Binalonan, Pangasinan
Encyclopedia
Binalonan is a municipality
geographically located in the province of Pangasinan
in the Philippines
. At present it is becoming one of the province’s top producers of rice grains
(palay) and mangoes. The town is known for its rich history rooted in oral traditions of folklore
. One of Binalonan's prides is the famed Filipino-American writer Carlos Bulosan
, who wrote brief descriptions of the town’s history and people in his semi-autobiographical novel entitled America is in the Heart
. The town has a memorial and street named after him just north of the municipal hall and town market. It is also the hometown of Evangelina de la Cruz Macaraeg Macapagal
, spouse of 9th President
Diosdado Macapagal
, and mother of 14th President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
.
", 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 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.
. 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.
s.
. 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 approximately 59 kilometres (36.7 mi) away from Lingayen
and 193 kilometres (119.9 mi) from Manila
.
there are about 52,722 residents in Binalonan, or about 10,774 households. The estimated annual growth rate is at 1.010611077. The population density is 6.28.
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.
Garbage is disposed of through burning.
Municipalities of the Philippines
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit...
geographically located in the province 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,...
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...
. At present it is becoming one of the province’s top producers of rice grains
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
(palay) and mangoes. The town is known for its rich history rooted in oral traditions of folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. One of Binalonan's prides is the famed Filipino-American writer Carlos Bulosan
Carlos Bulosan
Also known as Julius Zafra , a Filipino, an English-language novelist and poet who spent most of his life in the United States, and is best known for the semi-autobiographical America Is in the Heart.-Life and career:Carlos Bulosan was born to Ilocano parents in...
, who wrote brief descriptions of the town’s history and people in his semi-autobiographical novel entitled America is in the Heart
America Is in the Heart
America Is in the Heart, sometimes subtitled A Personal History, is a 1946 semi-autobiographical novel written by Filipino American immigrant poet, fiction writer, short story teller, and activist, Carlos Bulosan...
. The town has a memorial and street named after him just north of the municipal hall and town market. It is also the hometown of Evangelina de la Cruz Macaraeg Macapagal
Eva Macapagal
Dr. Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal was the second wife of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal, the ninth First Lady of the Philippines, and the mother of former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.She is notable for combining simplicity with graceful elegance during her term as the...
, spouse of 9th President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Pangan Macapagal was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970...
, and mother of 14th President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
.
Brief history
According to historians, the town's name is an evolution of the Ilocano term balon, which means "packed lunchPacked lunch
thumb|A typical American bagged lunchthumb|[[Bento]] packed lunchA packed lunch is a lunch prepared at home and carried to be eaten somewhere else, such as school, a workplace, or at an outing...
", or in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, 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
Ilocos
Ilocos collectively refers to two provinces in the Philippines: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Inhabitants are called Ilocanos and they speak the language Iloko, also called Ilocano.The Ilocos Region, containing four provinces, is named after 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 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.
The meaning of the municipal seal
The topmost structure depicted on the municipal seal is an image of the municipality's Municipal HallCity hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. Below it on the left is a depiction of the antenna of Digital Communications
Digital Telecommunications Philippines
Digital Telecommunications Phils., Inc. , commonly known as Digitel, is the second-largest fixed-line and the third-largest mobile telecommunications company in the Philippines...
, the center of communications for Regions
Regions of the Philippines
In the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into 17 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
Domestic pig
The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
. 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
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, which is the main ingredient
Ingredient
An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture . For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial products contain a secret ingredient that is purported to make them better than competing products...
for Binalonan's top products — basi
Basi
Basi is a fermented alcoholic beverage made of sugarcane produced in the Philippines and Guyana.- Philippines :]]Basi is the local beverage of Ilocos in northern Luzon in San Ildefonso where it has been consumed since before the Spanish conquest. In the Philippines, commercial basi is produced by...
, suka and muskuvado
Muscovado
Muscovado is a type of unrefined brown sugar with a strong molasses flavor.Also known as "Barbados sugar" or "moist sugar", muscovado is very dark brown and slightly coarser and stickier than most brown sugars. Muscovado takes its flavor and color from its source, sugarcane juice. It offers good...
(brown sugar). The shield encasing these images means that Binalonan is under the province of Pangasinan.
