District: 6th District

After a plentiful harvest, the locals and visitors from other towns gathered to celebrate with so much food and drinks that a man exclaimed: “Peace be with us for the Blessings of the Almighty God come to us. Abundance is with us and the turmoil has finished”. The people rejoice as they yell “Yes, yes disorder has ceased”. In Ilocano, the expression translates to “Wen, wen, nagsardingen iti panagdakdakes, ti riribuk ti Inmingan”. The visitors who know nothing about the local dialect were confused but also joined the celebration and shouted “Umingan”.

Settlers from other towns and provinces immigrated to Umingan forming villages and barangays. There are no official records as to when the municipality was founded but some historians believe that the town of Umingan was established in the 1880s.

Umingan is part of the sixth congressional district. It has a total land area of 25,853 hectares and a population of 77,074 people according to the 2020 census.

An agricultural town, Umingan dedicates much of its land to farming and livestock and poultry industry. Crops like rice, corn, and root crops as well as fruits and vegetables make up a huge chunk of the town’s produce.

There are several points of interest that tourists can go to when visiting Umingan. The enchanting waterfalls of Mt. Amoring, Carasacas, and Paksayan are among the main spots to visit.

Officials

Mayor
Michael Carleone Cruz

Vice Mayor
Chris Evert Tadeo-Leynes

Councilors
Jonathan Navalta
Cesario Galleguez
Fred Fernandez
Maya Membrere
Alain Jermen Rabang
Ponciano Onia
Mar Lee Non Sonaco
Jay Ar. Paz

The town of Tayug got its unique name from the Ilocano word “layug” as there was once a towering bacayao at the center of the town. The tree was so tall and imposing that the locals started to call it “layug”. As the locals struggle to pronounce the letter “L”, they decided to change it to the letter “T”. Hence, the town’s current name Tayug.

First formed as a town in the Province of Nueva Ecija on February 4, 1817, Tayug was ceded to Pangasinan in 1837 until it was again incorporated with Nueva Ecija in 1851. The town was finally ceded to Pangasinan for the last time in 1864 after decades of uncertainty.

Tayug is part of the sixth congressional district neighboring the towns of San Manuel and San Nicolas to the North, Natividad to the east, Asingan and Santa Maria to the west, and San Quintin to the south.

Tayug is an agricultural municipality producing commercial crops, livestock, and poultry.

The Tayug Eco Park, a popular destination among locals was founded in 2017. The town features a sunflower maze, considered to be the first of its kind in the country. Aside from sunflowers, the park features different varieties of flowers and vegetables that add to the unique ambiance of the place.

Officials

Mayor
Tyrone Agabas

Vice Mayor
Lorna Tacdol

Councilors
Maritess Aldoc
Michael Dy
Madilyn Ramirez
Magdalena Mangelen
Henry Wards Aquino
Noel Fernando Bince
Samuel Manzano
Clarissa Calimlim

Named after the Virgin Mary, the town’s Patron Saint, Santa Maria was founded on January 10, 1855, until it was incorporated into the town of Tayug. The town was briefly established as a town in 1863 but was later absorbed by Tayug due to financial constraints.

In 1877, the people of Santa Maria applied for separation from Tayug and the establishment of a new independent town. The petition was granted establishing Santa Maria as a municipality headed by Captain Eugenio Vinluan. In 1903, Santa Maria was once again incorporated with Tayug but gained its independence once again four years later in 1907.

Santa Maria is part of the sixth congressional district bordering the towns of Asingan and Tayug to the north, Balungao to the south, San Quintin to the east, and Villasis to the west. The town has a total land area of 6,950 hectares and a population of 34,220 people according to the 2020 census.

Santa Maria is an agricultural town with rice as its main product. The town also produces corn, vegetables, and native fruits. Industries such as livestock and poultry farms also operate in the town.

Officials

Mayor
Julius Ramos

Vice Mayor
Teodoro Ramos

Councilors
Antonio Cantoria
Kash Mikhail Ginez
Sarah Navarro
Elvis Oria
Robert Ginez
Noela Manicdo
Moises Hortaleza
Gian Franco Ginez

The start of the 18th century saw the migration of Christian settlers from La Union and Ilocos Sur to the land we now know as San Quintin. Before the arrival of the Christians, the land was dominated by a tribe called “Ubilaos”, a group notorious for their cannibalistic nature. Due to the migration of other groups, the tribe was forced to relocate deeper into the forest, a settlement they called Lango-lango. In due time, harmony was restored as the tribe and settlers started trading with each other further accelerating the economic growth of Lango-lango. The settlement became a barrio of the town of Umingan as a result.

In 1861, through the initiative of  Don Quintin Lictawa, called for a “Great Conference” that was attended by various leaders to ask the Spanish regime to establish the barrio as an independent town to be named San Quintin. In 1863, a Spanish decree was enacted giving birth to the municipality of San Quintin.

San Quintin is part of the sixth congressional district. It has a total land area of 11,590 hectares and a population of 33,980 people according to the 2020 census.

An agricultural town, a huge chunk of the population is involved in farming. San Quintin produces rice, onions, corn, and vegetables as its main crops. the town also produces pork, beef, and poultry products.

One major attraction in San Quintin is the spectacular Dipalo River Park, tucked within the Caraballo Mountain Range that abuts the beginnings of the Nueva Ecija plains. Visitors frolic to the place to dip into the pristine and cool river water and go upstream to several waterfalls like Katukakan Falls, Dipalo Falls, and Kalipkip Falls.

Officials

Mayor
Florence Tiu

Vice Mayor
Orlando Calimlim

Councilors
John Valiente
Clifford Gerard Tiu
Alexi Rinoso Viado
Geoff Emerson Chiu
Farah Lee Lumahan
Ariel Ferreria
Rosemarie Dela Cruz
Napoleon Co

The area that we now know as San Nicolas was inhabited by settlers even before the establishment of the town itself. Several accounts of Spanish Missionaries confirmed the existence of different groups in the area. The growing population of the settlement attracted the Spanish to establish its presence and embark on several missionaries works to spread Christianity among the locals. The presence of religious missions spurred the development of the settlement as roads were paved to make the area easily accessible to outsiders.

The migration of Ilocano people from nearby towns made it possible for local political and church leaders to initiate the establishment of a pueblo that will be part of Commandancia Politico Militar de Nueva Ecija under the province of Pampanga. The town was ceded to the Province of Pangasinan on May 3, 1817. Several series of events resulted in the re-incorporation of the San Nicolas to Nueva Ecija until its eventual return under Pangasinan’s jurisdiction in 1902.

This agricultural town in the eastern part of the province has vast land areas planted with kawayan or bamboo. The townsfolk convert their produce into home decor, cabinets, furniture, and others. Bamboo poles are also being sold to fishermen for their fishponds and fish pens.

To give honor to its lucrative livelihood, the local government unit launched the Kawayan Festival’ in 2014 which became an annual festivity that coincides with the town’s feast of St. Nicholas, its patron saint.

One thing that makes San Nicolas popular is the breathtaking site of Malico, a mountain village nestled on top of the Caraballo Mountains which can be reached thru land travel in hardly 1.5 hours from the town proper. The rehabilitation of the 22.3-kilometer Pangasinan segment of the Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya Road, also known as the Villa Verde trail made Brgy. Malico more accessible to visitors from the province.

Officials

Mayor
Alicia Enriquez

Vice Mayor
Alvin Bravo

Councilors
Maricon Vindy Operana
Francisco Bravo
Jairus Thom Dulay
Amorsolo Pulido
Pedrelito Bibat
Jose Serquina
Rosewill De Castro
Leomar Saldivar

The town of San Manuel was named after its founder Don Manuel Sequig. He is the leader of the first settlers of the town who first explored the area. The first convent was built in 1688 followed by a church a few years later. Both structures were burned down in 1720 due to the locals’ superstitions. The locals started to abandon the site of its former Poblacion called Pau (now known as Curibetbet) resulting in its fusion with the town of Asingan.

The locals moved to a place called Guiset, San Manuel’s old name that resulted in its separation from Asingan in 1860. However, due to financial constraints, San San Manuel was absorbed once again by Asingan for a brief period from 1903 to 1907.

San Manuel is part of the sixth congressional district. it has a total land area of 12,918 hectares and a population of 54,271 people according to the 2020 census.

One notable infrastructure located in San Manuel is the San Roque dam, the largest dam in the Philippines and 16th in the world. Aside from irrigation and power generation, the dam also provides protection to the low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. Tourists also visit the dam to take a glimpse of its towering concrete structure.

Aside from massive taxes collected from San Roque Multi-Purpose Power Plant that transformed San Manuel into a first-class municipality, agricultural production, livestock, and poultry is also a major contributor to its economy.

Officials

Mayor
Kenneth Marco Perez

Vice Mayor
Alain Jerico Perez

Councilors
Antonio Perez
Mario Farro
Rolando Moises
Milton Abades
Daisy Barrameda
Fernando Cauton
Ruiz Carl De Leon
Danicar Sabater

Thought to be named after a flower called “rosal” or rose as it was once abundant in the area, Spanish historical records show that the town of Rosales was actually named in honor of Don Antonio Rosales Liberal, the Consejero de Filipinas en el Ministro de Ultramar or the Foreign Affairs Minister of the country at the time. Rosales was established as a municipality through a Royal Decree on March 16, 1852.

Rosales is a junction town bordering the towns and provinces of Villasis to the north, the Province of Nueva Ecija to the south, Balungao to the east, and Santo Tomas and Tarlac Province to the west. It is part of the sixth congressional district. Rosales has a total land area of 6,639 hectares and a population of 66,711 people according to the 2020 census.

Rosales is the birthplace of the National Artist and world-renowned novelist Francisco Sionil José. He was given the National Artist of the Philippines for Literature award in 2001. José used Rosales as the setting for several of his work which includes the 5 – novels  Series Rosales Saga.

Tinapa (smoked fish) is a prime product of Rosales town. In fact, the “tinapa industry” has been a source of livelihood for most families in Carmen West village for over 50 years ago. To commemorate the tinapa-making industry of the town, a festival was launched in 2015 and celebrated in time for Independence Day every month of June. Over the years, the celebration evolved and was highlighted with curtain-raiser events like ‘tinapa prepared in kawa’  or tinapa cooked for boodle fight.

Officials

Mayor
William Cezar

Vice Mayor
Susan Casareno

Councilors
Anafeil Marie Lauraya
Joselito Carino
Christopher Conrad Coloma
Emwil Monje
Alvin Bince
Harry Bernabe
Enrique Cosue
Edita Quiambao

There are two different accounts of how the town of Natividad got its name. The first version was that the Name arose from the birth or nativity of the town itself while the other version was that the municipality of Natividad was named after its Patroness Saint, Nuestra Senora de Natividad.

Before its eventual establishment as a municipality, Natividad was a collection of barrios and sitios from other eastern towns of San Quintin San Nicolas, and Tayug. Due to its fast-growing population brought about by settlers from other neighboring provinces, plans were made to convert Natividad into an independent municipality. That dream was realized when Act 371 of the Philippine Commission was enacted on March 7, 1902, establishing the municipality of Natividad.

Natividad is part of the sixth congressional district. it has a total land area of 13,436 hectares and a population of 25,771 people according to the 2020 census. Natividad is the easternmost town in Pangasinan bordering the towns of San Nicolas to the north, San Quintin to the south, Tayug to the west, and the municipality of Carranglan in the province of Nueva Ecija.

Being an agricultural town, many locals are involved in farming with rice as its main product followed by fish, livestock, and poultry farming. To complement its rice production, several private entities established rice mills in the area, serving the farmers of Natividad and its neighboring towns.

One major attraction is the Maranum Falls located in Bachelor East, Natividad, Pangasinan. As the name suggests,  Maranum Falls, which translates to “much water” never dries up even during the summer months. Another attraction is the newly built Sky Plaza, an ecotourism pilgrimage park situated 1,108 meters above sea level. The park features a grotto of the Virgin Mary, a 30-foot Holy Cross, and a 40-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer called “Ayat ni Apo Jesus” or “God’s Love”.

Officials

Mayor
Rosita Rafael

Vice Mayor
Rodrigo Rafael

Councilors
Ma. Luisa Supnet
Carlota Supnet
Betha Fe De Guzman
Manuelito Noveda
Frederick Zaragoza
Pablo Malla
Tirso Danipog
Edgar Acosta
Marinila M. Magarro- Liga President
Angelica D. Malaca- SKF President

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

When the Dominican Missionaries arrived in Caboloan, which is considered to be the early foundation of Pangasinan, they established various missions throughout the Wangdom to spread Christianity to their newly acquired territories. One of these missions is now located in Asingan.

The name Asingan was given by the Spaniards who arrived in the village and found the locals to be hostile and antagonistic towards them. Due to the combative attitude of the residents, the Spaniards named the area “Villa de Asingan,” which translates to “hostile,” and was later shortened to Asingan. In 1782, a Spanish Royal Decree was issued creating the Municipality of Asingan.

Asingan is situated in the eastern part of Pangasinan province and is part of the sixth congressional district. It covers a total land area of 6,759 hectares and has a population of 57,811, according to the 2020 census.

Asingan’s fertile flatlands enable rice and vegetables to grow abundantly in the area. The locals also practice the art of loom weaving, which provides them with additional income. To help with the local economy and provide income to residents, the Asingan Agri-Tourism Park was established, which features acres of flowers and various spots to rest and unwind in its agricultural setting.

Officials

Mayor
Carlos Lopez, Jr.

Vice Mayor
Heidee Chua

Councilors
Athena Ira Chua
Marivic Robeniol
Johnny Mar Carig
Joselito Viray
Mel Lopez
Melchor Cardinez SR.
Virgilio Amistad
Julio Dayag