La Union, which is 6 hours north of Manila, was created by a Royal Decree issued by the Spanish Queen, Isabella, on 18 April 1854. The province was created from 9 towns of Pangasinan, 3 towns of Ilocos Sur and the villages of Eastern Pais del Igorotes that straddles the western foothills of the Cordilleras. The name of the province was, thus, derived from the union of these towns from the different provinces. Before the Spaniards came in 1572, La Union was already a bustling and important trading port, especially for gold, with Chinese and Japanese merchants present in the area.
City:
Municipalities:
The
province made a big comeback though and literally made a big splash in
the local and international surfing community as it is now one of the
favored surfing sites in the Philippines. The friendly swells of San
Juan and Urbiztondo towns, with its equally amiable and well-established
surfing community where surfing started in the ‘80s when foreigners
started settling in these towns is both best for the beginners with its
beach breaks namely San Juan Beach Break, Bacnotan with a right-hander,
and reef breaks a right-hander in Monaliza Point- popular among the
locals, who can also be a bit territorial, Carille – features waves that
can be up to 300 meters long and 15 foot high in best conditions for
the more advanced surfers and one of the most accessible surf spots if
you are coming from Manila.
There
are two major surfing competitions – the Rimat Ti Amianan or the
Treasure of the North in December, which is one of the important legs of
the Philippine Surfing Federation Surf Circuit and draws top Filipino
surfing talents, and the Mabuhay Longboarding Cup, an international surf
event which is incidentally the longest running longboard competition
in the Philippines.
Aside
from surfing, La Union is also known for its Botanical Gardens in San
Fernando City which showcases different pavilions in its sprawling
ten-hectare facility - a Fernery, Palmery, Fragrance Garden, Sunken
Garden, Evergreen Garden, Arid Paradise, and a Shade Garden – with flora
and fauna that are indigenous only to the Philippines.
LA UNION FESTIVALS
| San Fernando | Agoo |
| City Fiesta: January 28 to February 15 Patronal Fiesta: February 10 (St. William the Hermit) | Town Fiesta: May 6 Patronal Fiesta: May 4 (Our Lady of Charity) |
| Aringay | Bacnotan |
| Town Fiesta: December 4-13 Patronal Fiesta: May 4 (St. Lucy) | Town Fiesta: December 27-30 Patronal Fiesta: September 29 (St. Michael the Archangel) |
| Bagulin | Balaoan |
| Town Fiesta: March 18-19 Patronal Fiesta: March 18 (St. Joseph) | Town Fiesta: December 16-23 Patronal Fiesta: May 9 (St. Nicholas) |
| Bangar | Bauang |
| Town Fiesta: December 26-28 Patronal Fiesta: July 25 (St. Christopher) | Town Fiesta: April 21-28 Patronal Fiesta: April 26 (Sts. Peter & Paul) |
| Burgos | Caba |
| Town Fiesta: February 21-23 Patronal Fiesta: Easter Sunday (Our Lady of Fatima) | Town Fiesta: April 15-18 Patronal Fiesta: June 24 (St. John the Baptist) |
| Luna | Naguilian |
| Town Fiesta: November 22-25 Patronal Fiesta: November 25 (St.Catherine of Alexandria) | Town Fiesta: May 1-8 Patronal Fiesta: May 5, (St.Agustine) |
| Pugo | Rosario |
| Town Fiesta: January 21-23 Patronal Fiesta: Sunday after Christmas (Holy Family) | Town Fiesta: April 17-19 Patronal Fiesta: December 8 (Immaculate Conception) |
| San Gabriel | San Juan |
| Town Fiesta: April 19-21 Patronal Fiesta: March 25 (St. Gabriel the Archangel) | Town Fiesta: December 27-30 Patronal Fiesta: June 24 (St. John the Baptist) |
| Santo Tomas | Santol |
| Town Fiesta: April 24-27 Patronal Fiesta: October 2 (St. Mary of the Sea) | Town Fiesta: March 23-25 Patronal Fiesta: December 19 (Our Lady of Victories) |
| Sudipen | Tubao |
| Town Fiesta: April 28-30 Patronal Fiesta: December 30 (Holy Family) | Town Fiesta: May 11-15 Patronal Fiesta: May 14 (St. Isidore) |
Now is the time to stop reading and start experiencing it!
Pack your things and here is the way to go:
- Partas buses transport to La Union and it passes through San Juan from Manila. Other buses that operate in the area from Manila are Dominion Bus Lines, Farinas, Maria de Leon, Philippine Rabbit and Viron, which leaves Manila terminals every hour. Pick the buses that go to either Narvacan, Laoag, Abra, or La Union. It will take about 5-6 hours travel from Manila San Fernando is 273 kilometers north but will only take an hour if you are coming from Baguio City.
- If you are taking your own car and you are coming from Manila, take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and then connect through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), exit at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac and follow the National Highway through Pangasinan and then La Union.
http://tourism-philippines.com/la-union/
http://launion.gov.ph
No comments:
Post a Comment