The municipality of Bugallon was formerly called “Salasa”.

It was founded in January 24, 1719. The town was

named after the town's hero, Major Jose Torres Bugallon, who was born in Salasa.

History
Bugallon, officially the Municipality of Bugallon (Pangasinan: Baley na Bugallon; Ilocano: Ili ti
Bugallon; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bugallon), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According
to the 2020 census, it has a population of 74,962 people.  [3][5]
Bugallon is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Lingayen and 198 kilometres (123 mi) from Manila.
he Municipality of Bugallon was formerly called "Salasa" (meaning floor joist in the dialect, a part of a wooden house
where the floor is attached to). In the Spanish colonial era, the Spanish authorities established the town center in
Poblacion (now Barangay Salasa). Because of the 1914 massive flooding and erosion, the town center was later
transferred to Barrio Anagao (became Barangay Poblacion) but the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, one of the
oldest churches in the country, could not be transferred (every time someone attempts, he dies). A new Catholic church
was created in the Poblacion, the Saint Andrew Catholic Church. This is the reason why Bugallon has two Catholic
Churches (one in Salasa and the other in Anagao).
Fr. Antonio Perez. founded Salasa (1714-1747) In 1720, Poblacion was in Barangay Polong's Don Francisco Valencerina
yard, later transferred later to Baranggay Salasa on January 24, 1734, by Fr. Fernando Garcia. The Plaza, Presedencia,
the church and convent, were engineered by the Frayle (surrounded by parallel calles). Doña Milagros Klar, wife of then
manager of Pantranco (Philtranco) donated in 1935, the Our Lady of Lourdes statue to Salasa Shrine.
The town was named after the town's hero Major Jose Torres Bugallon who fought together with Gen. Antonio
Luna during the Philippine–American War in 1899. February 5, 1899, at the Battle of La Loma, Bugallon faced Gen. Arthur
MacArthur. Bugallon suffered a shot to the thigh during the battle. Later that day, in the arms of Antonio Luna, Bugallon
died from excessive loss of blood.[6]
In 1921, the town of Salasa was renamed to Bugallon. Mr. Canullas founded the Jose Torres Bugallonas association and
a monument was erected in the plaza, wherein the bones of General Bugallon were interred thereat on January 12, 1958.
[7]

The act of changing Salasa an old town to a new one, Bugallon, required a congressional approval sponsored by the
Congressman Mauro Navarro, first district of Pangasinan, and obtained congressional approval in changing Salasa to
Bugallon. Hence, Salasa became a mere barangay but remains the seat of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (11 barangays)
and the other is Bugallon's St. Andrew the Apostle (14 barangay).

Barangays[edit]
Bugallon is politically subdivided into 24 barangays.[8] These barangays are headed by elected officials: Barangay
Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years.

 Angarian
 Asinan
 Bañaga
 Bacabac
 Bolaoen
 Buenlag
 Cabayaoasan
 Cayanga
 Gueset
 Hacienda
 Laguit Centro
 Laguit Padilla
 Magtaking
 Pangascasan
 Pantal
 Poblacion
 Polong
 Portic
 Salasa
 Salomague Norte
  Salomague Sur
 Samat
 San Francisco
 Umanday


Demographics[edit]

Population census of Bugallon

Year Pop. ±% p.a.

1903 8,746 —    

1918 10,289 +1.09%

1939 14,469 +1.64%

1948 18,687 +2.88%

1960 24,698 +2.35%

1970 31,657 +2.51%

1975 35,981 +2.60%

1980 39,072 +1.66%

1990 47,412 +1.95%

1995 50,478 +1.18%

2000 57,445 +2.81%

2007 62,237 +1.11%

2010 64,253 +1.17%

2015 67,348 +0.90%

2020 74,962 +2.13%

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [10] [11] [12][13]

Climate[edit]

hideClimate data for Bugallon, Pangasinan

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

31 31 31 32 32 32 30 30 30 31 31 31 31
Average high °C (°F)
(88) (88) (88) (90) (90) (90) (86) (86) (86) (88) (88) (88) (88)
 21 21 22 24 24 24 23 23 23 23 23 22 23
Average low °C (°F)
(70) (70) (72) (75) (75) (75) (73) (73) (73) (73) (73) (72) (73)

