Category Archives: Pangasinan

Pangasinan Provincial Capitol (Lingayen)

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The Pangasinan Provincial Capitol

The Pangasinan Provincial Capitol

At the Capitol Grounds, Jandy, Cheska, Katrina, Janet and I visited the Provincial Capitol.  Built in 1912 (one of the first to be built in the country) during the term of Gov. Daniel Maramba, this imposing “Potomac Greek” building is, for me, the most beautiful in the country.  We first saw it when we arrived at the town at night, its stately marble columns beautifully lit.

The beautifully lit Provincial Capitol at night

The beautifully lit Provincial Capitol at night

Surprisingly, it was open during this holiday and the caretaker allowed us to climb its exquisite spiral staircase to visit the Governor’s Office and  the Provincial Board Room. At the latter, we got to sit at the Vice-Governor’s chair, handle a gavel and “preside” over a meeting.

The winding stairway

The winding stairway

Cheska, Katrina, the author, Janet and Jandy at the Governor's Office

Cheska, Katrina, the author, Janet and Jandy at the Governor’s Office

Later, we went up the roof deck where Commonwealth Pres. Manuel L. Quezon used to host elegant receptions and parties before World War II.

View of the Capitol grounds and Lingayen Gulf from the roof deck

View of the Capitol grounds and Lingayen Gulf from the roof deck

Here, we had a panoramic view of the Capitol Grounds, Lingayen Gulf and the town. The west wing was restored after destruction by shelling in 1945.

Lingayen (Pangasinan)

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After breakfast at the resort, we still had time to kill before leaving for Manila in the afternoon of Good Friday, so I decided to explore Lingayen town in detail, notably the Capitol Grounds.  Together with my children Jandy and Cheska, we also brought along our Hundred Islands companions (and resort guests) Janet and Katrina.

The Provincial Capitol Gounds

The Provincial Capitol Gounds

Lingayen has two architecturally distinct and culturally disparate districts, one Spanish and the other American.  The older, more populous Spanish section, which escaped the destruction of World War II, was built inland and clustered around the plaza with its municipal building and the market.

Urduja House

Urduja House

The newer American seafront district, built near the Lingayen Gulf, is more spacious, with a promenade and wide-spreading flame trees. It consists of many provincial government buildings including the Provincial Capitol and Urduja House, all located in the Capitol Grounds.

Return to the Hundred Islands (Alaminos City, Pangasinan)

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View of Islands from View Deck

The last time I’ve been to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City, Pangasinan was way back March of 2005, Holy Week with son Jandy and 2 lady friends, and we only got to explore 3 of its islands, camping overnight at Marta Island. I considered this a poor batting average considering that there are 127 of these granite and scrub-covered islands and islets, a number of them having white sand beaches.  Again it was Holy Week and this time I, together with Jandy and daughter Cheska, found ourselves in Pangasinan, staying at El Puerto Marina Resort and Spa at the provincial capital town of Lingayen.  The resort offered day tours to the islands and we decided, especially Cheska who was a first-timer to these islands, to join the tour.  Our group included Fil-American Ms. Katrina Nogoy and Malaysian-American Ms. Janet Jun Siew Loh, both visiting school teachers from Japan.  Our guide was resort employee Mr. Viramel “Ram” Velasco. 

Lucap Wharf

The trip, via a van driven by Mr. Nixon Fernando, to Brgy. Lucap, take-off point to the islands, took all of 1 hour. Again, it being a long holiday, the wharf and every island with a white sand beach was packed with tourists.  Although I brought a 5-pax tent with me to Lingayen, camping on an island was out of the question.  However, we decided to explore beyond the normal tourist boat route which only included the partially developed Children, Governor’s and Quezon Islands, this time including the other outlying but interesting islands, paying a hefty PhP800 to do so.  While waiting for our boat, I made a short visit to Lucap’s Marine Museum which has a collection of corals and other marine life.  This 1,844-hectare national park, declared as such on January 18, 1940 through Proclamation No. 667, is believed to be the second largest marine reservation in the world with 2,000 species of marine life.

