Roman Catholic Diocese of Laoag
The Diocese of Laoag () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was erected in 1961 from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. It was sede vacante from June 15, 2011, to October 11, 2012. On October 12, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Most Rev. Renato P. Mayugba, then Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, as the sixth bishop of the diocese. Ordinaries Pre-Hispanic Ilocos Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive region (consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union) renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would often visit the area to barter beads, ceramics and silk with gold. The inhabitants of the region believed to be of Malay origin, called their place Samtoy from , which literally meant "language spoken in this place". Like other parts of the Philippines, Ilocos Norte before the advent of Spanish colonization was inhabited by different tribes. Settlements were located along the river systems. Most people preferred to settle down near their farming or hunting grounds. Trade between seashore communities and nearby China must have been