Dagupan: The Philippines' Bangus Capital

10 Day 10K Challenge: Dagupan, PANGASINAN

Date: MAY 19-20, 2014

Dagupan City – dubbed as the Philippines’ Bangus (Milkfish) Capital. This is one of the major cities that I would be passing through during my ten-day journey. It’s going to be dark anytime soon, so I opted to spend the night in this city - which I never expected to be very lively even at night time.

The river in front of Value Star Hotel at night

DAY 3

Traveling to Dagupan City is not what I anticipated for today’s itinerary. The original plan was for me to go to Lingayen, Pangasinan’s capital, but I found no bus plying the Tarlac-Lingayen route. On the other hand, Dagupan and San Carlos buses abound, so when an ordinary Five Star bus en route to Dagupan stopped, I decided to hop in and continued my journey towards Pangasinan.

My room at Value Star Inn, for P400/night

Right after entering the province’s welcome arch, the bus had to do a stop over at the public transport terminal in front of SM Rosales, to pick up some passengers. We never stayed for long and left afterward, passing through the town of Villasis and then enduring the massive traffic jam at Urdaneta City. Upon reaching the intersection at the city center, the bus turned left, leading to the towns of Santa Barbara and Calasiao before entering the city of Dagupan.

It was already 6:40 in the evening when we arrived at the city, and from the bus terminal, I asked the locals on how to get to Value Star Inn. Dagupan is a big city, and no one could help me find the hotel I was looking for. I decided to see it myself, so I rode a jeepney going to somewhere. Suddenly, I noticed these bright neon lights coming out from a nearby building, and it spelled “Value Star Hotel.” This was the building that I was looking for!

Dinner at Mang Inasal

I alighted the jeepney and walked straight to the hotel. Value Star Inn is located at the back of Value Star Hotel, and you could get a room for as low as P400/night. I got the small fan room, placed my things inside and took a bath, then went outside, later on, to look for a place to dine. As I walked through the streets of Dagupan, I found this small commercial center located right in front of CSI Market Square with lots of dining establishments to choose from. I ate at Mang Inasal that evening and ordered a plate of daing na bangus - which tasted good!

Before heading back to the hotel, I decided to check out their night market located near the plaza. There were lots of stalls selling different merchandise – from shoes, clothes, accessories, and snacks.  I bought a belt for P50 and looked for something that I could eat. However, my tummy still felt heavy, so I decided to return to my room and slept.

DAY 4

Streets of Dagupan during the day

Morning came, and I went to the bathroom to take a bath. I also packed my things and checked out right after. As I walked outside the hotel, I got the chance to see the cityscape in broad daylight. The streets were reminiscent of Manila, and traces of urbanization were evident everywhere I looked. Upon reaching CSI Market Square, I decided to visit their city hall, city plaza, and their church.

Then, after visiting these landmarks situated on the city center, I rode a jeep bound to Pangasinan’s provincial capital – the municipality of Lingayen.

Facade of the Old Dagupan Cathedral

This post is part of my 10 Day 10K Challenge that took place between May 17-26, 2014. Read the first entry here. Read the post about the previous destination here. Proceed to the next destination here.