Pangasinan

Pangasinan Luyag na Pangasinan, Luyag na Caboloan
—  Province  —
Province of Pangasinan
Seal
Nickname(s): Heartland of the Philippines
Map of the Philippines with Pangasinan highlighted
Coordinates:
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos Region (Region I)
Founded	1578
Capital	Lingayen
Government
- Governor	Amado Espino (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
Area
- Total	5,414.0 km2 (2,090.4 sq mi)
Area rank	17th out of 80
Population (2007)
- Total	2,495,841
- Rank	3rd out of 80
- Density	461/km2 (1,194/sq mi)
- Density rank	11th out of 80
Divisions
- Independent cities	1
- Component cities	3
- Municipalities	44
- Barangays	1,333 including independent cities: 1,364
- Districts	1st to 6th districts of Pangasinan (shared with Dagupan City)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code
Spoken languages	Pangasinan, Ilocano, Bolinao, Tagalog, English
Website	www.pangasinan.gov.ph

Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers (3336.030 sq mi). According to the latest census, it has a population of 2,645,395 people in 477,819 households. The total population is projected to rise to 3,039,500 in 2010.^[1] According to the 2007 Philippine general elections, Pangasinan has a voting population of 1,360,807, which is the second highest in the Philippines.

The Pangasinan language is the primary language in Pangasinan. The estimated population of the indigenous speakers of this language is about 1.5 million.

The name Pangasinan means "land of salt" or "place of salt-making"; it is derived from Pang/Bang (meaning place) and asin, (meaning salt in the Pangasinan language and many other related languages). Banjarmasin in Indonesia and Toamasina in Madagascar both derive from the world (m)asin. The province is a major producer of salt in the Philippines.

An ancient kingdom called Luyag na Kaboloan existed in Pangasinan before the Spanish conquest that began on the 15th century. Princess Urduja, a legendary woman warrior, is believed to have ruled in Pangasinan around the 14th century. The maritime trade network that once flourished in ancient Southeast Asia connected Pangasinan with other peoples of Southeast Asia, India, China, and the Pacific.

Pangasinan is famous for the Hundred Islands National Park. This is a marine park located off the coast of Alaminos City in the Lingayen Gulf and is composed of some 123 islands, most of which are quite small and uninhabited.

During the summer, several feasts and festivals are celebrated in Pangasinan, including the Fiestay Dayat or Bagat ed Dayat (Sea Feast), the Bangus (Milkfish), and the Mangga tan Kawayan (Mango and Bamboo) festivals.

Pangasinan is noted as the birthplace of President Fidel V. Ramos and Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. The mother of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was from Binalonan, Pangasinan. The father of the late actor and former presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. was from San Carlos City, Pangasinan. The maternal great-grandfather of Jose Rizal, a Philippine national hero, was a Pangasinan lawyer named Manuel Facundo de Quintos who was the gobernadorcillo of Lingayen in the 1850s. Jacqueline Aquino Siapno, a professor from Dagupan City, is the interim first lady of East Timorand Lt. Gen. Jose Mejia Calimlim, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces, is from Mapandan, Pangasinan..

The 1,200 megawatt Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant and the 345 megawatt San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam are located in Pangasinan. Pangasinan has extensive areas devoted to salt making and aquaculture along the coasts of Lingayen Gulf and South China Sea. Pangasinan is a major producer of rice, mangoes, and bamboo crafts.

Pangasinan occupies a strategic geo-political position in the central plain of Luzon, known as the rice granary of the Philippines. Pangasinan has been described as a gateway to northern Luzon and as the heartland of the Philippines.

History

Ancient history

The Pangasinan people, like most of the people in the Malay Archipelago, are descended from the Austronesian-speakers who settled in Southeast Asia since prehistoric times. Genetic studies locate the origin of the Austronesian languages in Sundaland, which was populated as early as 50,000 years ago by early humans who migrated from Africa through India.^[2][3] The Pangasinan language is one of many languages that belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian languages branch of the Austronesian languages family.

