HISTORY OF DAGUPAN

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN, PANGASINAN

My Lola Maria Villamil Jovellanos on my fathers side belongs to the Jovellanos -Villamil Clan of Dagupan and my grand fathers side Mayor Jose Fernandez Llamas belongs to the Fernandez-Coquia- Llamas (FERCOLLA) clan of Dagupan.

I PHOTO COPIED THE HISTORY OF DAGUPAN
CREDITS TO:

The previous pages of Dagupan's history were provided by a staff of Dagupan City hall and is based on a thesis of MR. RESTITUTO C. BASA. We thank Mr. Basa for this very informative and colorful history of Dagupan City. And to MRS. RUFINA MENESES at the City Library.

RESTITUTO C. BASA was born October 13, 1930 in Sta. Barbara into Anacleto Salazar Basa of Tebeng, Dagupan and Ticman Carreon of Sta. Barbara.

A graduate of the University of Pangasinan..

A Veteran newspaper, he also taught English, Philippine Literature, History, Sociology and Journalism at the University of Pangasinan and the Dagupan City High School.

He passed the following civil service examinations: 1) Career Service (professional), 2) Cultural Attache, 3) Information Editor, 4) Community Development Officer, 5) Teacher, and 6) Market Inspector.

He passed and attended the First Seminar on Local History under the auspices of the National Historical Commission in 1970 at the Philippine Cultural Center in Manila.

He held the following positions in the provincial government: Chief Press Office; Acting Chief, Administrative Division and Chief, Personnel division.

Married to the former Dolores B. Aguayo, a public school teacher, with whom he has three children: Sharon, Roel and Elijah.

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN, PANGASINAN.

PART I -SPANISH RULE

1. SPANISH RULE

Spanish rule in Pangasinan began in 1583. This was the year the Spaniards established the Lingayen encomienda. By that time, there were already settlers in Dagupan. For the Spanish to collect tax from the Dagupan settlers effectively, they placed the settlements under the Lingayen encomienda.

The settlers paid a total tax of 1,000 tributes. The rate of taxation was one tribute per family. This means that in 1583, there was no less than 1,000 families settled in Dagupan.

In 1590, the Augustinian missionaries arrived in Dagupan. They made the settlement into a regular town that year. They gave it the name of Bacnotan.

2. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

Dagupan has an area of 3723 hectares. It constitutes the central region of the shoreline of the Lingayen Gulf.

Four major rivers and their tributaries crisscross its land area. These rivers include the Agno, Toboy, Dawel and Tanap. All these four rivers empty into the China Sea through a common delta. This delta is known as the SABANGAN between PUGARO and BONUAN GUESET.

In the beginning, much of the land area of Dagupan was swamp. By 1900, the site of the public market in the downtown area was still under water. The water was up to the waistline.

3. ORIGIN OF SETTLERS

The rivers, the swamps, and the locality's proximity to the sea attracted the early settlers.

They were fishermen and saltmakers. The sea and the rivers had abundant supply of fish. The swamps were ideal salt pans; they were also good for fishponds for the culture of Bangus. The swamps, too, were thick with nipa palms, while the shoreline was thick with coconut trees.

The nipa palms provided them with roofing materials for their homes. The TUBA of the nipa palms could be made into vinegar and wine. The coconuts gave oil for their lamps and for medicinal purposes.

By their way of life, and the dialect they spoke, the early settlers were believed to have come from Indonesia. The dialect in Flores Island, in Indonesia, is said to be similar to the Pangasinan dialect.

4. EARLY RULERS AND RELIGION

Before the Spanish came, kings and princesses ruled the people of Pangasinan. The last known king to rule the province was King ARI KASIKIS. The seat of his kingdom was believed to have been located in an area now within the territory of SAN CARLOS CITY.

They had a religion of their own. They worshipped a god they called ANA-GAOLEY. Women performed religious worship and rites.

5. THE BARANGGAYS

In coming to Dagupan from their place of origin, they sailed the seas using big boats called BARANGGAYS.

They came by clans. Each clan occupied one BARANGGAY. The head of the clan was called by the Spaniards as CABEZA de BARANGGAY. In the dialect they called him the ANAK-BANWA (son of the sun).

Among Dagupan families, one of the last to be recognized by the Spanish authorities as the CABEZA DE BARANGGAY was Don Pablo Villamil.

The baptismal certificate of his son, Roman Villamil, who was born on November 20, 1867, identified Don Pablo Villamil as a CABEZA de BARANGGAY.

6. PANTAL AND MALUED

The early settlers were settled along the shoreline and the riverbanks. These areas were BONUAN , PANTAL and CALMAY. After the shoreline and the riverbanks were occupied, later settlers moved further inland and occupied fertile agricultural lands. These were Malued, Lasip, Pogo and Bacayao.

From these points, the settlers expanded into the surrounding areas. When the Spanish came, they laid the townsite on the opposite bank of PANTAL.

As PANTAL and BONUAN represent the fishing, salt making and Bangus raising settlements, MALUED, on the other hand, is a good example of the agricultural communities.

In MALUED, aside from rice, the most important crop raised was cane sugar. With the coconuts along the shoreline, and the cane sugar of MALUED, several native industries arose, such as the making of bocayo, puto, and native , and other native cakes.

7. THE IMPORTANCE OF SALT

Salt is very important to man. It gives flavor to his food. He uses it to preserve his fish and meat. Salt is very useful in the manufacturing industries. Above all, salt is needed to balance the various chemical substances in the human body.

In the ancient world, salt was used for religious rites. In the manufacturing days of the Roman empire, salt served the function of money; soldiers of the Roman empire were paid in salt for their services. The payment of the services rendered, in terms of salt, was called SALARIUM, from the Latin word SAL which mean salt. SALARIUM is where we derived the English word SALARY.

8. THE BANGUS INDUSTRY

Bangus culture in Dagupan has grown into a multi-million peso industry. Dagupan Bangus is considered to be the best in the country; it is being exported to California, in the United States.

Among the well-known and best-patronized restaurant in Dagupan are those that serve Dagupan Bangus and other seafoods.

The Bangus Industry depends on the sea. The sea supplies the Bangus pond with salty water. Salty water is carried into the ponds by our rivers during high tide. Dagupan rivers are connected to the China Sea through the SABANGAN.

Also, the sea is the source of the Bangus fry. The Bangus fry is hatched from the eggs of the mother Bangus called AWA. The AWA is a very big Bangus that lives in the depth of the sea.

In the early days, there were AWA in the Lingayen gulf. When the AWA laid eggs, and these eggs are hatched, the Bangus fry stay along the shallow water of the shore, so that they will not be eaten by the big fishes in the sea.

Years ago, people who used to catch Bangus fry along the shore of Lingayen Gulf used to earn much money from the sale of their catch. Too bad, there are no more people catching Bangus fry in the Lingayen Gulf. The AWA have been driven away from the gulf by dynamite fishing.

Dynamite fishing also has killed a great quantity of fish in the gulf. Today, our fishermen catch very little quantity of fish from the gulf as a result of the destruction of fish by dynamite.

9. THEODORO MANAOIS

The sale of Bangus fry to fishpond owners is a big business. It is known among the Dagupenos that this was how THEODORO MANAOIS of BONUAN became a wealthy man.

The MANAOIS clan from Dagupan were migrants from Binmaley. Since the beginning, they were tenders and fishermen.

Sometime in the 1880's Ramon Manaois left Binmaley and migrated to BONUAN. He was a poor man. He hired himself as tender and used to catch fish in the sea. He married Maria de Vera of BONUAN. They never prospered.

Ramon Manaois, and his wife Maria, had a son Theodoro, who as a boy never attended school. He barely studied the CATON and learned how to write by himself. Like his Father, Theodoro was a fishpond tender and a fisherman. He married Leoncia Melendez, also from BONUAN. They had six children: Luis, Cipriano, Antonina, Cirilo, Perfecta and Paula.

For many years the family of Theodoro Manaois lived in Poverty. Then Theodoro got into the Bangus fry business. From his meager income as a fisherman, he joined other partners in leasing some Bangus fry concessions in La Union and Ilocos Norte.

Gradually, Theodoro's finances improved. After he accumulated a more substantial capital from his profits, he went on his own. After years in this business, he was able to accumulate some money to buy some fishponds and put up some capital for a printing press- the Manaois printing press Company. Today this printing press is one of the biggest printing press plants in northern and central Luzon.

What made Theodoro Manaois a very happy man in his old age was the fact that his second son, Cipriano, was elected city Mayor of Dagupan, first in 1967 and the second time in 1971.

Cipriano was the first man from the big barrio of BONUAN to become mayor of Dagupan.

10. TRADE IN DAGUPAN BEGINS

As the settlers began to produce salt, bagoong, dried fish, vinegar, wine and coconuts people from the Ilocos and the inland towns of Pangasinan started to come to Dagupan.

They came by sailboats, bancas, or rafts. There were no roads at that time. Water was the only means of transportation. they came to barter their products. From Ilocos came the mortars, stone grinders, bolos, and home spun cloths. From the inland towns of Pangasinan came palay, corn, mangoes, beans, and other crops.

The sea and the rivers that flow into Dagupan served as excellent trade routes. This was how Dagupan grew to become an important trade center very early in its history.

11. THE MANUFACTURE OF SAILBOATS

Since the beginning, the Dagupan settlers knew how to make boats. It was a matter of necessity. As the volume of trade grew, it became more necessary to make more and bigger boats.

PANTAL was the center of trade by boat. The area , which is on the bank of the river, was a very natural PANTALAN. This was how the barrio got its name . Pantal is short for PANTALAN.

Several Dagupan families were engaged in the sailboat business . They become wealthy from this trade . Among the families were the Arzadons, the Nables, the Zarates, the Favilas and the Laurels.

Fr. Horacio dela Costa, the noted Jesuit historian, claims that about the year 1780, several boat makers from Pangasinan went to apprentice in shipbuilding at the Spanish naval base in Cavite. He said that after they had gained skill, they came back to Pangasinan and put up a shipyard of their own.

Father dela Costa wrote that in 1781, a frigate turned out by the Pangasinan shipwrights was commissioned by the Spanish navy for service in European waters.

In 1856, Sir John Bowring, the British consul in Hong Kong, visited the Philippines to survey the economic potentials of the country. Writing down his observations, he said; "shipbuilding is an important branch in industry, especially on the Agno River."

As of 1972, There is a shipyard on the Agno River in poblacion west of Dagupan, towards Calmay. The yard has two master carpenters Jose Sales from PANTAL, and Onofre Maneclang from Bugallon.

The yard builds vessels for deep-sea fishing. When this writer visited the yard, they were building an 11.5 foot fishing boat, to be powered by two marine engines of 250-horse power each.

They were supposed to finish the boat in ten months. The boat will cost P120,000.00.

12. ILOCANO MIGRANTS

The sailboat trade brought Ilocano migrants in Dagupan. There is an Ilocano community in Calmay and Pantal.

The early Ilocano migrants were assimilated into the Pangasinan culture. Among the first Ilocano migrants to Dagupan was Don Francisco Arzadon. He came from Badoc, Ilocos Norte. He arrived in Dagupan about the year 1770.

He was engaged in the sailboat business. With his profits, he acquired properties in Dagupan and in eastern Pangasinan. As he prospered, the Spanish authorities appointed him as a Kapitan of Dagupan. A captain during the Spanish era was equivalent to mayor today

Don Francisco married Susana Llamas of Dagupan. They have five children: Jose, Marcela, Roman, Patricio, and Esteban.

Jose Arzadon was married to Magdalena Reyna. They have three children: Juana, Florencio, and Eliseo. Juana Arzadon became the wife of Fabian Villamil, a ranking officer of the katipunan and second municipal president of Dagupan under the American Regime. Eliseo Arzadon had three children: Jaime, Fabiana, and Rosario. Jaime Arzadon, Sr. was married to Remedios Benavides. They were the parents of City Councilor Jaime Arzadon, Jr.

Roman Arzadon, Son of Don Francisco, had nine children: Pedro, Gervacio and Gregorio (were three of them). Domingo Arzadon had three Children: Fidel, Cornelio and Francisco. Fidel Arzadon is the father of former City Councilor Lamberto Arzadon.

13. LABOR OF AGUSTINIANS

The early Augustinian missionaries converted the settlers to Christianity. They built a church. They also started the building of roads that connected Dagupan to Lingayen, San Carlos and Mangaldan.

The early road, which connected Dagupan to San Carlos, passed through MALUED and Dinalawan Calasiao.

14. MALONG REBELLION

Our people were made to work in the construction of the church. They were not paid for their labor. They had to bring their own food.

The same thing happened when the roads were built. The people were made to work, without pay, They had to pay taxes, besides rendering free labor.

Andres Malong, the master of the labor camp of Pangasinan, knew that the people of Pangasinan were discontented with the way they were being ruled by the Spaniards.

One day in 1660, Malong had a bitter quarrel with Padre Juan Crespo, the Spanish priest of Binalatongan.

He gathered some discontented men and had the church of Binalatongan burned. This started a rebellion throughout Pangasinan. Malong had allies in Pampanga, the Ilocos Region and the Cagayan Valley. In all he had 40,000 troops under his command,.

In the course of the rebellion, Don Francisco Pulido, the Alcalde of Pangasinan and his wife, were killed by the rebels. After the death of Don Francisco Pulido, the Alcalde, Malong proclaimed himself king. He wanted to restore the old Pangasinan kingdom.

But he became too ambitious. He wanted to conquer even the neighboring Provinces of Pampanga and Ilocos. He spread his soldiers into these regions. When Spanish reinforcements arrived, he realized his mistake. He had very few men left to guard his own territory.

He moved his headquarters to Dagupan and sent out couriers to recall his troops from Ilocos and Pampanga. He gathered them in Dagupan. Unfortunately, not many arrived on time to help him fight the Spaniards.

Malong and his men burned the Dagupan church and the poblacion area. They retreated eastward. The Spanish troops overtook them in the vicinity of Tambak.

A fierce battle was fought. The casualty was heavy. Many of Malong's men perished. The dead were piled up on top of each other.

The Dagupan oral Tradition states: "SINGA 'RA INTAMBAK SO INATEY.' Old folks claim this was how Barrio TAMBAK got its name.

The entire Malong rebellion lasted for two months. Dagupan oral tradition states that the captured rebels were tried in Barrio SALISAY.." DIMAN DA 'RA SINALAYSAY." hence the name SALISAY.

The oral Tradition goes further. It states that some of the rebels were granted pardon. They were released in an area that is now known as BOLOSAN. " DIMAN SO ANGIBOLOSAN ED SIKARA."

The people started calling it NANDARAGUPAN. Don Pablo Mejia, the well-known Pangasinan vernacular writer who edited the TUNONG magazine, claims that NANDARAGUPAN, as the new name of the old BAKNOTAN town, commemorates the gathering of Malong's men in the town in 1660.

But the new name was too cumbersome to pronounce. It consisted of five syllables. In 1720, this was shortened to Dagupan.

14. A- LEGEND OF OTHER BARRIOS

The other early barrios of Dagupan were BONUAN, PANTAL, Pogo, Lasip, Malued, Bakalaw, Karanglaan, Tebeng, Lukaw, Karael, Kalmay, Salapingaw and Pugaro.

A careful study of the names of these barrios indicates that these names originated from any of the following: 1) physical characteristics of the place; 2) some plant or fish that used to be found in quantity in the barrio in the early days, 3) or some event that occurred in the barrio.

As we have seen earlier, TAMBAK, SALISAY, and BOLOSAN are names that indicate some historic event that happened in the localities that eventuality got these names.

The word DAGUPAN, which was derived from the longer word NANDARAGUPAN, belongs with the same class with TAMBAK, SALISAY and BOLOSAN. They stand for some historic event. If the word DAGUPAN were to be classified in the class of TAMBAK, BOLOSAN and SALISAY, then it must have originated from that historic gathering of Malong's men in the old BAKNOTAN town in 1660. Notice that it was only in 1660 or 1661 that our community began to be called NANDARAGUPAN, which word was shortened to DAGUPAN in 1720. In fact, the naming of TAMBAK, BOLOSAN, and SALISAY may have followed after the adaptation of the word NANDARAGUPAN.

PANTAL and BONUAN are names that belong to the same class. PANTAL derived from the word PANTALAN, or pier. This is the place where ships and boats load and unload their cargoes.

BONUAN as a name of the barrio may have originated from either of these two: 1)being located along the seashore, it is where fishing boats are docked as the fishermen come ashore from the sea. When you force the boat to land from the sea, you bump the shoreline with the boat. This action, in a manner of speaking is like MANGIBUBUNO, so the place is BOBOWAY BALOTO. Hence, BONUAN. 2) The other possibility is that BONUAN may have been a place where some fights were fought. This is the oral tradition. But what fight?

Most likely the fights refer to the Muslim crusades. Pantaleon Perez, better known in history as Juan dela Cruz Palaris, recruited some people from Lingayen, Dagupan and San Carlos to fight the Muslims from Mindanao. Muslims from Mindanao used to come to our shores and raid our communities. The history of San Fabian town as written by Fermin U. Imbuido and Jaime P. Dojillo mention this fact.

