ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan -- The city government will stage anew its third Paraw (colorful sailboats) Festival at the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) here that will be held along with the annual city fiesta on March 8 to 29.
In an interview Thursday, Mayor Arthur Celeste said the city is “very lucky to have the natural wonder of HINP that is continuously attracting tourists”.
The main highlights of the festival are the Paraw on Parade and Paraw Race on March 28. Other activities include the Paraw Sail Painting Contest on March 23, while the Agri-Parade will feature the floats of farmers and fisherfolks on March 19.
Paraw festival will also feature the seafood culinary of the city through the Culinaria Ed Pangasinan (Food festival) on March 21 and Talaba (oyster) Ihaw- Ihaw festival on March 24.
"We have many more activities for everyone to enjoy," he said.
Meanwhile, Celeste said that since he assumed leadership in 2013, the city government has improved the facilities at the main islands of Quezon, Children's and Governor's, and developed other islands to cater to more tourists.
He added they are building more projects so tourists will have other alternate places to visit aside from the HINP.
"We have the Mangrove Park, the E-kawayan factory, salt-making industry, a housing project which has become part of the tourism benchmarking, the faith tourism (a 56-foot Christ the Savior statue was constructed at the highest point of the Pilgrimage Island)," he said.
Celeste said tourist arrivals tremendously increased, but they made sure that environmental protection and conservation were primarily considered.
According to the City Tourism Office, tourist arrivals reached 600,000 as of end-2018 from just 150,000 in 2013. (PNA)
