Aguilar is a third class municipality in

the province of Pangasinan,Philippines.

According to the 2010 census, it has a population of
39,529 people. The municipality was named
after Spanish governor-generalRafael Maria
de Aguilar, who ordered the establishment of
an independent civil political unit on 16 July
1805.
History
The Municipality of Aguilar had its
early beginnings as cattle ranch founded by the Spaniards. The place was known then as Sitio
Balubad, which was then still part of the town of Binalatongan (now San Carlos). On the western
part were the Zambales Mountains with thick forests and verdant foliage. It was hunters
paradise with deer roaming here and there with an occasional wild boar making an appearance.
The grass in the plains were succulent fare for fattening cattle and the water from the brooks and
streams clear and sparkling. On the eastern part was the Agno River. At that time, there were no
roads were yet established. There were footpaths which eventually roads providing access from
one place to another. The river arteries constituted the main mode of transportation in the interior
towns. Through these river systems, boats sailed from the Ilocos provinces in the North
southwards to Dagupan, Calasiao, Lingayen and sometimes even as far as San Isidro De
Labrador, Salasa, Aguilar and Camiling. Worth noting was the fossiliferous river bank in
Camiling useful in making lime, while mineral waters consisting of ferruginous and alkaline
waters were and are still found in Aguilar and Mangatarem. As a thriving place for cattle and
bountiful rice harvests, it was natural for Aguilar to attract people from other towns to stay and
settle in the place. The early settlers prospered and lived in peace and contentment. When the
Spaniards in Lingayen heard of this flourishing village, they sent Spanish explorers through the
town of Salasa to visit the place. Some Spanish soldiers and priest were left to organize a pueblo.
In time, the clamor to convert the settlement into a town became popular. A petition was
therefore, filed with the principales or municipal officials of Binalatongan to convert the village
into a town. The petition was finally favorably endorsed.
The decree establishing Aguilar as an independent civil political unit was issued on 16
July 1805 by Governor General Rafael Maria de Aguilar, after whom the town was named. The
decree in Lingayen on 1 August 1805. However, it was not until 19 January 1806 that the
Provincial Governor of Pangasinan was able to make the trip to the sitio of Balubad, the site of
the Poblacion, to carry out the provisions of the decree. The Governor inspected the area, chose
the most appropriate site on which to erect the town center and listed the people who wishes to
settle in the new town, together with their places of origin. The greatest number came from
Lingayen, made up of 210 couples and 60 individuals from the gremio de naturals (native
community) and 10 couples and 11 individuals from the gremio de mestizos (mestizo

community). From the town of Salasa, there were 56 couples and 21 bachelors all of the rank of
Caylianes (commoners), while from the town of San Carlos, there were 32 couples and 19
individuals, all Caylianes. There were also Ilocano migrants consisting of 6 couples and 24
bachelors. Finally, there were some Negritos, consisting of both baptized Christians and Ynfieles
(Non-Christians). All in all, the total number of inhabitants composed 401 tributes, for bachelors
and unmarried women paid only half a tribute each. These excluded the unbaptized negritos. The
town was formally inaugurated on 9 May 1806 when the first officials were elected and given
their appointments by the Alcalde Mayor. The officials were headed by Don Francisco Zamuco
as Gobernadorcillo and Don Juan Manguino as Teniente Primero (first lieutenant). The Alcalde
Mayor then proceeded to mark the jurisdictional limits of the new town. With the town of Salasa,
the boundary was the river Balubad (now Sobol) from the mountain where the river originated to
the river Agno, running a direct line from west to east. With the town of San Carlos, the
boundary was the Agno River in the east and the Bunlalacao River in the south. The necessary
boundary markers were placed and operations were witnessed by the town officials of Salasa and
San Carlos. Mangatarem as a town did not yet exist, having been founded only in 1837. Local
folklores likewise maintained that Aguilar was identified with an eagle or agila that used to fly
around the place at nighttime and would perch on a fence or alar when tired of flying, hence,
agila and alar put together formed Aguilar.
Fast Facts:
POINTS OF INTEREST:
LAND AREA: 19,506 hectares
POPULATION: 35,436
There are many Tourist Spots in Aguilar some of
NO. OF BARANGAYS: 16
them are: St. Joseph The Patriarch Church and Mt.
CLASSIFICATION: 3rd class
Nambersian. Hikers can climb to the summit of
TOWN FIESTA:
Mount Nambersian in Barangay Nioy, Aguilar,
March 18
Pangasinan one of the famous mountains in Aguilar.
PRODUCTS:
You can go to St. Joseph The Patriarch Church. It was Rice, Corn, Vegetable, Taho, Mango,
built during 1810 by the help of friars to build the
Deremen, Suman, Luffa
first church in Aguilar. It was named after the Patron Saint of the town and celebrated every
March 18 the town's fiesta Nambersian, Mapita Trail, World War II Landmark.
List of Barangays:
Bayaoas
Baybay
Bocacliw
Bocboc East
Bocboc
Ansakket Festival

West
Buer
Calsib
Laoag
Manlocboc

Ninoy
Panacol
Poblacion
Pogomboa
Pogonsili

San Jose
Tampac

Ansakket (Glutinous Rice, Malagkit

Festival (Tagalog) or to term in English is The
Sticky Rice Festival.) Festival mark its
founding anniversary. Street dancers
performed during the highlight of the five-day
festival in honor of the towns farmers. At
stake in the competition was a cash prize.
Hovering to the outskirts area all the way
from the north-western part of Pangasinan,
low-land Aguilar is very rich in rice sticky
grains and apparently farming is residents' main local occupation. Farming is yet the people's
hobby they are proud of.
It is where you would taste different and most likely unique recipes on How to Cook
Sticky Rice Grains Aguilar Version. We've got everything you wanted to think of and taste it
from your watery mouth. Probably, one thing that captured my eye was this spicy and sweet
bibingka (a variety of rice cake). There were many of the best yet sweetest sticky rice recipes
you'll just about to witness by your eyes.
A part of this, the municipal council also organized streetdancing/ritual competition held
at the heart of the town. Joined by participants coming from the four corners of the blessed,
happy suburb, the faest became more colorful and cheerful. Well, it's main purpose is to
acknowledge and honor the blessings the town patron, St. Joseph The Patriarch (San Jose) has
given to everyone in the village town and to commemorate the festivity of Ansakket of course.
The Mayor said several Filipino desserts (kakanin) made of glutinous rice like bibingka,
suman, bilo-bilo, sapin-sapin, kutsinta, and biko were sold in booths in the town proper.
The municipal government provided P1,000 capital to each barangay for its festival
kakanin.
Its successful because people flocked to the booths and enjoyed the food, town Mayor said,
adding that all 16 barangays took part in the festival.
Local folklore, meanwhile, said the place was identified with an eagle or agila that
would fly at night and would perch on a fence or alar when it got tired of flying.