Manaoag is True Gateway of P’sinan - Mayor Ming

 AS THE PROVINCE’S TOP TOURISTS DESTINATION

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANAOAG, Pangasinan – With her more or less 55,000 mostly devotees that flock weekly to the The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, the mayor dubbed his town as the ‘true gateway of Pangasinan”.

“We are the No.1 tourists’ destinations in Pangasinan. In fact, hindi naman sa bragging but, we are the true gateway of Pangasinan -- totoo naman,” Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario told Northern Watch Newspaper.

MANILA MAYOR Honey Lacuna-Pangan and Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico “Ming” Rosario (5th and 6th from left first row) and their entourage pose in Manaoag, Pangasinan during the forging of the two Chief Executives of the Twinning Agreement on their collaboration that will provide cultural exchanges, opportunities from trade, investment, economic development and economics initiatives.

Last Holy Week, the Mayor expected 165,000 pilgrims, devotees, and penitents that converged here from various parts of the country.

Because of this comparative advantage compared to other towns and cities in drawing people, Rosario looks for other come-ons that will attract these visitors so they can spend their monies here and bolster the employment and economy of the town.

“Real challenge to Manaoaguenos is how we can make them stay longer than usual. The longer they stay the better to Manaoaguenos they’’ spend their money here”.

The 26 villages’ Manaoag has a population of 76,045 (2020 Census) and size of 1,400 square kilometers.

In spite of the few number of small hotels cum inns and the new Manaoag Hotel that is fully booked every weekend, the Mayor said this town needs investors to build more hotels to cater to the burgeoning number of pilgrims.

“Kulang kulang. We are open to investors. In fact, marami na ang kumakatok and even the Guanzon Group ay naka-avail na ng lot. Hotel din o Pedritos (a chain of restaurant owned by Guanzon)”.

He said this first class land locked town needs hundreds if not thousands of rooms to accommodate the swelling number of tourists.

Meanwhile, the local government units (LGU) of this town and the country’s capital Manila forge a Twinning Agreement.

The collaboration will provide cultural exchanges, opportunities from trade, investment, economic development and economics initiatives.

It was culminated when this pilgrimage town’s Mayor Rosario and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan (lawmaking body) met recently here with Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and the members of her lawmaking body led by Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto.

Mayors Rosario and Lacuna-Pangan and Rosario’s spouse’ Twiggy are medical doctors.