▁population ▁of ▁ ▁people . ▁ ▁B ali u ag ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 2 ▁by ▁August in ian ▁fri ars ▁and ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Governor - General ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 7 3 3 . ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Qu ing ua ▁( now ▁Pl ar idel ) ▁before . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁Spanish ▁dom ination , ▁B ali u ag ▁was ▁pre domin antly ▁agricult ural . ▁People ▁had ▁to ▁depend ▁on ▁rice ▁far ming ▁for ▁main ▁source ▁of ▁liv elihood . ▁Or ch ards ▁and ▁t uman as ▁yield ed ▁f ruits ▁and ▁veget ables , ▁which ▁were ▁sold ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁market . ▁Com merce ▁and ▁industry ▁also ▁played ▁important ▁contributions ▁to ▁the ▁economy ▁of ▁the ▁people . ▁B unt al ▁hat ▁we aving ▁in ▁B ali u ag ▁together ▁with ▁sil k ▁we aving ▁popular ly ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁as ▁Th ai ▁sil k ; ▁the ▁manufact urer ▁of ▁cig ar ▁cases , ▁pi ña ▁fib ers , ▁pet ates ▁( m ats ) ▁and ▁S illas ▁de ▁Be j uc os ▁( c ane ▁ch airs ) ▁all ▁of ▁fine ▁quality ▁became ▁known ▁in ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁local ▁market ▁also ▁grew . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁B ali u ag ▁was ▁already ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁progress ive ▁and ▁rich est ▁town ▁in ▁Bul ac an . ▁The ▁growth ▁of