According to legends, there was a young widow who was known for her beauty. Her stunning looks captured the attention of the entire town, and they began to call her “BALUN-UGAW,” which means “young widower.” The name eventually evolved into Balungao, which is the current name of the town.
Balungao was originally named Panaclaban and was a part of Cuyapo town in Nueva Ecija. Later in the 19th century, the town was ceded to the town of Rosales, Pangasinan. In 1815, Balungao became an independent municipality officially.
It is situated in the southeast portion of Pangasinan province and is a part of the sixth congressional district. Balungao has a land area of 7,325 hectares and a population of 30,004, according to the 2020 census.
Mt. Balungao is a popular tourist destination located just five kilometers away from the town proper. The Balungao Hilltop Adventure offers leisure activities such as ATV driving, paintball, wall climbing, and trekking. Balungao is also home to northern Luzon’s longest zipline, which gives tourists a 360-degree view of the scenic Mt. Balungao.
Balungao is renowned for its lucrative chevon and goat-raising industry and has been celebrating the Goat Festival since its inception in 2006. Other notable products from Balungao include rice, corn, other livestock, and poultry.
Officials
Mayor
Maria Theresa Peralta
Vice Mayor
Philipp Peralta
Councilors
John Willie Mina
Jose Peralta
Darius Nava
Bating Ligero
Gerry Luna
Crisanto Luna
Roderick Soriano
Roozemond Peralta
