LINGAYEN – This town is now qualified to become the province’s fifth city but is not in a hurry to claim its new status.

“We know we are now qualified to bid for cityhood but we are not pushing this yet to allow us more time to prepare and complete the much-needed infrastructures and other projects required of a new city,” Lingayen Mayor Ernesto Castañeda told newsmen.

Lingayen is presently a first class town and on equal footing with towns of Bayambang, Malasiqui, Mangaldan, and recently Sta. Barbara.

But Lingayen has the best potential to attain cityhood status, being the seat of the Pangasinan provincial Government, with a historic significance being the landing site of the Allied Liberation Forces on Jan. 9, 1945 that went eventually liberated Luzon.

Among the landmarks in Lingayen are the provincial capitol, the Sison auditorium and the War Memorial Center; Maramba Boulevard, the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center, venue of most regional and national sports and conventions; the Ramos Museum that houses the memorabilia of the family of former President Fidel V. Ramos and the Limahong Channel.

Castañeda revealed that the town now has registered an annual income of P80 million and is expected to increase as Lingayen is already becoming a major trade and commercial center of Pangasinan.

The town’s population stands at 130,000 during the day and enough ticket to qualify itself for cityhood.

Area-wise, Lingayen has 32 barangays, and is a lot bigger than Dagupan, the first town in Pangasinan to attain cityhood in 1947.

He said Lingayen is the a popular stop-over for tourists from Manila going to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City or northern Zambales.

     The mayor said that the town’s officials are coordinating closely with Congressman Amado Espino Jr. who is very supportive of a cityhood for Lingayen.

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