Municipality of Bolinao

a Brief History

Early Settlement and Pre-colonial Era (Before 1575)

Bolinao’s history traces back to an indigenous Austronesian community that long predates Spanish colonization. The early inhabitants spoke the Bolinao language – a tongue closely related to the Sambal languages of neighboring Zambales – alongside Pangasinan and Ilocano in later years. Archaeological discoveries in the area have unearthed rich evidence of pre-colonial life. Notably, excavations at the Balingasay site in Bolinao yielded the famed “Bolinao Skull,” a 14th–15th century skull with intricate gold peg ornaments inlaid on its teeth. This skull, one of 67 found alongside Ming dynasty ceramics (dating 1368–1644), reveals that local residents adorned their teeth with gold – a status symbol in native culture – indicating a sophisticated society and active trade with East and Southeast Asia long before Spanish contact. These artifacts, now displayed in the National Museum, underscore Bolinao’s importance as a pre-colonial trading settlement and cultural center.

In local lore, Bolinao even stakes a controversial claim to early Catholic influence. According to a later interpretation, an Italian Franciscan friar named Blessed Odorico from Friuli, Italy supposedly landed in West Luzon and held a thanksgiving Mass in Bolinao in the year 1324 – nearly two centuries before Magellan’s 1521 Mass in Limasawa. This narrative suggests Odorico also baptized native inhabitants during his visit. While this event is not documented in contemporary records and remains unproven, the town officially commemorated the claim in 2007 by installing memorial markers at Bolinao’s St. James Church and on Santiago Island. The markers, donated by Italian priest Luigi Malamocco (from Odorico’s hometown), symbolically affirm Bolinao’s claim as the site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines. Whether myth or fact, the 1324 Mass story has become part of Bolinao’s rich religious folklore and highlights the town’s eagerness to link its pre-colonial past with global historical narratives.

By the 16th century, Bolinao was a modest coastal enclave. Oral histories say that prior to Spanish arrival it was centered at Binabalian on Santiago Island, consisting of just over a hundred families. Its strategic location near the Lingayen Gulf meant Bolinao likely saw Chinese and regional traders stopping by its shores. This small settlement’s trajectory changed dramatically when the Spanish arrived in the 1570s, ushering Bolinao into the colonial era.

Spanish Colonial Period (1575–1898)

Spanish contact with Bolinao began soon after the conquest of Luzon. In 1575, Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo sailed north and landed at Bolinao during an expedition against pirate incursions. An account relates that Salcedo’s crew encountered a Chinese sampan (boat) whose crew had captured a local chieftain; the Spaniards intervened and freed the native leader. In gratitude, the chieftain and his people pledged their allegiance to the Spanish Crown. That same year, Captain Pedro Lombi formally founded the town of Bolinao as a Spanish poblacion (town). The establishment of Spanish rule brought Bolinao under the colonial governance system, headed by a gobernadorcillo (town head) and integrated it into Spain’s imperial domains in the Philippines.

Missionary activity soon followed the conquistadores. By the 1580s, Catholic friars arrived to evangelize Bolinao’s population. Sources note that around 1585, a Dominican friar named Fr. Esteban Marin served as one of the first missionaries in Bolinao. Over the next decades, different religious orders took turns administering the mission: the Augustinians were initially assigned (1585–1587), followed by the Dominicans (1588–1599), then the Augustinians again (1600–1607). In 1609, the Augustinian Recollects assumed charge of Bolinao’s parish and would minister there on and off for the next two centuries. It was the Recollect fathers who decided to relocate the town center around this time. Originally, Spanish Bolinao was still situated on the coast of Santiago Island; due to recurrent raids by pirates (likely seaborne raiders preying on coastal settlements), the priests transferred the town to the safety of the mainland in 1609. Along with this move, Ilocano families from Paoay were invited to settle in Bolinao to augment the population depleted by warfare. On the mainland, a stone church and convent were built, laying the foundations of today’s Bolinao town proper. The parish was dedicated to Saint James the Great, reflecting Spain’s patron saint of conquest. Bolinao’s church eventually rose to prominence – its bell tower was once the tallest in the whole province of Pangasinan until an earthquake in 1788 toppled half of the tower. (Years later, in 1819, the attached convent was accidentally gutted by fire.) Despite such setbacks, the Catholic faith had firmly taken root; by the end of Spanish rule, Bolinao was a fully established town with a vibrant parish life centered on this church.

