Dagupan

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Dagupan
Independent component city
City of Dagupan
Clockwise from top-left: Dagupan City Welcome Arch, Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, CSI Supermarket, Dagupan Train Museum
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Bangus (Milkfish) Capital of the Philippines[1]
Map of Pangasinan with Dagupan highlighted
show OpenStreetMap Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Dagupan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°02′35″N 120°20′02″E / 16.043°N 120.334°E / 16.043; 120.334Coordinates: 16°02′35″N 120°20′02″E / 16.043°N 120.334°E / 16.043; 120.334
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos Region
Province	Pangasinan (geographically only)
District	4th district
Founded	1590
Cityhood	20 June 1947
Barangays	31 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Marc Brian C. Lim
• Vice Mayor	Dean Bryan L. Kua
• Representative	Christopher P. de Venecia
• City Council	show Members Maria Librada Fe M. Reyna Celia C. Lim Michael B. Fernandez Dennis C. Canto Marvin D. Fabia Karlos Liberato E. Reyna IV Cisco Jay P. Flores Jose Netu M. Tamayo Luis M. Samson Jr. Teresa T. Coquia
• Electorate	119,164 voters (2019)
Area [3]
• Total	44.47 km2 (17.17 sq mi)
Elevation	18 m (59 ft)
Highest elevation	461 m (1,512 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [4]
• Total	174,302
• Density	3,900/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
• Households	35,748
Demonym(s)	Dagupeño (masculine) Dagupeña (feminine) Dagupenean
Economy
• Income class	1st city income class
• Poverty incidence	9.21% (2015)[5]
• Revenue	1,059,082,759.21[6]
Service provider
• Electricity	Dagupan Electric Corporation (DECORP)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2400
PSGC	015518000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)75
Climate type	tropical monsoon climate
Native languages	Pangasinan Ilocano Tagalog
Website	dagupan.gov.ph

Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan (Pangasinan: Siyudad na Dagupan, Ilocano: Siudad ti Dagupan, Tagalog: Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 1st class independent component city^[7] in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 174,302 people. ^[4]

Located on the Lingayen Gulf on the northwest-central part of the island of Luzon, Dagupan is a major commercial and financial center north of Manila. Also, the city is one of the centers of modern medical services, media and communication in North-Central Luzon. The city is situated within the fertile Agno River Valley.

The city is among the top producers of milkfish (locally known as bangus) in the province. From 2001 to 2003, Dagupan's milkfish production totaled to 35,560.1 metric tons (MT), contributing 16.8 percent to the total provincial production. Of its total production in the past three years, 78.5 percent grew in fish pens/cages while the rest grew in brackish water fishponds.^[8]

Dagupan is administratively and politically independent from the provincial government of Pangasinan and is only represented by the province's legislative district.

Dagupan City is one of the proposed metropolitan area in the Philippines.^[9] Metro Dagupan is proposed to include the independent component city of Dagupan, as well as the towns of Alcala, Basista, Binmaley, Calasiao, Laoac, Lingayen, Manaoag, Mangaldan, Mapandan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Santa Barbara and Santo Tomas.

Etymology[]

The city's name was derived from the local Pangasinan word pandaragupan, meaning "gathering place" as the city has been a regional market center for centuries.

History[]

Kaboloan[]

During the 15th century, Pangasinan had been the site of an ancient polity called the Kaboloan. the Wangdom of Pangasinan sent emissaries to China in 1406–1411.^[10]

Spanish occupation[]

The area that is now known as Dagupan was described as marshland thickly covered with mangrove and nipa palm trees.^[11] The natives lived along the shoreline and riverbanks of Calmay, Pantal, and Bonuan. But there were also communities in Malued, Lasip, Pogo, and Bacayao. The natives called the area Bacnotan which would later be incorporated into the encomienda of Lingayen that was established in 1583.^[12]

The first long distance railroad in the Philippines connecting Manila and Dagupan was opened on November 24, 1892.

Japanese Occupation[]

The Japanese planes bombed in Dagupan in December 1941; Dagupan was occupied by Japanese forces starting in 1942.^[13] The city also served as a wartime capital of Pangasinan.

