Bacnotan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 35,419 people in 7,183 households. Image File history File links Ph_locator_la_union_bacnotan. ... A municipality (bayan, sometimes munisipalidad, in Filipino) is a local government unit in the Philippines. ... Map of the Philippines showing all the regions and their provinces. ... La Union is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Geographic Location

Bacnotan is located at latitude 120 deg 17 min E to 120 deg 20 min E, Longitude 16 deg 42 min N to 16 deg 48 min N.

It is bounded on the north by Balaoan, on the east by San Gabriel, on the south by San Juan, and on the west by the South China Sea.

Physical Features

The western side of Bacnotan faces the South China Sea and has a long stretch of white sand beaches. Some portions of the seashore have pebble and limestone deposits.

The beaches are suitable for fishing, boating, swimming, snorkeling and surfing.

Climate

The climate is dry from November to May and wet from mid-May to October. The southwest monsoon brings an abundant rainfall experienced during the wet season. The relatively dry season is caused by the northeast monsoon passing over the Cordillera Mountains. Average temperature is 27.21°C.

Language/Dialect

Ilocano is the dialect spoken. English and Filipino are used as the basic tools of instruction in schools.

History

The town of Bacnotan was formally founded in 1599 as part of Ilocos Sur. In 1785, during the administration of the Governor-General Jose Basco, Bacnotan became a part of Pangasinan. When La Union was created in 1850, Bacnotan was one of the 12 towns that formed the province.

In the past, Bacnotan was only a vast expanse of wilderness inhabited by a band of natives with a crude form of government. There was a time when it was ruled by a despotic chieftain who had absolute control over all his constituents. Disobedience to his directives meant severe flogging of the culprit. After several years under the tyrannical rule of the chieftain, the people successfully overthrew him and gave him a dose of his own medicine. They flogged their chieftain to death. The English work “flog” is “bakunutan” in the dialect. The word “bakunutan” had become a byword among the inhabitants, hence the name of the town.

During the Spanish period, the name of the town was changed from “Bakunutan” to “Bacnotan” as evidenced by the communications which are still kept intact at the National Archives, Manila.

The town’s history is linked with the deeds of heroic men who fought, bled, and died for their own native land. At the turn of the century, during the Spanish American War, Dumarang (now known as Quirino), was a scene of carnage and plunder. Quirino is now the site of the Bacnotan Consolidated Industries, Inc. (BCI) portland cement plant.

In December 1941, the first organized resistance against the Japanese invaders that landed in the north in their advance southward to Manila was at Barrios Baroro and Bacsil.

After the war in 1945, Bacnotan became the provisional seat of provincial government. San Fernando was then in ruins. As a consequence of this transfer, the La Union National High School was also moved to Bacnotan. When things went back to normal, the provincial government was again moved to San Fernando and the La Union National High School followed afterwards. The transfer of the provincial high school in Bacnotan resulted in the establishment of the North Provincial High School.

In 1949, the vast mineral deposits of limestone used in portland cement production were noticed in Barrio Dumarang, now Quirino, by a mining engineer who is, himself, a municipal councilor at that time. Because of the desire to create economic activity, the municipal council at that time invited potential investors to set up a portland cement plant. Within a year, a cement plant, then called Cebu Portland Cement (CEPOC), was established. On May 11, 1957, the CEPOC, a government-owned corporation, was turned over to the privately-owned Bacnotan Consolidated Industries (BCI). The BCI is the manufacturer of the now famous “Union Cement”.

On June 18, 1960, by virtue of RA 2692 which was sponsored by then Congressman Francisco Ortega, the La Union Agricultural School, now the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University was established. Nestling cozily at the foot of the mountains in Barangay Sapilang, the agricultural school underwent phenomenal progress and was later named after the president’s father, Don Mariano Marcos, who was executed by the Japanese in an upland region where now stands the 600 hectare agricultural university.

Population

The total population in accordance with the 2000 census is about 35,100 with about 7,100 households, as follows:

Barangay Total Pop'n No.of Househlds

Poblacion 2,907 605

Baroro 2,040 417

Cabaroan 1,363 248

Bitalag 1,286 262

Quirino 1,114 212

Bulala 1,079 233

Santa Cruz 1,074 213

Tammocalao 1,060 206

Narra 1,035 206

Nagsaraboan 1,029 209

Pangdan 973 199

Galongen 963 206

Guinabang 865 168

Sapilang 854 186

Sipulo 839 171

Cabarsican 828 166

Raois 775 153

Ortega 752 143

Lisqueb 741 161

Casiaman 727 150

San Martin 724 138

Nagsimbaanan 684 129

Ballogo 653 134

Nangalisan 645 128

Nagatiran 601 122

Bussaoit 585 126

Bacsil 561 121

Calautit 556 105

Santa Rita 546 119

Salincob 539 103

Paagan 529 122

Zaragosa 528 104

Legleg 521 89

Ubbog 516 102

Oya-oy 505 98

Carcarmay 504 111

Agtipal 451 94

Maragayap 430 92

Cabugao 408 78

Bacqui 405 87

Arosip 396 77

Sayoan 383 77

Burayoc 297 64

Mabanengbeng 2nd 278 59

Mabanengbeng 1st 245 55

Bagutot 206 44

Pang-pang 156 34

Total 35,156 7,126

Economy

Mostly farming, fishing, and portland cement manufacture. Beekeeping is a budding industry.

Education

Schools of higher learning in Bacnotan include the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University and the North Provincial High School.

Barangays

Bacnotan is politically subdivided into 47 barangays. A barangay also known as barrio (Filipino: baranggay , pronounced as ba-rang-gai, gai as in guy) is the smallest local government unit in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village,barrio, district, ward or town. ...

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information