The New City Seal
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Marker stands as a tribute to the people of Vigan, then and now, who have sacrificed to protect and conserve their unique cultural patrimony. It also symbolizes prestige and the universal value of our Heritage City. The yellow shadow on top is a brighter future … a prosperous city of third generation and that of tomorrow. The blue sky stands for a new promising era.
The St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral symbolizes Vigan as the center of ecclesiastical influence in the North. As the seat of the ancient Diocese of Nueva Segovia, Villa Fernandina de Vigan was elevated into a city in 1758 by virtue of a Spanish Royal Decree.
The Vigan ancestral house depicts the fusion of European and Filipino (Ilocano) architecture that is evident in the Vigan House. It is a symbol that Vigan has the most extensive surviving residential, religious and civic structures from 17th to the 19th centuries and a best example of a European colonial trading town which merited its inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Sites and Monuments.
The Salcedo Obelisk - the oldest monument erected in the 17th century and occupies the open space in town. It is symbol of the establishment of Villa Fernandina by Don Juan de Salcedo on June 13, 1572 as the third Spanish settlement in the Philippine archipelago. The monument is also a symbol of the lasting historic and cultural influence from which the “Ley de Indias” emanated regulating the layout, street pattern and open spaces of all new settlements planned during the Spanish Empire.
Two Documents - the Royal Decree of 1758, creating Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan and R.A. 8988 recognizing and revalidating Vigan City’s status are milestones, centuries apart. They affirm Vigan’s stature as an important local government unit back in the 16th century up to the present.
The Bigaa Plant - lent its name to Bigan, the thriving Malay settlement discovered by Slacedo in 1572.
The body of water - represent the three rivers that surround Vigan which makes it an island. The body of water gives sustenance to the Bigaa Plant and is symbolic of the basic traits of Bigueños: diligence, dedication, patience, thrift and industry.
The jar represents the time-honored crafts of our city.