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.

GEOGRAPHY

The historic town of Agoo is situated on the southern portion of the province of La Union. It is   bounded on the west by the famous Agoo Damortis National Seashore Park; the town of Aringay on the north; the wide plain in Tubao on the eastern side, and the town of Sto.Tomas on the southern part. Agoo is some 35 kilometers south of San Fernando, La Union, the regional center; some 35to 40kilometers from Dagupan City and 235kms.north of Manila.  Agoo falls within 16 17’ to 16 22’ latitude and 120 20’ to 120 25’ longitude.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Population: 63,692 (PSA, 2015)                         Number of Families: 17,831 (MSWDO, 2019)

Population Density: 1,215 persons/km²           Religion: Roman Catholic

Number of Households: 13,850 (PSA, 2015)    Literacy Rate: 99.03%

Employment Rate:  91.9%                                   Magnitude of Poor Families: NDA

Employment Distribution                                    Magnitude of Poor Population: 14,684

Agriculture: 4,319                                         

Municipal Government Revenue: Php 335,346,781.58