Lingayen City? About time Part I

By Mita Q. Sison-Duque

Source:

April 4-10, 2006 issue

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TIME holds parallel perspectives. Years ago when we first brought our children home from Washington, D.C., an incident at that time stands out in memory. A little boy of 5 or 6, one of twin boys had this to say about a well-loved old hometown.

 

 

"Mom," he said as we drove our children around Lingayen the very first time. "Is this the Lingayen of all your stories?" "One and the same, son." "This one?" "We’re here!" "The one you said had all these heroes walking the streets? I don’t see any…" "At some time in the past, yes, they did. Not your superheroes…" "Oh…" his voice trailing off a little disappointed. "Real heroes found in historic books."

 

 

Still unimpressed, he asked more. "The one you said is… beautiful?" he questioned as he looked around when my husband drove the length of the boulevard turning the bend behind the Capitol. Upon seeing the expanse of the beach, he agreed. "The beach is there, all right." "It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" Silence. "Well… Mom…" he answered after some pause… "I guess so, if you love it." Minutes later, overheard as he sat scrounged beside his twin brother and his siblings… "Looks a rotten egg to me…" he said in a whisper.

 

 

"Rotten egg" in the developing vocabulary of a 6-year-old means undeveloped. And time marched on, ready or not. During the spurt of time it took to develop a boy into manhood, symbolically and in parallels, was the time it took a town to evolve into a city-worth town.

 

 

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Historic Gabaldon building

By Restituto C. Basa

Source:
February 22-28, 2005 issue

 

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EVERY town in the country that existed as of 1889 has a schoolhouse known as Gabaldon building. We have one in Dagupan City. It is now 96 years old; the oldest school house in town. It was constructed in 1909. We refer to the Dagupan City West Central School.

 

 

Among all Gabaldon school buildings of the country, the one we have in Dagupan has a unique history. While built as a schoolhouse, the one we have in Dagupan City served as the Provincial Capitol of Pangasinan from 1942 up to 1945.

 

Our local cultural and historical committee should take note of this and act accordingly. An appropriate historical marker should be placed in the building.

 

Dagupan was the war time capital town of Pangasinan from 1942 up to 1945. The Gabaldon school house served as the Provincial Capitol. It was here where our war time governor, Santiago V. Estrada, Sr. and his provincial board members, held office for the duration of the Pacific war.

 

The provincial board secretary during the war period was BLAS F. RAYOS, founder and president of the Dagupan Institute, which later became UNIVERSITY OF PANGASINAN.

 

The war time mayor of Dagupan was Amado Ll. Ayson, associate of Rayos at the Dagupan Institute.

 

How did the schoolhouse come to be known as the Gabaldon building?

 

It was named in honor of Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija, who was assemblyman for two terms from 1907-1909 and from 1909-1911. He was also elected for two terms as senator of the third senatorial district.

 

When he was assemblyman, Gabaldon authored the law which came to be popularly known as the Gabaldon Act of 1909. Under this law, the sum of P1 million was appropriated for the construction of a concrete schoolhouse in every poblacion. This was a huge amount in 1909.

 

The Department of Public Works, in consultation with the Department of Education, prepared the design of the school building. It was uniform throughout the country.

 

Santiago Estrada was elected governor of Pangasinan in the November 1941 elections with Sofronio Quimson and Elias Cabangon as his two provincial board members.

 

Estrada was conscripted by the Japanese imperial army to serve as governor under Japanese imperial army to serve as governor under Japanese rule. His two board members, Quimson and Cabangon, successfully evaded the Japanese in their place. Pastor Gomez of Malasiqui and Dr. Oviedo Rous of Binalonan were installed as provincial board members.

 

The horse drawn caromata was the common vehicle of transportation during the war. There was no gasoline supply. Besides, all the motor vehicles were sequestered by the Philippine Army when the war broke out. These vehicles were used to transport Filipino soldiers and war supplies to Bataan in accordance with War Plan Ornage No. 3.

It is to be recalled that on December 8, 1941 when the Pacific war broke out, General Douglas MacArthur, the top military authority in the country at the time, ordered that all the towns along the Lingayen gulf be evacuated. It was anticipated that the Japanese invasion army will land at the Lingayen Gulf.

 

Lingayen was abandoned as the capital town. The provincial government was moved to Tayug. The Tayug convent served as the capitol building.

 

When Pangasinan came under Japanese rule, Dagupan was made the capital town. Thus on January 9, 1945, when General Douglas MacArthur landed at the Lingayen Gulf, he came ashore in Dagupan to capture the provincial government and then establish his headquarters at the town.