POGARO and POGO are words of the same origin. FUGAL is the Pangasinan word for a hill; POGO is an old Pangasinan word for a word for a mound that is between the size of a mound (PONGOL) and a hill (PUGARO). The comparative degree for these words is as follows- PONGOL, POGO, POGARO, PALANDEY. In English these are equivalent to a mound, a bigger mound, a hill and a mountain. KARAEL and KALMAY are known to be trees. These trees are still in existence in our place but DANGLA and BAKAYAW are now extinct. DANGLA is a medicinal plant. This is the plant that gave the barrio of CARANGLAAN its name. In the early days, the barrio was called KADANGLAAN. BAKAYAW (pronounced BAKA-YAW) is a tree that has been extinct from Dagupan for the last 100 years. LOCAO seems to have come from the word LUKAN. It is said that there used to be a swamp that used to be a common fishing ground of the people in Lucao where they used to gather LUKAN. LUKAN is a shelled fish.

MANGIN and SALAPINGAO are also words derived from the names of fishes: AYONGIN FOR MANGIN, while PINGAO is for SALAPINGAO.

TEBENG is an action word; it means to bore in the ear, as when you will provide a hole for an earring. It is said that in the early days, there used to live an old woman who used to bore hole on the ear of young girls. The place became known as TEBENGAN, which was shortened to TEBENG.

MALUED, according to popular belief, came from the word LAUER, a kind of vine with pungent leaves used in chewing bettle nut with lime. The barrio is said to have plenty of flowers in ancient times. Lasip is a kind of grass. It became the name of the barrio of Lasip Grande and Lasip Chico.

MAYOMBO is a puzzle. The first syllable MAM, which signifies abundance. It is a place where YOMBO used to abound but what is YOMBO? It is a plant, or a tree that has been long extinct like the BAKAYOU? Could it have been a tree that used to bear fruit of the same family as the LOMBOY?

15. DOMINICANS TAKE OVER

The Dominicans replaced the AUGUSTINIANS, who nursed Dagupan during its infancy, in 1713.

They started a school for children in the convent. The church, as it stands now, was built by Padre Pedro Rama. It was completed in 1816 and dedicated to the memory of Saint John, The Evangelist.

The Dominicans also built the Colegio de San Alberto Magno in Calmay in 1891, and blessed Imelda's Academy in 1938.

16. THE PALARIS REVOLT

Before the British invaded Manila in the 1760s. Pantaleon Perez of barrio KOLILING, Binalatongan (now San Carlos City ), was commissioned by the Spanish military command to recruit men and train them to fight the Muslims in Mindanao. Professor Salvamar Nilmida, a native of San Carlos City, claims that Pantaleon Perez was a college graduate. He studied in one of the colleges in Manila. His father, Gaspar Perez was a Capitan of Binalatongan.

Prof. Nelmida claims that Perez was able to recruit a sizeable number of men from Binalatongan, Lingayen and Dagupan. He trained them to fight in barrio Mamarlaw in Binalatongan.

After training his men, and as they prepared to go to Mindanao, the British invaded Manila. The Spanish civil government was evacuated to Pampanga.

With this development, Perez and his men were unable to Proceed to Mindanao to overtake the crusade against the Muslims.

One of the conditions agreed upon by Perez and the Spanish authorities, was that he, and his men should be exempted from the payment of taxes after they have undertaken the crusade in Mindanao.

In as much as Perez and his men were unable to undertake the crusade, he and his men were made to pay their taxes, just the same.

Perez got mad. He led his men in an uprising against the Spanish rulers. The rebellion started November 3, 1762 and lasted up to January, 1765.

Perez during the rebellion, adopted the name Juan dela Cruz Palaris. Dagupan became a battle scene in one of the encounters between Palaris and the Spanish forces.

17. THE ANAK-BANWAS

We have been able to track down two ANAK BANWAS among the old Dagupan families. The descendants played various important roles in the political, economic, social and religious growth of the city. One was Don Pablo Villamil of PANTAL; the other was Don Pablo de Venecia of BOLOSAN.

The ANAK- BANWA was a native title, equivalent to the Spanish CABEZA DE BARANGGAY. CABEZA simply denotes a he-man, a chief, and a leader.

The title of ANAK BANWA is very oriental, literally, it means son of the sun. In ancient oriental society, kings were believed to have descended from the God Sun. ANAK-BANWA connotes royalty. At the same time, it has religious meaning, derived from the God Sun.

18. THE VILLAMILS

Don Pablo Villamil, father of Roman Villamil, Is the grandfather of Don Ricardo Villamil, physician-lawyer, and writer-businessman.

As a student, Don Ricardo was a creative writer. He wrote Spanish poetry while a student at the Colegio de San Alberto Magno in Dagupan. He wrote short stories in English while a pre-medical student at the Ateneo University. He won first prize in a national short story writing contest.

He practiced medicine for a while, then dabbled in politics and was a city councilor of Dagupan for several terms. Later he went into business. He formed VIDA, a family corporation engaged in banking, real estate, fishponds, farming, and the movies.

The Villamil clan has produced three Dagupan mayors since the Spanish era; Reginaldo, Fabian and Juan.

Crisostomo Villamil was another colorful member of the clan who contributed much to the economic growth of the community. Then there was Carmen Villamil, classmate- friend of Leonor Rivera, a teacher who became the wife of Don Toribio Jovellanos. Don Crisostomo Villamil, the vernacular novelist, belongs to the clan. So does former city councilor Cesario Villamil.

19. THE DE VENECIAS

The present generation of de Venecias in Dagupan descended from the clan headed by Don Pablo de Venecia of BOLOSAN. He was an ANAK-BANWA.

This clan produced Don Pedro de Venecia, a ranking officer of the Katipunan and a leader of the aglipayan movement in Dagupan. One of his children, Dr. Gualberto de Venecia, was one of the first physician to put up a private hospital in Dagupan.

Another son of Don Pablo was Guillermo de Venecia, several times municipal president of Dagupan. He built the old presidencia building, which to this day is being used as city hall.

Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr., the incumbent representative of the second district of Pangasinan in the House Of Representatives, is a direct descendant of Don Pablo de Venecia. He is a fourth generation descendant.

20. CAPITAN REGINALDO VILLAMIL

Before the outbreak of the Katipunan revolution, there was a Dagupeno named Reginaldo Villamil. Reginaldo was the father of Dona Carmen Villamil and Don Gaudencio Villamil.

Gaudencio, who was municipal vice president during the administration of municipal president Mariano Laurel, and one time Dagupan Chief of Police, was the father of Juan Crisostomo Villamil y Hortaleza, the classmate of Leonor Rivera.

Juan Crisostomo, the novelist, claims his grandfather, Reginaldo, was a kinsman of Don Pablo Villamil, the CABEZA DE BARANGGAY. Juan Crisostomo has an interesting story about his grandfather, Reginaldo. He says Don Reginaldo was CAPITAN of Dagupan before the Katipunan revolution broke out. One day, there was a Spanish army officer in Dagupan who was late for some mission . He was in such a hurry.

It happened that there were some children playing along his way. In his impatience, he kicked one of the boys, and the child rolled over on the street.

When Don Reginaldo learned about the incident, he had the Spanish army officer arrested and tied to a tree at the plaza.

Abuses, like this one , led the Filipino revolt against Spanish rule. Pangasinenses had a song of contempt against the Spaniards, which ran thus:

CASTILAN PINGGO-PINGGO;

ANAI AGTO NANILO:

INGGARIGAR TO'D ALO

ASALUKSOKAY TOMBONG TO.

21. THE SAILBOAT MAGNATES

The peak of trade by sailboat in Dagupan was roughly from 1780 to 1891, a little more than a century. This period represents the year when Father Dela Costa said Pangasinan ship builders went to apprentice at the Spanish naval yard in Cavite, to the establishment of the Manila-Dagupan railroad line.

Various types of ocean-going vessels used to dock in Pantal. The river was full of all kinds of boats, loaded with merchandise from Manila, Bolinao, Vigan and other centers of trade.

Naturally, the Business leaders of that era were the men who were engaged in the sailboat business. As far as we were able to determine, the list of those who operated ocean- going vessels include the following:

Don Francisco Arzadon, Don Sinfroso Zarate, Don Silvestre Laurel, Don Mariano Nable and Macario Favilla.

The sailboat trade strengthened the position of Dagupan as the commercial center of Northern and Central Luzon. Since then, Dagupan began to attract various traders to open different kinds of Businesses in the Community.

At the same time, the availability of transportation between Dagupan and Manila enabled the wealthy Dagupenos to send their children to Manila and abroad to obtain university education. These highly educated Dagupenos became the leaders toward the close of the Spanish era and the beginning of American rule·

22. TAN CO CO

It was at the height of sailboat trade when the first Chinese Traders arrived in Dagupan These were Tan Co Co and his brother Tan Huan.

They arrived in Dagupan about 1867. They came from Amoy, China. They opened a SARI-SARI business, which included hardware, dry goods and other non-perishable commodities.

A few years later, another two brothers of theirs followed. These were Tan San Guioc and Tan Chiek. The four Tan brothers were the neuclus of our Chinese community in Dagupan today

Tan Co Co and Tan Chiek died early. The family business was continued by Tan Huan and Tan San Guioc.

Tan Huan was the father of Felipe Tan, who now operates Taya's hardware. Felipe was married to Amparo de Vera of Calasiao, with whom he has nine children.

Felipe Tan became a Filipino in 1953. Tan San Guioc had four children: Rufo, Senito, Federico, and Eduardo Tan.

As more and more Chinese merchants arrived in the community, the Tans gradually gave up their other lines of merchandise and concentrated in hardware. Today the Tans dominate the trade in Dagupan. The younger Tans have since then become Filipinos.

23. THE RAILROAD LINE

Another factor that contributed to the fast economic growth of Dagupan was the construction of the Manila-Dagupan railroad line. Its construction was completed in 1891.

Immediately after the completion of the terminal, Dagupan became the gateway to the North. The railroad line was extended up to the river of Pantal.

Products from Ilocos and Bolinao, that were bound for Manila, were brought by sailboat to Dagupan. These were transferred to railroad cars in Pantal. From there, they were transported to Manila over land.

24. SAN ALBERTO MAGNO

Aside from economic factor, the railroad terminals enriched the social and cultural history of Dagupan as well.

The Dominican order was quick to realize the tremendous significance of the railroad terminal. They realized that it made Dagupan the true commercial, and hence, the population centers of northern and central Luzon.

In response to this vision, they decided to put up a college - the Colegio de San Alberto Magno located at the foot of Franklin Bridge in Calmay. This was built by Father Vicente Izetqui in 1891. The big flood that hit Pangasinan in 1935 destroyed this college

The products of this college became the leaders of Pangasinan during the Katipunan revolution and the early American regime.

25. DON CRISOSTOMO VILLAMIL

A Dagupeno played an important role in the building of the Manila-Dagupan railroad terminal. His name was Don Crisostomo Villamil. He belonged to the ruling Villamil clan of Pantal.

He was the project engineer of the Manila-Dagupan railroad line. He was the first Filipino to become a mechanical engineer. He studied in England. He assembled the engines of the early trains of the Manila Railroad Company that came from Britain.

As the construction of the project was going on, the crew was stuck in the swamps of Poponto in Bautista town. To make full use for the talents of Villamil, he was ordered to return to Manila and work in Caloocan.

Villamil, who was desirous to connect his native town to Manila early with the railroad line, shouted: "SIGUE DAGUPAN; avera CALOOCAN He defied the order for him to report to Caloocan, and continued the project until it was completed in 1891.

When the katipunan revolution broke out, Don Crisostomo Villamil joined the Fight for Filipino freedom. He was commissioned by General Emilio Aguinaldo to sail by boat to HONG KONG. His mission was to smuggle into the Philippines the arms and ammunition purchased in Hong Kong by Jose Maria Basa. He was very successful in his mission.

26, LEONOR RIVERA

Leonor Rivera is known in history books as the sweetheart of Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero.

The family of Leonor Rivera stayed in Dagupan for about two years in 1890 and 1891. This was the period when the Manila-Dagupan railroad line was being constructed.

Leonor's parents had a business in Dagupan in those days. According to lawyer-newsman Ernesto Conwi Hidalgo, who made a research on the subject, The Riveras were engaged in the clothing merchandise.

In our investigation on this subject, we discovered that the Riveras were closely linked with the family of Don Alejandro Venteres in Dagupan.

When the Riveras arrived in Dagupan they first resided on a house along Torres Bugallon Avenue, which is now the site of the NATO Commercial Bicycle store. This property belonged to Don Alejandro Venteres at the time, or, if not his property, at least the property of his wife, Dona Rosario Laurel Villamil.

Later, the Riveras moved to a house on what is now Rivera Street. The house belonged to Don Andres Palaganas. It turned out that the Palaganases were related to the Ventereses by affinity. The son of Don Andres, Ciriaco Palaganas, was married to Paula Venteres, a relative of Alejandro Venteres. By the way, Ciriaco Palaganas was one time municipal president of Dagupan.

Leonor had at least two Dagupeno classmates at LA CONCORDIA COLLEGE in Manila. They were Carmen Villamil and Luisa Hortaleza. She used to visit in the homes of these two friends.

Dona Carmen had a piano. Leonor used to play on that piano. It seems it was in the house of Dona Carmen that Leonor met Henry Kipping, the British engineer, with whom she later got married.

Engr. Kipping was the supervising engineer of the Manila-Dagupan railroad line project. He was associated with Engr. Crisostomo Villamil.

By then, Rizal was already deeply involved in the propaganda movement. He was branded as a FILIBUSTERO by the Spanish authorities and he was marked for execution. The hate campaign against Rizal was so intense. The mother of Leonor was alarmed. She thought Leonor would die in sorrow if she would marry Rizal. When she learned that Kipping had fallen in love with her daughter, she was so happy about it. She encouraged Kipping.

When Rizal was abroad, the mother bribed the Dagupan postmaster not to deliver to Leonor Rizal's letter. Instead, she got them and hid them from her daughter.

One day, the mother went on a business trip to Manila. The postman committed the mistake of delivering a letter from Rizal to Leonor. He was chiding her for not answering his letters. She thus discovered what her mother had been doing. Leonor wrote back Rizal, affirming her love to him.

One day, Rizal visited Leonor in Dagupan. On the night of his arrival he serenaded his sweetheart. He wrote a song that they entitled LEONOR. This song was arranged by Dr. Alejandro G. Venteres and translated the text in the vernacular. The Riveras were with the Palaganases at the time on what is now Rivera Street.

It was during this meeting between the two lovers that Leonor explained to Rizal her situation, She explained that her heart belonged to him, but that out of filial duty, she had to obey her mother's wish and marry Kipping. She confided to Rizal her very deep sorrow, and told him that she would not live long away from his side.

Leonor and Kipping were married at the Roman Catholic Church in Dagupan in 1831. After the wedlock, they stayed in the house of Don Roque Bautista on Burgos street. True to her word to Rizal she became ill after sometime.

When Dona Trinidad Rizal heard of Leonor's illness she visited her in Dagupan. Dona Trining sought out her relatives here. The Rizals, on their mother side, were related with the Quintos family in Dagupan. Dona Trining stayed in the Quintos house on Nable street, in PANTAL, which is now the residence of Don Crisologo Zarate.

27. DON DORO, THE KATIPUNERO

There was once a very colorful Dagupeno by the name of Teodoro Villamil, better known as Don Doro.

He was a kinsman of Don Pedro Villamil, the CABEZA DE BARANGGAY of Pantal,. Don Doro was a rich man. He was tall, dashing and handsome. He was a TAJOR. He was a cockfighter, and he played cards well.

During the Katipunan revolution, he was in command of a company. He had a personal bodyguard, Santiago Toledo, who was expert in excrima. Don Doro's company was assigned to guard the SABANGAN in BONUAN, to keep tab of in-coming vessels that may bring into Dagupan upon Spanish soldiers.

One day, Don Doro decided to have a picnic at the SABANGAN with his men. He had a carabao butchered. For this Picnic, the mess sergeant was Hilario Saingan, father of Juan Saingan of Pantal. This is Juan Saingan's version of what happened during that picnic.

"I was about six years old at the time. My father, Hilario Saingan who was the mess sergeant of the company brought me along. The area was surrounded by trenches, where the Katipuneros took over during encounters with the casadores."

"On top of the trenches, the Katipuneros placed coconut husks which were designed in such a manner that when you look at them from a distance, they appeared like sentinels ready for a fight."

"Don Doro also mounted a coconut trunk, which he painted dark brown. In the distance this coconut trunk, looked like a cannon."

"SOMEHOW, THE CASADORES in the town learned of the picnic in SABANGAN. They commandeered one of the sailboats of Don Mariano Nable and sailed for SABANGAN. Obviously, they were out to raid the Katipuneros."

"As the sailboat was approaching the SABANGAN, Don Doro noticed that it was full of casadores. He had his men turn the nose of his coconut trunk cannon towards the approaching vessel. The CASADORES thought it was a real cannon. They got scared and turned the sailboat back to town."

