Calasiao, officially the Municipality of Calasiao ( pag, Baley na Calasiao; ilo, Ili ti Calasiao; tgl, Bayan ng Calasiao), is a 1st class
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,471 people.
Today, Calasiao is known as a first class, highly commercialized municipality and is strategically located at the heart of Pangasinan. It governs 24 barangays and 31 sitios in a total land area of 4,836 hectares. Being a town adjacent to
Dagupan City
Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan ( pag, Siyudad na Dagupan, ilo, Siudad ti Dagupan, fil, Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, the municipality experiences continuous economic boom and is increasingly becoming an important satellite commercial hub for Metro Dagupan. In terms of delicacy, Calasiao's flagship product is the native rice cake known as Puto Calasiao.
Calasiao is from
Dagupan
Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan ( pag, Siyudad na Dagupan, ilo, Siudad ti Dagupan, fil, Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, from
Lingayen
Lingayen, officially the Municipality of Lingayen ( pag, Baley na Lingayen; ilo, Ili ti Lingayen; tgl, Bayan ng Lingayen), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has ...
and from
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
.
Etymology
The name Calasiao was derived from the native word ''Kalasian'', which means "a place where lightning frequently occurs", from the root word ''lasi'', meaning "lightning". Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, they called the place "''Lugar de Rayos''", a literal Spanish translation of the word ''Kalasian''. It was named as such because it is said that Calasiao back in the day was always frequented by this natural phenomenon.
History
The indigenous people of Calasiao are descended from the
Austronesian-speaking people who settled in the Malay archipelago at least 5,000 years ago. Calasiao was settled by a
Pangasinan speaking people whose language belongs to the
Malayo-Polynesian
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. The Malayo-Polynesian languages are spoken by the Austronesian peoples outside of Taiwan, in the island nations of Southeast ...
branch of the
Austronesian languages family.
In 1571, the
Spanish conquest
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...
of Pangasinan began. The Spanish conquistadors were accompanied by
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
missionaries who introduced Roman Catholicism to the
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of Pangasinan.
In the 16th century, Dominican friars, who were settling at Gabon, were driven out because of the continuing unrest in the town. The formation of the new Calasiao however was not immediately welcomed by its native inhabitants. Hence in 1660, when the call for the Malong Rebellion came, the citizens picked up their weapons and joined in the fight against the Spanish rule. The citizens were also one of the first people to answer the call for rebellion of Juan de la Cruz Palaris of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City), which succeeded in driving the Spanish rulers and friars out of the boundaries. The town of Calasiao became part of the Pangasinan encomendia of Labaya, designated as belonging to the King of Spain, Juan Ximenez del opaline, and a son of Alonso Hernandez de Sandoval for whom tributes were collecte
Today, Calasiao is rapidly expanding town. It may soon become a city or join with Dagupan City and San Carlos City to be a
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
. Yet many people from Calasiao have emigrated to other parts of the Philippines, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and other countries to seek better opportunities.
Geography
Barangays
Calasiao is politically subdivided into 24
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
s.
These barangays are headed by elected officials:
Barangay Captain,
Barangay Council
The Sangguniang Barangay, also known as the Barangay Council, and formerly as the Rural Council and then the Barrio Council, is the legislative body of a barangay, the lowest form of government in the Philippines. The term is coined from the Tag ...
, whose members are called
Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years.
*† indicates the most populous barangay.
*^ The seat of government
Climate
Demographics
The people speak
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
, the dominant language in central Pangasinan.
Ilocano,
Tagalog, and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
are also widely spoken.
Economy
![Calasiao11fjf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Calasiao11fjf.JPG)
Calasiao is centrally located in Pangasinan, between Dagupan City and San Carlos City, with a major road connecting Calasiao to both cities. The town is also connected to
Santa Barbara, from where the
MacArthur Highway
The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan. It is the second longe ...
connects to Baguio City and Metro Manila.
Calasiao has rich farmlands planted mainly with ''palay'' or rice, coconuts and mangoes. Calasiao also has a lot of fishponds along its rivers and wetlands where fish like ''bangus'' (milkfish), ''pantat'' (catfish), and tilapia are raised. A
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
Bottlers plant is located in Purok 7 Barangay Bued Calasiao.
Fast-food chains Jollibee, Chowking, and Gery's Grill all have a branch in the town, while car companies Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi have dealerships in the town. The Regency Hotel in Calasiao has become the biggest competitor of the Star Plaza Hotel in Dagupan City. Dagupeńa, a famous restaurant from Dagupan City, has moved to Calasiao.
