Pangasinan

“ They are like the Chichimecos of Nueva España, who cannot be subdued—except that the villages of Bulinao, as I have said, contain about four hundred Indians who are pacified. These people recognize a God in heaven; but in times of trouble and sickness they invoke their dead and their ancestors, like the people of Visaya.
Bay of Pangasinan. About five leagues farther is the province of Pangasinan. Its bay is about six leagues around. Three large rivers, which flow from the mining district of the mountains, fall into this bay. This province has a peaceful population of four thousand. ”

“ Look, and see that the religious whom you have are not going to do you any harm. On the contrary, they will do you much good by helping to protect you from the Spaniards. The people of Pangasinan, our neighbors, are very well pleased with them; for they eat no chickens, but only a little fish, and if that is not given to them they get along with herbs. They do not travel on the backs of men, or of Indians, but on their own feet. If there is no one to carry their bed for them, they carry it on their own shoulders. They do not seek for gold, they do not ask for silver ”

“ CHAPTER III Missions of the provinces of Ilocos and Pangasinan in general
[Mozo states that the two provinces of Pampanga and Pangasinan were so populous that, “of those whom our forefathers converted in these two provinces alone are counted more than one hundred and fifty thousand souls—who, settled in villages, and maintained in a very civilized and Christian society, hold their own on the frontier of the infidels; for their territory allows them no alternative, shut in on one side by the sea, and on the other by very rugged mountains.”] ”

“ This region lies between the provinces of Cagayan, Ylocos, Pangasinan, and Tuy. The people are light complexioned, well-disposed, and intelligent.5 It is reported that about eighteen or twenty thousand Indians use lance and shield. They are at war with their neighbors up to certain boundaries. Beyond those boundaries those peoples trade with one another; for the Ygolotes descend to certain towns of Pangasinan with their gold, and exchange it for food—hogs, carabaos, and rice, taking the animals alive to their own country. ”

“ The plan should be carried out chiefly by means of the Indians of Pampanga and the Zambales of Pangasinan—people who know the country and its hiding-places and coverts; and who, as being more agile than Spaniards, bear more easily the toils of the march over the routes that have to be traversed, owing to the wildness of the region, which, as is well known, is very great. ”

“ They are so warlike a nation that they have always caused themselves to be respected not only in Pangasinàn, which province they glorify as a not despicable part, but also throughout the Philipinas Islands where they have been able to acquire renown through their arms. Having, then, as we have related, sent his associate to Masingloc, he considered that the Indians left him alone in the convent, and that they were going about cautiously talking one with another. ”

“ In the mountains of Ytui, which are not far from Pangasinan, father Fray Juan de San Jacintho went on a journey at this time, accompanied by only two Indians. Here he taught, settled their disputes, and [288] brought them to the faith. These people were a race of mountaineers, among whom other religious had not been safe even with an escort of many soldiers; but the gentle manners of father Fray Juan caused them to become calm, and many of them came sometimes to Pangasinan to ask that religious might be given to them. Many years passed before it was possible to provide them with religious ”

“ The Augustinians had many parishes in the Bisayas, on the Ilocano coast, some in Pangasinan, and all of those in Pampanga. The Dominicans had parts of Pangasinan and all of the valley of Cagayan. The Franciscans controlled the Camarines and nearly all of southern Luzon, and the region of Laguna de Bay. All of these orders had convents and monasteries both in the city of Manila and in the country round about. The imposing churches of brick and stone, which now characterize nearly every pueblo, had not in those early decades been erected ”

“ In Pangasinán, or Caboalan, dialect used in the province of the same name in Luzon, we have another linguistic treasure—the Arte of Mariano Pellicer, of the same brotherhood, reprinted at Manila, in 1862, from the edition of 1690, whereof in the course of time, as writers tell us, it came to pass that up to about the middle of the present century only one copy survived. ”

“ Outside of this city and the above-mentioned villages lying within five leagues of it, there are seven well-populated provinces in this same island of Luzon—namely, Panpanga, Pangasinan, Ylocos, Cagayan, Camarines, La Laguna, and Bonbon y Balayan. These include three Spanish settlements—namely, Camarines, Ylocos, and Cagayan, and have the following number of tributarios [i.e., Indians paying tribute] and encomiendas. ”

“ DAGUPAN, a town and the most important commercial centre of the province of Pangasinán, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on a branch of the Agno river near its entrance into the Gulf of Lingayen, 120 m. by rail N.N.W. of Manila. Pop. (1903) , 20,357. It is served by the Manila & Dagupan railway. Dagupan has a healthy climate. It is the chief point of exportation for a very rich province, which produces sugar, indigo, Indian corn, copra, and especially rice. ”

“ The people are of the same race as those who inhabit Pangasinan.
Purao. Four leagues farther are the villages of Purao, with a population of two thousand. These towns are under the encomendero of Bitis and Lubao. The people differ from the above in language, but resemble them in their behavior and customs. They till the land; and possess much gold, on account of being near the mines. ”

“ There are few native Spaniards in Pangasinan. A good many mestizos are devoted to commerce. In Lingayen, with 23,000 inhabitants, there are more than 1,000 mestizos; in Binmaley, with 24,000 inhabitants, only twenty-two mestizos: the first being a trading, the second an agricultural, pueblo. There are few Indians who have acquired opulence. The Chinese element has penetrated, and they obtain more and more influence as active men of business. No Oriental race can compete with them where patience, perseverance and economy can be brought into play. They are not liked ”

“ Between this province and that of Pangasinan, which is adjacent to it, there are three thousand Indians apportioned between two encomiendas; they are Çanbales, and many of them are pacified. Living at a distance of twenty-five or thirty leagues from this city are more than three thousand others of this same race—brave mountaineers—still to be pacified; and we have not the wherewithal to send twenty soldiers for that purpose. This entire population is without instruction. It needs six ministers. ”

