Provinces of the Philippines
Pangasinan
Ilocos Region
Provincial Capital
Lingayen
Local Language
Pangasinan
Local Delicacy
Bangus
Alaminos Longganisa
The third biggest province in the whole Philippine Archipelago, derived its name from salt or “asin” in the vernacular. Owing to the rich and fine salt beds which were the prime source of livelihood for the province’s coastal towns, PanagASINan or “Pangasinan” which means “where salt is made” came to be its name.
The province is crescent-shaped and occupies 536,818 hectares of land area which constitutes almost one-half (41.8%) of the total land area of Region 1 and 1.8% of the total area of the Philippines. Composed of 4 cities and 44 municipalities, it is bounded on the north by the Lingayen Gulf, La Union and Benguet, on the north-east by Nueva Vizcaya, on the east by Nueva Ecija, on the south by Tarlac, and on the west by Zambales and the China Sea.
Owing to its diverse cultural heritage rooted in centuries of glorious history and a way of life that is a delightful combination of tradition, innovation and creativity, the warm, polite, hospitable, hard-working and fun loving 2.65 million Pangasinenses (2007 census) enjoy the best of Provincial Philippines where you find both the familiar and unfamiliar world, abreast with modern technological times, but with a preserved vast panorama of outstanding natural beauty and unique attractions.