Southeast Asian maritime trade network

The ancient Malayo-Polynesian-speakers were expert navigators who had sailing ships capable of crossing the distant seas. The ancient Malagasy sailed from the Malay archipelago to Madagascar, an island across the Indian Ocean, and probably reached Africa. The ancient Polynesians navigated the distant Pacific islands as far away as Hawaii and Easter Island, and probably also reached America. At least several hundred years before the arrival of Europeans, the Makasar and the Bugis from Sulawesi, in what is now Indonesia, as well as the Bajau of the Malay archipelago, sailed with their prau and established settlements in north Australia, which they called Marege.

A vast maritime trade network connecting the distant Malayo-Polynesian settlements from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean existed in ancient times. The Pangasinan people were part of this maritime trade network that connected the ancient Malayo-Polynesian civilization.

Pangasinan was founded by Malayo-Polynesian settlers in ancient times who established settlements along the Agno River and the Lingayen Gulf. Archaeological evidence and early Chinese and Indian records show that the inhabitants of Pangasinan traded with India, China and Japan in as early as the 8th century A.D.

Princess Urduja and Luyag na Caboloan

The Srivijaya and Majapahit empires arose in Indonesia and their influence extended to much of the Malay Archipelago. Pangasinan probably maintained ties with the other peoples of the Malay Archipelago through the vast maritime trade network that once flourished in ancient Southeast Asia. An ancient kingdom called Luyag na Kaboloan once existed in Pangasinan. Luyag na Kaboloan was located in the Agno River valley and the Pangasinan Plain with Binalatongan as its capital. Princess Urduja, a legendary woman warrior, is believed to have ruled in Pangasinan around the 14th century. The legend of Urduja is shared by the Ibaloi people in the northern province of Benguet. Most likely, the Pangasinan people and the Ibaloi people were once united or had a common origin. Pangasinan enjoyed full independence before the Spanish conquest.

Religion before Catholicism

The ancient Pangasinan people, like other Austronesian peoples, believed in mana, and practiced Shamanist or animist beliefs and rituals before the Spanish conquest. The people of Pangasinan maintained this set of beliefs and rituals through priests, priestesses, and healers who represented a pantheon of anitos ("deities"). Their temples or altars were dedicated to an anito called Ama Kaoley (Supreme Father) who communicated through mediums called manag-anito. These mediums wore special costumes when serving an anito and they made offerings of oils, ointments, essences, and perfumes in exquisite vessels; after the offerings were made, the anito is supposed to reply in a secret room to their questions.

Spanish colonization

On April 27, 1565, the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in the Philippine islands with about 500 soldiers to establish a Spanish settlement and begin the conquest of the archipelago. On May 24, 1570, the Spanish forces defeated Rajah Sulayman and other rulers of Manila and later declared Manila as the new capital of the Spanish East Indies. After securing Manila, the Spanish forces continued to conquer the rest of the island of Luzon, including Pangasinan.

Provincia de Pangasinan

In 1571, the Spanish conquest of Pangasinan began with an expedition by the Spanish conquistador Martín de Goiti, who came from the Spanish settlement in Manila through Pampanga. About a year later, another Spanish conquistador, Juan de Salcedo, sailed to Lingayen Gulf and landed at the mouth of the Agno River. Limahong, a Chinese pirate, fled to Pangasinan after his fleet was driven away from Manila in 1574. Limahong failed to establish a colony in Pangasinan, as an army lead by Juan de Salcedo chased him out of Pangasinan after a seven-month siege.

By 1580, Pangasinan was made into an "Alacadia Mayor" by the Spanish Governor of the Philippines. Roman Catholic Augustinian, Franciscan, and Dominican missionaries arrived with the conquistadors and most of the inhabitants of Pangasinan converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1611, Pangasinan became a Spanish colonial province, comprising the territories of Zambales and some areas of La Union and Tarlac. Lingayen was made the capital of the province (and still is to this day). Continued resistance to Spanish rule was forced to go underground or flee to the mountains.