Under Spanish colonial administration, Bolinao’s territorial jurisdiction was initially quite extensive. The pueblo of Bolinao originally encompassed what are now several neighboring towns. Over time, these areas were carved out as independent municipalities: Alaminos was separated in 1744, Bani in March 1769, and Anda (which includes nearby Cabarruyan Island in May 1849. These spin-off towns were once mere visitas or barrios of Bolinao before gaining their own municipal status. By the mid-18th century, there was also a provincial reorganization that affected Bolinao’s political alignment. Although culturally and linguistically linked to Zambales, Bolinao was placed under the jurisdiction of Pangasinan province during 1900s. This was due to its geographic position on the western coast. Throughout the 19th century, Bolinao was a remote fishing and trading town at the fringes of the colonial frontier. While it did not figure prominently in major Philippine revolts (which were centered in other parts of Pangasinan such as the Malong Revolt of 1660 or the late-19th-century uprising), Bolinao experienced the general currents of Spanish colonial life – from the galleon trade era to the reforms of the late 1800s. Spanish control over Bolinao effectively ended in 1898 when the Philippine Revolution and the Spanish–American War led to Spain’s defeat and surrender of the Philippines.

American Period (1898–1941)

The conclusion of the Spanish–American War in 1898 ushered in the American colonial period in Bolinao. Under American rule, significant administrative changes took place. In 1903, the new colonial government passed Act No. 1004, which transferred Bolinao from Zambales province to Pangasinan. This annexation aligned Bolinao with the Pangasinan province geographically and administratively, a change that remains to this day. The American era also introduced modern civil governance (e.g. an American-style municipal government and public school system) and improvements in infrastructure. One landmark of this period is the Cape Bolinao Lighthouse, constructed in 1905 at Punta Piedra Point. Built by a team of American, British, and Filipino engineers, the lighthouse began operation in 1906 and stands about 30 meters tall. Perched on a high promontory, it became – and remains – one of the tallest and most important lighthouses in the Philippines. The lighthouse was equipped with a powerful lamp assembly imported from Europe, guiding ships along the West Philippine Sea. Its establishment symbolized the Americans’ emphasis on maritime commerce and safety, and it has since been a proud historical icon of Bolinao’s coastline. Aside from the lighthouse, the Americans improved local roads and instituted public education, laying the groundwork for socio-economic development in Bolinao. The town in this era largely remained a quiet rural community of fishermen and farmers, but it was gradually exposed to new technologies and a market economy under U.S. influence. By the late 1930s, Bolinao was a stable municipality of Pangasinan, relatively untouched by the armed conflicts of the Philippine Revolution. This calm would not last long, however, as World War II reached the Philippines in 1941.

Japanese Occupation (1941–1945)

The Pacific War brought turmoil to Bolinao. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Japanese forces landed in Bolinao in December 1941, as part of the wider Japanese invasion of the Philippines. The coastal town was occupied and a Japanese garrison was established to control the area. During the Japanese occupation (1941–1945), Bolinao, like the rest of Pangasinan, endured wartime hardships – resources were requisitioned and residents had to live under martial law and curfews enforced by the invaders. Local guerrilla resistance movements sprang up in Pangasinan, and Bolinao natives joined clandestine efforts to oppose Japanese rule. In early 1945, as Allied forces advanced through Luzon, Bolinao became a part for the liberation. A combined force of American troops, Filipino Commonwealth soldiers, Australian special units, and local resistance fighters converged to free the province. By January 1945, Bolinao was liberated from Japanese control. The occupying garrison was defeated, and the Philippine flag was raised again over the municipality. The successful liberation of Bolinao formed part of the larger Allied effort that cleared western Pangasinan of Japanese units ahead of the Battle of Lingayen Gulf. The end of WWII in 1945 thus restored peace and order in Bolinao, albeit at the cost of wartime destruction and loss. With the war over, Bolinao and the rest of the nation entered a new era as the independent Third Philippine Republic was established in July 1946.

