Balaoan, La Union

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**Balaoan, La Union**

Location
Map of La Union showing the location of Balaoan
Government
Region	Ilocos Region (Region I)
Province	La Union
District	1st District of La Union
Barangays	36
Income Class:	3rd class
Mayor	Joaquin C. Ostrea, Jr.
Official Website	www.balaoan.gov.ph
Physical characteristics
Population Total (2000)	33,786

Balaoan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 33,786 people in 6,557 households. Balaoan is one of the oldest municipalities in La Union, having been founded in 1704. Its first Capitan is Ignacio Duldulao.

The dominant language spoken in Balaoan is Ilocano. The patron saint of the town is St. Nicholas of Tolentino, whose feast day is celebrated on September. Additionally, a town fiesta is celebrated on December 21-23.

As of 2006, the mayor is Joaquin C. Ostrea, Jr. The zip code is 2517.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Schools
4 Notable Baloanians
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Balaoan is situated north of Bacnotan, south of Bangar, Sudipen and Santol on the east and Bacnotan on the south. Located 30 kilometers north of San Fernando City, the provincial capital of La Union and the regional capital of Region I. Balaoan is approximately 300 kilometers north of Metro Manila. Balaoan has one of the pristine coastal towns of La Union facing the Luzon Sea.

Balaoan can be reached from Manila using the MacArthur Highway, or via plane landing in Canaoay Airport in San Fernando City.

Balaoan is composed of 36 barangays. Four barangays compose the poblacion or town proper. The vast land area of 6,450 hectares consists mostly of agricultural lands. The municipality occupies 4.3% of the total area of the province. Among the barangays in the municipality, Nagsabaran Sur is the largest with 842 hectares or 13.05% of the municipality's land area and the smallest is Nalasin with only 33 hectares (0.51%).

The following is a list of barangays in Balaoan:

Almeida
Antonino
Apatut
Ar-arampang
Baracbac Este
Baracbac Oeste
Bet-ang
Bulbulala
Bungol
Butubut Este
Butubut Norte
Butubut Oeste

Butubut Sur
Cabuaan Oeste
Calliat
Calungbuyan
Camiling
Camilo Osias
Guinaburan
Masupe
Nagsabaran Norte
Nagsabaran Sur
Nalasin
Napaset

Pagbennecan
Pagleddegan
Pantar Norte
Pantar Sur
Pa-o
Paraoir
Patpata
Sablut
San Pablo
Sinapangan Norte
Sinapangan Sur
Tallipugo

[edit] History

Balaoan was originally part of Ilocos Sur. The town's present name originated during the Spanish colonial era. Balaoan was formerly called Puraw (meaning "white"). A group of Spanish soldiers were on patrol and went on to rest on a sitio.

The villagers were curious about the soldiers because of their unusual descent and fair skin color. They flocked the soldiers touching their guns, too afraid that the guns might explode accidentally, one villager asked the soldier in a local vernacular.. "Aoan bala?" (meaning "No bullets?"). The soldier did not understand what the villager meant, he uttered the last word first, and remembering the last, he said "Bala aoan".

During the Spanish occupation in the Philippines, a secret society of insurectos was organized in the municipality. Its purpose was to fight and revolt against the Spanish Government in the area. On the eve of the revolution, a traitor told the Spanish of their plan. The Spanish soldiers, without any investigation arrested seven members of the secret society, and executed them the same night.

One escaped with only leg wounds, he was Fernando Ostrea. He informed the people about what has happened. In memory of the seven Martyrs, a masonic lodge, Siete Martires Lodge No. 177, was organized.