Bacnotan, La Union
Encyclopedia
Bacnotan is a first class municipality in the province of La Union
, Philippines
. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 38,743 people in 7,183 households.
Ilocano is the language spoken. English
and Filipino
are the languages used in government and business while English is the medium of instruction in the schools.
Economic activities in Bacnotan mostly involve farming, fishing, bee-keeping, pebble extraction, tourism and Portland cement manufacture. Bacnotan is the seat of the beekeeping industry in La Union. A mining engineer from Bacnotan who saw the limestone deposits in Dumarang (renamed Quirino) also saw deposits of coal and traces of gas.
Schools in Bacnotan include the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
, the North Provincial High School (now Bacnotan National High School), the Bacnotan Elementary School, other elementary schools located in various barangays, and a prep school operated by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Bacnotan.
s. Below is a list of these barangays and their respective populations as of 2007.
, on the east by San Gabriel
, on the south by San Juan
, and on the west by the South China Sea
.
The western side of Bacnotan faces the South China Sea
and has a long stretch of black sand beaches, indicating a large amount of magnetite. Some portions of the seashore have pebble and limestone deposits. The beaches stretching about 16 kilometers are suitable for fishing, boating, swimming, snorkeling, diving and surfing.
Although San Juan is a favorite place among serious surfers, the waves in Quirino have been discovered to be likewise excellent for surfing.
The Baroro River, located at the southern boundary of Bacnotan, provides fresh water fishing, aquaculture farming and recreation.
Climate in Bacnotan is dry from November to May and wet from mid-May to October. The southwest monsoon brings an abundant rainfall experienced during the wet season. The relatively dry season is caused by the northeast monsoon passing over the Cordillera Mountain Range. Average temperature is 27.21 °C.
. In 1785, during the administration of the Governor-General Jose Basco, Bacnotan became a part of Pangasinan
. When La Union
was created in 1850, Bacnotan was one of the 12 towns that formed the province.
In the past, Bacnotan was only a vast expanse of wilderness inhabited by natives with a rudimentary form of government. There was a time when it was ruled by a despotic chieftain who had absolute control over all his constituents. Disobedience to his directives meant severe flogging of the culprit. After several years under the tyrannical rule of the chieftain, the people successfully overthrew him and flogged their chieftain to death. The word "basnutan" means "flog" in the local dialect, and become a byword among the inhabitants, hence the name of the town. During the Spanish period, the name of the town was changed from "basnutan" to "Bacnotan" as shown by documents which are still kept intact at the National Archives in Manila.
The town's history is linked with the deeds of heroic men who fought, bled, and died for their own native land. At the turn of the century, during the Spanish-American War
, Dumarang (now known as Quirino), was a scene of carnage and plunder.
In December 1941, during World War II
, the first organized resistance against the Japanese invaders that landed in the north in their advance southward to Manila was at Barrios Baroro and Bacsil.
On January 4, 1945, the tides of war changed in La Union as Filipino and American soldiers captured in Baroro Bridge in the town of Bacnotan, a strategic bridge that connects the rest of Northern Luzon to San Fernando. The victory ensured the liberation of La Union by joint Filipino and American troops at the end in World War II
. It was followed by the historic Battle of San Fernando and Bacsil Bridge.
After the war, Bacnotan became the provisional seat of provincial government. San Fernando
was then in ruins. As a consequence of this transfer, the La Union National High School was also moved to Bacnotan. When things went back to normal, the provincial government was again moved to San Fernando and the La Union National High School followed afterwards. The transfer of the provincial high school in Bacnotan resulted in the establishment of the North Provincial High School (now Bacnotan National High School.)
In 1949, the vast mineral deposits of limestone used in portland cement
production were noticed in Barrio Dumarang (now Quirino) by a mining engineer who was then a municipal councilor at that time. Because of the desire to create economic activity, the municipal council, through the efforts of this mining engineer, invited potential investors to set up a Portland cement plant. Within a year, a cement plant called Cebu Portland Cement (CEPOC), was established. On May 11, 1957, the CEPOC, a government-owned corporation, was sold to the privately-owned Bacnotan Consolidated Industries (BCI). BCI is the manufacturer of "Union Cement". In 2004, BCI was sold to Holcim
Cement.
On June 18, 1960, the La Union Agricultural School (now the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
) was established. Nestling at the foot of the mountains of Barangay Sapilang, the agricultural school progressed and was later named Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. Its campus occupies an area of about 6 square kilometers.
