San Nicolas, officially the Municipality of San Nicolas (; ; ), is a landlocked municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

History

Spanish Period

At the beginning of Spanish colonization in the late 16th century, indigenous settlements punctuated what is now San Nicolas. Among these communities were Ambayabang (Balungao), overseen by the legendary native chief Cayon Dagarag, Maliongliong (Mallilion), which accommodated the Dominican mission of San Jose in 1732, and Apsay (Agpay), which are all recorded in cartographic records dating as far back as 1625.

The development of San Nicolas into a settlement was marked by the establishment of religious missions by the Dominican and Augustinian orders in 1607. The Dominicans, who held sway in central Pangasinan, established the San Jose Mission in Maliongliong in 1732. Concurrently, the Augustinians, originating from Ytuy and Baler in the Pampanga River delta and Sierra Madre region, established the San Nicolas de Tolentino Mission in Ambayabang under the young Augustinian friar Agustin Barriocanal in the late 1730s to early 1740s.

Ilocano Migration

During the latter part of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, there was a significant migration of Ilocano families to Pangasinan, driven by factors such as rapid population growth and limited land availability for habitation and cultivation. While Ilocano migration to San Nicolas likely began in the early to middle part of the 18th century, it was not until around 1800 that a substantial influx occurred. This led to the establishment of a settlement near the San Nicolas de Tolentino mission. This settlement grew rapidly, which led to the elevation of San Nicolas from a mission to a visita and then to a pueblo civil in 1810. Bernardo Alimorong was appointed as the first gobernadorcillo. In 1817, San Nicolas was transferred to the civil jurisdiction of Pangasinan. In 1818, the town held its first election, with Nicolas Patricio y Mejia becoming the first elected gobernadorcillo.

By the mid-nineteenth century, San Nicolas had developed significant infrastructure, including a state house, a schoolhouse, and a growing population. In 1845, San Nicolas sought to elevate its status from a pueblo visita to a pueblo parroco. Led by the governadorcillo Don Domingo Basilio, a petition for this change was submitted to the insular government in Manila. The petition received support from the alcalde mayor, the bishop of Nueva Segovia, and finance officials in Manila. Governor General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua issued a Royal Decree on June 18, 1846, officially separating San Nicolas from its mother parish of Tayug. This decree, marked San Nicolas's formal elevation to a "pueblo parroco" and, by extension, affirmed its status as a civil township. Don Mateo Miranda served as the incumbent governadorcillo at the time of the decree, with P. Jose Manso appointed as the first curate by the Dominican Province.

Despite its independence in ecclesiastical matters, San Nicolas continued to experience jurisdictional shifts between civil provinces. In 1851, along with Tayug, it was separated from Pangasinan and incorporated into the province of Nueva Ecija. This move was part of a larger plan by the Spanish government to create a new province, Nueva Cuenca, which ultimately did not materialize. San Nicolas's inclusion in Nueva Ecija was primarily based on its historical ecclesiastical ties to Tayug and its status as an Augustinian parish.

Efforts to return San Nicolas to Pangasinan's civil jurisdiction were pursued, culminating in a successful petition in 1863. Gobernadorcillos Don Raymundo Sumaguing of San Nicolas and Don Julio de Tolosa of Tayug spearheaded this endeavor, leading to San Nicolas's permanent inclusion in Pangasinan. while devastating floods occurred in 1935.

In 119 days of fighting, the 32nd lost 1,051 killed, 3,201 wounded and 14 missing - a total of 4,266 casualties. The division killed 9,000 Japanese soldiers and took 50 prisoners.

Geography

The Municipality of San Nicolas is located in north-eastern part of Pangasinan. It borders Tayug to the south, San Manuel to the west, Santa Fe to its northeast, Itogon to the north, and Natividad and Carranglan to its southeast.

San Nicolas is situated from the provincial capital Lingayen, and from the country's capital city of Manila.

Barangays

The Municipality of San Nicolas is politically subdivided into barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Out of the 33 barangays, only four are in urban area (Casaratan, Nagkaysa, Poblacion East, Poblacion West), the rest belongs to the rural areas.

  • Bensican
  • Cabitnongan
  • Cabuloan
  • Cacabugaoan
  • Calanutian
  • Calaocan
  • Camangaan
  • Camindoroan
  • Casaratan
  • Dalumpinas
  • Fianza
  • Lungao
  • Malico