by Restituto C. Basa - From the Saltbeds

The town of Mabini, Pangasinan has produced two prominent leaders: Cirilo Braganza, Assemblyman in 1909-1912 of the Second National Assembly and Juan de G. Rodriguez, congressman of the first district from 1946-1949; governor from 1950-1954; and Secretary of Agriculture in the Ramon Magsaysay presidency.

As Secretary of Agriculture, Rodriguez established the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna.

A guerrila fighter during the Japanese occupation, he refused to receive his back pay after the war.

Mabini is a flood-prone town. Through the years, the town has been inundated by three devastating floods. The first flood was in 1832, followed by the flood in 1851. There were no records of the extent of the destruction of the two early floods.

The flood of 1957 is well documented. Some 700 people residing in the valley were drowned. About 80 per cent of the homes were swept away by rampaging waters. Ninety percent of the livestock was drowned.

The flood waters came from the denuded mountains of the town. The kaingeros who indiscriminately cut down the forest were blamed for the devastation.

Mabini is the hometown of Cirilo Braganza, assemblyman of the first district during the period 1909-1912 and of Juan de G. Rodriguez, congressman of the first district during the period 1946-1949 and governor from 1950 to 1954.

Rodriguez capped his government service as Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources during the Ramon Magsaysay presidency. He established the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna.

Rodriguez was a highly decorated Freemason. For his accomplishments in the government service, he was decorated with the 33rd and last degree of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Republic of the Philippines.

Mabini has a land area of 27,150 hectares, that are dotted with mountains. It is blessed with rich mineral deposits now being exploited by Barlo Mines. The Mabini mountains are a part of the Zambales mountain range.

It is drained by the Balincaguing river. This river originates from the Mabini mountanis, passes by the Mabini poblacion on its way to the China Sea through the towns of Burgos and Agno.

The destructive flood of 1957 was caused by four days and four nights of heavy rainfall whose downflow to the South China Sea was blocked by high tide at the Balincaguing river delta in Agno.

The Mabini valley is barely four meters above sea level.