PANGASINAN—The Provincial Government of Pangasinan, through its Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO), joined the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 1 Office, headed by Regional Director Francisco Joseph R. Ortega, as well as birdwatching experts, local tour operators and a group of bikers as they conducted the second leg of the department’s Exploration and Simulation Tour in the province last August 29 to September 3, 2022.
In continuation of their birdwatching exploration tour last August 11 to August 13, representatives from the DOT-R1 and PTCAO invited local tour operators and bikers to assist in the conduct of a simulation tour so that they may experience the activities offered in various tourism destinations first-hand. Birdwatching experts Mr. Ivan Sarenas and Mr. Michael Agbayani Calaramo of Northwestern University joined the group once more as they led the birdwatching exploration part of the tour. Participants of this activity were also given the chance to taste some of Pangasinan’s known delicacies in the towns and cities they visited as part of the province’s thrust to promote its gastronomy tourism.
The 5-day tour began in Bani and Sual in western Pangasinan. While Bani was previously visited for its birdwatching sanctuary in Bangrin Marine Protected Area, the town also has bike trails that bikers and cyclists frequent as well as a favorite local snack in the form of palitaw con yema. In Sual, amateur or seasoned bikers are said to visit the town’s Lagalag Trail often because of its smooth pathways yet challenging climb and descent. The group also discovered that some migratory bird species fly along Sual’s wooded area, making for an interesting note for birdwatching enthusiasts.
In central Pangasinan, the group paid a visit to the towns of Aguilar, Mangatarem, Lingayen, Bayambang, and San Fabian. Lingayen and Mangatarem were included in the previous birdwatching exploration tour alongside Bani, where birdwatching experts Mr. Sarenas and Mr. Calaramo were elated to see a variety of bird species thriving in the two towns’ woodlands and the former’s beachside. The visit to Lingayen, in particular, highlighted the town’s culinary treasures such as heirloom dishes prepared and served at Mesa de Amor, a local restaurant known for its rustic ambience and traditional Filipino and Pangasinan menu.
In Bayambang, the group was introduced to the town’s fast-rising industry and product – bamboo. The town itself is known for being the site of the tallest bamboo structure in the world, with the St. Vincent Ferrer bamboo statue looming over the town from the St. Vincent Ferrer Prayer Park just a little ways away from the town proper. The group also had the chance to visit the CS First Green AID Inc., a factory that masterfully produces engineered bamboo and an array of other bamboo products that Bayambang is steadily being recognized for.
Meanwhile, in San Fabian, the group paid a visit to another notable destination for biking enthusiasts – the Biker’s Den. San Fabian itself is known to have bike trails that are regularly patronized by bikers from all around Pangasinan, and even those from nearby provinces. The surrounding lush greenery became a point of interest for birdwatching as well, where accompanying birdwatching experts noticed that the birds in San Fabian’s woodlands have readily learned how to adapt to the environment despite the community’s noises and other disruptions known to scare birds away.
The last two days of the tour saw the group traveling to eastern Pangasinan where they visited Binalonan, Rosales, Urdaneta City, Villasis, Asingan, Balungao, San Quintin, Natividad, and San Manuel. While western Pangasinan is known for its vast coastline, eastern Pangasinan boasts seemingly endless sceneries of the picturesque mountainside and abundant ecotourism sites such as rivers and waterfalls.
History, culture and arts enthusiasts often flock to Binalonan, Rosales and Urdaneta City in Pangasinan’s Fifth District as they are known for their local museums and parks, all of which stand as tributes or in homage to their respective artists and litterateurs. Deterred by the worsening weather brought about by Typhoon Henry at the time of their supposed visit to Antong Falls in Sison, the group visited Villasis and Asingan instead, where they saw Reotutar’s Garden and Resort and the Dairy Box of Bantog Samahang Nayon MPC respectively.
Amidst the cloudy weather and occasional drizzles, the group was still able to visit destinations such as San Manuel, Dipalo River in San Quintin, the Sky Plaza in Natividad, and Mt. Balungao. New bird species were discovered during their stop at Dipalo River and Mt. Balungao, adding more to the list of 150 bird species previously recorded from the first bird exploration tour conducted last August 11 to August 13, 2022.
Special Acknowledgments:
Mr. Ivan Sarenas, Mr. Michael Agbayani Calaramo, Bani Tourism Office, Sual Tourism Office, Aguilar Tourism Office, Lingayen Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, Mangatarem Tourism Office, Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape, Bayambang Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, San Fabian Tourism Office, Binalonan Tourism Office, Rosales Tourism Office, Urdaneta Tourism Office, Villasis Tourism Office, Reotutar’s Garden and Resort, Asingan Tourism Office, Dairy Box of Bantog Samahang Nayon MPC, Balungao Tourism Office, Natividad Tourism Office, San Manuel Tourism Office, and San Quintin Tourism Office.
/MCDG
Photos: LV