“ One year a certain governor wrote against Ours of Pangasinan (he was at one time affectioned to Ours and at another averse, for so wags the world) that they had burned some forests whence wood had to be obtained for the shipbuilding, etc. What effects would such a letter cause if seen in the Council of the Indias, and one written by a governor? If one wished to burn the hundredth part of one single forest with the help of ten thousand Indians, he could not do it in a whole year ”

“ NUEVA ECIJA PROVINCE is the rice granary of the Philippine Islands, being first in the production of the cereal, Pangasinan coming second. The rolling hills towards the mountains are suitable for pasture lands. The mountains are thick with untouched forests that yield fine wood and other minor products. In the mountains and rivers gold is found. The province was one of the first eight provinces to raise the standard of revolt in 1896. It has a number of flourishing towns at present, due to the continuous boom in the rice market. ”

“ Distribution of These Peoples.—All through the central islands, Panay, Negros, Leyte, Samar, Marinduque, and northern Mindanao, are the Bisaya, the largest of these peoples. At the southern extremity of Luzon, in the provinces of Sorsogon and the Camarines, are the Bicol. North of these, holding central Luzon, Batangas, Cavite, Manila, Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija, are the Tagálog, while the great plain of northern Luzon is occupied by the Pampango and Pangasinan. ”

“ The provinces of Pangasinan and Ilocos are more remarkable in this regard than any other. Rice is abundant and good. There is the rice of forty days, so that it is sown, grows, and is dried, harvested, and eaten in forty days—a very remarkable thing. There is rice of two months, of three, and of five. There are also fine lands for wheat, if there were any system and method in sowing it. If any Indians sow it, it is levied upon in the king’s name; and consequently, the Indians do not devote themselves to that work. In my time, wheat was worth ninety pesos per fanega. ”

“ The letter was directed to the father provincial, and contains the following narrative:
They left Pangasinan for Ytuy December 6, 1632, the day of St. Nicholas the bishop; and since there is but little communication between the two countries—none at all, in fact, except that occasionally some natives on each side visit the other—there is no open road from one to the other, since the Indians have no need of one, making their way like deer through the thickets of the mountains. By their account, the journey takes four days ”

“ Even as far south as Bayambang, the overflowed lands of the Agno River have been converted into similar ponds where quantities of fresh-water fish are obtained and shipped to Manila in large baskets containing water.
The famous Calasiao hat made from the leaf of the buri palm comes from Pangasinan. Mat-making is an industry in Bani and Bolinao. Lingayen uses the palm fiber for making sugar sacks and San Carlos for the “salacot” or native helmet. Calasiao, Mañgaldan, and San Carlos prepare the “tabo” or native cup from the coconut shell. ”

“ Aguilar—The encomienda of Tugui y Bolinao, belonging to Alonso de Aguilar, has two thousand tributes, or eight thousand persons. Not more than one-half are pacified. They have no instruction. The magistrate visits them. They need at least three or four religious. MM. Thus the encomiendas of Pangasinán have about six thousand whole tributes, or about twenty-four thousand souls, who have eight ministers of instruction. They will need five more, which will make in all thirteen. The natives of this province will be sufficiently instructed with that number. ”

“ PANGASINAN PROVINCE is the second largest rice producing province in the archipelago. Tobacco and coconuts are also principal products. The swamp lands and the tide flats are sources of nipa thatches and alcohol. Mongo, cogon, sugar cane, and mangoes are also raised extensively. ”

“ Next after Panpanga comes the district comprising all of Sambales and Pangasinan. This, although here considered as a separate province, is under the jurisdiction of Manila in judicial and religious matters. Its natives are chiefly those called Negrillos. They are mountain Indians and are either very tawny in color, or black. They are so restless, so Page 91warlike, and so averse to trade and communication with other people, that up to this time it has not been possible to subdue them effectively. ”

“ In the year 1740, the Augustine friars had delivered over to the Dominicans the missions of Ytuy, or Ysinay, so that in conjunction with the missionaries of Panique, who had been established there the year before, the provinces of Pangasinan and Cagayan, by the south side, might be united. ”

“ Then, at the command and order of the governor, all the Chinese slaves whom Limahon had in his possession and who were captured in the fort of Pangasinan as aforesaid, were collected. These the governor gave to Omoncon, allowing him to take them freely. Likewise the governor ordered that the master-of-camp, and the soldiers and captains who were engaged at the siege, should deliver all those who remained there, binding himself to pay to the soldiers to whom such belonged, the appraised value of the captives. ”

“ The cotton area of Ilocos Norte for that year was 1,591 hectares, and the crop, 605,021 kilograms; and the cotton land of Ilocos Sur, 645 hectares, and the crop, 244,140 kilograms. The greatest rice-producing province in the Philippines is Pangasinán, which produced 1,454,601 hectoliters in 1902, while Ilocos Norte is fifth in order with 483,520 hectoliters, and Ilocos Sur eighth with 425,231 hectoliters. The archipelago does not raise enough rice to meet domestic wants, as it is more profitable to raise other crops, especially abacá. See Census of Philippine Islands, iv, pp. ”

“ Five leagues beyond Pangasinan, by either land or sea, begins the province of Ylocos, which is inhabited for forty leagues inland. It has twenty-seven thousand tributarios. Of these the king has six thousand, and twenty-one thousand are in fourteen encomiendas. There are three Augustinian religious in two houses or districts, and two ecclesiastics in two others. Fifty others are needed. There is a considerable population of mountaineers who recognize no master. This province has an alcalde-mayor, and the [Spanish] population of a small town. ”