232. 176.
5.1 11.6 21.1 27.7 350.8 679.8 733.1 505 67.2 17.7 2,828.6
Average precipitation  9 6
(0.20 (0.46 (0.83 (1.09 (13.81 (26.76 (28.86 (19.9 (2.65 (0.70 (111.38
mm (inches) (9.17 (6.95
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) )

Average rainy days 3 3 3 4 14 18 23 25 22 15 8 4 142

Source: World Weather Online[9]

Government
Bugallon, belonging to the second 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.

lected officials[edit]

Members of the Municipal Council

(2019–2022)[21]

Position Name

Congressman Jumel Anthony I. Espino

Mayor Pricilla I. Espino

Vice-Mayor Winston P. Tandoc

Councilors Rogelio M. Madriguera

Aislinn L. De Guzman

Marlon Y. Cuison

Ernesto Agbisit
 Ramie T. Ocsan

Gemma C. Hipol

Bernardo F. De Vera

Rolando A. Manaoat

ourism[edit]

Park, Plaza

Heritage house (Atty. Agerico V. Guiang)

Bugallon's interesting points, destinations and products, events, include:

 Freedom Park, Town Hall, Church of Christ Philippine Theological College, Sangguniang Bayan Hall, Mt. Zion
Pilgrim Mountain and Retreat House, United Methodist Church, National Building and Library, Senior Juan
Farm Resort, Municipal Auditorium, Gymmasium and Coop Canteen, Concrete Water Tank in Laguit Padilla,
Laguit Padilla Falls, Iglesia Ni Kristo, Hanging Bridge, Bubunga Dam, Gabion Type Dike, Lema Canal,
Bugallon Supermarket, Community Hospital,Eco-Tourism Park, High Value Crop Organic Farm, Major Jose
Torres Bugallon Park and Agricultural, Carabao Landmark.[22]
 Le Dilla Duhat Wine is a Fruit Wine of Duhat Wine Enterprises, Laguit Padilla Multi-Purpose Cooperative and
the One-Town-One-Product of Bugallon, Pangasinan, the Best Beverage Award (wine category) of the 7th
Agraryo Trade Fair of June 4–8, 2008, Megatrade Hall 2, 5th Level Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong
 Rice, mango, antique home furnishings, vinegar, sawali products.
 Shrine of the Our Lady of Lourdes/Salasa Church (1720), Busay Waterfalls, Mt. Zion Pilgrim’s Site, Biak-na-
Bato Falls, Gen. Torres Bugallon Park.
 Carabao Festival -January 13, 2012 - 24 carabaos; "palengkera ang kalabaw" wasBarangay Cabayaoasan. [23]
 The cascading waters of brooks and streams located in Barangays Cayanga, Portic, Hacienda, Laguit Padilla,
Laguit Centro, San Francisco, Salomague Sur, Salomague Norte, Umanday and Gueset coming from the
fresh water sources in the Zambales mountain slopes.
 SOFIA'S Mountain Home Resort, Barangay Portic (owned by ex-Judge and ex-Vice Mayor Eliseo Versoza.
 San Jose Hillside Farm, Barangay Laguit Padilla (owned by Atty. Agerico V. Guiang & Mrs. Nieves V.
Guiang).
  Swimming pool, Sampaguita (formerly Primicias Farm, Barangay Portic).
 Nipa swamps, vinegar, and wine making industry from "tuba" (Barangays Salasa, Bañaga, Pantal, Asinan and
Magtaking)
 Dam structures (NIA, Barangays Cayanga and Portic)
 Pangasinan State University Tissue Culture Project ( Congressman Amado Espino, Jr. farm, Barangay Portic.
 Monastery of the contemplative Hermits of the Living Word or Hermit sisters, Barangay Portic
 Agno River Flood Control River, Barangays Salasa and Bañaga, zigzagging bridge (Philippine-Japanese
financed project)[24]
 Vinegar industry of Barangays Asinan, Magtaking and Bañaga, Sawali making in Barangays Magtaking,
Gueset and Laguit Padilla, Mango puree production, Candle making Factory, Barangay Pangascasan
(Catro's) and in Poblacion (Tuliao's Candle Making Cottage Industry).
 Salasa Parish Church

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church[edit]