Rebellion against the Spanish rule

Malong liberation

Andres Malong, a native chief of the town of Binalatongan (now named San Carlos City), liberated the province from Spanish rule in December 1660. The people of Pangasinan proclaimed Andres Malong Ari na Pangasinan ("King of Pangasinan"). Pangasinan armies attempted to liberate the neighboring provinces of Pampanga and Ilocos, but were repelled by a Spanish-led coalition of loyalist tribal warriors and mercenaries. In February 1661, the newly independent Kingdom of Pangasinan fell to the Spanish.

Palaris liberation

On November 3, 1762, the people of Pangasinan proclaimed independence from Spain after a rebellion led by Juan de la Cruz Palaris overthrew Spanish rule in Pangasinan. The Pangasinan revolt was sparked by news of the fall of Manila to the British on October 6, 1762. However, after the Treaty of Paris on March 1, 1763 that closed the Seven Years' War between Britain, France and Spain, the Spanish colonial forces made a counter-attack. On January 16, 1765, Juan de la Cruz Palaris was captured and Pangasinan independence was again lost.

Philippine revolution against Spain

The Katipunan, a nationalist secret society, was founded on July 7, 1892 with the aim of uniting the peoples of the Philippines and fighting for independence and religious freedom. The Philippine Revolution began on August 26, 1896 and was led by Andres Bonifacio, the leader of the Katipunan. On November 18, 1897, a Katipunan council was formed in western Pangasinan with Roman Manalang as Presidente Generalisimo and Mauro Ortiz as General. General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence on June 12, 1898. Dagupan City, the major commercial center of Pangasinan, was surrounded by Katipunan forces by July 18, 1898. The Battle of Dagupan lasted from July 18 to July 23 of that year with the surrender of 1,500 soldiers of the Spanish forces under Commander Federico J. Ceballos and Governor Joaquin de Orengochea.

The Battle of Dagupan, fought fiercely by local Katipuneros under the overall command of General Francisco Makabulos, chief of the Central and Directive Committee of Central and Northern Luzon, and the last remnants of the once mighty Spanish Army under General Francisco Ceballos, led to the liberation of Pangasinan from the Spaniards. The five-day battle was joined by three local heroes: Don Daniel Maramba from Santa Barbara, Don Vicente Prado from San Jacinto and Don Juan Quezada from Dagupan. Their armies massed in Dagupan to lay siege on the Spanish forces, making a last stand at the brick-walled Catholic Church.

Maramba led the liberation of the town of Santa Barbara on March 7, 1898 following a signal for simultaneous attack from Makabulos. Hearing that Sta. Barbara fell into rebel hands, the Spanish forces in Dagupan attempted to retake the town, but were repulsed by Maramba's forces. Thus, after the setback, the Spaniards decided to concentrate their forces in Lingayen to protect the provincial capital. This enabled Maramba to expand his operations to Malasiqui, Urdaneta and Mapandan, taking them one after the other. He took one more town, Mangaldan, before proceeding to Dagupan to lay siege on the last Spanish garrison. Also on March 7, 1898, the rebels under the command of Prado and Quesada attacked convents in a number of towns in Zambales province, located west of Lingayen, which now constitute the western parts of Pangasinan.

Attacked and brought under Filipino control were Alaminos, Agno, Anda, Alos, Bani, Balincaguin, Bolinao, Dasol, Eguia and Potot. The revolt then spread to Labrador, Sual, Salasa and many other towns in the west. The towns of Sual, Labrador, Lingayen, Salasa and Bayambang were occupied first by the forces of Prado and Quesada before they proceeded to attack Dagupan.

At an assembly convened to organize a central governing body for Central and Northern Luzon on April 17, 1898, General Makabulos appointed Prado as politico-military governor of Pangasinan, with Quesada as his second in command. His appointment came a few days before the return of General Emilio Aguinaldo in May 1898 from his exile in Hongkong following the signing of the Pact of Biac-na-Bato in December 1897. Aguinaldo's return gave fresh impetus to the renewal of the flame of the revolution. Thus, on June 3, 1898, General Makabulos entered Tarlac and from that day on, the fires of revolution spread.

