Villasis Pangasinan

During the early part of 17th century, Villasis was a mere barrio of Malasiqui which was known by its first name “Pandoyocan”. The place had no fixed boundaries. It was simply a frontier settlement, a thickly forested region covering most of the southeastern part of the province. Its jurisdiction embraced in full or in parts the towns of Asingan, Sta. Maria, Urdaneta, Sto. Tomas and Alcala. Its features varied with the number of families temporarily or permanently settled within its environs. Few people lived in this place because few edible plants could be grown due to unavailability of open spaces for farming. Its thick forest however was a nesting ground of great hordes of bees they called oyocan which produces honey called allid. The abundance of honey attracted Spaniards and inhabitants of neighboring places to settle in this village. The honey provided good income and the bee wax, another bee product, were then traditionally used for cloth weaving. From this, the place was made popular by its great hordes of bees and they called the place “PANDOYOCAN” meaning colony of bees. It was also the principal source of timber. As late as the middle of the middle of 19th century, its nearby forest still yielded wood used in principal constructions for civil as well as naval uses. One vessel of the Spanish navy was even constructed at Lingayen with timber from this area. Moreover, the banks of the great Agno River were another source of livelihood with the abundance of gold dust called mocmoc.

The fluctuating population of Pandoyocan, however did not escape the attention of the zealous Spanish missionaries. Since the mother town of Malasiqui was the nearest Christianized settlement, the friars assigned there undertook the task of converting the settlers in and around Pandoyocan, persuading them to resettle within a proposed pueblo. It was upon the petition of Fr. Fernando Sta. Maria, then assigned to Malasiqui, together with the principales of the town, that the license to found the town of Pandoyocan was granted on October 18, 1759 by Bishop Miguel Espeleta of Cebu, then the enterim Governor Genera. He was the first Filipino Archbishop and Governor General.

In May 13, 1760, the election of Gobernadorcillo and other municipal officials was conducted by the Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan. A Dominican priest was assigned as curate to the new town the same year, but it was not until 1763 that the convent at Pandoyocan (now, the Roman Catholic Church/Rectory of Villasis) was accepted by the religious order. In 1769, it was placed under the care of the vicar of Sinapog known today as the town of Asingan. After 1773, no more mention of Pandoyocan is found in the Actas Capitulares.

Sometime in 1782, there was an uprising against the Spaniards led by Pantaleon Perez, known in the national history as ‘Juan de la Cruz’. Forced labor without pay was the chief cause of this uprising. Many people were forced to move to other towns so that the place becomes almost deserted and ungoverned. It was again turned intrdships it was again restored into a separate municipality.o a barrio under the town of Malasiqui. Over the years, many attempts were made to restore it into an independent town under the leadership of Don Remegio Macaraeg, Don Aurelio Figueroa, Don Gabriel de la Cruz, among others. It was one of the darkest hours of Pandoyocan. After many long years and hardships it was again restored into a separate municipality.