Lucap Wharf Marine Museum

The whole park can be readily covered, even by a slow banca, in half a day.  Most of the islands we passed are small (the smallest being less than 20 sq. m.), heavily-undercut at the base and have an elevation of 20 m. .  Many do not have trees to shade you from the sun and do not carry a name.  Some that do carry names are fancifully named after luminaries in the country (Marcos Island, Romulo Island, Quezon Island, etc.) while others are named after plants and animals that they resemble (Mushroom Island, Turtle Island, etc.).  An interesting photo opportunity was Cathedral Island, so named after its cathedral-like, fruit bat-inhabited cave with domed rock formations.  

Cathedral Island and Cave

Our first stop was Governor’s Island.  The island had white sand beaches on both sides but lolling around at the packed beaches wasn’t yet in our agenda.  Instead, all five of us decided to climb up the top of the island which, unlike 5 years ago, now had paved stairs and roped railings leading to a concrete view deck with railing (and packed with tourists).  What hasn’t changed, though, was the magnificent and panoramic view it afforded of this mini-archipelago said to have been formed from the tears of a prehistoric lovelorn giant who pined for his lost lady love.   The island also has a not-too-deep, sea-sculpted cave.

Marcos Island

Our next and longest stopover was Marcos Island.  Marked by mermaid statues, the island consists of 3 mounds, a 70-foot drop-off, a nice white sand beach (difficult to land on when the waves are high) and a helipad on the smaller dome.   From the beach, a well-marked trail, on the left, leads to the top of the island where its chief attraction is the bat-inhabited Imelda Cave which can be peered down from a blowhole above. Here, the adventurous and brave could climb down a wooden stairs to a ledge where they can cliff dive to the sea below.    

Waiting in line for our cliff dive
All five of us took a shot at it but the visibly scared Katrina and Jandy (although he knows how to swim) donned life vests just in case.  Upon hitting its suitably deep waters, we swam or clung to the cave walls, out to the cave mouth and back to the white sand beach.  Although Janet and Katrina only tried it once, we liked it so much that we went back for second shots (Cheska tried it thrice).  With our adrenaline rush sated, we finally settled down to lolling around in the rock-shaded portion of its beach. 
Cheska taking the plunge

It was now noontime and, after this exciting but adrenalin-sapping exercise, we were visibly hungry, our previous meal being an early breakfast at the resort.  We got back to our boat and proceeded to Quezon Island (at 25 hectares, the largest in this mini-archipelago).  This most frequented island was truly packed to rafters with tourists as it had, aside from its white sand beach, a pavilion for guests, stores (where one could dine) and toilet and bathing facilities (for a fee).  Again, it being a holiday, prices of goods bordered on the cutthroat but, hungry as we were, still ordered cooked Spam (at PhP250, twice that in Manila) plus rice (at PhP25 per cup) washed down with half-liter bottles of water (at PhP60).  The island also has a nursery for giant clams (locally called taklobo), a demonstration site for 300 clams dispersed here and at Children’s and Governor’s Islands, and all monitored on a regular basis. These, as well as the corals and mangroves, were rehabilitated through a program called “Marine Biodiversity Enhancement,”  a project of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) and the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation (MERF). 

Cuenco Island and its Cave
Backed at our boat, we passed by, but did not land, at the similarly packed Children’s Island which has a walkway and a calm, nearly wave-free shoreline suitable for children (hence its name). Cuenco Island, also called Quinco Island, was our last stopover.  This interesting island has two white sand beaches, on two sides, and a huge cave that passes through its center. 

Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

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This church, built in 1712, was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1892.  The dome was built by parish priest (1826-1834) Fr. Miguel Aparicio.  On January 9, 1945, the bishop’s residence was greatly damaged and the church was partially destroyed when American forces dropped bombs on the Poblacion.

Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord

Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord

The renovated church reopened in 1965 but it was damaged again during the July 16, 1990 earthquake and later repaired.  This massive adobe church, formerly the Three Kings Parish Church, is now the seat of the Lingayen Diocese which was created in 1932 with Msgr. Cesar Ma. Guerrero as its first bishop.

The 5-storey, octagonal bell tower

The 5-storey, octagonal bell tower

Its interiors have fine specimens of religious art in wood and metal and its imposing, Oriental pagoda-like (supposedly an architectural influence of the town’s Christianized Chinese inhabitants during the Spanish colonial period) , 45 yard high, 5-storey bell tower is said to be the tallest in the country.  Its centuries-old church bells dating back to the 1800’s, which fell during the American bombardment, are displayed in the Kampana Museum within the cathedral grounds.

Check out “Kampana Museum“

Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord: Poblacion, Lingayen, 2401 Pangasinan.  Tel: 542-6235.  Feast of the Three Kings: January 4-6.

How to Get There: Lingayen is located 200 kms. from Manila and 15 kms. west of Dagupan City.

War Memorial Museum (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

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War Memorial Museum

War Memorial Museum

This open-air museum, within the Lingayen Gulf War Memorial at the Provincial Capitol Compound, has relics of the American landing during World War II. On December 22, 1941, during World War II, Japanese Gen. Masaharu Homma and his 43,000 troops landed at Lingayen Gulf. Four years later, on January 9, 1945, Gen. Douglas MacArthur also landed here with 68,000 American troops during the liberation.  A stone marker here marks the landing site.

The exhibits

The exhibits

The open-air exhibits include a twin 40 millimeter ant-aircraft gun, a naval 3” gun, a Japanese Nakajima “Kate” torpedo bomber and two repainted U.S. M24 “Chaffee” tanks (one has its turret turned to the side, and the other’s turret is to the front).

A repainted U.S. M10 tank

A repainted U.S. M24 “Chaffee” tank

Japanese Nakajima “Kate” torpedo bomber

Japanese Nakajima “Kate” torpedo bomber

The author, Cheska and Jandy beside an ant-aircraft gun

The author, Cheska and Jandy beside a twin 44 mm. anti-aircraft gun

A pagoda displays a collection of historic photographs (including information on HMAS Australia hit by Kamikazes) while a bronze compass and map, in the center of the compound, details the US Army units that landed on January 9, 1945 at Lingayen Gulf.

Holy Week in Pangasinan

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El Puerto Marina Beach Resort & Spa

Come Holy Week, I got an invitation from El Puerto Marina Beach Resort and Spa owners Roland and Flordeliza Versoza to stay at their resort in Lingayen and, not having any other activity planned for the holidays, decided to accept their offer.

A group of flagellants

A penitent carrying a wooden cross

It was also to be my first visit to Pangasinan’s capital.  For company, I brought along my children Jandy and Cheska and we all left on Wednesday afternoon, the eve of the Holy Week rush.  As such, my 227-km. trip, normally a 4.5-hour drive, took all of 6 hrs., it being a holiday.  We arrived at the resort by 8 PM.

Check out “Resort Review: El Puerto Marina Resort and Spa“

Our room for the night

We were welcome by Flor who billeted us at one of the resort’s rustic airconditioned native-style bungalows with bath and cable TV.  Resting on stilts, these bungalows are cantilevered over a fishpond and reached via an S-shaped wooden footbridge. Quite famished, we dined at its equally rustic pavilion before calling it a night.

Cheska at the Hundred Islands

The next day, we joined a group which included Fil-American Katrina Nogoy and Malaysian-American Janet Jun Siew Loh, both teachers in Japan, for a tour of the Hundred Islands  (Cheska was a first-timer to these islands) in Alaminos City. On our way back to the resort, we dropped by the Cathedral of the Epiphany of our Lord in Lingayen.

