Pangasinan

Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (Pangasinan: Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, [paŋɡasiˈnan]; Ilocano: Probinsia ti Pangasinan; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen while San Carlos City is the most populous. Pangasinan is in the western part of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf and the South China Sea. The province covers a total land area of 5,451.01 square kilometres (2,104.65 sq mi). According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 3,188,540. The official number of registered voters in Pangasinan is 2,156,306. The western portion of the province is part of the homeland of the Sambal people, while the central and eastern portions are the homeland of the Pangasinan people. Due to ethnic migration, the Ilocano people settled in the province. The name "Pangasinan" refers to the province, its people and the spoken language. Indigenous Pangasinan speakers are estimated to number at least 2 million. The Pangasinan language is official in the province and is one of the officially recognized regional languages in the Philippines. Several ethnic groups enrich the cultural fabric of the province. Almost all of the people are Pangasinans and the rest are descendants of the Bolinao and Ilocano who settled the eastern and western parts of the province. Pangasinan is spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities in Pangasinan. The minority ethnic groups are the Bolinao-speaking Zambals, and Ilocanos. Popular tourist attractions in Pangasinan include the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos and the white-sand beaches of Bolinao and Dasol. Dagupan is known for its Bangus Festival ("Milkfish Festival"). Pangasinan is also known for its mangoes and ceramic oven-baked Puto Calasiao (native rice cake). Pangasinan occupies a strategic geo-political position in the central plain of Luzon. Pangasinan has been...