Philippines / Northwest Luzon / Dagupan City

Dagupan City, 213km (133mi) from Manila, is one of the oldest cities in Central Luzon, founded in 1590. It was also the terminal point of the first railway line in the Philippines inaugurated in 1899. For a long time it has been famous for cultured bangus (milkfish).

The city was widely destroyed in the earthquake of July 16, 1990. The commercial district was hardest hit; houses crumbled like cardboard, the streets fissured and from the splits mud boiled out. 900,000,000 Pesos worth of government buildings and infrastructure were destroyed. At least 7,069 hectares of fishponds were completely damaged and 22,000 workers displaced. Many buildings sank into the soil which liquified. As the conditions in Dagupan remained insufficient for many months, much business shifted to Urdaneta.

Accommodation

Accommodation for foreign tourists in Dagupan is confined to a few hotels in the city center, and as most of them suffered from the earthquake, it depends on the owners' efforts to repair damage whether the visitor will find them comfortable or not. Aside from the proper hotels, there used to be many lodges which never fulfilled the standard of overnight accommodation. Rooms in the lodges are extremely small, hot and often without sanitary facilities; they are frequented mostly by short time guests.

Victoria Hotel (30) Fernandez Ave
Tel 2081; sgl 155 (tb), 190 (ac,tb)
dbl 165 (tb), 220250 (ac,tb)
hw, tel, rest, best hotel in town

Hotel MilExcel (40) Fernandez East Ave
Tel 4463; dbl 140 (tb), 180 (ac,tb)
rest, clean, family atmosphere

Boulevard Hotel (33) 73 Arellano St
Tel 3132; dbl 70, 100 (tb), 150 (ac,tb)
quiet environment, rooms in antique style

Vicar Hotel (31) Fernandez Ave, Tel 2616
sgl 67 (tb); dbl 90 (tb), 123 (ac,tb); simple
rest, signboard is hard to see

Restaurants

Dagupena (32) Fernandez Ave (Phil)
Deluxe (29) Fernandez Ave (Phil/Chin)
Lechon House Del Pilar St (Phil)
Eduardo's (38) Del Pilar St (Phil)

Entertainment

Calesa & Stop Over Discos (28)
Fernandez Ave; discos with nightly shows; entr P 10, beer P 10
Eduardo's Pub (38) Del Pilar St; disco, nightly show; entr P 10, beer P 10

About 10 discos are along Arellano St after the Boulevard Hotel a little bit out of town.

Miscellaneous

Post Office (25) Fernandez Ave
RCPI (35) Fernandez Ave
PT&T (36) Fernandez Ave
Provincial Hospital (34) Arellano St
Polyclinic (25) Fernandez Ave
Public Market (26) Burgos St
cor Fernandez Ave
Cathedral (27) Burgos St

Transportation

Pantranco North Terminal (37) Del Pilar St cor Fernandez Ave
Dagupan Bus Terminal (39) Fernandez Ave cor Arellano St

Further information: