A Short History of Binalonan

The municipality of Binalonan can be found at the central eastern plains of Pangasinan and as
part of the Tobong-Tolong River System. The Toboy-Tolong (now Sinocalan) River System has its
headwater in the mountains that separated Pangasinan from Benguet named Alan and Alagot.
Several small streams joined near its watershed most of them carrying gold particles from gold
beds in the mountains during Spanish Period. (Cortes, 1900: a)

The town of Binalonan served as the crossroad of different cultures such as Pangasinan,
Ilocano and Cordilleran culture, thus bearing witness to the growth and development of
educational institutions, connecting roads and highways, cultural exchanges and migrations.

The place of Binalonan first appeared on the early 1800’s map of Fraile Murillo Vellarde of the
Dominican Order (seen from Cortes, 1975), but the place was declared as an independent
municipality from Manaoag in 1834. Its declaration of municipality status has a long history of
conflict and animosity between principalias, the first attempt was in 1822 but only approved by
1934. The Sto. Nino church was built in 1841 in accord to its mother parish in Manaoag. The
town of Binalonan was sparsely populated and forested during the early 1800’s. How it became
an agricultural district has a long history connected with political fiasco, trend in migration and
a long defiance to the policies implemented during colonial period.

Sto. Nino Church that features late Baroque architecture | University of Sto. Thomas Archival
collection, Espana Manila.
The location of Binalonan could have also served as a base operation for the Dominican friars
as connecting link to their missions in the neighboring mountains of Benguet. Furthermore, it
also served as a new home for Ilocano migrants who fled from the excruciating labor conditions
of tobacco plantations in Ilocos. Unrest in the Ilocos caused by government abuses especially
the levying of taxes on basi (sugar cane wine), led to social upheavals such as the Basi revolt of
1807 and the Sarrat Revolt of 1816. The difficult living condition compounded by lack of arable
land, forced countless families to seek a better fortune elsewhere. Many skirted down the
coasts of western Luzon, establishing pockets of Ilocano settlements in Pangasinan, Zambales,
Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. Later on, Ilocanos would play an important role in the lucrative trading
and businesses, becoming new anacbanuas and thus shaping Pangasinan politics.

During the Spanish period from 16th century to the 17th century, the municipality of Binalonan
was classified under the hacienda jurisdiction of older Mangaldan (Mangahas and Pasalo, 2015:
66), when the hacienda system was dismantled by the King of Spain, it was classified as a
barangay/sitio of Manaoag. Similar to the municipalities of San Jacinto and Manaoag, it was
engaged in the cultivation of rice, corn, legumes, sugarcane and fruits. For the uncultivated
lands, people of Binalonan also practiced animal husbandry, cattle-raising and fabrication of
bricks (Mangahas and Pasalo,2015 :67)

Ruins of Binalonan municipal building 1890 | Filipinas Heritage Library, Ayala Museum, Makati City
Philippines

During the Revolutionary period of 1896 to 1898 Binalonan and Dagupan were the bloodiest
battlegrounds between Katipuneros and Spaniards. However few accounts would support
Binalonan residents to have participated in overthrowing the Spanish colonial government
however its patriotic role was highlighted on its efforts to resist the American rule upon
learning their lessons from their encounters with revolutionary warriors of Katipunan .
Binalonan became a cuartel and station (located near the Sto. Nino Church) for the loyalists
who fought the Katipunan during the Revolutionary period. Binalonan served as one of the
bloodiest battleground during the Revolutionary period in Pangasinan, the other one is
Dagupan. The town suffered four attacks from the Katipuneros who insist that Spanish officials
ought to surrender to the revolutionaries. On the fourth attempt of the Katipuneros to seize
Binalonan, its residents decided to surrender and embrace their brothers and sister thereby
moving the battle to Dagupan. (Quintos 1947: 57-61)

It would give us a background on the nationalist feelings that prevailed among the common
people of Binalonan whereas almost 700 residents from Binalonan and neighboring towns
were proven to have participated in overthrowing the American government with colonels and
generals that were jailed crying for a total independence for their motherland. (Cortes 1900: 14)

Unlike the Spaniards, the Americans put emphasis on the role of public education as one of
their means in pacifying the entire archipelago in accord to their doctrinal mission known as
Benevolent Assimilation. One of the measures taken was the construction of public schools
under the Gabaldon Act by First Philippine Assembly in 1907. In 1904, the first intermediate
schools were established in Lingayen, the capital, Alaminos in the west and Asingan in the east,
On 1906, the intermediate school of Asingan was transferred to Binalonan by establishing a
new building with strong materials. The Gabaldon building of Binalonan was erected with a
budget of 16,000, half of which was funded by the municipality while the other half came from
the residents of the town. On that period, Gabaldon Building of Binalonan housed a total of
491teachers, of which 30 are Americans. (Cortes 1900: 46)

Binalonan also witnessed the progress in transport infrastructure for the construction of the
road connecting Baguio to the lowlands. Since the national government decided to develop
Baguio as a summer capital of the country, Dagupan railways has received budget for its
project extension. The province of Pangasinan benefited from the development of
infrastructure such as building the new road connecting Manila in the South and Baguio to the
North. (Bulosan, 1946: 31) The road of Binalonan then served as stop-overs for American and
European travelers going to Baguio.

The onset of Second Word War with the Japanese occupation made the province of Pangasinan
suffered from heavy casualties and damages. Under the command of General Douglas
McArthur, the 103rd infantry of the 43rd Division made an easy landing on San Fabian, however
small groups of Japanese soldiers were alarmed and attempted to delay its advances towards
the direction of Baguio. In Binalonan, the Japanese soldiers was reported to have dug tunnels in
hills and built “an about 350 man garrison at Binalonan supported by tanks and artilleries. The
battle in Binalonan lasted for a day with casualties from both sides, but the Americans were
able to win Route 3 in Binalonan which connects the east, southeast and south roads.” (Cortes,
1900: 132)
Post-war Binalonan and to the present, have developed its municipality into an educational
town with Guico family serving as the founding fathers of Binalonan in the 19th century.
(Cortes, 1990: 156) The municipality also produced distinctive Filipinos such as the First Lady
Evangelina Macaraeg Macapagal, wife of Diosdado Macapagal, first Chief Justice Manuel Moran
who was hailed from Binalonan and Carlos Bulosan, Filipino labor activist, poet and a renowned
author with his books read across the world, following his legacy in the United States.

Sources
 Bulosan, Carlos (1946). America is in the Heart: personal History. New York: Harcourt Brace
and co.
 Cortes, Rosario (1990).Pangasinan, 1901-1986: a political, socio-economic and cultural
history. Quezon City: New Day Publisher.
 Cortes Rosario (1975).Pangasinan: 1572-1800. Quezon City: New Day Publisher.
 Mangahas Fe and Pasalo, Virginia (2015. Pangasinan Pinablin dalin: history, culture and
development. Lingayen, Pangasinan: Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission.
 Quintos, Felipe (1947). Breves relatos de la revolucion en Filipinas. Manuscript written by the
author, preserved at the Filipiniana section of the University of the Philippines Diliman Main
Library.