Hundred Islands lure foreign tourists

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan, Philippines—The Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City is now a haven for foreign tourists from 68 countries for its majestic beauty and hospitable people, according to the city government.

Top visitors

Citing official records, Mayor Hernani Braganza said Koreans were the top visitors in 2010 with a total of 4,004 arrivals followed by Americans, 1,663; Canadians, 402; Australians, 396; Japanese, 344 and Germans, 316.

‘‘There were even Africans from Kenya and Congo who came and truly enjoyed their stay here,” he added.

Last year, the city hosted a total of 162,653 tourists, of which 9,995 were foreigners.

Tourism capital

The foreign arrivals have made Alaminos Pangasinan’s tourism capital, he said. ‘‘That is victory for the city,” he said.

Rey Livara, park manager, said the place is fast becoming a favorite for picnickers and bird watchers.

In 2005, the Philippine Tourism Authority transferred the management, control and supervision of the Hundred Islands to the city government ensure a sustainable tourism development in the area.

“This was another remarkable feat for all Alaminians who defended the city’s pride from the malicious reports and politically-motivated efforts to destroy the image of the Hundred Islands,” Braganza said.

Safety equals beauty

He said safe travel of local and foreign tourists in the area and preservation of the marine resources have made the Hundred Islands even more attractive as a destination.

He said the Task Force Kalikasan has also wiped out illegal fishing operations in the area.

Forefront

“We can never do anything to tarnish the reputation of the Hundred Islands; neither would we damage its environment. We are always at the forefront of defending this city’s foremost natural resource,” he said.

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Pangasinan mayors bare inter-province ferry system plan

DAGUPAN CITY, May 12 (PIA) --- Two Pangasinan mayors have bared their plans to establish a ferry system that will provide water transportation between the province and La Union.

The system is intended to shorten travel time between major cities and municipalities in Region I along the Lingayen Gulf, with possible ports in here and in Alaminos, and in Agoo town and San Fernando City in La Union.

Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza said the ferry system will facilitate economic development in his city as it will encourage more tourists and investors to visit his place especially the famous Hundred Islands.

Alaminos City is practically isolated due to distance, preventing potential visitors have to travel circuitous routes to reach the place.

“I hope Alaminos, and the province as well, will open it for commercial traffic. That will hopefully become a reality if we can put up major infrastructures. It is the only way that Alaminos can attain economic development and to help the province.” he said during the Meet the Press forum of the Pangasinan Tri-Media Association (PATRIMA) Wednesday at the Jollibee in Lucao.

“Once completed it will draw more investments for the province and create more opportunities for the people,” he added.

Braganza cited the cities of Cebu and Davao as example of cities which have reached substantial economic progress by having basic infrastructures.

He explained that “this is the main reason why we asked the national government to build the first commercial airport in the city of Alaminos.”

Braganza complimented, Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim “for having the same vision.”

Lim presented to the media the design of a catamaran that will be used as the main ferrying seacraft. “The two-hulled water vehicle can seat 102 passengers, four medium-sized vehicles and six tons of cargoes,” he said.

Lim noted that the Manaoag Shrine is the only easily-accessed place in Pangasinan. Other tourist destinations in the province will be more accessible once the ferry system is completed, he said.

He said that a port will be constructed near the historic Franklin Bridge in barangay Pantal tor the purpose. He disclosed that he, Braganza and San Fernando Mayor Pablo Ortega will meet soon to discuss the plan.

Lim also discussed his idea of the possible construction of a west-bound highway connecting to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). “Ang dapat pag-usapan ng ating provincial government, congressmen ay kung paano iku-connect ‘yong TPLEX to the west,” he said.

Lim sees the TPLEX as progenitor of economic development in areas traversed by it. “We have to catch up with the development,” he said.

On the ferry system, Braganza said, “I promise my constituents that this dream will come true before the end of my term.”

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73,000 tourists flock to Hundred Islands from Jan-April

MANILA, Philippines – Tourism in the Hundred Islands National Park had a flourishing turnout in the early months of 2011 with thousands of tourists flocking to the place for their holiday getaway.

According to the local government, 73,000 tourists visited the main attraction of Alaminos, Pangasinan from the months of January to April this year.

More tourists also spent their Holy Week vacation in the park this year at 12,195, as compared to last year’s record of 10,560.

The increase is attributed to the new outdoor activities offered by the park.

Aside from swimming, the park also offers snorkeling, scuba diving, and bird watching.

The Hundred Islands National Park is also promoting island-hopping for adventure seekers, with rates being offered as low as P800.

Delighted by the turnout, park manager Rey Livara said: "Natutuwa kami na marami pa rin ang dumaragsa dito."

The local government remains keen on attracting more and more tourists in the coming months.

Tourism has been a boon for the business sector particularly those in the hotel, restaurant and souvenirs services, Livara said.

Vendor Anita Baniqued added: "Madami talaga ngayong (turista)… kaya kami naman nakakaipon na din para sa pamilya." 

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Former world champ joins Alaminos shootfest

ALAMINOS CITY—Former World Shoot champion Jeufro “Jag” Lejano led more than 100 practical shooters from different North and Central Luzon gun clubs, which saw action in the Alaminos Gali-La Festival Shootfest recently at the Hundred Islands Practical Shooters Association firing range at Barangay Sabangan here.

Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza fired the ceremonial shot to formally open the competition and welcome the participants, which included Lejano, the 2005 International Practical Shooting Confederation champion in the modified division.

