Pangasinan: The Wonder of the North

Pangasinan, has striven to rise over the years and it is finally showing great promise. Despite the lack of media attention with regards to the impressive projects the city has achieved and very little acknowledgement in the world of social media, it continues to focus on projects that help the province thrive. I come from Pangasinan, and have honestly noticed positive changes that have been occurring in my province.

Why we need to write about our community?

In my previous blog about Camsur I have talked about the need to create a positive image of the Philippines. Most of the time, we are just bombarded with negative news, and the notable projects of political leaders are not given much attention. We receive negative news every day, and we are only given little positive or engaging news to listen to for the entire day.

And in my personal theory, this is hindering us from talking about the important things in life. We are hindered by what we simply see in the local news. Thankfully, we have social media and other ways to spread information. I have recently decided, to blog about the good things that I saw during my travels. The top places to go to in Pangasinan and the best restaurants, resorts and hotels that people should visit. My blog would also speak about the leaders who make Pangasinan an economic success. Pangasinan and its participating towns are now able to showcase each of their local products and the basic services that are provided by each area are now improving. I have lived and studied in Pangasinan during my High school days, and have noticed the major changes that are now changing the city one step at a time.

In the past, I would have never believed that our town capitol would look presentable and world class. But the leaders are paving the way we see Pangasinan as a whole. Pangasinan is now becoming an economic force.

On Lingayen:

Lingayen is noticeably one of the most thriving cities in Northern Luzon. Second District Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, is the current vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations. He has direct access over the details of the budgets of national agencies in the province.

Focusing on the Positive:

Being a firm believer of positive thinking, there are certain discussions that should be made when it comes to government projects. The law of attraction, is not applied in habits and attitude, it can be applied in everything in life—because everything in life is connected. I believe that there are many things that we need to discuss when it comes to good governance. A lot of bad PR and damage has been done by the corporate media, we have very little chances of understanding what is going inside a government.

On Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil

*Note-worthy projects:

I have taken the time to research on the projects that have most benefited Pangasinan and saw the implemented programs of Leopoldo Bataoil. In the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital, it has been noted that indigent patients have been assisted through financial assistance programs. Livelihood programs have been consistent in the 2nd district of Pangasinan as stated in the records of Dept. of Finance, Bureau of Treasury. There is over 9, 400,000 that has been disbursed to support agricultural programs through the assistance of Rep. Bataoil, Leopoldo.

Bataoil has also been consistent in supporting implementations of National Health insurance program and has been vocal in his advocacy when it comes to the value of health as seen in the projects he has created on his Facebook page. More than that, he was able to head simple but fun projects that are useful for the heart and mind of the people of Pangasinan. One of the projects that I applaud is the Libreng Zumba sa Lingayen Baywalk program.

He personally encourages his constituents to get active and to stay fit. Not only has that he been fairly active in encouraging projects that benefit the environment. Environment friendly project like the Ylang-Ylang for sustainable livelihood and environmental protection has also been placed.  These projects have improved Lingayen immensely, while there are just simple community projects—it has focus on direction.

There are also caves that could be explored in nearby areas. This price will already include the accommodations, the managed buffet with drinks. Some of the photos have been taken from the Official Facebook page of Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil. Apart from that, I have also heard of the Malunggay seedlings that have been planted in Pangasinan for the Mangatarem livelihood program. Nowadays, projects that focus on improvement of nature are highly valuable.

Projects that will upgrade the lives of the people in Pangasinan:

The current leaders of Pangasinan are setting eye on the big changes that will forever change the way we see Pangasinan. With the support of Bataoil, impressive projects are under way. Lingayen is no longer a sleeping province; it is the next giant in Northern Luzon, due to the projects that are being undertaken.

Future Projects:

There is an upcoming proposal for an Inter provincial ferry system. This will change the way we see Pangasinan forever. There will be a Tri-City Tourism and Ferry system under the South Ilocos Tourism Area Plan; this will involve changes that would also occur in the Pangasinan Cultural Museum as well as the Lingayen Gulf cruise. The ferry system, if built will connect the city of San Fernando, La Union, and Pangasinan cities like Dagupan and Alaminos where the famous Hundred Island resides. There are so many amazing projects that are up ahead, and this are all under the guidance of leaders like him. I could not help but feel proud of the many good changes that I am seeing in my hometown.

The truth is, when there is something positive and good that is happening, the corporate media on TV rarely talk about it It seems that the news we see regularly just focuses on “emotional” and hyped news, but they are not able to represent what is happening in the real sense of the word. Very little, do their research and write about these topics that could enlighten people.