So successful were the Filipinos in their many pitched battles against the Spaniards that on June 30, 1898, Spanish authorities decided to evacuate all their forces to Dagupan where a last stand against the rebels was to be made. Also ordered to go to Dagupan were all civilian and military personnel, including members of the volunteer locales of towns not yet in rebel hands. Those who heeded this order were the volunteer forces of Mangaldan, San Jacinto, Pozorrubio, Manaoag, and Villasis. Among those brought to Dagupan was the image of the Most Holy Rosary of the Virgin of Manaoag, which at that time was already the patron saint of Pangasinan.

When the forces of Maramba from the east and Prado from the west converged in Dagupan on July 18, 1898, the siege began. The arrival of General Makabulos strengthened the rebel forces until the Spaniards, holed up inside the Catholic Church, waved the flag of surrender five days later. Armed poorly, the Filipinos were no match at the very start with Spanish soldiers holed inside the Church. They just became mere sitting ducks to Spanish soldiers shooting with their rifles from a distance. But the tempo of battle changed when the attackers, under Don Vicente Prado, devised a crude means of protection to shield them from Spanish fire while advancing. This happened when they rolled trunks of bananas, bundled up in sawali, that enabled them to inch their way to the Church.

American colonization

Pangasinan and other parts of the Spanish East Indies were ceded to the Americans after the Treaty of Paris that closed the Spanish-American War. During the Philippine-American War, General Jose Torres Bugallon from the town of Salasa fought together with General Antonio Luna to defend the First Philippine Republic against American colonization of Northern Luzon. Bugallon was killed in battle on February 5, 1899. The First Philippine Republic was abolished on 1901. In 1907, the Philippine Assembly was established and for the first time, five residents of Pangasinan were elected as its district representatives. In 1921, Mauro Navarro, representing Pangasinan in the Philippine Assembly, sponsored a law to rename the town of Salasa to Bugallon in order to honor General Bugallon.

World War II and the Japanese rule

Battle of Pangasinan
Part of World War II
Date 1945 Location Pangasinan Result Allied Victory
Belligerents
Philippine Commonwealth United States Australia	Japan

Lingayen Gulf was one of the strategic places during the Second World War. Japanese forces under Gen. Masaharu Homma landed on the shores of Pangasinan in December 1941, a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and started the Japanese occupation of the country. In 1945, during the Battle of Pangasinan from the combined Filipino and U.S. Troops, American troops landed on the beaches of Pangasinan and joined Pangasinese guerrillas together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops to free Luzon from the Japanese.

Philippine Republic

National

1946-1986

After the declaration of Independence in Manila on July 4, 1946, Eugenio Perez, a Liberal Party congressman representing the fourth district of Pangasinan, was elected Speaker of the lower Legislative House. He led the House until 1953, when the Nacionalista Party became the dominant party.

Pangasinan, which was historically part of the Central Luzon region, was made part of the Ilocos Region (or Region I) in the gerrymandering of the Philippines by Ferdinand Marcos, despite the fact that Pangasinan has a distinct primary language, which is Pangasinan. The classification of Pangasinan as part of the Ilocos Region has generated confusion among some Filipinos, due to the mistaking that all or most of the residents of Pangasinan are Ilocanos. Many Pangasinans object to the national government's classification of Pangasinan in the Ilocos Region since Pangasinan has a distinct primary language, its economy is bigger than all the Ilocos provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union, and its population is more than 50 percent of the population of Region 1. Some Pangasinans have proposed using the term Northwestern Luzon Region, which is a term based on a geographic concept.

1986-present

In February 1986, Vice Chief of Staff General Fidel V. Ramos, head of the Philippine Integrated National Police and a native of Lingayen, Pangasinan, became one of the instrumental figures of the EDSA people power revolution that led to the overthrow of President Ferdinand Marcos.

After the downfall of Marcos, all local government unit executives in the Philippines were ordered by President Corazon Aquino to vacate their posts. Some local executives were ordered to return to their seats as in the case of Mayor Ludovico Espinosa of Dasol, where he claims he joined the UNIDO, Mrs. Aquino's party during the height of the EDSA Revolution. Fidel Ramos was appointed as AFP Chief of Staff and later as Defense Secretary replacing Juan Ponce Enrile. Oscar Orbos, a congressman from Bani, Pangasinan, was appointed by Aquino as head of the Department of Transportation and Communications and later as Executive Secretary.

