35 Mla. scribes tour Pangasinan’s famous sites

Lingayen- - -Thirty-five young Manila-based journalists, bloggers, and photographers toured various famous sites in Pangasinan from January 27 to January 30 as part of the annual North Philippines Bureau’s familiarization trip dubbed Lakbay Norte. 

Media men from Manila experience the gastronomic delights done by the
culinary experts in various famous restaurants in Pangasinan. The members
of the 4th Estate were invited by tourism's Pangasinan Visitors' Bureau
led by its president the beauteous Michelle Zarate Lioanag (extreme
right).
  

Now on its fifth leg, Lakbay Norte, aimed to promote North Luzon as the preferred travel destination in the country.

In their four-day stint in Pangasian, travel writers and photographers from top broadsheets, magazines and online blogs journeyed to different Pangasinan destinations to experience outdoor adventures and gastronomic delights with the assistance of the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) led by its chief Ma. Luisa A. Elduayan.

On their first day, Lakbay Norte participants were brought to Balungao Adventures Park where the famous Pangasinan zipline, the country’s longest zipline, stretching 1.4 kilometers, is found.

Second day of their trip, as disclosed by the PTCAO, was concentrated on the local cuisine where the group were brought to Matutina’s Restaurant and Patio Elmina Restaurant both in Dagupan City to witness live cooking demonstrations and food tasting.

The group’s adventure was highlighted with a visit to the Capitol and a courtesy call on Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., who warmly welcomed the visitors at the Urduja House.

After the courtesy call, the visitors proceeded to the historic Lingayen beach area for a land kite-boarding clinic.

The group traveled to Lingayen’s adjacent town Bugallon for an al fresco dining experience at the Riverside Restaurant---a newly-opened establishment right below Banaga bridge which offers palatable food and a refreshing sight of the Agno River with all the lights at sun down.

Finally, the second day of their tour wrapped up with a long trip to the wild west—Punta Riviera Resort in Bolinao town where the group stayed for the night.

For their third day (January 29), the group is treated with an early visit to the Pacific Salt Farm located in a 500-hectare salt farm in Barangay Zaragoza in Bolinao.

The farm tour begins early morning and visitors are taken to a view deck, where they can see the salt farm on Tambac Bay, a body of water separating Bolinao and the island town of Anda.

After their tedious yet worthy educational trip to the salt farm, their next destination was a serene cruise off Balingasay River, the cleanest in Region I and a national finalist, courtesy of Sungayan Grill Resto.

Completing their four-day trip on January 30 is a brief visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor (Home for the Elderly) at Brgy. Catubig in Bolinao before proceeding to Alaminos City for a site visit of city’s Mangrove Center.

From a few hours of stay in the previous years, Lakbay Norte opted this year to hold a longer stint to Pangasinan to visit more places in the province. (Ruby R. Bernardino)