"Don Doro and his men had the most memorable picnic in their lives."

28. END OF SPANISH RULE

Spanish rule ended in Pangasinan on July 23 1898. This was the day General Federico Caballos, commander of the Spanish forces in Pangasinan, surrendered to Katipunan General Francisco Macabulos in Dagupan.

The final fight put up by the Katipuneros in Pangasinan to end Spanish rule in the Province started simultaneously in all the towns where there were Spanish garrisons.

The Katipunan forces in Pangasinan were under the over all command of General Macabulos while the Spanish forces were under the command of General Caballos. The Spanish commander had his command post at the Catholic convent in Dagupan.

Western Pangasinan at that time, was still a part of Zambales. And the Katipunan forces in the west were the command of General Ramon Manalang. A command post was in Alaminos.

The financial against the Spanish force, Manalang and Macabulos was coordinated. The liaison job between the two commanders was undertaken by Don Macario Meneses of BONUAN.

The attack was made on March 7, 1898. The battle in Dagupan lasted for four months and 16 days.

29. ELISEO ARZADON

Eliseo Arzadon was a man very fond of fine horses. Grandson of Don Francisco Arzadon the wealthy sailboat magnate who was one time CAPITAN of Dagupan, Eliseo was a man of princely bearing,

When General Macabulos gave the signal for the Katipuneros to attack on March 7, 1898.Don Eliseo, who was a ranking officer of the Katipunan rode into town.

Astride his white horse, and with a sword in his right hand, he entered the Catholic Church and announced to the stunned CASADORES that the fight is on. Before the enemies could shoot him, he was gone.

30. BATTLE FRONTS

The battle in Dagupan was fought in three fronts. There was a Spanish contingent at the Colegio de San Alberto Magno. This was assigned to guard the western approach to the town.

Another Spanish force was quartered at the Laurel residence at the foot of Quintos Bridge. Its duty was to prevent the entry of the enemies from the eastern approach to the town.

The main bulk of the Spanish army, however was at the Catholic, the command post of General Caballos.

The Katipuneros were ill equipped. For every 50 men, only about four had refills. some had bolos. The rest were armed with PANAOK (a Sharp- Pointed nipa stem which looked like a rifle in the distance.)

Don Juan Solis Galvan, who was commanding officer of a Katipunan contingent that camped in Suit, led the back at the Colegio de San Alberto Magno front.

Don Teodoro Villamil and Don Pedro de Venecia supplied the leadership of the Katipunan forces who attacked the enemies at Quintos Bridge.

The Tagalog forces from Nueva Ecija who were better armed, joined the Dagupan Katipuneros who attacked the Spaniards in the church. Sgt. Santiago Javier was with this group.

In the beginning the Katipuneros were very cautions to advance in their battle positions. they had a rolling trench. This was made of banana trunks, wrapped by sawali with about seven feet diameter when they have to advance, they roll their trench. them the Spaniards start firing at them, they lie flat on the street, protected by their banana trenches.

It was evident that the Katipuneros were prolonging the battle, to wait for Katipunan reinforcements from other towns.

True enough, as the fight dragged on, more and more reinforcements arrived towards the close of the fight, Don Daniel Maramba and his forces from Sta. Barbara and Mangaldan sided with their Dagupan comrades.

By July 21, General Macabulos felt his troops had sufficient strength on account of reinforcements by Katipuneros from various parts of Luzon. He went on an all-out offensive

After an intensive of exchange of fire that Lasted for two nights and one day, General Caballos surrendered. He ran short or supplies and ammunition.

Thus, Spanish rule in Pangasinan ended.

Fighting scene during the Katipunan March in 1838. The KATIPUNERO brought to an end Spanish rule in Pangasinan and ushered in the shortlived Filipino freedom under the rule of President Emilio Aguinaldo,

After the end of Spanish rule, President Aguinaldo appointed Don Juan Solis Galvan, the municipal president of the town. Galvan was a ranking officer of the Katipunan. Galvan Street along which the public market was built was named after him.

Go Back to History of Dagupan Outline

(MY PATERNAL GRAND MOTHER BELONGS TO THE VILLAMIL-JOVELANOS CLAN)

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN PANGASINAN

PART II THE AMERICAN REGIME

1. SHORT-LIVED FREEDOM

With the end of Spanish rule in Dagupan Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo President of the First Philippine Republic, appointed Don Juan Solis Galvan as municipal president.

The people were so happy. They were free at last to govern themselves. Their freedom was short-lived. Soon after the Katipuneros succeeded in ending Spanish rule, the American landed in the Philippines

Their aim was to colonize our country. They were interested with the natural resources of our land. They wanted the Philippines as a market for American products.

2. FILIPINOS VS. AMERICANS

Our people did not like the Americans to rule over us. They decided to drive the Americans out of the country.

On February 4, 1899 the Filipino-American war began. This was a battle between the two forces in La Loma, Quezon City. Among the Filipinos who died in the battle of La Loma was an army officer from Pangasinan. His name was Jose Torres Bugallon. He studied at the Spanish Military academy at Toledo, Spain. He graduated with highest honors, He helped Gen. Antonio Luna organize the revolutionary army.

The main street in Dagupan, which passes the downtown area, was named after him. His native town of Salasa was also given a new name in his honor. This is the town of Bugallon.

3. AGUINALDO IN PANGASINAN

Since the start of the Filipino-American war the Philippine army was losing the fight.The reasons were: 1) The weapons of the Filipinos were no match to the superior arms of the Americans 2) The Filipino soldiers were already exhausted from fighting in the Katipunan revolution set against the Spaniards.

Thus President Aguinaldo was forced to move his government from place to place. By early November, 1899 Aguinaldo made Bayambang, Pangasinan his temporary capital.

While he was in Bayambang he called all his commanders to a conference in northern Luzon. In this conference, it was decided that Aguinaldo will hide in the mountains of northern Luzon while the Philippine army continues to fight but shift to guerilla warfare.

4. DEL PILAR IN DAGUPAN

During all the time that Aguinaldo was in Bayambang, General Gregorio del Pilar was in Dagupan with some 2,000 men. He was guarding Lingayen area against any American invasion that may attack Aguinaldo in Pangasinan.

As Aguinaldo and his men were deciding that they shift their strategy into guerilla warfare, the Americans decided to launch a three-pronged attack against Aguinaldo in Pangasinan.

The target date for the attack was November 23,1899. One force will attack from the east, to be led by General Lawton, another force will attack from the Lingayen Gulf area, to be led by General Lloyd Wheaton, while an advance force will be led by General MacArthur.

5. AGUINALDO MOVES TO POZORRUBIO

About November 14, 1899, an advance party of American troops under the command of General MacArthur arrived in Pangasinan. Major Swigert led this advance contingent. As this developed, Aguinaldo moved out of Bayambang and proceeded north. He stopped in the house of Apolinario Salcedo in POZORRUBIO. He was with his wife, Hilaria, and his son, Miguel.

General Del Pilar left Dagupan to escort the Filipino president in his retreat to the north. He also slept in the Salcedo house in POZORRUBIO.

6. WHEATON IN SAN FABIAN

While Aguinaldo was in Pozorrubio, Gen. Wheaton arrived in San Fabian. On his march towards Pozorrubio, the Filipino troops ambushed his group in Barrio Macayug on the Bank of the Bued River in San Jacinto.

Here a six-hour battle was fought. The Filipinos suffered heavy casualties. But Major Logan of the US Army was slain. The Dagupan Katipuneros participated in this fight. As the battle raged in Macayug, Aguinaldo continued on his march to the north.

7. TORIBIO JOVELLANOS ( MY GREAT GRANDFATHER ON MY FATHERS MATERNAL SIDE)

In 1900, while many Filipino leaders were still fighting the Americans, the new foreign invaders put up a military government to rule the country.

In Dagupan, the Americans appointed Don Toribio Jovellanos to the position of Municipal President.

In Pangasinan, Don Manuel Maramba, who was a colonel in the Katipunan, was still waging guerilla warfare against Americans.

In view of the prevailing political climate at the time, it was obvious that the main task of Don Toribio, as the municipal president, was to win over his people to accept American rule.

Who was Don Toribio? He was a weather observer in the employ of the weather bureau since the Spanish period. He was a career man as a weather observer. He was one of two brothers doing the same job. His brother, Cesar, was also a Weather Observer in Manila.

It seems that Don Toribio succeeded in his mission in winning over Dagupenos to accept American rule. Two historical facts will attest to this: 1) Don Toribio Villamil, a ranking Katipunan officer, took the oath of allegiance to the United States and was appointed in 1901 as municipal president to succeed Don Toribio, and 2) According to the Biography of Don Manuel Maramba by 1901 there were only two towns in Pangasinan where the Americans were not harrased by Filipino Guerillas: Dagupan and Calasiao.

8. CIVIL GOVERNMENT

On February 14, 1901, the Philippine Commission came to Dagupan to establish civil government for the province of Pangasinan. This was officially established in Dagupan on February 16. Don Perfecto Sison was appointed provincial governor while Don Fabian Villamil was appointed municipal president of Dagupan. The seat of the provincial government was later moved to Lingayen, after the said town was finally pacified.

9. FIRST ELECTION

The first election to be held in Dagupan was done about the close of 1901. At stake was the position of Municipal president for the two year term corresponding to 1902 and 1903. The poll was held at the plaza. Voting was by viva voce. There were two candidates who vied for the position: Juan Villamil and Quitereio Favila.

Villamil was a scion of the ruling Villamil clan in PANTAL, while Favila was the son of Gov. Macario Favilla. There was an improvised platform. The two candidates were seated on opposite sides of the stage..

It was this election which originated the este contra weste political alignments in Dagupan. The dividing line was the river. Favila lived on the eastern side of the river; he belonged to the este faction. Villamil resided on the western side of the river; he belonged to the weste group.

10. SCHOOLS OPEN

After the establishment of civil government, the public school system as we have now, started during the first term president Villamil. The school was opened on a house near the plaza. English was the medium of instruction. The teachers were American soldiers.

11. THE SECOND ELECTION

The second election in Dagupan was as interesting as the first. This was in fact, the very first election where ballots were used. As in the first poll, the election was also held at the public plaza.

The opponents were Don Juan Villamil, who ran for re-election, and Don Mariano K. Laurel. The two were brothers- in -law. The wife of Don Juan was Sofia K. Laurel, a sister of Don Mariano.

Laurel resided on the eastern side of the river; he belonged to the este faction. Again Villamil won.

12. LIFE IN EARLY DAGUPAN

Dagupan in the 1990s was a very small town. The plaza served as the market at the same time. The present public market was a swamp at the time ; its water was up to the waistline. Much of what is now the downtown area, along Torres Bugallon Avenue, was mangrove.

There was nowhere to fetch drinking water in the poblacion area. Water had to be fetched from PUGARO, or Pogo, Lasip and Malued and brought to town by boat.

MANGIN and Tebeng were connected to the town by only an inlet, which was impassable during the rainy season. It was deep with Mud. People from Lucao had to come to town by boat.

Transportation between Dagupan and Urdaneta was by bullcart. The road was narrow and unraveled. The mud narrow was knee deep during the rainy season. The road between Dagupan and San Carlos was equally drab. It was impassable during the wet season. Travel through the Agno River during the rainy season was dangerous. The water gets turbulent when the current is strong.

13. MAYOR BRING PROGRESS

Progress came slowly to the community as every succeeding municipal president, or municipal mayor tried his best to serve the town. Don Juan Villamil built the original Dagupan Elementary School on the bank of the Toboy River, on what is now the Magsaysay Park. This building was destroyed in 1945 during the liberation of Dagupan by the forces of Gen. MacArthur.

Don Modesto Coquia constructed the first Artesian wells in town. One of those two wells in town continues to serve our people. It was tapped as a source of water supply for the huge water tank behind the city hall. He also brought electric service to town.

Don Mariano K. Laurel built the first concrete bridge for Dagupan. This was the Original Quintos Bridge along Jose Torres Bugallon avenue across the Toboy river.

Don Antonio Llamas Fernandez purchased for the government the lot on which the present public market in the downtown area now stands. He also built the original market building with tile roofing. This was burned in the big fire that hit Dagupan in1952. He also built streets in the roads to the barrios.

Don Jose Jovellanos improved the public plaza and built the Rizal monument. The plaza served as a vast playground in those days.

Don Guillermo de Venecia constructed the presidencia building in 1962. This is what we are still using as our city hall.

The West Central School was constructed during the term of Don Jose Paras Calimlim. The site of this school was originally the residential lots of several families the Calimlim, Fernandez, Arzadon, and Bernal families. He also built the the road to Tebeng.

Don Jose Fernandez Llamas constructed the huge water tank behind the city hall. He also built several Artesian wells in the barrios.

During the first term, Don Angel Fernandez constructed the original Bonuan Boquig Elementary School and the Gregorio del Pilar Elementary School in Bonuan Gueset. He also graveled our major roads to the important barrios.

14. THE AGLIPAYANOS

The success of the Katipunan revolution shook the Roman Catholic Church.

In Dagupan, Padre Adriano Garces left the Roman Church and joined the Aglipayan movement. When he defeated, many of the prominent Dagupan families followed him. In 1902, he established a temporary church along Galvan Street, on the present site of the clinic of Dr. Aurelio Banal.

Then Don Pedro de Venecia, one of the top leaders of the Katipunan revolution in Dagupan, donated his lot in the Philippines Independent Church, adjacent to the public market. On this lot now stands the Aglipayan church.

One son of Don Pedro, Father Santiago de Venecia became an Aglipayan priest.

On November 27, 1905, Father Gregorio Aguila Gaerlan was elected parish priest of the Dagupan Aglipayan church. He married Casimira de Venecia, daughter of Don Pedro.

Under the leadership of Padre Gaerlan, the influence of the church in the community reached its peak. In 1906, Don Gregorio Beltran, one of the prominent Aglipayan leaders, was elected municipal president. After his term as town executive , he became a priest. As a fitting reward for his fruitful labor in Dagupan, Padre Gaerlan was consecrated bishop on May 9, 1935.

15. THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

During the most critical period in the history of the church, the two catholic schools in the community rendered invaluable service to the cause of Roman Catholicism in Dagupan.

These schools were the parochial school in the convent, which was for the children and the Colegio de San Alberto Magno. For lack of schools of their own to accommodate their children, the Aglipayans sent them to Colegio de San Alberto Magno. Eventually, the School won most of the youth back to the Roman Catholic Church.

16. THE PROTESTANTS

In 1906, the Rev. Ernest Lyons arrived in Dagupan. He was an American Methodist Missionary. He was accompanied by the Rev. Felipe Marquez, a ranking Katipunan officer from San Manuel, Pangasinan. The two introduced Protestantism in the community.

Among the first converts to Protestantism in Dagupan came from the ranks of the Katipuneros, including Leon Palaganas, Lorenzo Vinluan, Santiago Javier, Emilio Cabugao, the Velasquez, Aquino and Oviedo clans of Carael, the Quebrals and Ravanzos of Calmay.

17. THE CANE SUGAR INDUSTRY

The first decade of the American regime was a period of economic growth in the farming communities of Dagupan such as Malued, Lasip, Pogo, Caranglaan, Tebeng, Bolosan, Salisay and Longos.

During this period cane sugar became a major farm product. The big Land-owners of the farming communities started to put up carabao-drawn sugar mills, called in the dialect DAPILAN.

In Malued, the barrio which produced the greatest amount of sugar in Dagupan, there was a time when there were seven carabao-drawn-sugar mills.

Agustin Siapno and his wife Emiliana Sibayan had three sugar mills of this type. They were the parents of one time City Mayor Gaudencio Siapno.

The cane sugar industry resulted into the manufacturer of numerous sugar-based native delicacies such as the BOKAYO, BOKARILYO, and various kinds of pastilyas. Puto and other native cakes are also sugar based delicacies. Also, there were other sugar products such as the GINOYOR,NILOSOR,PAKASIAT, and others.

Cane sugar in those days, were contained in big eastern containers called pilons. These pilons were manufactured in San Carlos and Binmaley.

18. COMMERCIAL CENTER

The commercial center of early Dagupan was the plaza and surrounding areas.

The growth of the commercial center from the public market along Torres Buggalon avenue up to Quintos bridge and beyong on the other side of the river started in 1908.

The pioneer Filipino businessman was Don Pedro Flor Concuera. Don Pedro was a migrant from Batac, Ilocos Norte. He first settled in Binmaley, where he met Dona Vicenta Vinluan, who later become his wife. From Binmaley they moved to Dagupan in 1907. They had one child; Rosario. They rented a space at the Llamas Building in front of the plaza, and put up Bazaar Flor. They sold dry goods and jewelries. Business was good. After sometime, They acquired the corner lot on Calle Nueva and Torres Bugallon avenue, adjacent to the public market, and some other properties in the vicinity of Fernandez street.

They erected their own commercial building close to the public market, thus began the shift of the commercial center, from the plaza to our present downtown area. Since he arrived in Dagupan, Don Pedro has been several times a member of the municipal board as a councilor. He died in 1926.

