Bauang

Philippines / Cordillera / Ballay /
 town, municipality, third-level administrative division

Municipality of Bauang, Province of La Union
ZIP code: 2501

Bauang is a coastal municipality in the province of La Union in the Philippines. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 70,735 people.

The town is bordered by San Fernando City to the north, Caba to the south, Naguilian to the east, and the South China Sea to the west. It is traversed by McArthur Highway, which junctions with Naguilian Road, one of the mountain roads leading to Baguio City.

Bauang hosts the South China Sea Regatta, in every other year race participated by the Royal Hongkong Yacht Club. The town is also famous for its delicious grapes and guapples grown in barangays Payocpoc, Santiago, Bagbag and Urayong. The grape industry is an additional income for farmers among the residents in these barangays until imported varieties came in.

Origin:

There are three versions on how Bauang was named. First, the name came from the word "bua", which in English mean beetlenut. Beetlenuts grew in abundance at the town site, now Barangay Nagrebcan where an old Spanish Church was built. Second, its name arose from the word "baoang" (garlic). The Spanish colonizers changed the letter "o" into "u";, thus its present name "Bauang". Third, it came from the word "buang", which means "river split in two" before flowing to the sea. As it is, the Bauang River is split into two by a delta.

History:

Bauang was established as a settlement in 1590. It was recognized as a town in 1765 as a part of Pangasinan when Don Francisco de los Reyes became the first gobernadorcillo. When La Union was created in 1850, Bauang was one of the twelve towns that formed the new province.

Like other towns in the province, Bauang also had its share in the devastating invasions of Moro pirates (“tirong” in the local dialect). In the stillness of the night, the Moro pirates would swoop upon the town without any warning, killing people and kidnapping women and children only to be sold into slavery. They stole cattle looted the town and broke into the church and robbed it of its silver and gold.

These invasions gave rise to the construction of watchtowers, locally known as baluarte, by the Gobernadorcillo Don Juan Mallare along the coast and at the mouth of the Bauang River. These watchtowers served as a fortress against the invading pirates. It was also utilized as a refuge for the inhabitants who had no time to flee to the hills whenever the pirates were sighted. However, nothing now remains of the watchtower except the traces of its foundation.

Daring exploits of the people’s forefathers, their heroism, dedication, love and commitment to the ideals of freedom in the 1900s were handed down from generation to generation. During the later part of 1890, Bauang residents succeeded in wrestling the town from the tyrannical administration of the Spaniards after fierce and bloody encounters between the “cazadores” (Spanish soldiers) and the “revolucionaios” (Filipinos). The revolucionaros were led separately by Remigio Patacsil and Mauro Ortiz.

In 1913, some barrios of Bauang were assigned to San Fernando, namely: Pagudpud, Pagdalagan, Sevilla, Bungro, Tanquigan and Sibuan-Otong.

During the Japanese occupation, many unknown a unsung sons of Baunag fought gallantly and spilled their precious blood on the beaches of the town, in Lingayen Gulf, Bataan and Corregidor in defense of freedom. Majority of the youth joined the underground movement. They enlisted in the various regiments of the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines, Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL) without any promise of reward or remuneration. Among the many who were executed by the Japanese were Manuel Arguilla, a poet and journalist and Major Alberto O. Fenit of the United State Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). They met their death at the dungeons of Fort Santiago.

The martyrdom and patriotism of Mayor Ambrosio Rimando, elected mayor of Bauang before the outbreak of the war, could be told and retold. He chose not to reveal the whereabouts of his townspeople who were executed in his presence before he himself was beheaded.

Many continued the fight with gallantry and valor in the mountains. Bessang Pass and other battlefields until the country was liberated from the Japanese opressors. Today, there stands at the town plaza a monument dedicated in honor of the fighting soldiers.

In the early 70’s Bauang earned the appellation as the “Beach Capital of the Philippines” because of the calm waters, fine sand and languidly swaying coconut trees along the shorelines of Baccuit Sur to Pagdalagan Sur. A newly discovered “Research Reef” is a favorite dive spot among local and foreign scuba divers.

Bauang is politically subdivided into 39 barangays:

-Acao
-Baccuit Norte
-Baccuit Sur
-Bagbag
-Ballay
-Bawanta
-Boy-utan
-Bucayab
-Cabalayangan
-Cabisilan
-Calumbaya
-Carmay
-Casilagan
-Central East
-Central West
-Dili
-Disso-or
-Guerrero
-Lower San Agustin
-Nagrebcan
-Pagdalagan Sur
-Palintucang
-Palugsi-Limmansangan
-Parian Este
-Parian Oeste
-Paringao
-Payocpoc Norte Este
-Payocpoc Norte Oeste
-Payocpoc Sur
-Pilar
-Pottot
-Pudoc
-Pugo
-Quinavite
-Santa Monica
-Santiago
-Taberna
-Upper San Agustin
-Urayong
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   16°31'9"N   120°21'3"E

Comments

  • Bauang is renowned also for its beaches.
  • Sulong Bauang!
  • come and discover the beautiful BAUANG!
  • Map Boundaries from: mapcentral.ph
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