La Union

The coast of La Union already had settlements before the arrival of the Spanish. At least two of these settlements were important centres for gold trading and the exchange of Chinese and Japanese ceramics. On rumours of gold mines, the Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo led an expedition in the area in 1572. Despite firm resistance, Salcedo's expedition brought back 50 pounds of gold back to Manila. Towns were established along the coast and local residents converted to Catholicism. In 1661, Andres Malong of Pangasinan tried to seize the region as part of his own, but he was defeated by the Spanish at Agoo. Late in the 18th century, Ilocano migrants moved south into the area and by the middle of the 19th century, became the predominant ethnic group in the area over the Pangasinenses. The province was created on March 2, 1850. The province was created from towns from both Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan, hence the name La Union.

Pugo

Pugo was a barrio of Tubao until 1911 when it became a separate town in the sub-province of Benguet. It was transferred to La Union on February 4, 1920. Surrounding areas and settlements were annexed to Pugo in 1922 and 1923. During World War II, Pugo was divided into two jurisdictions, each with its own guerrilla unit. Pugo became a regular municipality on July 30, 1947. The name comes from Pogo. This is the answer a Spanish hunter received when he asked his Filipino guide the name of the low-flying birds that were abundant in the area.

Marcos Highway (Agoo-Baguio City Road)

In Tuba, Benguet, a hollow concrete bust of Ferdinand Marcos faces towards the South China Sea. It has since been bombed by communist rebels. (November 2002)

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