Agoo, officially the Municipality of Agoo ( ilo, Ili ti Agoo; pag, Baley na Agoo; fil, Bayan ng Agoo), is a 1st class
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
La Union
La Union (), officially the Province of La Union ( ilo, Probinsia ti La Union; Kankanaey'': Probinsyan di La Union;'' Ibaloi'': Probinsya ne La Union;'' pag, Luyag/Probinsia na La Union; Tagalog'': Lalawigan ng La Union),'' is a province in th ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,028 people.
Agoo is from
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
and from
San Fernando
San Fernando may refer to:
People
*Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia
Places Argentina
*San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
, the provincial capital.
Etymology
The name ''agoo'' is usually attributed to "''aroo''" or "''agoho''," a pine-like evergreen tree (
Casuarina equisetifolia
''Casuarina equisetifolia'', common names ''Coastal She-oak'' or ''Horsetail She-oak'' (sometimes referred to as the Australian pine tree or whistling pine tree outside Australia), is a she-oak species of the genus ''Casuarina''. The native ...
or Whistling Pine) that thrived in the western coast during the pre-Spanish Period.
History
Agoo's administrative dates back further than most Philippine municipalities, with the town being established within the same decade that the Spanish colonizers arrived on the Island of Luzon.
The history of the settlement now known as Agoo dates back even further, with both documentary and artifactual evidence supporting the assertion that it was a major port of call for foreign traders before it was formally established by the Spaniards.
Early history
Before the arrival of European colonizers, Agoo, a trading port of
Luyag na Caboloan
Caboloan (also spelled ''Kaboloan''; pag, Luyag na Caboloan), referred to Chinese records as Feng-chia-hsi-lan (), was a sovereign pre-colonial Philippine polity located in the fertile Agno River basin and delta, with Binalatongan as the cap ...
(modern day-Pangasinan), was already a coastal maritime trading center for Northwestern Luzon,
because its coast was shaped in such a way that it was a good harbor for foreign vessels coming into Lingayen Gulf.
Gold mined from the
Cordillera Mountain Range
The Cordillera Central or Cordillera Range is a massive mountain range 320 km (198 miles) long north-south and 118 km (73 miles) east-west. The Cordillera mountain range is situated in the north-central part of the island of Luzon, in the Phili ...
, coming down from the Aringay-Tonglo-Balatok gold trail, was traded in Agoo as well as its neighbor settlement in Aringay.
Evidence of trade between Agoo and China has been excavated in the form of porcelain and pottery pieces unearthed at the site of the Catholic church during its renovation, - which are now kept in the
Museo de Iloko.
Japanese fishermen eventually established their first settlement in the Philippines at Agoo, passing on their fishing skills and technologies to the local populace.
By the time the Spanish first arrived to colonize Luzon, they noted that Agoo was inhabited by people of the "same race as those of Pangasinan,"
and Agoo was originally made part of that
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
province until the Spanish authorities decided to create a new province, La Union, bringing together towns from Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur.
Spanish colonial era
Sighting by Juan de Salcedo
In 1572,
Juan de Salcedo
Juan de Salcedo (; 1549 – March 11, 1576) was a Spanish-Novohispanic conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549 and he was the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi and brother of Felipe de Salcedo. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accompan ...
, fresh from his conquest of Southern Luzon, was ordered by
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
-->
Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to:
Places
* Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands
* São Miguel (disa ...
to explore Northern Luzon and "pacify the people in it".
In June 1572, he was traversing the Angalakan River, when he saw and attacked three Japanese ships. When they fled, Salcedo followed them until they landed at a Japanese settlement. After paying tributes, the Japanese were allowed to remain. These Japanese would leave when the port of Agoo was later closed, but not without first teaching the natives their methods of fish culture, rice cultivation, deerskin tanning, duck breeding, and weapons manufacturing.
