Luna La Union
The Town of Luna was formerly called Namacpacan. “Namacpacan” is an
ilocano word which means “one who had given food.”
Based on early records, Namacpacan was a visita (a settlement with a church but
is visited by non-resident clergies whose headquarters are at the cabecera) of
Purao, now Balaoan, as early as 1587. It was a settlement along the camino real
(national road) from Vigan to Manila and travelers stopped and refresh
themselves at that place. The era of restaurants was not yet introduced during
that time, and so the families of that town offered the travelers food and
shelter, hence, the name of the place.
On October 18, 1906, during the incumbency of Governor Joaquin Luna and
Namacpacan Mayor Primitivo Resurreccion Novicio, the name of the town was
changed to Namacpacan to Luna by virtue of 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 based on the request of the municipal council which was
subsequently approved and endorsed by the Provincial Board of La Union, in honor
of the famous Luna brothers: Antonio, the General and Juan, the Painter, whose
mother Dońa Laureana Novicio Luna, was a native of the locality.
