HOW DAGUPAN CITY GOT ITS NAME

In 1583, Bacnotan (or what is now known Dagupan) was said to be a marshland thickly covered with mangrove and nipa palm trees. Natives lived along the shoreline and riverbanks. Before the arrival of Spaniards in 16th century, Lingayen Gulf was already a prosperous place visited by traders from various Asian countries. The natives also had experience with pirates from Japan and China, and one of this is Lim Feng or Lim A-hong, a Chinese corsair who was later known in Philippine History as Limahong. In the year 1574, Limahong together with his men and the Spaniards had a long battle.
During the Malong Revolt in 1661, a big fire hit Bacnotan. Malong sent 3,000 supporters, most of whom were Zambal tribesmen to Ilocos and Cagayan to fight the Spaniards. The people of Bacnotan joined the Spanish in repelling the Zambal marauders, rebuilt the town and renamed it Nandaragupan, meaning where once stood the commercial center. Nandaragupan became a town in 1720, but the name was simplified to Dagupan. The city's name is derived from dagupan in the local Pangasinan language meaning 'gathering place' as the city has been a regional market center for centuries.S In 1762, Dagupan would be one of the first towns to join the Palaris Revolt against Spain.
In 17th century and onwards developments in the place took place with the opening of the docking station in Pantal (or what is now known as Pantalan Port) and eventually became a trading center. Bangus industry and fishponds also flourished, and Spaniards built roads connecting to Pangasinan and the Cagayan Valley. In 1891, Manila – Dagupan Railway was completed.

However, on March 7, 1898, the Dagupeños unveiled a coordinated attack on Spanish forces which was known as the the Battle of Dagupan that appears to have been planned months in advance. The revolutionary forces are armed only with bolos and lances and they attacked the Spanish with an ingenious rolling trench made of several banana tree trunks, wrapped in sheets of dried nipa palm leaves. The trenches were seven feet in diameter.

On June 20, 1947 after the World War II, Dagupan became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 170. It was signed into law by President Manuel Roxas on October 15, 1947. Since this time, commercial establishments grew rapidly, more roads were built, schools and public markets were constructed. On July 16, 1990, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck northern Luzon. The worst hit cities were Cabanatuan, Baguio and Dagupan. A lot of public and private structures were destroyed or damaged when river banks slid into the Pantal River and dry land into the swampy areas.

Dagupan has risen since then to what is now as the commercial center of Pangasinan.