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Alamat ng Hundred Islands
The Hundred Islands in Lingayen Gulf, Pangasinan, number 124 at low tide. People in Pangasinan tell local stories about how the islands came to be. We give only the setting until a clear source is added.
Folklore is retold; versions differ.
Sources: Wikipedia: Hundred Islands National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)
The story
The Hundred Islands are a group of small limestone islands in Lingayen Gulf, off Alaminos in Pangasinan. The count is about 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide. Geologists describe them as karst, shaped from old coral by the sea. Waves have cut the bases of some islands, so they look like mushrooms. The group was named a National Geological Monument in 2001.
The park has a long official history. Presidential Proclamation No. 667, signed on 18 January 1940, made it the first national park in the Philippines. Since 2005 the city government of Alaminos has managed it. Only four islands are developed for visitors. They include Governor Island and Quezon Island, which has the most facilities. Pilgrimage Island has a tall statue of Christ the Savior.
People in Pangasinan tell local stories about how the islands came to be. No single written version is recognized; tellers differ.