On May 11, 1992, Fidel V. Ramos ran for the position of President. He was elected and became the first Pangasinan President of the Philippines. Through his leadership, the Philippines recovered from a severe economy after the oil and power crisis of 1991. His influence also sparked the economic growth of Pangasinan when it hosted the 1995 Palarong Pambansa (Philippine National Games).

Jose de Venecia, who represented the same district as Eugenio Perez, was the second Pangasinan to be Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1992. He was reelected for the same position in 1995. De Venecia was selected by the Ramos' administration party Lakas NUCD to be its presidential candidate in 1998. De Venecia ran but lost to Vice President Joseph Estrada. Oscar Orbos, who served as Pangasinan governor from 1995, ran for Vice President, but lost to Senator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose mother, former First Lady Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal, hails from Binalonan, Pangasinan.

Arroyo later ascended to the presidency after the second EDSA Revolution when President Joseph Estrada was overthrown.

On May 2004, actor-turned-politician Fernando Poe, Jr., whose family is from San Carlos City, Pangasinan, ran for President against incumbent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the Philippine general election in 2004. The Pangasinan vote was almost evenly split by the two presidential candidates who both have Pangasinan roots. Arroyo was elected President, but her victory was tainted by charges of electoral fraud and vote-buying.

The state of crisis of the national government in Manila, corruption in Malacanang, widespread poverty, and the slow pace of economic development is forcing many Pangasinans to seek opportunities in Metro Manila, work in other countries or emigrate to wealthier countries, like the United States.

Governors of Pangasinan

Among those who served as governors include Tito Primicias, Vicente Millora and Daniel Maramba.

• Aguedo Agbayani (1972–1986)
• Demetrio Demetria (1986–1988)
• Rafael Colet (1988–1992)
• Aguedo Agbayani (1992–1995)
• Oscar Orbos (1995–1998)
• Victor Agbayani (1998–2007)
• Amado Espino Jr. (2007–Present)

Geography

Political

The province of Pangasinan is subdivided into 44 municipalities, 4 cities, 1,364 barangay (which means "villages"), and 6 congressional districts.

The capital of Pangasinan is Lingayen.

Cities

Municipalities

Physical

Pangasinan is located on the west central area of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Pangasinan borders La Union and Benguet to the north, Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija to the east, and Zambales and Tarlac to the south. To the west of Pangasinan is the South China Sea. The province also encloses the Lingayen Gulf.

The land area of Pangasinan is 5,368.82 square kilometers (3336.030 sq mi). The province is 170 kilometers (105.633 mi) north of Manila, 50 kilometers (31.0685 mi.) south of Baguio City, 115 kilometers (71.4576 mi.) north of Subic International Airport and Seaport, and 80 kilometers (49.7096 mi.) north of Clark International Airport.

Economy

Commercial Salt Industry in Dasol

Pangasinan has export earnings of around $5.5 million.

Energy

The 1200 megawatt Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant, 345 megawatt San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam, and the Northern Cement Corporation are all located in Pangasinan.

Marine

Pangasinan is a major fish supplier in Luzon, and a major producer of salt in the Philippines. It has extensive fishponds, mostly for raising bangus, or "milkfish", along the coasts of the Lingayen Gulf and the South China Sea. Pangasinan's aquaculture includes oyster and sea urchin farms.

Agriculture

The major crops in Pangasinan are rice, mangoes, corn, and sugar cane. Pangasinan has a land area of 536,819 hectares, and 44 percent of the total land area of Pangasinan is devoted to agricultural production.

Financial

Pangasinan has 593 banking and financing institutions.

Labor

Pangasinan has a labor force of about 1.52 million, and 87 percent of the labor force are gainfully employed.

