History of La Union

The province of La Union was formed in
1850 when the Spanish colonial government

of Governor- Brief History La Union was
created by virtue of a “Superior Decreto”
issued on March 2, 1850 by Governor
General Narciso Zaldua Claveria out of nine
towns of Pangasinan, three of Ilocos Sur and
settlements of the Eastern Pais del Igorotes
in the Cordilleras. Its creation as a province
was formally approved by a Royal Decree
issued by Queen Isabela of Spain on April
18, 1854. From its inception as a province up
to the Second World War, La Union
experienced transformations in the socio-
cultural and politico-economic aspects. After
the War, rehabilitation and reconstruction
were done eventually propelling the province
as the center of commerce andtrade and the
administrative center of Region I.
A year after Adelantado Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi made Manila the capital of the
Philippines on June 24, 1571, the Spaniards
started the colonization of Ilokos. In June,
1572, the conquistadores led by Juan
Salcedo (grandson of Legazpi) landed in
Agoo, then a part of Pangasinan called “El
Puerto de Japon” because enterprising
Japanese merchants have been trading with
the natives through this port. The
Spaniards marched up north without any
resistance. They had their first taste of the
Ilokanos’ 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 Ilokanos who reluctantly
acceded to be under Spanish rule.
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.On October 29, 1849
Governor General Claveria signed the
proposal (promovido) to unite the
Pangasinan-Ilokos-Cordillera areas into a
new province called La Union.
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 political-military
government (gobierno politico-militar).•
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.• 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.• By 1896,
the people of La Union had enough of the
Spanish atrocities. The torture of the native
priests, the execution of Balaoan’s Siete
Martires, 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 shot from a revolver
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
Bondoc Tinio, 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. On January 4, 1945 from
the ashes of war, La Union underwent
massive reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Patient and hardworking, the people of La
Union marched on to progress and
development led by a new breed of
innovative, highly competent and down to
earth governors.
Agoo was founded in 1578 by Juan de
Salcedo. It was once part of Pangasinan
before being one of the twelve original towns
of La Union. Two Franciscan missionaries,
Fray Juan Bautista Lucarelli and Fray
Sebastian de Baeza, arrived at the
Municipality to start evangelism. It was
believed that the first settlement was
situated in the present day Nagrebcan. They
administered their religious and political
affairs until 1591 when the order retired from
the Province. The town’s introduction to
Christianity was signaled by the
establishment of nipa and bamboo church in
honor of St. Francis of Assisi.
The two made Agoo their headquarters
and center of the general campaign to gather
more recruits in the surrounding areas. As
they formally erect and proclaim the town as
a civic unit, Agoo was named after the river
along whose banks it was built which at that
time was a forest of pine-like trees locally
called “agoo” or “aroo”. The town also
became the center of pacification and
conquest of the mountain tribes in the
Cordilleras.
When the Augustinian left Agoo in 1591,
the Dominicans took their place in 1598 as
the town’s political and religious leaders.
The coming of the Augustinians had to
withdraw due to a conflict between their
superiors and the governor-general in
Manila. Because of this, there was a full
discharge of pastoral ministry in Agoo.
It was the Augustinians who began the
education and conversion of the people of
Agoo by the establishing a primary school
where Christianity and Catholicism was
taught. The people were also taught the art
of making bricks, lime, brick-laying, stone-
quarrying for the construction of churches
and public buildings and bridges. “Moro-
moro” and the singing of “pasyon” were also
introduced to the people.
The foremost of their construction was

the erection of a church after the transfer of
the town center. The construction was led by
Fr. Satornino Franco while a three layered
belfry was made by Fr. Casiniro Melgosa
and Fr. Aguiliano Garcia. By the end of the
15th century, the image of Nuestra Señora
de Caridad (Our Lady of Charity) was
installed in the church.
Agoo also had its share of tribulations,
especially during the Japanese occupation.
Japanese forces burned part of Macalva and
massacred 17 civilians who were believed to
be sympathizers of the underground
movement.
The liberation of the country signaled the
development of this town. Constantino
Verceles became the first elected mayor
after the war. Together with representative
Manuel Cases, they steered the town’s
development. Through the sponsorship of
Cases, the Masalip Irrigation System was
established.
On the economic side, the municipality
was elevated from third class to a second-
class status.
One of the illustrious sons of this town is
the late Jose D. Aspiras who was elected to
the Philippine Congress in 1929. He also
served as Minister of Tourism and
Information Secretary during the time of
President Marcos. Before he died in
November 14, 1999, Aspiras was the
resident representative and managing
director, with the rank of ambassador of the
Manila Economic and Cultural Office based
in Taiwan.
Aspiras also led the restoration and
refurbishment of the 16th Century Agoo
Parish Church which was later elevated to
the rank of Basilica Minore by Pope John
Paul II in 1981. The Basilica Minore of Our
Lady of Charity is one of the few churches in
the country who have been elevated to
Basicila Minore status.

History of La Union

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History of La Union

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The province of La Union was formed in

1850 when the Spanish colonial government

After Cebu became the first provincia in

On March 2, 1850, Governor General

By 1860, there was a dramatic progress in

The foremost of their construction was

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