Check out “Return to the Hundred Islands” and the “Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord” 

Picnic sheds along Lingayen Beach. We pitched our tent at the second hut from the right

On our second night at the resort, I brought out my 5-pax Coleman tent and  went camping along this adjoining, gently-sloping, cool, quiet gray sand beach. A bonfire was set up that night by the resort.

One of the resort’s resident arapaimas

The next day, we watched 2 big South American arapaimas being fed at the resort’s  koi pond. Later, Katrina and Janet joined us as we toured Lingayen, visiting the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol, the Sison Cultural and Heritage Center and the War Memorial Museum.

Check out “Pangasinan Provincial Capitol,” “Sison Cultural and Heritage Center” and “War Memorial Museum“

Cathedral of the Epiphany of Our Lord

Provincial Capitol

The author (left) with Cheska and Jandy at War Memorial Museum

Sison Cultural and Heritage Center

El Puerto Marina Beach Resort and Spa: Don Martin Domingo St., Pangapisan North, Lingayen, Pangasinan.  Tel: (075) 542-5328.  Fax: (075) 542-2285.  Mobile: (0917) 867-3908 and 3906. Manila tel: (632) 852-3404, 986-3404 and 775-6789.  Fax: (632) 824-7384.   E-mail: inquiries@elpuertomarina.com.  Website: www.elpuertomarina-pangasinan.com.

Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr (San Fabian, Pangasinan)

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Originally built with brick in 1768 by Dominican Fr. Francisco Ferrer, the Church of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, as well as the semi-claustral convent (which was constructed in 1763 by Fr. Holego Francisco Ferrer and converted into a public oratory), were destroyed by a fire in 1856 and subsequently restored.

The Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr

The Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr

Fr. Juan Gutiérrez, O.P. (1859-1862) rebuilt the church and the sanctuary (1857 and 1860) in cruciform (59.85 m. long and 11.40 m. wide; at the cruciform, 20 m.). In 1863, the present masonry church, convent and bell tower were built by Fr. Ramon Fernandez (parish priest from 1860 to 1870).

The restored, 5-storey octagonal bell tower

The restored, 5-storey octagonal bell tower

The massive earthquake of March 16, 1892 again damaged the church and convent which were later rehabilitated. On January 1945, during World War II, the church was damaged and bell tower and convent were destroyed by American naval shelling and, in 1952, the church and a portion of the convent were repaired by Engr. Santiago Alhambra, Fr. Francisco Posadas (1944-1952) and Fr. Emeterio Domagas.  In 2003, the bell tower was fully restored.

The church interior

The church interior

Church of St. Fabian, Pope & Martyr: Braganza St., San Fabian, 2433 Pangasinan. Tel: (075) 511-4841.

How to Get There: San Fabian is located 28 kms. east-northeast of Lingayen and about 184 kms. northwest of Manila.

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul (Calasiao, Pangasinan)

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This church is one of the largest in Pangasinan.  The original church was destroyed by earthquake and burned in 1736 during the Palaris Revolt.  The present structure was built in 1753 by Fr. Dalmau, burned in 1852 and rebuilt from 1853 to 1858 by Fr. Ramon Suarez.

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

The massive March 16, 1892 earthquake damaged the church. The massive July 16, 1990 earthquake destroyed its bell tower. Msgr. Luis B. Ungson reconstructed the church, restoring the bricked front wall, antique statues and the ceiling’s original floral motif. In 2001, the church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The restored 5-storey bell tower

The restored 5-storey bell tower

The church is 88.3 m. long, 25 m. wide and 27.3 m. high.  The adjoining sprawling convent is 75 m. long, 25 m. wide and has two yards.  The church’s imposing Renaissance-style brick and cement facade has columns that rise from the first level to the window sill.  Its pediment has a well-defined cornice and a statued niche at the tympanum flanked by two circular windows.  Its 30-m. high, hexagonal, 5-storey bell tower, one of the best in the province, has pinnacles at each level, arched windows with columned jambs and cantons at the corners.   Its retablo mayor, ornately decorated with statues of saints, is massive and complex woodwork is seen at the back.

