The Hundred Islands
Kakupangan Cave
St James Church
Crocodile Island
The Hundred Islands
Manaoag Church
Ramos House
Tambobong Island
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Pangasinan Province
General Info about Pangasinan
FAST FACTS:
CAPITAL >> Lingayen
AREA >> 5,464 sq km
NO. OF CITIES >> 4 (Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta, and Alaminos)
NO. OF TOWNS >> 44
The province occupies the northern portion of the central plains of Luzon with east-west configuration that extends into a peninsular form jutting into the China Sea. Its boundaries are Lingayen Gulf, La Union and Benguet on the north; neuva Vizcaya on the northeast; Nueva Ecija on the east; Tarlac on the south and Zambales and China Sea on the west.
Pangasinan was officially conquered and colonized by D.Martin de Goite in 1571. It has always been known in historical accounts as Pangasinan meaning "where salt is made". Governor General Ronquillo de Peρalosa formally created Pangasinan as a province in 1850, making the province as one of the earliest political and administrative units in the Philippines.
Its territorial jurisdiction at that time included the present province of Zambales and parts of La Union and Tarlac. Lingayen was designated and remains up to the present as the provincial capital. Binalatongan, now San Carlos City was the largest town both in size and population. Dagupan,then a sitio of Lingayen was converted into a regular town in 1590. It was the converging place of supporters of the rebellion led by Andres Malong in 1660.
Pangasinan is a long, wide, verdant crescent bounded by the wild Zambales range to the west and to the east by the Cordilleras -- the formidable mountains that form the spine of the island of Luzon. To the south, Pangasinan extends to the rice-and-sugar farmlands of Tarlac, and north to the crowning glory of Lingayen Gulf and the South China Sea. This shoreline is a great arc of variegated character: from fantastically tall, craggy rock roughly chiseled by the surf, to the mildest of white sand beaches. The coast is fringed by well-hidden coves and inlets, promontories and caves, forests and woodland, charming fishing villages, and then the islands. It faces the Asian mainland, outstretched widely in anticipation and welcome.
Etymology.
The term pangasinan means "land of salt" or "place where salt is made" from the root word asin meaning salt in the native language, and the prefix pang and the suffix an meaning place. The term was derived from one of the main occupations of the people in the coastal villages which was, and still is, that of making salt from sea water through the process of solar evaporation in well-laid-out salt beds.
The hundred Islands off the coast of Lucap, Alaminos is a cluster of islands and islets so many and yet so near each other. Motorized bancas take visitors between islets. Quezon Island is the most frequented beacuse of its facilities. The place is ideal for swimming, boating and snorkling.
Limahong Channel is a channel that the chinese pirate and his men dug as their escape route tho the sea when their attempt to establish a settlement in Lingayaen in 1574 failed.
Lingayen Beach was the landing place of Gen. Douglas MacArthur when he returned to liberate Luzon in 1945. Today, facilities like picnic sheds and bathhouses are found 20 meters away from the shore.
Blue Beach in Dagupan was another plce where American troops landed on January 9, 1945. white Beach in San Fabian was the landing site of General Homma΄s Japanese Impoerial Forces on December 21, 1942.
GETTING THERE
Dagupan City is the transportation hub of Pangasinan from Manila and about 59 kms. southeast of Baguio City. The City is accessible by buses which leave every 15 minutes from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. or even 10 p.m. There are several bus lines offering air conditioned coaches. The major road networks that crisscross the province are the Manila North Road via MacArhtur Highway and the North Expressway. Bugallon-Olongapo Road via Romulo Highway and the on-going construction of Rosales-Tayug-Umingan-Sta. Fe Road.
Pantranco North buses depart from Manila to Dagupan and from Quezon City to Alaminos (Hundred Islands) and Bolinao. The bus company also piles the Baguio-Dagupan route. The Dagupan Bus Co. operates between Cubao-Dagupan and Baguio-Dagupan. Victory Lines takes the coastal route from Olongapo to Alaminos and Dagupan. Other big buses that ply a route from Manila, Dagupan, Baguio an Bolinao are Five Star, City Trans, Philippine Rabbit, Philippine Rapid and MMTC. The roads from Baguio, San Fernando, and Vigan skirt the beaches of San Fabian.
Mini-buses, jeepneys, and tricycles provider intertown travel. Boats can be hired for island-hopping and special interest activities.
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