Luna, La Union


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.

Barangays

Luna is politically subdivided into 40 barangays.
Luna's poblacion consists of the four barangays: Victoria, Salcedo, Alcala, and Magallanes.

History

Luna was once called Namacpacan, which is an Ilocano word meaning "one who feeds".
As early as 1587, Namacpacan was recorded as a visita of Purao. It was a settlement along the camino real from Vigan to Manila, and travellers stopped there to refresh themselves. Since restaurants was not yet in vogue, local families offered the travellers food and lodging, hence the name.
On 18 October 1906, during the terms of Governor Joaquin Luna and Mayor Primitivo Resurrección Novicio, the town was renamed "Luna" through Philippine Commission Act No. 1543. It was the first town that altered its name since the creation of the province in 1850. The change was to honour the famous Luna brothers: Revolutionary General Antonio and Spoliarium painter Juan; their mother, Doña Laureana Novicio Luna, was a native of Namacpacan.

Climate

Demographics

In the, the population of Luna, La Union, was people, with a density of.

Tourist attractions

Luna is also known for its beaches, particularly in Nalvo Sur and Darigayos. Beach shades, cottages and resorts are found in these barangays. The municipality is also known for its native delicacies and pottery products which are comparable to San Juan's.
The town is a pilgrimage site as it enshrines the Apo Baket Namacpacan, a wooden Marian image.
On the beach of barangay Victoria rests the ruins of an old Spanish watch tower, locally named as Balauarte. The tower was intended to guard the shores of the town primarily from Muslim and pirate attacks during the Spanish period. During World War II, the tower served as the communication tower post for a temporary airfield for the USAFIP-NL forces. Due to years of quarrying within the site of the tower, the coastline receded and sea waves severely damaged the foundation of the tower, which eventually caused major damage to its structure. At present, efforts were initiated to preserve the tower from further damage.

Education

Luna has Public Elementary schools in each barangay. There are 6 public high schools Bungro-Sucoc Integrated School in Bungro, Luna Technical Vocational High School and 1 Private High School.

Notable people