Bolinao

Bolinao
Municipality
Municipality of Bolinao
Seal
Motto(s):  Bayan Ko
Map of Pangasinan with Bolinao highlighted
show OpenStreetMap Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Bolinao Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°20′N 119°53′E / 16.33°N 119.88°E / 16.33; 119.88Coordinates: 16°20′N 119°53′E / 16.33°N 119.88°E / 16.33; 119.88
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos Region
Province	Pangasinan
District	1st district
Founded	July 25, 1575
Barangays	30 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Alfonso D. Celeste
• Vice Mayor	Richard C. Celeste
• Representative	Arnold D. Celeste
• Municipal Council	show Members Gregorio C. Celeste Carolina M. Abad Jasmin C. Camba Joven C. Caasi Jesus E. dela Cruz Jr. Jonumer V. Caasi Rey Carlo I. Celeste Gabriel C. Castellano
• Electorate	45,943 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	197.22 km2 (76.15 sq mi)
Elevation	7.0 m (23.0 ft)
Highest elevation	251 m (823 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	83,979
• Density	430/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
• Households	17,601
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	16.87% (2015)[4]
• Revenue	₱185,680,903.91 (2016)
Service provider
• Electricity	Pangasinan 1 Electric Cooperative (PANELCO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2406
PSGC	015514000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)75
Climate type	tropical monsoon climate
Native languages	Bolinao Pangasinan Ilocano Tagalog Sambal

Bolinao, officially the Municipality of Bolinao (Pangasinan: Baley na Bolinao; Ilocano: Ili ti Bolinao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bolinao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 83,979 people. ^[3]

Sea urchins are regularly harvested at Isla Silaki, Bolinao.^[5] The town, aside from being a fishing domain, is also a heritage site in the Philippines, possessing an olden church surrounded by heritage houses. The town is also the location of the cave where the gold-teeth Bolinao Skulls with fish scale designs were found. Scholars have been pushing for the town's cultural landscape into the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Geography[]

Bolinao is the northernmost town in the province, with many white-sand beaches.

Barangays[]

Bolinao is politically subdivided into 30 barangays.

NOTE: The barangays marked with an "S" indicate that they are located within Santiago Island.

Climate[]

History[]

Folk etymology attributes the name "Bolinao" or this remote fishing enclave from the fish piece "monamon" but commonly called "Bolinao" by the Tagalogs, Bicolanos and the Visayans. A theory also points out that once upon a time "pamulinawen" trees grew luxuriantly along its shores, thus, the Ilocano migrants who crossed the Lingayen Gulf named it phonetically similar to the name of the tree. Nowadays, however, such tree does not exist anymore.

Unofficial records narrate the story of an Italian missionary named Blessed Odoric of Pordenone who said the first mass in Bolinao Bay, baptizing several locals while he was on his way to China. He took refuge in what is now known as Bolinao during a storm in 1324. Two centuries later, an account^{[specify][who?]} narrates the arrival of Juan de Salcedo and his crew reached Bolinao and chanced upon a Chinese Sampan who captured a native chieftain. Salcedo and his men liberated the natives and the latter immediately pledged vassalage to the King of Spain.^[7]

According to oral history, the town of Bolinao used to be a small settlement in what is now Barrio Binabalian in Santiago Island, then having a population of just over a hundred families. It is said that Captain Pedro Lombi founded the town of Bolinao in 1575. A decade later, Dominican Friar Esteban Marin became the first Spanish missionary to evangelize the people of Bolinao. For two years he worked in Bolinao before he was assigned as prior in Batac, Ilocos Norte.^[7]

The Dominicans ended their service in 1607 to be replaced by the Augustinian Recollects headed by Fr. Jeronimo de Cristo and Dr. Andres del Espiritu Santo. At this time, the old town of Bolinao was still located along the coast of Pangasinan. Due to pirate attacks, the town was transferred to the mainland in 1609.

This town formerly included the neighboring town of Anda, but Anda became an independent municipality on May 26, 1849.

First Mass[]

On November 18, 2007, Bolinao challenged the belief that the first Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, at Limasawa in Southern Leyte. Memorial markers (donated by Italian priest Luigi Malamocco, 62, from Odorico's hometown of Friuli, Italy) were set in the town's church and on Santiago Island, claiming that in 1324, Franciscan missionaries led by an Italian priest named Odorico celebrated a thanksgiving Mass thereat and also baptized natives.^[8]

Hard coal spill[]

Bolinao Mayor Alfonso Celeste said the local government will file damage suit against Indonesian owners of the barge APOL 3003. The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) stated that the environmental damage was P 54.9 million ($1 =- P 40). The barge towed by a tug boat from Indonesia to the power plant in Sual, Pangasinan on November 27 when Typhoon "Mina" winds destroyed its anchor and rope, then hurled to Ilog Malino reef, spilling 95% of its coal cargo. The hard coal spill spread to 330,000 square metres of coral and sea grass areas.^[9]

Bolinao Skull[]

The Bolinao Skull is a skull dated between the 14th and 15th centuries A.D. recovered in the Balingasay archeological site in Bolinao. The Bolinao Skull is the most well known artifact from the site, noted for the intricate gold ornamentation formed in the shape of scales on the surfaces of its teeth. However, 67 other skulls containing teeth with less extensive gold ornamentation were also found at the Balingasay site. The skull is now displayed within the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila.^[10]

World War II[]

The Japanese Imperial forces were landed and occupied the town municipality of Bolinao in December 1941 and established of the military garrison of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. The joint military force of the United States, Australian and Philippine Commonwealth troops including the local resistance fighters liberated the town municipality of Bolinao in January 1945 due to retake in Luzon and aftermath in World War II.

Demographics[]

Population census of Bolinao

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 6,075 —     1918 9,643 +3.13% 1939 14,914 +2.10% 1948 19,391 +2.96% 1960 26,005 +2.48% 1970 30,903 +1.74% 1975 34,408 +2.18% 1980 39,335 +2.71%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 49,202 +2.26% 1995 53,127 +1.45% 2000 61,068 +3.03% 2007 69,568 +1.81% 2010 74,545 +2.55% 2015 82,084 +1.85% 2020 83,979 +0.45%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [13][14]

Language[]

The word Bolinao is a term used for the name of the town, the people, and the language.

The Bolinao people generally speak Pangasinan, Ilocano, Tagalog, and their own unique native language called Bolinao, which is also used in a nearby town, Anda --- former barangay of the Bolinao town. The Bolinao language is closely related to Sambalic. Bolinao was part of the province of Zambales from mid-18th and was turned over to Pangasinan in 1903. Most people generally understand and speak English because of the annual visit of local and foreign tourists in the different bodies of water in the town including beaches, falls, caves, river, and other protected sanctuaries which are prohibited areas for tourists.

The Mother Tongue Policy of the DepEd is enforced in the elementary schools of these barangays to empower the native languages in town.

Economy[]

Poverty Incidence of Bolinao
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20]

Education[]

Tertiary schools:

• Bolinao Lighthouse School of Tourism and Learning Center Ilog-Malino Campus

Secondary[]

Public schools:

Private:

• Cape Bolinao High School

Images[]

• 

  Sunny white beach at Rock Garden Resort, Bolinao

• 

  Patar White Beach, only walking distance to Cape Bolinao's Lighthouse

See also[]

• Cape Bolinao Lighthouse
• Bolinao 52, a 2007 documentary film
• Saint James the Great Parish Church (Bolinao)

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bolinao.

• Official Bolinao tourism website
• Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines
• Bolinao at the Pangasinan Government Website^{[permanent dead link]}
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Cape Bolinao Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database