Anda, officially the Municipality of Anda ( pag, Baley na Anda; ilo, Ili ti Anda; tgl, Bayan ng Anda), is a 3rd class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its cap ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,548 people. The municipality consists primarily of Cabarruyan Island (also known as Anda Island), as well as minor surrounding islets. Because of Anda's proximity near the

Hundred Islands The Hundred Islands National Park is the first national park and a protected area located in Alaminos, Pangasinan in the northern Philippines. The islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulf coverin ...

, a popular tourist destination for its caves and beaches, it is the so-called "Mother of the Hundred Islands." Anda is from

Lingayen Lingayen, officially the Municipality of Lingayen ( pag, Baley na Lingayen; ilo, Ili ti Lingayen; tgl, Bayan ng Lingayen), is a 1st class municipality of the Philippines, municipality and capital of the Philippine Province, province of Pangasi ...

and from

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

History

On the north-west portion of Lingayen Gulf lies a group of islands which comprise the territory of Anda. Before the middle of the nineteenth century, the islands which comprise the municipality were uninhabited. Only occasionally did seafarers and fishermen use the coast as havens. Andres de la Cruz Cacho, fondly called in Bolinao as Andales Kulayo, discovered a vast tract of land suitable for grazing and fertile lowlands, and an abundant spring for agriculture. It was he who brought families from the town of Bolinao aboard a big boat and dispersed them on the island of Cabarruyan in 1842. The spread of population was rapid. On May 10, 1842, the pioneers landed on what is now the barrio of Dolaoan, put up a settlement, and chose San Miguel Arcangel as their Patron Saint. On May 25, 1842, they established Carot and Cabungan with Santa Lucia as the common Saint of the two settlements. In the first of June of same year, Tondol was founded. Sablig was settled in the middle of June. By the third week of June, Macaleeng was occupied. No family was willing, to stay in Toritori at the time and so the place was bypassed. The settlers proceeded to Awile and Aruab (now Roxas) and by early July, they have established settlements in the area. By August, Mal-Ong, Awag, Santa Rita, and San Nicolas were established. Within a period of only four months, May to August, 1842, the whole island of Cabarruyan was populated. A steady stream of settlers followed the first pioneers and soon within a few years, the population was large enough to form a municipality. In January, 1849 a conference of leaders was called by Don Pablo Cacho Valerio through his son Don Domingo with the end in view to established a new town. The leaders drafted a petition for the creation of a new town and sent copies on March 15, 1849, to Don Jose Sanchez y Guerrero, the then Alcalde at Iba, Zambales and to the Archbishop of Manila. On May 26, 1849, the Alcalde brought the reply granting the petition. Accompanied by the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Juan Migrano, Capitan Felipe Cacho Valerio, and other municipal officials of Bolinao, the Alcalde came to Cabarruyan to choose a suitable location for the town site. They agreed on Segat in the center of the island which is now known as Namagbagan. The site for the plaza, church, town hall, convent, cemetery, and streets were laid out on January 20, 1850, by order of the Alcalde. Anda was once a part of the municipality of Bolinao.

Geography

Barangays

Anda is politically subdivided into 18

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

s. These barangays are headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain,

Barangay Council The Sangguniang Barangay, also known as the Barangay Council, and formerly as the Rural Council and then the Barrio Council, is the legislative body of a barangay, the lowest form of government in the Philippines. The term is coined from the Tag ...

, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years. * Awile * Awag * Batiarao * Cabungan * Carot * Dolaoan * Imbo * Macaleeng * Macando-candong * Mal-ong * Namagbagan * Poblacion * Roxas * Sablig * San Jose * Siapar * Tondol * Tori-tori

Climate

Demographics

Language

The people of Anda generally speak

Bolinao Bolinao, officially the Municipality of Bolinao ( pag, Baley na Bolinao; ilo, Ili ti Bolinao; tgl, Bayan ng Bolinao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...

, and Ilocano.

Economy

The town thrives on

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

and deep-sea

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

. In the past, progress in the town was sluggish due to its dependence to a landing barge to cross the Catubig Channel separating Anda to mainland Bolinao. In 1996, trade has increased due to a bridge connecting the municipality to the mainland. This bridge, known as Anda Bridge, was sponsored and inaugurated by then President Fidel V. Ramos, who hails from Pangasinan. Main roads have been concreted for faster access to the barangays, especially tourism related places.

Government

Anda, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of

, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

Elected officials

Transportation

The town is accessible through land transportation. Two main bus companies serve commuters to and from Anda to Manila or neighboring towns and cities. These are Dagupan Bus Co., Inc.and Pangasinan Five Star Bus Co. Mini buses and jeepneys are also available for commuters going to neighboring towns and cities, like Alaminos and Dagupan.

Fossil Finds

In the year 2000, fossils were found in barangay San Jose and barangay Awile. Fossils in barangay Awile were found only a few centimeters from the surface due to extensive erosion in the area. In San Jose, the fossils were discovered 3 meters from the ground surface. Most of the fossils were found in clay layer with limestone rubbles. Among the faunal fossils discovered were from Stegodon sp., Elephas sp (large)., Elephas beyeri Von Koenigsvald (dwarf), Rhinoceros philippinensis, Cerpis sp. and Bovid sp.