Pozorrubio, officially the Municipality of Pozorrubio (; ; Ilocano: ''Ili ti Pozorrubio;'' ), is a

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

in the

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

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 74,729 people. Often, the town's name is written as "Pozzorubio", but the correct spelling is "Pozorrubio". Its land area is 8,965 hectares.

History

Pozorrubio began as Claris, a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

and later

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...

of San Jacinto, Pangasinan. It was named in honour of Juan de la Cruz Palaris, leader of the 1762 Palaris Revolt in Binalatongan (today San Carlos City). Wealthy landowners ''Don'' Benito Magno, Domingo Aldana, Pedro Itliong, Bartolomé Naniong, Bernardo Olarte, Pedro Salcedo, Juan Ancheta, Antonio Sabolboro, José Songcuan, Tobías Paragas, Francisco Callao, and Baltazar Casiano y Salazar filed a petition on June 19, 1868, with

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada through the Pangasinan '' Alcalde Mayor'', requesting the conversion of Barrio Claris into an independent town. It included the modern barangays of Nantangalan, Maambal, Bantugan, Dilan, Malasin, and Talogtog. The town's seat of government was at the original site of Barrio Claris, now Barangay Amagbagan. The local

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

, Rev. Fr. Asencio OP, and a certain Domingo Castro of Lingayen, also filed petitions to the Governor-General. Magno, Castro, Aldana, and ''Don'' Agustín Venezuela travelled to

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

by ''carruaje'' (stagecoach pulled by four horses) to personally deliver the second petition, which Queen Isabel II of Spain gave assent to on August 13, 1868. The request was granted on November 3, 1869, and Claris became a ''Municipio'' on January 13, 1870. Fr Asencio suggested the new name of "Pozorrubio" to Governor-General De la Torre: it was in his honour as he was also

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of Pozor, with the addition of "Rubio". Saint Philomena was chosen as the town's

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

, with a feast day of August 13, the anniversary of Queen Isabel II elevating the ''barrio'' into a town. In the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, she is venerated as a young

virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

whose remains were discovered in 1802 in the Catacombs of Priscilla. Three tiles enclosing the tomb bore a Latin inscription that was taken to indicate that her name was ''Filumena'', anglicised as "Philomena". Her

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s were translated to Mugnano del Cardinale in 1805 and became the focus of widespread devotion, with several

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

s credited to her

intercession Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of prayer, praying on behalf of others, or Intercession of saints, asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others. The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Saint Timothy, Timothy speci ...

, including the healing of

Venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

Pauline Jaricot in 1835. Saint John Vianney attributed to her the miraculous cures people said were his work. The town's twelve intelligentsia formed the first ''Communidad'' or Town Council (Tribunal or ''Presidencia'', the Town Hall): * Don Benito Magno * Don Domingo Aldana * Don Juan Ancheta * Don Francisco Callao * Don Pedro Itliong * Don Bartolomé Naniong * Don Bernardo Olarte * Don Tobías Paragas * Don Antonio Sabaldoro * Don Pedro Salcedo * Don José Songcuan * Don Protacio Venezuela Magno was elected on November 3, 1868, as the first ''

Gobernadorcillo The (, literally "little governor") was a municipal judge or governor in the Captaincy General of the Philippines, Philippines during the History of the Philippines (1565–1898), Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined ...

'' and began his term on January 1, 1869. ''Don'' José Sanchéz and Don Agustín Venezuela donated the

plaza A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rela ...

lot. The parish priest of Pozorrubio's mother town San Jacinto, Fr. Pablo Almazan, appointed ''Doña'' Francisca Aldana-Magno, the wife of ''Don'' Benito, to teach in the only school set up in Claris. The town was then relocated to Cablong. On December 18, 1880, ''Gobernadorcillo'' ''Don'' Bernardo Olarte inaugurated the new site, with a new parish priest, Rev. Fr. Joaquín Gonzáles presiding over a brand-new church its attached '' convento''. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Imperial Japanese The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From 1910 to 19 ...

troops executed Filomeno G. Magno, a lawyer and the direct heir of ''Don'' Benito Magno, in 1942. ''Don'' Benito Estaris Magno's mother, ''Doña'' María Estaris (Akolaw Inkew) was Benito's first teacher, and his wife ''Doña'' Francisca was the schoolteacher in Claris. On April 19, 2012, Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz declared false the alleged apparition of an '' aswang'' (a generic term for a

ghoul In folklore, a ghoul (from , ') is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid, often associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. In the legends or tales in which they appear, a ghoul is far more ill-mannered and foul than go ...

) in Barangay Villegas.

Geography

Pozorrubio is situated from the provincial capital Lingayen, and from the country's capital city of

Barangays

Pozorrubio is politically subdivided into 34

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

. * Alipangpang * Amagbagan * Balacag * Banding * Bantugan * Batakil * Bobonan * Buneg * Cablong * Casanfernandoan * Castaño * Dilan * Don Benito * Haway * Imbalbalatong * Inoman * Laoac * Maambal * Malasin * Malokiat * Manaol * Nama * Nantangalan * Palacpalac * Palguyod * Poblacion District I * Poblacion District II * Poblacion District III * Poblacion District IV * Rosario * Sugcong * Talogtog * Tulnac * Villegas

Climate

Demographics

Economy

*Main crops: rice, sugarcane, tobacco, mango, vegetables and legumes, coconut, corn and cotton *Cottage industries: bamboo and rattan products for exports, swords, knives, bolos, and other metal crafts *Other industries: sand and gravel, concrete hollow blocks, leather craft, gold panning, fresh water fishponds, poultry and cattle raising

Government

Local government

Pozorrubio is part of the fifth congressional district of the province of

. It 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. The chief executives of the town are Mayor Artemio Q. Chan and Vice Mayor Ernesto T. Go, with eight Sangguniang Bayan members or councilors who hold office at the Town Hall and Legislative Building's Session Hall.

