Rich and Famous

Pangasinan’s western coast is one of the province’s most beautiful and economically valuable natural resources. The shoreline stretches for more than 100 kilometers from the Dasol Bay to the Lingayen Gulf and links a dozen municipalities including Infanta, Dasol, Burgos, Agno, Bani, Bolinao, Anda, Sual, Labrador, Mangaldan, San Fabian and Lingayen, the capital town, plus the cities of Alaminos, home of the Hundred Islands National Park, and Dagupan, considered as the province’s commercial center.

While approximately more than half of that expanse is rugged terrain, the rest is wonderful beach – perfect for properties of the tropical paradise kind.

No wonder there has been a mad scramble for the prime spots.

Over the last few years, while the authorities were either not looking, choosing to turn a blind eye or, worse, themselves initiating, privately-owned structures have been mushrooming in areas that are, by law, supposedly public land.

It is not the poor and homeless who are mostly staking their claim to these open plots. It is by and large the rich, famous, and influential. Encroachment into public lands appears to be borne not out of desperate need but simple greed.

It is happening in many of the coastal areas, but Lingayen and Dagupan are particularly crucial hotspots because of their potential as prime tourism destinations. With proper planning, implementation, and supervision, these two areas could prove to be major complements to the now well-managed Hundred Islands National Park. The Lingayen Gulf could very well be turned into the country’s central eco-tourism coast – a showcase that will help make Pangasinan rich and famous. The possibilities could be endless.

But before all that dreaming, our local government officials will first have to show strong political will by putting a stop to the growing intrusions into public property, regardless of who is found to be in violation.

If we do not put a stop to this trend, not only are we compromising the potentials of our coastline but we could well be setting a precedent for encroachments into the province’s equally wide and abundant communal and untenured forests, which at this point are very much wanting in guardians. For this reason, we fear for San Fabian and Binmaley.

       We must capitalize on our public lands for the benefit of the towns and cities, and the province as a whole.

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