PANGASINAN Gov. Ramon Guico III yesterday said the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects being implemented by the provincial government is expected to transform the province as one of the country’s top tourist destinations.
“This is precisely our dream, to make our beloved province a major tourist destination in the country, and this will not be far off because we continue to build many facilities to further attract local and foreign tourists to our province,” Guico said.
Among the projects the Guico administration is the 42.76-kilometer (Phase 1 Binalonan-Lingayen) Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) that will connect major areas in the province and its neighboring areas and significantly cut travel time once it is opened to the public.
He said that once PLEX becomes operational, the previous five-hour travel time from Manila to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City and other popular beaches in the province will be reduced to just three hours.
Guico said the soon-to-be completed PLEX, a joint venture of San Miguel Corporation and the provincial government, is also seen to further strengthen the provincial economy and the standard of living of Pangasinenses.
“We are laying the foundation and planting the seeds for the near future and for the far future. So, I think this administration will make it smart as the builder of the excellent and new Pangasinan. That’s what we want to happen,” he said.
“We still have many projects lined up to further transform our province into a top tourist attraction, but one term is not enough to implement them. I believe we can do it because we are all united,” added Guico, who is running for his second term in the May 12 midterm elections.
The Guico administration has implemented the conversion of the historic Casa Real into a large museum, now called the Bańaan (Tagpuan) Provincial Museum; the construction of a multi-level parking lot in Manaoag, the Bolinao Airport, and the largest reflecting pool and interactive fountain in Lingayen; the beautification and preservation of Malico, the summer capital of the province; the development of a large ecopark in the town of Bugallon; the use of “seaplanes” for faster travel from Manila to the province; and the Laoac Dairy Farm.
The Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) has said that some 8.6 million “day tourists” visited the province last year, compared to more than 5.5 million in 2022.
The PTCAO said province is expecting more tourist arrivals during the dry and warm months to visit its many attractions, such as town fiestas and the ongoing ‘Pista’y Dayat’ (Sea Festival) in Lingayen.
The provincial government is also promoting the construction of the 11-storey Government Center and Tower and the 1,500-seater Convention Center, both located near the Provincial Capitol.
It as also partnered with the Department of Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority for the groundbreaking and construction of the Pangasinan Tourism Rest Area.