Establishment by the Franciscans
A permanent settlement was established in Agoo in 1578 when two
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
Missionaries, Fray Juan Bautista Lucarelli of Italy and Fray Sebastian de Baeza of Spain, constructed a thatch and bamboo church in honor of
Saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
. Agoo encompassed a vast land area that spanned the modern-day towns of Rosario, Santo Tomas, Tubao, Pugo, Aringay, Caba, Bauang, and the place called "Atuley" or present-day San Juan. Agoo became the center of the campaign of pacification and conquest, not only of the surrounding towns that would later become La Union but of the mountain tribes in the
Cordilleras
A cordillera is an extensive chain and/or network system of mountain ranges, such as those in the west coast of the Americas. The term is borrowed from Spanish, where the word comes from , a diminutive of ('rope').
The term is most commonly u ...
as well.
The two missionaries formally proclaimed Agoo as a civic unit. naming it after the river along whose banks it was built. At the time, the riverbank was forested with pine-like trees locally called "''aroo''" or "''agoho''" (
Casuarina equisetifolia
''Casuarina equisetifolia'', common names ''Coastal She-oak'' or ''Horsetail She-oak'' (sometimes referred to as the Australian pine tree or whistling pine tree outside Australia), is a she-oak species of the genus ''Casuarina''. The native ...
, or Whistling Pine).
In another claim of the town's name origin, Agoo was said to be derived from a variety of flying fish (''
chileopogon agoo''), thus "agoo," by which Japanese settlers called it thereafter.
El Puerto de Japon
During the early years of the Spanish colonial period, Agoo continued to be an important point of trade with Japan. Miguel De Loarca referred to Agoo as "El Puerto de Japon" - the Japanese Port.
Rosario Mendoza-Cortes, in her book "Pangasinan 1572-1800" notes that Agoo was the region's primary port of call for Japanese and Chinese traders - with the only other contender for the honor being
Sual, Pangasinan. This was because there was a Japanese colony there. After all, traders at Agoo would have access to a greater number of people, and it was nearer to China and Japan. The main product traded from the area was the deer pelt, which was shipped to Japan.
Agoo's role as a port deteriorated when the Spanish closed the Philippines to foreign trade. When foreign trade was allowed again, the shape of the gulf had changed and it was thus Sual that became the dominant port.
Development by the Augustinians
Most of the town's early development can be attributed to the efforts of the
Augustinian Order
Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
. They took over from the Franciscans and administered the town off and on throughout the Spanish occupation until the secular priests took over in 1898.
![FvfLaUnion9246 30](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/FvfLaUnion9246_30.JPG)
They changed the town's patron saint to Santa Monica. They established a school where reading, writing, industrial works, and catechism were taught. They relocated the town center, laid out the streets and public buildings, and established roads leading to the nearby towns.
To facilitate the construction of churches, public buildings, and bridges, they taught the people brick and lime making, brick-laying, and stone-quarrying. They introduced the "moro-moro", the singing of "pasyon", new farm implement, and new plants.
Father Aquilino Garcia constructed a church, and by the end of the 15th century, the image of ''Nuestra Señora de Caridad'' (
Our Lady of Charity
Our Lady of Charity, also known as Our Lady of El Cobre, ''Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre'' or "la Vírgen de la Caridad", is a popular Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary known in many Catholic countries.
Several known Marian images ...
) was installed in it. This church was destroyed in 1796 and a new one was built when the original settlement was moved to what has ever since been the town center. The church was then claimed to be the largest and grandest in northern Luzon during that time. Ruins are scattered throughout the town's center and some are visible at this point.
Battle of Agoo (1661)
In 1661, Andres Malong of Pangasinan failed to recover La Union from the Spaniards after the Battle of Agoo.
1849 Integration into La Union
On October 29, 1849, Governor General Claveria issued a ''promovido'' to fuse the Pangasinan-Ilocos-Cordillera areas into ''La Union''. On March 2, 1850, Governor General Antonio Maria Blanco signed the Superior Decreto of La Union (34th province from Cebu-1565), with Captain Toribio Ruiz de la Escalera as the first Gobernador Military y Politico.
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868.
Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...
decreed the province's creation on April 18, 1854.
The new province comprised the north-western towns of Pangasinan and the towns of Ilocos Sur south of the Amburayan river. Agoo was the oldest town to be integrated and was listed as having a population of 6,936 people.