The church interior

The church interior

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul : Poblacion West, Calasiao, Pangasinan,

How to Get There: Calasiao is located 207 kms. from Manila.

 

Church of St. Dominic Guzman (San Carlos City, Pangasinan)

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The town’s first church was built at the western side of the Agno River (near Zambales) where the town of Binalatongan (renamed as San Carlos in 1764) was originally located. On September 1587, the church was destroyed by fire and the church was reconstructed at Baloydaan at the eastern part of the river. On August 4, 1718, the church was again damaged by a fire. The town of Baloydaan was transferred to its present site and, after the 1763 uprising, was renamed as San Carlos in 1764.

Church of St. Dominic Guzman

Church of St. Dominic Guzman

The city’s present church, its fourth, was built with bricks (ladrillo) from 1770 to 1773 by Fr. Cristobal P. Ausina. During the late 1700s, iIt used to be the largest Catholic church in the Philippines but was heavily damaged during the 1796, 1798 and 1799 earthquakes.    Between 1802 and 1804, the church was reconstructed.

Image-03

Now measuring 89 yards (267 ft.) long and 22 yards (66 ft.), its wall height was lowered and the foundations were strengthened with buttresses.  In 1822, both the church and its convent were razed by fire and the church was rebuilt before 1864.  From 1878 up to 1890, Fr. Alvarez Carrozal initiated the rehabilitation of the church and the adjoining 4-storey bell tower was also erected during his time.

The 4-storey bell tower

The 4-storey bell tower

The church’s 4-level Baroque  facade has a huge pediment (formed from the two upper levels) painted with a picture of Saint Dominic and embellished with a raking cornice with huge, elegantly designed scrolls.  Through the designs along its wall planes, the middle segment gives contrast within the levels.

The church interior

The church interior

How to Get There: San Carlos City is located 227 kms. from Manila.

Church of St. Raymond of Penafort (Mangatarem, Pangasinan)

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The town’s present one-nave church replaced a wooden church built, from 1835 to 1844, by Fr. Joaquin Perez but burned in 1862. Fr. Manuel Alvarez de Manzano laid the church’s new 6 yard thick and 6 yard deep foundation.  The construction of the church was continued by Fr. Suarez until 1875. By 1880, the façade was completed and the church was finished by Fr. Vicente Iztequi.  The church was damaged during the July 16, 1990 earthquake.

Church of St. Raymond of Penafort

Church of St. Raymond of Penafort

Formerly the largest in the country, this church has a simple Early Renaissance sandstone facade with a low pediment and upper and lower levels separated by dentil-like elements.  Niches, windows, and the doorway relieve the monotony of the simple facade. The walls used finely hewn and squared ashlar stones hewn from the stone quarries along the mountain rangesof Malabobo, located 8 kms. from the town. The church measures 82.40 m. long and 16 m. wide while the transept is 51.70 m. long and 15.40 m. wide. The sidewalls measure 2.5 yards wide while the façade and the back walls are 3.5 yards wide.

The church's simple Early Renaissance sandstone facade

The church’s simple Early Renaissance sandstone facade

Fr. Manzano also began constructing the two bell towers and was continued by his successors, including Fr. Iztequi, but the towers were never completed, reaching only 6 m. high and remains so up to this day.  Fr. Perez built the 45 yard long and 20 yard wide brick convent in 1847 but this was also burned in 1862.  The present convent was built, on the same foundation of the former, by Fr. Iztequil from 1875 to 1886.

The church's interior

The church’s interior

How to Get There: Mangatarem is located 177 kms. from Manila and 23 kms. south of Lingayen.