Agoo

Agoo
Municipality
Seal
Nickname(s): "Home of Dinengdeng Festival"
Motto: "Agoo, Kay ganda"
Location in the province of La Union
Agoo Location within the Philippines
Coordinates:
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos (Region I)
Province	La Union
District	2nd District
Founded	1578
Barangays	49
Government
• Mayor	Sandra Y. Eriguel
Area
• Total	52.84 km2 (20.40 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	60,596
• Density	1,100/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2504
Dialing code	72
Income class	1st class
Website	agoolaunion.gov.ph

Agoo (Ilocano: Ili ti Agoo) is a first class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 60,596 people.

Its name is usually attributed to "aroo" or "agoho," a pine-like evergreen tree (Casuarina equisetifolia 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.

Before the Spanish

Before the province of La Union was established, Agoo was part of Pangasinan, and was a settlement of people of the "same race as those of Pangasinan." These people traded with Chinese merchants long before Columbus even sailed to the new world. Later, the Japanese came and established their first settlement in the Philippines. At this time, Agoo's coast was shaped in such a way that it was a good harbor for foreign vessels coming into Lingayen Gulf. Miguel De Loarca referred to Agoo as “El Puerto de Japon” - the Japanese Port.

Rosario Mendoza-Cortes, in her book "Pangasinan 1572-1800" suggested that Agoo was likeliest to be the region's primary port of call for Japanese and Chinese traders - the only other candidate being Sual, Pangasinan. This was because there was a Japanese colony there, because 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 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, it was Sual that became the dominant port.

Sighting by Juan de Salcedo

In 1572, Juan de Salcedo, fresh from his conquest of Southern Luzon, was ordered by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi 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.

A permanent settlement was established in Agoo in 1578 when two Franciscan Missionaries, Fray Juan Bautista Lucarelli of Italy and Fray Sebastian de Baeza of Spain, constructed a thatch and bamboo church in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Agoo encompassed a vast land area that spanned the modern day towns of Rosario, Santo Tomas, Tubao, Pugo, Aringay, Caba, Bauang and the a 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 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, or Whistling Pine).

In another claim of the town's origin, Agoo was said to be derived from a variety of flying fish (chileopogon agoo) by which the Japanese settlers called it thereafter.

Development by the Augustinians

Most of the town's early development can be attributed to the efforts of the Augustinian Order. 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.

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) 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 althroughout the town's center and some are visible at this point of time.

Integration into La Union

On March 2, 1850, the province of La Union was created by Governor–General Antonio Maria Blanco. It 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.

Japanese Invasion of Lingayen Gulf

Main article: Japanese Invasion of Lingayen Gulf

In the early morning of 22 December 1941, Agoo was one of several beachheads taken by the invasion force of General Masaharu Homma during the Japanese Invasion of Lingayen Gulf and became one of the Japanese staging points for the Battle of Rosario.

Establishment of the South Provincial High School and the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

Main article: Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State 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 in order to create the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in 1981.

Alleged Marian Apparitions

Main article: Judiel Nieva

The town came into focus for the alleged Marian apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Judiel Nieva. Nieva reported seeing the Virgin Mary, popularly known as Our Lady of Agoo atop a Guava 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, who in turn began an investigation and later released an ecclesiastical ruling that the apparitions were non-supernatural in origin in 1993.

Recent incidents

Following an assassination attempt on Tubao Mayor Dante Garcia in September 2012, the Civil Society Group (CSG) and the La Union police therefore held a rally at Freedom Park in Agoo to protest a series of unsolved extrajudicial killings in Tubao and Agoo. The public indignation was led by Reverend Mariano C. Apilado of Peace Builders La Union, Melvin Macusi of Amnesty International, Danilo Balino from the Commission on Human Rights and Fr. Leo Nedic of TIGNAY-PPCRV, other Human Rights Groups, Kanlungan, Bannuar and leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches.

Demographics

Population census of Agoo
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	42,698	—
1995	47,721	+2.11%
2000	51,923	+1.83%
2007	57,952	+1.53%
2010	60,596	+1.64%
Source: National Statistics Office

Agoo Town Hall

Local government

Just as the national government, the municipal government 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 LGUs have control of the executive and legislative branch.

The executive branch is composed of the mayor and the barangay captain for the barangays.Local Government Code of the Philippines, Book III, Department of Interior and Local Government official website.

The legislative branch is composed of the Sangguniang Bayan (town assembly), Sangguniang Barangay (barangay council), and the Sangguniang Kabataan for the youth sector.

The seat of Government is vested upon the Mayor and other elected officers who hold office at the Town hall. The Sanguniang Bayan is the center of legislation, stationed in Agoo Municipio.

Elected Officials

• Hon. Sandra Y. Eriguel, M.D., Municipal Mayor
• Hon. Henry Balbin,Municipal Vice-Mayor
• Sangguniang Bayan Members: HON. ERWINA C. ERIGUEL-Sangguniang Bayan Member, HON. ROMANO F. NIÑALGA-Sangguniang Bayan Member, HON. DOMINADOR P. RIVERA-Sangguniang Bayan Member, HON. RENATO D. BALDERAS-Sangguniang Bayan Member, (Second Row) HON. REYNALDO V. OLLER-ABC President (Ex Officio), HON. CRISOGONO LL. COLOBONG, JR.-Sangguniang Bayan Member, HON. ROGELIO R. DE VERA-Sangguniang Bayan Member, HON. JOSEPHUS R. KOMIYA-Sangguniang Bayan Member (Third Row) HON. EVAN PAULO E. TAGAPULOT, SK Federation President (Ex Officio), HON. LEONARD FLORENT O. BULATAO-Sangguniang Bayan Member.