19. POLITICS AND THE PROFESSION

Starting from the era of the Spaniards and during the entire American regime, wealthy Dagupenos prepared their children for politics and professions. They sent their promising young children to the best schools in Manila and abroad: Don Mariano Nable sent his son, Feliciano, to study engineering in England; Don Guillermo de Venecia sent his son, Policronio, to study medicine in Germany, Don Pedro de Venecia his son, Gualberto, to study medicine in Japan; one son of Don Mariano K. Laurel studied aviation in Germany, (Procopio), while another son , Cornelio, studied medicine in Japan.

Thus, while Dagupan was a fast growing business center, business and the various traders were left open to new migrants.

20. THE ZARATES

Among the few of the old Dagupan families who went into business are the Zarates. At the height of the sailboat business , Don Sinfroso Zarate and his wife Dominga Geminiano were operating a fleet of sailboats. From this business the couple grew wealthy.

The second generation Zarate, who went into the business was Don Saturnino Zarate. He was married to Concordia Tamayo of Malasiqui. The couple had two distilleries in Dagupan during the days of the American period. Their distilleries were named San Juan and La Salvadora. Don Saturnino served also as municipal councilor of Dagupan for many years.

Don Crisologo Zarate is the third generation businessman. He is a grandson of Don Sinfroso, the sailboat magnate. Don Crisologo was married to Dona Victoria Quintos, a scion of the Quintos clan of Dagupan, who were related to the Rizals. Don Crisilogo was one time a city councilor of Dagupan. He is a philantrophist. He donated to the government the site of the Dona Victoria Elementary School in the Bani District. The school was named in honor of his wife.

As a businessman, Don Crisologo has varied interests. He is an insurance executive and has heavy investments in real estate. He was co-founder of the Dagupan City Rural Bank and served as its first president. He owns the Zarate building which houses the Vina Theater, the building which houses the Philippine Bank of Commerce, and the Victoria hotel. Management of the hotel was under his supervision. Don Crisilogo's contribution to the growth of the economy of the city is quite impressive.

Don Crisologo has preserved the old Quintos house in its original state on account of the house’s historic significance. It was this house where Dona Trinidad Mercado Rizal stayed when she visited the ailing Leonor Rivera sometime in 1891. Most possibly, It was also on this house where the hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, stayed, when he visited his sweetheart, Leonor, in Dagupan. Dona Teodora Alonzo y Quintos was a blood relatives of the Quintos clan of Lingayen and Dagupan. She was the mother of the Rizals.

21. THE PANTRANCO

Economic and social progress, to a large extent, depend on the efficiency of a system of transportation that serves a community. The extensive road network of Pangasinan, and the birth of the Pangasinan Transportation company (PANTRANCO) were two factors responsible for the rapid growth of Dagupan into a city.

Credit for the extensive road network of Pangasinan goes largely to the late Governor Daniel Maramba. As governor, he built the roads that connected western Pangasinan to Dagupan; he also improved the road in the eastern towns that made travel to Dagupan very much easier.

Pantranco was organized in 1917. It started its operations with only six buses. Its main terminal and the Victory hotel was in Dagupan. Two Americans: A. L. Ammend and Max Blouse, founded the company. When Frank Klar, also an American, retired as provincial treasurer of Pangasinan in 1918, he bought the company.

It was Frank Klar, and his son-in-law, the late Don Rafael Gonzales, who first expanded the company's operations to cover the whole of Central and Northern Luzon. Sometime in 1970, ownership of the company passed into new hands this time the Manila Trading Company. Today, Pantranco buses are operating as far as Southern Tagalog and the Bicol region.

22. BLAS F. RAYOS

In 1925, two important institutions were born that expanded Dagupan towards Bani District. These two were the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital ( now known as the Pangasinan General Hospital) and the Dagupan Institute ( now the University of Pangasinan).

The hospital was established on lot donated by Don Teofilo Sison. Its first director was Dr. Raymundo Camacho.

The story of the University of Pangasinan is deeply linked with the career of Dr. Blas F. Rayos as an educator. The school was founded in 1925 by Dr. Mariano delos Santos, Dean Francisco Benitez, Andres Jacinto, Amado Ll. Ayson, Blas F. Rayos and Miss Isabel Alisangco.

Starting with 25 secondary students in 1925, the school grew steadily over the years. In the process the school provided the province and the city with young leaders. The man largely responsible for the growth of the school is Dr. Rayos, president of the university.

The man was born of former-fisher folk in a barrio of Lingayen on February 3, 1895. As a grade school pupil, he had to study his lessons on the back of his father’s carabao; which he has to take to the pasture after school hours. While he had struggle to overcome poverty, he consistently finished his courses, from the primary grades to the university, at the top of his classes.

From grade school up to university, he was a working student, He obtained three degrees from the University of the Philippines: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of science in Education, and a master of Arts in Education. Later, He was awarded a Doctor of Education degree by the University of Manila.

Dr. Rayos is a man of varied interest and activities. He is clearly involved in the operations of the Young Men’s Christian Association. He is also chairman of the Dagupan Beautification Committee which undertook the recent improvements in the Dagupan City Plaza, The post office and the Magsaysay Park.

To boost economic development in the Western Pangasinan, he opened the Pangasinan School of Fisheries in Lucap. Alaminos. He is also engaged in livestock production in Anda, Bolinao and other towns in the west.

23. THE TANNERIES

Roman Llanillos and Tomas Nieto were migrants from Meycawayan, Bulacan. They were arrived in Dagupan in 1924. They established the first tanneries in Caranglaan.

Besides his tannery, Nieto also established a footwear factory - The La Suerte Shoe Shop on Torres Bugallon avenue.

From tannery, the Llanillos have since then expanded into the jewelry pharmacy and movie-house businesses.

Another Tagalog migrant, who pioneered in the footwear business was Faustino Mendoza. He was the first to put up a footwear shop where he made manufactured made-to-order shoes. Today, two of his children: Ernesto and Brigido, have continued their fathers trade. The two are now with the La Suerte Footwear.

24. POLITICS IN 1930

During the first week of February, 1930, then Councilor Numeriano Tanopo, Sr. as chairman of the finance committee of the municipal council sponsored an appropriation measure. Among other things the measure raised the salary of then Municipal President Jose P. Calimlim from P1,440 a year to P2,000 per annum. This is equivalent to a raise from P120 a month to P166.66.

Councilor Andres Tamondong and another councilor opposed the measure. Tamondong wanted the presidents salary raised from P120 to P130 a month only.

In a by-lined article by Pascual Lozano, the Tunong newsmagazine issue of February 8, 1930. raised hell against the Tanopo measure.

During the local elections to 1930, the TUNONG reported that in the mayoralty fight between Jose P. Calimlim and Jose F. Llamas(MY GRANDFATHER), the latter campaigned on a platform to work for the conversion of Dagupan into a City. That early, Llamas described his platform as a "dream of Dagupenos since long ago". Llamas defeated Calimlim in that electoral fight.

25. VERNACULAR WRITING

The decade before the outbreak of the Pacific war in1941 was the golden age of the Pangasinan culture. This was the decade of two vigorous vernacular news magazines, the TUNONG and the Silew, both published in Dagupan.

TUNONG brought into full bloom the genius of Don Juan Mejia as a vernacular writer. While editing the Tunong, He wrote his literary masterpiece, and epic on the life and times of the National hero Dr. Jose Rizal. This was written in verse in classical Pangasinan. He also wrote a Pangasinan grammar and a dictionary.

After Don Pablo's death in 1937, Miss Maria Magsano put up Silew magazines. This magazine serialized Miss Magsano's novels which were awaited with keen anticipation every week by her fans.

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN, PANGASINAN
PART III- THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

1. PEARL HARBOR

ON DECEMBER 7, 1941,the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. That started the pacific war.

In going to war the Japanese had wanted to conquer the whole of southeast Asia.. This includes the Philippines. The Japanese aim in conquering these Southeast Asian countries was to exploit their rich natural resources.

2. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT EVACUATES

When the war began the Lingayen Gulf areas was heavily guarded by American and Filipino soldiers. But suddenly Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) decided to concentrate his forces in Bataan. The USSAFFE, contingents in the Lingayen Gulf areas were ordered to move out to Bataan.

As this developed, the provincial officials of Pangasinan were alarmed. About the middle of December, Governor Santiago Estrada called the members of the Pangasinan Provincial Board and various provincial chiefs of offices to a general conference, the agendum was the evacuation of the provincial government.

In the conference, the provincial officials unanimously decided to evacuate the government to Tayug. By Christmas day the provincial government moved out to Tayug.

3. LOOTERS BURN DAGUPAN

When Mayor Angel B. Fernandez learned of the decision to evacuate the provincial government to Tayug, he also moved his family to San Manuel in Eastern Pangasinan. Practically all the other municipal officials of Dagupan also went into hiding.

With a vacuum of leadership in the town, looters burned some sections of Dagupan. Anarchy arose. Looters raided several commercial establishments.

4. CONFUSION AROSE

By January, 1942 a general confusion arose in the entire province. At least three people claimed that he was the governor of Pangasinan.

One was the Japanese businessman Yamari, who stayed in Dagupan several years before the Japanese invasion; the second one was a certain Dr. Diaz of Alcala, who studied medicine in Japan, and the third was Provincial board member (Vocal ) Enrique Sta. Maria of San Quintin.

In some towns of the province, certain pro-Japanese elements who came out were appointed as municipal mayors of their respective towns. Gov. Estrada, who previously went into hiding, was forced to come out He decided to recognize the provincial government.

5. DAGUPAN WAS CAPITAL

In need of MEN to help him run the provincial government, Gov. Estrada went to Manila and sought out Blas F. Rayos. Rayos, when the war broke out was called to active duty in the USAFFE. He had the rank of Kapitan and was the executive officer for the central Luzon District of the USAFFE when his group was in Tarlac.

Capt. Rayos, in the company of Lt. Cornelio Tomeldan of Lingayen, attempted twice to go to Bataan and join their mother units, but their efforts were frustrated.

Estrada found Rayos in Manila and convinced him to return to Pangasinan, to prevent anarchy and save democracy. Estrada appointed Rayos as secretary of the provincial board. This was about the end of January, 1942.

In Dagupan, the Japanese soldiers gathered some 30 prominent citizens. They held an election to choose a mayor to govern the town.

Councilor Amado Liamas Ayson was elected. He requested from the Japanese that Dagupan be made the wartime capital of Pangasinan. The Japanese agreed. The West Central School served as the capitol.

6. RAYOS WAS WORKHORSE

As provincial board secretary, Rayos was the workhorse of the provincial government.

The condition being too dangerous, Gov. Estrada tried to play it safe and stayed in his residence in Calasiao most of the time.

The burden of running the government fell on the shoulders of Rayos. One week after the provincial government was organized, Rayos, in the company of a Japanese Kempetai officer, toured western Pangasinan to organize the municipal government there.

The Guerillas, who were already active by then, almost killed him.

7. BATAAN SURRENDERS

On April 9, 1942 Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. By then, Gov. MacArthur had escaped to Australia. The USAFFE were made to march from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac. This was where the Japanese built a concentration camp for their camp prisoners. This long march was known as history as the Bataan death march.

After sometime, The Japanese decided to release the war prisoners, but they would release only those where there was a responsible official of the province who would answer for their good conduct.

For the sake of the Pangasinan soldiers, Rayos stayed in Capas for four months. He served as a hostage for the Pangasinan soldiers who were released from the prison camp.

8. GUERILLAS BURN BRIDGE

One day, the Guerillas burned the bridge near Alaminos. The Japanese got mad. They summoned Mayor Agapito Braganza, who was then acting mayor of Mabini, to the Kempetai Headquarters in Dagupan.

The Japanese Kempetai ordered Braganza to restore the bridge in three days. Should he fail to do so, they would execute him. Braganza was scared. He said , it was impossible for him to restore the bridge in three days. There were no lumber materials for him to use, and there were no nails.

The Japanese told him to tear down the big houses in Alaminos and use them to construct the bridge. To save Braganza from his predicament, Rayos advised him to promise to do as he was told and go into hiding afterwards. Thus Braganza was released.

9. CONTACT WITH GUERILLAS

While Secretary Rayos and Mayor Ayson were at the nerve center of government operation in Dagupan, they were in close contact with the various guerilla units operating in Pangasinan.

One night, guerilla leader Ferdinand Marcos, in his reconnaissance of Pangasinan province, slept in Rayos' residence in Pantal.

In 1945, when the Americans arrested Rayos and incarcerated him in Muntinlupa,, Marcos interceded for him. With the help of our influential Filipino leaders , Rayos was subsequently released.

The greater part of the service of Rayos and Ayson to our people was devoted to doing liaison work with the Japanese Kempetai to save the lives of people captured or arrested for guerilla activities.

10. DAGUPAN GUERILLEROS

Three Dagupenos figured prominently in the underground movement during the Japanese occupation. These were Miguel R. Acosta, Felipe Llamas Cuison and Jaime Arzadon, Sr.

Arzadon was the member of the national volunteers when the war broke out. He was then in San Miguel, Pangasinan.

On Christmas day on 1941, the Japanese invading forces learned that the provincial government evacuated to Tayug.

A Mechanized contingent of Japanese proceeded to Tayug to capture the provincial officials. To their dismay, the bridge in Barrio Toboy, Asingan, on the way to Tayug , was burned down. The invaders thus took a detour through San Miguel. When the Japanese arrived in San Miguel , Arzadon was there to meet them. At first Arzadon thought they were allied forces, so he came out to welcome them. Then he realized they were Japanese soldiers.

They asked Arzadon to surrender. Arzadon raised his arms, but when he noticed that a Japanese officer got his pistol to shoot him, Arzadon fired his gun and killed the Japanese officer. Then he scampered away for safety. With that initial encounter with the Japanese invaders, Arzadon later teamed up with Miguel and Acosta, who was able to escape capture in Bataan. On April 18, 1942, the two Dagupenos organized the Army of the Agno in Barrio San Isidro, San Nicolas, and Pangasinan. This guerilla force used to ambush Japanese soldiers on their way to Baguio.

While Acosta and Arzadon were operating in eastern Pangasinan, Cuison,on the other hand was leading Guerilla operations in eastern, Pangasinan and Zambales. Right in the Kempetai headquarters, the guerillas had a planted man who regularly informed them of the movement of the Japanese. He was Sgt. Bato of Aguilar.

One day, Cuison received Bato's message. He prepared to ambush the Japanese convoy between Sual and Alaminos. Three truckloads of Japanese soldiers, together with their commanding officer were killed. Only three Japanese soldiers escaped.

11. LIFE IN DAGUPAN

As Dagupan served as the war time capitol of Pangasinan, life in the community was generally peaceful.

Capitan Valdez, a guerilla leader in Mangatarem, several times threatened to enter Dagupan and raid the Japanese Kempetai headquarters. On the other hand, the Kempetai chief in Dagupan threatened to burn the town of Mangatarem on account of the gueriIlas.

It was Secretary Rayos who averted both camps from executing their threats. Thus Dagupan and Mangatarem were spared from bloody encounters between the two forces. Many Prominent Pangasinenses lived in Dagupan during the War years. They felt safer in the community. One of them was Speaker Eugenio Perez.

12. VICTORIANO C. DAROYA

For a deeper insight into how Dagupenos managed to live during the Japanese occupation, here is the war time experience of Victorino C. Daroya, the accountant.

"I was in manila when the war broke up. I was the assistant advertising manager of the Philippine Free Press. The Free Press continued publication until March, 1942, when manila was declared open city. One morning, I came to office. The main door of the free press building was locked. A Japanese Flag was hanging on the door and a warning was posted which read: ‘whoever enters this building will be shot.’ The Free Frees was owned by an American, R. McCulloch Dick. The Japanese considered the publication an enemy."

"A few days later, I learned that the Japanese raided the house of Free press staff writer Leon O. Ty. Luckily for him, he was out of that time. Mr. Ty left for the mountains and joined the Guerillas. For my part, I left Manila to escape the Japanese. I went to Tarlac. I went around hunting for a job, any job at all to keep me busy. The only job available was that of sanitary inspector, at P40.00 a month. I took it."

"Not long after that, the Tarlac-Pangasinan branch of Naric was opened in Tarlac. I applied for a job. I was accepted as a chief accountant. The guerillas in Tarlac disliked us, Filipinos, who were working with the Japanese in the Naric. They posted a warning to liquidate us. There were six of us in the black list. Immediately I went into hiding. In Tarlac, I slept in a different house every night."

"When I could no longer endure the tension in Tarlac, I decided to take the train for Dagupan. I did not have a ticket. I hid in one of the baggage cars. Along the way, some Japanese soldiers were checking every Passenger for their tickets. They even went into the baggage cars. I was so scared. From the baggage car, I transferred to the front coach. A re-check was made while I was on the coach. What bad luck, I told myself then I realized I was carrying my identification card as a Naric official, and a safe-conduct pass issued by the Japanese Kempetai in Tarlac which I was hiding in my shoes."

"I displayed my ID card and my safe-conduct pass. When the Japanese soldier saw them, he saluted me and did not ask for my ticket any more. I felt relieved."

