Places to Retire: Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province located in the west central area of the island of Luzon and located along the Lingayen Gulf. It has a total land area of 5,368.82 square kilometers and a total population of 2,434,086 and expects to grow to 3,039,500 in 2010. The name Pangasinan means “land of salt” or “place of salt-making” which is fitting as the province is the major producer of salt in the Philippines. Pangasinan is also a major producer of mangos, rice, and bamboo.
Pangasinan is famous for Hundred Islands National Park, a marine park located off the coast of Alaminos City. Hundred Islands is named because it is composed of 123 islands (124 during low tide) most of which are quite small and uninhabited. Small boats shuttle visitors back and forth from the islands which boast beautiful white sand beaches and caves for diving.
During the summer, several feasts and festivals are celebrated in Pangasinan, including the Fiestay Dayat (Sea Feast) or Bagat ed Dayat (Sea Feast), the Bangus (Milkfish) Festival, and the Mangga tan Kawayan (Mango and Bamboo) festivals.
Several notable Filipinos were born in or have ties to Pangasinan they include:
Fidel V. Ramos- former President of the Philippines
The mother of current President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
The father of the late actor and former presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr
The maternal great-grandfather of Jose Rizal, a Philippine national hero
The province is 170 kilometers north of Manila, 50 kilometers south of Baguio City, 115 kilometers north of Subic International Airport and Seaport, and 80 kilometers north of Clark International Airport.
Check out a video I found on YouTube abolut Hundred Islands
