Located midway between San Fernando City and Baguio City, Burgos is an hour away from both the brilliant beaches of La Union and the pine forests of the Cordilleras. While it is mainly a transit destination, Burgos has wonders of its own such as the Bolikewkew Rice Terraces, Imelda Lake, and Dalacdac Dam. Travelers will find hiking among Burgos’ lush foliage a refreshing one, as the town has the coolest climate in the province.
Tapey (rice wine), binudbudan (a native delicacy), pineapples, bananas, and other fruits are the main offerings in the town’s market. Also on display are bamboo and basket handicrafts. Undoubtedly, the best souvenir to take home is Burgos’ famed colored soft brooms. Colorful arrays of these can easily be spotted on stalls along the Baguio-Bauang Highway where one can witness soft broom making demonstrations. The town’s plain and colored brooms are widely sold in Baguio and even Metro Manila. To rectify the misconception among buyers that the brooms are exclusively made in Baguio, all makers have been required to mark their products with the name of Burgos. The brooms’ prominence in the town’s livelihood is further illustrated during the annual Boyboy Festival held every February 21-23.
Burgos was named in honor of the martyr Father Jose Burgos who, while fleeing from the Spaniards, stopped by to officiate a mass in Sitio Domingo, Barangay Agpay.
Demographics
According to the 2015 Census, Burgos has a total population of 8,067. The age group with the highest population in Burgos is 5 to 9, with 821 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 70 to 74, with 85 individuals.
Combining age groups together, those aged 14 and below, consisting of the the young dependent population which include infants/babies, children and young adolescents/teenagers, make up an aggregate of 30.14% (2,431). Those aged 15 up to 64, roughly, the economically active population and actual or potential members of the work force, constitute a total of 64.35% (5,191). Finally, old dependent population consisting of the senior citizens, those aged 65 and over, total 5.52% (445) in all.
The computed Age Dependency Ratios mean that among the population of Burgos, there are 47 youth dependents to every 100 of the working age population; there are 9 aged/senior citizens to every 100 of the working population; and overall, there are 55 dependents (young and old-age) to every 100 of the working population.
The median age of 26 indicates that half of the entire population of Burgos are aged less than 26 and the other half are over the age of 26.
Population: 8,067
Growth Rate: 1.63
Population Density: 6
No. of Households: 1,596
Major dialects: Iloko
Religion (Dominant): Roman Catholics
Literacy rate: 98.83%
Labor force (no.): 5, 491
Employment Rate: 47.86%
Employment Distribution
Agriculture: 96%
Industry: 1.87%
Services: 2.06%
Poverty Incidence: 53.15%
Magnitude of Poor families: 34.82%
Magnitude of poor population: 37.18%
Classification: 5th Class
Existing Land Use Distribution
Agricultural Areas: 2,263.93
Grassland Areas: 24.1099
Forest Areas: 536. 5896
Bare land Areas: 43.5147
Wetland Areas: 114.7927
Built-up Areas: 48.8077
Land Classification
Certified A&D: 2,307.93
Public Forest: 507.5896
Number of Barangay: Upland: 9 Lowland: 3
Length of river banks: 11.40 kms
Location
The municipal center of Burgos is situated at approximately 16° 31′ North, 120° 27′ East, in the island of Luzon. Elevation at these coordinates is estimated at 75.1 meters or 246.4 feet above mean sea level.
Based on the great-circle distance (the shortest distance between two points over the surface of the Earth), the cities closest to Burgos are San Fernando, Baguio, Dagupan, Urdaneta, Alaminos, and San Carlos. The nearest municipalities are Naguilian, Sablan, Bagulin, Bauang, Caba, and Aringay. Its distance from the national capital is 221.08 kilometers (137.37 miles). The following list delineates such distance measurements.
Nearest Towns
- Naguilian, La Union, 5.26 kilometers (3.27 miles) to the West‑Northwest (N75°W)
- Sablan, Benguet, 5.45 kilometers (3.38 miles) to the East‑Southeast (S61°E)
- Bagulin, La Union, 9.76 kilometers (6.06 miles) to the North (N4°W)
- Bauang, La Union, 12.20 kilometers (7.58 miles) to the West (N86°W)
- Caba, La Union, 14.44 kilometers (8.97 miles) to the Southwest (S47°W)
- Aringay, La Union, 16.62 kilometers (10.33 miles) to the Southwest (S34°W)
Nearest Cities
- San Fernando, La Union, 17.19 kilometers (10.68 miles) to the Northwest (N52°W)
- Baguio, 19.96 kilometers (12.40 miles) to the Southeast (S53°E)
- Dagupan, Pangasinan, 54.00 kilometers (33.56 miles) to the South‑Southwest (S12°W)
- Urdaneta, Pangasinan, 61.67 kilometers (38.32 miles) to the South‑Southeast (S12°E)
- Alaminos, Pangasinan, 63.73 kilometers (39.60 miles) to the Southwest (S51°W)
- San Carlos, Pangasinan, 66.29 kilometers (41.19 miles) to the South (S9°W)
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Land Area: 7,082 has
- Terrain: Rolling
- Climate: Type 1 (Wet and Dry)
- No. of Barangays: 12