Lingayen, Pangasinan: Four towns and a city were identified as the tourism hubs of Pangasinan.
Governor Ramon V. Guico III said development projects will be implemented in the identified tourism focus areas to further improve the tourism industry in the province.
Identified by the governor as tourism focus areas are the towns of Bolinao, Lingayen, Manaoag, San Nicolas (Malico), and the City of Alaminos.
Gov. Guico said that in the western part, Bolinao and Alaminos City were already established as tourism destinations.
Bolinao, he said, was among the tourism focus areas because of its natural resources, its rich history, and its natural influx of tourists, while Alaminos City is because of its Hundred Islands.
To improve the accessibility of the western part, the provincial government will build the Bolinao International Airport.
There is also a need to develop Lingayen, the capital town of the province.
The longest reflective pool, which is part of the redevelopment of the Capitol Complex, is anticipated to be a major tourist attraction once completed.
Manaoag is the biggest tourist attraction in Pangasinan, where millions of tourists flock to the said municipality because of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag church.
“Yan ang number one natin. Million ang nagpupunta diyan, mga day tourist lang. Simba tapos uwi na. Sayang. Marami dito capable naman to spend their money but they don’t have the facilities for accommodation where they can eat, stay overnight at least, and also of the lack of parking spaces. I already talked with lgu Manaoag kasi sayang. Isaayos natin lahat kasi marami diyan pwedeng pagkakitaan. Isaayos lang natin lahat,” Gov. Guico said.
On the eastern part is the historical Malico in San Nicolas, which is the highest point in Pangasinan.
Governor Guico said there is a territorial claim from a neighboring province, but we have to insist that it is ours because that is our territory.
These identified areas for tourism will have an impact on the whole province, Gov. Guico said.
(Chona C. Bugayong/PIMRO)