World War II
In the early morning of 22 December 1941, Agoo was one of three beachheads taken by the invasion force of General
Masaharu Homma
was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Homma commanded the Japanese 14th Army, which invaded the Philippines and perpetrated the Bataan Death March. After the war, Homma was convicted of war crimes relating ...
during the
Japanese Invasion of Lingayen Gulf.
The Japanese' 47th Infantry Regiment under the command of Col Isamu Yanagi, accompanied by the 4th Tank Regiment and supported by a flotilla of the Imperial Japanese Navy led by Vice Admiral
Kenzaburo Hara (consisting of the
light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
, destroyers , , , , , , three minesweepers, six anti-submarine craft and six transports) was supposed to land on the beaches of Agoo beginning 5:00 A.M. on December 22, 1941, having left
Takao on Taiwan the evening of December 18.
The Japanese 47th Infantry and 4th Tank Regiment were confronted by heavy weather, however, and were thus delayed and dispersed. They landed at about 7:30 A.M. on a four-mile stretch of beach all the way from Agoo to just north of Damortis.
Agoo is thus recorded in WWII annals as one of the Japanese staging points for the
Battle of Rosario
The Japanese invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Paglusob ng mga Hapones sa Golfo ng Lingayen'') was the key point in the Japanese plan for the conquest of the Philippines. Preparations had already been made by the Attack ...
.
Martial law
President Ferdinand Marcos'
1972 declaration of martial law had little political effect within Agoo itself, although there were some Agoo natives, such as then-Davao Archbishop
Antonio L. Mabutas, who spoke against the
human rights abuses during martial law.
Marcos had strong political ties to La Union, notably
Jose D. Aspiras whom he appointed as Tourism Minister. He also allowed the powerful family factions which had dominated La Union politics since before the American colonial era to stay in place.
[Turner, Mark M. (1989) Elites and Power in a Philippine Town. Under Martial Law, 1972-76. Philippine Studies 37: 283-300.] Marcos' efforts to consolidate political power did not get much resistance in the
La Union
La Union (), officially the Province of La Union ( ilo, Probinsia ti La Union; Kankanaey'': Probinsyan di La Union;'' Ibaloi'': Probinsya ne La Union;'' pag, Luyag/Probinsia na La Union; Tagalog'': Lalawigan ng La Union),'' is a province in th ...
,
including Agoo, since Marcos' use of violent methods for stifling dissent thus mostly took place in other, non-Ilocano provinces, such as nearby
Abra,
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to:
Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology
* Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India
** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature
** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...
, and
Mountain Province
Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc. Mountain Province was formerly referred to as ''Mountain'' in some foreign references. The name is usually short ...
.
[Cortes, Rosario Mendoza. (1990) Pangasinan, 1901-1986: A Political, Socioeconomic, and Cultural History. New Day Publishers.]
Since Bishop Mabutas was in Davao at the time, though, he was aware of human rights abuses in that city, particularly the torture and killings of church workers. The pastoral letter he wrote against Martial law, "Reign of Terror in the Countryside," is notable for having been the first pastoral to be written against Marcos' martial law administration.
1980s and 1990s
Establishment of High School and University
On July 23, 1945, the Municipal government, then led by Mayor Miguel Fontanilla, established South Provincial High School in response to education-oriented citizen Ramon Mabutas' calls for the establishment of a public high school. South Provincial High School turned Agoo into a center of education for Southern La Union and became one of the constituent state-run schools that were combined by Presidential Decree 1778 to create the
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
The Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU ; fil, Pang-alaalang Pamantasang Pampamahalaang Don Mariano Marcos) is the state university system serving the province of La Union in the Philippines. Its main autonomous unit is in Ba ...
in 1981.
After the 1986 EDSA Revolution
After the February 1986
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
, President
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
placed the Philippines under a
revolutionary government until the
1987 Constitution of the Philippines could be ratified. During this time, the Municipality of Agoo was placed under the administration of OIC Mayor Antonio Q. Estrada.
1990 Luzon Earthquake
At 4.26 P.M. on July 16, 1990, Agoo was hit by the
1990 Luzon earthquake, and was one of the most severely affected locales.
The
Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity was badly damaged, and the bell tower which was then the only remaining structure from the 1893 church, crashed completely. The Agoo municipal building collapsed completely, killing numerous citizens who were inside because they were in line to pay in time for the national income tax deadline for that quarter. Numerous tombs in the municipal cemetery were fractured open.
