Tags: Beaches and Water Activities, Hotels and Resorts
By Marjorie Gorospe
BOLINAO, PANGASINAN— Barangay Patar is popular for its white sand beach, but it still needs to have better roads to further attract tourists.
According to Guthrie Dodson, owner of Bing’s Beach Resort, locals were also initially not that keen on the commercial potential of Patar since many balete trees are found in the area. The trees are often associated with superstition.
“Even the horses before were scared to pass by to this area but when tourists started coming, locals here realized the value of tourism as a source of livelihood,” says Guthrie, adding that better roads will help boost tourism in Patar now that the area is becoming very popular among tourists.
Guthrie shares that he first built his big nipa house at the beach front in 1998. It was initially supposed to be a rest house for his family, but people started asking if they could rent the place and since then, he started building more rooms for tourists.
“It was in 2005 when tourism in Bolinao boomed. It has been a long time since the local government promised better roads but until now, some portions for the road are still rocky,” he adds.
Guthrie believes that Bolinao has some advantages over more popular tourist spots such as Boracay and Bohol because it is more accessible. From Manila, one can get to Bolinao in about 5 to 6 hours by car.
Guthrie, however, points out that better roads will encourage more visitors to Patar if the roads are not muddy during the rainy days or dusty during summer.
“Better roads would mean better tourism, and better tourism would translate to better livelihood of the locals of Bolinao,” Guthrie says.
Bing’s Beach Resort has 25 air-conditioned rooms. The rates are relatively cheap compared to high-end resorts you can find in Bolinao. During the lean season, Guthrie offers twin sharing bedrooms for P1,500 per night, which double in cost during the peak season. A family house, which has 10 beds, a kitchen, comfort room and a videoke, can also be rented for P6,000 during lean season and P10,000 during peak season.
“For those who want to enjoy a more private getaway, we can assure you that Patar beach here in Bolinao has what you need and rest assured that the locals here will give you great service at more affordable costs,” Guthrie says.
Get more information about Bing’s Beach Resort
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