Binalonan, Pangasinan


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
One of Binalonan's natives is the Filipino-American writer Carlos Bulosan, who wrote brief descriptions of the town's history and people in his semi-autobiographical novel entitled America is in the Heart. The town has a memorial and street named after him just north of the municipal hall and town market. It is also the hometown of Evangelina de la Cruz Macaraeg Macapagal, spouse of 9th President Diosdado Macapagal, and mother of 14th President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Geography

Binalonan is located in the eastern part of the province of Pangasinan. The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Pozorrubio and Sison, on the south by Urdaneta, on the east by San Manuel and Asingan and on the west by Laoac.
It is from Lingayen and from Manila.

Land classification

The municipality's total land area, estimated at, is classified as alienable and disposable land.

Soil type

There are 5 types of soil which can be found in Binalonan: the San Manuel fine sandy loam, San Manuel loam, San Manuel sandy loam, San Manuel clay, and Umingan sandy loam.

Rivers

Binalonan has 2 major rivers: the Aloragat River and Tagamusing River. It also has minor rivers, including the San Pablo Creek, Tuboy River, Palma Creek, the Camambogan Creek and Balisa Creek.

Barangays

Binalonan is subdivided into 24 barangays.

Climate

History

According to historians, the town's name is an evolution of the Pangasinan Language term balon, which means "packed lunch", or in Tagalog, baon.
In a traditional story, which now plays an important role in the town's history, the area was originally owned by a Spaniard named Don Salvador. It was told that he instructed his men to put up crude wooden fences along the property to establish his ownership. During the course of their work, Don Salvador's men used to have their lunch and rest under Camachile trees located in the center of the land mainly due to its breezy shades.
Don Salvador offered his pastureland to several immigrants from Ilocos. When they asked Don Salcador how they were going to find the said land, the owner answered: "It is the place where people bring their balon to eat". Hence the term Binnalonan, which in Ilocano and Pangasinan means "a place where people bring and eat their baon", was born. At present, the town is called Binalonan while its people are known as Binalonians.
Ilocano herdsmen and laborers composed the first town which was founded in 1838, in San Felipe, which was later transferred to Santa Catalina, then returned to the present site.

Demographics

The urban population is recorded at 7,634 while the rural population is at 45,088. The urban-rural population ratio is estimated at 15/100. The male-to-female ratio is 1.029.

Population by barangay

BarangayPopulation Number of households
Balangobong1,418332
Bued2,839467
Bugayong2,949
Camangaan1,133245
Canarvacanan1,811361
Capas2,065378
Cili1,921429
Dumayat1,388247
Linmansangan3,847770
Mangcasuy1,431309
Moreno1,587358
Pasileng Norte702136
Pasileng Sur1,298299
Poblacion7,5651,059
San Felipe Central2,114474
San Felipe Sur1,961391
San Pablo1,560361
Santa Catalina2,697590
Santa Maria Norte2,584518
Santiago1,368282
Santo Nino1,544389
Sumabnit4,147772
Tabuyoc1,169257
Vacante1,734328

Local government

Binalonan's Chief Executive is Mayor Ramon N. Guico, Jr.

Municipal seal

The topmost structure depicted on the municipal seal is an image of the municipality's Municipal Hall. Below it on the left is a depiction of the antenna of Digital Communications, the center of communications for Regions I, II and CAR.
Beside the antenna is a representation of a subsidiary source of income in Binalonan: the raising of chickens and hogs. At the bottom, the left image is that of rice stalks, the municipality's main product. Beside it is the picture of a sugar cane, which is the main ingredient for Binalonan's top products — basi, suka and muskuvado. The shield encasing these images means that Binalonan is under the province of Pangasinan.

Tourism

Binalonan Rock Garden defines the town with century-old acacia trees guarding the walking pavements, benches, Balikbayan Hall, basketball court and the pathway towards the historic Santo Nino Parish Church.
The town's interesting points include:
The 1841 Santo Niño Parish Church, in under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, Roman Catholic Diocese of Urdaneta. Its Feast Day is 3rd Sunday of January, with Parish Priest, Father Elisar Christopher M. Itchon and Parochial Vicar, Father Jun G. Laya and Vicar Forane, Father Elpidio F. Silva Jr.
Fr. Julian Izaga founded San Felipe, the origin of the Church and town freed from Manaoag since 1834, and moved to Santa Catalina, where he built church and a convent of light materials. Fr. Ramon Fernandez transferred the town in 1938 to the present site..
The Dominicans founded Binalonan Parish in 1841, under Kura Paroko, Fr. Domingo Llue and then, by Fr,. Policarpio Illana who began construction of the Church in 1842.
Fr. Antonio Vinelas erected in 1855 a bigger church, with Fr. Ruperto Alarcon's construction in 1861. Fr. Juan Fernandez built a provisional church. In 1866–1873, Fr. Felix Cantador added old convent walls, while Fr. P.del Campo finished the Church. In 1879,
The October 19, 1881 typhoon destroyed the 1879 Church. Father Silvestre Fernandez added the 3 naves rehabilitation due to the earthquake of 1882. The Church was placed under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of El Santisimo Nombre de Jesus. In the Hispano-American War the church was destroyed.
After the 1898 Revolution, Fr. Mariano Pacis became the Pastor of Manaoag and Binalonan, but it was Fr. Pio Mabutas who finished the Church in 1930. The Japanese destroyed the Church except the miraculous image of Santo Nino.
Fr. Pablo Evangelista rehabilitated the Church in 1946 and Fr. Leon Bitanga reconstructed in until 1961, founding the Holy Child Academy.
It was only on January 30, 2008 that the Church's marker was imposed upon generous donations of New York and New Jersey Binalonans.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Surveys show that 8,238 homes in Binalonan have water-sealed sewer/septic tank toilets which are used exclusively by members of the household.
Garbage is disposed of through burning.

Education (SY 2009 to 2009)

Other education centers include the WCC Aeronautical and Technological College, an expansive facility which contains the Binalonan Airfield), St. Michael de Archangel College, Manantan Technical School, Holy Child Academy parochial school and Juan G. Macaraeg National High School.
WCC Aeronautical and Technological College, the aeronautical school that sits at the heart of Binalonan, Pangasinan. It also has the College of Engineering and Aviation Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Tourism, and Flight Attendant Course. It offers the Flight Navigator Trainers Procedure II with MRO facilities, including its Airbus A320 full flight simulator.

Image gallery