Alleged Marian Apparitions
The town gained media attention in the early 1990s for the alleged Marian apparitions of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
to
Judiel Nieva. Nieva reported seeing the Virgin Mary, popularly known as ''Our Lady of Agoo'' atop a
Guava
Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...
tree, a statue weeping with blood became highly sensationalized. Religious pilgrimages among Filipino Catholics increased by the millions as people flocked to see the phenomenon. The alleged apparition and healing events came into the attention of the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas;
bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...
, who in turn began an investigation and later released an ecclesiastical ruling that the apparitions were ''non-supernatural in origin'' in 1993.
Recent history
Failed proposed merger of Agoo and Aringay
On June 11, 2014, then-representative
Eufranio Eriguel
Eufranio "Franny" Chan Eriguel, M.D. (June 12, 1959 – May 12, 2018) was a Filipino medical doctor and politician from La Union, who was assassinated in an ambush on May 12, 2018.
Early life
Eufranio “Franny” C. Eriguel was born to Dr. Eu ...
filed House Bill 4644 to establish the first city in the second district by merging the municipalities of Agoo and Aringay. The bill was co-authored by La Union first district Rep. Victor Ortega and Abono party-list Rep. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III,
and was deemed necessary because neither Aringay nor Agoo alone could meet the requirements to create a Philippine city: a population of 150,000; an annual income of P100 million minimum a year; and a land area of 100 square kilometers. (As of 2014, the national census showed that Agoo and Aringay have about 65,000 and 47,500 residents, respectively. Agoo posted more than P90 million, and Aringay made P15,000 million in annual earnings, respectively)
The proposed city would have two districts under a city mayor and city vice mayor along with 14 councilors in the Sangguniang Panlungsod,
new positions for which the former municipal officials could run despite having the terms limits of their offices.
The proposed bill sparked protests from the people of both Agoo and Aringay who did not want the merger because it would subject them to the same high local taxes as Agoo and because of concerns that Agoo and Aringay would lose their cultural identities.
The proposed merger did not push through within term of the 16th Congress.
Election and Drug Related Violence (2010-2018)
Since 2010,
either the Municipality Agoo has been regularly declared an election hotspot
due to incidences of violence
during national and local election periods. Major incidents include the murder of former
Tubao Vice Mayor Lazaro Gayo outside his law office near Agoo's Municipal Hall,
and an alleged assassination attempt on
Tubao Mayor Dante Garcia in the same year;
and an alleged assassination attempt on former Congressman
Eufranio Eriguel
Eufranio "Franny" Chan Eriguel, M.D. (June 12, 1959 – May 12, 2018) was a Filipino medical doctor and politician from La Union, who was assassinated in an ambush on May 12, 2018.
Early life
Eufranio “Franny” C. Eriguel was born to Dr. Eu ...
in 2016.
Media
attributed the violence to "intense rivalry"
between incumbent Congressman Eufranio Eriguel and his 2010 opposing candidate, former Rep. Thomas Dumpit Jr.,
and later to "clashes between the followers"
of Congressman Eriguel and his 2013 opponent, former Army General Mario Chan.
In 2013, the declaration of the towns Tubao, Agoo, Caba, and Aringay as election hotspots compelled the Philippine National Police to temporarily remove the police chiefs of the four towns during the election period,
a decision which was protested by incumbent politicians in both towns, including then-Congressman Eriguel and his wife, then-Mayor Sandra Eriguel.
Also during the 2010s, a number of drug-related incidents in Agoo came to national attention. This resulted in the sacking of the police chief of Agoo, along with those of the Southern La Union towns of Bauang, Naguilan, and Tubao.
On August 16, 2016, former Congressman Eriguel was included by Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
as one of the
local government officials and legislators allegedly involved in illegal drug trade in his "''
I am sorry for my country''" speech.
Eriguel and a number of other Southern La Union politicians denied these allegations.
