ili - an ▁dag iti ▁gan - g ana et ” ▁meaning ▁“ a ▁place ▁where ▁people ▁from ▁other ▁places ▁come ▁to ▁stay ”. ▁It ▁is ▁formed ▁from ▁the ▁I lo ko ▁root ▁word ▁“ ili ” ▁meaning ▁“ town ” ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁modified ▁as ▁“ N agu ilian ”. ▁ ▁Its ▁separation ▁from ▁Bau ang ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁cent enn ial ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁of ▁N agu ilian ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 9 . ▁When ▁La ▁Union ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁a ▁Royal ▁Dec ree ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁N agu ilian ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁twelve ▁( 1 2 ) ▁towns ▁that ▁compr ised ▁the ▁province . ▁ ▁The ▁found ing ▁of ▁N agu ilian ▁Due ▁to ▁increasing ▁population ▁density , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁dr ift ed ▁to ▁the ▁shore ▁of ▁La ▁Union ▁and ▁began ▁building ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Bau ang ▁at ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁settled ▁there at . ▁Later , ▁however , ▁due ▁to ▁population ▁explos ion , ▁they ▁followed ▁the ▁me ander ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁territory . ▁They ▁found ▁a ▁fert ile ▁valley ▁at ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁river , ▁which ▁they ▁called ▁N agu ilian . ▁They ▁built ▁a ▁col ony ▁at ▁the ▁fork ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁( 2 ) ▁rivers ▁and ▁began ▁developing ▁the ▁territory . ▁They ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁N agu ilian . ▁ ▁Eth nic ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁Records ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁when