Bangus festival kicks off in Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines - The 19-day Bangus Festival 2008 promises to be the biggest Bangus Festival the city will ever have, and the grandest festival in Pangasinan for that matter, in terms of events and corporate sponsors. Bangus Festival opens Wednesday with an exhilarating event (Gilon Gilon ed Baley) that depicts how the city's famous product, Bonuan bangus (milkfish), is harvested from the fishpond and transported to the fish market. Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, Bangus Festival chairperson, were to declare the festivities open at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The program will be held at the city plaza. Afterwards, all the participating schools and barangays from the city will perform in the Gilon Gilon ed Baley Focal Presentation. The actual Gilon Gilon ed Baley Street Dancing Competition will start at 2 p.m. The dancing competition was first introduced in 1997 during the city's 50th anniversary. Mayor Fernandez was also then the city chief executive and the vice mayor a councilor. The champion will compete in the Festival of the North Street Dancing Competition where different localities will be competing and showcasing their respective festivals. At 5 p.m., Doctor Vicki Belo will talk about skincare and beauty tips at the city plaza. The Dagupan Bangus Queen search and coronation night will be held on Wednesday evening at the plaza, and this will be hosted by Doctor Hayden Kho. The Bangusfest Foodstrip situated at Galvan Street will also open on Wednesday night. Activities at the foodstrip area will also commence through the Hataw Sayaw, Hataw Dagupan dance contest to be held at the stage specially constructed here. The other events that will be held at the foodstrip area are the Dagupan Pinoy Pop Idol singing competition and the Night of the Champions. The Bangusan Street Party will be held on April 30 along the stretch of A.B. Fernandez Avenue, starting from the Du Marc area up to the West Central School area. Vice Mayor Fernandez said the partygoers will experience a kind of entertainment they have never experienced before as five popular bands from Manila and several local bands will be performing simultaneously at the six strategically located platforms or stages. The two giant television networks, ABS-CBN and GMA 7, will also have their own stages where their respective artists will perform. For the first time also, the vice mayor said, the partygoers can dine and enjoy the music while relaxing or eating at tables placed outdoors for the events. Eight local restaurants will have their respective areas where they can serve their own specialties. The evening will further be livened by the splash in the sky fireworks display. The other Bangus Festival events are Bangus Festival Cycling Classic, Lingkod Kapamilya Medical Mission, Kapuso SOP Dagupan Live, Bangus Cookfest (family) competition (adult and child tandem), Dagupan Visual Arts festival, Mayor Al Fernandez Bowling Cup, Araw ng mga Bata, Gandang Umaga Kapamilya, Kundiman, Bangus Cookfest (high school students), 1st Dagupan Mondioring and National Pitbull Competition, Bangus Invitational Shootfest, Dagupan Taekwondo Open, ASAP '08 in Dagupan, Agew na Ilog, Bangusfest Billiards Challenge, Bangusfest Rodeo, Bangusfest Billiards Challenge, Fluvial parade, Dragonboat competition, thanksgiving mass, Bikini Open, VM Belen Fernandez Badminton Cup, and the Bangus Festival Golf Tournament. - Sun.Star