Pangasinan town puts up food strip for seafood

DAGUPAN CITY, April 23 (PNA) — Binmaley town will put up a unique seafood eatery strip along the road in Barangay Lomboy to serve exclusively seafood, like bangus, siganid (malaga), shrimps, prawns, crabs and others to tourists and visitors.

Binmaley Mayor Simplicio Rosario said each eatery would cook live seafood which the customers could buy from a common fish buying area nearby, to be cooked in their presence.

Speaking during the “Kapihan sa Lenox Hotel” here on Wednesday, Rosario said this was one way by which Binmaley could promote its rich harvest of aqua-marine products.

“I am looking for a lot where we can set up the area from where diners can buy their live fish to be cooked,” Rosario said.

The mayor lamented that though Binmaley produced more bangus than Dagupan, the latter beat his town in putting up the Bangus Festival and in proclaiming itself as the Bangus Capital of the World.

Nevertheless, Binmaley has its own "Malaga and Sugpo Festival" which is being held during the town fiesta first week of February each year.

Rosario said there were many eateries that were serving exclusively seafood along the Amado Espino Sr. Avenue in Barangay Lomboy that led towards the Agno River dike road, before exiting along the national highway leading to Bugallon town.

Binmaley is a first class town in Pangasinan just west of Dagupan City. The town is famous for its fishponds that produces the tasty bangus, malaga and shrimps, among others.

In setting up the seafood eatery strip, the municipal government would put up decorative lights along the road in front of the eateries as its part in promoting seafood to the Filipinos’ palate, Rosario said.

He said he had already talked to owners of existing eateries in that strip, including future entrepreneurs and exhorted them to clean their surroundings and establishments in preparation for the influx of diners. (PNA)

Pangasinan's Pista'y Dayat grandest holiday ever

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, April 5 (PNA) -- The Pista'y Dayat celebration in the province to be held from April 25 to May 3, promises to be spectacular, fun-filled and the grandest holiday ever.

With heavy preparations now going on, the sea festival is expected to draw thousands of spectators who shall witness must-see events of the grandest festivity in Pangasinan.

Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. said this year's festivities will showcase his main advocacies -- environment and tourism -- in order to raise the level of awareness among Pangasinenses on the need to save, rehabilitate and promote the eco-tourism industry of the province.

With its theme, “Matuwan Pasimbalo: Gayaga na Luyag Tayo,” the sea festival is expected to serve as a showroom of the various accomplishments of the province notably on environment and tourism.

This also serves as a thanksgiving and unifying event among Pangasinenses in their march to prosperity and progress in order to realize the dawning of the Golden Era in Pangasinan.

The Pista'y Dayat 2009 will have its soft opening on April 17 featuring two exciting events to be sponsored by the San Miguel Brewery Inc. like the Dance Revolution and the Battole of the Band.

It will also feature a fluvial parade of colorful and aesthetically designed bancas which will sail along the Limahong Channel, and the conduct of On-the-Spot Essay and Painting competition.

The festival’s formal opening dubbed “Ilog Ko: Bilayen Ko, Aroen Ko,” will be held on April 25, with the launching of the ‘Pakar Awards’ or the search for the cleanest river and riverbanks.

Pangasinan tourism will take center stage with the holding of a Tourism and Trade Expo meant to exalt all native products thru a showcase, exhibit and sale of prime tourist destinations and other best prime and local produce of different towns and cities.

The 'Banda Parada' on April 26 is another activity worth watching as this will be participated in by multi-awarded Drum and Lyre and Drum and Bugle Corps for the delight and enjoyment of the viewing public.

Sports and native games will be offered on April 27 with “Pagalaw na Luyag” via native games like 'palosebo', 'culliot', coconut smashing, arm wrestling and arnis and beach volleyball, both for men and women.

Another highlight of the festival is the Grand Orchestra and Ballroom Dancing Showdown, a 12-hour non-stop music and dance entertainment that will feature the best orchestras of Pangasinan.

Made bigger this year, this electrifying showdown is expected to position the province as the Fiesta Orchestra Capital in the world and the Ballroom Dancing Capital of the country.

