Known as "Puerto de Japón," Agoo was a bustling international port trading with Japanese, Chinese, and Ryukyuan merchants before Spanish colonization.
Franciscan friars Father Juan Bautista Lucarelli and Father Sebastian de Baeza founded the town and parish of Agoo, with the mission dedicated to Santa Monica.
Augustinian missionaries assumed administration of the settlement. Its name is associated with the "aroo," the pine-like Casuarina trees that once lined the coast and riverbanks.
Agoo became part of the newly created province of La Union under the decree of Governor-General Antonio María Blanco.
On 15 July 1982, Pope John Paul II elevated the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity to the rank of Basilica Minore.
Agoo continues to grow as an educational, commercial, and cultural center while celebrating its heritage through the annual Dinengdeng Festival.
The Basilica Town
Founded in 1578, Agoo is La Union's oldest town and home to the historic Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity.
Puerto de Japón
Before Spanish colonization, Agoo served as an international trading port for Japanese, Chinese, and Ryukyuan merchants.
