I first stepped in the land of San Manuel Pangasinan during the 1992 Regional Secondary Schools Press Conference held in the Mataas na Paaralang Juan C. Laya, which was and still arguably considered the best secondary school in the entire Region I in terms of the facilities and infrustractures.
Journalism was the focus but most of the time I got to hang around with my friends and walked out of the campus. We asked some bystanders in the town, which is 5 minutes walk away from the school, about the best place in the town. They resoundingly replied the word "Butao" .
We rode into the tricycle and traveled some ten minutes east to reach Butao. We went to the what they called the "original Butao".
This is a spring resort which was built in 1985. It is a swimming pool about 500 meters in length and 250 meters wide or shorter. The water starts shallow, which is for children and those who don't know how to swim, going deep to 7 feet. The water flows continously to maintain the hygiene. Around the pool are cottages.
It was the main attraction of eastern Pangasineses in the early late 80's and 90's. Because of hundreds of tourists goes there everyday in the 90's that the "original butao spring resort" couldn't accomodate them anymore, swimming pools were opened nearby. Though the water of these newly built pools are no longer natural or I may say not springing from below but being pumped and with the addition of chlorine.
If you happen to go to San Manuel, just drop by and try the fresh water of this resort.
right image is courtesy of http://www.geocities.com/sanmanuelians/
