# Basista

Basista, officially the Municipality of Basista (Pangasinan: Baley na Basista; Ilocano: Ili ti Basista; Tagalog: Bayan ng Basista), is a municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,679 people.
Basista is 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Lingayen, 198 kilometres (123 mi) from Manila, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from San Carlos, and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Bayambang.

## History

The former barrio, 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, San Carlos (now a city).
As early as 1918, influential and prominent citizens of the then barrio of Basista came together and initiated an attempt to petition the municipal government of San Carlos and the provincial board of Pangasinan to grant the status of township to their barrios. Prominent politicians during that time volunteered their help in making representations with the proper authorities, but their request was not granted.
On September 5, 1961, President Carlos P. Garcia issued Executive Order No. 446, creating the town of Basista composed of 13 out of the 28 barrios that petitioned. Four years after, however, the Philippine Supreme Court declared the town's creation as being without legal basis, citing their ruling in the "Emmanuel Pelaez vs. Auditor General" that "municipalities created under Executive Orders are void". It was here that Republic Act No. 4866 filed by Pangasinan 2nd District Representative Jack L. Soriano was enacted into law and legally created Basista as a town of Pangasinan.

## Geography
### Barangays

Basista is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
* Anambongan
* Bayoyong
* Cabeldatan
* Dumpay
* Malimpec East
* Mapolopolo
* Nalneran
* Navatat
* Obong
* Osmena, Sr.
* Palma
* Patacbo
* Poblacion

### Climate

Climate data for Basista, Pangasinan :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 33 (91) | 32 (90) | 32 (90) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21 (70) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 5.1 (0.20) | 11.6 (0.46) | 21.1 (0.83) | 27.7 (1.09) | 232.9 (9.17) | 350.8 (13.81) | 679.8 (26.76) | 733.1 (28.86) | 505 (19.9) | 176.6 (6.95) | 67.2 (2.65) | 17.7 (0.70) | 2,828.6 (111.38) |
| Average rainy days | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 142 |
| Source: World Weather Online (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1970 | 14,204 | — |
| 1975 | 15,241 | +1.42% |
| 1980 | 17,191 | +2.44% |
| 1990 | 22,360 | +2.66% |
| 1995 | 24,278 | +1.55% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 2000 | 26,616 | +1.99% |
| 2007 | 28,104 | +0.75% |
| 2010 | 30,385 | +2.88% |
| 2015 | 32,959 | +1.56% |
| 2020 | 37,679 | +2.67% |
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority :

## Economy

Poverty incidence of Basista
* 10
* 20
* 30
* 40
* 2000 38.29
* 2003 25.90
* 2006 29.90
* 2009 24.61
* 2012 11.61
* 2015 17.62
* 2018 14.48
* 2021 18.54
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

## Government
### Local government

Basista, belonging to the second congressional district of the province of Pangasinan, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

### Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council (2022):
* Mayor: Jolly R. Resuello
* Vice Mayor: Dante P. Bustarde
* Councilors:
** Christian S. Bacani
** Jake Niccole L. Perez
** Dominador A. Frias
** Monica N. Ramos
** Vanessa F. Baraquio
** Marino C. Capua
** Bernard S. Doria
** Teresita S. Erguiza