern all public and private schools within the municipality. These are Vintar I School District Office, and Vintar II School District Office.[4]