St. Andrew the Apostle Church

The 1920 St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church (Poblacion, Bugallon, 2416 Pangasinan) is under the jurisdiction of
the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan,[25] Roman Catholic Diocese of Alaminos.[26] The church has
impressive inspired-baroque type of altar for the saints.
Its Feast Day is November 30 with Parish Priest, Fr. Dominador Mendoza, Jr., Population of 57,445. [27] It is part of the
Vicariate of Our Lady of Lourdes, under Vicar Forane, Father Raymond R. Oligane [28]
St. Andrew the Apostle Parish was originally erected at Salasa (founded by the Dominicans in the 18th century). When
the town site was transferred, the seat of the parish was also transferred as a consequence brought about by natural
calamities that battered the area.
The 1914 Salasa floods destroyed crops, properties, buildings, the church and convent. Poblacion was transferred to
Barangay Anagao (Bugallon), under Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Andrew the Apostle remained the patron Saint in July
1920 with 1st Parish Priest, Fr. Eustaquio Ocampo, then, Fr. Montano Domingo on November 29, 1921, and in June
1928, Fr Emeterio Domagas succeeded.
On May 23, 1929, Pangasinan was created as a new Diocese and Msgr. Cesar Maria Guerrero became Pangasinan's
First Bishop on May 23, 1929. In 1930, Franciscan Capuchin appointed Fr. Cesario of Legario and Fr. Fernando of
Erasum to Bugallon and Salasa, respectively on September 17, 1930. The Salasa Church, one of the biggest in
Philippines, 100 meters long was completely destroyed and despoiled by Bugallon natives. Fr. Benjamin of Ilarduya
became Kura Paroko from October 16, 1933, to June 27, 1941. The church brick-structure and the old façade were built.
During World War II, Fr. Hipolito of Azcoita parish priest of Labrador, was transferred to Bugallon. [29][30] Father Fidel
Lekamania added the convent, while Father Pedro V. Sison finished the rehabilitationof the Church. [31]
St. Joseph is the Principal Patron of the Diocese of Alaminos, Suffragan of Lingayen-Dagupan, Created and Erected:
January 12, 1985, under Bishop Marlo M. Peralta, D.D. 2404 Alaminos, Pangasinan and Bishop-Emeritus Jesus
A.Cabrera, D.D.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35]

Incidents[edit]
Bugallon Mayor Rodrigo Orduña and Barangay Chairman Fernando Alimagno filed on December 14, 2012, at
the Ombudsman of the Philippines plunder case against Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino, Jr. Orduña alleged that he
was Espino’s jueteng collector since 2001, and that Espino earned P900 million from gambling operators. [36]
Pangasinan police director and chief, Senior Supt. Mariano Luis Verzosa had been removed and transferred to the main
PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, allegedly due to conflict of interest since his daughter, Lingayen City
Councilor Maan Versoza, is running for 2013 reelection. [37] But the Nationalist People’s Coalition supported Espino.
he municipality of Bugallon was formerly called “Salasa”.  It was founded in January 24, 1719.  The town
was named after the town’s hero, Major Jose Torres
Bugallon, who was born in Salasa.

MAYOR:   PRISCILLA I. ESPINO

VICE MAYOR:   WINSTON P. TANDOC

LAND AREA:    18,964 hectares

POPULATION:    67,348

NO. OF BARANGAYS:    24

CLASSIFICATION:    2nd class

TOWN FIESTA:   Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Salasa Church  (February)

PRODUCTS:    rice, mango, antique home furnishings fruit wine/vinegar, sawali, duhat wine

POINTS OF INTEREST:
Shrine of the Our Lady of Lourdes/Salasa Chruch (1720)
Busay Waterfalls
Mt. Zion Pilgrim’s Site
Biak-na-Bato Falls
Gen. Torres Bugallon Park

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Torres Bugallón and the second or maternal family name
is Gonzales.

José Torres Bugallón y Gonzales

Born August 28, 1873

Salasa, Pangasinan, Captaincy General of the

Philippines, Spanish Empire

Died February 4, 1899 (aged 25)

 Kalookan, First Philippine Republic

Allegiance  Philippine Republic

 Spanish Empire

Service/branch  Philippine Republican Army

 Spanish Army

Rank  lieutenant colonel

 second lieutenant

Unit 70th Infantry Regiment (Spanish)

Battles/wars Philippine Revolution

 Battle of Talisay (1897)

Philippine–American War

 Battle of La loma

Awards Cruz Roja del Merito Militar (Red Cross for Military

Honor)

José Torres Bugallón y Gonzales (August 28, 1873 – February 4, 1899) was a Filipino military officer who fought and
served the Spanish Government during the Philippine Revolution against the revolutionaries and joins the Philippine
Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War. He is known as the "Hero of the Battle of La Loma", where he
was fatally wounded that led to his death.

