CAPITOL NEWS

Lingayen- – -In celebration of the 436th foundation anniversary of Pangasinan, April 5 has been declared by President Benigno S. Aquino III as a special non-working holiday.

The declaration came after Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. sent a letter to the Office of the President requesting for the holiday declaration.

Pangasinan’s founding anniversary was made official through Provincial Ordinance No. 143-2010, an ordinance declaring and citing April 5, 1580 as the official foundation day of Pangasinan which was authored by all members of the provincial board led by Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Jr.

As such, the request was granted via Proclamation No. 1240 which was duly signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. on behalf of President Aquino, the declaration will ‘give the people of Pangasinan full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.’

On the part of the provincial government, series of activities have been lined up to make the celebration worthwhile.

It can be recalled that the provincial chief executive created a special study and research committee headed by Dr. Gonzalo T. Duque that determined the exact day the province of Pangasinan was founded in year 1580.

Among the significant findings in the committee’s research include facts as follows:

• Pangasinan was among the earliest political units in the Philippines
• It was officially conquered and colonized by D. Martin de Goiti in 1571
• It was made an encomienda by the Spanish royal crown to receive instruction on the Catholic Faith on April 5, 1572 which means that Pangasinan was organized under one leadership and has identity before the Spanish royal court
• In 1580, it was organized into a political unit under an alkalde mayor who at that time has the authority as head of the province or provincial government with judicial function indicating that Pangasinan has become a province
• At that time, its territorial jurisdiction included the Province of Zambales and parts of La Union and Tarlac
• By the middle of the 19th century, the northern towns of Agoo to Bacnotan were separated from the province and became parts of La Union
• Provincial territory was further diminished in 1875 with the annexation of Paniqui and other towns south of it to Tarlac

With this, Pangasinan made history when it celebrated its very first foundation day on April 5, 2010 after its 430 years of existence. (Ruby R. Bernardino)

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