', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people. The Kennon Road starts from this town and ends at Baguio. It is accessible via the MacArthur Highway, or via the NLEX and TPLEX which will have its terminus at this town.
Etymology
There are several legends that explain how Rosario first got its name. The best known says that the name "Rosario" came from the phrase “rosas del rio,” a reference to the beautiful landscape of the area when it was first discovered by Spaniards, with narrow valleys, wild animals, birds, rivers, brooks, dense forest, and the riverscape. Another version or story suggests that name was a reference to the long range of foothills visible to the west of the Poblacion, which appear like big Rosary beads, forming a long, rocky, giant rosary. Yet another legend first documented in 1887 associates the name of the town with a legendary creature called a Marukos. In the legend, a group of youths were playing around and being noisy while loitering around near the floodplains of the Bued River between Rosario and Sison on a Sunday. They were then confronted by an old man in white garb, whose flesh looked like a corpse - the Marukos. The creature accused them of engaging in leisure activities on a holy day and put a curse on them, causing them to lose their sense of direction. As a result, they failed to notice that they were about to be swept away by one of the flash floods that often plagued the river. In the end, only a young girl survived the encounter with the Marukos, by clinging to a "Balingkawanay" tree. According to the account, some stories claim that the girl had survived by praying the Rosary, while other stories say that her name was Rosario. Either way, the story of the Marukos became closlely associated with the etymology of the town of Rosario, which used to be part of Pangasinan.
Geography
Rosario is the southernmost town of La Union, so it is referred to as the “Gateway to Ilocandia”. Rosario's national highway passes along a mountain at barangay Agat, then into the Bued bridge. Rosario is away from Metro Manila and from San Fernando, the provincial capital. The flight distance between Manila and Rosario is.
Climate
Barangays
History
Rosario was formerly a part of Santo Tomas and became a municipality in 1869 by a decree. Natives of Rosario emanated from Santo Tomas and Magsingal, and also from Agoo, Tubao, Aringay, San Fernando and Bacnotan. It was Don Mariano Posadas, Don Mariano Narcelles and Don Gavino Ordoña, who filed a petition with the authorities for conversion of Rosario to a town from sitio or barangay. In 1869, the Spanish Provincial Governor created Rosario town and appointed Don Agustin Isidro de Guzman as its first Capitan Municipal.
Demographics
In the, the population of Rosario, La Union, was people, with a density of.
Local government
Just as the national government, the municipal government of Rosario, is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judiciary. The judicial branch is administered solely by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The LGUs have control of the executive and legislative branch. The executive branch is composed of the mayor and the barangay captain for the barangays., Department of Interior and Local Government official website. The legislative branch is composed of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Barangay, and the Sangguniang Kabataan for the youth sector. The seat of Government is vested upon the Mayor and other elected officers who hold office at the RosarioTown hall. The Sanguniang Bayan is the center of legislation, stationed in Rosario Legislative Building or Town hall.
The Rosario Nature Park is hectares of lush green held from April 17 to 19. Rosario holds an Agri Trade Fair, showcasing its harvests topped by street-dancing competitions.
1869 Immaculate Concepcion Parish Church
The Immaculate Concepcion Parish Church was canonically erected in 1869. It is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La Union. The Church is under a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. The Rosario Church is under the Vicariate of St. Francis Xavier with Vicar Forane, Fr. Joel Angelo Licos. Its Parish Priestis Fr. Raul S. Panay. The church is located at the eastern side fronting the National Highway and the Municipal Building. It has an access road to the Rosario-Pugo-Baguio Road.
