Municipal Profile
Pasuquin is a third income class municipality. it is located 18 kilometers north of Laoag City; 236 kilometers from San Fernando, La Union (the capital of Region 1) and 505 kilometers from the City of Manila. Based on the latest census, the total population of Pasuquin is 30,895 (October 2020) with over 14 thousand voters. The Municipality consists of 33 barangays with a land area of 18,940.00 hectares which categorized into four homogenous units – urban, coastal, lowland, and highland.
The urban area comprises the 4 Poblacion with a 2.09% covering the entire territorial jurisdiction of the municipality. The coastal area covers the 11 barangays with a 25.5-kilometer-long shoreline. The lowland area constitutes the barangays that predominantly produces agricultural crops and lowland vegetables, on the other hand, the highland barangay occupies over half of the total land area with a strip of sloping to hilly to mountainous terrain.
This town is blessed with vast resources, agricultural products and good food. It is arguably one among the top producers of quality garlic and known for its large volume of mineral deposits, delectable native delicacies, supersubstantial biscocho, white-fine-salt, vinegar and the earthy taste honey.
This is an old town in the Province of Ilocos Norte with distinct origin that will captivate your imagination with its rich culture and heritage.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND MILESTONES
As early as the 17th century the municipality was known as PA-ASOKEN. The name PA-ASOKEN as derived from a local dialect “pa-asok” which literally means kindling a fire to produce a smoke. The smoke was kindled on a hill called Sentinella, where the watchman monitored if there were invading ships coming from the South China Sea, to warn the settlers. Upon seeing the smoke, the settlers below the hill would assemble for war and meet the coming invaders, whether they were Chinese, Tirongs, Ibaliws, etc. at the shores of the West Philippine Sea. The Frailes and Spanish Conquistadors then named the area with the growing community “PA-ASOKEN” which later transformed into “PASUQUIN.”
The first settlers of the place came from Calanasan, Kalinga, town 60 kilometers east-southeast from Pasuquin, built their homes as the tribal group out the foot of the hills east of the Parang River. The second group came from Apayao (new province) a far-away place 150 kilometers east-southeast from Pasuquin and stayed also as a tribal group at the foot of the hills adjacent to the Calanasan Tribe. A few settlers coming from the neighboring towns most especially from Bacarra, our mother town, came to settle west and south of the Parang River, which later on, the area they occupied became the Town Proper. At the time of the 16th century “PA-ASOKEN” became a sitio of Bacarra, and the Augustinian Fathers constructed a “VISITA” of their church in sitio Paasoken now called Pasuquin.
By the year, 1674, the Augustinian Fathers founded the town of Pasuquin. It was at this time that Christianity was introduced and marked the beginning of Spanish Colonization of Pasuquin.
Decades later, the pueblo and the parroquians were transformed in their present-day locations with the first parish priest assigned was Fray Santiago Benedicto, OSA. A solid church was built in 1730 and later on a Casa Municipal was also erected, from there on a succession of more than 100 leaders who were called Cabeza de Barangay from 1700 to the 20th century of the took place.
When the Province of Ilocos Norte was created by virtue of the Spanish Royal derived on February 02,1818, Pasuquin was one of the cluster Municipalities comprising the Province. There were 15 Municipalities that comprised the province of Ilocos Norte at that time, namely Laoag (Cabesera), San Nicolas, Batac, Paoay, Badoc, Bacarra, Pasuquin, Nagparian (now Burgos), Bangui, Vintar, San Miguel (now Sarrat), Dingras, Piddig and Solsona.
The end of 19th Century was treacherous yet a breakthrough in Philippine History. It was the time of high and intense cry for the Nationalism. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who rooted from this town, waged a Revolution against the Spanish Monarchy, proclaimed a Revolutionary Government and took his close friend Padre Gregorio Aglipay as his “Vicario General Castrense”. Both General Emilio Aguinaldo and Padre Gregorio Aglipay a Catholic Priest native of Batac, Ilocos Norte and a member of the Clergy of Manila, succeeded to convince the Filipino Clergy to join the Revolution and fight the enemy- Spain. Padre Gregorio Aglipay, later on, was excommunicated from the Catholic Church on June 12,1898, freedom and independence was achieved with the help of the Americans who joined the revolution.
On August 03,1902, Don Isabelo de los Reyes native of Vigan began schismatic movement. Eventually, sixteen (16) priests of Ilocos Norte joined the schismatic church and Padre Esteban Paz, the Parish Priest of Pasuquin almost brought with him the whole Catholic population of Pasuquin to join the schism. By the 1908, a native Priest of Pasuquin, Padre Trinidad Ranjo, came to claim back the properties of the Catholic Church and moved for its restoration. The schismatic who turned out as Aglipayans built their church in a property given by Don Emilio Aguinaldo.
The bombing of the Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, led the outbreak of World War II. Japanese soldiers landed in Pasuquin and made the Roman Catholic Church and Pasuquin East Central School as garrisons. The people fled and evacuated to the mountains and suffered the atrocities of war, namely, hunger, diseases, deprivation, torture and death.
In 1945, the war ended when Japan surrendered to the United States of America. The evacuees returned to their homes, reunited with their loved ones, started new peaceful ways of life.