Investment

The Department of Trade and Industry in the Philippines has identified the following potential investment areas in Pangasinan:

• Maguey production and handicraft center
• Santiago Island Marine Park
• Oyster processing facility
• Bagoong technology and processing center
• Tannery and leather production center
• Oyster and aquaculture farming
• Seaweed farming
• Bamboo production
• Handicraft and furniture making
• Manufacture of construction bricks
• Tourism development

Demographics

Population

The Pangasinan people (Totoon Pangasinan) are called Pangasinense, or simply taga-Pangasinan, which means "from Pangasinan". The population of Pangasinan is 2,434,086.^[4] Pangasinan is the third most populated province in the Philippines. The estimated population of the indigenous speakers of the Pangasinan language in the province of Pangasinan is 1.5 million and is projected to double in about 30 years. According to the 2000 census, 47 percent of the population are Pangasinan and 44 percent are Ilocanos. Sambal settlers from Zambales also predominate in the westernmost municipalities of Bolinao and Anda. The Pangasinan people are closely related to the Austronesian-speaking peoples of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The Pangasinans are also related to the Polynesians of the Pacific islands, the Formosan indigenous peoples of Taiwan, the Cham of central Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Malagasy of Madagascar.

Some prominent people of Pangasinan heritage (though not necessarily ethnic identification) include:

• President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose mother was from Binalonan, Pangasinan.
• President Fidel V. Ramos, who was born in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
• Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., who was born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.
• The late actor and presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., whose father was from San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
• Director General Arturo Lomibao, the former head of the Philippine National Police, is from Mangaldan, Pangasinan.
• Lt. Gen. Jose Mejia Calimlim, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces, is from Mapandan, Pangasinan.
• Gabriel Singson, the former governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is from Lingayen, Pangasinan.
• F. Sionil José and Carlos Bulosan are internationally known writers from Pangasinan.
• Victorio C. Edades, a Filipino modernist and a recognized National Artist, was from Pangasinan.
• Jacqueline Aquino Siapno, a professor from Dagupan City, is the interim first lady of East Timor.
• Dr. Francisco Viray, former dean of the University of the Philippines Engineering Dept and former Secretary of Energy of the Philippines during the President Ramos Administration, is from Lingayen, Pangasinan.
• Geronima Tomelden-Pecson, the first female senator of the Philippines, was a native of Lingayen.
• Julius Bongato, the first Filipino gay to be the Ms. Gay Universe 2009 held in Tokyo, Japan. He hails from Mapandan, Pangasinan.
• Gen.Hermogenes Cendaña Esperon, Jr.,a native of Asingan, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo Administration.

Health and education

There are thousands of public schools and hundreds of private schools across the province for primary and secondary education. Many Pangasineneses go to Metro Manila and the United States for tertiary and higher education. The state and private colleges and universities in Pangasinan include the following:

• Oakridge International School of Young Leaders
• AMA Computer College
• Asian Institute Of E-Commerce
• Colegio de Dagupan
• Colegio San Jose De Alaminos
• Dagupan Colleges Foundation
• Golden West Colleges
• Kingfisher School of Business and Finance
• Lyceum Northern Luzon
• Lyceum Northwestern University
• Luzon Colleges of Science and Technology
• Palaris College
• Pangasinan State University
• Panpacific University Northern Philippines
• Philippine College of Science and Technology
• Saint Columban's College
• San Carlos College
• Saint Therese of the Child Jesus College Foundation
• University of Luzon
• University of Pangasinan
• Urdaneta City University
• University Of Perpetual Help - Jonelta Foundation (Pangasinan Campus)
• Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation

Pangasinan has 51 hospitals and clinics and 68 rural health units (as of July 2002). Although some residents go to Manila and the United States for extensive medical tests and treatment, most Pangasinenses go to the medical centers in the cities of Dagupan, San Carlos City, and Urdaneta.

Culture

The culture of Pangasinan is a blend of the indigenous Malayo-Polynesian and western Hispanic and American cultures, with some Indian and Chinese influences. Today, Pangasinan is very much westernized. The main centers of Pangasinense culture are Lingayen, San Carlos City, Dagupan, and Manaoag.

