Founding
Fetching the article from Wikipedia…
Agno, officially the Municipality of Agno (Pangasinan: Baley na Agno; Ilocano: Ili ti Agno; Sambal: Babali nin Agno; Tagalog: Bayan ng Agno), is a municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 29,270 people.
The name Agno was derived from the fruit, mango (Tagalog: mangga), and a species of swamp tree called “cited agnus-castus”, a chaste tree used for medicinal concoctions to relieve pain and illness. It was known to be abundant in the area. Over time, the name “Agno” was retained and adopted as the official name of the town.
Agno was formally established as a municipality in 1791. During the Spanish and early American periods, it was part of the province of Zambales.
On October 15, 1903, by virtue of Act No. 945, entitled “An Act Reducing the Twenty-five Municipalities of the Province of Zambales to Fifteen,” while still part of the Province of Zambales, the municipality of Agno retained its existing boundaries.
On November 30, 1903, by virtue of Act No. 1004, the municipalities of Bolinao, Alaminos, San Isidro (Burgos), and Infanta were annexed to the Province of Pangasinan.
On December 19, 1903, by virtue of Act No. 1029, Act No. 1004 was amended to include the municipalities of Anda, Bani, and Agno among those annexed to the Province of Pangasinan.
The Municipality of Agno is characterized by rolling terrain and rainfed rice fields. Near the poblacion, or town plaza, the road passes along the Mabini river or (Balincaguing River), which drains into the South China Sea further west. The town plaza is home to a centuries-old Roman Catholic church, as well as one of the first congregations of the Philippine Independent Church. The town shares borders with the town of Bani to the north, the town of Mabini and Alaminos to the east and with Burgos to the south. Contrary to popular belief, the Agno River does not pass this municipality.
Agno is situated 68.34 kilometres (42.46 mi) from the provincial capital Lingayen, and 277.27 kilometres (172.29 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.
Agno is politically subdivided into 17 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Poverty incidence of Agno (%)
10
20
30
40
50
2000 47.04
2003 45.96
2006 32.10
2009 28.35
2012 11.27
2015 16.61
2018 11.68
2021 23.22
2023 18.44
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
The town's main livelihood is fishing and agriculture, although a number of her sons and daughters work as doctors, physical therapist, nurses, engineers, computer programmers and accountants in numerous countries around the globe. On top of that, the town produces successful teachers, policemen and policewomen, and lawyers.
During the summer months of April and May the town's market abounds with fresh fruits such as mangoes and duhat, as well as fresh catch such as tuna, flying fish, grouper, lobsters and other seafood.
The town is home to natural attractions such as the Mabini river, the Umbrella Rocks in Sabangan, as well as several beaches, Agno Beach being the longest and most popular. There are several other beaches hidden along the coast such as the Macaboboni cove (which features a small cave) as well as a white beach in Barangay Gayusan. To the southern end of Agno Beach, one can dive from a two-story-high rock amidst crashing waves and end up in a beautiful coral garden below.
Agno, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of Pangasinan, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.
The Agno Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public elementary and high schools.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Agno, Pangasinan”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.