 

 

MacArthur used the Gabaldon building as his military headquarters. He used the Home Economics building as his Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ).

 

 

Dagupan remained as the capital town up to June 30, 1945. After that, the provincial government was returned to Lingayen.

 

The capitol building in Lingayen was heavily damaged by Lingayen bombardment prior to the landing of the U.S. liberation forces.

 

Digital Pictures of the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol courtesy of:  

Dagupan, the cradle of Pangasinan civilization

By Restituto C. Basa

Source:
August 16-22, 2005
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THE late Nick Joaquin, Filipino national artist for literature, in one of his articles, pointed to Dagupan as the cradle of Pangasinan civilization as Vigan is the cradle of the Ilocos civilization in the north.

Early human settlements started on river deltas. The oldest human civilization grew in Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq). Mesopotamia is situated between two famous rivers, namely Tigris and the Euphrates.

The second oldest civilization is Egypt. This land is situated at the delta of the Nile River.

Pangasinan civilization grew on the delta of the great Agno river. This delta is situated between the twin islands of Pugaro and Bonuan in Dagupan.

It is very interesting to note that the Agno river delta in Bonuan is situated at the central section of historic Lingayen gulf.

Gateway to Agno valley: If we go by the theory that we, Pangasinenses originated from mainland Asia and migrated to this land of salt, the entry point to our ancestors to the Agno valley is the Agno river delta in Bonuan.

Naturally the pioneer settlers occupied the area around the Agno river delta in Dagupan. Subsequent comers spread out into the Agno valley by sailing upstream the Agno river.

By the way, the Agno river drains three central Luzon provinces. These are Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Pangasinan. These three provinces constitute what we call the greater Agno valley.

Being situated at the central section of the Lingayen gulf, the delta played a major rule in the liberation of Luzon from Japanese rule on January 9, 1945.

When General Douglas MacArthur undertook the liberation of Luzon, he used the Lingayen gulf as the landing pad of his troops.

His liberation forces consisted of four infantry divisions. He used the Agno river delta in Dagupan as his point of reference in landing his troops.

He landed two divisions on the east-north side of the delta to wit: one division in Bonuan and another division in Mabilao, San Fabian.

He landed the two other divisions on the west side of the river delta, to wit: one division in Pugaro and the other division in the Lingayen-Binmaley beaches.

At one point in our history, British traders converted the river channel in downtown Dagupan into a seaport; the river delta in Dagupan served as the entry point to the port.

Incidentally, when a group of British industrialists invested here to boost trade in Luzon, they built a railway system that connected two commercial centers, Dagupan in the north and Manila in the south.

They hired the first Filipino engineer who graduated in London to construct the railway. His name is Engineer Juan Crisostomo Villamil, a native of Dagupan.

In constructing the railway, Villamil was supervised by a British engineer, Henry Kipping.

During the construction of the railway, Kipping was introduced to Leonor Rivera in Dagupan. Kipping pursued Leonor. The courtship ended in marriage. They were married at the St. John Parish Church in Dagupan on June 17, 1891.

The wedlock was solemnized by Fr. Vicente Iztequi. It was the same padre who established the Colegio de San Alberto Magno in Calmay. Unfortunately this Dominican college was swept away to the sea by the big flood of 1935. ‘Sayang’.

(Because of her marriage to Kipping, Leonor broke Rizal’s heart. But this is another story.)

Note: The digital camera pictures of the Dagupan City Plaza were taken by: Ray B. Zambrano

One Historic Church

By Restituto C. Basa
Source: People’s Digest Newsweekly
February 8-14, 2006
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Digitally photographed by:

 

 

 

ONE religious temple that should be of interest to the Dagupan City Historical and Cultural Committee for conservation is the ancient St. John The Evangelist Cathedral situated along Zamora Street. (Note: Daily noontime masses are held in this church which has recently undergone reconstruction.)
 
Towards the close of the Katipunan revolution, the Spanish authorities of Pangasinan abandoned Lingayen and moved to Dagupan.
 
The provincial government was housed at the Dagupan convento.

Digitally photographed by:

 

 

All the Spanish friars in Pangasinan abandoned their posts in the various towns and sought the safety of the Dagupan convent. The Spanish forces of Pangasinan were all moved to Dagupan.
 
Even the Nuestra Señor del Rosario of Manaoag was brought to the Dagupan convent, probably in the hope that she could turn the tide of battle in favor of the Spanish defenders?
 
Just as the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) made its last stand in Bataan against the Japanese invasion army in 1942, the Spanish forces in Pangasinan in 1898 took their last stand against the Katipunan forces in Dagupan.

 

 

Digitally photographed by:

 

 

 

The beleaguered Spaniards sought cover behind the thick abode walls on the convent and the church.
 
The Spanish defenders were well armed. They were in control of the financial resources of the province. They could procure all the firearms they needed.
 
On the other hand, the Katipunan troopers were poorly armed. Only a few of them had rifles. What was sad that some of those who had firearms, (captured from Spanish soldiers in previous encounters) did not know how to shoot. The rest were armed with bolos.
 
The battle of Dagupan lasted for four days from July 19 t0 28, 1898. Generals Servillano Aquino and Francisco Macabulos have already liberated Tarlac from Spanish rule.
 
Makabulos and his trooper came to Dagupan to assist the Pangasinan Katipuneros.
 
The Filipino freedom fighters surrounded the Spanish citadel in all sides.
 
There was actually very little exchange of fire between the two contending forces.
 
It would seem to be that the Spanish forces and the civil and ecclesiastical authorities who were holed up there run out of food supply. Since they could not go out to procure food supplies from the market, they raised the white flag rather than perish from hunger and disease.
 
With the Spanish surrender, Spanish rule in Pangasinan ended once and for all.

 

Digitally photographed by:
 

Side note: Because the old St. John the Evangelist Cathedral was renovated, there became two cathedrals: The old and the new big Metropolitan Cathedral (just beside the old one). But no cathedrals can be in one place so the restored old cathedral is now the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral and the big church is now the St. John the Evangelist Parish Church. (Information provided by: Marcelo L. Vistro)

Welcome and Celebrate with us

The Dagupan City Bangus Festival 2006 

Schedule of Activities

 

April 1-30-May 1-2

Trade Fair - Affordable apparels, housewares, furnitures, accessories, bags and other stuffs galore in this exhibit along Jovellanos Street.

 

April 8

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim Cup – an invitational shootfest by Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim participated in by various gun clubs to be held at the Dagupan Practical Shooters Association Firing Range in Bonuan Binloc.

 

April 21/ 7am

Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer – Religious organizations gather to offer prayer for the city, the country and the world for unity, progress and peace to formally open the celebration of the Bangus Festival.

 

April 21/ 1 pm

Bangus Fest Caravan (motorcade) – Bangus Festival 2006 starts with a big bang as city government officials, employees and festival sponsors shares the Bangus festival mania to nearby towns and municipalities as part of the festival’s formal launching.

 

April 21/ 6pm

Bangus fest opening ceremony – A grand opening program featuring grandiose fireworks display and marching bands showdown to welcome the almost month-long celebration of Bangus Festival 2006.

 

April 21/ 7pm 

Drum and Bugle Exhibition – An electrifying and colorful display of renowned marching bands from colleges and universities nationwide will spice up the Bangus Fest Opening Ceremony. Dagupan City’s multi-awarded University of Luzon Drum and Bugle Corps spearheads the event.

 

April 21/ 8pm

Parokya ni Edgar Concert – a free concert by the MTV awardee Parokya ni Edgar starring actress Ara Mina and RnB Princess Kyla to be held at the Magsaysay Bridge.

 

April 22/ 7am

Inter-Barangay & Inter-Dep’t. fun games – Barangay officials and city government employees enjoys the day off from work as they are treated to a day of revelry and parlor games.

 

April 22/ 8am

Car show – Auto lovers will surely love to check out the hottest and latest car models as well as the vintage and classic ones in this exciting automotive event.

 

April 22/ 7pm

Al Fresco Acoustic Night - Spend the night with a music that’s smooth and soothing in an intimate concert with top acoustic singers performing in a sentimental ambience as mini bars are set up within the People’s Park simultaneously with the Car Show.

 

April 22/ 12–1pm

Tour Pilipinas (Padyak Pinoy) – Philippine cycling is alive this summer as the country’s top riders competing for the Tour Pilipinas cycling competition arrives in the city as part of their race destination.

 

April 23/ 7 am (start)

Bangus Fest Amazing Race – A team composed of 2 males and 2 females are caught up in this 5-day travel adventure game derived from America’s most popular reality show The Amazing Race and the local show Extra Challenge.

 

April 24

Bangus Challenge (Luzon Karate Games)– Tough karate athletes will showcase their talent in martial arts.

