Agoo
| Agoo | ||
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| Municipality | ||
Agoo town center along the National Highway with the steeple of Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity on the right
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| Nickname(s): Premier Town of La Union and Ilocos Region; Home of Dinengdeng Festival | ||
| Motto: "Agoo, Kay ganda" | ||
 Location in the province of La Union |
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.svg)
 Agoo
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| Coordinates: 16°19′30″N 120°22′7″E / 16.32500°N 120.36861°ECoordinates: 16°19′30″N 120°22′7″E / 16.32500°N 120.36861°E | ||
| Country |
 Philippines
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| Region | Ilocos (Region I) | |
| Province | La Union | |
| District | 2nd District | |
| Founded | December 8, 1578 | |
| Barangays | 49 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Sandra Y. Eriguel | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 52.84 km2 (20.40 sq mi) | |
| Population (2015) | ||
| • Total | 63,692 | |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) | |
| ZIP code | 2504 | |
| Dialing code | 72 | |
| Income class | 1st class | |
| Website | agoolaunion |
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Agoo (Ilocano: Ili ti Agoo) is a first class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 63,692 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.
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 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, as shown by the porcelain and pottery excavated from the site of the Catholic church during its renovation - now kept in the Museo de Iloko.
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.
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”.
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Wikipedia