LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Malico, a mountain village in San Nicolas town, has an estimated altitude of about 1,675 meters above sea level and a land area of 1,618 hectares. The awe-inspiring landscape and cool temperature give travelers the so-called breezing ‘Baguio feel.’
Rustic as it may be, Malico’s diverse history echoes tales of beauty and grandeur that add charm to the panoramic view of the place. With such magnificence of a luscious verdant site under the clear azure sky, the environs appeared like mesmerizing hues of light and shade from a distance.
Driving along Malico road evokes the reflection that it is a wonderful world. With all these testaments of exceptional beauty, Malico was declared by the Pangasinan Provincial Government and made official through an ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) with Board Members Noel C. Bince and Salvador S. Perez, Jr. as main authors on March 20, 2023, as the “Summer Capital of Pangasinan.”
Provincial Ordinance No. 296-2023 states that “the area has been nurtured by Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities (IPs/ICCs) at the heart of the Kalanguya Tribe Ancestral Domain since time immemorial.”
Said village is known for its zigzag Villa Verde trail, which was constructed during the Spanish era and is now being rehabilitated as the ‘Missing Gaps of Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya Road’ that will make the place accessible and convenient for travelers.
“The natural vicinity of stunted and slow-growing trees due to the cool year-round climate condition added to the beauty of the place that attracts both local and international tourists, especially during summertime,” the ordinance stated.
As such, the ordinance added that “the cold climate cocooned by Mother Nature, as cold as Baguio City, and the creeping clouds and gentle winds with fogs allow plants such as pitcher plants, endemic shrubs, and trees that do not survive in warm or hot places to thrive and produce temperate crops like strawberries and other upland vegetables in the province.”
In Section 2 of the Ordinance under the Declaration of Policy, it was disclosed that the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, in pursuance to Section 16 of the Local Government Code, shall adopt measures to promote and protect, within its respective territorial jurisdictions, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants.
“It is the objective of the Provincial Government to declare Barangay Malico of San Nicolas, Pangasinan, as ‘Barangay Summer Capital of Pangasinan’ for the development of tourism and other socio-economic activity and facilities in the area,” the ordinance emphasized.
In his recent visit to Malico, together with Vice Governor Mark Ronald DG. Lambino and other provincial officials, Governor Ramon V. Guico III disclosed that the provincial government will earmark an amount of P200 million as a special fund exclusively for Malico to be utilized on various activities, including social and medical services for the residents.
“Ang Malico, hindi iiwanan ng Pangasinan yan…kahit ano pong mangyari.” This was the assurance made by the governor, further stating that more programs and projects will be brought to Malico in the offing, being the “Summer Capital of Pangasinan.”
(Ruby F. Rayat,Photo: Joey Olimpo| PIMRO)