Ambassador Erlinda Fadera-Basilio: Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. She was elected as the first woman Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council. She also holds the position of Undersecretary for Policy at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. She is a founding member of the English Speaking Union (ESU), Philippines Chapter.
Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres: The longest-serving university president of Ateneo de Manila University; member of the board of trustees of Georgetown University, Regis University, the Asian Institute of Management (where he sits as Vice-Chair), and other colleges and universities in the Philippines. Founding President of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines in 1972; one of the founding officers of the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society (SEAMS) also in 1972.
Dr. Augusto A. Litonjua: Founder and first Filipino president of Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO, 1994). He is called the father of Philippine Endocrinology.
Fr. Adolfo N. Dacanay, S.J.: The chair of the Theology Department of the Ateneo de Manila University and a member of the Society of Jesus. He is also an officer of the Canon Law Society of the Philippines.
La Unión
La Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 38,743 people in 7,183 households.
Ilocano is the language spoken. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
are the languages used in government and business while English is the medium of instruction in the schools.
Economic activities in Bacnotan mostly involve farming, fishing, bee-keeping, pebble extraction, tourism and Portland cement manufacture. Bacnotan is the seat of the beekeeping industry in La Union. A mining engineer from Bacnotan who saw the limestone deposits in Dumarang (renamed Quirino) also saw deposits of coal and traces of gas.
Schools in Bacnotan include the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
The Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, more often referred to by the acronym "DMMMSU" is the state university serving the province of La Union in the Philippines. Its main campus is in Bacnotan, La Union. It was created by former president Ferdinand Marcos by using Presidential Decree...
, the North Provincial High School (now Bacnotan National High School), the Bacnotan Elementary School, other elementary schools located in various barangays, and a prep school operated by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Bacnotan.
Barangays
Bacnotan is politically subdivided into 47 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s. Below is a list of these barangays and their respective populations as of 2007.
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Geography and climate
Bacnotan is located at 120°17'E 16°42'N. It is bounded on the north by BalaoanBalaoan, La Union
Balaoan is a 1st class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 36,829 people in 6,557 households.The dominant language spoken in Balaoan is Ilocano.-Barangays:...
, on the east by San Gabriel
San Gabriel, La Union
San Gabriel is a 5th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 15,803 people in 2,830 households...
, on the south by San Juan
San Juan, La Union
San Juan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 32,952 people in 5,950 households.-Barangays:San Juan is politically subdivided into 41 barangays.* Allangigan* Aludaid...
, and on the west by the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
.
The western side of Bacnotan faces the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and has a long stretch of black sand beaches, indicating a large amount of magnetite. Some portions of the seashore have pebble and limestone deposits. The beaches stretching about 16 kilometers are suitable for fishing, boating, swimming, snorkeling, diving and surfing.
Although San Juan is a favorite place among serious surfers, the waves in Quirino have been discovered to be likewise excellent for surfing.
The Baroro River, located at the southern boundary of Bacnotan, provides fresh water fishing, aquaculture farming and recreation.
Climate in Bacnotan is dry from November to May and wet from mid-May to October. The southwest monsoon brings an abundant rainfall experienced during the wet season. The relatively dry season is caused by the northeast monsoon passing over the Cordillera Mountain Range. Average temperature is 27.21 °C.
History
The town of Bacnotan was formally founded in 1599 as part of Ilocos SurIlocos Sur
Ilocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...
. In 1785, during the administration of the Governor-General Jose Basco, Bacnotan became a part of Pangasinan
Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
. When La Union
La Unión
La Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...
was created in 1850, Bacnotan was one of the 12 towns that formed the province.
In the past, Bacnotan was only a vast expanse of wilderness inhabited by natives with a rudimentary form of government. There was a time when it was ruled by a despotic chieftain who had absolute control over all his constituents. Disobedience to his directives meant severe flogging of the culprit. After several years under the tyrannical rule of the chieftain, the people successfully overthrew him and flogged their chieftain to death. The word "basnutan" means "flog" in the local dialect, and become a byword among the inhabitants, hence the name of the town. During the Spanish period, the name of the town was changed from "basnutan" to "Bacnotan" as shown by documents which are still kept intact at the National Archives in Manila.
The town's history is linked with the deeds of heroic men who fought, bled, and died for their own native land. At the turn of the century, during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, Dumarang (now known as Quirino), was a scene of carnage and plunder.