On May 12, 2018, Eriguel and two others were gunned down by unknown assailants in an ambush during an event for the 2018 Barangay elections.
Geography
Agoo and La Union are part of the
Ilocos Region
Ilocos Region ( ilo, Rehion/Deppaar ti Ilocos; pag, Sagor na Baybay na Luzon/Rehiyon Uno; tl, Rehiyon ng Ilocos) is an administrative region of the Philippines, designated as Region I, occupying the northwestern section of Luzon and part of ...
, which is located on the narrow plain between the
Cordillera Central and the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
. Agoo itself is one of the southern municipalities and is bounded on the north by
Aringay
Aringay , officially the Municipality of Aringay ( ilo, Ili ti Aringay; fil, Bayan ng Aringay), is a second class Philippine municipality, municipality in the Philippine province, province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
, on the east by the municipality of
Tubao further up the foothills of the Cordilleras, and on the south by
Santo Tomas Santo Tomás is Spanish for Saint Thomas.
Santo Tomas may also refer to:
Places
Argentina
* Santo Tomás, Buenos Aires, Carlos Casares Partido, Buenos Aires Province
* Santo Tomás, Neuquén
Colombia
* Santo Tomás, Atlantico
Cuba
...
. Agoo's western shores consist of a long beach facing
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central. The Agno River and the Balili ...
and South China Sea.
The Agoo River, which is sometimes wrongly named the Principe River after the Taytay Principe Bridge which traverses it along the main highway, flows through the town from uphill in the east to where it meets the South China Sea in the west.
Barangays
Agoo is divided into 49
barangays
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
. These barangays are headed by elected officials:
Barangay Captain,
Barangay Council
The Sangguniang Barangay, also known as the Barangay Council, and formerly as the Rural Council and then the Barrio Council, is the legislative body of a barangay, the lowest form of government in the Philippines. The term is coined from the Tag ...
, whose members are called
Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years.
* Ambitacay
* Balawarte
* Capas
* Consolacion ''
(Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)''
* Macalva Central
* Macalva Norte
* Macalva Sur
* Nazareno
* Purok
* San Agustin East
* San Agustin Norte
* San Agustin Sur
* San Antonino
* San Antonio
* San Francisco
* San Isidro
* San Joaquin Norte
* San Joaquin Sur
* San Jose Norte
* San Jose Sur
* San Juan
* San Julian Central
* San Julian East
* San Julian Norte
* San Julian West
* San Manuel Norte
* San Manuel Sur
* San Marcos
* San Miguel
* San Nicolas Central ''
(Poblacion)''
* San Nicolas East
* San Nicolas Norte ''
(Poblacion)''
* San Nicolas Sur ''
(Poblacion)''
* San Nicolas West
* San Pedro
* San Roque East
* San Vicente Norte
* San Vicente Sur
* Santa Ana
* Santa Barbara ''
(Poblacion)''
* Santa Fe
* Santa Maria
* Santa Monica
* Santa Rita ''
(Nalinac)''
* Santa Rita East
* Santa Rita Norte
* Santa Rita Sur
* Santa Rita West
*
San Roque West
Climate
Geology
According to findings of the
Philippine Rice Research Institute
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government corporate entity attached to the Department of Agriculture created through Executive Order 1061 on November 5, 1985 (as amended) to help develop high-yielding and cost-reducing techno ...
, Agoo's land consists mostly of the San Manuel (a dark grayish brown sandy loam characterized by medium compactness and a Ph ranging from highly acidic to slightly alkaline), Maligaya (dark grayish brown clay loam with course fragments of soft powdery red and black concretions, characterized by medium compactness and a neutral to slightly alkaline Ph), Bauang (dark grayish brown clay loam with course fragments of highly weathered stratified shales and sandstones characterized by strongly acidic to slightly acidic Ph), and Annam (brown clay loam with course fragments of partially and highly weathered rock or gravel and yellowish brown Iron and Magnesium concretions, characterized by an extremely to slightly acidic Ph) type soils.
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Agoo was 66,028 people, with a density of .
Economy
Government
Just as the national government, the
municipal government
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of Agoo, is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. The judicial branch is administered solely by the
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court ( fil, Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the ''Korte Suprema'' lso used in formal writing is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on Ju ...
