Mayor J.R Hails Founding Father, Et Al. on Basista’s 62nd Anniv.

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BASISTA, Pangasinan – The mayor lauded the founding father and those who collaborate for the creation of this town during her 62^nd anniversary held recently here.

“Ito po iyong ating 62^nd Founding Anniversary. We all know the story of our town na kung saan ang ating mahal na former Mayor Attorney Artemio Frias kasama ang kanilang mga kaibigan na tumulong na upang maging ganap na bayan ang ating bayan na Basista. Mula sa first, second at third attempt nagtagumpay tayo. Nagtagumpay po ang kanilang pagsusulong na maging ganap po na bayan ang ating bayan na Basista,” Mayor Jolly Roque “J.R” Resuello told his constituents and guests that converge in the municipal gym here last Tuesday night to celebrate the birth of this town.

Basista Mayor Jolly Roque “J.R” Resuello.

He cited that these personalities were responsible “na kung saan tayo po ay nandito at magkasama”.

Resuello wanted to make the anniversary next year grander and would invite the relatives of Mayor Frias and those stakeholders for the founding of this landlocked  municipality of central Pangasinan.

“Asahan ninyo po sa susunod na taon maraming e improve papagandahin pa po namin at may mga nabubuo na po kaming  mga plano ngayon pa man para po sa susunod na taon ng ating 63^rd foundation anniversary”.

This year’s foundation was celebrated for one day and two nights where the guest of honors were Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico, III and Pangasinan 2^nd District Cong. Mark Cojuangco.

“Patuloy po ang aming pagbibigay ng serbisyo. Patuloy po ang pagmamahal namin sa inyong lahat dito,” Resuello told the crowd in that evening festivity.

                                                                  Creation of Basista

Basista was founded in September 5, 1961 when President Carlos P. Garcia issued Executive Order No. 446 creating the rustic municipality. It is composed of 13 barrios. Four years after, however, the Philippine Supreme Court declared the town's creation as without legal basis citing their ruling in the "Emmanuel Pelaez vs. Auditor General "that "municipalities created under Executive Orders are void".
But the District's Congressman Jack L. Soriano immediately filed a bill in Congress and was eventually signed by the President into law through Republic Act No. 4866 that minted it as a de jure local government unit after it was chartered in May 8, 1967.
The former village of the then town’s San Carlos, now the site of the town proper or poblacion, was once the biggest and one of the progressive barrios located in the far south of the mother town (now a city).
According to Wikipedia, as early as the year 1918, some of the most influential and prominent families of barrio Basista came together and made the first attempt to petition the municipal government and the provincial board of San Carlos and Pangasinan, respectively, to grant its township.
Prominent politicians during that time volunteered their help in making representations with the proper authorities but their request was not granted. The proponents then were General Mamaril, Don Valeriano Perez, father of then speaker Eugenio Pérez, Buenaventura de Vera, Telesforo de Vera, Gregorio Malicdem, Cayetano Perez, Gaudencio Padua, Gregorio Valdez, Ramon Valdez, Don Roque de Vera, Domingo Resultay, Bernardo Resultay, Liberato Frias, Hipolito Cayabyab, Alejandro de Guzman, Pascual Resultay, Raymundo de Guzman, Vicente de Guzman, Domingo de Guzman, Vicente Frias, Florentino Malicdem, Faustino Monzon.
The 2020 census said Basista has a population of 37, 679.