Younger generation will have a chance to enjoy the cozy ambiance of the Lingayen beach thru the ‘Doypuay Kalangweran’ (Youth Camp) slated from April 28 to 30 while beautiful maidens vying for the most-coveted title of 'Limgas na Pangasinan' will have a chance to show their skills and crafts via the Talent Competition on the night of the 28th.

The fairest of these beauties will be crowned on May 1.

Labi na Ligliwa Cultural Show is a night of talent and old traditions rolled into one that will display the singing prowess of talented amateur singers back-to-back with a lifestyle-drawn theatrical venue via zarzuela.

Skydiving, street dancing and employees night is a fun-filled respite to be featured on April 29.

The main day, May 1, will be highlighted with a thanksgiving mass and the awarding ceremony for the cleanest coastal municipality/city called Tambuyong Awards which is the banner program for this year’s sea festival.

The adrenaline of the viewing public will rise high with the conduct of the Lingayen Beach Woodstock featuring the finalists of the Battle of the Band and the Banda ni ATE as main performers.

The Coronation Night will cap the weeklong activities.

The celebration will be capped with the holding of different activities on May 2 at the Lingayen Beachfront by corporate sponsors.

Simultaneously, the Governor’s Cup shoot fest kicks off on May 3, while the Trade Fair will have its last day sale. (PNA)

With President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's impending enactment into law of the tourism bill, Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today said he sees mo

With President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's impending enactment into law of the tourism bill, Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today said he sees more enterprising Filipinos literally looking at the shores of their homeland for fortune.

"Americans had what was called the 'land rush', where people were invited to stake claims on uninhabited land. The tourism bill challenges every Filipino to engage in a 'tourism rush' where all are enjoined to put their stake in new areas that can be developed and promoted as tourism destination under the new law, " said Gordon.

The new tourism bill which would soon become a law specifically provides for the establishment of Tourism Enterprise Zones (TEZ).

Local government units together with private enterprises may apply for the establishment of a TEZ in areas suited for tourism. Within the TEZ, entrepreneurs locating there will be entitled to incentives previously given only to industrial locators.

"The tourism bill is not a manna from heaven; it is a challenge for Filipinos to take stock in the beauty of their homeland and the talents of their countrymen. We already have everything we need to become one of the biggest tourism destinations in the world but it will not come without hardwork," said Gordon.

The former tourism secretary also called on Filipinos with entrepreneurial spirit all over the country to look for places in their home provinces that can be promoted as tourism destinations and work with their local leaders as well as tourism officials to prepare it for development as tourist destinations.

"We spot more areas for tourism development. Do you live near a beautiful beach, river, or waterfall? Is your area good for hiking? Does your town have a great fiesta or do your people have colorful traditions? If you want to develop this into a tourism destination, all you have to do is to get in touch with your local leader and tourism official or even my office," said Gordon.

These "tourism enterprise zones" which will be set up in strategic areas, such as Cebu, Davao, Bohol, Laguna, the Ilocos provinces, Pangasinan, Cavite, the Camarines provinces, Sorsogon, Boracay, Palawan, Iloilo, and other provinces would boost the Philippines as a premier tourism destination not only in the Asia - Pacific region but also to the rest of the world.

"We have many examples of how tourism can make a huge impact on a town. Donsol in Sorsogon grew immensely after catching the eye of Whale Watchers and the Masskara Festival of Bacolod took them from the doldrums when the sugar industry there experienced a reversal," he said.

"With the Tourism Act soon to be in place, perhaps we can imagine even some of our more impoverished provinces transformed into tourist havens," he added.

The Tourism Act of 2009 seeks: (1) to regulate and uplift the standard of tourism services, (2) to strengthen promotional capability of our tourism industry, (3) to create infrastructure such as hotel development and beaches, (4) to encourage private sector participation, (5) to ensure and focus a cooperative approach among various agencies and institutions, and (6) to ensure competitiveness and increase market share.

DOT: Pangasinan now No. 1 tourist destination in Ilocos

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, March 15 (PNA) -- The province of Pangasinan is now the number one tourist destination in Region 1 based on a survey conducted recently by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The survey showed the province under the leadership of Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr. posted a record 41.47 percent tourist arrivals as compared to Ilocos Norte, the former top grosser in tourism in the region, with 35.64 percent.