In December 1941, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the first organized resistance against the Japanese invaders that landed in the north in their advance southward to Manila was at Barrios Baroro and Bacsil.
On January 4, 1945, the tides of war changed in La Union as Filipino and American soldiers captured in Baroro Bridge in the town of Bacnotan, a strategic bridge that connects the rest of Northern Luzon to San Fernando. The victory ensured the liberation of La Union by joint Filipino and American troops at the end in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was followed by the historic Battle of San Fernando and Bacsil Bridge.
After the war, Bacnotan became the provisional seat of provincial government. San Fernando
San Fernando City, La Union
The City of San Fernando in La Union is a 1st class component city in the Philippines. It is the capital city of La Union and the regional center of the Ilocos Region...
was then in ruins. As a consequence of this transfer, the La Union National High School was also moved to Bacnotan. When things went back to normal, the provincial government was again moved to San Fernando and the La Union National High School followed afterwards. The transfer of the provincial high school in Bacnotan resulted in the establishment of the North Provincial High School (now Bacnotan National High School.)
In 1949, the vast mineral deposits of limestone used in portland cement
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
production were noticed in Barrio Dumarang (now Quirino) by a mining engineer who was then a municipal councilor at that time. Because of the desire to create economic activity, the municipal council, through the efforts of this mining engineer, invited potential investors to set up a Portland cement plant. Within a year, a cement plant called Cebu Portland Cement (CEPOC), was established. On May 11, 1957, the CEPOC, a government-owned corporation, was sold to the privately-owned Bacnotan Consolidated Industries (BCI). BCI is the manufacturer of "Union Cement". In 2004, BCI was sold to Holcim
Holcim
Holcim is a Swiss-based global company supplying cement and aggregates . The company also supplies ready-mix concrete and asphalt including associated construction services.-Holcim Group:...
Cement.
On June 18, 1960, the La Union Agricultural School (now the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
The Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, more often referred to by the acronym "DMMMSU" is the state university serving the province of La Union in the Philippines. Its main campus is in Bacnotan, La Union. It was created by former president Ferdinand Marcos by using Presidential Decree...
) was established. Nestling at the foot of the mountains of Barangay Sapilang, the agricultural school progressed and was later named Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. Its campus occupies an area of about 6 square kilometers.
Notable personalities from Bacnotan
Bacnotan has produced notable personalities in various endeavors. Some of them are as follows:Ambassador Erlinda Fadera-Basilio: Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. She was elected as the first woman Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council. She also holds the position of Undersecretary for Policy at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. She is a founding member of the English Speaking Union (ESU), Philippines Chapter.
- Among the honors she has received include the DFA Ladies Foundation Award in 1997; Outstanding Sigma Alphan Award in 2004; outstanding Zambaleno award by the Union Zambaleno during its Centennial celebration in 2006; the Gawad Mabini Award with the rank of Grand Cross conferred by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs in 2007; the Order of Lakandula conferred to her by the President of the Philippines in 2007, and the Order of Sikatuna, rank of Datu (gold distinction) conferred to her by the President of the Philippines in June 2010.
- She is a resident of Raois and a product of Bacnotan Elementary School (1951–1957), the North Provincial High School (1957–1960), and the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City (1965 and 1990).
Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres: The longest-serving university president of Ateneo de Manila University; member of the board of trustees of Georgetown University, Regis University, the Asian Institute of Management (where he sits as Vice-Chair), and other colleges and universities in the Philippines. Founding President of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines in 1972; one of the founding officers of the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society (SEAMS) also in 1972.
- In 2011, the president of the Philippines conferred on Fr. Nebres the rank and title of National Scientist for his outstanding contributions to the development of science and mathematics education. The title of national scientist is considered the highest honor given to a scientist in the Philippines.
- He is a resident of Poblacion and studied at the Bacnotan Elementary School, and then moved to Christ the King College in San Fernando, La Union.
Dr. Augusto A. Litonjua: Founder and first Filipino president of Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO, 1994). He is called the father of Philippine Endocrinology.
- He was born and raised in Poblacion and is a product of the University of the Philippines and Harvard.
Fr. Adolfo N. Dacanay, S.J.: The chair of the Theology Department of the Ateneo de Manila University and a member of the Society of Jesus. He is also an officer of the Canon Law Society of the Philippines.