Hundred Islands still draws tourists during rainy season
ALAMINOS CITY–Tourists continue to flock to the Hundred Islands National Park despite the rainy season.
Alaminos City Administrator Wilmer Panabang said the estimated daily arrival in the province’s number one tourist spot is still from 200 to more than 1,000 during weekends.
In fact, he said, the number of tourist arrivals improved this year as compared to the last three years, which were marked by a downtrend in tourism due to the effects of tyhoons “Emong” and “Pepeng”.
Most of the tourists are from the domestic market.
The number of foreign tourists has not increased but it has remained steady, with Koreans and Japanese among the top visitors.
Panabang said even more tourists can be expected to come if they can cut travel time from Manila to Alaminos, which is five hours by road.
TRAVEL TIME
He pointed out that it will only be a 40-minute ride by plane, which will be feasible once the airport in Alaminos is completed.
The airport, already under construction, was initiated by Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza and President Benigno Aquino III and Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Mar Roxas have vowed to back the project.
Land acquisition and earth movement are ongoing using the initial P200 million released by DOTC.
Panabang said the amount has been used to acquire 80 hectares of land that will form part of the airport’s runway of 150 hectares.
“Hopefully, the third tranche of another P60 million will be released in the next few weeks, good for another 60 hectares of land to be acquired,” Panabang said.
The airport will initially serve domestic flights and later expanded to an international airport.
With a 150-hectare runway, excluding its access roads, the Pangasinan Airport will be bigger than the Laoag International Airport which is only 70 hectares.
Panabang said the airport will benefit not just Alaminos but will also awaken the “sleeping tourism potentials of other towns”.
He also revealed that a foreign investor is keen on building an 18-hole golf course in Alaminos.
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