Family background[edit]
Bugallón was born on August 28, 1873, in Salasa, Pangasinan. His father, José Asas Bugallón, came from Baliuag,
Bulacan, while his mother was from the Gonzales family of Pangasinan.

Education[edit]
After elementary schooling in Salasa, Bugallón went to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, where he studied under Don Rufino
Villaruz. He finished his first and second years of secondary schooling in 1882. In 1886, he enrolled at the Colegio de San
Juan de Letran in Manila, where he completed his secondary course and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1889, with
high scholastic ratings.
After his graduation, Bugallón entered the Seminary of San Carlos with the intention of becoming a priest. However, he
passed the validation examination given by the Spanish government in 1892, and he was sent abroad as a pensionado of
the government to the Academia Militar de Toledo. As a result, Bugallon spent three years of his life studying military
science and warfare.

Philippine Revolution[edit]
In 1896, Bugallón graduated from the Academia and was commissioned in the Spanish Army with the rank of second
lieutenant. He was dispatched to the Philippines where he joined the 70th Infantry Regiment. When Philippine
Revolution broke out, he and his regiment were posted in Cavite and Batangas. Bugallón exhibited exemplary heroism at
the Battle of Talisay, Batangas, on May 30, 1897; as a result, he was awarded the Cross of María Cristina and the Cruz
Roja del Merito Militar (Red Cross for Military Honor).
Treaty of Paris[edit]
On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Spanish–American War. Bugallón was able to obtain
his clearance papers at this time.
During this period, relations between the First Philippine Republic and the United States began to sour, especially with
the American occupation of Manila. On January 23, 1899, Antonio Luna was appointed as head of the Philippine Army.
Realizing possible American hostility, he began to reorganize the Filipino revolutionary forces. Luna recruited many
officers and soldiers of the former Spanish colonial army, one of which was Bugallón, who apparently already held the
rank of major. As aide-de-camp to Luna, Bugallón was responsible for the recruitment of Spanish war veterans, and he
was very instrumental in reorganizing the Philippine Army, particularly as a faculty member of the Academia
Militar established by Luna in Malolos, Bulacan in October 1898. As a result, Bugallon became an invaluable officer to
Luna.

Philippine–American War and death[edit]

On February 4, 1899, the Philippine–American War erupted. Bugallon rejoined Luna in the field immediately.
The next day, February 5, saw them in La Loma hill, the present-day site of La Loma Cemetery, between Manila
and Caloocan. While holding the line, American troops under General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. charged and outflanked them.
As a result, Bugallon and his men were exposed to enemy fire, and he sustained a bullet in his thighs.
Upon learning from that Bugallón was wounded, Luna ordered:
Bugallón wounded. Order forward. He must be saved at all costs. Bugallón is worth 500 Filipino soldiers. He is one of my
hopes for future victory.
Luna found Bugallón severely wounded and prostrate in a ditch along the road. "Don't expose yourself so much. Don't
advance any farther," Bugallón said.
For his bravery, Luna instantly promoted Bugallón to lieutenant colonel. The wounded hero was rushed by train to the
medical station in Caloocan, hoping that he could be kept alive until he could be brought to the hospital in Malolos.
However, it was too late; after inquiring if the Filipino reinforcements had arrived, he then expired in Luna's arms.
Allegedly, Luna unashamedly wept for Bugallón.

Burial and perpetuation of memory[edit]

Marker.

Monument in Bugallon, Pangasinan.

Arrangements were made to bury his remains in Bigaa but it was decided later to inter the corpse at
the Malolos cemetery. There a tomb with a modest stone slab marked his final resting place.
In 1921, to perpetuate his memory, Congressman Mauro Navarro of Pangasinan sponsored a law that changed the
municipality of Salasa, the hero's birthplace, to Bugallon.
His remains are now buried in the Sampaloc Church in Manila.

About Pangasinan
The third biggest province in the whole Philippine Archipelago, derived its name from salt or “asin” in the
vernacular. Owing to the rich and fine salt beds which were the prime source of livelihood for the
province’s coastal towns, PanagASINan or “Pangasinan” which means “where salt is made” came to be its
name.