Two years ago, Pangasinan was the tail-ender among four Ilocos provinces in the number of tourist arrivals, according to the DOT.

Gov. Espino said he is pushing hard to promote tourism in Pangasinan as part of the overall development plan of his administration.

Cited as the main reason for the improved tourism program in Pangasinan was the grand transformation of the capitol building, from an old rickety one built in the early 1900, to become one of the best capitols in the entire country today.

The capitol is now a premier tourist come-on of the province, serving as the official house of all elected provincial officials.

In the early part of his administration, Governor Espino vowed to make the capitol the centerpiece of tourism in Pangasinan.

Also undertaken, aside from the refurbishing of the capitol building, was the repair of the adjacent Kalantiao, Malong and Finance buildings and its component areas such as the Veterans Park and Lingayen beach front.

The provincial government-owned Capitol Resort Hotel has also been refurbished to serve as a venue for the various functions of the provincial government and the public.

To boost tourism, the provincial government bought six eco-tourism buses that could bring tourists to any point in Pangasinan after they had visited the capitol.

Espino said the provincial government's Tour Assistance Program provided tour and escorting services produced seven DOT-certified/accredited tour guides through a first-ever Tour Guiding Seminar.

Aside from these, the province has also 18 active tour guides who are all employees of the provincial government.

About 7,000 visitors and more than 16,000 others, mainly students from private, public, state colleges and universities, have already availed of the tour guiding services from the capitol to the different towns of the province.

Another historic undertaking of the provincial government was the launching and provision of six shuttle buses that ferry employees to and from their point of destination for free.

These buses are also utilized by all provincial employees in their study tours and in the conduct of their “Employees Tour and Team Building ” program.

The Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center was also rehabilitated to enable it to continuously host regional, national and international sporting events.

At the same time, Gov. Espino announced that the province has some 300 hectares of foreshore land in the northwestern part of Lingayen that is set to be converted into a sprawling eco-tourist zone. (PNA)

Developing Pangasinan as a tourist destination

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is forecasting robust growth for travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region, with tourism revenues to top US$4.6 trillion and visitor arrivals to reach close to 500 million by the end of 2010. The Philippine Department of Tourism has just launched Shopfeast Festival to capture some of these tourist.

This is a wonderful idea. I still remember our time in the Pacific region and our motivation in traveling to a lot of the areas we visited was due to “shopping”. During Hong Kong’s days of cheap imitation brand name we went to the British haven for watches and tailor made clothes, when Japan has the most advanced TVs, stereos of touch controls, while the US still had rotary dials we visited Tokyo, when Korean shoes and bags were only 5 dollars each we went to Seoul.

Now during our October 2007 visit to the Philippines after 12 years we were surprised that now it is the place to shop. We loaded up for MP4 players, cell phones, belts, bags, shoes, and traditional handicrafts, and even the bookseller "Negosyo" and "Soldiers Pultan".

Sec Durano has surely gone to first base. I hope he could make it to home base. Pangasinan’s problem is travel time since TIME is most valuable to a tourist.. When we travel on our two lane highways, our roads are heavily congested due to heavy traffic. Because there is no consideration for free flow of traffic when planning, just like the building of SM mall in Carmen adjacent to the highway, most tourists lose precious time they could not afford. It takes almost a day to reach Lingayen, Alaminos, Dagupan or Manaoag instead of the four hour trips I remember in the 80’s.

This problem is not easily solved with airports without comprehensive plans. The structure (airport) should be planned with the airlines, inputting target market analysis, and a fully integrated plan of the LGU and national private and public stakeholders. Let them brainstorm on everything that could bring in the visitors. Look at what we have to offer like skilled medical personnel with cheap labor rates. We could promote medical tourism here. Most of our FilAms talk about their Belo treatment here in the Philippines, while seniors talk of returning home to see if a medical facilities are available for their long term care. A program for business investment for retirees with tax privileges given by the government minus the corrupt laden red tape that keeps them away, will be good. Our local entrepreneurs’, in partnership with the returning retirees, can develop first world facilities where they could live. Ideas are endless if we only take everyone’s input without the baggage of ‘me first’.

Recall the single projects like McAdore, Alimango Restaurant, Tondaligan, San Fabian resorts, Bolinao parks. These were good ideas but could not stand alone.