"After sometime, I wrote the Naric general manager in Manila that I have gone into hiding from the Tarlac Guerillas. I told him that if the Naric still needed my services, he should assign me to another place."

"On December 27, 1943 a Pangasinan branch of the Naric was opened in Rosales. I was assigned there as auditor. The manager of the Rosales branch of the Naric, Olympio Quintos, was a guerilla. Very often his fellow guerillas would visit him in the office; they bring with them their revolvers. These visits endangered our lives. Should the Japanese officials supervising us discover that the visitors were guerillas, they would kill us. The guerillas used to come to my desk. They would tell me that they had no money to finance their operation. I used to contribute to their treasury."

"Thus, I managed to survive the Japanese occupation."

Victoriano C. Daroya grew up in Mangin, Dagupan, the son of a carpenter. He worked his way through college. He finished his degree in comnerce, major in accounting from the Jose Rizal College in 1941. Before he could take the board examination, the war broke out. He took the board examination in 1949 and passed. He is today one of the most successful accountants in Dagupan.

The story of the Late Victoriano C. Daroya was gathered in an interview about a month before he passed into Great beyond.

13. DINNER WITH KEMPETAI

Don Alipio Fernandez, Sr. was municipal councilor of Dagupan when the Pacific war broke out. He served as technical adviser to Mayor Amado LI. Ayson during the Japanese occupation. In an interview, he told us this story:

"At first I went with Angel (Don Angel B. Fernandez) to San Manuel. We evacuated there. Later, I came back to Dagupan to see how things were doing."

"Don Amado (LI, Ayson) was already installed as mayor. He advised me to take my family back to Dagupan and help him to run the government. Satisfied that the life in Dagupan was comparatively peaceful as it was in San Manuel, I brought my family back to town."

"Later, Angel followed suit and come back to Dagupan. So as not to antagonize the Japanese, Angel (B.. Fernandez) presented himself to Governor Estrada, who appointed him as Director of Amusements."

"Angel put up A movie house and he showed some movies. Once in a while some plays were staged in the movie house. There was one play presented. It was a comedy that poked fun against Japanese. Pauling Fernandez was the leading Lady character. Pauling was a very good singer. Pauling’s leading man was Ermin Garcia. That was how the two meet. The two later got married."

"0ne portion of the script called for a gun battle between the Japanese and the Americans. As the comedy came to the portion of the gun battle, somebody exploded a firecracker. Hell broke loose inside the movie house."

"One day Kee See Ong, a Chinese businessman, gave a lauriat party. I was invited and I attended. The chief of the Japanese Kempetai was the guest of honor. To my consternation, Kee See Ong seated me beside the Kempetai chief."

"As we were dining, the Kempetai chief engaged me in a conversation. "Mr. Fernandez, why is it that you, Filipinos, hate us; Japanese?"

"Oh, no sir, we do not hate you. As a matter of fact, the people of Dagupan like you very much and they want to adopt you as a son." I told him.

"Of course, there were some very bad Japanese as there are some who are bad; but we like those who are very good, like you, sir!" I continued. Then he said to me: " Mr. Fernandez, if I visit you in your house, will I be welcomed?."

"Yes , sir; yes, sir! you are most welcome, I replied, but deep inside, I got scared. This will lead me into trouble. "I will be there on Sunday."

"When I came home and I told my wife about the forthcoming visit of the Japanese Kempetai chief, She got so scared she threatened to leave the house and go to San Fabian."

"The Kempetai chief never came."

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN, PANGASINAN
PART IV MACARTHUR RETURNS

1. THE ADVANCE TROOP

The First week of January 1945, the American liberation army was at the Lingayen Gulf. For several days, the American bombarded the central coastal towns with cannon shells for their warships. Their aim was to clear the area of Japanese troops before they would land.

Dagupan suffered a heavy damage from this shelling operation. Among the most precious building destroyed was the original elementary school on the bank of the river on what is now Magsaysay park.

After the area was cleared of Japanese, the American advance troop consisting of the sixth army under the command of General Walter Krueger landed simultaneously over a wide area extending from Lingayen, Binmaley, Dagupan up to San Fabian.

2. MACARTHUR LANDS IN BONUAN

Here is an eyewitness account of the MacArthur landing in Bonuan, given by Atty. Iluminado C. Meneses, Secretary to Mayor Cipriano M. Manaois. He grew up in Bonuan.

"It was about 9:00 O'clock in the morning of January 9, l945 when the advance troops under General Krueger landed. I was about 14 years old at the time and my family was in Bonuan. I was then first year in high school.

After the advance troops landed, they mounted an anti-air craft on a hill near the old cemetery in Bonuan, in the vicinity of what is now the Dagupan Golf Club links. As soon as the troops sett1ed in the beach area, we, the people of Bonuan started to befriend them. Two men of the anti-air craft unit became my friends. They were Pvt. Julio Funaro, and one Sgt. Kelth. T

The coconut grooves along the shoreline in Bonuan struck them with the similarity of the place to New Guinea. Because of this similarity, they held the initial impression that the people of the area must be like the people of New Guinea. They were Surprised to find out that we spoke English. In his curiosity, Sgt. Keith asked me: "Where did you learn to speak English?" "Oh, I learned it in school." I replied. "You have a school here?" he pursued his inquiry. "Yeah," I told him, with pride. ''How far is your school from here?" "Its over there about a few kilometers away," I said, pointing towards the direction of the Gregorio del Pilar school.

"Kilometer? Hi, how long is a kilometer?" he asked. That struck me as strange. The American did not know how long a kilometer is.

It was about two, Or three days, later when MacArthur actually landed in Bonuan. About 11:00 o'clock in the morning, I was at the hill with my friends who were manning the anti-air craft unit. There was a sense of anticipation among the Americans all over the place. They were all looking towards the sea, their eyes focused towards a group of soldiers wading towards the shore. I followed their gaze and I saw General MacArthur wading towards the shore. You can't miss him.. His figure was so striking with his cap, Rayban (sunglasses) and corncob pipe.

"There he is," Pvt. Funaro exclaimed. He was so excited. In the spirit of levity, Sgt. Keith responded: "That son-of-a-bitch, He could get ashore riding a 'duck,' but he prefers to wade, with all those photographers around. He is a big show-off."

MacArthur's landing- spot was about 100 meters away from where I stood.

Atty. Meneses was a grandson of Don Macario Meneses, the hero of the Katipunan revolution who did the liaison work between General Romeo Manalang of Zambales and "General Francisco Macabulos of Central Luzon. He graduated law as cum laude from the then Dagupan Colleges (now University of Pangasinan) and was for sometime provincial supervisor of the Commission on Elections. He is a director of the blue Beach Lions Club.

3. MACARTHUR IN DAGUPAN

As soon as General Macarthur landed in Bonuan, he proceeded to the town. He appropriated the Home Economics building of the West Central School as his headquarters.mcarthur1.JPG (26281 bytes)

Shortly thereafter, the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) started to organize the civil government of the province. Dagupan continued to be the capital town of Pangasinan until about June, 1945.

As a matter of formality the Filipino leaders who held government positions during the Japanese occupation were placed under arrest to account for their activities during the wartime.

Among the numerous Pangasinan leaders arrested were Secretary B1as F Rayos and Mayor Amado LI. Ayson Mayor Ayson was cleared soon enough, and for a while, he was made to continue as mayor under the PCUA.

It took sometime for Secretary Rayos to be cleared. He was brought to Muntinlupa, One of those who worked for his clearance was the famous Guerrilla leader, Ferdinand Marcos, who one time slept in the Rayos house in Pantal his sojourn in Pangasinan during the war.

4. SCHOOL ROOM

As normal times returned in Pangasinan, Sofronio Quioson was appointed Governor. In Dagupan Angel Fernandez was returned to his post as the town executive.

Immediately, the schools opened their doors to resume their operations. Every where there were countless students who could not be accommodated for lack of facilities. The Pangasinan Provincial High School in Lingayen was decentralized. Dagupan branch of the provincial high school was opened.

The Klar building in front of the plaza (now the Dagupan Polyclinic Hospital) was utilized as a schoolhouse. An annex building, consisting of temporary materials, was put up in elementary school compound facing Torres Bugallon Avenue west, which is now the site of the Teachers Memorial Building.

The man responsible in organizing the high school in Dagupan, and serving as its first principal was Emilio Severino. Responding to the need of the hour, Mayor Fernandez made representation to the Americans occupation force-and requested for Quonset huts. His request was granted.

Mayor Fernandez put up the Quonset huts in Tapuac. On the second year of its operations, the High School was moved to Tapuac end occupied the Quonset huts put up by Mayor. By then, Nemesio Caralde was the new principal.

From that time on, three other principals have taken turns to administer the school: Eduardo Q. Edralin (1953-1954); Isabel Alisangco (1954-1967) and Luz Alfante (1967 up to the present).

5. ORIENT COLLEGES

Responding to the school boom, veteran educator Andres Jacinto and his wife Lourdes Villamil Jacinto went around to organize a corporation to put up a school. With five other men who joined them, they put up the Orient Colleges on Rivera Street.

The five others who helped the Jacintos put up Orient Colleges were: Dr Angel Estrellas, Felipe Tanopo, Jose Zabala, Teofilo P. Guadiz and Juan Saingan.

More schools were established later. This established the position of Dagupan as the new educational center of Pangasinan.

In 1972, Orient Colleges began to have a young Dagupeno for its new president. His name was Reynaldo Quinto Lambino. Born February 19 1933 in Lucao, Lambino was barely 39 years old when he assumed the presidency of the college. An accountant by profession, he undertook a daring move in 1968 when he opened the Philippine Review Center. This is a new review school for would be accountants preparing for the board examinations. The center turned out to be a success, and it has grown steadily stronger with the years.

Lambino graduated with a degree in commerce, major in accounting and auditing and taught in the following review center: Manila review Center; Trinity Review center in Quezon City; Zamboanga Review Center, and Davao Review Center. He is married to the former Lucerlita Paragas, a practicing Certified Public Accountant.

6. LEE SIN

With the return of normal times after three troubled years of Japanese occupation the climate for business and economic growth in Dagupan became more promising.

Sometime in 1946, Lee Sin, an amoy-born Chinese businessman arrived in Manila when he was eight years old. Born in China in 1922, He was 24 when he arrived in Dagupan.

He organized the Carried Lumber Company together with two brothers: Ben Lim Choy and Lim Chat. They put up its lumberyard at the foot of Quintos Bridge, where the Teczon Furniture Store now stands.

In 1960, another company group of traders put up the Cosmic Lumber Company. These were Domingo Chua Cham, Maria Gunday, Deogracias Fernandez and Inocencia Collado.

Lee Sin broke off with his partners at Carried Lumber in 1965. He bought the Cosmic Lumber Company and renamed it the Great Cosmic Lumber Company, the indisputable lumberyard king of Dagupan. Today, Lee Sin has become the indisputable lumberyard king of Dagupan. He became a Filipino citizen in 1961.

7. MACARTHUR AND NORIEGA

We close this chapter with an interesting incident in Dagupan about General Douglas MacArthur in 1945.

As soon as the American general was settled in his headquarters at the home economics building of the west central elementary school compound he realized that one tail of his star insignia was broken. He was so agitated about it. He wanted it restored to perfect condition, and he could not entrust it just to anyone among his thousands of soldiers. He personally went out and looked for a goldsmith who could do the job for him.

Accompanied by his aide de camp, he went by foot downtown and inquired for a good goldsmith who could restore his broken star insignia into perfect condition.

Gregorio S. Noriega was the man of the hour for him. He entered the Noriega Goldsmith shop and watched Noriega perform the task. When Noriega returned the insignia to the American general, he was completely satisfied with the craftsmanship. He beamed with joy and thanked Noriega profusely for it.

As he came out of the Noriega shop, he had his picture taken on the street along Torres Bugallon Avenue, with the Noriega goldsmith shop as the background. That historic picture has traveled far and wide. It has become Dagupan's immortal picture of MacArthur's stay in their midst.

Noriega was a native of Meycawayan, Bulacan. He migrated to Dagupan in 1933. He was the first goldsmith to establish a nickel and chromium plating shop in the entire northern Luzon area. Noriega has six children; Gregorio, Jr., Jose, Carlos, Zenaida, Estrellita and Clarita.

After his death, Zenaida now a physician, continued to manage the business he left behind. Zenaida is married to City Councilor Pedro T. Torio, Jr

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN, PANGASINAN
PART V  DAGUPAN BECOMES A CITY

1. THE CITY CHARTER

Dagupan became a city by virtue of Republic Act 170. This is the law, which is known as the city charter of Dagupan This charter governs the operation of Dagupan as a city.

Authored by then Speaker Eugenio Perez, it was Signed into law by President Manuel A. Roxas on June 20, 1947· By ruling of the Supreme Court, Dagupan became a city on the day the city charter was approved into law June 20, 1847.

2. EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 96

On October 15, 1947, President Roxas issued Executive Order No. 96.There were two aims of this executive order: 1) To fix the territorial limits of Dagupan as a city, and 2) to fix the date of the organization of the city government.

As fixed under Executive Order No. 96, Dagupan City was supposed to include the municipalities of San Fabian and Calasiao. The date of inauguration was set for January 1, 1948

To determine whether the people of Calasiao wanted to be integrated into the new city, to be known as"DAGU-CALA CITY" or not, a general conference among the people of Calasiao was held on December 25, 1957.

According to the issue of the PIONEER HERALD of December 29, 1947, the people, who attended the general Meeting, voted five to one against the merger with the new city. The PIONEER HERALD reported that Proceso Domagas, a prominent citizen of Calasiao, who was in favor in the merger with Dagupan, spoke before the crowd. He was the only speaker. The anti-merger ''desisted from speech making.'' This concession notwithstanding, the fusion fizzled out.

3. THE MUNICIPAL BOARD OF 1947

When the city charter was signed into law on June 20, 1947, the municipal board was composed of the following: Alipio T. Fernandez, Sr., Mayor Marcelo Balolong, Vice-Mayor Dr. Ricardo B. Villamil, Felipe M. Tanopo, Dr. Toribio Quimosing, Atty. Marcelino V. Villamil, Fabian P. Calimlim, Atty. Liberato LI. Reyna, and Rodolfo de Venecia, councilors, with Paulino Cabugao as municipal board secretary.

If we go by the Supreme Court ruling, that the Dagupan became a city on June 20, 1947, the forgoing shall have to be recognized as the first members of the municipal board of Dagupan City.

4. THERE WAS CONFUSION

The enactment of Republic act 170, and the promulgation of executive Order No. 96 on October 15, 1947 created a confusion among Dagupenos.

In this atmosphere of confusion, the Commission on Election held an election in Dagupan on November 10, 1947. The confusion arose from the attempt to include Calasiao as a part of the city. Except for the position of vice-mayor, there was a complete ticket from mayor down to councilors for both the Nacionalista and Liberal parties.

The mayoralty bet of the Nacionalista Party was Boy Scout Executive Juan Saingan; he was opposed by Businessman Sabas Collado of the Liberal Party. Realtor Doninador "Ador" Catubig ran for vice mayor. He was unopposed. After the balloting, Saingan won the polls. The complete list of winners in that poll was as follows: Mayor Juan Saingan; Vice Mayor Dominador Catubig ;Councilors: Liberato LI. Reyna, Amado LI. Ayson, Teodorico Caramat, Pedro Tandoc, Teofilo P. Guadiz, Policronio de Venecia, Flaviano Mejia and Ruperto Z. Tandoc.

5. THE INAUGURATION

As the people of Calasiao rejected the merger with Dagupan into the new city, President Roxas was constrained to issue a new executive order (Executive Order No. 115) dated Decenber 31, l947.

The new decree amended :Executive Order No. 96 by limiting the territory of the new city to the jurisdiction of the old municipality of Dagupan only. It excluded Calasiao.

It fixed the date of inauguration of the city for January 1, 1948. Acting Executive Secretary Nicanor Roxas came to Dagupan to induct into office the new set of officials, which included the following: City Mayor: Angel B, Fernandez; City Councilors: Liberato Ll. Reyna, Amado LI. Ayson, Teodorico Caramat, Pedro Tandoc, Dr. Ricardo B.. Villamil, Dr. Pedro Balolong, Dr. Toribio Quimosing, and Don Crisologo Zarate.

The various heads of departments, who were also installed, were. City Treasurer, Emeterio Delos Santos; City Auditor, Brigido Martinez; City Assessor, Marcelino Villamil; City Fiscal, Jose D. Parayno; Municipal Judge, Juanuario Hermitano; Chief of Police, Felipe LI. Cuison; City Health Officer, Dr Ignacio C. de Guzman; City Engineer: Vicente Oleadin; City Superintendent of Schools, Federico Piedad.

6. THE QUO WARRANTO PROCEDING

Among the Nacionalistas, who won in the November 10, 1947 elections, only one was seated when the city inaugurated on January 1, l948, This was City Councilor Pedro Tandoc. The victory of the others were ignored.

Saingan, who won as mayor in the 1947 polls, was not seated. The reason was, the city charter (Republic Act 170) provide that the city Mayor shall be appointed into office by the President of the Philippines.