The province is crescent-shaped and occupies 536,818 hectares of land area which constitutes almost
one-half (41.8%) of the total land area of Region 1 and 1.8% of the total area of the Philippines. Composed
of 4 cities and 44 municipalities, it is bounded on the north by the Lingayen Gulf, La Union and Benguet,
on the north-east by Nueva Vizcaya, on the east by Nueva Ecija, on the south by Tarlac, and on the west
by Zambales and the China Sea.

Owing to its diverse cultural heritage rooted in centuries of glorious history and a way of life that is a
delightful combination of tradition, innovation and creativity, the warm, polite, hospitable, hard-working and
fun loving 2.65 million Pangasinenses (2007 census) enjoy the best of Provincial Philippines where you
find both the familiar and unfamiliar world, abreast with modern technological times, but with a preserved
vast panorama of outstanding natural beauty and unique attractions.

Pangasinan boasts of stretches of white, sandy beaches, verdant hills, scenic terrains, caves, waterfalls,
ancient Hispanic churches, miraculous destinations for devotees, a vast coastline for fishing, water sports
or leisurely walking along the Lingayen beach where one can get a glimpse of the world-famous Philippine
sunset.

Being a gateway of sorts, the province is house to major and minor telecommunication companies, bus
and transport services, regional and local publications, radio stations, television networks , cable services,
hotel and restaurant chains, and a diversified variety of manufacturing and merchandising establishments.

The Northern Gate

Pangasinan is a crescent-shaped province that occupies 5,368.82 square kilometers of verdant farmlands,
hills, forests and rivers. To the east, it is bounded by the mighty Cordillera Mountains, the Zambales
ranges to the west, the rice plains of Tarlac to the south and the Lingayen Gulf and the China Sea to the
north. Because of this strategic geographical positioning, it has always been described as a gateway of
sorts. Most travellers going up North often remember Pangasinan as the place where they had last seen
some semblance of civilization, comparing it with the sparsely populated regions of the Ilocos and the
Cagayan Valley (with the exception of Baguio and the old Spanish towns of Vigan and Laoag).

Connections
Historian Rosario Mendoza Cortes writes in her book, Pangasinan 1572-1800 that according to Bishop
Domingo de Salazar, Pangasinan “was forty leagues distant from Manila either by land or by sea.”
Roughly translated, travelers of old normally take about thirty-hours to reach Manila via horse and
carriage. After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, travel time was normally 5 to 7 hours as normal route
points like Bamban and Mabalacat were closed temporarily. Today, 5 hours is the norm although private
vehicles can sometimes negotiate the route under 4 hours. Most major bus companies ply the Manila-
Pangasinan route complemented by a host of local bus lines, which can be hired for private purposes and
tours. Most bus services operate on a 24-hour basis. Media services are active in Pangasinan. National
dailies as well as local publications (several weeklies and one daily) are available. There are 20 radio
stations and one regional television station. Cable services have mushroomed even in areas far from the
urbanized centers of Dagupan, Urdaneta and Alaminos. At the latest survey, Pangasinan has the highest
tele-density in the country outside of Metro Manila with the presence of three major telecommunication
companies.

People and Culture

Much has been written and discussed about the Pangasinense, yet no definite image comes to mind.
There is a strong perception that the province is basically of Ilocano stock, but aside from the fact that
Iloko is more widely spoken than “Pangasinan”, the defining characteristics end there. The Pangasinense
is hardly frugal in the true sense of the word, nor is he extravagant either. Special occasions such as
fiestas, weddings and baptisms are exceptions wherein extravagance is necessary to “save face”, but then
most other Filipinos in other regions are similar in that respect. History tells us however that the
Pangasinense has always been sensitive to issues concerning his welfare. One of the first local revolts
during the Spanish colonization was instigated by a Binalatongan native, (now San Carlos) Andres Malong
in 1660.

The Gifts of the Earth and Sea

Pangasinan is rooted to the earth – agriculture based production remains as a major source of income for
the majority of the populace. Aqua-culture is also popular in areas where instead of farmlands, variated
squares of artificial ponds for fish rearing are found. Through the years, as the demand for particular fish
stocks rose and fell, fishpond owners have adapted by sticking to traditionally favored, and stable growing
fish species like the bangus or milkfish, the malaga and prawns. With agriculture currently mobilizing more
than half of the local labor force, the current administration has seen the need to boost its efforts in this
area.

