Why You Should
Visit My Home: Manaoag, Pangasinan
It is easy to remain oblivious to the wonders of
one's hometown. If you have lived in one place for
more than a decade, you are bound to get used to
its everyday colors. You remain callous over its
rough edges and simply take in its townie charm.
Until you grow up and find out how special
your town really is. You begin to wonder
what really is going on in this place you call home,
and so you try to find out (at the same time get
people to come!).
Manaoag used to be known as Santa Monica;
a small missionary settlement guided by the Augustinians
and later turned over to the Dominicans centuries
ago. Its name changed when, on one fateful day,
a farmer saw the apparition of the Holy Mother telling
him, “Son, I want a church here in
my honor. My children shall receive many favors
in this place.”
Though the church did not immediately believe
him, word spread and people have begun to flock
to the settlement. When asked where they went, their
reply was, “Dimad Apo ya mantatawag,”
or “from the Lady who calls.”
Hence the name, Manaoag. A chapel was built
and an attempt at a church, until the one built
in the 18th century finally came into being.
This church has a long history and with it, the
development of the town’s life. It was a collective
effort of men, women, priests, and devotees that
withstood fire, earthquake, war, and human abuse.
In its quiet and simple splendor, you would
see marks of its age within its walls and floors.
It has always had a pink, sometimes yellow pastel
color, and its walls tell the story of the church
and its miracles.
As a child, I was told that a distant grandfather’s
name (and remains) is in one of those walls. Growing
up, I would not step on floor tiles that had marks
on them, fearing that they had entombed bodies underneath.
(Ever heard of the story that your school was a
graveyard before? It was something like that).
In tandem with the miracle stories, I have also
heard of war survival stories (e.g.
the Chrysanthemum sculpted on the dome saved the
church from getting bombed by the Japanese), and
ghost stories (e.g. my devout grandmother
once went to church at 4 a.m. and found herself
surrounded by misty men on horses wearing old-fashioned
armor).
The church plays a huge role in the town –
physically located at the center of it, and still
within its socio-economic life. The fiesta revolves
around it; the tourism scene is largely dependent
on it, and its over-all claim to fame is the church
itself. A lot of materials is already available
about the church (online, in books, and,
if visiting, see the church museum), but
beyond (not disregarding) it,
what else is there?
There is, of course, the Virgin’s
Well in Brgy. Pugaro, about 3-4 kilometers
from the church. The water is said to be clear and
miraculous. We also have a lovely Rizal
statue. The park, however, needs to be fixed.
Next, I’d say we have delicious tupig
(ground glutinous rice with coconut milk and strips
wrapped in banana leaves), the best isaw
(just try it when you get there), and tasty kundandit
(a local sweet delicacy). We also have very good
sorbetes (a.k.a. dirty ice cream, haha!)
but the name of the producer remains unknown to
me. And most of the summer, we have good mangoes.
Manaoag is also home to the first mechanized
sugar mill in the country, the Hind Sugar Central
– which, if compared to current sugar mills,
is the smallest. This, I read, was because of the
absence of large sugar cane haciendas in the town.
When I was about 8 or 9 years old, my friends would
run after the trucks carrying sugarcane and pull
out a cane or two as an afternoon sweet. It drove
my grandmother crazy. Unfortunately, Hind Sugar
Central closed down in the late 90s as it was no
longer sustainable.
Our town is basically the entry and exit
point to and from Baguio City and
the Ilocos region. It sits at the
middle of bangus city, Dagupan,
Mangaldan, San Jacinto, and Urdaneta,
and stays close to beach town San Fabian.
Alaminos (think Hundred Islands)
and Lingayen (see the Provincial
Capitol!) are also within range from Manaoag. Bolinao
(fantastic beaches and historic lighthouse
and church) is about fours hours away by car.
Apart from all that, we also have cats tied on leashes
to house-train them (I discovered that only recently),
and a very amusing sign, which if you come to and
from Urdaneta, would be very visible at the side
of the road. There are others signs (almost as amusing)
but you would have to find them for yourself.
I haven't explored the whole town
yet - but I plan to. There is much to be seen, more
stories to be heard. Going around, I have met people
who knew my grandparents and my family; I have also
met a lot of relatives. I saw variations of the
same family traditions and I have seen different
wonders (which include a dog with practically no
hair) and met wonderful people.
More discoveries wait. Sama kayo.
------------------
Mass schedule:
Mon-Fri: 7:00 am and 4:30pm, Sat: 7:00 - 11:00 am
and 4:30 pm, Sun: 5:30 - 11:00 am and 4:30 pm .
Getting there:
Dagupan Bus goes directly to Manaoag (then Dagupan).
Fare ranges between 250-400, one-way. Trips from
Cubao are available every 30 minutes to 1 hour.
By bus or by car (via the NLEX), it
is usually a 3 to 4-hour journey. Expect some-kind-of
traffic in Tarlac and Urdaneta cities.
Text and photos by Clare Amador © 2007
