Calasiao Pangasinan
The indigenous people of Calasiao are descended from the Austronesian-speaking
people who settled in the Malay archipelago at least 5,000 years ago. Calasiao
was settled by a Pangasinan speaking people whose language belongs to the
Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian languages family.
In 1571, the Spanish conquest of Pangasinan began. The Spanish conquistadors
were accompanied by Roman Catholic missionaries who introduced Roman Catholicism
to the indigenous peoples of Pangasinan. Around 1592, the small settlement of
Calasiao was united with the other neighboring small settlements of Nalsian and
Dinalaoan to form the new town of Calasiao. The much larger settlement of Gabon
and other settlements also became part of the new town of Calasiao. The town of
Calasiao became part of the Pangasinan encomendia of Labaya, designated as
belonging to the King of Spain, Juan Ximenez del Pino, and a son of Alonso
Hernandez de Sandoval for whom tributes were collected.
Augustinian and Dominican missionaries converted most of the indigenous people
of Calasiao to Roman Catholicism. In 1596, the Roman Catholic convent in
Calasiao was built and named San Pablo de Calasiao. In 1621, the convent was
renamed San Pedro y San Pablo de Calasiao. The convent is located in the town
center or poblacion.
Today, Calasiao is a very progressive town. Calasiao may soon become a city or
join with Dagupan City and San Carlos City to be a metropolis.