El Niño and La Niña

Like the rest of the country and the world, 1998 was Pangasinan’s hottest year with temperatures soaring
beyond the 40’s. The lingering effects of the El Nino and the La Nina phenomenon continue to affect the
local climate. Normally, the dry season begins in November to April and wet during the rest of the year.
Typhoons intermittently wreak havoc with some serious flooding in the eastern towns. However, the
presence of a long coastline with attractive beaches offsets the hot and humid weather; sun-loving tourists
affirm that Pangasinan’s current climate is perfect.

The Count
Current census (Year 2000) figures place the population at 2,434,086 distributed in the province’s 44
towns, four cities and 1,364 barangays. English and Filipino are widely spoken and are the mediums of
instruction in all schools. Ilocano is the major dialect, spoken by a greater portion of the population in the
western and eastern areas. There is some fear that the Pangasinan dialect, spoken predominantly in the
central areas, is losing its hold on the local tongue. Bolinao, at the northernmost tip of western Pangasinan
has a unique language of its own, also called Bolinao.

History
Pangasinan was among the earliest political and administrative units in the Philippines. It was officially
conquered and colonized by D. Martin de Goiti in 1571. On April 5, 1572, Pangasinan was made an
encomienda by the Spanish royal crown to receive instruction on the Catholic Faith, which means that
Pangasinan was organized under one leadership and has identity before the Spanish royal court. Eight years
later, in 1580, Pangasinan was organized into a political unit under an alkalde mayor who at that time has
authority as head of the province or provincial government with judicial function indicating that Pangasinan
has become a province. To commemorate the day when Pangasinan became an encomienda and the year it
became a province, Pangasinan celebrates April 5, 1580 as the official founding day of the Province of
Pangasinan. At that time, its territorial jurisdiction included the Province of Zambales and parts of La Union
and Tarlac. By the middle of the 19th century however, the northern towns of Agoo to Bacnotan were
separated from the province and became parts of La Union. The provincial territory was further diminished
in 1875 with the annexation of Paniqui and other towns south of it to Tarlac.

Pangasinan, derived its name from the word “panag asinan”, which means “where salt is made”, owing to
the rich and fine salt beds which were the prior source of livelihood of the province’s coastal towns.

SIGNIFICANT PERIODS
Pre-Spanish period – Ancient Malayo-Polynesians of the Austronesian stock arrive by boat and establish
settlements along the Lingayen Gulf. They are proficient in salt-making so they call their new home
Pangasinan which means “the place where salt is made.” This refers to the coastal area only while the inner
areas are collectively called “Caboloan” because the small bamboo species called “bolo” abound there. The
inhabitants of Pangasinan traded with India, China and Japan as early as the 8th century A.D.
1572 – Juan de Salcedo, upon the orders of his grandfather Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to
explore and pacify northern Luzon, reaches
Pangasinan. A Spanish priest-historian, Fray Juan Ferrando, calls Salcedo the “first discoverer” of
Pangasinan. The province is now under the jurisdiction of Spain as an encomienda since April 5.

1574-1575– The Chinese corsair Limahong, after being repulsed by the Spaniards in his bid to found a
colony in Manila, goes to Pangasinan and establishes his little kingdom within a fort in Lingayen. His party is
composed of men, women and children. He forces the natives to cooperate with him by supplying him
provisions and serving him and his people. Juan de Salcedo pursues him and after months of blockade
Limahong and his forces escape in August 1575 through a channel that they dug out into the China sea.
Many of his men with their families choose to stay behind in Lingayen.

1580 – Pangasinan is organized as an alcaldia mayor , a politico-civil administrative unit or province, by

Governor General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa and receives its first alcalde mayor in the person of Don
Pedro Manrique.

1611 – The province of Pangasinan’s territorial limits are set by the superior government, thus completing
the requisites for a viable political subdivision: a defined territory, a set of administrators, and law-abiding
subjects. The province, as constituted, now include all the coastal villages called “Pangasinan” and the inner
areas called “Caboloan.” The boundaries are from San Juan (now in La Union) in the north, to the foothills of
the Cordillera and Caraballo mountains in the northeast and east, to Paniqui in the south, to the present
area of Sual town in the west plus that area that is the present-day Zambales.

1660 –Malong Revolt. Andres Malong of Binalatongan leads the revolt of the Filipinos against the
Spaniards. They were encouraged by the short takeover of Manila by the Dutch. He declares himself as
“Ari” but their declaration of independence is short-lived as they are subdued by the Spaniards in less than
a month.