Elected officials

Education

There are two schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. These are Pozorrubio I Schools District Office, and Pozorrubio II Schools District Office.

Primary and elementary schools

* Aldersgate Children's Garden Christian Learning Center * Alipangpang Elementary School * Ama-Talo Elementary School * Balacag Elementary School * Bantugan Elementary School * Bobonan Central School * Buneg Elementary School * Bright Horizons Childrens Center * Casanfernandoan Elementary School * Don Benito Elementary School * Don Domingo Magno Elementary School * Eagles' Nest Foundational Learning Center * Haway Elementary School * Imbalbalatong Elementary School * Inoman Elementary School * Laoac Elementary School * Maambal Elementary School * Malasin Elementary School * Malokiat Elementary School * Manaol Elementary School * Mary Help of Christians Learning Center * Mother Gosse Intl. Playskool and Grade School * Nama Elementary School * Nantangalan Elementary School SPED Center * Palacpalac Elementary School * Palguyod Elementary School * Pozorrubio Central School * Rosario Elementary School * Shiena Hills Academy * Sugcong Elementary School * Tulnac Elementary School * Villegas Elementary School

Secondary schools

* Benigno V. Aldana National High School * Bobonan National High School * Dilan Integrated School * Don Benito Agro-Industrial High School * Eugenio P. Perez National High School * Nama National High School * Nantangalan National High School * Palguyod National High School * Rosario National High School

Tourism

The town's interesting points and events include: *Town Fiesta – January 11 (Pozorrubio 142rd Foundation Day & Town Fiesta Schedule of Activities) * Patopat Festival – Frontage, Executive Building. *Legislative Building and the municipal library. *The Plaza pergola (Don Domingo M. Magno, 1930s with authentic marker, the colorful history of Pozorrubio) *Plaza Park and Children's Park *Pozorrubio-Iligan City Friendship Park *Public Market *Quibuar Springs, Guernica Hill

Saint Jude Thaddeus Church

Saint Jude Thaddeus Parish Church is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, Roman Catholic Diocese of Urdaneta (Coordinates: 16°6'42"N 120°32'42"E). Its

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

is October 28; the present parish priest is Rev. Fr Teófilo L. Calicdan, while the parochial vicar is Rev. Fr Christopher E. Sison. The town and parish were founded on March 12, 1834, by Rev. Fr Domingo Naval, the vicar of San Jacinto. The 1839–1842 saw the erection of an ''

ermita Ermita is a district in central Manila, Philippines. It is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of Manila, bearing the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's e ...

'' amid the creation of Pozorrubio as Municipio on January 30, 1870, per Royal Decree of the Governor-General. The temporary church in Cablong (now the town proper) was opened and consecrated on July 26, 1879, by Rev. Fr Julián López, vicar of San Jacinto; Rev. Fr Joaquín Gonzáles was the first parish priest until 1884. Rev. Fr Silvestre Fernández (1887–1893) added the ''convento'' and the ''escuelas'' of ''caton'' and the old, brick-walled cemetery. Mortar and ''ladrillo'' were used for house construction. Rev. Fr Mariano Rodríguez (1893–1899) built a bigger brick church (75.57 m long, 23 m 50 cm wide, with walls of 4 m high), but it lay unfinished due to the Philippine-American War. Rev. Fr Lucilo Meris (1899–1925), the first native Filipino parish priest of Pozorrubio, shortened the church to 42 m, while American bombers destroyed the church complex on January 7, 1945, as it retook the Philippines from the Japanese. It was rebuilt by Rev. Fr Emilio Cinense (1947–1952), who founded Saint Philomena's Academy in 1948 and later became Bishop. Rev. Fr Alfredo Cayabyab (1954–1967) rebuilt the church, while Rev. Fr Primo García and Rev. Fr Arturo Aquino helped reconstruct the present church.

Gallery

File:PozorrubioPangasinanjf7.JPG, Town Hall along Sison Street File:Pozorrubio Pangasinan 2.JPG, Downtown along Penoy Street File:PozorrubioPangasinanjfaaa.JPG, Downtown File:PozorrubioPangasinanjf35.JPG, Don José Magno Sports and Civic Center File:PozorrubioPangasinanjf64.JPG, Jovellanos-Venezuela ancestral House File:PozorrubioPangasinanjf.JPG, Park and Well in the town plaza

References

* (Published work: "Awaran na Inletneg na Baley na Pozorrubio", 1940 by Atty. Filomeno G. Magno, Pozorrubio)

External links

Pozorrubio Profile at PhilAtlas.com

Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines

Pozorrubio at the Pangasinan Government Website

Local Governance Performance Management System
* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Philippine Census Information

Pozorrubio Online
{{Authority control Municipalities of Pangasinan