ALAMINOS CITY—The first-ever ferry system in the Ilocos Region is targeted to be in place by June this year, according to the project’s prime-mover Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Braganza said the test run for a 30-seater ferry in the vast expanse of the Lingayen Gulf, to be attended by Mayors Alipio Fernandez Jr. of Dagupan and Pablo Ortega of San Fernando City, is scheduled this the month.

The ferry will link Alaminos to Dagupan and San Fernando cities via the Lingayen Gulf.

Braganza first broached the idea of a point-to-point ferry system to Ortega when he visited San Fernando City last November.

Fernandez, meanwhile, gave his full backing to the project when Braganza discussed this with him later.

The three city chief executives immediately formed a technical working group (TWG) to study the project and set the timetable for its implementation.

The TWG is currently considering a 100-seater type ferry to accommodate more passengers in a single cruise, aside from the 30-seater.

The mayors are eyeing to buy the boats used in the ferry system along the Pasig River or order these from a manufacturer in Laguna.

Braganza disclosed the need for such a ferry system because more than half of tourist destinations in the country are in Region I.

At least 31 percent of these can be found in western Pangasinan, the mayor said.

“This is the reason why the Alaminos-Dagupan-San Fernando ferry system project has to be initiated,” Braganza said.

Once fully operational, the ferry service is expected to serve local and foreign tourists from Baguio and those from Vigan and Laoag who would like to go to Alaminos City’s Hundred Islands National Park.

By land, it usually takes four to five hours for tourists from Baguio to reach Alaminos.

“With a ferry system, the travel time will just be two hours, aside from the luxury of viewing the breath-taking sceneries that include the skylines of San Fernando and Dagupan, the coal-fired power plant in Sual and the long stretch of white beaches along the gulf,” said Braganza.

BENEFITS

Dagupan’s Fernandez said the ferry system will greatly enhance the tourism potentials of Alaminos, the shop and dine environment of Dagupan as well as easier travel to San Fernando, the regional capital.

“If one is from San Fernando, he can visit the Hundred Islands in Alaminos in the morning and before going back to his point of origin, he can drop by Dagupan and do business and make some shopping,” Fernandez said.

Being a tri-venture among the three cities, each one is expected to contribute funding for the project and provide their respective docking areas.

This early, Dagupan businessmen are reportedly excited about the project.

Some big hotel and resort owners been have offering their places, especially those situated along the river, for berthing.

Fernandez said they were initially considering four units for the trial run and eventually work out a loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the full implementation of the project.

He said if the project proves successful, the three cities are going to unload their investments and pass the project to the private sector.

“We will just pioneer this project and invite the private sector to continue it.” Fernandez said.—LM

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