Province of Pangasinan (Dagupan City)

Pangasinan is one of the provinces of the Republic of the Philippines.
The province is located in and is the southernmost province of the Ilocos Region (Region I).
The provincial capital is Lingayen.

*Location and Land Area:

Pangasinan is located on the west central area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf. The total land area of the province is 5,368.82 square kilometers, making it the 17th largest province of the Philippines in terms of land area.

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

The province is 170 kilometers north of Manila, 50 kilometers south of Baguio City, 115 kilometers north of Subic International Airport and Seaport, and 80 kilometers north of Clark International Airport.

*Political Subdivisions:

The Province of Pangasinan is divided into 44 municipalities, 4 cities, and 1,364 barangays.

Cities:

-Dagupan City
-San Carlos City
-Urdaneta City
-Alaminos City

Municipalities:

-Agno
-Aguilar
-Alcala
-Anda
-Asingan
-Balungao
-Bani
-Basista
-Bautista
-Bayambang
-Binalonan
-Binmaley
-Bolinao
-Bugallon
-Burgos
-Calasiao
-Dasol
-Infanta
-Labrador
-Laoac
-Lingayen
-Mabini
-Malasiqui
-Manaoag
-Mangaldan
-Mangatarem
-Mapandan
-Natividad
-Pozorrubio
-Rosales
-San Fabian
-San Jacinto
-San Manuel
-San Nicolas
-San Quintin
-Santa Barbara
-Santa Maria
-Santo Tomas
-Sison
-Sual
-Tayug
-Umingan
-Urbiztondo
-Villasis

*Population:

The total population of Pangasinan is 2,434,086 as of 2000, 2,645,395 as of 2007, and is projected to be 3,039,500 in 2010. (National Statistics Office, 2000 Census).

*Primary language spoken:

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

*History:

The name Pangasinan means "land of salt" or "place of salt-making"; it is derived from "asin", the word for "salt" in the Pangasinan language.
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.

*Festivals and Tourist Attractions:

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

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.

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 also a major producer of rice, mangoes, and bamboo crafts.

*Notable persons from Pangasinan:

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 named Manuel Facundo de Quintos who was a lawyer and the gobernadorcillo of Lingayen in the 1850s.

Official Website: www.pangasinan.org/pangasinan.html
Travel Website: travel.pangasinan.gov.ph/