Language

The Pangasinan language is an agglutinative language. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian languages branch of the Austronesian languages family and is the primary language of the province of Pangasinan and the dominant language in central and coastal Pangasinan. The Pangasinan language is similar to the other Malayo-Polynesian languages of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Madagascar. It is closely related to the Ibaloi language spoken in the neighboring province of Benguet and Baguio City, located north of Pangasinan. The Pangasinan language is classified under the Pangasinic group of languages. The Pangasinic languages are:

• Pangasinan
• Ibaloi
• Karao
• I-wak
• Kalanguya
• Keley-I
• Kallahan
• Kayapa
• Tinoc

Other languages are spoken in some areas of the neighboring provinces of Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Ifugao.

The educated Pangasinans are mostly proficient in English, as well as Tagalog. Pangasinan is the second-language of many Ilocanos in Pangasinan. Minority languages in Pangasinan are Ilocano and Bolinao, which is spoken in northwestern Pangasinan.

Religion

The religion of the people of Pangasinan is predominantly Christian, although few are strict believers and continue to practice their indigenous beliefs and rituals, like most of the people of the Philippines. Spanish and American missionaries introduced Christianity to Pangasinan. Prior to the Spanish conquest in 1571, the predominant religion of the people of Pangasinan was similar to the indigenous religion of the highland Igorot or the inhabitants of the Cordillera Administrative Region on the island of Luzon, who mostly retained their indigenous culture and religion. Pangasinan was also influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism before the introduction of Christianity.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan, is Most Reverend Socrates B. Villegas.

Pangasinan is known as a land of miracles. The main pilgrimage centers of Pangasinan are the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag, which is reputed to be the pilgrimage capital of northern Luzon; the Shrine of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Divine Treasure (Senor Divino Tesoro), which is known to be a patron of healing, in Calasiao; and the Saint Dominic de Guzman Parish Church in San Carlos City.

Media and internet

There are 20 local newspapers and a classified magazine published in Pangasinan. Seventeen of the newspapers, including the classified magazine, come out weekly.

• Balon Silew (Pangasinan)
• Ilocano Observer (English and Ilocano)
• Luzon Examiner (English)
• Luzon Island Bulletin (English)
• Luzon Standard Country Mail (English)
• Media Eye Tiempo (English)
• Northern Courier (English)
• Northern Journal (English)
• Northern Times (English)
• Pangasinan News (English)
• Pangasinan Post (English)
• Pangasinan Star Online (English and Pangasinan)
• Pangasinan Today (English)
• Pangasinan Sentinel (English) (Mangaldan Publication)
• People’s Digests (English)
• Sun Star - Pangasinan (English)
• Sunday Punch (English)
• The Midweek Punch (English)
• The Regional Examiner (English)
• The Weekly Forum (English)
• The Weekly Guardian (English)

Other publications that circulate in Pangasinan include:

• Northwest Luzon Times
• Pangasinan Pinoy Journal
• Weekly Luzon Times
• News Time
• The Pangasinan Post
• Classyfied Mag

The only magazine published monthly is the Traveler Magazine.

Pangasinan television and radio:

• Television Networks:
  • ABS-CBN: Channel 2, Channel 32
  • GMA Network: Channel 10
  • Studio 23: Channel 30
  • QTV 11: Channel 11

• FM Radio Stations:
  • DWYS - 104.1 YES FM! Urdaneta City
  • DWAI - 92.1 I FM Urdaneta City
  • DWKT - 90.3 Energy FM
  • DWTL - 93.5 Campus Radio
  • DWEC - 94.3 MOR For Life!
  • DWID - 98.3 Love Radio
  • DWTJ - 99.3 Spirit FM (from Alaminos City)
  • DWHY - 100.7 Star FM
  • DWON - 104.7 i FM
  • DWHR - 106.3 Hot FM
  • DWHT - 107.9 RMN Dagupan (CLOSED)