. The LGUs have control of the executive and legislative branches.
The executive branch is composed of the mayor and the barangay captain for the barangay
Local Government Code of the Philippines, Book III Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
official website.
The legislative branch is composed of the
Sangguniang Bayan
The Sangguniang Bayan () is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Gov ...
(town assembly),
Sangguniang Barangay
The Sangguniang Barangay, also known as the Barangay Council, and formerly as the Rural Council and then the Barrio Council, is the legislative body of a barangay, the lowest form of government in the Philippines. The term is coined from the T ...
(barangay council), and the
Sangguniang Kabataan
Sangguniang Kabataan (abbreviated as SK; ) is a council meant to represent the youth in each barangay in the Philippines. It was put "on hold", but not quite abolished, prior to the 2013 barangay elections. In January 2016, the Sangguniang ...
for the youth sector.
The seat of Government is vested upon the Mayor and other elected officers who hold office at the Townhall. The Sangguniang Bayan is the center of legislation, stationed in Agoo Municipio.
Elected officials
Tourism
![Aspirasjf317](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Aspirasjf317.JPG)
Agoo has interesting attractions and main festival/events:
Cultural and Architectural Attractions
*
Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity
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Museo de Iloko - The 1979 Museo de La Union or Museo Iloko was the former Presidencia of Agoo (restored by the Philippine Tourism Authority in 1981).
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Eagle of the North
The Giant Eagle of the North Park is a park and tourist attraction in Agoo, La Union, Agoo, La Union, Philippines. It features a concrete sculpture known as ''Eagle of the North'' by Anselmo Day-ag. The eagle sculpture is depicted with its wings s ...
Park - a giant eagle structure designed by Arch. Anselmo Day-ag as a Symbol of Marcoses' power.
* Agoo Presidencia and New Town Hall
* Agoo Welcome Arch (1578)
* Plaza de la Virgen
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Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
The Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU ; fil, Pang-alaalang Pamantasang Pampamahalaang Don Mariano Marcos) is the state university system serving the province of La Union in the Philippines. Its main autonomous unit is in Ba ...
(Marcos Sports Center) DMMMSU-South La Union Campus
* Imelda Garden (fishermen sculpture, Agoo Town Square and Town Plaza)
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Jose D. Aspiras ancestral house
* Jose D. Aspiras Civic Center
* Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto
Nature Attractions
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Agoo–Damortis Protected Landscape and Seascape
* Agoo Ecopark (Sta. Rita West/Central)
* Agoo beach (San Nicolas East)
* Camp Wagi (Brgy. Capas)
* San Antonio-San Miguel Eco-Mountain Trail
Festivals
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Dinengdeng festival and Patronal Town Fiesta (8th, April 26 to May 4, 2012 - "Lifting Agoo to New Heights Through Dynamic, Dedicated and Visionary Leadership." 101 Dinengdeng recipes, an Agoo/Ilocano vegetable delicacy of Ilocanos festivity meant DMMMSU-South La Union Campus Grandstand, Agoo)
8th Dinengdeng Festival & Patronal Town Fiesta
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* Agoo Kilawin (Ceviche
Ceviche () is a Peruvian dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lime or lemon. It is also spiced with '' ají'', chili peppers or other seasonings, and julienned red onions, salt, and cilantro are al ...
) Festival, December 28, 2011
Other Attractions
* San Roque West-San Roque East fish ponds
* Aspiras-Palispis Highway (formerly the Agoo-Baguio Road), connecting Agoo to Baguio City
Notable personalities
* Congressman Jose D. Aspiras
* Archbishop Antonio L. Mabutas
Image gallery
File:AgooLaUnionjf308.JPG, Agoo Public Market
File:AgooLaUnionjf 173.JPG, Town Plaza
File:San Roque West fish ponds at Sitio Banaoang.jpg, San Roque West fish ponds at Sitio Banaoang
File:AgooLaUnionjf313.JPG, Agoo beach (San Nicolas East)
References
External links
The History and founding of Agoo, La Union
(Facebook)
(Facebook)
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census Information
Local Governance Performance Management System
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Municipalities of La Union