Binalonan Explained

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Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Philippines
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Province
Anthem:Binalonan Hymn
Subdivision Type3:District
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:February 18, 1872
Parts Type:Barangays
Parts Style:para
P1: (see Barangays)
Leader Name:Ramon Ronald V. Guico IV
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Leader Name1:Bryan Louie Ramirez Balangue
Leader Name2:Ramon Guico Jr.
Leader Title3:Municipal Council
Leader Title4:Electorate
Leader Name4: voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|)
Elevation Max M:149
Elevation Min M:23
Population Density Km2:auto
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Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:+8
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Demographics Type1:Economy
Demographics1 Title2:Poverty incidence
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Demographics1 Title4:Revenue rank
Demographics1 Title5:Assets
Demographics1 Title6:Assets rank
Demographics1 Title7:IRA
Demographics1 Title8:IRA rank
Demographics1 Title9:Expenditure
Demographics1 Title10:Liabilities
Demographics Type2:Service provider
Demographics2 Title1:Electricity
Demographics2 Title2:Water
Demographics2 Title3:Telecommunications
Demographics2 Title4:Cable TV
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Binalonan, officially the Municipality of Binalonan (Pangasinan: Baley na Binalonan; Iloko: Ili ti Binalonan; Tagalog: Bayan ng Binalonan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 56,382 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 Guico Macaraeg Macapagal, spouse of 9th President Diosdado Macapagal, and mother of 14th President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.[1]

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.[2]

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.

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 51km (32miles) from Lingayen and 190km (120miles) from Manila.

Barangays

Binalonan is subdivided into 24 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Land classification

The municipality's total land area, estimated at 8400ha, is classified as alienable and disposable land.

Rivers

Binalonan has two major rivers:

It also has minor rivers, including the San Pablo Creek, Tuboy River, Palma Creek, the Camambogan Creek and Balisa Creek.

Soil type

There are five 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.

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.

RELIGIONS in the MUNICIPALITY Roman Catholic, IFI The Philippine Independent Church,IGLESIA NI CRISTO the increasing members throughout the municipality (3 locale chapels one biggest at Binalonan Crossing, at San Felipe Central, Sitio Riverside at Brgy.Sumabnit, one at Moreno and San Pablo)and Other Protestant denominations

Government

Local government

See main article: Sangguniang Bayan. Binalonan, belonging to the fifth 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.

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 (brown sugar). The shield encasing these images means that Binalonan is under the province of Pangasinan.

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2019–2022)[3]
PositionName
CongressmanRamon V. Guico III
MayorRamon N. Guico Jr.
Vice-MayorMelicio F. Patague II
Councilors Glory Jovelyn G. Manaois
Josephine D. Caburnay
Noel Apolinario O. Bautista
Bryan Louie R. Balangue
Ryan G. Gotoc
Jerry J. Aradanas
Lorenzo R. Tambo
Ernesto T. Buquing

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 Niño Parish Church.

The town's interesting points include:

Parish of the Holy Child Church

The 1841 (19th century architecture) 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.[4] [5] [6] [7]

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 (1861-1865) 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 Niño.

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 (Joey and Remy Castelo-Sellona and Drs. Jose and Violy Quintos. (Source: Church marker, 2008).[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Sanitation

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

ElementarySecondary
Number of schools
Government226
Private62
Total enrollment
Government7,3763,729
Private919113
Number of teachers287169
Number of classrooms295109

Other education centers include the WCC Aeronautical and Technological College (World Citi Colleges, (WCC) Aviation Company), 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.[13] 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.[14]

Culture

See also: Carlos Bulosan and America is in the Heart. Binalonan figures prominently in the novel America is in the Heart by Filipino-American writer Carlos Bulosan, who was born in Binalonan. The first part of the semi-autobiographical novel features the struggles of Allos, the novel's main character, as he grows up as the son of a peasant farmer in Binalonan. The town has a memorial and street named after Bulosan just north of the municipal hall and town market.

Notable personalities

Notable people who either were born or resided in Binalonan include:

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://mbpublications.com/cruise/2008/11/11/binalonan-the-next-university-town/ Binalonan, the next university town
  2. Web site: Binalonan The Official Website of the Province of Pangasinan and its People . 2012-12-20 . 2017-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170302073829/http://pangasinan.gov.ph/the-province/cities-and-municipalities/binalonan/ . dead .
  3. Web site: 2019 National and Local Elections . March 7, 2022 . Commission on Elections.
  4. Web site: List of Parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urdaneta | Philippine Churches . 2012-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092537/http://www.church.nfo.ph/list-of-parishes-roman-catholic-diocese-of-urdaneta/ . 2014-10-06 . dead .
  5. http://capitalpangasinan.blogspot.com/2008/02/all-churches.html Capital of Pangasinan: All Churches in Pangasinan
  6. http://wikimapia.org/1231372/Sto-Ni%C3%B1o-Parish-Church Santo Niño Parish Church
  7. http://www.ucanews.com/diocesan-directory/html/dps-pr_urdaneta_parishes.html List of Catholic Dioceses in Asia | Asian Catholic Directory | Ucanews
  8. http://www.claretianpublications.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=535:archdiocese-of-lingayen-dagupan&catid=4&Itemid=140 Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan
  9. Web site: Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan: Vicariate of Santo Tomas de Aquino . 2012-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310215158/http://rcald.org/?page_id=24 . 2016-03-10 . dead .
  10. Web site: Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan . 2012-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160515034339/http://rcald.org/ . 2016-05-15 . dead .
  11. http://www.gcatholic.org/churches/asia/1895.htm Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, Philippines
  12. Web site: Diocese of Urdaneta . 2012-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20040327063047/http://www.cbcponline.net/jurisdictions/urdaneta.html . 2004-03-27 . dead .
  13. Web site: Mayor flies high - Manila Standard Today . https://archive.today/20130128183456/http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/11/25/mayor-flies-high/ . 28 January 2013 . dead.
  14. http://www.philstar.com/business-usual/2012/12/03/878863/town-mayor-leads-dynamic-business-heart-public-service Town mayor leads dynamic business with heart for public service | Business As Usual, Business Features, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
  15. http://mbpublications.com/cruise/2008/11/11/binalonan-the-next-university-town/ Binalonan, the next university town