Barangays
Binalonan is politically subdivided into 24 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s.
- Balangobong
- Bued
- Bugayong
- Camangaan
- Canarvacanan
- Capas
- Cili
- Dumayat
- Linmansangan
- Mangcasuy
- Moreno
- Pasileng Norte
- Pasileng Sur
- Poblacion
- San Felipe Central
- San Felipe Sur
- San Pablo
- Santa Catalina
- Santa Maria Norte
- Santiago
- Santo Niño
- Sumabnit
- Tabuyoc
- Vacante
Location
Binalonan is located in the eastern part of the province of PangasinanPangasinan
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,...
. The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Pozorrubio
Pozorrubio
Pozorrubio is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 446 inhabitants....
and Sison
Sison, Pangasinan
Sison is a 3rd class and northernmost municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 42,791 people in 8,015 households.-Geography:...
, on the south by Urdaneta
Urdaneta City
Urdaneta City is a 1st class city in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 120,785 people in 22,908 households....
, on the east by San Manuel
San Manuel, Pangasinan
San Manuel is a 2nd class municipality in the eastern part province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 46,769 people in 8,644 households.-Barangays:San Manuel is politically subdivided into 14 barangays....
and Asingan
Asingan, Pangasinan
Asingan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 54,092 people in 10,499 households.It is the hometown of President Fidel V. Ramos, the 12th President of the Philippines....
and on the west by Laoac
Laoac, Pangasinan
Laoac is a 4th class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,266 people in 5,449 households.-Barangays:Laoac is politically subdivided into 22 barangays.*Anis*Balligi*Banuar...
.
It is approximately 59 kilometres (36.7 mi) away from Lingayen
Lingayen, Pangasinan
Lingayen is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the capital municipality and the seat of government of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, it has a population of 95,773 people in 16,467 households.Lingayen...
and 193 kilometres (119.9 mi) 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,...
.
Land classification
The municipality's total land area, estimated at 8400 hectare, 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.Demographics
According to the 2007 Philippines censusPhilippines census
The Philippines census is a regularly occurring and official count of the human population of a certain local administrative unit in the Philippines...
there are about 52,722 residents in Binalonan, or about 10,774 households. The estimated annual growth rate is at 1.010611077. The population density is 6.28.
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.
Population by barangay (2007 Census)
| Barangay | Population | Number of households |
|---|---|---|
| Balangobong | 1,493 | 332 |
| Bued | 2,745 | 467 |
| Camangaan | 1,074 | 245 |
| Canarvacanan | 2,064 | 361 |
| Capas | 1,950 | 378 |
| Cili | 1,948 | 429 |
| Dumayat | 1,182 | 247 |
| Linmansangan | 3,629 | 770 |
| Mangcasuy | 1,380 | 309 |
| Moreno | 1,657 | 358 |
| Pasileng Norte | 642 | 136 |
| Pasileng Sur | 1,377 | 299 |
| Poblacion | 7,634 | 1,059 |
| San Felipe Central | 2,074 | 474 |
| San Felipe Sur | 1,843 | 391 |
| San Pablo | 1,660 | 361 |
| Sta. Catalina | 2,782 | 590 |
| Sta. Maria Norte | 2,406 | 518 |
| Santiago | 1,290 | 282 |
| Sto. Nino | 1,486 | 389 |
| Sumabnit | 4,388 | 772 |
| Tabuyoc | 1,338 | 257 |
| Vacante | 1,780 | 328 |
Education (SY 2009 to 2009)
| Elementary | Secondary | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of schools | ||
| Government | 22 | 6 |
| Private | 6 | 2 |
| Total enrollment | ||
| Government | 7,376 | 3,729 |
| Private | 919 | 113 |
| Number of teachers | 287 | 169 |
| Number of classrooms | 295 | 109 |
Health and nutrition
| Number | Bed capacity | |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals | ||
| Private | 3 | 33 |
| Rural Health Unit/Center | 8 | |
| Barangay Health Stations | 24 | |
| Malnutrition Rate | 9.06 | |
| Severely Underweight | 1.17 | |
| Moderately Underweight | 7.88 | |
| No. of Day Care Worker | 29 | |
| No. of Day Care Center | 29 | |
| No. of Day Care Children | 544 | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 51% |
Toilet facilities and garbage disposal
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.