HISTORY

The town of Caoayan was believed to have been established and created as a separate municipality in 1824. Records of the town from the mid 1800 up to 1991 are not available due to the great conflagration that happened in 1991, which damaged the Old Spanish convent, were records had been kept.

Before CAOAYAN become a municipality. It was once a barrio of Villa Fernandina, now Vigan City, the Capital town of the province. The name "Caoayan" originated from the local name of the bamboo. It had been told that during the Spanish Era, natives from the province of Abra, came down through the Abra river to sell bamboos. A group of Spanish soldiers were asking them what they are selling, and because of their fear, these men nervously chorused "Kawayan". And so, from then on, the locality was named "Caoayan". Caoayan is a 5th class municipality, and the total land area is 1,602.533334 hectares and only 2 kilometers away from Vigan City and lies on the southern tip of the 1 st District of Ilocos Sur it is bounded on the e~st by the Man of Santa, on the north and west, Vigan City on the south is Chine Sea.