Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Bolinao, Pangasinan

Treasure Of Bolinao

Patar Beach - Nearby Is The Cape Bolinao Light House

Bolinao Falls

Bolinao - Rock Formations
Bolinao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 69,568 people in 12,182 households.

History

Folk etymology attributes the name "Bolinao" or this remote fishing enclave from the fish piece "monamon" but commonly called "Bolinao" by the Tagalogs, Bicolanos and the Visayans. A theory also points out that once upon a time "pamulinawen" trees grew luxuriantly along its shores, thus, the Ilocano migrants who crossed the Lingayen Gulf named it phonetically similar to the name of the tree. Nowadays, however, such tree does not exist anymore.
Legend also relates that during the first days of the Spanish era, a lovely lass nicknamed "Anao" lived at the present site of the town proper. She used to bathe leisurely for hours under the Boli-Bolinao tree where a chieftain's son who lived across the channel first saw her and then wooed. An early marriage ensued but with the condition, among others, that the seat of the chieftain's government be moved to the place where Anao lived. There they were to stay rulers, hence the name of Bolinao, Boli-Bolinao and Anao.
The town is famous for its two lighthouses:1) The Cape Bolinao Lighthouse in Barangay Patar is the tallest in the country second to the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Ilocos Norte. There is also the Port Bolinao Lighthouse in Guigui-wanen in Barangay Luciente I; both structures serve as crucial warning beacons to ships against storms and treacherous reefs.

The Cape Bolinao Lighthouse at Patar rises majestically 351 feet above sea level atop Punta Piedra Point, a towering hill of solid rock which is the sharp point of Cape Bolinao itself.

The lighthouse provides a panoramic view of a portion of the 1,269 hectare Cape Bolinao Dendro Thermal Ipil-Ipil Plantation
on a land area where archaeological excavations have revealed relics from the 14th to the 15th centuries.
Filipino, British and American engineers constructed the lighthouse in 1905.

According to the Bureau of Geodetic Surveys, the land elevation is 250 feet. Visibility is 20 miles at midsea towards the lighthouse in Poro Point. The winding stairway has 6 platforms with 20 steps or rungs for a total of 120 steps plus 14 more to the illumination room, or an over-all total of 134 steps.

Isla Silaki Sea Urchins

Sea urchins or “uni", (among the most expensive dishes in Japanese restaurants) are regularly harvested in Isla Silaki, Bolinao, Pangasinan. A sack costs only P 80 ($ 1 = P 40).

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse


The Cape Bolinao Lighthouse at Patar rises majestically 351 feet above sea level atop Punta Piedra Point, a towering hill of solid rock which is the sharp point of Cape Bolinao itself.It was built by the Americans in 1903 on a 351 feet (107 m) high promontory at the western part of Cape Bolinao, the lighthouse still sends signals to vessels passing by the area.
The lighthouse provides a panoramic view of a portion of the 1,269 hectare Cape Bolinao Dendro Thermal Ipil-Ipil Plantation on a land area where archaeological excavations have revealed relics from the 14th to the 15th centuries. Filipino, British and American engineers constructed the lighthouse in 1905.
According to the Bureau of Geodetic Surveys, the land elevation is 250 feet. Visibility is 20 miles at midsea towards the lighthouse in Poro Point. The winding stairway has 6 platforms with 20 steps or rungs for a total of 120 steps plus 14 more to the illumination room, or an over-all total of 134 steps.

Getting There
If you are traveling by bus, just go to a Victory or 5 Star bus terminal nearest you. You can call their office for the definite time of departure because there are limited time schedules of buses that goes straight to Bolinao. Still if you dont catch that, you could take the bus that goes to Alaminos ( leaves every hour) and from there get on another bus or jeep (sometimes there are also vans at Nepo Mart that travels to Bolinao). It takes 30-40 mins of travel time from Alaminos to Bolinao


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