In the exercise of this power granted under Republic Act 170, President Roxas appointed Angel B. Fernandez, a Liberal. Catubig, on the other hand, who was unopposed in the 1947 polls, had nowhere to go. There was no position for city vice mayor under the city charter.

The Nacionalistas, who won as councilors in the 1947 polls, but were not seated during the inauguration of the city, filed a QUO WARRANTO proceeding before the Supreme Court. They included Teofilo P. Gaudiz, Policronio de Venecia, Flaviano I Mejia and Ruperto Tandoc.

The purpose of the QUO WARRANTO proceeding was for the court to recognize them as the duly elected city councilors of Dagupan, and for the court to order that they be seated as such. After almost two years of litigation, the Supreme Court decided the case in favor of the petitioners. Thus, Guadiz, de Venecia, Mejia and Ruperto Tandoc were seated as city councilors.

In ordering that they be seated as city councilors the Supreme Court ruled that Dagupan became a city on June 20, 1947, the day President Roxas signed Republic 170, the city charter, into law. As a logical sequence to this, the court considered the election of the councilors in the 1947 polls as valid. Thus the court ordered that they be seated as city councilors.

7. POPULATION AND INCOME

Based on the population census of 1960, the approximate population of Dagupan in 1947, when it became a city was roughly 60,000.

Its initial income as a city, based on the papers of Don Angel Fernandez, who was city mayor from 1945 to 1953, a period of six years, was approximately P540,880.25 This was broken down as follows: 1) General Fund, 334,998.55, 2) Streets & Bridges, P48,950.00; 3) Water works P28,177.65; 4) Cemetery, P315.00; 5) Intermediate Schools, P73,239.03( and 6) High Schools, P55,200.·00. The foregoing income represents the budgetary estimate for the fiscal year 1948-1949.

8. NO NEW TAXES

Former City Mayor Fernandez told this writer that during the first six years of the city, his Administration did not impose any new tax upon the people.

He said there was fear among the people in 1947 that the conversion of the town into a city might bring about heavy tax burdens upon the people. To prove to the citizens that Dagupan could operate smoothly without imposing any extra burden upon the people, former Mayor Fernandez said his administration refrained from imposing any new tax.

9. FRONTIER MOVES SOUTHWARDS

Roads bring about progress. Fully aware of this fact, City Mayor Angel B, Fernandez constructed the Perez Boulevard. This road extends from Mayombo to Tapuac, passing through the edge of Pogo Chico. This was in 1948.

It serves as a diversion road for people travelling between Manila and Lingayen, who may not wish to be delayed by the usual heavy traffic in the downtown area of the city. The construction of Perez Boulevard actually pushed southward the frontier of the city. Today, the Perez boulevard area is fast becoming the second commercial center of Dagupan.

To complement the construction of the Perez Boulevard, Mayor Fernandez likewise constructed the Perez boulevard market, on the bank of the river.

10. LUZON COLLEGES

The Luzon Colleges is a pioneer in the expansion of the city towards Pogo. Some 15 individuals founded this institution on July 2, 1948.

The founders were Luis F. Samson, Liberato LI. Reyna, Servillano B. Romasanta, Basilio F. Fernandez, Moises A.Maramba, Isidro Z. Tandoc, Jose D. Fenoy, Ruperto Z. Tandoc, Catalino C. Coquia, Federico I. Cervas, Victoriano C. Daroya, Vicente de Leon, Constancio Ancheta, Pedro B. Pinero and Brigido Martinez.

Since its foundation, Atty. Luis F, Samson served as the school president. A Bataan veteran who received some seven military decorations for his services during the war, he was also cited as Educator of the Year for 1966 by the American Legion Post 21, and given the "Outstanding CPA in Education" award by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1969.

He obtained his degree in commerce, major in accounting from the Far Eastern University and his Master of Arts (major in accounting) from the Jose Rizal College. He finished law from the Dagupan Colleges (now University of Pangasinan) and is member of the bar. He was formerly a dean of Commerce of the Dagupan Colleges.

11. THE NORTHWESTERN

Another school, which contributed to the rapid economic and social growth of Dagupan is the Northwestern Educational Institution (NEI).

Dr. Deogracias Castaneda and his wife Esperanza Gonzales-Castaneda founded Northwestern in 1951. Its first location was the Galvan-Cabrera building on Jose Torres Bugallon Avenue in downtown Dagupan. When this building was burned in 1968, it was relocated to its present site in Mayombo.

Dr. Castaneda, the founder of the school, held a doctorate degree in philosophy. In 1960, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Code Commission. Since then, the administration of the school passed to the hands of Mrs. Castaneda.

A Catholic lay leader, Mrs. Castaneda is regent of the daughters of Isabela. She was one time president of the Agno Valley PRISA, a member of the soroptimist club, and the adviser of the Dagupan Young Professional Association. She was a recipient of the "most outstanding Educator of Pangasinan" given by the Dagupan Lawyers League.

12. GUADIZ PERPORMANCE

City mayor Teofilo Guadiz first assumed the city executive position on January 1, 1954 to September 12, 1957 and for the second time on June 16, 1958 to December 31,1959.

As mayor, He followed up the projects of his predecessor. He secured pork barrel funds from Senator Cipriano Primicias, Sr. and constructed a two-story semi-permanent building for the city high school. This replaced the Quonset huts of Don Angel Fernandez.

He replaced the Bieley temporary Bridge in Perez Boulevard with a concrete Bridge. At the same time, He extended the Rizal Street, which was only then from Torres Bugallon to Rivera Street, up to Iglesia ni Cristo compound. Also, he extended Galvan Street, which was then up to Gomez Street only, up to Perez Boulevard.

After 25 years, The areas close to Perez Boulevard, Rizal and Galvan streets have progressed tremendously, These areas used to be idle swamps.

13. NAZARETH GENERAL HOSPITAL

At the foot of Magsaysay Bridge close to intersection of Perez Boulevard and Rizal Street was the Eliptical building. This was the Nazareth General Hospital. It is fast becoming a landmark in the city. The original two-story structure was erected on the spot on September 22. 1968.

This institution has a beautiful building behind it. The origin of this hospital was in Arellano Street put up a lady physician on June 7, 1959. Its founder was Dr. Generosa Oreta-Dizon.

A native of Malaban, Rizal, she migrated to Dagupan with her husband in 1927. She was the first woman to practice medicine in Dagupan. It is said that she delivered about one half of the babies born in Dagupan from 1927 up the outbreak of war.

When Dra. Oreta-Dizon died in 1961, Her daughter Caridad, also a physician, took over the clinic. It was Caridad and her husband, Dr. Edmundo G. Exconde, who expanded the two-bed clinic into what is now Nazareth General Hospital.

Caridad's father, Elpidio Y. Dizon, was himself a physician of great accomplishments. He was a native from Lingayen. He studied in the University of the Philippines, where he met Dra. Generosa Oreta. After graduating from their medical courses, they got married in Dagupan.

Dr. Dizon was an Ear-Eyes-Nose and-Throat (EENT) Specialist. Upon arriving in Dagupan he joined the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital. There were few physicians then, and there were still fewer EENT specialists in the whole country. News of his competence in his line spread far and wide and his services were in great demand.

"My father used to operate as many as seven times a day," Caridad recalled to us. "He was so overworked, and because of this, he died early.", his daughter said.

One day, Dr. Dizon had a celebrity for a patient. It was Elsa Oria, the singing sweetheart of Philippine movies in the 1930s. She came all the way from Manila to Dagupan. She needed a throat specialist.

"News of Elsa Orias' presence in our house spread in town like wildfire. Very soon the house was jam-packed with people wanting to see the famous movie star in person," Caridad recalls.

The Oreta-Dizon had six children. Aside from Caridad, the others were Fe, a pharnacist; Perla another physician; Generosa, a nutritionist; Jose an architect and Elpidio, a commercial artist. Besides putting up the hospital, the Oreta-Dizons are also engaged in the real-estate and subdivision business.

14. MAYOR REYNA

Sometime in 1968, the national Goverment was decentralized. Regional offices of the national government were established in key cities of the various regions of the country. Dagupan was a direct beneficiary of this development. Soon regional offices of the national Government were put up in the city.

By the time Mayor Liberato LI. Reyna took over as city executive, he was confronted with the problem of congestion in the downtown area.

Traffic was clogged, and the market spilled over into the street. This was the effect of population increase resulting from the establishments of the regional offices in the city. Responding to the situation, Mayor Reyna built the Supermarket building to expand our market facilities. He also decongested traffic by declaring Jose Torres Bugallon Avenue a one-way street for passenger vehicles. Traffic was rerouted to Perez Boulevard. This move accelerated the growth of business towards Pogo along the Perez boulevard area.

This prompted Don Pedro Fernandez and the Caguioa-Siapno clan to invest in commercial buildings in the area. Today, more and more commercial buildings are being put up along Perez Boulevard.

15. THE STRONG EARTHQUAKE

Dagupan was shaken by a series of strong earthquakes about the middle of June of 1962. The tower of the Roman Catholic Church fell and many buildings in the city cracked. The tremors occurred at irregular intervals for about three weeks.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in Calmay. Many people were scared. Later, there arose a rumor that a big tidal wave will hit the city as a result of the series of strong tremors,

Many people from Calmay, Carael and island barrios evacuated to other towns. Some were so scared that they started selling their properties. The value of property in Calmay and the surrounding areas went down. Geologists claim the earthquake was caused by fissure some miles below the surface of the earth in Calmay.

16. THE EXPANSION WESTWARD

After the Franklin Bridge in Calmay was destroyed in the big flood of 1935, then Governor Servillano dela Cruz started the construction of a new road to connect Dagupan and Lingayen. This is now a part of MacArthur highway, which passes through Tapuac and Lucao.

The new road was completed before the outbreak or the Pacific war, but the bridges along with the roadline in Binmaley were destroyed by the retreating USAFFE forces, who left Lingayen for Bataan in 1941.

The bridges were restored after Gen. MacArthur liberated Pangasinan, and the roadline was opened to traffic again.

With the transfer of the Dagupan City High School from Jose Torres Bugallon Avenue in the poblacion area to Tapuac in 1946, the city started to expand westward. As of 1972, there were six schools and colleges established in Tapuac: The city high school, the Dagupan Vocational School, Edna Torio's Kindergarten and Grade school, Blessed Imelda's Academy, the Dagupan City School in Nursing and the Mother Goose Playskool.

Tapuac used to be a vast swampland. There once was a huge natural basin in the area, which was filled with water the whole year round. It collected rainwater, about 14 feet deep. People called the basin INARANGAN. In the natural course of events, this Inarangan was filled by a slow process, until it became very shallow. The gradual filling of the basin with soil erosion and other waste matters gave the place its name: TAPUAC. This is a Pangasinan word which describes the natural filling of the basin with solid particles until it becomes a flatland.

Aside from the six schools in Tapuac, the area has become the site of housing subdivisions. GREENFIELD subdivision makes a very interesting sociological study. Composed of middle income families, it is fast becoming a community within a community developing a character all its own.

While the total growth of the community is the result of the collective endeavor of the homeowners of the Subdivision, credit·for pioneering the development of the subdivision belongs to Pepito Bautista and his wife, Lolita Mejia.

As of 1972 the two-room bungalow in the GREENFIELDS Subdivision could be rented for P2000.00 a month.

The westward expansion of the city has gone as far as Lucao. as of this writing, there are two commercial buildings in Lucao: the regional office of the FILIPINAS LIFE :INSURANCE CO., and the MILLORA building. There were also two coffee shops and restaurants serving the business needs in the area, Lucao is also the home of radio station DWIN

LUCAO may have derived its name from the shelled-fish called in the dialect LUKAN. Former City Councilor Alejandro S. Decano, who was born and grew in Lucao, claims that when he was a sill boy about 40 years ago, there used to be a very wide swampland in the barrio. It served as a community fishing Ground. This had abundant LUKAN and the people referred to the place as LUKANAN. This may have been the origin of the barrio's name. The word LUKAN may have been corrected by time into Lucao.

17. THE TRICYCLES

Early in the 1960s, the predominant system of transportation in the downtown Dagupan was the calesa. Horse manure on the street blown by the wind was the source of constant complaint.

As the decade of the 1960 closed, the tricycle had completely taken over the streets from the calesa. The tricycle is a product of Filipino ingenuity. It consists of a motorcycle with a sidecar attached to it. The sidecar is capable of two regular passengers.

As a system, of transportation, its operation is permitted officially by the city government for the following reasons: it has created jobs for about 1,000 tricycle drivers, and the city government derives a sizeable income from the municipal tax it imposes upon tricycles operators.

18. THE MASS MEDIA

As of 1977, there were seven radio stations operating in Dagupan: DZRI, the pioneer; DZTD, DZWN, DWIN, DZRD, DZDL, DZMQ and the government relay station in Bonuan.

DZRI is opened by the ABS-CBN of the Lopez clan: DZTD is owned by the Manila Times Publishing- Company; DZWN is owned by Anthony Villanueva of Ilocos Sur; DWIN is owned by the private corporation composed of members of the Iglesia ni Kristo; DZRD is owned by the Kanlaon Broadcasting System; DZDL is owned by Mr. Ng of Quezon City.

There were four regularly published newspapers as of 1972: three weeklies and one bi-monthly. They were: The STANDARD, by Rustico Mendoza; SUNDAY PUNCH, founded by the late Ermin Erfe Garcia, now taken over by his son, Ermin Jr., the Courier, published by the Pangsinan Review Inc,, and the Tribunal, owned by a corporation. The STANDARD was the first attempt to publish biweekly newspaper in Dagupan.

19. THE OTHER FACILITY

The 1970 Census of Population and Housing placed the population of Pangasinan Dagupan, as over 83,000 some 40,000 of which were males, while 43,000 were females. The women outnumbered the men by 3,000.

Daytime population of the city, however, was estimated at 100,000. About 17,000 people were estimated commuting between Dagupan and its environs daily.

There were six theaters serving the city and, its neighboring towns: Vina, Vida, Twin, Vilmand, Dave and Jade. Vina was air-conditioned, the only one of its kind in the city. There was one mental hygiene clinic, seven Hospitals and seven medical clinics including one for skin and venereal diseases.

20. LITERACY AND BUILDING

Of the 83,000 population of Dagupan, some 59,231 were 10 years of age and over. Of these, about 53,231 were considered literate, while some 5,684 were considered illiterates. There were 13,592 buildings of all types; 11,990 single units; 2'76 duplex; 841 apartments; 348 barong-barongs, 116 commercial.

Congress through the Local Autonomy Act of 1953 created the present position of city vice mayor; the same law made the position of city mayor elective.

HISTORY OF DAGUPAN, PANGASINAN
PART VI. DAGUPAN MAYORS

TORIBIO JOVELLANOS-- Municipal President: 1900

Don Toribio Jovellanos was appointed municipal president of Dagupan in 1900 by the American Military government. He was the first Dagupan town executive under American rule.

President Emilio Aguinaldo was still fighting at the time, and in Pangasinan, many Katipuneros, among them Don Daniel Maramba were still waging guerilla warfare against the Americans.

The main task of Don Toribio, therefore, as far as the Americans were concerned, was to pacify Dagupenos and lead them to accept American rule. It seems he was very successful in accomplishing this mission. Since his appointment as town executive, the Americans were not bothered by guerillas in Dagupan. The following year, when the Americans established civil government in Pangasinan, they made Dagupan the temporary capital of the province.

Don Toribio was a career weather observer in the weather bureau since the Spanish era. After his brief stint as municipal executive, he devoted his full time to his duties as an official of the weather bureau. He had a brother in Manila, Cesar Jovellanos, who was also weather Observer in Manila.

Don Toribio was married to the former Carmen Villamil, a teacher in the Dagupan provincial school. She was a classmate and friend of Leonor Rivera. When Leonor Rivera stayed in Dagupan in 1890 to 1891, she often visited Dona Carmen. Leonor used to play on the piano of Dona Carmen.

Their son, Jose P. Jovellanos likewise became municipal president of Dagupan.

FABIAN VILLAMIL - Municipal president: 1901

Don Fabian Villamil was the second Municipal president under the American regime. He was in power for only one year in 1901.

Don Fabian belonged to the wealthy Villamil family of Pantal. He was the second of the Villamils to become executive of Dagupan. During the Spanish time, a relative of his Don Reginaldo Villamil, served as Capitan of Dagupan. Capitan, in these days, was equivalent to mayor today.

Don Fabian was ranking officer of the Katipunan, and he fought in the battle of Dagupan on 1898 that resulted into the surrender of the Spanish forces under the command of General Federico Caballos. He was closely associated with former Pangasinan Governor Juan Alvear. The two of them founded the Espiritista Cristiana movement in Pangasinan. To this day, there are Espiritistas in Dagupan.

Don Fabian was married to Dona Juana Arzadon, granddaughter of Don Francisco Arzadon, a capitan during the Spanish regime Dona Juana, was the sister of Eliseo Arzadon, another colorful Katipunero of Dagupan.

Don Fabian and Dona Juana did not have any children.

DON JUAN VILLAMIL, Municipal President 1902-1905

Don Juan Villamil was the first elective municipal president during the American regime. He served for two terns from 1902 to 1905.

