Pangasinan: The Town of Mapandan.

Mapandan, a sleepy town which is once a part of Mangaldan, is located approximately 6 kms away from the town of Manaoag.  Not a popular town in terms of tourism but in case you’re around town, you can visit the green granite St. Joseph The Patriarch Parish Church and the grassy plaza beside it.

The town was named after  “pandan”, a plant that grew well in the town, used for weaving mats and whose leaves are used to make rice aromatic-smelling and other cuisine too.

I don’t know exactly what to see in this town but I took a tricycle ride (P50 for the whole trike) from Manaoag to Mapandan.  I requested the driver to drop me off at the town church.

There’s a small plaza with grassy lawn, some shades with blossoming yellow flowers crawling around it, some shady trees, statue of Dr. Jose Rizal (the country’s national hero) like most town plazas in the Ilocandia Region, a large fountain and a gazebo leading to the church.

The St. Joseph The Patriarch Parish Church is a new structure probably constructed during the 1980s but the original edifice was built around the same time the town of Mapandan was founded as a parish in 1905.

There is a big statue of the Virgin Mary on the right front side of the church, beside it is an entrance gate where the candle offering kiosk is located.  The main entrance along the road is closed but entering the gate on the right leads to the back door where you gain access to the inside of the church.  It is a simple, modernist church, with modern paintings of Jesus Christ on its interior walls.

Getting to Mapandan from Manaoag, Hire a tricycle parked in front of the Manaoag church, asked to be taken to Mapandan.  Fare is P50/tricycle, not per person, and travel time is about 15 - 20 minutes.Outside the church, there are 3 or 4 stalls selling street food and of course, a street food devotee that I am, I bought some of those vegetable balls and spring rolls.

Address: Manaoag, Pangasinan, Philippines

Google Map Direction: Mapandan, Pangasinan