Excerpts from the works of Mr. Rufino R. San Juan, Jr., Mr. Restituto C. Basa and Mr. Benigno M. de Guzman.

INTRODUCTION

Some 180 kilometers north of Manila, along the Manila - Ilocos roadline, a traveler would come across a town under going fast transformation from an agricultural village into a third city of Pangasinan. This is the town of Urdaneta.

The written history of the town reveals, that Urdaneta was formally founded as a pueblo on January 8, 1858, when the contiguous settlements of the first inhabitants, mostly Ilocano migrants, met all requirements of becoming a town. It came into existence from a conglomeration of portions of barrios from the surrounding towns of Asingan, Villasis, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara, Mangaldan (Mapandan then was still Mangaldan), Manaoag and Binalonan. The total land area/political boundary of Urdaneta is 10,025.5945 Has. according to the records of the Land Management Bureau Cadastral Survey. Its strategic location has made it the hub of trade and commerce.

Its strategic location has made it the hub of trade and commerce. It is criss-crossed by the Baguio national highway from the north, the Ilocos Region from the far north; MacArthur highway leading to the City of Dagupan and the capital town Lingayen on the west; and the provincial road to Asingan and other eastern towns of the province.

Aside from its strategic location, with the Fruits and Vegetable Wholesale Market situated at the heart of Brgy. Poblacion, local farmers brought their vegetable and fruits harvest to the market daily. The farm products as far as Ilocos, Central Luzon, the Cordilleras and the vegetable producing towns of Pangasinan came pouring into the market. Making Urdaneta today, the biggest fruits and vegetable market of Pangasinan and the entire Region I.

During the calendar year of 1993, the Municipality of Urdaneta has an annual income of P39,650,025.20 million making it as the only 1st-class municipality in the Province of Pangasinan through the reclassification of the Department of Finance. As for the successive calendar years the annual income of Urdaneta continues to increase, as of CY 1996 the annual income of the Municipality is P71,944,756.68 million enable to qualify to become the third city of Pangasinan.

The September 1995 National Statistics Office Census & Survey their records shows during survey the Municipality of Urdaneta has a population of 100,263, a total household population of 99,948 and with a total of 19,942 no. of household.

For the Interim Batasang Pambansa (IBP) elections on April 7, 1978 - the first under New society. As of June 22, 1997 the Municipality has a voting population of 48,411 as per records of the election registrar office.

Today there are 34 barangays comprises the Municipality, namely, Anonas, Bactad East, Bayaoas, Bolaoen, Cabaruan, Cabuloan, Camanang, Camantiles, Casantaan, Catablan, Cayambanan, Consolacion, Dilan-Paurido, Labit Proper, Labit West, Mabanogbog, Macalong, Nancalobasaan, Nancamaliran East, Nancamaliran West, Nancayasan, Oltama, Palina East, Palina West, Dr. Pedro T. Orata (formerly Bactad Proper), Pinmaludpod, San Jose, San Vicente, Sta. Lucia, Sto. Domingo, Sugcong, Tipuso, Tulong and Poblacion.

THE NAME "URDANETA"

How the town got its name? The written history of the town reveals up to this day, after a research, there 7ve is no competent and conclusive authority as whether the town had another name before it officially became URDANETA.

One theorizes that its original name is ORGANITA, roughly meaning "little organ or unit." This is plausible as it was then, a composite of portions of barrios of the adjacent towns where they converged to create one composite pueblo. The group, the so-called purists, belie this by saying that the Spanish root word is organo; therefore the right word should be organito. The theorists maintain their stand, citing that education at that time was centered in the Poblacion and so the people in the hinterlands were neglected thus resulting in bad grammar.

The written history of the town reveals that the community was organized into a pueblo on January 8, 1858. Then it is probable that its first "cura parroco" by the name of of Nicolas Alozno Manrique. He name the new town Urdaneta, in honor of another friar, Fr. Andres de Urdaneta, the spiritual adviser of the expedition led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi which arrived in Cebu to explore the country on April 27, 1565.

