Balaoan, La Union
Encyclopedia
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.
s.
, west of Luna
and Santol
on the east. Located 30 kilometers north of San Fernando City
, the provincial capital of La Union
and the regional capital of Region I. Balaoan is approximately 300 kilometers north of Metro Manila
. Balaoan has one of the pristine coastal town of La Union
facing the Luzon Sea which is Paraoir. This barangay
is situated between Luna
and Bacnotan boundary
which is detached from the municipality
.
Balaoan can be reached from Manila
using the MacArthur Highway
, or via plane landing in Canaoay Airport in San Fernando City
.
The vast land area of 6,450 hectares consists mostly of agricultural lands. The municipality occupies 4.3% of the total area of the province.
. The town's present name originated during the Spanish colonial era. A group of Spanish soldiers were on patrol and went on to rest on a sitio. The villagers were curious about the soldiers because of their unusual descent and fair skin color. They flocked the soldiers touching their guns, too afraid that the guns might explode accidentally, one villager asked the soldier in a local vernacular.. "Aoan bala?" (meaning "No bullets?"). The soldier did not understand what the villager meant, he uttered the last word first, and remembering the last, he said "Bala-aoan".
During the Spanish occupation in the Philippines
, a secret society of insurectos was organized in the municipality. Its purpose was to fight and revolt against the Spanish Government in the area. On the eve of the revolution, a traitor told the Spanish of their plan. The Spanish soldiers, without any investigation arrested seven members of the secret society, and executed them the same night.
One escaped with only leg wounds, he was Fernando Ostrea. He informed the people about what has happened. In memory of the seven Martyrs, a masonic lodge, Siete Martires Lodge No. 177, was organized.
Balaoan is one of the oldest municipalities in La Union, having been founded in 1704. Its first Capitan is Ignacio Duldulao.
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 latest census, it has a population of 36,829 people in 6,557 households.
The dominant language spoken in Balaoan is Ilocano.
Barangays
Balaoan is politically subdivided into 36 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s.
|
|
|
Geography
Balaoan is situated north of Bacnotan, south of BangarBangar
Bangar may refer to* Bangarh, India, a caste of jats and Ad Dharmi residing in North India* Bangar, Brunei, a town in Brunei* Bangar, La Union, a municipality in the Philippines* Bangar, an alluvial soil type in North India and Pakistan...
, west of Luna
Luna, La Union
Luna is a 3rd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 35,372 people in 6,561 households.-Barangays:Luna is politically subdivided into 40 barangays.* Alcala* Ayaoan...
and Santol
Santol
Santol may refer to:* Santol , a tropical fruit* Santol, La Union, a municipality in the Philippines* Santol, Quezon City, a barangay in the Philippines* an alternative name for Orobol, an isoflavone...
on the east. Located 30 kilometers north of San Fernando City
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...
, the provincial capital of 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...
and the regional capital of Region I. Balaoan is approximately 300 kilometers north of Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. Balaoan has one of the pristine coastal town of 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...
facing the Luzon Sea which is Paraoir. This barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
is situated between Luna
Luna, La Union
Luna is a 3rd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 35,372 people in 6,561 households.-Barangays:Luna is politically subdivided into 40 barangays.* Alcala* Ayaoan...
and Bacnotan boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
which is detached from the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
.
Balaoan can be reached from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
using the MacArthur Highway
MacArthur Highway
The MacArthur Highway, formerly the Manila North Road, is a two to six-lane highway in the Philippines that stretches from Caloocan City to La Union, passing through Metro Manila and the provinces of Central Luzon and the Ilocos Region...
, or via plane landing in Canaoay Airport in San Fernando City
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...
.
The vast land area of 6,450 hectares consists mostly of agricultural lands. The municipality occupies 4.3% of the total area of the province.
History
Balaoan, formerly "Puraw" (meaning "white') was originally 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...
. The town's present name originated during the Spanish colonial era. A group of Spanish soldiers were on patrol and went on to rest on a sitio. The villagers were curious about the soldiers because of their unusual descent and fair skin color. They flocked the soldiers touching their guns, too afraid that the guns might explode accidentally, one villager asked the soldier in a local vernacular.. "Aoan bala?" (meaning "No bullets?"). The soldier did not understand what the villager meant, he uttered the last word first, and remembering the last, he said "Bala-aoan".
During the Spanish occupation in the 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...
, a secret society of insurectos was organized in the municipality. Its purpose was to fight and revolt against the Spanish Government in the area. On the eve of the revolution, a traitor told the Spanish of their plan. The Spanish soldiers, without any investigation arrested seven members of the secret society, and executed them the same night.
