ALAMINOS City – The Hundred Islands here is now one of the best destinations of foreign tourists in Asia.

This was revealed in an online survey of best places in Asia conducted by the Asia-Pacific Management Forum (APMF), monitored by the Alaminos City government.

Mayor Hernani Braganza told newsmen last Sunday that the result of the online survey is a big boost to the Hundred Islands, the top tourist destination in the province.

The survey, said Braganza, ranked the Hundred Islands as among the “must-see tourist havens” in Asia.

This showed that Hundred Islands has an approval rating of 15.13% or 477 votes out of 3,153 online voters, besting other popular and beautiful places in the country and in Asia.

In its survey, APMF found Penang, Malaysia and Koh Samui, Thailand as the first and second vote-getters, respectively.

Braganza noted that the big awareness for Pangasinan’s top tourist destination may have increased when the words “Hundred Islands” in the internet registered 800 “hits” from among other online users across the world.

He confirmed that of the present droves of tourists flocking to the Hundred Islands daily, 10 percent are foreigners.

APMF’s Best Place category includes cities, small towns, country areas, event, natural attractions or special places that for various reasons may have a unique and special attractions.

At the same time, Braganza announced that Alaminos earned some P600,000 in ticket sales to the Hundred Islands only two and a half months since it took over the administration of the island resort from the Philippine Tourism Authority in mid-October.

This showed that a big number of tourists are now going to the Hundred Islands even if the past two and a half months were considered a lean season for tourists.

Foreigners going to the Hundred Islands include Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Australians, Canadians and Europeans.

He said that to date, three islands in the Hundred Islands have already been lighted.

This is something that was not done in the past even by the PTA and the provincial government, which also administered the islands at one time.

Only batteries yet were brought to light the Quezon Island, Governors Island and the Children’s Islands.

The city government is however tapping solar power as possible of permanent electricity to most of the islands, Braganza said.