In a land area of 1,616.22 square kilometers, the diocesan territory covers 17 municipalities on the eastern part of the civil province of Pangasinan and four barangay parishes.
Urdaneta City is a 1st class city in the province of Pangasinan.
Pangasinan is at the northern portion of the central plains of Luzon. Its boundaries are Lingayen Gulf, La Union, and Benguet in the north; Nueva Vizcaya in the northeast; Nueva Ecija in the east; Tarlac in the south; and Zambales and the China Sea in the west.
It is bounded on the west by the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, on the south by the Diocese of Tarlac, on the east by the Diocese of San Jose, on the north by the Diocese of Baguio, and on the northeast by the Diocese of San Fernando, La Union. The province of Pangasinan is part of what is called the central plain of the island of Luzon in northern Philippines. Thus except for some barangays of four parishes located at the northern and eastern boundaries.
The province of Pangasinan is subdivided into 44 municipalities, 4 cities, 1,364 barangays (which means "villages"), and 6 congressional districts. Pangasinan belong to Ilocos Region (Region I). The capital of Pangasinan is Lingayen.
Urdaneta City is politically subdivided into 34 barangays.
As of year end 2017 the total population of the diocese is 818,783 of which 91.30 percent are Catholics.
Ilocano was the predominant ethnicity in Urdaneta City. Descendants of other ethnic groups such as Tagalog, Pangasinan/Pangalatok, Maranao, Kankanaey, Bisaya, and Kapampangan also migrated to the City.
Suffragan of Lingayen-Dagupan
Creation and Erection: Jan. 12, 1985
Comprises: 17 Municipalities in the eastern part of the civil Province of Pangasinan
Titular: Immaculate Conception, December 8
The history of the Diocese of Urdaneta is closely linked with that of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, out of which was carved the territory of the new diocese when created on Jan. 12, 1985.
The Diocese of Lingayen was erected in 1928 and had jurisdiction over the whole province of Pangasinan, 11 towns of Tarlac, 10 towns of Nueva Ecija and 3 towns of Zambales. The Most Reverend Cesar Maria Guerrero was its first bishop.
The mother diocese was transferred to Dagupan in 1954 due to damage wrought by World War II on Lingayen, hence the name Lingayen-Dagupan.
In 1963 the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was elevated to an archdiocese. When the Diocese of Urdaneta and Alaminos were created in 1985, they became suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan; and the towns of Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Zambales which belonged to Lingayen-Dagupan were returned to their respective civil provinces.
On April 22, 1985, L'Osservatore Romano announced the appointment of Most Reverend Pedro G. Magugat, MSC, until then Military Vicar of the Philippines, as the First Resident Bishop of the newly constituted Diocese of Urdaneta. He took possession of this jurisdiction on June 29, 1990 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Urdaneta, which became the diocesan see. Upon his untimely death, the Holy See appointed the Most Reverend Jesus C. Galang as the Second Resident Bishop of Urdaneta on Dec. 7, 1991.
The Third Residential Bishop of the Diocese was appointed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on Sept. 23, 2005, in the person of the Most Rev. Jacinto A. Jose, D.D.
Vision
A Christ-centered community of disciples rooted in the Word of God, nourished by the Eucharist and the Sacraments, inspired by the Holy Spirit and witnessing to a life of justice, peace and love. With sincere concern for the poor and God's creation under the patronage of the Blessed Mother.
Mission
We, the People of God in the Diocese of Urdaneta commit ourselves to a renewed integral evangelization leading to a life of prayer and discernment, solidarity and harmony, compassion for the poor while fostering participation, lifewitness, respect for human life and rights, and responsible stewardship of God's creation.
Creation of the City
Urdaneta became a city through Republic Act 8480, otherwise known as "An Act Converting the Municipality of Urdaneta, Province of Pangasinan into a Component City to be known as the City of Urdaneta". This was signed on Jan. 10, 1998 and was voted affirmatively by the people of Urdaneta City on March 21, 1998.
A Philippine province is headed by a Governor. A Provincial Council (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) is composed of a Vice Governor (Presiding Officer) and Provincial Board Members. A Philippine city or municipality is headed by a Mayor. A City Council (Sangguniang Panlungsod) or Municipal Council (Sangguniang Bayan) is composed of a Vice Mayor (Presiding Officer) and City or Municipal Councilors. A barangay is headed by a Barangay Captain, who is also the presiding officer of the barangay council. The Barangay Council is composed of seven (7) Barangay Kagawads. A similar unit called a Youth Council (Sangguniang Kabataan) is headed by an SK Chairperson with a similar rank to a Barangay Captain. The council is composed of SK Members.
