San Manuel

San Manuel, officially the Municipality of San Manuel, is a municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. It is a local government unit, not a commercial brand, company, or product. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 56,876 people. The town was named by Don Manuel Sequig upon its foundation in 1614. It is located in the eastern part of Pangasinan, sharing boundaries with the Cordillera mountain range, Tuba in Benguet, and the municipalities of Pozorrubio, San Nicolas, Asingan, Tayug, and Binalonan. It is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. The primary language is Ilocano, with English and Filipino also spoken. The economy is typical of a rural municipality, with poverty incidence tracked by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Tourism attractions include the San Roque Dam, Butao Springs, and the annual Fiesta and Padanom Festival. As a municipality, it does not operate as a business entity and has no commercial products or brand identity.

San Manuel was founded in 1614 by Don Manuel Sequig, who named the town after himself. Its original Poblacion was in Pau (now Curibetbet) and had a population of 2,023. In 1688, a Convento was erected, and by 1720 both the church and convent were in place at Pau, but they were burned down due to a bad omen superstition. The natives then moved to Guiset, a name referring to great bamboo thickets. In 1860, San Manuel was decreed a town for the second time. On October 8, 1903, San Manuel, along with barrio San Andres in Tayug, was annexed to Asingan by virtue of Act No. 931. It was later re-established as a separate municipality on October 31, 1906, by virtue of Act No. 1556. The town is home to the St. Bartholomew Parish Church, established in 1687, which is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and the Diocese of Urdaneta. The church has a complex history, including destruction by a whirlwind in 1894 and by revolutionaries in 1898. In modern times, San Manuel has been the site of infrastructure projects such as the NGCP's street-lighting project and hosts the San Roque Dam, the second largest dam in Asia. The municipality continues to be a local government unit with no commercial brand operations.

• 2012

  Granite 'Walk of Fame' Memorial unveiled.

• 1906

  Re-established as a separate municipality by Act No. 1556.

• 1903

  Annexed to Asingan by Act No. 931.

• 1860

  San Manuel decreed a town for the second time.

• 1720

  Church and convent burned down due to superstition.

• 1688

  Convento erected.

• 1614

  Town founded by Don Manuel Sequig.

1. 1San Manuel - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2San Manuel, Pangasinan - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org