Young Roots
I Love Pangasinan!
By Johanne Margarette R. Macob
I WAS an indifferent Pangasinan native. I wasn’t really aware of what’s happening in my province. I wasn’t really into knowing anything except for certain things that I needed to learn about, like the route to and from my then school or answers to bonus questions during exams. I didn’t go into details. I was fine with just the necessities.
After high school, I left the province to pursue tertiary education in the City of Pines. Though I was home on weekends, I was still the same indifferent local.
However, when I was in the second to the last semester of my college journey, I had to enroll in my internship subject. I, together with other Pangasinan students, were assigned to The PUNCH and started covering events. It was then when I started knowing more about Pangasinan- the people, the place, the culture. I remember covering my first event held at the Sison Auditorium. That was actually the first time I entered that grand place. It was also the first time I was awed by the beauty of a structure in the province. As indifferent as I was, I didn’t know then that the province has beautiful buildings! Then came coverage after coverage.
After our stint as OJTs, and graduation, I went to Manila and worked as a marketing assistant. It didn’t take me long to decide to return to Pangasinan. Luck was on my side when my SundayPunch family took me in, again, this time, as their correspondent and a writer for this column.
I’ve been going around Pangasinan for more than two years now to gather news. Along side this news-gathering task came the passion to know more about Pangasinan. I’ve been ventured on different towns’ land, tasted respective native delicacies. I’ve been taking ‘selfies’ with the view of rivers, beaches, islands, mountains, trees, et cetera. in the background. I’ve been meeting a lot of people, from different walks of life, listening to their stories, telling them my stories. I’ve been singing also our very own hymn, too. I’’m finally making a connection with the place that has been serving me and my family for decades. I’ve been learning more about Pangasinan- the people, the place, the culture, all the treasure it holds. I have been falling in love with my province, everyday, since.
Pangasinan may still not be perfect but with the progress it has been undergoing for the past years, who, among us locals, wouldn’t be proud to call it our home? Many provincial governments have been visiting and learning about our best practices in governance, particularly, the health care system of the provincial government. I have yet to hear a tourist that has no good word for the Capitol Complex. Many admire our hospitality. Many have fallen in love with our tourist spots, our people, our culture.
The recent effort to strengthen the natives’ love for Pangasinan, the “I Love Pangasinan Movement,” I believe, will but further enhance our stature as a people. On April 8, along with the opening of the province’s festivities, we will learn more about how we can further show our love for our province. I love Pangasinan and I know you also love Pangasinan. Well, we have more than enough reasons to do so, proud fellows. So let’s show that love better, let us all to take part!
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