Travelers could easily reach the place through land transportation. Bus remains the sole means of transportation in going to Pangasinan. There are six bus companies plying the route from Manila to this province.
Annual per capita income (in Philippines Pesos) 24,807or USD573 as of October 2010.
Farming and fishing are the major industries in the province. It is also a well known producer of rice, yellow corn, vegetables, garlic, salt, surgarcane, cassava, and tobacco. Likewise, Pangasinan is known to be a leading producer of prawns, shrimps, oyster, and fish caviar as well as cottage industries such as blanket weaving, basketry, bamboocraft, and furniture-making (narra or rattan).
Its major crops are rice, corn, mongo, tomato, eggplant, ampalaya (a vegetable) and mango.
Urdaneta City: "Bagsakan" City of Pangasinan
The City of Urdaneta, earned its name as the "Bagsakan (trading post)" City of the Pangasinan because it serves as a drop-off point of the various fruits and vegetables coming from the different municipalities in Pangasinan and nearby provinces.
The city's bagsakan center, just like in the Divisioria market, practice free enterprise, wherein nobody controls the price unlike in some areas where a group of people control the price. Sometimes, the food staples traded here are sold up to 12 percent cheaper prices. Vegetables, such as tomatoes, pechay, onions, string beans, okra, eggplants and ampalaya from Pangasinan municipalities, and fruits, such as pomelo and banana of Davao, Batangas lanzones (a tropical fruit) and dalandan (local orange) of Laguna, are sold daily in the city's bagsakan market. Traders and market vendors from within Luzon come to this city to buy goods and sell these to the different towns in Pangasinan and other Luzon provinces.
People from Luzon provinces would go to the city to buy cattles and "bagoong" (fish sauce from Lingayen town) to bring to their provinces. Soon the cattle traders from the Pangasinan municipalities and nearby provinces thought of bringing with them their farm harvests, aside from their cattles, and sold them in the market. By word of mouth, news spread that vegetables and fruits were sold in Urdaneta, and soon, not only cattle traders were buying and selling the fam produce but wholesalers as well. As of today, a large cattle market is situated in Barangay Anonas of this city, and is known to be Northern Luzon's biggest cattle market. However, the bagsakan market remains in the city proper near the plaza.
Domestic and international direct-distance dialing are provided by PLDT, Digitel One and Globelines. Wireless communications are provided by the top three mobiles companies in the country; Smart, Globe and sun Cellular. Internet access is provided by PLDT/Smart Telecommunications Inc..
TV stations have relay broadcast in the province. There are two broadcasting network located in Camantiles, Urdaneta City: ME Broadcasting Service and Echobroadcast Network INC. and there are three Cable TV service providers: Sky Cable, USATV and Dream Satellite cable.
Infrastructure
Roads
Pangasinan has four major links to the neighboring region: the Romulo Highway from Camiling, Tarlac going north to Lingayen; the Olongapo-Alaminos-Bugallon roadline which connects the province to Zambales in Region III; the Rosales-Umingan Road which links the province to Nueva Ecija of Region III; and the roadline from Rosales to Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya of Region II which is popularly known as Villaverde Trail.
Power Supply
The Luzon Power Grid, through four electric cooperatives namely the Pangasinan Electric Cooperatives (PANELCO) I and III, the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO), San Nicolas, and the La Union Electric Cooperative (LUELCO), supplies the electric power requirement of the entire province. PANELCO I covers western Pangasinan, PANELCO III, eastern Pangasinan; CENPELCO, central Pangasinan; while the DECORP in Dagupan City serves San Carlos, San Jacinto, Sta. Barbara, San Fabian, and Calasiao.
Water Supply
For its water supply, the residents of the three cities and 45 towns of the province are dependent on the Metro Dagupan Water District. While, Urdaneta City residents derive their water supply from artesian wells, the Urdaneta City Water District and water refilling stations.
Literacy rate (simple literacy) is 95.45 percent.
Feast Day
The City of Urdaneta celebrates fiesta every eighth of December. This is in remembrance of the city patron Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. Festivities are held from the 1-8 December. Activities include a parade, drum and lyre competition, teachers' night, balikbayan night, ABC-SK night, ballroom and Miss Urdaneta City coronation night. A carnival is also put up every December as a part of the yearly event.