Post-Independence and Contemporary Times (1946–Present)

After the Philippines regained independence in 1946, Bolinao continued as a municipality of Pangasinan, embarking on post-war recovery and development. In the decades following independence, Bolinao’s economy and population gradually grew. The town remained predominantly agricultural and fishing-based, with coastal and marine products (such as fish and shellfish) sustaining local livelihoods. Over time, basic infrastructure improved – electricity, potable water systems, and roads reached the town proper and barangays, connecting Bolinao more closely with the rest of Pangasinan. One significant boost to Bolinao’s cultural profile came from archaeological research. In the late twentieth century, systematic excavations by Filipino archaeologists brought to light Bolinao’s rich ancient past. As mentioned earlier, the gold-ornamented Bolinao skulls and other artifacts were studied in detail, illuminating the craftsmanship and trade networks of Bolinao’s pre-colonial inhabitants. The treasure trove of 67 skulls with gold-inlaid teeth found in Bolinao’s caves has been recognized as a remarkable part of Philippine heritage. These finds have even led scholars and heritage advocates to push for greater recognition: there have been calls to nominate Bolinao’s cultural landscape (including its archaeological sites and colonial-era structures) to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Such efforts reflect the pride in Bolinao’s unique blend of history – from ancient crafts to Spanish churches – and the desire to preserve it for future generations.

In recent decades, Bolinao has also increasingly been known for its tourism and cultural events, which contribute to the local economy. Blessed with natural attractions, Bolinao today draws visitors to its pristine white-sand beaches (such as Patar Beach), marine sanctuaries, and scenic cave pools. Its historical sites – including the restored St. James the Great Parish Church (originally built in the 1600s) and the Cape Bolinao Lighthouse – are celebrated reminders of the town’s Spanish and American legacies. Bolinao’s annual town fiesta and the “Mangunguna” (fisherfolk) Festival honor its fishing culture and religious patron, blending indigenous and Catholic traditions. In November 2007, Bolinao gained national attention by reviving the story of Odorico’s 1324 Mass: local officials unveiled plaques declaring Bolinao as the true site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines. Although this claim remains debated among historians, the event stirred discussion and added to Bolinao’s cultural identity. The town’s leadership also had to contend with modern challenges; for instance, in 2008 a large coal-carrying barge ran aground off Bolinao’s shores, causing an oil and coal spill – the local government took legal action to hold the owners accountable and protect Bolinao’s marine environment. Despite such challenges, Bolinao has continued to progress in the 21st century. A notable contemporary development is the plan to physically connect Santiago Island (the site of Bolinao’s earliest settlement) to the mainland. In 2024, construction began on a 1.95-billion-peso project to build a 600-meter bridge linking Santiago Island to Barangay Luciente on the mainland, aimed at boosting mobility and the local economy. The bridge – expected to be completed by 2028 – will make island barangays more accessible and is anticipated to stimulate trade, tourism, and daily commerce.

From its humble beginnings as a small island village to its role in various eras of Philippine history, Bolinao has a remarkably rich and layered story. The town has witnessed indigenous kingdoms, the arrival of Spain and the spread of Christianity, the transition to American rule, the trials of war, and the triumphs of independence. Each epoch left enduring marks: ancient gold work in caves, a centuries-old church and bell tower, a stately American lighthouse, and memorials asserting a unique place in religious history.

Sources:

Municipal and church records, Bolinao, Pangasinan

National Historical Commission & Archives (Spanish era documents, Act No. 1004 of 1903)

Philippine Daily Inquirer and news sources (historical claims and local developments)

National Museum of the Philippines (archaeological findings from Bolinao)

Pangasinan provincial heritage publications and scholarly studies on Bolinao’s culture

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