Binmaley, Pangasinan

Binmaley, officially the Municipality of Binmaley, (Pangasinan: Baley na Binmaley; Ilocano: Ili ti Binmaley; Tagalog: Bayan ng Binmaley), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 83,052 people.[3]

Binmaley
Municipality
Municipality of Binmaley
Seal
Map of Pangasinan with Binmaley highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Binmaley Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°01′56″N 120°16′09″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos Region (Region I)
Province	Pangasinan
District	2nd district
Founded	February 1, 1590
Barangays	33 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Simplicio D. Rosario
• Vice Mayor	Edgar C. Mamenta
• Congressman	Jumel Anthony I. Espino
• Electorate	60,870 voters (2019)
Area  [2]
• Total	118.50 km2 (45.75 sq mi)
Elevation	9.6 m (31.5 ft)
Population  (2015 census)[3]
• Total	83,052
• Density	700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
• Households	18,204
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	9.21% (2015)[4]
• Revenue (₱)	160,401,850.71 (2016)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2417
PSGC	015513000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)75
Climate type	tropical monsoon climate
Native languages	Pangasinan Ilocano Tagalog

Binmaley is located along the western coastland of Pangasinan facing the Lingayen Gulf, in between Lingayen and Dagupan City. On January 8–9, 1945, the amphibious forces of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur used the town's beach, designated as "yellow beach", alongside the beaches of Lingayen, Dagupan, and San Fabian, in their landing operations to liberate Luzon from Japanese occupation during World War II.

The town is famous for its bangus (milkfish) aqua-culture, due to the existence of its numerous fishponds (pokok in the Pangasinan language). However, because of constant siltation over the past several years from mine tailings upstream from Agno River (due to mine operations in neighboring Benguet Province), and the overuse of artificial fish feeds, the bangus industry has suffered from fishkill, fewer viable fishponds and lower harvests. As a result, many formerly productive fishponds have been converted into large commercial and residential lots. This phenomenon is beginning to seriously threaten the unique Binmaley fishpond industry. Current Government action is inadequate due to strong pressures from other competing commercial interests, not to mention fishfeed producers.

Binmaley's town center has a Neo classical church dating back to the 17th century. It also became famous throughout the Philippines for the outstanding academic achievements of students (and its distinctive corps of military cadets) from its Binmaley Catholic High School, especially when it was headed by a German priest, Fr. Leo Behneke, in the 1960s and 1970s. Its name roughly means "the place which became a town" or "went to town" in the Pangasinan language.

Binmaley, is famously known for its "Sigay Festival". The Pangasinan word sigay broadly translates to harvest, or a time to gather the rich yields of the farm, the sea, the ponds and the rivers. It also relates to a contraction of the words silew, meaning light, and gayaga, meaning merriment. It was Mayor Lorenzo "Enzo" Cerezo who pioneered and founded "Sigay Festival".