La Union

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Coordinates: 16°30′N 120°25′E

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the railway station, see Los Angeles Union Station.
Not to be confused with La Unión or L'Union.
 La Union

Province

Province of La Union

(from top: left to right) San Fernando City, Beach in Agoo, Welcome
arch at the La Union-Ilocos Sur border, rice field in Naguilian, Tapuakan
River in Pugo
 Flag

Seal

Nickname:

Elyu

Motto(s):

"Love, Union, Concord"

Anthem: La Union Hymn

Location in the Philippines

show
OpenStreetMap
 Coordinates: 16°30′N 120°25′E

Country Philippines

Region Ilocos Region

Founded March 2, 1850

Capital San Fernando

and largest city

Government

• Governor Raphaelle Veronica A. Ortega-David

• Vice Governor Mario Eduardo C. Ortega (NUP)

• Legislature La Union Provincial Board

Area
[1]

• Total 1,497.70 km2 (578.27 sq mi)

• Rank 69th out of 81

Highest elevation 1,520 m (4,990 ft)

(Mount Talalang)

Population

(2020 census)[2]

• Total 822,352

• Rank 37th out of 81

• Density 550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)

• Rank 9th out of 81

 Divisions

• Independent cities 0

• Component cities show

• Municipalities show

19

• Barangays 576

• Districts Legislative districts of La Union

Time zone UTC+8 (PHT)

ZIP code 2500–2520

IDD : area code +63 (0)72

ISO 3166 code PH-LUN

 Ilocano (official)
Languages
 Pangasinan
 Kankanaey
 Ibaloi
 Tagalog
 English

Website www.launion.gov.ph

La Union (Tagalog pronunciation: [la ˈuɲon]), officially the Province of La

Union (Ilocano: Probinsia ti La Union; Pangasinan: Luyag/Probinsia na La
Union; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng La Union), is a province in the Philippines located in
the Ilocos Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, which
also serves as the regional center of the Ilocos Region.
The province is bordered by Ilocos Sur to the north, Benguet to the east, Pangasinan to
the south, and to the west by the shores of the South China Sea.
History[edit]
This section needs expansion. You
 can help by adding to it. (June
2016)

Early history[edit]
See also: History of the Philippines (900–1565)

During the pre-colonial era, the coastal plains of northwestern La Union and Ilocos
Sur stretching from the town of "Tagudan" (Tagudin) in the north
to Namacpacan (Luna), Bangar, "Basnutan" (Bacnotan), and "Purao" or "Puraw"
(Balaoan) in the south, and along the riverbanks of the Amburayan River – were the
early settlement of the “Samtoy” or the "Ilocanos" in La Union.[3][4]
Thus according to William Henry Scott, “the northern section of La Union was an
emporium and renowned for the exchange of Igorot gold and gold mines”, involving
merchants often from the Chinese, Japanese, Igorots, and Tagalogs during the early
settlement period. Rice, cotton, gold, wax, iron, glass beads, silk (abel), honey,
ceramics, and stoneware jars known as burnáy were all traded goods."[5]
Furthermore, the southern coastal section of La Union was identified as “Aroo” or
“Agoho” (Agoo). Agoo was the northern section of Caboloan (Pangasinan), and a
settlement of people of the "same race as those of Pangasinan, encompassing the
settlements of "Atuley" (San Juan)", "San Fernando", "Bauang", "Caba", the settlement
of "Alingay or Alinguey" (Aringay), "Santo Tomas", and "Rosario".
These people traded actively trading with their Ilocano and Igorot neighbors and traders
from China, Japan and Southeast Asia for a long time before the age of colonization, as
evidenced by the porcelain and pottery excavated from the site of the Catholic church
during its renovation and now housed in the Museo de Iloko.[6]
Later, Japanese traders and fisher folk arrived in the Philippines and established a
settlement. La Union's coast was shaped in such a way at the time that it provided a
good harbor for foreign vessels entering Lingayen Gulf.[7]
In the highlands of La Union is home of the Igorot people mainly
the Kankaney and Ibaloi.
Spanish colonial era[edit]
See also: Spanish Colonial Era (Philippines)