The two-day shootfest was a Level II event sanctioned by the Philippine Practical Shooting Association, the first to be staged in this city.

The shootfest featured four major divisions, namely, standard, production, open and modified. There were other minor categories—standard single stack, lawman production and standard, lady open, junior standard, senior standard and production and LGU standard and production.

Lejano went on to stamp his class in the production division; Bogs Resuello emerged standard division champion; Enrique Cheesman topped the open division, while Roy Rondilla was best in the modified class.

According to Braganza, an avid practical shooter, whose son Lean was a former teammate of Lejano in the Philippine team, the shootfest was part of the celebrations for the seventh year of the Gali-La Viva San Jose Festival of the Hundred Islands held in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. Joseph.

Alex Ang, HIPSA president, said the shootfest will be among the regular events that would be included in the annual celebration of the Festival of the Hundred Islands. He added that HIPSA will also conduct monthly shoots and regular training for young practical shooters.

“Hopefully by next year, we will have a Level III sanctioned match, which means 10 grueling shooting stages instead of seven which we have right now,” said Ang, who is also the concurrent president of Western Pangasinan Chamber of Commerce.

“This is our commitment to the Braganza administration’s sports tourism thrust. It’s our way of helping promote Alaminos as sports tourism center of Region 1,” he said further.

Braganza thanked and congratulated the HIPSA headed by Ang, match director Jerry Mateo and Engr. Roland Ranches, owner of the land where the firing range is located, for organizing the event and reminding the gun owners of their responsibilities to the society.

He also extended gratitude to the PPSA and the National Range Officers Institute for supporting the event.

“Through this firing range and this event that we held, we are again promoting our Hundred Islands National Park not just to our regular tourists, but also to all the gun enthusiasts in the country,” Braganza said.

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Alaminos City, now certified tourism center in Pangasinan

ALAMINOS CITY, Oct. 11 (PNA) -- The city of Alaminos is now a certified tourism center in Pangasinan, only five years after it took over the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) from the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

This was disclosed by Mayor Hernani Braganza who worked for the turn-over of the facility to the city and the Alaminos people who rightfully owned the facility given them by nature.

He said since the turn-over of the tourist spot, by virtue of an executive order signed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on September 29, 2005, Alaminos City continues to enjoy tremendous influx of foreign and local tourists.

Turned over by virtue of Arroyo's Executive Order No. 436 was the management, administration and maintenance of the HINP, previously exercised by the PTA.

Since the turnover, Braganza took several giant strides to promote the HINP marine park to tourists, domestic and foreign, through the media, which include television, radio, print, and the internet.

The city government established a welcome (tourist assistance) center and parking area and put up an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and marine museum at Lucap wharf, jump off point to the Hundred Islands, with the help of benevolent and private entities.

It had improved the comfort rooms, transferred and re-designed the souvenir shops and refurbished a garden as well as the rehabilitation of the major islands at the national park.

At the same time, it stopped all forms of decades-old illegal fishing practices that destroyed the once healthy habitat of various marine species thriving in the area while, at the same time, providing sustainable and legal form of fishing outside the marine protected area.

The mayor cited statistics showing that the city was averaging for the last five years around 130,000 to 140,000 tourist arrivals yearly, a far cry from 50,000 a year it was raking several years before.

With more facilities already available, the yearly target had been increased to 150,000 or more.

Braganza said the Hundred Islands is not just a haven for tourists but it is where his constituents from 10 coastal villages derive their daily income and protein food for their families.

He revealed that they have to protect the HINP for it to last as a major source of fish. The mayor revealed that for the last six years under his watch, not a single dynamite was exploded inside and outside the national park.

Braganza said illegal fishing is banned in the city’s territorial waters not only because it is prohibited by law but it is definitely wrong that only few are getting richer while marginalized fishermen and marine ecosystem continue to be deprived of fish.

The mayor said that more tourists coming to Alaminos means "more job opportunities and better income "for our city mates”.

He said he envisions the city as the tourism capital of the province and the entire North Luzon Agri-Business Quadrangle considering the fact that the Hundred Islands is the country’s biggest marine sanctuary, the first to be declared national park and "one of a kind eco-tourism destination".

“Today we can say that while many of our guests appreciate the majestic beauty of our national park, majority of Alaminians and stakeholders greatly benefit from it."

Tourism, he said, gave birth to new industries and activities at the Lucap Bay area and at the national park.

Among the major economic and eco-tourism activities that can now be enjoyed in the Hundred Islands are snorkeling, scuba diving, diving, kayaking and birdwatching.

“That is the main reason why our city government and some investors have put up different facilities to lure more tourists to visit our place,” he added.

The mayor said new hotels, apartelles and restaurants have sprouted in the city over the years and that the city government is also building its own two-storey Alaminos Hotel.

This is aimed to provide accommodation to tourists visiting the Hundred Islands so that they will extend their stay in the city.

He said the proposed hotel will have a convention that can accommodate 500 people and guests not only during weekend or holidays but every day regardless of the month.

“We hope to see soon guests, who, after attending conventions, can go to the Hundred Islands to experience an amazing eco-adventure,” he added.

He said new hotel now being erected by the city at Lucap Wharf is expected to bring new jobs and open up new business opportunities for Alaminians.

Three other projects were lined up to perk up tourism in Alaminos City.

These are the Alaminos Airport Development Project, Hundred Islands Medical Services Complex and the Pangasinan State University-Alaminos City Campus.


By Leonardo V. Micua