The first election was viva voce at the town plaza. It was conducted by an American government official. Villamil's opponent was Quiterio Favilla, son of then Governor Macario Favilla of Pangasinan.

The election started the este contra oeste political alignments in Dagupan. Favilla lived on the eastern side of the Toboy river; Villamil was on the western side.

Juan Crisostomo Villamil, now 68 years old and who has been named after Don Juan claims that the first elective municipal president was a kinsman of Don Pablo Villamil, the cabeza de barangay.

Presidente Villamil was editor-publisher of a newspaper in Dagupan for almost two decades at the start of the present century. Juan Saingan of Pantal, now 84 years old, claims to have worked in the printing press of Don Juan Saingan, could not anymore recall the name of the publication of Don Juan. (There was a publication in Pangasinan during this period called E1 Heraldo Pangasinan).

Saingan said Don Juan used to write and direct play. This talented Dagupan executive gained immortality when his Pangasinan translation of Jose Rizal's MI ULTIMO ADIOS was inscribed in bronze. This in now on display at the Rizal monument at the Luneta.

Don Juan was married to Sofia Laurel, daughter of Don Silvestre Laurel and sister of Don Mariano Laurel. The couple has four children: Esperanza, Francisco, Rosario and Cleofas.

Esperanza was carried to an American surveyor, Roy Blockman, the first man to own a car in Dagupan.

Francisco became a businessman, who ran a printing press before the war. He is now in the United States. He is the father of Alejandro Villamil and Johnny Villamil.

Rosario was married to Alejandro S. Venteres. Venteres translated the song composed by Riza1 in honor of Leonor Rivera, and entitled Leonor into Pangasinan. He also translated into Pangasinan Rizal's Noli Me Tangere.

Cleofas was married to Rufo Flor Mata of Lingayen. Dona Cleofas was the mother of Dona Loreta Flor-Mata, who was married to Jose Bernal Fernandez, the publisher of the Tunong Magazine during the decades of the 20's and 3Os,

When Don Juan ran for re-election in 1903, he was opposed by his brother-in-law, Don Mariano Laurel.

Don Mariano Laurel, who was residing in the house on the bank of the Toboy River where the Excella Academy used to stand, belonged to the este alignment.

The second election was conducted by secret ballot in the town plaza of Dagupan, which saw the brothers-in-law as opponents. This was the first election in Dagupan with the use of a ballot.

Villamil emerged victorious. During his term as Presidente municipal, our public school system was started on a temporary building in a house fronting the public plaza. Villamil later built the original Dagupan Central School along the bank of Toboy River on what is now Magsaysay Park.

DON GREGORIO BELTRAN Municipal President 1905-1906

Don Gregorio Beltran was catapulted to the municipal presidency at the height of the influence of the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan) in Dagupan.

The success of the Katipunan revolution, which ended Spanish rule in Dagupan with the surrender of General Federico Caballos, the commanding general of the Spanish forces in Pangasinan, to General Francisco Macabulos of the Katipunan, in Dagupan on July 23, 1898 shook Roman Catholicism in the Country.

In Dagupan, Padre Adriano Garces defected from the Catholic fold and joined the Aglipayan movement. Almost all of the prominent families in Dagupan went with him.

The Aglipayan Movement, headed by Bishop Gregorio Aglipay, was a nationalist movement in the church, the culmination of the Filipinism campaign of the martyr- priest Padre Jose Burgos.

The nationalist cause struck a very responsive chord in the heart of Don Pedro de Venecia. Don Pedro donated his lot, which adjoins the market site on Galvan Street on which the Aglipayan church now stands. A son of Don Pedro - the Rev. Santiago de Venecia, became an Aglipayan priest, while a daughter of his, Casimera, married Padre Gregorio Gaerlan, also of the Aglipayan church.

Those were the years when the enthusiasm for the Aglipayan church was at its peak in Dagupan. Don Gregorio Beltran was one of the leading stalwarts of Aglipayanism in Dagupan.

Before the presidency, he was employed in the municipal government, he was the son of Juan Beltran of Torres Bugallon Avenue west, and was married to an Ilocana, Catalina Mangued. The couple did not bear any child. After his term as municipal president, Don Gregorio entered the Aglipayan seminary in Urdaneta and later was ordained a priest. He was assigned in Anda town.

MODESTO HORTALEZA COQUIA Municipal President 1907-1909

DON MODESTO HORTALEZA COQUIA was the fifth to hold the position of municipal president of Dagupan. He was in power for two years from 1907 to 1909.

He studied at the Vigan Seminary; he had previously wanted to become a priest. Later he had a change of heart. He entered the government service and rose to the position of municipal treasurer.

His career in the government service was crowned by his election to the position of municipal president in 1907. During his days, life in the poblacion area of Dagupan was very inconvenient. Of course there was no electricity then. What is worse is that there was nowhere in the poblacion to fetch water to drink. Drinking water for the poblacion residents had to come from Pugaro, Pogo, Lasip or Malued and was brought to town by boat.

Against this background, you can imagine the significance of Don Modesto's efforts when he constructed the first two artesian wells in the poblacion area of Dagupan. One of the two wells continues to serve the city. It was tapped as a source of water supply for the water tank behind the city hall.

The population of Dagupan at that time was small; the two artesian wells must have been quite sufficient to meet the needs of the people in those days. He also brought electric service to town.

Don Modesto was the first Dagupan Executive to connect Bonuan to the poblacion with a bridge that could serve vehicular traffic. It was a temporary bridge, but it served the purpose. Humble though it was, that , too, was progress to the people of Bonuan.

From our interview with Juan Coquia, Don Modesto's son, the fifth Dagupan town executive was married to the former Genoveva Fernandez. They had six children: Calixto, Juan, Julieta, Esperanza, Francisca and Macaria.

Juan Coquia, one of our sources of information on Don Modesto was 84 years old. He lived on Arellano Street in Bani District.

One of Don Modesto's numerous grandchildren serve in Dagupan's municipal board as ex-officio city councilor: Dr. Ignacio Coquia de Guzman, Former city health officer of Dagupan and now the regional health director for Region I of the department of health.

MARIANO K. LAUREL Municipal President: 1909-1911

DON MARIANO K. LAUREL was one of three children of Silvestre Laurel and Maria Callanta.

Dona Maria was a wealthy Dagupena. Don Silvestre made good in business in Dagupan. He operated sailboats, called by the Laurel clan SAKAYAN which plied between Manila and Dagupan.

The grandaunt of Judge Callanta, in an interview, told us that Don Mariano was the first to change the letter C in the Callanta Family name of his mother to K to signify his Tagalog origins. By this statement, Judge Callanta confirms that Don Silvestre, father of Don Mariano, was a migrant to Dagupan from the Tagalog region. The other children of Don Silvestre and Dona Maria were Sofia Laurel and Ramon Laurel.

Sofia became the wife of former Dagupan municipal president Juan Villamil. Ramon died early, but was survived by one child, Maria Laurel. Ramon was known to have a golden voice. It is said that his vocal chords snapped while he was reaching a very high note and became ill which resulted into his premature death.

Don Mariano, as Dagupan executive, was the first to construct a concrete bridge. He constructed the original Quintos Bridge along Jose Torres Bugallon Avenue.

He was married to the former Celerina Nevado, with whom he had six children: Victorina, Procopio, Juana, Cornelio, Gregorio, and Angel. As a Family man, he sent his children to the best schools in the country and abroad. He sent Procopio to Germany to study aviation; Cornelio to Japan to study medicine, and Gregorio to the Philippine Military Academy to study military science. Angel the youngest, was drowned while swimming in the river in his early youth.

Victoria the eldest child, was married to Prudencio Catubig.

After finishing his medical course Cornelio died in Japan. He left behind a sweetheart in Dagupan who was so broken-hearted. The sweetheart, the late Miss Maria C. Magsano, proved her faithfulness to Cornelio by refusing to fall in love again to devote her energies to social work. One of Miss Magsano's loved novels, SAMBAN AGNABENEGAN, was written as a tribute to Cornelio's memory.

Juana Laurel was married to Perfecto Manila, a realty and insurance salesman.

DON ANTONIO LLAMAS FERNANDEZ Municipal President ( 1911- 1915 )

Don Antonio Llamas Fernandez was municipal president from 1911-1915. Before he entered politics, he was the municipal Judge of Binalonan town. While he was a Judge there, His wife, Capistrana Bernal, taught in the public schools.

Two volumes in a minutes of the serios of the municipal board of Dagupan during his administration are in existence today. They are in the possession of his son, Don Angel B. Fernandez. The volumes are book bound, in the official government forms of the period, most of them written in penmanship of the board secretary, the late Judge Prodencio Catubig.

"When the war broke out, the official records of the municipal government were in disarray. I saw the minutes of the board sessions during the administration of my father. I got them , to save them from destruction, "Don Angel disclosed to us.

Going over the two volumes, which were mostly in Spanish, with some smattering of English, we were amazed to discover the following:

The river in Pantal, which we commonly know as Pantal River, is actually called Toboy River;
The sessions of the municipal board, during his days, were held in the afternoon of Wednesday;
The municipal board was composed of 16 elective officials: the municipal president, the municipal vice president, and 14 municipal councilors.
The two volumes could also serve as a source for researchers who may wish to research about Pangasinan province during that period. Provincial board resolutions were usually on the agenda of the Dagupan municipal board. One such resolution declared the Anolid Bridge presumably in honor of Gov. Aquilino Calvo.
We came across two very important resolutions among the two volumes:

Resolution No. 23, adopted during the January 29, 1913 regular session. This resolution resolved that the municipal government of Dagupan secure a loan from the "Insular government" in the amount of P50,000.
The amount of P50,000 was to be used to purchase two lots: a) The public market site, and b) the lot on the opposite side of municipal St.( now know as Jose Torres Bugallon avenue) up to Toboy river. The extra money after paying the two lots, will be used to construct the market, and if there are still left, to construct a wharf along the riverside.

Resolution No. 81, adopted during the session of May 13, 1914. By means of this resolution, the municipal board accepted the turn over of the public market, which was constructed during the supervision of the district engineer. The market cost P22,597.75. This was the original market with tile roofing which was destroyed during the 1952 conflagration.
Credit for the acquisition of the two lots, and the construction of the original market will have to be shared by Don Antonio Fernandez with the members of his board, to wit: Municipal vice president: Felix Calimlim; municipal councilors: Eustacio del Rosario, Eulalio C. Reyes, Juanita Sales, Quiterio Favilla, Geraldo Ayson, Jose Valencerina, Macario Legaspi, Cirilo Catubig, Vicente Tiongson and Alejo Flores.

Some artesian wells in the barrio were also constructed during the administration of Don Antonio.

Don Antonio and Dona Capistrana had six children: Aurelio, Jose, Amado, Paz, Miguel and Angel. Aurelio became a businessman; Jose put up a printing press and published the newsmagazines Tunong. Amado studied medicine and put up a hospital but died during the outbreak of the war. Paz was married to Eng. Isidoro de Venecia; Miguel was a schoolteacher; and Angel became a mayor of Dagupan and Later congressman of the second district of Pangasinan. Vice Mayor Armando C. Fernandez is a grandson of Don Antonio.

CIRIACO PALAGANAS - Municipal President ( 1915-1916 )

DON CIRIACO PALAGANAS was municipal president in 1915. He was in office for only one year. He was married to Paula Venteres.

The First World War was raging in Europe when he was elected municipal president. When the United States joined the war, There arose a need for Filipino volunteers to fight Europe under the American flag.

In response to an appeal for Filipino volunteers, President Manuel L. Quezon pledged to send some 25,000 Filipino volunteers.

Municipal President Ciriaco Palaganas came out to volunteer his services. He left behind his elective post and underwent some training. He was commissioned as an officer.

As soon as the training of the Filipino volunteers was completed, The war suddenly ended. Palaganas could no longer return to his position as municipal president, Don Guillermo de Venecia, had already taken over.

President Quezon then employed Don Ciriaco in the Manila Railroad Company. His last assignment was as Station Master in Sariaya, Quezon.

Don Ciriaco was the son of Andres Palaganas. It was in the Palaganas house, on what is now Rivera street, where the family of Leonor Rivera moved after staying for sometime in the house of Don Alejandro Venteres on Jose Bugallon Avenue near the Quintos bridge.

One daughter, Mercedes Venteres Palaganas, who is now residing in Lipa City, where she was married, survives Don Ciriaco.

DON GUILLERMO DE VENECIA Municipal vice president 1911 Municipal President 1916-1918 2nd Term As Mun. Pres. 1925-1926

DON GUILLERMO DE VENECIA built himself a lasting memorial of his administration as municipal president. This was in the form of the municipal building, inaugurated in 1926, which today still serves as our city hall.

Son of Don Pablo De Venecia, the anak-banwa of Bolosan, he was the vice president of Don Ciriaco Palaganas in 1915. When Don Ciriaco was commissioned as an officer of the Filipino Volunteers to fight in Europe during the First World War, Don Guillermo took over as municipal president. He became municipal president for the second time in 1925. This was the time he built the municipal building.

The full membership of the municipal board, which assisted him build the presidencia included: Felix Calimlim, Numeriano Tanopo, Jose Penoy, Teofilo P. Guadiz, Lamberto Siquion-Reyna, Gualberto de Venecia, Pascual Lozano, Toribio Guardiana, Roman Villamil, Jose Jovellanos, Procesco Bautista, Martin Mejia, Felipe Bravo, Santiago Pastoral, with Federico Estrada as municipal board secretary.

Don Guillermo was married to Maria Rabago, daughter of Don Anacleto Rabago, the wealthy landowner who used to ownpractically the whole of Barrio Pogo Chico. The couple had seven children: Jose, Sr., Policronio, Zosimo, Alberto, Felipe, Paz and Guillermina.

Jose de Venecia Sr. became a judge of the court of first Instance, and father of Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr.

Policronio studied medicine in Germany; he was elected among the first city councilors of Dagupan and later became a Philippine minister in Germany. Zosimo served in the US Army; Alberto, an engineer, died in Bataan during the war. Felipe is now a retired Regional Director of the department of Commerce and Industry. Guilermina was married to Engr. Roman Tuazon, Jr. of Lingayen. Former City Councilor Antonio C. de Venecia is another grandson of Don Guillermo.

DON JOSE V. JOVELLANOS Municipal President : 1919- 1922

DON JOSE VILLAMIL JOVELLANOS, Municipal president from 1919 to 1922, was the first son of a mayor to become mayor of Dagupan under the American rule.

He was the son of Don Toribio Jovellanos. Besides becoming municipal president ,he was also municipal councilor. He was a member of the municipal board when the presidencia building was built in 1962He built the Rizal monument in the town plaza. He was a newspaperman who wrote for the tunong magazine. Dr. Ricardo B. Villamil claims Don Jose devoted his time promoting baseball to keep the youth of his day away from the streets.

Married to the former Leonor Magno Venezuela of Pozurrubio the couple had nine children: Rosario, Tita, Jose, Jr, Cesar, Raymundo, Toribio II, Lucia, Carmelita and Emiliano.

DON FELIX CALIMLIM Municipal Vice President: 1911-1915 Municipal President : 1926-1928 Municipal Vice President : 1925-1926

DON FELIX CALIMLIM was president from 1926-1928. He was vice president at least twice before he ascended the municipal presidency.

During his first term as vice president, he helped Don Antonio Ll. Fernandez acquire the market site and build the original public market.

On his second term as vice president, he helped Don Guillermo de Venecia build the municipal building in 1926. When he came into power as municipal president, the municipal coffer was empty; the funds were exhausted in building the presidencia.

He devoted his time to improving barrio roads. He was married to Dolores Manzon of San Carlos. The couple had four children: Antonio, Engracia, Maria and Arsenio.

Antonio Manzon Calimlim became a teacher and retired as a school supervisor; Engracia is now a teacher at the University of San Carlos in Cebu, married to Damaso Morales, now a retired supervisor of the bureau of Private School. Maria Manzon Calimlim likewise became a teacher, she was married to Capt. Juan dela Cruz of the Philippine navy.

Felix Calimlim was an Uncle of Former Mayor Jose Paras Calimlim.

JOSE PARAS CALIMLIM Municipal Councilor : 1925-1931 (Topnother ) Municipal President : 1928-1931 2nd Term M. President : 1934-1937

DON JOSE PARAS CALIMLIM was the idol of the masses. He was a poor man, and he became even poorer when he entered politics.

As a public officials, his norm of conduct was circumscribed by his motto: "ANGANO NAUPOT SO TAMOROK YA MANASIN, AG AK MANTAKEW NA PILAK NA BALEY"

Before he was first elected municipal president he was a municipal councilor when the presidencia was built. He was first- elected municipal president.

Among his accomplishmentas as municipal president, were the following: 1) the construction of the West Central Elementary school, 2) he built the road that connects Tebeng and Mangin to the national road in Tambac, and 3) the first to build a bridge in Pogo.