Allied liberation[]

On January 8–9, 1945, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur landed his amphibious liberation force in the city's "Blue Beach" section along the Lingayen Gulf.^[14][15] From his beachhead in Dagupan, along with those in neighboring towns Lingayen, Binmaley and San Fabian, MacArthur's forces under General Walter Krueger together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Army and Philippine Constabulary units were able to penetrate Japanese defenses in Luzon island and liberate Filipino and allied prisoners of war near Cabanatuan in the province of Nueva Ecija, and in Manila's University of Santo Tomas, among others.

Cityhood[]

Perez Boulevard

Dagupan became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 170, authored by House Speaker Eugenio Pérez. It was signed into law by President Manuel Roxas on June 20, 1947.^[16]

Contemporary history[]

The westward expansion of the city went as far as Lucao, which was also swampland. Local historian Restituto Basa surmised that the name Lucao may have been derived from the shellfish called lukan that used to abound in the swampy area.^{[citation needed]}

In June 1962, Dagupan was shaken by a series of strong earthquakes which occurred at irregular intervals for about three weeks. The quakes toppled the belfry of the Roman Catholic Church. Many people from Calmay, Carael and island barrios evacuated to other towns.^{[citation needed]}

In 1968, the national government agencies opened offices in Dagupan and other key cities across the country. The daytime population increased substantially, causing congestion in the city that began to see the appearance of public utility tricycles.^{[citation needed]}

On July 16, 1990, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck northern Luzon, causing liquefaction, which made buildings tilt and sink due to their heavy weight and the looseness of the ground, which turned into sediment-rich mud. The Magsaysay Bridge, one of the two bridges especially spanning the Pantal River, collapsed, delaying people from crossing to the other banks and vice versa. Major damage caused businesses to be permanently transferred to the neighbouring towns of Mangaldan and Calasiao, but somehow, Dagupan and its inhabitants managed to recover from the earthquake.^[17]

Geography[]

Dagupan City covers a total land area of 4,447.10 hectares (10,989.0 acres),[1] bounded by the Lingayen Gulf in the north, San Fabian in the northeast, Mangaldan in the east, Calasiao in the south and Binmaley in the west. Land use is primarily for agriculture with 35.98% of the total land area, fishpond, cropland, residential with 22.88%; others uses are commercial, industrial, institutional, government private, parks and roads.

Panoramic view of Dagupan river

Barangays[]

Dagupan City is politically subdivided into 31 barangays.^[18]

Barangay Population (2010) [19] Bacayao Norte 3,283 Bacayao Sur 2,632 Barangay I (T. Bugallon) 673 Barangay II (Nueva) 2,824 Barangay IV (Zamora) 841 Bolosan 3,862 Bonuan Binloc 8,246 Bonuan Boquig 13,686 Bonuan Gueset 22,042 Calmay 6,706 Carael 4,732 Caranglaan 6,459 Herrero 2,428 Lasip Chico 1,370 Lasip Grande 2,622 Lomboy 1,367 Lucao 9,748 Malued 9,406 Mamalingling 1,456 Mangin 3,700 Mayombo 7,937 Pantal 17,174 Poblacion Oeste 4,523 Pogo Chico 4,603 Pogo Grande 2,112 Pugaro Suit 4,757 Salapingao 2,890 Salisay 2,134 Tambac 2,328 Tapuac 4,391 Tebeng 2,744

hidePopulation distribution (2010) [19] Total population: 163,676

Climate[]

Dagupan City has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am). It is in Type I climate zone in the Modified Coronas' Climate Classification, with a pronounced dry season from November to April.

Demographics[]

In Dagupan, the Pangasinans are the predominant people and the Pangasinan language is predominantly used in the city and environs, followed by Filipino and English, as well as Ilocano, mainly in Calmay and Pantal. Chinese is mainly spoken only by a few city individuals of Chinese descent.

• Number of Registered Voters (2016): 105,183^[18]

Economy[]

A.B. Fernandez Avenue

Dagupan is the economic center of Pangasinan.^[31] As a major regional hub, many people in Pangasinan and nearby provinces commute to the city during the day. This causes the city's daytime population to rise and cause traffic to parts of the city, especially the downtown area. The city is a vital financial center housing numerous banks, non-bank financial institutions, headquarters of corporations and offices of major government departments and agencies.