 

April 26/ 8 am

101 Ways to Cook Bangus –Seasoned cooks will present the succulent Dagupan bangus in many distinctive recipes.

 

April 26/ 3pm

Basketball "gaymes" (Battle of the 3rd kind) – The famous basketball game became more enjoyable and exciting as gays try to prove that they also play basketball like real men.

 

April 26/ 7pm

Battle of the Bands – Up and coming Pinoy rock bands will definitely make you jump out of your skin as they compete with live performances on the concert stage.

 

April 27/ 3pm

Opening of Beach Volleyball –Youngsters have the opportunity to participate in this much-anticipated volleyball competition that involves lots of action and spiking in the sand featuring veteran players of beach volleyball from colleges and universities in Metro Manila.

 

April 27/ 7 pm

Bangus Fest King and Queen – The city’s summer spectacle heats up in this Bikini Open contest that celebrates the beauty of swimsuit fashion worn by the candidates from other towns and cities nationwide.

 

April 28/ 8 am

Bangus Rodeo (featuring Lumbay Bangus)– A fun-filled contest on who is the fastest bangus deboner, eater and classifier. It is also highlighted by the search for the biggest, heaviest and the sexiest bangus. Aside from the traditional activities, watch how the world famous Dagupan bangus outperform each other in the bangus marathon called "lumbay bangus."

 

April 28/ 7pm

Rave Party – Sayaw at Saya- The city streets give way for avid partygoers craving for an exceptional experience of dancing and partying at the middle of the Perez Street.

 

April 29/ 3pm

Grand Creative Float Parade & Gilon! Gilon! street dancing competition – This traditional event in the Bangus Festival features the pageantry of bangus-inspired floats parading the entire stretch of the downtown area interspersed by lively Gilon! Gilon! street dancers depicting the bountiful harvest of bangus.

 

April 29/ 7pm

Singing Contest - Amateur singers display their singing prowess during this event.

 

April 30 /4:30 pm

Kalutan ed Dagupan – The culminating activity of the Bangus Festival highlighted by the longest barbecue party in the street dubbed "Liket tan Gayaga ed Dalan".

 

May 1/ 7am

Fluvial Parade – A unique display of boats cruising along the main rivers of the city up to the Lingayen Gulf Bonuan Tondaligan.

 

May 1/ 9am

Pisasalamat – A thanksgiving mass in honor of the city’s patron saint St. John the Evangelist.

 

May 1/ 10 am

Palaro sa Dagat – Beach action and excitement intensifies further in this premier sports competition held at the city’s Tondaligan beach.

 

Sand Sculptor Park Competition – Sand castles exquisitely crafted will transform the city’s beachfront into a summer tropical garden

 

Bangus in the Sky – Multi-colored kites decorating the summer sky are featured in this kite flying competition at the Tondaligan Beach.

 

May 1/ 7pm

Rock the Beach Concert –Metro Manila bands and singers will rock the night away in this concert party catered for all ages.

 

Check out this site for updates

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Pangasinan today has 44 municipalities and 4 cities (Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta, and Alaminos) and has natural, cultural, historical and religious attractions that merit a purposeful visit and not just a passing through. These areas and their come-ons are described here.

Agno

Known as an "old seat of civilization", it competes with Hundred Islands in natural beauty. Its umbrella rocks that just out of its clear lake and its long-winding beachline are tourists' musts.

Aguilar

Once a bastion of the brave, and an anathema to invaders of yore, it is a breathtaking dip in rusticana, what with its green meadows and thick forests.

Alaminos City

This is Hundred Islands town. The 100 islands, some 123 of them, is the most popular tourist destination in the province.

Alcala

Its long "Great Wall," actually that of the multi-million Agno River Control dike which sometimes spares the town from the onslaught of floods, is a testament to man's efforts to preserve himself and fend for himself from natural adversities.

Anda

This lone island town of Pangasinan, which thrives on farming and deep-sea fishing, is unlike other "out-of-way" places for progress has already caught up with it. If a Pangasinense has a surname beginning with the letter C, chances are, he is from this town.

Asingan

The hometown of first Pangasinense President, Fidel Valdez Ramos, is a "Vegetable Country" for any which direction one looks, eggplants, ampalaya and tomatoes, in short, "pinakbet," greet the eyes.

Balungao

Once visited for its hot springs, it is nevertheless an interesting tourist stopover for an oddity, a Rizal monument built right in the middle of the road.

Bani

This town thrives on the bounties of sea and farm. It boasts of a new park which is a haven for those who want to lose themselves in the sweet clutch of nature.