A year after Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi made Manila the capital of the
Philippines on June 24, 1571, the Spaniards started the colonization in Northern
Luzon “to pacify the people in it”
In June, 1572, the conquistadores led by Juan de Salcedo (grandson of Legazpi) sailing
the Angalakan River and landed in “Aroo” or “Agoho” present Agoo, then a part
of Pangasinan. Juan de Salcedo saw three Japanese ships, he tracked them down until
they landed in a Japanese settlement. The Japanese were permitted to stay after
paying tribute. As a result of the incident, Agoo was dubbed "El Puerto de Japon" or
"Japanese Port”, because enterprising Japanese and Chinese merchants have been
trading with the natives through this port. Agoo was highly involved in commerce with
other Southeast Asian countries in the region.
In her book "Pangasinan 1572–1800," Rosario Mendoza-Cortes states that La Union
specifically Agoo was the region's principal port of call for Japanese and Chinese
traders, with Sual, Pangasinan, as the only other contender. This was due to the
presence of a Japanese colony. Traders at Agoo, after all, would have access to a
larger number of people, and it was closer to China and Japan. The principal export
from the region was deer pelts, which were shipped to Japan. When the Spanish closed
the Philippines to foreign trade, Agoo's function as an ancient port began to deteriorate.
When the port of Agoo was eventually closed, the Japanese would leave, but not before
teaching the locals about fish farming, rice cultivation, deerskin tanning, duck
breeding, and weapon production.
The Spaniards marched up north without any resistance. They had their first taste of
the Ilocanos' bravery and fighting heart during a historic Battle in Purao (literally, "white"
and maybe due to the white sands of the beach) now known as Balaoan. The Spaniards
befriended the Ilocanos who reluctantly acceded to Spanish rule.
A secret society of insurrectos was organized in the town of Balaoan. Its purpose was to
fight and revolt against the Spanish Government in the area. On the eve of the
revolution, a traitor told the Spanish of their plan. The Spanish soldiers, without any
investigation, arrested seven members of the secret society and executed them the
same night. Only one, Fernando Ostrea, escaped with leg wounds. He informed the
people about what had happened. In memory of the seven Martyrs, a masonic lodge,
Siete Martires Lodge No. 177, was organized.
Formation in 1850[edit]
La Union was formed on March 2, 1850, and became the 34th province of the
Philippines from Cebu-1565.
After Cebu became the first provincia in 1565, new provinces have been created by the
Spaniards. Three main functions were considered so: political-civil administration,
ecclesiastical governance and geographical considerations. For more than two and one-
half centuries, the original llocos province remained intact until 1818 when it split
into llocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. In 1846, Abra was created by Governor General
Narciso Zaldua Claveria.
Governor General Claveria was a visionary administrator. He believed that combining
three contiguous areas that are far from their respective provincial capitals was a viable
solution to the demands of political-civil administration. He also saw the territory's
agricultural and commercial growth potentials. And the kicker was the extension of
Hispanic civilization and Christianity to the area. Bangar, Namacpacan (Luna)
and Balaoan in the southern portion of llocos Sur was quite a distance from the
cabezera of Vigan and in almost like manner, Sto.
Tomas, Agoo, Aringay, Caba, Bauang, Naguilian, San Fernando, San
Juan and Bacnotan were that far from Pangasinan's capital of Lingayen. The 40–45
rancherias in the depths of Central Cordillera of the Benguet (Eastern Pais del Igorotes)
district bordered by the three Ilocos Sur towns and the nine of Pangasinan have even
worse problems.
Thus on October 29, 1849, Governor General Claveria signed the proposal (promovido)
to unite the Pangasinan-Ilocos-Cordillera areas into a new province called La Union (the
official name designated by Claveria himself). For 124 days, high and important Spanish
colonial officers studied and deliberated on the proposition to create La Union or not. On
March 2, 1850, Governor General Antonio Maria Blanco signed the Superior
Decreto that founded La Union – the 34th province since the founding of Cebu in 1565.
It was classified as a gobierno politico-militar (Political-Military Government). Blanco
appointed, on March 4, 1850, Captain Toribio Ruiz de la Escalera (Claveria's former
trusted aide de camp) as the first Gobernador Military y Politico. La Union is the union of
lands, people, cultures and resources. On April 18, 1854, Queen Isabella II of
Spain issued the royal decree (real orden) from Madrid confirming Blanco's Superior
Decreto.
By 1860, there was a dramatic progress in commerce and agriculture in the province
primarily because of Tobacco. Spanish authorities banked on the prized leaf for further
economic development. The industry was so lucrative that a Tobacco Monopoly was
established. All Tobacco leaves were strictly monitored and bought exclusively by the
government at a fixed price.
1898 Philippine Revolution[edit]
See also: Philippine Revolution

By 1896, the people of La Union had enough of the Spanish atrocities. The torture of
the native priests, Padres Adriano Garces of Balaoan, Mariano Gaerlan of San
Fernando and Mariano Dacanay of Bacnotan; the execution of the Balaoan Siete
Martires, a majority of whom are ancestors of former La Union Board Member Joaquin
C. Ostrea Jr.; the persecution of Masons, whose membership included the elite natives;
and others have all the more agitated the people to unite and fight their masters for
three centuries.
On May 22, 1898, a gunshot killed the much-hated Friar Mariano Garcia of Santo
Tomas, it was a shot heard in the whole province which eventually ignited the revolution
in what the Spaniards used to call, "Una Provincia Modelo".
Led by Manuel Tinio y Bondoc, a boy general under the command of General Emilio
Aguinaldo, the Spaniards were finally defeated in La Union, some of whom escaped
and sought refuge in Vigan. With the help of the Americans, the Filipinos were finally
freed from Spain only to find out later that they will be subjected to a new colonial rule.
A Revolutionary Government was established with Aguinaldo as president. Tinio acted
as de facto governor of La Union but was later on replaced by Dr. Lucino Almeida as
Presidente Provincial.