The town's role as a port was lost when the Spanish closed the Philippines to foreign trade during their occupation and by the time that trade was re-established the role of dominant port was inherited by Sual in Pangasinan.
Discovery by Juan de Salcedo
Spanish discovery of the settlement occurred in 1572 when, during an exploration of the Angalakan River, the Spanish conquistador came across three Japanese ships. After attacking them he then followed them back to port, this port was Agoo.A permanent Spanish settlement was established in Agoo in the year 1578. Two Franciscan missionaries constructed a thatch and bamboo church in the town that year in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The Augustinian Order took over from the Dominicans and developed the town until the secular priests took over in 1898.
Integration into La Union
It was in 1850 that Agoo was integrated into the province of La Union (having formerly been a part of Pangasinan). Agoo was the oldest town to become a part of La Union and was listed at the time as having a population of around 7000 inhabitants.Weeping statue of the Virgin Mary in Agoo
In 1989 Judiel Nieva started claiming to see apparations of the Virgin Mary. She was apparently appearing to him every first Saturday of the month and on special religious feasts.
This culminated in 1993 with the Nieva family reporting that a statue they owned of the blessed Virgin was shedding tears of blood. A month after these claims began, on March 6th 1993, a million pilgrims flocked to Apparition Hill as Judiel had claimed that she would appear to them on this date.
The event is known as the "Agoo Apparition".
Typhoon Koppu in 2015
By virtue of the town's location it seldom gets struck by the typhoons that regularly come through the Philippines. In October of 2015, Typhoon Koppu (local name Typhoon Lando) decided that it was going to pay us a visit. The typhoon caused quite a bit of damage although no lives were lost as far as we know. We spent five days without power and suffered a bit of damage. Take a look at the below video if you'd like to see how hairy things got on this coast:
Agoo today
By 2010 the census had the town population at 60,596 and it remains a prominent town in La Union. These days it is home to 10% of the province's population. There is currently an effort being conducted to merge Agoo with neighboring Aringay which would make it the first city in the second District of La Union.
Agoo today
Visitors to Agoo today will find a thriving town and the center of commerce in the second district of La Union. Many buildings in town have been restored in Spanish colonial style. It is home to the Congressional Representative for the Second District of La Union the Hon. Eufranio "Franny" Eriguel and is a must visit destination for anyone who really wants to discover the heart and soul of the Ilocano people and Northern Luzon.
Tourism in Agoo
Most visitors to the province of La Union come through Agoo on the way to the surfing hot spot of San Juan in the north of the province. We think this is a crying shame as Agoo has a whole lot to offer people who are interested in really coming to understand the province and the Ilocano people who call it their home.
A few places of interest that are in and around the area include:
We are passionate about bringing people here and showing them around, feel free to drop us an email if you'd like us to give you some suggestions on things to do. The town is one hour from Baguio and, if you use the expressways, only 3 hours from Angeles Airport.
A few places of interest that are in and around the area include:
- Museo de Iloko: Tripadvisor, La Union Government Website
- Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity: Tripadvisor, Wikipedia
- Pugo Adventure Park: Facebook, Wheninmanila.com
- The Centennial Tunnel in Aringay (built in 1913 by the Americans): La Union Government
We are passionate about bringing people here and showing them around, feel free to drop us an email if you'd like us to give you some suggestions on things to do. The town is one hour from Baguio and, if you use the expressways, only 3 hours from Angeles Airport.
About The Blue House Vacation Apartment
In 2015 we discovered this beautiful town and decided to call it home. We bought the property after viewing it a few times for only a few minutes and since we got here we have discovered one of the strongest and most wonderful communities we have ever lived in. We love Agoo and we want to do everything we can to be a positive force in the community here (take a look at a fundraiser we're running here, any support is much appreciated).
It just so happened that the property we decided to purchase had a two story apartment block also on site. Originally we purchased the property because it made a lot of sense to have an alternative dwelling to live in while we did the refurbishment of our bungalow.
Once we'd finished refurbishing our home we were left with this two story structure which included two levels of accommodation and a store. We made the decision to fully refurbish the building and turn it into two self contained apartments and to make them available for transient guests who were looking for accommodation in town.
The town's motto is |"Agoo Kay Ganda" which translates to Agoo, So Beautiful. We certainly agree with that and we hope you'll come and visit soon so we can show you just how beautiful this amazing part of North Luzon really is. Like us on Facebook for more updates!