Malasiqui, officially the Municipality of Malasiqui (; ; ), is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 143,094 people.

Etymology

The word ''Malasiqui'' originates from the Pangasinense root word ''lasi'' meaning lightning. With prefix ''ma'' indicating high degree and suffix ''qui'' indicating place - Malasiqui means "place full of lightning". Another story about the town's etymology goes to talk about three Spanish priests who, while conducting ocular during those days, were so pissed off with the condition of the road which was muddy. The first priest said "mala" which means bad. The second priest responded "si" which means yes. The third one apparently not paying attention asked "que?" or "what". The local folk who overheard the conversation mistook it as if they are naming the town. And so it came to be known as ''Mala Si Que?'' or the current name spelled as Malasiqui.

History

The socio-political history of the municipality parallels that of the Pangasinan province and the country in general. Its history is punctuated by periods of foreign domination first by the Spanish, then by the United States and briefly by the Japanese during the 2nd World War. There were no organized communities in the area before the Spaniards arrived. Attempts to group families into a settlement may have started as early as 1665. The present site was then heavily forested with small family groups scattered along banks of small rivers and creeks. The municipality proper traces its origins during the middle of the 17th century when Spanish friars opened a mission intended to convert the native population into Catholicism. The most probable founding year was 1671 when Spanish civil authorities in Manila gave the license for the creation of the town. The population participated heavily in some of the bloodiest rebellions during the Spanish period. Catholicism and other Christian sects dominate the religious life of the people. Ethnically, it is one of the few places in the province of Pangasinan which did not experience in-migration from other regions of the country. Consequently, Pangasinanse is the dominant ethnic group with almost no other ethnic groups mixing into the locality. Today, the poblacion or town center, has recently been experiencing high commercial growth spurred mainly by high consumer spending generated by increase in family incomes attributable to earnings of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). The estimate of OFW population as a percentage of adult labor force is as much as 22% - one of the highest rates in the Philippines. The OFW phenomenon is so significant that almost all households have at least one member working outside of the country.

Geography

Malasiqui is situated from the provincial capital

Lingayen Lingayen, officially the Municipality of Lingayen (; ; ; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality and capital of the Philippine Province, province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 10 ...

, and from the country's capital city of

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

Barangays

Malasiqui is politically subdivided into 73

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

. * Abonagan * Agdao * Alacan * Aliaga * Amacalan * Anolid * Apaya * Asin Este * Asin Weste * Bacundao Este * Bacundao Weste * Bakitiw * Balite * Banawang * Barang * Bawer * Binalay * Bobon * Bolaoit * Bongar * Butao * Cabatling * Cabueldatan * Calbueg * Canan Norte * Canan Sur * Cawayan Bogtong * Don Pedro * Gatang * Goliman * Gomez * Guilig * Ican * Ingalagala * Lareg-lareg * Lasip * Lepa * Loqueb Este * Loqueb Norte * Loqueb Sur * Lunec * Mabulitec * Malimpec * Manggan-Dampay * Nancapian * Nalsian Norte * Nalsian Sur * Nansangaan * Olea * Pacuan * Palapar Norte * Palapar Sur * Palong * Pamaranum * Pasima * Payar * Poblacion * Polong Norte * Polong Sur * Potiocan * San Julian * Tabo-Sili * Tobor * Talospatang * Taloy * Taloyan * Tambac * Tolonguat * Tomling * Umando * Viado * Waig * Warey

Climate

Demographics

Economy

It is mainly an agricultural municipality with rice, corn and tropical lowland vegetables as main crops. It is also famous for its mango fruits having one of the largest concentration of mango tree population in the Philippines.

Government

Local government

Malasiqui, belonging to the third congressional district of the province of

, 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. Elected officials of the Municipal Council (2019–2022): * Congressman: Rose Marie J. Arenas * Mayor: Noel Anthony M. Geslani * Vice-Mayor: Alfe M. Soriano * Councilors: ** Rodito A. Austria ** Alexis V. Mamaril ** Daria Dolores M. Mamaril ** Janice D. Pinlac ** Ramelyn G. Sanchez ** William C. Valdez III ** Eric Brian A. Domantay ** Rydel Ann B. Laforteza

Tourism

The Town Fiesta is celebrated January 17 thru 22 every year. Points of interests include: *Malasiqui Agno Valley College *Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan *Harvest Festival *Assembly of God *Rep. Rachel "Baby" Arenas farm *Monastery of the Poor Clares of St. James the Apostle *Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan's first cloistered monastery *Malasiqui Central School *Centeno Farm Resort and Ecohills Resort *Barangay Lareg-Lareg and the Arenas Civic Center *Magic Mall * St. Ildephonse of Seville Parish Church (Malasiqui)

Education

There are two schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. The schools district offices oversee the management and operations of all private and public elementary and high schools. These are Malasiqui I Schools District Office, and Malasiqui II Schools District Office.

Primary and elementary schools

* Abonagan - Bobon Elementary School * Alacan-Guilig Elementary School * Aliaga Elementary School * Apaya Elementary School * Asin Este Elementary School * Bacundao East Elementary School * Bacundao Elementary School * Bakitiw Elementary School * Balite Elementary School * Barang Elementary School * Bernabe Q. Jimenez E/S * Biba Elementary School * Binalay Elementary School * Bogtong Elementary School * Bolaoit Elementary School * Bongar Elementary School * Cabatling Elementary School * Cabeldatan Elementary School * Calbeg Elementary School * Canan Elementary School * Don Pedro Elementary School * Gatang Elementary School * Genaro Armas Elementary School * Goliman Elementary School * Iba Elementary School * Ican Elementary School * J.C. Macaranas Elementary School * Jorge C. De Vera Elementary School * Kingsville Advanced School of Malasiqui * Lepa Elementary School * Lokeb Este Elementary School * Lokeb Norte Elementary School * Lokeb Sur Elementary School * Lunec Elementary School * Malasiqui Adventist School * Malasiqui Catholic School * Malasiqui I Central School * Malimpec Elementary School * Mangan Dampay Elementary School * Marian Educational Center of Malasiqui * Mendoza Memorial Elementary School * Nalsian-Tomling Elementary School * Olea Elementary School * Pacuan Elementary School * Palapar Elementary School * Palapar Norte Elementary School * Palong Elementary School * Pamaranum Elementary School * Pasima Elementary School * Payar-Gomez Elementary School * Polong Elementary School * Potiocan Elementary School * San Julian Central School * Seed School of San Francisco * Tabo-Sili Elementary School * Talospatang Elementary School * Tobor Elementary School * Tolonguat Elementary School

Secondary schools

* Aliaga National High School * Calbeg National High School * CananNational High School * Catalino D. Cerezo National High School * Clemente Cristobal National High School * Domingo P. Boquiren National High School * Don Pedro National High School * Lareglareg National High School * Lokeb Norte National High School * Lokeb Sur National High School * Lunec National High School * Mabulitec Integrated School * Malasiqui National High School * Nalsian-Tomling National High School * Nancapian National High School * Olea National High School * Palapar National High School * Talospatang National High School * Tobor National High School * San Julian National High School

Higher educational institutions

* Malasiqui Agno Valley College * Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan

References

External links

*
Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines

Malasiqui at the Pangasinan Government Website

Local Governance Performance Management System
* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control Municipalities of Pangasinan