Historically, Dagupan was a center for salt making in numerous salt evaporator beds in the low-lying swampy areas close to the Lingayen Gulf, Beginning in the 19th Century, some of the salt making operations gave way to pond culture of fish, most prominently the milkfish or as it is known locally as bangus for which the city has become famous. Fisheries, aquaculture and processed fisheries products are an important mainstay of the city's economy.^[32]

Manila-based developers have also set shop in this bustling city due to its strategic location and growing population.

▪ Santa Lucia Land Inc. (Almeria Verde Subdivision)^[33]

▪ Double Dragon Properties (CityMall Mayombo, opened 2018)

▪ SM Prime Holdings (SM Center Dagupan [opened 2019], planned SM Savemore Dagupan, and planned SM City Dagupan)^[33]

▪ 11-storey Allied Care Experts Medical Center^[33]

▪ Green Sun Management Inc. & Megaworld Construction and Development Corporation (5 storey Green Sun Hotel)^[34]

▪ Filinvest (Fora Dagupan - a 6.3 hectare Townscape development)^[35]

▪ Vester Corporation - Bayani Hall condominium, Arellano St., Dagupan City^[36]

As of June 2020, Dagupan is one of the 25 cities in the country identified as an area with “high-potential in IT-BPM industry” for transformation into “digital cities” by 2025.^[37]

Sitel, a global business process outsourcing (BPO) firm, has recently opened its first Sitel MAXhub in Dagupan City, bringing more jobs to aspiring BPO professionals in Dagupan city. The company is now actively seeking to expand more in the city.^[38]

Local businessmen have also gone with the trend in developing their properties in different locations which further boosts the city's construction activities and secures the city's title as the economic hub of Pangasinan.

Another part of Dagupan's economy is the motor vehicle industry.^{[citation needed]} Many automotive companies have a dealership in the city's metropolitan area. Existing car dealerships from major companies including Ford, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Mazda and Isuzu are all found in Dagupan, while other companies such as Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and many more are found at the neighbouring town of Calasiao.

Transportation[]

Dagupan is connected with other cities by networks of national roads. Romulo Highway and Pangasinan - La Union Road (N55) and Urdaneta - Dagupan Road (N56) are the principal highways that serve the city.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) once served Dagupan through Dagupan station, that went defunct in the late 1980s. The first railroad in the Philippines, the Manila-Dagupan Railway, terminated at the city.

Intercity/interprovincial buses from Manila serve the city, and are usually operated by Dagupan Bus Company, Victory Liner, Five Star, and Pangasinan Solid North. Jeepneys provide intracity travel, as well as for towns and cities of close proximities.

Health[]

Medical and health service centers abound in Dagupan. Out of 51 hospitals in Pangasinan, 12 are located in the city. The largest of these is the Region 1 Medical Center with hospital bed capacity of 1000. Other notable hospitals are Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital, Nazareth General Hospital, and The Medical City Pangasinan.

Education[]

Since the colonial era, Dagupan has always been the center of education in Ilocos Region (Region 1). The private sector-driven centers of education University of Pangasinan, University of Luzon and Lyceum-Northwestern University lead, 14 colleges and 18 vocational schools and 3 technical learning centers, 19 secondary schools and 53 elementary schools both in public and private.

Media[]

Dagupan City is home to regional television stations of GMA Network, CNN Philippines, TV5, IBC 13 and ABS-CBN, nineteen radio broadcasting stations (9 AM and 10 FM), at least seventeen local newspapers and three cable television companies. There are two news programs TV Patrol North Luzon (ABS-CBN TV-32 Dagupan) and Balitang Amianan (GMA Dagupan).

Sister cities[]

• Guadalajara, Mexico^[39]
• Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan^[40]
• Milpitas, California, United States^[41][42]
• Tangier, Morocco
• Cabanatuan, Philippines

References[]

Further reading[]

• Basa, Restituto (1972). Story of Dagupan. Manaois Press.

External links[]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Dagupan.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dagupan.

• Official website
• Dagupan Tourism
• City Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines
• Dagupan at the Pangasinan Government Website
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information