• AM Radio Stations:
  • DWCM - 1161 Aksyon Radyo
  • DZWN - 1125 Bombo Radyo, Dagupan City (Pangasinan language)
  • DWPR - 1296 Power Radio (RADYO ASENSO)
  • DZRD - 981 DZRD 981 Sonshine Radio
  • DZSD - 1548 Super Radyo (Relay Station only)
  • DWIN - 1125 Eagle Radio (Relay Station only)

Sports and entertainment

• Urdaneta City Sports and Cultural Complex
• Dagupan City People's Astrodome
• Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center
• Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation Sports Complex
• CSI STADIA (Jimmy Fernandez Complex)
• Orient Pacific Center, Perez Blvd. Dagupan City
• East Gate Plaza, A.B Fernandez East, Dagupan City

Places of interest

Tourist attractions

Sunny white beach at Rock Garden Resort, Bolinao, Pangasinan

The "Treasurers of Bolinao", Pangasinan

• Nuestra Señora de Manaoag

The Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag is famous throughout the country for its supposed miraculous powers. Catholic devotees frequent the shrine, especially on the feast days on the first of October and the 18th day after Easter Sunday.

• San Carlos City Plaza
• San Juan River in San Carlos City
• MaPANDAN FESTIVAL
• Bonuan Blue Beach in Dagupan
• White Beach in San Fabian
• Cape Bolinao Beach in Bolinao
• Tambobong White Beach in Dasol
• Tondol Beach in Anda
• Antong Falls in Sison
• Cacupangan Cave in Mabini
• Mount Balungao in Balungao
• Manleluag Spring National Park in Mangatarem
• Sanctuario de Senor Divino Tesoro in Calasiao
• Salasa Church in Bugallon
• Lingayen Gulf War Museum in Lingayen
• Bolinao Museum in Bolinao
• Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen
• Hundred Islands Marine Sanctuary in Alaminos
• Oceanographic Marine Laboratory in Alaminos
• Red Arrow Marker of the WWII 32nd US Infantry Division in San Nicolas
• Rock Garden Resort
• Hundred Islands National Park of Alaminos
• Umbrella Rocks of Agno
• Urduja House in Lingayen
• Beach Walk in Lingayen
• Viewdeck in Suasalito, Sual, Pangasinan
• St. John Cathedral Garden Dagupan City
• Caves in Bolinao
• Home for the Aged in Anda
• Boat ride in Pantal River, Dagupan City
• Provincial Capitol, Lingayen, Pangasinan

Others

• SM City Rosales, Rosales, Pangasinan

2010 local elections

See also

• Pangasinan language
• Pangasinan literature
• Philippines
• Salt evaporation pond
• Bagoong
• Milkfish, Bangus
• Fidel Ramos
• Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
• Jose de Venecia, Jr.
• Urduja

References

Bibliography

• Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People. (Quezon City: Garotech Publishing, Eighth Edition, 1990).
• Cortes, Rosario Mendoza. Pangasinan, 1572-1800. (Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1974; New Day Publishers, 1975).
• Cortes, Rosario Mendoza. Pangasinan, 1801-1900: The Beginnings of Modernization. (Cellar Book Shop, April 1991).
• Cortes, Rosario Mendoza. Pangasinan, 1901-1986: A Political, Socioeconomic, and Cultural History. (Cellar Book Shop, April 1991).
• Cortes, Rosario Mendoza. The Filipino Saga: History as Social Change. (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 2000).
• Mafiles, Victoria Veloria; Nava, Erlinda Tomelden. The English Translations of Pangasinan Folk Literature. (Dagupan City, Philippines: Five Ed Printing Press, 2004).
• Quintos, Felipe Quintos. Sipi Awaray Gelew Diad Pilipinas (Revolucion Filipina). (Lingayen, Pangasinan: Gumawid Press, 1926).
• Samson-Nelmida, Perla. Pangasinan Folk Literature, A Doctoral Dissertation. (University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City: May 1982).

External links

• Pangasinan Travel Guide - Tourism Philippines
• Pangasinan: Preservation and Revitalization of the Pangasinan Language and Literature
• Official Website of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan
• Pangasinan Philippines
• Salt business in Pangasinan
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2007 Philippine Census Information
• Pangasinan Wikipedia

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