', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people. It is sometimes called as Carmen, based on its prominent barangay of the same name. Rosales was created as a separate municipality through a Royal Decree in 1852. It was named in honor of Don Antonio Rosales. Philippine National Author and internationally renowned novelist Francisco Sionil Josè has set a monument to the town he grew up in with his five-novels-series The Rosales Saga. The town itself is dotted with ancestral houses and heritage structures deemed as important cultural sites via the National Cultural Heritage Act. Rosales is a junction town for those travelling between the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the other towns of Pangasinan. It is accessible via the NLEX and TPLEX, or via the MacArthur Highway.
Etymology
It is widely believed that the name Rosales came from the wordrosal which is a name of a flower that was known to be abundant in the area. However, Spanish records revealed that Rosales was originally a ranchera founded by a pioneering Filipino named Nicolas Bañez. It was declared a pueblo in 1852. The place was named in honor of Don Antonio Rosales Liberal, a man noted for his rectitude, industry, and learning. He is also an Order of the Royal Audiencia in Manila and a Consejero de Filipinas en el Ministro de Ultramar during that time.
Like other towns in the Philippines, Rosales is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council consisting of councilors from the barangays or barrios.
Presidencia
The Presidencia is located in front of the Robert B. Estrella Stadium, Poblacion. In 1924, the construction of the Presidencia building was completed and became the seat of the municipal government. The heritage building was renovated in 2004-2007 under the administration of Mayor Ricardo V. Revita with his Revitalize Rosales banner.
St. Anthony of Padua Parish Church is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urdaneta, at Rosales. Through a decree of the Vicar-General of the Archbishopric Authority of Manila, the Catholic Church was restored on February 15, 1915. A modest shed-like barong-barung was built at the present site of the church. Fr. Nicasio Mabanta was the first Parish Priest. Within 3 years, a much sturdier building with GI sheets as roofing and sawali walls was constructed. Father Antonio Salindong was assigned, with longest tenure ever, continued the improvement with construction of concrete wall and facade with the image of St. Anthony. In 1946, a strong tornado tore off the GI sheet roof of the Church. Conrado Estrella, Sr. restored the roof with donations of the residents. During the term of Fr. Primo Garcia, the church was expanded in its east and west wings, the beginning of the construction of the parish center, and fencing of the whole premises. Msgr. Geronimo Marcelino begun the renovations of the Parish Rectory and completed by Fr. Diomedes Laguerta.
A centuries-old unfinished dugout, a big banca, was accidentally retrieved in November 2010 by Mayor Ricardo Revita at Barangay Casanicolasan in the Lagasit River, near the Agno River. It was display in front of the Presidencia or Municipal Town Hall but later remove during renovation of Presidencia.
Notable people
Carmen Rosales - Filipino actress. 2 barangays were named after her.
Francisco Sionil Josè - Philippine National Author and internationally renowned novelist
Vivian Foz - Filipino actress
Sister Towns
Rosales currently has no legally-declared townhood/cityhood relationships, however, it has good economic and tourist ties with Guimba, Nueva Ecija and Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija.
