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La Union
La Union (Tagalog pronunciation: [lɐ ʔʊˈɲon]), officially the Province of La Union (Ilocano: Probinsia ti La Unión; Pangasinan: Luyag na La Unión; Kankanaey: Probinsya di La Unión; Ibaloi: Probinsya ni La Unión; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng La Unión; Spanish: Provincia de La Unión), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the City of San Fernando, is the most populous city in La Union and serves as the regional center of the Ilocos Region.
Bordered by Ilocos Sur to its north, Benguet to its east, and Pangasinan to its south, with the South China Sea to the west, La Union is located 273 kilometers (170 miles) north of Metro Manila and 57 kilometers (35 miles) northwest of Baguio City. The province spans an area of 1,497.70 square kilometers (578.27 square miles). As of the 2020 census, La Union had a population of 822,352, resulting in a density of 550 inhabitants per square kilometer or 1,400 persons per square mile. The province had 538,730 registered voters as of 2022. The province official language is Iloco (Ilocano), as declared by the provincial government of La Union.
La Union is renowned for its picturesque coastal towns, popular surfing spots, and pristine beaches. The province is rich in natural and cultural attractions, offering activities such as red clay pottery, grape picking, loom weaving, and pilgrimage tours to historic churches, alongside beautiful waterfalls and eco-tours. The population includes both the Ilocano people from the lowlands and the Cordilleran (Igorot) people from the highlands, contributing to its diverse cultural heritage.
During its early history, the province was inhabited by various ethnolinguistic groups, including the Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, and Cordillerans (Igorots), who actively engaged in trading and bartering while practicing animistic and polytheistic indigenous religions and traditions.
In the northern section, early settlements were established along the coastal plains of Purao (now Balaoan), Darigayos, and the areas surrounding the Amburayan River. These settlements were primarily inhabited by the Samtoy (Ilocanos). Historian William Henry Scott documented that Balaoan was historically referred to as being "rich in gold" due to its proximity to the gold mines in the Cordillera region. The town served as an emporium for the exchange of Igorot gold through barter and trade among lowlanders, highlanders, and foreign merchants in Tagudin. Similarly, Baratao (now Bauang) has been identified by historians as a settlement of comparable importance to Purao as emporium of gold mines.
In the southern section, the areas of Agoo and Aringuey (now Aringay) were early settlements of the Pangasinenses. Agoo functioned as a trading port with Sual as its only rival. Agoo was frequented by Japanese and Chinese ships, whose merchants engaged in commerce or bartered gold with natives. Aringuey served as a coastal maritime trading hub and the terminus of the Aringay-Tonglo-Balatok gold trail, located along the delta of the Aringay (Ifugao) River. This route facilitated the transport of gold from the Ibaloi villages of Acupan and Balatok in the southern areas of present-day Benguet to the trading centers of Aringay, with further distribution to the port settlement of Agoo.
These trading activities were part of a larger maritime exchange network that extended across the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Products exchanged within this network included porcelain, silk, cotton, beeswax, gems, beads, and precious minerals, with gold being a significant commodity. Artifacts like porcelain and pottery, uncovered during the renovation of the Catholic church in Agoo and now housed in the Museo de Iloko, testify to this trade activity.
A year after Miguel Lopez de Legazpi made Manila the capital of the Philippines on 24 June 1571, the Spaniards launched expeditions to Northern Luzon "to pacify the people in it".
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La Union
La Union (Tagalog pronunciation: [lɐ ʔʊˈɲon]), officially the Province of La Union (Ilocano: Probinsia ti La Unión; Pangasinan: Luyag na La Unión; Kankanaey: Probinsya di La Unión; Ibaloi: Probinsya ni La Unión; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng La Unión; Spanish: Provincia de La Unión), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the City of San Fernando, is the most populous city in La Union and serves as the regional center of the Ilocos Region.
Bordered by Ilocos Sur to its north, Benguet to its east, and Pangasinan to its south, with the South China Sea to the west, La Union is located 273 kilometers (170 miles) north of Metro Manila and 57 kilometers (35 miles) northwest of Baguio City. The province spans an area of 1,497.70 square kilometers (578.27 square miles). As of the 2020 census, La Union had a population of 822,352, resulting in a density of 550 inhabitants per square kilometer or 1,400 persons per square mile. The province had 538,730 registered voters as of 2022. The province official language is Iloco (Ilocano), as declared by the provincial government of La Union.
La Union is renowned for its picturesque coastal towns, popular surfing spots, and pristine beaches. The province is rich in natural and cultural attractions, offering activities such as red clay pottery, grape picking, loom weaving, and pilgrimage tours to historic churches, alongside beautiful waterfalls and eco-tours. The population includes both the Ilocano people from the lowlands and the Cordilleran (Igorot) people from the highlands, contributing to its diverse cultural heritage.
During its early history, the province was inhabited by various ethnolinguistic groups, including the Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, and Cordillerans (Igorots), who actively engaged in trading and bartering while practicing animistic and polytheistic indigenous religions and traditions.
In the northern section, early settlements were established along the coastal plains of Purao (now Balaoan), Darigayos, and the areas surrounding the Amburayan River. These settlements were primarily inhabited by the Samtoy (Ilocanos). Historian William Henry Scott documented that Balaoan was historically referred to as being "rich in gold" due to its proximity to the gold mines in the Cordillera region. The town served as an emporium for the exchange of Igorot gold through barter and trade among lowlanders, highlanders, and foreign merchants in Tagudin. Similarly, Baratao (now Bauang) has been identified by historians as a settlement of comparable importance to Purao as emporium of gold mines.
In the southern section, the areas of Agoo and Aringuey (now Aringay) were early settlements of the Pangasinenses. Agoo functioned as a trading port with Sual as its only rival. Agoo was frequented by Japanese and Chinese ships, whose merchants engaged in commerce or bartered gold with natives. Aringuey served as a coastal maritime trading hub and the terminus of the Aringay-Tonglo-Balatok gold trail, located along the delta of the Aringay (Ifugao) River. This route facilitated the transport of gold from the Ibaloi villages of Acupan and Balatok in the southern areas of present-day Benguet to the trading centers of Aringay, with further distribution to the port settlement of Agoo.
These trading activities were part of a larger maritime exchange network that extended across the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Products exchanged within this network included porcelain, silk, cotton, beeswax, gems, beads, and precious minerals, with gold being a significant commodity. Artifacts like porcelain and pottery, uncovered during the renovation of the Catholic church in Agoo and now housed in the Museo de Iloko, testify to this trade activity.
A year after Miguel Lopez de Legazpi made Manila the capital of the Philippines on 24 June 1571, the Spaniards launched expeditions to Northern Luzon "to pacify the people in it".