Basista

Once a part of San Carlos City, it is now a big town for its cottage industry and a name in international markets for its handicrafts.

Bautista

In summer, watermelon abound in this town where Jose L. Palma wrote the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem. Julian Felipe, for his part, composed the patriotic hymn in a house near the Bautista railroad station which stands up to this day.

Bayambang

The site of the biggest fishing sanctuary in the province, the Mangabul Fishing and Hunting Park, and the best local school for teachers education, the Pangasinan State University-College of Education (formerly Central Luzon Teachers College once referred to as "Normal School"), it is part of history as the first national anthem was sung here by the revolutionary forces under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.

Binalonan

This town has to its name the titles "Model Urban Community" and "Cleanest Municipality in the Philippines" garnered during the seventies.

Binmaley

A standout for three things: the largest church in the province, its furniture industry centered in Malindong, and its fishponds which gained for itself the title "Bangus Queen of the Philippines."

Bolinao

This quaint little town boasts of several attractions aside from its rugged coastline and wide expanse of unspoiled seascapes. Its museum, a branch of the national museum, showcases the rich heritage of the people. Santiago Island, Cape Bolinao Beach, and the Church of St. James, almost 400 years old, are its stronger points.

Bugallon

San Jose Hillside Resort is its main tourist attraction, but historically, its Salasa Church offers more having housed, for instance, the bell that lures tourists to the Agoo Basilica Church.

Burgos

The "Cowboy Country" or "Marlboro Country" of Pangasinan is not for dudes alone as its Cabungaoan Beach Resort, Klowar Spring, and Sangbay Falls are crowd-drawers.

Calasiao

Religious devotees flock to this town, thanks to its miraculous Sanctuario del Señor Tesoro, chewy puto, tender Bocayo and coconut pastilles flavored with anise.

Dagupan City

The commercial, financial, educational and communication center North of Manila, was traditionally called Nandaragupan meaning a "meeting place or rallying point". It used to be part of Binalatongan, now San Carlos City, four centuries ago. The City by the Gulf is where the great Pangasinan chieftain Andres Malong assembled his forces for a last stand against the Spanish troops after which people began calling the place as Nandaragupan. It is famous for its blue beach and Bonuan bangus.

Dasol

A town gifted with tourist lures: Noah's Island Beach Resort, Tambobong Beach, Salabusoban Falls, and Magunao Resort, all simply marvelous.

Infanta

Once the rice granary of Western Pangasinan, it now has its beaches to rely on for exposure, the Balqui Island Beach Resort, for one.

Laoac

The youngest town in Pangasinan has potentials to approximate the greatness of its mother town, Manaoag, but it has yet to find what would make it unique.

Labrador

This boat building town beckons to tourists through a religious shrine, Lawis Uyong, and two resorts, Tandoc and Stone Quarry Falls.

Lingayen

An encomienda when Pangasinan was created, it was then designated and remains the provincial capital. Lingayen earned a place in contemporary history when American forces designated it the landing area for the liberation of Northern Luzon from the Japanese. The town is likewise noted for the Limahong Channel which the men of the Chinese pirate dug to elude the pursuing forces of Salcedo. Its "bagoong", also known as maniboc, referring to its place of origin, Barangay Maniboc, is the best in the market, local, national or international.

Mabini

This rustic town is visited for its Cacupangan Caves, formerly Balincaguing Caves, a lair of 1001 bats, Balincaguing River, basin perfect for skinny dipping, Binmatya Spring and Barlo Mines.

Malasiqui

Like other Central Pangasinan towns, the Pangasinan dialect it its pure form is spoken here, in lilting tones in fact. Three of its barangays, Canan, Palapar and Lareg-lareg, offer spots ideal for relaxation.

Manaoag

Before Agoo, there was already Manaoag and inspite (or maybe because) of Agoo, pilgrimage to this town has increased over the past few months. The trek to the shrine of Nuestra Señora de Manaoag or "Apo Baket" or the Lady Who Calls which has come to be known as the "Antipolo of the North" has never waned. The Virgin's in the outskirt of the town is another well-visited spot for its curative springs.

MangaldanMangaldan owns the distinction as the third town in Pangasinan to be founded by the Dominican missionaries. As early as 1591, Mangaldan already existed as a Spanish encomienda. Its foundation as a town is attributed to Blessed Juan Martinez de Santo Domingo, a former missionary of Pangasinan who died a martyr's death in Japan on March 19, 1618.