While yes, there has been a pervading idea that politicians are no good—there are always two sides of the story and individuals like us could do our share in spreading the good information.

Top Destinations to go to when in Pangasinan:

*Bolinao Falls

*Alaminos Hundred Islands

Hundred islands are still considered as one of the most important tourist destinations in the Philippines. Hundred Islands apart from the fantastic view also offers tourists with different activities that are being offered in Hundred Islands. If you are interested in risky but rewarding activities, you could try snorkeling.

There are giant clams waiting to explore in the area. An expert guide could be hired to assist tourists; divers can experience touching the clams, and see them open and close.

It costs around 1,500 pesos to hire a boat for the entire day, and 200 pesos for the snorkel mask, flippers and the life vest. Apart from the snorkeling activities, fish feeding can also be a part of the tour activities, tourists are advised to bring pieces of bread so that they feed the fish.

When in Alaminos, tourists can also do bat watching activities, the island is the home for bats, and even just while riding on the boat it is possible to see bats hanging down from the trees. For those who are looking for higher risk activities, they can try cliff jumping in Marcos, Island. All that the tourists have to do is walk towards the cave, and they will already find the opening.

*Patar Beach, Bolinao

Patar Beach has remained much more pristine when compared with other beaches in Pangasinan. It has not suffered the ravages of time, and there is still very little construction of nipa huts going on in the area. The only resort you will find in there is the Treasures of Bolinao. The group package for those who want to stay in Treasures of Bolinao costs 2,000 to 2,800 per person. In this resort, guests can enjoy sports activities, they can also do bonfire activities as well as team building activities. The Patar beach is best for swimming activities, since there is not much underwater marine life. 

It is good for swimming activities because there are not much corals in the area. When in Patar Beach, guests could also check the Cape Bolinao lighthouse which is located in Punta Piedra Point. This lighthouse is a historical place; it was constructed in the 20^th century under the American occupation.

For individuals who want to have some research on the area, they can try visiting the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in Guiguiwanen.

Famous Festivals:

Pangasinan will always be close to my heart, despite the many years I have spent in Metro Manila. My hometown has variety and is never short of fun filled activities to explore. Whenever I have time, I still attend festivities like The Dagupan Boneless Festival.

What to expect?

One of the most engaging activities in the Dagupan Boneless Bangus festival itself is the parade. The activities are always crowd pleasers, for example the street dancing event will showcase a number of bands and dance groups.

During the festival, tourists can enjoy the Bangusan street party. This happens in 3km-stretch of Jose R. e Venecia Expressway Extension.

In the main event, the locals will connect around 800 grills and will cook up four thousand kilos of milkfish as a way of reminding them of Bangus (Milkfish) as their top product in the area. The tourists and locals will also enjoy other activities like cook-offs, sports competitions, and battle of the bands and many other activities including Gay pageants and singing competition.

Pistay Dayat Festival:

The Pistay Dayat is the main festival of Pangasinan. This occurs every April until May 1 in Lingayen, at the main capital of Pangasinan. It is considered as the “Mother of all Festivals” in Pangasinan, and one of the biggest crowd drawers in Northern Luzon. During the entire Pistay Dayat events, there are number of activitiet that will occur like beach parties in top resorts in Pangasinan.

The festival will combine 9 featured events from the Galicayo Festival of Manaoag,  the Longganisa Festival of Alaminos, the Pandan festival of Mapandan, the Sugpo Festival of Binmaley, the Mango an Bamboo Festival of San Carlos City as well as other festivals like the Bamboo Festival of San Carlos City, Puto Festival of Calasiao, and the Festival of Labrador.

Pistay Dayat is a combination of activities, there will be singing competitions, sand castle making competitions and top bands from the Philippines are going to be invited.

Top Recommended Pangasinan dish to try:

There are a lot of delicacies to choose from, and I have only selected some of my top favorites. One of the dishes I would highly recommend in Pangasinan is the Pigar-Pigar, this is a dish that contains strip of beef meat mixed with cabbage and is stir-fried and can be mixed with egg. It is usually eaten as a side dish and best mixed with cold beer. It can be easily found in most street stalls and restaurants in Dagupan. For visitors who are fond of sweets, the Puto Calasiao is a must try. This is a bite sized rice cake that can come in different colors and flavors.

You can try the strawberry puto, pandan flavored puto, mango puto or the ube infused puto.

Reflections: There are a number of ways we could help our own Tourism. Most of the blogs that we write just simply focus on the travel, but rarely on the economic impact of what we do. Traveling and research is needed—I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know my own hometown this way. I am hoping that through information empowerment we could extend the influence of positive changes and movements that are occurring in various regions provinces in the Philippines.