Binalonan, Pangasinan

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 53 kilometres (33 mi) from Lingayen and 190 kilometres (120 mi) from Manila.

Land classification

The municipality's total land area, estimated at 8,400 hectares (84 km²), 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.

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.

Time came when 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.

"Most Beautiful and Cleanest Philippine Town"

Binalonan was awarded "The Most Beautiful and Cleanest Town in the Philippines (1968). Aside from this medal, the town claimed the prizes: "Most Beautiful Plaza and Parks", the "Urban Model Community" and "Outstanding Community Development Model".

Binalonan Rock Garden defines the town with majestic century-old acacia trees guarding the walking pavements, benches, Balikbayan Hall, basketball court and the mystic pathway towards the historic Sto. Nino Parish Church. The town's religious treasure is a veritable landmark of Christian faith, social service and Spanish colonial architectural legacy.

Government and politics

Binalonan's Chief Executive is Mayor Ramon N. Guico III.

Barangays

Binalonan is politically subdivided into 24 barangays.

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.

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.

Education (SY 2009 to 2009)

Dubbed as "Next University Town", Binalonan is proud of Mayor Ramon N. Guico, Jr.'s (and his son, Vice Mayor Ramon V. Guico III - 36-year-old licensed pilot and instructor) 2007 University of Eastern Pangasinan (UEP), which has advance computer and medical laboratories and library.

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. 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.

Health and nutrition

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.

Tourism

The town's interesting points include:

Parish of the Holy Child Church

The 1841 (19th century architecture) Sto. Niño Parish Church (Binalonan, 2436 Pangasinan, Philippines), 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. (16°2'40"N 120°35'35"E Nearby cities: San Carlos City, Tarlac City and Alaminos City).

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 rehabiliation 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 (Joey and Remy Castelo-Sellona and Drs. Jose and Violy Quintos. (Source: Church marker, 2008).