PIA Press Release
Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Steady tourist arrivals in Hundred Islands seen

In his report, Reynaldo T. Livara,Jr, HINP technical consultant, disclosed that a total of 1,631,644 tourists that included 78,254 foreigners have visited the 1,800 hectare-park since 1990.

It was noted that in 2005, there were only 63,656 visitors including 3,733 foreigners, one of the lowest recorded arrivals. HINP, which has a total of 123 islands, was then under the Philippine Tourism Authority.

The city government of Alaminos took over in 2006. The figures

The following year recorded the highest with 148,458 including 10,015 foreign tourists. He attributed the steady increase to the innovations introduced by the city government under Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Mayor Braganza lamented however about attempts to discredit his administration over alleged irregularities and pollution in the protected area.

“Kinuha natin ito from the national government, ginastosan natin at dumami ang pumupunta rito. Nalulungkot ako na ang provincial government mismo and tumutulong sa kasiraan ng national park,” he told a radio interview, referring to the aerial shot of fishponds said to be within the park, which was exposed last week through the media.

He also lashed out at first district congressman Jesus Celeste who earlier stated during a press conference in Bolinao that fishponds separate from those operated by the Bolo Development Cooperative (Bolodeco) are being operated by nine private individuals within the park.

Braganza clarified in a press conference Tuesday that the fishponds said to be owned by his relatives are located at the mainland and not at the park. “Wala po ito sa Hundred Islands National Park. Napakatagal na po ito. Legal po yan at mayroon pong mga titulo,” he said in his press statement.

“Nakakalungkot po na dahil sa kanilang iresponsableng mga pahayag o black propaganda, nasisira ang industriya ng turismo hindi lang sa lungsod ng Alaminos ngunit pati na rin ng buong lalawigang Pangasinan,” he added.

He vowed that during his incumbency he will see to it that the park remains as top tourist drawer and that he will foil any attempt to take it from the city government.

Reminded that he was on his last term, he said that the people of Alaminos themselves especially those benefiting from the burgeoning tourist industry will be the ones to protect the area from those with vested interests.

Braganza later toured the media practitioners at the controversial Bolodeco fishponds where he showed the breached dikes, an evidence, he said, that the fishponds have not been operational for years.