Mabini, Pangasinan

Mabini, officially the Municipality of Mabini (Baley na Mabini; Ili ti Mabini; ), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,454 people.

The municipality was formerly called Balincaguin.

Mabini is 53 km from Lingayen and 259 km from Manila.

History
The Municipality of Mabini used to be a part of the Province of Zambales and was surrounded by mountains, forests, and valleys. It was originally called "Balincaguin" that was derived from the Zambal phrase "Bali Lan Caguin" which means "abode of bats". This name referred to the nocturnal mammals (bats) that inhabited the caves found in the hills and mountains between the municipality and Zambales in the west and Tarlac to the south-west.

The place may have been founded in 1610 by Spanish missionaries who were Augustinian Recollects, although this is uncertain. In 1800, Balincaquin became a town under Don Isidro Puzon who is believed to be the founder. Some of its population (770 families) were Ilocanos who moved to the municipality due to its agricultural health. The site where these settlers situated near the mountains used to be called "Conventa."

Good quality rice was then consistently produced and marketed to Manila and even to China. Other products such as corn, sugar cane, cotton and so forth were also demanded and consequently, distributed widely through numerous markets. Apart from agriculture, the industry of saddle-making, knapsack-making and hat-weaving existed. The residents also engaged in tending cattle, carabaos, horses and goats. At the same time, gradual increase of the number of bats compelled the residents to catch them. These mammals were suspected of flying through the nearby forests because of the catching that lasted until 1930.

In 1930, the town's name was changed to Mabini in honor of Apolinario Mabini, who was considered as "The Great Sublime Paralytic" and "Brains of the Revolution."

The municipality was merged with Alaminos, Bani, Anda, Dasol, Burgos, Bolinao and Infanta in 1904 and presently comprises the province's first district.

Barangays
Mabini is politically subdivided into 16 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.


 * Bacnit
 * Barlo
 * Caabiangan
 * Cabanaetan
 * Cabinuangan
 * Calzada
 * Caranglaan
 * De Guzman
 * Luna - formerly known as Balayang
 * Magalong
 * Nibaliw
 * Patar
 * Poblacion
 * San Pedro
 * Tagudin
 * Villacorta

Local government
Mabini, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of Pangasinan, 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.

List of municipal mayors
The municipal heads from the time when it was founded up to the present. • #Capitan Isidro Puzon	1800

• #Juan Mendoza	1801

• #Roberto Espinosa	1802

• #Juan Eusebio	1803

• #Francisco Dizon	1804

• #Pascual dela Cruz	1805

• #Nicolas Galla	1806

• #Antonio Mendoza	1807

• #Lorenzo Pinoliar	1808

• #Domingo Alejandro	1809

• #Francisco dela Rosa	1810

• #Francisco Paragas	1811

• #Juan Salazar	1812

• #Vicente Dizon	1813

• #Jacinto Mendoza	1814

• #Nicolas Galla	1815

• #Jacinto de Mendoza	1816

• #Roberto Espinosa	1817

• #Benito dela Cruz	1818

• #Jose dela Cruz	1819

• #Miguel Roque	1820

• #Mariano de Mendoza	1821

• #Basilio dela Rosa	1822

• #Gregorio Galla	1823

• #Simeon Carambas	1824

• #Antonio Francisco	1825

• #Jose dela Cruz	1826

• #Juan Rivera	1827

• #Vicente Dizon	1828

• #Juan Rivera	1829

• #Vicente Dizon	1830

• #Francisco de Aquino	1831

• #Sabas Rodriguez	1832

• #Jacinto de Mendoza	1833

• #Antonio Domingo	1834

• #Juan Damian	1835

• #Miguel dela Cruz	1836

• #Juan Estrada	1837

• #Juan Dizon	1838

• #Juan Rivera	1839

• #Urbano Ferrer	1840

• #Hilario dela Cruz	1841

• #Agapito Francisco	1842

• #Nazario dela Cruz	1843

• #Carlos delos Reyes	1844

• #Ambrosio Ramos	1845

• #Claudio de San Miguel	1846

• #Cecilio Estrada	1847

• #Gregorio de Mendoza	1848

• #Martin Rivera	1849

• #Capitan Cipriano de Mendoza	1850

• #Santiago Balcorta	1851

• #Juan Bautista de Guzman	1852

• #Cipriano de Mendoza	1853

• #Agapito Braganza	1854

• #Leoncio Estrada	1855

• #Ponciano Padilla	1856

• #Cicilio Estrada	1857

• #Agapito Braganza	1858-1860

• #Juan Bautista de Guzman	1861-1862

• #Canoto Ferrer	1863-1864

• #Pedro Rodriguez	1865-1866

• #Juan Bautista de Guzman	1867-1868

• #Felix Erum	1869-1870

• #Martin Rivera	1871-1872

• #Agapito Braganza	1873-1874

• #Domingo Rodriguez	1875-1876

• #Pedro Rodriguez	1877-1878

• #Hipolito Braganza	1879-1880

• #Nicolas Rivera	1881-1882

• #Patricio Braganza	1883

• #Quirino de Guzman	1884

• #Antonio Erum	1885-1886

• #Guillermo Valderama	1887-1888

• #Aniceto Rivera	1889-1890

• #Escolastico del Barrio	1891-1892

• #Bruno Braganza	1893

• #Cirilo Braganza	1894-1895

• #Bruno Braganza	1896

• #Aniceto Rivera	1897-1900

• #Cirilo Braganza	1901

• #Bruno Braganza	1902

• #Marcelo Braganza	1903

• #President Paulino Mendoza	1904-1905

• #Francisco Bustamante	1906-1907

• #Jacinto Braga	1908-1909

• #Paulino Rodriguez	1910

• #Marcelo Braganza	1911-1912

• #Simeon del Barrio	1913-1916

• #Modesto Ferrer	1917-1920

• #Jose Braganza	1921-1926

• #Modesto Ferrer	1927-1928

• #Lope Braganza	1929-1934

• #Mayor Pedro Rodriguez	1935-1940

• #Mamerto Rodriguez	1941

• #Felimon Erum	1941-1944

• #Angel Taoatao	1946-1947

• #Demetrio Braganza	1948-1955

• #Justo de Guzman	1956-1959

• #Juan Barrocan	1959

• #Crispulo Braganza	1960-1963

• #Demetrio Braganza	1964-1971

• #Demetrio Braganza	1972-1976

• #Juan Supangan	1976-1980 (By Succession)

• #Dominador Braganza	1980-1986

• #Ariel de Guzman	June 1986-Nov.1986 ( OIC-Appointed)

• #Dominador Braganza	Dec. 1986-Nov. 30, 1987

• #Virgilio Braganza	Dec. 1987- Jan. 1988 (OIC-Appointed)

• #Dominador Braganza	Jan. 1988- Dec.22, 1989

• #Romeo Boling	Dec.23, 1989- June 30, 1992 (By Succession)

• #Ariel de Guzman	July 1, 1992- June 30, 2001

• #Alimar Briana	July 1, 2001- June 30, 2004

• #Ariel de Guzman	July 1, 2004- June 30, 2007

• #Carlitos Reyes	July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2016

• #Alimar Briana July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2019

• #Ariel de Guzman July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022

• #Colin A. Reyes July 1, 2022 - present