In June 2010,
Robinsons Malls
Robinsons Malls is one of the List of shopping malls in the Philippines, largest shopping malls and retail operators in the Philippines. It was incorporated on September 9, 1997, by entrepreneur John Gokongwei, John Gokongwei Jr. to develop, c ...
announced the construction of its 30th mall in this town. Robinsons Place Pangasinan is a two-level mall built on a lot with a gross floor area of and a gross leasable area of .
Government
Calasiao, belonging to the
third congressional district of the province of
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.
The town hall is located in front of the Roman Catholic convent of San Pedro y San Pablo de Calasiao, the same building as the shrine of Senor Divino Tesoro. The current mayor is Mamilyn A. Caramay, who took over the mayoralty post from Joseph Arman C. Bauzon, following his victory in the May 2022 elections.
Like other towns in the Philippines, Calasiao is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council (Sangguniang Bayan) consisting of councilors from the Barangays of Barrios.
Elected officials
The town is led by Mayor Mamilyn A. Caramat, Vice Kevin Roy Q. Macanlalay, and eight other councilor
Tourism
![Calasiao Pangasinan 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Calasiao_Pangasinan_2.JPG)
Calasiao is a short ride to the Bonuan Blue Beach and the
Hundred Islands
The Hundred Islands National Park is the first national park and a protected area located in Alaminos, Pangasinan in the northern Philippines. The islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulf cover ...
in the
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central. The Agno River and the Balili ...
. Calasiao is about 2 hour ride to Baguio City and a four-hour ride to Manila.
Calasiao is known for its
puto, a soft rice cake;
suman, a sweet coconut and sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaves; and
bagoong
''Bagoóng'' (; ) is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish (''bagoóng'') or krill or shrimp paste (''alamáng'') with salt. The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as ''patís''.
The pre ...
, or fermented fish paste. Calasiao puto is described as the town's "white gold." Calasiao ''puto'' is a bite-size, soft rice cake made from semi-glutinous rice that is fermented in earthen jars. It is produced mainly in Barangay Dinalaoan.
Many pilgrims from neighbouring cities/towns and provinces visit Calasiao to pray at the Senor Divino Tesoro shrine. The statue of a crucified Jesus Christ is believed to grow in size and grant miracles.
Puto festival
![Calasiao11gjf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Calasiao11gjf.JPG)
Calasiao celebrates a puto industry festival. The ''Calasiao puto'' is a rice cake that is well known all over the Philippines for its melt-in-the-mouth feeling. It is locally sold along the streets going to Sr. Divino Tesoro.
It is known for its "white gold": "cup-shaped, bite-sized, soft rice cakes; the semi-glutinous rice is fermented in old earthen jars" (in villages of Dinalaoan, Lumbang, Ambuetel, and part of Nalsian).
Calasiao puto is made of long grain rice soaked in water, ground and fermented for three days of more, with just enough sugar to taste, and steamed. It can be topped with cheese or drizzled with chocolate syrup for variation. It is perfect to be paired with
dinuguan
''Dinuguan'' () is a Filipino savory stew usually of pork offal (typically lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart and snout) and/or meat simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili (most often ''siling haba''), and vine ...
. The town has the traditional white puto and many flavors like pandan (green), ube (violet), banana (yellow), strawberry (light red/pink) and cheese (gold).
The original white puto and kutsinta (another rice cake variety) is sold at P80 per kilogram (70 to 75 pieces), while the flavored ones are sold at P80 per kg. The price is higher by P15 to P20 in other areas to cover transportation costs.
Bella's Puto consumes three to six sacks of rice a day to make puto, depending on the season. Peak production period is from October to January. A sack of rice can produce 8,000 pieces or 107 kg of puto. Bella's Puto is sold at four SM shopping mall branches, in Santa Mesa (Manila), Baliwag (Bulacan), Clark (Pampanga) and Rosales (Pangasinan). It is also sold in a store in Caloocan and at the Pasalubong Center in Rosales town.
Bocayo (sweetened coconut) and dinuguan are also the best products of Nalsian Bacayao and Nalsian Centro. Calasiao celebrates its town fiesta every May 2 and 3: the feast day of Señor Divino Tesoro. Every 28 and 29 June is the fiesta of
San Pedro and
San Pablo, which were the dates of the Calasiao fiesta.
Notable personalities
*
Mitoy Yonting
Michael Yonting (born January 5, 1970), more popularly known by his Stage name, screen name Mitoy Yonting, is a Filipino people, Filipino singer, comedian, actor, and lead vocalist for his band, The Draybers. Yonting rose to fame after winning t ...
References
External links
Calasiao Profile at PhilAtlas.com*
Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the PhilippinesCalasiao at the Pangasinan Government WebsiteLocal Governance Performance Management System*
Philippine Standard Geographic CodePhilippine Census Information
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Pangasinan