One escaped with only leg wounds, he was Fernando Ostrea. He informed the people about what has happened. In memory of the seven Martyrs, a masonic lodge, Siete Martires Lodge No. 177, was organized.
Balaoan is one of the oldest municipalities in La Union, having been founded in 1704. Its first Capitan is Ignacio Duldulao.
Festivities
The patron saint of the town is St. Nicholas of Tolentino, whose feast day is celebrated on September. Balaoan's town fiesta is celebrated every December 21 to 23 of the year.Elementary
- Almeida Elementary School
- Apatut Elementary School (Apatut, Balaoan)
- Ar-arampang Elementary School (Ar- Arampang,Balaoan)
- Balaoan Central Elementary School (Antonino and Cabua-an, Balaoan)
- Balaoan Christian Foundation (Nalasin, Balaoan)
- Bulbulala Elementary School (Bulbulala, Balaoan)
- Bungol Elementary School (Bungol, Balaoan)
- Butubut Elementary School (Butubut Sur, Balaoan)
- Butubut Norte Elementary School (Butubut Norte, Balaoan)
- Calliat Elementary School (Calliat, Balaoan)
- Guinaburan Elementary School (Guinaburan, Balaoan)
- Masupe Elementary School (Masupe, Balaoan)
- Nagsabaran Sur Elementary School (Nsgsabaran Sur, Balaoan)
- Osias Educational Foundation (Dr. Camilo Osias, Balaoan)
- Pantar Community School (Pantar Norte, Balaoan)
- Pantar Sur Elementary School (Pantar Sur, Balaoan)
- Paraoir Elementary School (Paraoir, Balaoan)
- Patpata Elementary School (Patpata, Balaoan)
- San Nicolas Academy (Dr. Camilo Osias, Nalasin and Antonino, Balaoan)
- Sinapangan National High School (Sinapangan Norte, Balaoan)
- Sinapangan Norte Elementary School (Sinapangan Norte, Balaoan)
- Sinapangan Sur Elementary School (Sinapangan Sur, Balaoan)
- Bungol National High School (Bungol, Balaoan)
- Butubut National High School (Butubut Norte, Balaoan)
- Castor Z. Concepcion Memorial National High School (Nalasin and Antonino, Balaoan)
- Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University National High School (Paraoir, Balaoan)
Notable Balaoanians
- Camilo OsiasCamilo OsíasCamilo Osías was a Filipino politician, twice for a short time President of the Senate of the Philippines....
, Senator. Attended school in Balaoan, Vigan, San Fernando, and was appointed government student to the United States in 1905; graduate of the Western Illinois State Teachers College at Macomb in 1908; attended the University of Chicago, in 1906 and 1907; graduated from Columbia University in New York City, and from the Teachers College of New York City in 1910; first Filipino superintendent of schools in 1915 and 1916; assistant director of education 1917-1921; member of the first Philippine mission to the United States in 1919 and 1920; lecturer at the University of the Philippines 1919-1921; president of the National University 1921-1936; elected a member of the Philippine Senate in 1925; elected as a Resident Commissioner to the United States in 1928; reelected in 1931 and served from March 4, 1929, until January 3, 1935, when his term expired; member of the Constitutional Convention in 1934; member of the first National Assembly in 1935; member of the Economic Mission to the United States in 1939; chairman of Educational Mission 1938-1941; chairman of National Council of Education in 1941; director of publicity and propaganda until January 1942; chairman of National Cooperative Administration in 1941; subsequently assistant commissioner of the Department of Education, Health, and Public Welfare, then Minister of Education of the Philippines until 1945; chancellor of Osias Colleges; elected to the Philippine Senate in 1947 for the term expiring in 1953; served as minority and majority floor leader and then elected president of the Philippine Senate; Philippine representative to the Interparliamentary Union in Rome and to the International Trade Conference in Genoa in 1948; elected to the Philippine Senate, 1961-1967, and served as president pro tempore; a resident of Mandaluyong, Rizal, Philippines, until his death in Manila on May 20, 1976.
- Magnolia Welborn Antonino, Senator. Born December 14, 1915, in Balaoan, La Union, Philippines, was a Senator of the Philippines. The daughter of George Welborn and Hipolita Rodriguez, she was married to Gaudencio Antonino, also a Senator.
- Marcy ArellanoMarcy ArellanoMarcelino Arellano also known as Marcy Arellano is a professional basketball player from Philippines. He is currently on the reserved list of the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association . From 2005-2009, he played in the Philippine Basketball League...
, Professional Basketbal player, PBA