Mangatarem

Mangatarem derived its present name from the combination of the Ilocano words "Manga ken Tirem," which in English means "mango and oyster." According to old folk tales, the name "Mangatarem" was attributed to woodcutters who happened to meet each other in a forested area, which is now the present site of the town.

Mapandan

A nationally known spot in Mapandan is Barrio Golden, once selected as a "model barrio" in integrated community development. "Tanggal Ya Bato" or stonewalls is its other tourist bait.

Natividad

A farming town, Natividad has shed off its once sleepy profile, all because of Pila resort, however underdeveloped, a hilly area frequented by picnickers.

Pozorrubio

The Buccat Hill and the Sugcong Spring in this town are bywords in local tourism. Its Dilan bamboocraft products are export fares.

Rosales

Pangasinan ends and begins in Rosales. Its Barangay Carmen in particular is the take-off point to Dagupan City, Baguio City and Nueva Ecija. Its "tupig" is superb-reason enough for a stopover.

San Carlos City

Became a city through a congressional act authored by the late Congressman Angel B. Fernandez after the late Speaker Eugenio Perez Sr. authored the city charter of Dagupan. The home town of legendary hero Palaris is the seat of exportable handicrafts.

San Fabian

This town has always known for its beaches, nestled in a cove, so that only the gentlest of waves ripple across the crystalline blue waters. Now it is also byword for its beach resorts, rivaling those of La Union, its pawnpushres (it has the only chess school in the country, in fact) and its amateur pugilists.

San Jacinto

A tobacco belt and one of the province's earliest municipalities, its people's hospitality makes it ideal for residential purposes.

San Manuel

This hometown of Juan C. Laya, of Diwang Kayumanggi fame, is one of the best rice producers of Pangasinan. It has a dam site which serves as a favorite picnic ground for vacationists, the Butao Spring and a mountain boy scout campsite.

San Nicolas

It this town lies the historic Red Arrow Movement, otherwise known as WWII Villaverde Trail campsite, and the Agpay reforestation area with its crystal clear brooks.

San Quintin

Though its "Little Luneta" - its town plaza-has given way for other must-visit places, its Dipalo Watershed is keeping them coming for its unique charm.

Sta. Barbara

Tagged as the agricultural nursery of Pangasinan, it is expected to progress by leaps and bounds with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) there, and with the entry of La Tondeña Distillery Plant. Its mango-tree-lined highway offers a breather to motorists.

Sta. Maria

Grafted from the town of Tayug, Sta. Maria has quite a number of faith healers flocked by those who seek to be eased off their discomforts. This town, with its pristine beauty, provides a sofa for the senses.

Sto. Tomas

With well-trimmed agoho trees, shrubs and bushes lining its streetsides, Sto. Tomas, monickered the "cutest town" in Pangasinan.Looks like a dainty girl on her birthday.

Sison

Baguio-bound travellers make their entrances and exits and stopovers in this gateway to the City of Pines. Its 'covenant' with cultural minorities, extensive barangay beautification program and industrialization efforts are paving the way for its modernization. Residents of this town get away from it all in Mountain bato, a compsite and Antong Creek, a picnickers' destination.

Sual

The zigzagging way up Sualsalito and the panoramic view of Sual from up there are reasons enough to visit this boom town in the making. The historic Aguinaldo debarkation point is another count in too the alluring Cabalitian Island beach resort.

Tayug

The premier town in the northeastern part of the province, it figured prominently in Philippine history, having served as the site of the Colorum uprishing let by Pedro Calosa, an incident immortalized by novelist Kerima Polotan-Tuvera.

Umingan

A farming town, Umingan came into existence after its natives, harrassed no end by bandits, fought back, putting an end to banditry ("inmingan") and started living a peaceful life.

Urbiztondo

The "corn and cacao basket of Pangasinan", Urbiztondo stands as a symbol of man's will to survive, metamorphosing from a sleepy town to a hive in a matter of years.

Urdaneta City

Next to Dagupan City, it is most alive business-wise, what with its share of banking institutions, multi-national firms, market complexes, entertainment row and cattle trading center, the largest north of Manila.

Villasis

Hemmed in between two bustling areas, Urdaneta City and Carmen, Villasis is one of the fastest developing town in the province. Considered as a "Vegetable Basket", it also thrives on its rice, corn and tobacco plantations. Its hilly barangays situated along the Malasiqui boundary is a perfect place for resort developers and agri-businessmen.

Source: Pangasinan Provincial Website