Though other issues still exist. Was the town named after Fr. Andres Urdaneta or Fr. Miguel de Urdaneta or Fr. Simon de Urdaneta? The archives of the national Library state that it was after Miguel de Urdaneta. The Historian Fr. Jose Ma. Gonzales in his book "Labor Evangelica y Civilizadora de los Religioso Dominicos en Pangasinan" was silent on this. Some articles on the town's history say that it was after Fr. Simon de Urdaneta while others claim it was after Fr. Andres de Urdaneta.

The fast socio-economic growth of Urdaneta may be due to the cattle industry and the wholesale market. Be it as it may, Urdaneta of 1858 which kept pace with the progress and development of the state to become the Urdaneta of today - a peaceful, progressive and pleasant place to stay for everyone. The growth of the industry may be due to the industry of the townspeople, it is deemed proper to give credit for the development to the town executives who served and steered with dedication towards progress. During their tenure of office, the of some local officials may have been lackluster, nevertheless, many are best remembered for their achievements and performances during their administration.

THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND

Formerly Urdaneta was a barrio of Mangaldan were the barangays was a conglomeration from the adjacent towns. When the people petitioned to become a separate and an independent town Don Tomas Manzano was the interim town executive with the title of Capitan Municipal in 1857 until the early days of 1858.


CAPITAN MUNICIPAL.

When Urdaneta became a legitimate town Don Florentino Benito was the town executive in 1858 after he succeeded Don Manzano in the same year. For the next five years Capitan Municipal served a one-year term. Don Florentino was followed by Don Vicente Benito (1859); Don Rufino Velasco (1860); Don Pedro Vera (1861); and Don Patricio Agustin (1862).

1863-1898, the rest of the year each Capitan served a two-year term. In chronological order, they were: Don Feliciano delos Santos (1863-1864); Don Pedro de Vera (1865-1866; Don Cristino Manzano (1867-1868); Don Simeon Arcangel (1869-1870); Don Esteban Siquig (1871-1872); Don Zacarias Alonso (1873-1874); Don Francisco delos Santos (1875-1876); Don Pedro Elegado (1877-1878); Don Nicolas Estrada (1879-1880); Don Domingo Castillo (1881-1882); Don Fermin Garcia (1883-1886); Don Pedro Sison (1887-1888); Don Federico Laliag (1889-1890); Don Benito Belmonte (1891-1892); and Don Ignacio Fañgon (1893-1898).


MUNICIPAL PRESIDENT.

Under the American regime, the town executive came to be known Municipal President. Don Benito Belmonte was the first Municipal President in 1899 followed by Don Antonio Guevara (1900); Don Santiago Guevara (1901-1902); Don Luis Untalan (1902-1903); Don Valentin Ambrosio (1904-1906); Don Ciriaco Sison (1907); Don Primitivo Perez (1908-1909); Don Antonio del Prado (1910-1911); Don Primitivo Perez (1911); Don Andres Maiquez (1912); Don Hermenegildo Alonso (1913-1916); Don Casimero Castillo (1917-1918); Don Ciriaco Sison (1919-1922); Don Pattenio Rosario (1922-1925); Don Ciriaco Sison (1925-1928); Don Macario Israel (1928-1930); and Atty. Wilfredo G. Ambrosio (1931-1936).


MUNICIPAL MAYOR.

