* Night unveils ‘good, old days’ of Dagupan calesa

[Kano]

Night unveils 'good, old days' of Dagupan calesa


Inquirer Northern Luzon 03/14/2011

DAGUPAN CITY–When the sun sets and the city's streetlights are turned on, calesas start plying downtown.

These horse-drawn carriages offer rides to people who want another way to see the downtown area and relive the "good old days" when the main transportation in the city were calesas or caretelas (carabao-drawn carts).

The carriages may look odd in streets dominated by cars, jeeps and tricycles, but drivers seemed to be used to their presence and give way whenever they hear the familiar "clang, clang" sound that announces the carriages' arrival.

Calesa rides in the city started in 2001 when Dennis Muyalde, son of a cochero (calesa driver) who just arrived from work in Taiwan, bought a carriage and a horse and went around the city to satisfy his longing to ride a calesa again.

Then Mayor Benjamin Lim and former Councilor Michael Fernandez saw him in one of his trips and asked him to bring back the horse-drawn carriages to Dagupan's streets.

The calesa rides were introduced during the fiesta in December 2001, when many balikbayan returned to the city, Muyalde, 34, said.

He said he asked cocheros from different areas, like Malasiqui town and San Carlos City, to go to Dagupan so they could offer rides to residents, especially the balikbayan that year.

Now, at least 25 white carriages, each accommodating three passengers, ply Dagupan's streets.

The carriage owners and cocheros, all from the villages of Salisay and Mangin here, have been organized to control fares and ensure discipline, said Muyalde, the group's leader.

The carriages have reflectorized stickers and cocheros carry flashlights to ensure safety at night.

Muyalde said a sightseeing tour around downtown takes around 20 minutes (depending on traffic) and costs each passenger P30. Each trip has a minimum of three passengers. For longer trips, cocheros charge P300 an hour but passengers may negotiate for lower rates.


Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20110314-325408/Night-unveils-good-old-days-of-Dagupan-calesa