Punchline
Pangasinan’s Magical Coastline
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
PANGASINAN’S long coastline, from San Fabian to Bolinao outlined by fine beach sand is a veritable goldmine that is largely untapped and underdeveloped as a tourist destination in central –northern region.
It provides a major opportunity for livelihood for thousands of families not only for residents by the beach but for entrepreneurs who understand risks and profit opportunities. But I guess since we’ve been too close to the beach for decades, all we could see are the waves, the coconut trees and the beach sand where huts can be built overnight and nothing much else.
Today, we don’t even see the filth and the trash that litter our beachfronts, not even the dangers and hazards ever present in our beaches. Not even the rampant land-grabbing right under our noses. We all simply leave it to others to protect our rights and to clean up after us. Tsk-tsk.
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INSPIRING SIGHT. Two weeks ago, as I was waiting for an early morning court hearing at the Justice Hall in Tondaligan Park in Dagupan City, I took the opportunity to take a brisk walk by the beach. And boy, was I greeted with a pleasant, inspiring sight.
There were lifeguards dutifully clearing and combing the beach of debris and some litter left behind by uncivilized visitors and residents. The bouys marking the boundaries for swimming were there (though some were already misplaced). The lifeguards’ stations were in their places.
I asked one of the hutkeepers in the area about the changes that I observed. He said “It’s has been like this since Mayor Belen Fernandez took over.” (Take a bow, Mayor Belen!).
I am sure many already observed the new discipline at the park since the Belen administration took over but few gave little notice to it because we simply and normally take cleanliness and orderliness for granted. In my case, since I am no longer a beach person, not after I saw my sister drown in the area in 1963 where the District Jail now stands. My regular visits to the area is prompted mainly by a craving to feast on inihaw na bangus and pinakbet in Gerry Austria’s Matutina Branch 2 restaurant. So that recent walk provided quite a revelation.
I do recall that I had asked city hall (since the administration of then Mayor Opring Manaois until the Lim administration) to develop and maintain cleanliness and order in the area, but with little or no success.
I always broached the matter of safety because the word was already getting around tourism groups then that “Dagupan beach is the place to forget because of its hazardous underwater current.” Again, no response until I saw the buoys installed and fulltime lifeguards employed by Mayor Belen’s administration. Hurray!
Note: The cover-up of land grabbing at the park by the Lim administration was nauseating at the very least. Why Vice Mayor Brian Lim, who took part in the cover-up, is still not being made to account today is beyond me, but that’s another story.
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THE NEW SAN FABIAN BEACH. Speaking of a great beach with a lot of potential, I’ve always thought that the San Fabian White Beach is among the tops, until last week!
I was aghast viewing pictures shared with me by my uncle Noel Verzosa from far Las Vegas. San Fabian’s beachfront looked like an unkempt informal settlers’ paradise. There was trash all over the place like nobody’s business! And I started to wonder if San Fabian’s elected officials (led by Mayor Constante Agbayani) even understand or know the difference between a clean and a filthy environment!
Given the condition and state the San Fabian beach is in today, I wouldn’t be surprised if visitors from Baguio and Manila will soon start spreading the word that San Fabian is the place to avoid like plague.
The San Fabian beach is going to the dogs, and it appears the community doesn’t seem to care enough to have the time and the effort to rouse their public officials from their slumber or worse, apathy and indifference.
Some political assess in that town need to be kicked, and kicked hard!
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LINGAYEN GULF COMMISSION. Dagupan’s Tondaligan Beach made a remarkable turnaround and recovery. In contrast, San Fabian White Beach is racing to be a garbage dump. The Lingayen Beach is well taken cared of.
I’ve not seen much of the beaches of Binmaley and the rest but I do pray, these can’t be any worse than San Fabian.
But there is one thing that the provincial government can (or should) do to maximize the blessings that can be derived from our coastline.
Just as a commission was created to preserve and study the cultural heritage of Pangasinan, the creation of a Lingayen Gulf Development Commission will be timely. Such a commission should be mandated to plan, study, implement and oversee the uniform and total development of the coastline from San Fabian to Bolinao. It will be its responsibility to see to the preservation of the coast, the cleanliness and orderliness along the long stretch of beachfronts, with powers to enforce a standard policy among the local governments.
Adequately clothed with ample powers and budget, Pangasinan can and will be known as the “Magical Coastline of the Philippines,” and will surely be the envy of Boracay!
Dream and believe! It’s ours to claim but only with vision, hard work and determination!
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GUV SPINES’ POLITICAL WILL. I am personally heartened by the reaction of Guv Spines to our column last week about the need for political will in the war vs. illegal drugs.
He proved me and others wrong about the perception that there was a lack of political will on the part of the Espino administration to win the war vs. illegal drugs. Going by the nuances of his statements, his body language and facial expression before the PNP officials and the media, he is deadly serious about winning it during his watch.
Without a doubt, he fully understands what it takes to win the war, and that is to bring the battles to their logical end – to the doors of the Halls of Justice. Merely arresting drug dealers and peddlers don’t make a serious dent because there will always be another desperate person willing to risk being a pusher given the promise of a hefty return.
He wants the shabu distribution chiefs wearing designer clothes and watches to be cuffed and dragged to the courts, not the bit players in sando and slippers out to make a fast buck. He knew statistics are meant to look good on paper but really mean little else. I am certain he had been ordered to prepare similar statistical reports to impress senior officers and media in the past, so how can he not know?
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THE CULPRIT. In fairness to Guv Spines, if the drug syndicates had taken a foothold in the province during his watch, it is largely due to the failure of the PNP to designate a permanent provincial director for Pangasinan since 2010 to date. There was no one to implement his plans and enforce the law with consistency.
P/Sr. Supt. Rollie Saltat, is himself still holding the post in an OIC capacity, so while he is delivering results today, who knows how long he will remain as OIC to carry out Guv’s orders to help win the war.
I hope that between Guv Spines’ political will and the professional conduct of Mr. Saltat, Pangasinan will no longer be a hotbed for illegal drugs, if not a drug-free province.
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