| Pugo | |
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| — Municipality — | |
| Map of La Union showing the location of Pugo. | |
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Pugo
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Ilocos Region (Region I) |
| Province | La Union |
| District | 2nd District |
| Founded | |
| Barangays | 14 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Noemi T. Balloguing |
| Area | |
| • Total | 62.84 km2 (24.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 18,265 |
| • Density | 290.7/km2 (752.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 2508 |
| Income class | 5th class |
| Website | www.pugo.gov.ph |
| Population Census of Pugo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | Rate | |
| 1995 | 12,180 |
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| 2000 | 13,442 | 2.14% | |
| 2007 | 18,265 | 4.32% | |
Pugo is a 5th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 18,265 people in 2,520 households.
Pugo is the smallest town of La Union in terms of land area, and is located at the foot of the Santo Tomas mountain range just about an hour away from Baguio City through the Marcos Highway. It is primarily an agricultural town.
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Pugo is politically subdivided into 14 barangays.
The name of Pugo has its origin from Pangalatok, a language used in Pangasinan a province south of La Union. Pugo as well as other parts of southern La Union was once part of the ethnoliguistic territory of Pangalatok-speaking people prior to political subdivision during the Spanish regime. Now, only a minority speaks Pangalatok in La Union maily in Municipalities of Rosario and Sto. Tomas. The term "Pugo" which means Small Islands or Islets does not mean though that Pugo is an Island. The term describes the huge rockbeds in the Tapuakan River. The river also features rockwalls and huge rocks which are now known as the Tapuakan Resort. The resort is located in Barangay Cares.
Pugo, La Union now offers extreme adventure courtesy of newly developed Pugad Pugo Adventure Park located in Sito Kagaling, Barangay Palina, Pugo, La Union. It offers 3 Zip Lines with its famous 380 meters long 200 feet high Super Man Zip Line 1. It also have Swimming Pools, Cottages, Conference Halls, Hanging Bridge, Clean River, Rappeling Area, Wall Climbing, Ropping, ATV Rides, Paint Ball Area, Trekking, and view of the Water Falls.
10 minutes away from Pugad Pugo Adventure is the "Travellers Inn". It offers villas, rooms, and even water adventure parks.
Scenic spots in Pugo include Tapuakan Resort, the Nagbukel and the hot springs of Cares. Tapuakan Resort features rest areas where the people can enjoy the natural slides of the river. It was recently awarded as the clearest inland body of water for 2008 making it for 2 consecutive years. It also has a hot spring where tourists and the Pugonians go often as they believe that the spring can heal certain skin and pulmonary diseases. Nagbukel is found at Barangay Ambangonan, and many people also go there despite its remote location.
That there will be a project focused in developing Marcos Park including the Marcos bust. The park comprising 300 hectares, a part of which is located in Palina, Pugo, is soon to be rehabilitated and further developed into a mountain resort complex to include the Marcos Highway as a Scenic Highway. The actual site is in Barangay Palina (Northeast boundary before Tuba, Benguet) and Tuba, Benguet itself. The project is expected to benefit not only La Union but also Benguet and Baguio itself since Barangay Palina shares a part of the Jose D. Aspiras Highway (formerly Marcos Highway), the main route to Baguio City. Marcos Park was once the location of the bust of the late former Dictator then President Ferdinand Marcos. Treasure Hunters as well as the Residents once claim that it was one of the site where Marcos hide the Fabled Yamashita Treasure. The bust was destroyed on December 29, 2002 and the identity of the perpetrators remains unclear. Rumors suggest it was the left-wing activists, members of a local tribe - or possibly looters hunting for one of Marcos' legendary treasure troves.
The Yamashita treasure has been found 100m away from the municipal outpost. The townspeople are now soliciting help to excavate and retrieve the gold bars.
Pugo, La Union is located strategically to popular local tourist spots. It is just 1 hour away from the Miraculous Church of Manaoag in South, 30 Minutes Away from Baguio in North East, in the west it is just 20 Minutes away from Agoo Church, 1 hour from the Beaches of Caba and Bauang, and further North West is the Surfing Site of San Juan.
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