He holds the distinction of being the first lawyer to be elected municipal president of Dagupan. He finished law at the Philippine Law school. He was the son of Felix Llamas Calimlim (not the municipal president) and Margareta Fernandez Paras. He was married to the Former Fortunata Acosta of Lingayen. After serving as municipal president he was later appointed as a circuit judge for the towns of Urbiztondo, Mangatarem and Aguilar. His last assignment was municipal judge of Dagupan. He died on August 11, 1945. He was survived by six children: Jose, Jr., Rosa, Manuel, Felix, Juanito and Eugenio. Jose Acosta Calimlim Jr., his eldest son, has been thrice elected city councilor of Dagupan.

JOSE FERNANDEZ LLAMAS Municipal President : 1931-1934

JOSE FERNANDEZ LLAMAS belongs to a long line of the Llamas clan who were elected to the position of municipal president, municipal mayor and city mayor.

It started with Don Antonio Llamas Fernandez, to Amado Llamas Ayson, down to Liberato Llamas Reyna and even almost Felipe Llamas Cuison. Cuison was twice city mayor in 1967 but lost.

As town executive Don Jose left as a memorial of his administration, the water tank behind the city hall building. He also constructed the original Kiosk in the plaza which has been demolished in later years to give way to improvements.

He served in the government service in several other capacities: 1) as municipal councilor, 2)Pangasinan provincial board secretary during the term Gov. Servillano dela Cruz; 3) Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representative during the time of Speaker Eugenio Perez; 4 ) Justice of the Peace of Sta. Barbara and Rosales.

As municipal president he was elected chairman of the Municipal Presidents League of Pangasinan. He won as municipal president on the platform that he would work for the Dagupan into a city,. He was the son of Juan Llamas and Eulalia Fernnadez, a sister of Don Antonio Llamas Fernandez. He was married to the forcer Maria Villamil Jovellanos daughter of DonToribio Jovellanos and Dona Carmen Villamil. He was a newspaperman-lawyer who wrote with the pen name Silin Tabal, for Tunong. He died August 16, 1960 and was survived by nine children: Alfonso, Hernando, Baltazar, Juanito, Angeles, Luis, Fanny, Jesusa and Leonides.

Angeles inherited the piano of Dona Carmen Villamil, her grandmother. This was the piano on which Leonor Rivera used to play. She later donated the same piano to the Bulacan museum. She was married to Felipe Lazaro of Bustos, Bulacan.

Alfonso became a COMELEC register, while Hernando is now city treasurer of San Carlos City (Pangasinan). Leonides is now municipal judge of Magsaysay Occidental Mindoro. Luis became a priest; Fanny is a Librarian at the University of Santo Tomas, Baltazar is a ranking legal officer of the Bureau of Lands.

Don AMADO LLAMAS AYSON Municipal Councilor: 1934-1941 Municipal Mayor : 1943-1945 City Councilor : 1948-1951

DON AMADO LLAMAS AYSON in the estimate of many, is the greatest mayor Dagupan so far has ever had.

His greatness lies primarily in his heroic services as town mayor during the Japanese occupation by virtue of which position he was able to save the lives of many important Pangasinenses who were previously marked for liquidation.

As town executive, he was also able to fulfill the dream of Dagupenos. He made their beloved town the capital of Pangasinan. During the war years and some six months after the liberation. Dagupan was the capital of Pangasinan from 1942 to 1945.

Don Amado was municipal councilor for two terms from 1934 to 1941 when the war broke out. When Dagupan was formally organized as a city, he was among those elected members of the first municipal board.

He started his public career as a schoolteacher and rose to the rank of principal. He was principal in Mangatarem, Binmaley, and Dagupan. In 1925, he helped found the Dagupan Institute. He has been continually connected with the school since then. Born September 13, 1892. he was the son of Florentino Ayson and Silvestra Llamas. He married twice and has been twice a widower, but he never had a child.

RUPERTO ZABALA TANDOC Municipal Mayor: 1945 City Councilor : 1948-1951

DEAN RUPERTO ZABALA TANDOC was municipal mayor of Dagupan for eight months in 1945. He was appointed to office by President Sergio Osmena.

He was one among the eight winners in the November 10, 1947 polls. On the eve of the inauguration of Dagupan as a city for the single reason that he was a Nacionalista, he was not seated on January 1, 1948, when Dagupan was formally inaugurated as a city.

Together with Don Teofilo E. Guadiz, Jr., Policronio de Venecia and Flaviniano Mejia, he filed a quo warranto proceeding before the Supreme Court for him to be seated as city councilor. The case was decided in favor of the petitioners. They were subsequently seated as city councilor.

As mayor, he started the improvement and widening of the Bacayao Sur feeder road; the feeder road connecting Tapuac and Malued. He laid out the Bonuan golf course, and he was the one of the founders of the Luzon Colleges. As city councilor, he was one of the sponsors of the resolution, which authorized the construction of the Perez market during the administration of Angel B. Fernandez. Born on May 22, 1904, he is the son of Anecito F.Tandoc and Lucia Zabala of Malued. He holds two college degrees 1) Bachelor of Science in Commerce, from the Jose Rizal College and 2) Bachelor of Laws from the Philippine Law School.

He was formerly Dean, College of Commerce of the Dagupan Colleges (now University of Pangasinan) from 1947 to 1957, the Regional Manager of the Price Stabilization Corporation (PRISCO) and later branch manager of the Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration. Married to the former Maxima Villacorta, the couple has three children Cesar, Minda, and Perla.. Cesar studied commerce and law; Minda is now a physician, while Perla is a high school teacher.

ALIPIO FERNANDEZ SR. Mun. Councilor: 1932-1941; 1945(Four Terms) Mayor : 1946-1947 City Fiscal

DON ALIPIO FERNANDEZ ,SR. holds the singular distinction to be the last mayor of the municipality of Dagupan and the first city mayor when Dagupan became a city on June 2O, 1947.

He was appointed municipal mayor in January 1946 and remained in office until December 31, 1947; His term as municipal mayor ended on June 1, 1947. The following day, he became the First city mayor of Dagupan. But he never realized, at the time, that he was a city mayor. He thought all along, that he was still ruling- over the old municipality of Dagupan.

This was because of a decision among the leaders of the community, to inaugurate the new City on January 1, 1948. The Supreme Court however, on a quo warranto proceeding filed by four elected city councilors, who were not seated during the inauguration of the city on January 1, 1948, ruled that Dagupan became a city as of June 30, 1947. This was the day Republic Act 170 the charter of Dagupan City was approved into Law.

Don Alipio was a lawyer by profession. Before becoming mayor, he was four times elected municipal councilor from 1932 to 1941.

He served as technical assistant to Mayor Amado L1. Ayson during the Japanese occupation. In l945, he was returned to the municipal board as a councilor.

As mayor of Dagupan, he strengthened the career service of the municipal, and later, the city government, by employing only those who were qualified and possessed the necessary civil service eligibility. He also built the fire department headquarters and courthouse. When Dagupan became a city, he was appointed as a city fiscal, he stayed on this position for three years. He resigned from justice law and he taught in the Law schools of our local college.

In later years, he returned to the government service as a researcher in Court of appeals. From the position be was promoted to Legal Officer in the same court. Thereafter, he retired.

Son of Alejandro Fernandez and Miguela Fernandez (they were relatives), Don Alipio is the father of Majority Floor Leader Alipio Fernandez, Jr. of the 1972-1975 municipal board of the city.

He was married to the former Fredesvinda Fernandez ( Likewise his relative ) with whom he had 11 children: Lourdes, Corazon, Carmelo, Antonio, Alipio,Jr., Fredesvinda, Asterio, Angela, Alejandro and Marian.

Don Angel B. Fernandez was the sixth and youngest child of Don Antonio Llamas Fernandez and Capistrana Bernal. His father, Don Antonio was municipal president of Dagupan for four years from 1912 to 1915. A law graduate of the University of the Philippines, he was a newspaperman during his younger days. He wrote a column for the Silew Magazine entitled "Nipaakar Ed Katunungan". Before his entry into politics, he was municipal judge of Binmaley. He is the first Dagupan mayor so far to be elected congressman of the second district of the province. As mayor, he built the o1d school in Bonuan Boquig, the Gregorio del Pilar Elementary School moved, the Dagupan City High School from the Klar and the extension buildings on Jose Torres Bugallon avenue west to Tapuac on the Quonset huts of he secured from the Americans during the liberation.

He paved the expansion on the city towards Pogo by building the Perez Boulevard. He built the Perez market. He would widen the city streets, to meet the growing needs of the city and graveled the major roadlines to make them passable under any weather condition. He also built the bailey bridge across the Tanao river. Married to the former Corazon Manaois Cabal, a pharmacist, he has three children: Oscar Gil and Armando. His son Oscar is a ranking assistant Solicitor in the Solicitor Generals Office. Gil his second son has earned a reputation as a top rate surgeon now connected with the Veteran Memorial Hospital. Armando his youngest son, was elected as city vice mayor in 1971 for four years term, 1972-1975. Before he entered politics, Armando was Philippine Consul in Rome. He made specials studies in community development and grassroots cooperative and operated pilot projects in the Kilusang Kaunlaran Kapitbahay, which were all very successful.

TEOFILO P. GUADIZ Municipal Councilor: 1925-1941 ( Six Terms) City Councilor : 1948-1953 (Two Terms) Mayor : January 1,1954 to Sep. 12, 1957 : June 16, 1958 to Dec31,1959 Director : PNR

DON TEOFILO P., GUADIZ was twice city mayor of Dagupan. His first stint was from January 1, 1954 to September 12, 1957 when he resigned to run as congressman on the second district.

He opposed Don Angel B. Fernandez in the congressional poll of 1957 and lost. Then he was appointed as city mayor and continued in office up to December 31, 1959. Then on June 16, 1959 he was re-appointed as city mayor and continued in office up to December 31, 1959.

A lawyer, his law practice was most fruitful. He trained a number of Dagupeno Lawyers who eventually became fiscal including; Assistant City fiscal Peregrino Cornel, Assistant Fiscal Miguel Caquioa, and City Assessor Brigido Ugaban likewise came from his Law office.

He was one of the founders of the Orient Colleges and taught law in the said school.

As city mayor, he constructed the concrete Magsaysay bridge along Perez boulevard. He extended Rizal street from Rivera street up to the Iglesia ni Kristo compound in Pogo Chico. He also extended Galvan street from Gomez junction to Perez boulevard, and cemented portions of the main roadlines of the city. He built the two-story Dagupan City High School building in 1958. This same building, was destroyed by fire in 1968.

He cleared the eyesore bagoong market beside the Philippine National Bank and the area of the park. This is now the Magsaysay Park. He also constructed artesian wells for several barrios and secured some army type prefabricated school housed for the city schools.

During his incumbency as city mayor, Dagupan was adjudged the second city in the Philippines. The original market, built by Don Antonio LI. Fernandez in 1914 and in 1952, was rebuilt by Mayor Guadiz in 1954. This is the original market building behind the supermarket built by Reyna. Don Teofilo likewise built the market stalls along Galvan and the toilet in the public market. He is now director of the Philippine National Railways.

Two of his children became city councilors of Dagupan. The first was Teofilo L. Guadiz, Jr. who was councilor for two terms (1960-1963 and 1968 to 1971) After his second term as city councilor, Teofilo Jr., was appointed Court of first instance judge in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. The second son of Don Teofilo to become city councilor is Conrado L, Guadiz (1972-1975). He is also lawyer and a businessman. The other Guadiz children include: Fe, Elisa, Sergio, Nora, and Carlos.

His parents were Herminigildo Guadiz of Laoac, Pangasinan and Julia y Arzadon. He was born November 3, 1897 in Dagupan and was married to the former Maria Corazon Legaspi y Calimlim.

GAUDENCIO S. SIAPNO City Councilor 1955-1959 (Topnotcher) 2nd Term Councilor: 1963-1971 City Mayor 1957-1953 (11 Months)

DON GUADENCIO SIBAYAN SIAPNO a commerce graduate of the Luzon Colleges was son of the wealthy landowner from Malued. He was a relative of one Time Isidoro Siapno of the second district of Pangasinan.

On his first entry into politics, he came out topnotcher among the city councilor elected for the 1955-1959 term. On the basis of this No. 1 position as city councilor, he was appointed city mayor of Dagupan for a period of almost one year from 1957 to 1958,when then Mayor Teofilo P. Guadiz resigned to run for congressman in 1957. He served a second term as City councilor from 1963 to 1967.

As mayor, he devoted his time to the improvement of barrio roads and of schools houses.

He was the only son of Agustin Siapno and Amilliana Sibayan. He had five children: Norma (AB graduate) Leticia ( AB- Foreign Service and MA-Education); Gaudencio, Jr. (BSC- Accounting) Adolfo ( A Businessman) and Vicky ( Optometrist ) , His wife was Josefa Gutierrez.

LIBERATO LLAMAS REYNA City Councilor: 1943-1951 (Topnotcher) 2nd Term as Councilor: 1953-1955 3rd Term as Councilor: 1956-1959 City Mayor: 1960-1963 2nd Term As Mayor 1964-1967

Liberato LLamas. Reyna was the sixth child of Lope Reyna and Rufina Llamas. He is a lawyer. He was born December 20, 1916.

He was thrice elected as city councilor before he became city mayor. He was first elective city mayor of Dagupan. He served as city mayor for two terms.

The Dagupan City Supermarket building is a monument to his administration. He constructed it on a self-liquidating basis, financed by a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines.

The city public auditorium as it appears today (except the two coffee shops) and the KKK monument were built by civic clubs during his administration. Some portions of our major roads were concreted during his administration. He concreted Tanap bridge and built the water tank at the Perez market and started the construction of the city hall in Tapuac.

President Diosdado Macapagal proclaimed some 72 hectares of public land in Bonuan as a City Park and playground during his administration.

He also built artesian wells in the barrios. He was married to the former Celestina Calimlim, a pharmacist. The couple have six children: Teresita, a physician; Angel (BSC) businessman; Jesus, a physician; Liberato, Jr., a lawyer; Ramon 9BSC) businessman; Cernan, (animal husbandry) manager of reycal Livestock Farm. Ex-mayor Reyna is presently teaching law and is in the livestock production business. He is one of the founders of the Luzon Colleges.

CIPRIANO M. MANAOIS City Mayor: 1968-1971 2nd Term As Mayor: 1972-1975

CIPRIANO M. MANAOIS is the first certified public accountant to be elected city mayor of Dagupan.

He was the second child of Teodoro Manaois and Leonicia Melendez of Bonuan. His father was a fisherman who later became a Bangus fry concessionaire. He was born of July 4, 1922.

His brothers and sisters were: Luis, Antonina, Cirilo, Perfecta and Paula.

A self-supporting student, he worked for his education since he was in grade school. He started as janitor-messenger, and later as a printer in the printing press of his uncle, Angel Melendez. He finished his commerce degree, major in accounting, from the University of the East and took the board of examination in 1962 and passed it. He also graduated law from the University of Negros Occidental. He passed the following civil service examination: 1) Second grade; 2) Agent-Examiner (BIR); 3) Supervisor; 4) First grade Regular and 5) CPA. He was a Supervising Revenue Examiner before he was elected city mayor in 1967.

A civic leader, he become Governor of Lions International, District 301-c and represented the Philippine Lions in several international conferences in the United States, Japan, Thailand and elsewhere.

He was director of the provincial Governors and City Mayors League of the Philippines and served as Vice Chairman on Constitutional Amendments of the City Mayors League of the Philippine.

As a businessman, he founded C. M. Manaois Motors Corporation, a firm that manufactures palay, threshers, services corn and rice mills, and builds all types of bodies of jeeps and trucks.

When he first assumed office as mayor, the city government had accumulated unpaid obligations of P1.3 millions. During his first term, he updated that account and increased the city income to P2.6 millions and raised the classification of the city to first class.

He put up sufficient prefabricated school buildings throughout the city so that when the Dagupan City High School building in Tapuac was burned in 1968, there were enough pre-fab school buildings at the West Central Elementary School to accommodate the high school students.

He went on an aggressive program to put up new artesian wells in the barrios, and repaired the worn out ones constructed by his predecessors. Portions of the city majors roadlines were concrete under his administration, and construction of the Calmay and Dawel bridges was started.

The two beautiful coffee shops, which heightened the beauty of the public plaza, were constructed under his administration, including the construction of the flower garden in front of the post office, and the lawn at the Magsaysay monument.

As a temporary solution to the congestion inside the public market and the take-over by sidewalk vendors of the streets surrounding the market, he put an open market at the Magsaysay Park.

Manaois was twice selected by the President Assistant on Community Development as "Outstanding Mayor of the Philippines" He is married to the former Fe Campos Cruz, a physician, from Sta. Barbara. Mre. Manaois is a resident physician of the Pangasinan General Hospital; and associate of the Philippine College of Surgeons, and one time president of the Pangasinan chapter of the Philippine Medical Women's Society.

The Manaois have eight children: Betha Fe, (UST-medical student); Teodoro III, AB graduate and now law student at San Beda: Marilyn, (BSC student UE); Besilda and Mamerto (at Brent school, Baguio); Medarlo and Victor Ferdinand, (at EDNA’S kindergarten and Grade School).