1762 – Palaris Revolt – Juan dela Cruz Palaris, also of Binalatongan, leads his people to complain to the
Spaniards about paying tributes. Encouraged by the defeat of the Spanish army and capture of Manila by
the British, they go on to make more demands and drive away all the Spaniards from the capital town of
Lingayen. For two years the rebels and their supporters in the province taste freedom and power over the
Spanish government but the capture of Palaris ends the rebellion. To forget this sad episode the Spanish
officials give the town “Binalatongan” its new name “San Carlos” in honor of Spain’s reigning monarch
Charles III.

1840 – The Casa Real (Royal House) is constructed in Lingayen. This 1,700 sqm building of stone masonry
and bricks is the provincial seat of government where the Alcalde Mayor resides and holds office. It would
be the venue of many historic events in Pangasinan and was used as the “Juzgado” later on.

1855 – The Spanish government opens Sual as an official port of foreign trade. Rice is exported to China
and Macao from this port. It is also one of the country’s centers for shipbuilding, together with Labrador,
Lingayen and Dagupan.

December 27, 1897 – General Emilio Aguinaldo, accompanied by Spanish Governor General Primo de Rivera
and others, takes the train to the Dagupan terminal and travels on to Sual to board the S.S. Uranus that is to
bring him to exile in Hongkong to comply with the Pact of Biak-na-Bato.

July 22, 1898 – Pangasinan is liberated from Spanish rule. The local board of Katipunan that was organized
by General Francisco Makabulos of Central Luzon four months earlier and led by Don Daniel Maramba of
Sta. Barbara, Vicente del Prado of San Jacinto, Juan Quesada and Eliseo Arzadon of Dagupan, defeat the
Spanish forces making a last stand in Dagupan. Thereupon, they reenact the proclamation of independence
done at Kawit 40 days earlier.

February 5, 1899 – A day after the start of hostilities of the Philippine-American War, President Aguinaldo
directs Pangasinan Governor Quesada to transfer the provincial capital to San Carlos to protect the
province from the threat of a coastal invasion by the Americans, as Lingayen is located right by the Gulf.
San Carlos thus served as the capital of the province from this day until the fall of the Republican forces in
Pangasinan in November of the same year.

August 1899 – In a barrio in Bayambang, Jose Palma, a staff member of the revolutionary government’s
newspaper La Independencia, writes a poem that becomes the lyrics for the melody of the “La Marcha
Nacional Filipina” composed by Julian Felipe. This poem is translated later to Pilipino and given the title
“Lupang Hinirang” which is now the Philippine National Anthem. It was written in the house of Doña
Romana G. vda de Favis. This house served as the “Malacañang” of the Aguinaldo Republic momentarily in
November 1899. (The said barrio is now part of Baustista.)

Early November 1899 – the Philippine American War reaches Pangasinan. General Emilio Aguinaldo, the
president of the first Philippine Republic, transfers the seat of his government to Bayambang and it
momentarily becomes the capital of the republic. The Council of Government also convenes for the last
time in Bayambang, in which meeting it was finally decided to disband the army and resort instead to
guerilla warfare. The formal workings of the central government of the first Philippine Republic thus ended
in Bayambang.

November 20, 1899 –General MacArthur and General Lawton’s columns successfully link up with General
Wheaton’s in Dagupan, marking the end of overt warfare in Pangasinan and completing the American
conquest of the province. Shortly, military administrators are installed.

February 16, 1901 – The Taft Commission organizes Pangasinan as a civil province in a general assembly in
Dagupan. Don Perfecto Sison of Lingayen is appointed Governor and Lingayen is chosen over Dagupan to
remain as the capital because the Casa Real is located there. Judge Taft and his commissioners were given a
grand reception at the Casa Real.

September 1902 – The first public secondary school in Pangasinan is opened in Lingayen with some of the
US “Thomasites” as educators. The Pangasinan Academic High School is the sole public secondary school in
Pangasinan until 1946. Now named the Pangasinan National High School, it has produced many of the
most successful personages in the province.

February 10-19, 1919 – Governor Daniel Maramba leads the inaugural festivities for the new Capitol. The
revelry features an agricultural and industrial fair, a carnival, parades and a grand coronation ball with a a
queen and her court. American Ralph Doane, designed this neo-classical building.