Barangays

The 49 barangays of the Municipality of Agoo

Rank	Barangay	Population	Rank	Barangay	Population	Rank	Barangay	Population
1	San Nicolas West	2,382	18	Macalva Sur	1,332	35	Capas	941
2	San Agustin East	2,322	19	San Joaquin Norte	1,270	36	Santa Fe	845
3	San Antonio	2,209	20	San Agustin Norte	1,240	37	San Manuel Sur	837
4	San Manuel Norte	1,960	21	San Agustin Sur	1,210	38	San Roque East	793
5	San Isidro	1,895	22	San Juan	1,126	39	Ambitacay	789
6	Santa Barbara (Poblacion)	1,887	23	San Julian East	1,096	40	San Jose Norte	787
7	Nazareno	1,874	24	Macalva Norte	1,095	41	San Nicolas East	769
8	Santa Ana	1,860	25	San Pedro	1,089	42	Santa Rita East	755
9	San Marcos	1,849	26	Santa Rita Sur	1,088	43	San Julian Norte	739
10	San Julian West	1,795	27	San Vicente Sur	1,086	44	San Nicolas Norte (Poblacion)	717
11	San Jose Sur	1,667	28	San Vicente Norte	1,052	45	Santa Rita West	677
12	Consolacion (Poblacion)	1,662	29	San Francisco	1,026	46	Purok	617
13	Balawarte	1,550	30	San Nicolas Central (Poblacion)	1,020	47	Macalva Central	615
14	Santa Rita (Nalinac)	1,546	31	Santa Rita Norte	1,020	48	San Julian Central	613
15	San Miguel	1,513	32	San Antonino	1,002	49	San Nicolas Sur (Poblacion)	535
16	San Roque West	1,438	33	Santa Monica	995	Agoo Total		60,596
17	San Joaquin Sur	1,436	34	Santa Maria	975

Tourism

The redeveloped Imelda Garden

Jose D. Aspiras ancestral house

Agoo has interesting attractions and main festival/events:

• Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity
• Agoo–Damortis Protected Landscape and Seascape
• Plaza de la Virgen
• Agoo Presidencia and New Town Hall
• 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 meantat DMMMSU-South La Union Campus Grandstand, Agoo)
• Agoo Kilawin (Ceviche) Festival, December 28, 2011
• Agoo Museum - The 1979 Museo de La Union or Museo Iloko was the former Presidencia of Agoo (restored by the Philippine Tourism Authority in1981).
• Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (Marcos Sports Center) DMMMSU-South La Union Campus
• The Giant Eagle of the North Park (Symbol of Marcoses' power, designed by Arch. Anselmo Day-ag).
• Imelda Garden (fishermen sculpture, Agoo Town Square and Town Plaza)
• Dona Toribia Aspiras Annex (back of Town hall)
• Agoo beach (San Nicolas East)
• Agoo Welcome Arch (1978-1578)
• Jose D. Aspiras ancestral house
• Jose D. Aspiras Civic Center
• San Roque West-San Roque East fish ponds
• Aspiras-Palispis Highway (formerly the Agoo-Baguio Road), connecting Agoo, La Union to Baguio City
• San Antonio-San Miguel Eco-Mountain Trail

New city proposed in merger of Agoo and Aringay

Rep. Eufranio Eriguel has filed a measure to establish the first city in the second district by merging the municipalities of Agoo and Aringay.

“It is high time that there is a city that will boost the commerce, industry and trade for the people of these towns that bring progress and development,” he told reporters last week in an interview here at the town hall.

Eriguel filed House Bill 4644 last June 11, after officials of both towns agreed to the unification to meet the requirements of population (150,000), annual income (P100 million minimum a year) land area (100 square kilometers).

His co-authors for the bill are La Union first district Rep. Victor Ortega and Abono party-list Rep. Francisco Emmanuelle Ortega III.

The national census showed that Agoo and Aringay have about 65,000 and 47,500 residents, respectively. While Agoo posted more than P90 million in annual earnings, Aringay made P15,000 million. Their integration into a city will mean an annual share of P500 million in the internal revenue allotment (IRA), according to the proposed bill.

“With this IRA, we will have more infrastructure projects and as a city, we will have more employment, economic activities, businesses, increase basic services, and among others,” Eriguel said.

Agoo, covering 51.35 km² (19.83 sq mi), is considered the educational, trade and commerce hub of the province’s southern section, comprising 49 barangays. With 122.07 km² (47.13 sq mi), Aringay has 24 barangays engaged in planting rice and tobacco, raising mushrooms among other agricultural activities.

The proposed city will have two districts under a mayor and vice mayor along with 14 councilors in the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Notable people

• Congressman Jose D. Aspiras
• Archbishop Antonio L. Mabutas

Image gallery

• 

  San Roque West fish ponds at Sitio Banaoang

• 

  Town Plaza

• 

  The Giant Eagle of the North Park (Symbol of Marcoses' power). The edifice was designed by Arch. Anselmo Day-ag.

• 

  Agoo Public Market

• 

  Agoo beach (San Nicolas East)

Panorama of Agoo hills and rice-fields

External links

• Official (Municipal Website) Historical Profile of Agoo
• The History and founding of Agoo, La Union
• A town full of history - Agoo, La Union
• Free Public Domain Images of Agoo beaches and surrounds
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System