In 1937, the town executives are titled Municipal Mayor. The roll of municipal mayors are as followed: Don Patricio Abenojar (1937-1941); Don Hermogenes Israel (1942, Japanese Occupation), succeeded by his brother Don Macario Israel (1942-1944). U.S. Liberation - During the U.S. Liberation forces took over the American PCAU (Philippine Civil Affairs Unit) Atty. Mariano S. Moreno was appointed as mayor succeeded by Don Manuel del Prado (1945) succeeded Atty. Moreno; Don Andres F. Adia (1946); and Don Patricio Abenojar (1946-1947) all of them serving short-lived terms. When the conditions were normalized and restored, elections were held and Don Manuel N. Sison emerged as the new municipal mayor (1948-1959) a period of 11 years. In 1959 when Don Manuel Sison opted to run for Vice-Governor of the Province of Pangasinan, he was succeeded by Atty. Leon S. Zabala his Vice-Mayor. Atty. Fernando C. Manangan was elected and served from 1960 to 1963 but lost his re-election bid to Don Amadeo R. Perez, Jr. (1964-1969) for two terms. In 1969 Don Amadeo R. Perez, Jr. chose to run for Congressman of 4th district then of Pangasinan, Atty. Amado M. Fontanilla, his Vice-Mayor took over as mayor from 1969-1971. Don Manuel N. Sison won the mayoralty race in 1971 and assumed office in 1972 to 1980.

Edsa Revolution - The January 1980 local election saw the emergence of Don Amadeo R. Perez, Jr. as Municipal Mayor and assumed his office4 on March 3, 1980. In February 1986 Snap Election saw the emergence of Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino wife of the late Senator Benigno Aquino as the new President of the Republic through peoples revolution against President Marcos. When Pres. Aquino assumed office almost of the town executives serving during the Marcos regime was removed from office. It was April 1986 when Don Amadeo R. Perez, Jr. was succeeded by Norberto del Prado serving his term from April 1986 to November 1987. Mr Rodolfo N. San Jaun assume as O-I-C town executive from November 1987 to February 1, 1988. The National Election held on January 1988 Don Amadeo R. Perez, Jr. emerged as winner for the position of municipal mayor for the period of, four years from February 2, 1988 to March 23, 1992 after he opted to run for Representative of the Fifth District of Pangasinan. The said National Election Vice-Mayor Rodolfo E. Parayno, M.D. then Vice-Mayor emerged as winner for the local as town executive for his first term (1992-1995). For the last election held on May 1995 Dr. Rodolfo E. Parayno won the mayoralty race and remains the Municipal Mayor of Urdaneta.

The first City Mayor to serve Urdaneta is our incumbent Local Chief Executive Hon. Rodolfo E. Parayno, M.D. together with Vice-Mayor Higinio A. Agsalud, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Members; Hon. Manuel L. Sison, Jr. , Hon. Adolfo R. Basco, Hon. Eduardo R. Perez, Hon. Rufino Ramil Z. San Juan V, Hon. Onofre C. Gorospe, Hon. Casimiro C. Carancho, Hon. Amor P. Lachica, Hon. Johnny M. Sumait, Hon. Loreto A. Bañaga, Hon. Julio E. Prayno, Hon. Amadeo Gregorio E. Perez IV - ABC President, and Hon. Rosary Gracia Perez - SK Chairman.

AT PRESENT

The written history of the town reveals that Urdaneta was formally founded as a pueblo on January 8, 1858, when the contiguous settlements of the first inhabitants, mostly Ilocano migrants, met all requirements of becoming a town. It came into existence from a conglomeration of portions of barrios from the surrounding towns of Asingan, Villasis, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara, Mangaldan (Mapandan then was still part of Mangaldan), Manaoag and Binalonan.
There are 34 barangays that comprises the City, namely, Anonas, Bactad East, Bayaoas, Bolaoen, Cabaruan, Cabuloan, Camanang, Camantiles, Casantaan, Catablan, Cayambanan, Consolacion, Dilan-Paurido, Labit Proper, Labit West, Mabanogbog, Macalong, Nancalobasaan, Nancamaliran East, Nancamaliran West, Nancayasan, Oltama, Palina East, Palina West, Dr. Pedro T. Orata (formerly Bactad Proper), Pinmaludpod, San Jose, San Vicente, Sta. Lucia, Sto. Domingo, Sugcong, Tipuso, Tulong and Poblacion.

On January 10, 1998, the Philippine Congress enacted and passed R.A. 8480 converting the Municipality of Urdaneta as a component City of the Province of Pangasinan. The electorate in a plebiscite overwhelmingly ratified this legislative act and the locality was proclaimed as a City on March 21, 1998.