Dingras

The municipality is said to have been named after a romantic folk legend.

The Legend of Dingras

Legend has it that in the early times, there were two prosperous Barangay in the present site of the town, each ruled by a powerful chief or datu. They were bitter and mortal enemies. Naslag was the powerful chief of the barangay north of the river, while Allawigan was the chief of the barangay to the south of the river.

One day, Allawigan and his warriors went out to go hunting. Ras, his son, was the bravest among them. During the hunt, Ras followed a deer that went north across the river. As he was chasing the deer, he saw a beautiful damsel gathering wildflowers on the opposite side of the riverbank. She was Ding, the daughter of Naslag. To help the lady, Ras gathered the most beautiful flowers near him, attached them to an arrowhead, and shot it over the river to land by the lady's feet. Ding looked at the other side of the river and waved her hands. Ras went home happily.

Ras begged his father for permission to win Ding for his wife; but because the fathers of Ding and Ras were bitter enemies, the only way he could win her was in an open battle fought fiercely between the two tribes.

Ras led his father's warriors. They fought valiantly and came out victorious in the end. Ras asked for Ding's hand as a prize, but Naslag refused. This angered him and hurled a challenge to the bravest warrior of Naslag in single combat with Ding as prize. The challenge was accepted. The combat was fought and again, Ras was victorious. He brought Ding triumphantly to Allawigan, his father. Thereafter, the people named the two barangays Dingras, after Ras, their valiant warrior ruler, and Ding, his wife.

On January 27, 2000, Mayor Robert Castro was forcibly removed from his office by the police due to defying orders from the regional trial court issued nine days prior to step down after losing an electoral contest to Oswaldo Parado, who was found to have won the 1998 mayoral race by over 370 votes.

Through Presidential Proclamation 680, September 20, 2024 was declared a special non-working day as tribute to Josefa Llanes Escoda, a World War II heroine and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines founder.

The Municipality of Dingras has a total area of 17,962 hectares, ranking 8th in size among the 23 municipalities and cities in the province. It accounts for practically 5.2% of the total land area of Ilocos Norte and corresponding percentage to the municipal area composed of 31 barangays. Six are on the Poblacion and 25 in the rural area.

Dingras is situated 18.07 kilometres (11.23 mi) from the provincial capital Laoag, and 487.99 kilometres (303.22 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.

Barangays

Dingras is politically subdivided into 31 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Albano (Poblacion)
• Bacsil
• Bagut
• Baresbes
• Barong
• Bungcag
• Cali
• Capasan
• Dancel (Poblacion)
• Elizabeth
• Espiritu (Gabon)
• Foz
• Guerrero (Poblacion)
• Lanas
• Lumbad
• Madamba (Poblacion)
• Mandaloque
• Medina
• Parado (Bangay)
• Peralta (Poblacion)
• Puruganan (Poblacion)
• Root
• Sagpatan
• Saludares (Baldias)
• San Esteban
• San Francisco
• San Marcelino (Padong)
• San Marcos
• Sulquiano (Sidiran)
• Suyo
• Ver (Naglayaan)

Climate

In the 2024 census, the population of Dingras was 40,176 people, with a density of 420 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,100 inhabitants per square mile.

Poverty incidence of Dingras (%)

10 20 30 40 50 2000
42.59 2003
30.74 2006
19.50 2009
16.27 2012
15.60 2015
11.69 2018
6.04 2021
8.19 2023
5.08

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Out of the total area 6,305 hectares is devoted to rice and corn production. Dingras is known as one of the rice-producing municipalities in Ilocos Norte. Other non-productive areas are devoted to livestock production, swine production and other livelihood projects. Most of the population are engaged in farming as the primary source of income.

On October 9, 2007, Dingras, Ilocos Norte, Philippines sought a Guinness World Record certification after baking a kilometer-long "cassava bibingka" (native cake) made from 1,000 kilos of cassava and eaten by 1,000 residents.

Local government

Dingras, belonging to the second 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.

Elected officials

There are two schools district offices which govern all public and private schools within the municipality. These are Dingras I Schools District, and Dingras II Schools District.

Primary and elementary schools

• Bacsil Elementary School
• Bagut Elementary School
• Baresbes Elementary School
• Barong Elementary School
• Capasan Elementary School
• Dingras Central Elementary School
• Dingras West Central Elementary School
• Elizabeth Elementary School
• Elizabeth-Lanas Elementary School
• Espiritu Elementary School
• Francisco Elementary School
• Hilaria Salvatierra Mem. Elementary School
• Mabino Elementary School
• Mandaloque Elementary School
• Medina Parado Elementary School
• Peralta Elementary School
• Sagpatan Elementary School
• Saludares-Cali Elementary School
• San Esteban Elementary School
• San Marcelino Elementary School
• San Marcos Elementary School
• Sulquiano Elementary School
• Suyo Elementary School
• Ver Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Dingras National High School/Lt. Edgar Foz Mem. National High School (Main)
• Dingras National High School/Lt. Edgar Foz Mem. National High School (Barong Campus)
• Dingras National High School/Lt. Edgar Foz Mem. National High School (San Marcos Campus)
• Dingras National High School/Lt. Edgar Foz Mem. National High School (Sulquiano Campus)
• San Marcelino National High School
• St. Joseph Institute of Dingras
• Suyo National High School