December 22, 1941 – World War II comes to Pangasinan. Bitter fighting between the USAFFE (United
States Armed Forces in the Far East) and the Japanese army rages around the towns of Pozorrubio,
Binalonan, and Tayug. In due course, the USAFFE forces retreat to Bataan and the Japanese military takes
control of Pangasinan and the two-year Japanese invasion starts. This brought enormous hardship to the
people.

January 20, 1942 – It being necessary to cooperate with the occupation forces through the Japanese
Military Administration, Dr. Santiago Estrada, who earlier evacuated the provincial office to Tayug,
reassumes the governorship and reorganizes the provincial government in order to help in the restoration
of peace and order and to work for the welfare of the people. Dagupan is chosen as the provincial capital of
the new Japanese-sponsored national government.

January 9-13, 1945 – The Allied Forces with the United States Sixth Army under General Walter Krueger
lands unopposed on the beaches of Lingayen, Binmaley, Dagupan, Mangaldan, and San Fabian, effecting the
start of the liberation of Pangasinan. Four days later Gen. Douglas MacArthur came ashore right behind the
ruined Capitol building. He also landed in Dagupan and set up his Luzon headquarters there.

February 1945 – The Americans through the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) reestablish the provincial
government and install Sofronio Quimson as Governor, while retaining the wartime capital of Dagupan as
such.
June 1945 – The provincial capital is moved back to Lingayen.

1946– Through the Philippine Rehabilation Act, the US government assists the provincial government
under Governor Enrique Braganza in reconstructing damaged buildings including the Capitol building.

1953 – Governor Juan de Guzman Rodriguez undertakes the construction of the governor’s official
residence and guest house. It is named “Princess Urduja Palace” after the legendary 14th century amazon
leader in pre-colonial Pangasinan. (Note: Sometime in the 1990s a national conference of scholars and
academicians concluded that the kingdom where Urduja was supposed to rule was not in Pangasinan or
anywhere in the Philippines but somewhere in Indochina.)

June 30, 1992 – A full-blooded Pangasinense, Fidel V. Ramos, becomes President of the Republic of the
Philippines. Among his many achievements that benefits Pangasinan today was attracting foreign investors
to put up the Sual Power Plant to ease the power crisis before and during his term, and the San Roque
Dam.

October 1999 – The Sual Power Plant in Sual started operating. With Pangasinan as the host province, this
is the largest and most effective coal-fired power plant in the Philippines servicing the Luzon grid with a
generating capacity of 1,218 MW. The company has an Energy Conversion Agreement with the National
Power Corporation with a 25-year build-operate-transfer scheme (BOT).

1998 – The San Roque Multipurpose Project or SRMP in San Manuel and San Nicolas was built to harness
the power of the country’s third largest river, the Agno River, bringing these benefits to several
communities in the heart of Luzon if operated and maintained properly: flood control, irrigation, electrical
power and improved water quality.

2007– The second half of 2007 marks the commencement of significant changes in the physical
appearance and systematic clustering of provincial government buildings, parks, hospitals, and satellite
offices. The intensive rehabilitation and repair of the provincial capitol building gained national fame and
recognition upon its completion in 2008, earning for it the title “Best Provincial Capitol in the Philippines”.
Simultaneous to the renovation o f the physical infrastructure of the province, human resource
improvement was implemented through programs which resulted to the restoration of dignity, self-respect
and professionalism of provincial government employees as working force partners in Pangasinan’s
development. It was during this term of Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. that the founding day of Pangasinan
was established, celebrating its 430th founding anniversary for the first time on April 5, 2010. Pangasinan’s
Golden age took off from this year which saw numerous investments flowing into the province, significant
development projects mushrooming in every corner, local, national and international linkages being
established, all for Pangasinan’s progress and advancement, and finally breaking ground on a period where
Pangasinenses proudly claim that their Province is the best place to invest, live, work and raise a family.

2016 – The Golden Age of Pangasinan developed even more as then Pangasinan Governor Amado T.
Espino, Jr. passed the leadership to his son, Governor Amado I. Espino III. Propelled by his sensibility to
serve the whole Province of Pangasinan in the same excellent fashion as that of his father, the Former
Governor Amado T. Espino Jr, Governor Amado I. Espino III ran and was elected Governor of the Province
of Pangasinan in the May 9, 2016 elections. He was re-elected as the provincial executive in the recent
May 13, 2019 elections. Truly, quality leadership is easily discoverable by tangibly achieving the desired
goals with excellence, and by exemplifying the virtues of compassion, humility, integrity and dedication.