Agoo

Agoo lies on the western coast of northern Luzon, where rivers descend from the Cordillera to the sea. Its name is associated with the pine-like aroo trees once found along the riverbanks. Before Spanish rule it was a trading port frequented by merchants from Japan and China. The Spanish established a town here in 1578, and Franciscan missionaries founded a church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi. Its port continued to connect the coastal plain with overseas traders.