Dagupan City (2 July) -- Pangasinan population continues to grow as it registered a 2.65 population based on the results of the 2007 Census of Population conducted by the National Statistics Office.

Provincial Statistics Officer Dante L. Pescador said more than 25% of the population is in three cities and two municipalities.

The city of San Carlos has the largest population with 161,844 (6.18%) followed by the city of Dagupan with 149,554 (5.71%) and Malasiqui with 122,785 (4.69%). Completing the top five are the City of Urdaneta with 120,785 (4.61%) and Bayamnbang with 103,145 (3.94%)

Among barangays,. Pescador said Bonuan Gueset of Dagupan City has the largest population with 20,335. Pantal, also in the city of Dagupan is the second highest with 16,835. Barangay Poblacion of Lingayen, ranked third with a population of 12,612. Other barangays that reached the 10,000 mark in Pangasinan are Poblacion in Alaminos (10,095) and Bonuan Boquig of Dagupan City (10,852)

The population counts were based on census questionnaires from the different barangays which were processed in Regional Data Processing Centers adopting a technology which involved digital imaging and intelligent character recognition. The census was conducted pursuant to Batas Pambansa Blg. 72 and Commonwealth Act 591, added Pescador.

Pescador said the provincial figures were included national POPCEN result that was made official with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's signing of Proclamation No. 1489 on April 16,2008. (PIA-Pangasinan)