Festivals of the North winners

DAGUPAN CITY--Pangasinan's Pandan Festival and La Union's Dinengdeng Festival shone in the Festivals of the North street dancing competition over the weekend here.

Pandan Festival of Mapandan town and Agoo, La Union's Dinengdeng Festival romped off with the championship crowns and won P150,000 each and especially-designed bangus trophies in two separate categories.

Despite heavy rainfall during the presentation, the crowd's enthusiasm didn't wane as they patiently waited for the resumption of the contest after more than one hour.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chairman of the Bangus Festival that features this grandest street dancing competition, said they decided to divide the category because of the rain, the first prior to rainfall and the second, after the rain.

But they doubled the prizes because of the difficulty of performing due to the rainfall.

Pandan got also the Best in Costume with P20,000 while Laoag City's Pamulinawen Festival got the Best in Costume award with P20,000.

Other winners were with trophies and cash were: Laoag's Pamulinawen Festival and San Fernando, La Union's Pindangan Festival as first runners-up with P80,000 each; Dagupan City's Bangus Festival and Infanta, Pangasinan's Mangga Festival as second runners-up with P60,000 each; Umingan's Kalansay, Payak Manok Festival and Villasis' Talong Festival as third runners-up with P30,000 each and Sto. tomas, Pangasinan's Corn Festival and San Carlos City, Pangasinan's Mango-Bamboo Festival as fourth runners-up with P20,000 each.

There were 14 contingents that competed.-

Bangus Festival also celebrates the arts

THE arts is celebrated in this year’s Bangus Festival through the Tupada Revolt featuring 18 international and Manila-based visual artists on April 28 to 30.

Ed Sevilleja, one of the founding members of the Dagupan Artists Circle (DAC), said this is a new treat in the annual fiesta as it will give the audience a free taste of a different genre using action, time and space-based live art.

Sevilleja said Tupada Revolt, which is also dubbed as the TAMA ’08 Fifth International Action Art Event, will be brought by the Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA).

The first event will be performed on April 28 on Burgos Street, at the area fronting the Mousehouse Internet Cafe, the event’s official multimedia sponsor. The succeeding performances will be held at the city plaza and at the CSI The City Mall.

Sevilleja said TAMA ’08 will end with performances, an art talk and collaborative exercises for the participating artists at the Tondaligan Beach on April 30.

The event, organized by DAC in cooperation with the city government, is also sponsored by: the Metrobank Foundation, Japan foundation, Art Association of the Philippines, Ambasciata d’ Italia, Henrich Boll Stiftung Southeast Asia, Instytut Adama Mickiewicza, Nippon International Performance Art Festival and Studio of Performance Art Academy of Fine Arts Krakow.—(CSR, Sunday Punch)

ASAP stars descend on Dagupan

For those who watched the almost day-long Festivals of the North competition Saturday and even staying up late into the night for the results, there was no rest as Sunday opened bright and cheery with another stunning show, this time, from the country's brightest television, music and film stars.

ABS-CBN offered its Sunday's best with ASAP live in Dagupan at the Stadia.

The show's A-List star hosts Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonzaga, Sarah Geronimo and Sam Milby opened the show to an enthusiastic crowd which included Dagupan City Mayor Al Fernandez, Festival Chair Belen T. Fernandez and city councilors enjoying front-row seats.

Now on it's 11th day, the Bangus Festival looks forward to a stellar final week run culminating in the Bangusan Street Party on the 30th, where this time, rival station GMA unfolds its Kapuso Night.

Tomorrow Monday, festival partner Globe has its Globe Day; a river race with an important environmental message unfolds along the Pantal River with Agew na Ilog; and for billiard afficionados, it's time to get back to the CSI Atrium where local players battle it out for the chance to compete with the world's best with the Bangus Fest Billiards Challenge.

Mapandan and Agoo rule Festivals of the North

Big winners in yesterday’s spectacular Festivals of the North Competition were Mapandan’s Pandan Festival Dancers who took home the Php 150,000 Grand Prize for Category One. For Category II, the Grand Prize was a virtual lock for crowd favorites Agoo whose Dinengdeng Festival dancers typified energy, enthusiasm and poise even with the humid summer heat.

It could arguably be said that this year’s staging of the Bangus Festival achieved its purpose of growing out of its skin as merely a festival confined within Dagupan City. The presence of even entire municipal and city officials accompanying their respective delegates to the competition and lending them support lent a truly regional feel to the event.

Accepting the award in behalf of the Pandan Festival Dancers was Mapandan Mayor Freddie Calimlim who received the check from festival chairs Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and Councilor Alfie Fernandez.

Stiff competition was provided by contigents from Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan through its Corn Festival, Manaoag with Galicayo Festival, Umingan with Kalansay, Payak Manok Festival, Mapandan with Pandan Festival, Laoag City with Pamulinawen Festival, Dagupan City with its own Bangus Festival; Villasis with its Talong Festival, San Carlos City this province with Mango- Bamboo Festival, Balungao with Goat Festival, Bayambang with Binasuan Festival, Infanta with Mangga Festival, San Fernando, La Union with Pindangan Festival, Rajal National High School with Goat Festival, Bauang, La Union with We Love Bauang Festival, and Binmaley with Sugpo at Malaga Festival.

Bangus Festival Queen and Her Court

BANGUS FESTIVAL’S PRETTIEST—Ruth Marie Suarez of Lasip Chico (middle) is queen of the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008. She is flanked by (from left) Pogo Grande’s Ayra Marisse Chua, 4th runner-up; Pogo Chico’s Allanah Cuison, 2nd runner-up; Lucao’s Lyka Mae Banaag, lst runner-up; and Tapuac’s Ma.Angela Carretera, 3rd runner-up.

Festival Images 1

Big events on your Bnagus Fest Calendar

DAGUPAN CITY—The best among street dancers from 16 different contingents from different towns and cities in Region 1 will compete in the first-ever and the grandest Festival of the North on April 26 here as part of the ongoing Bangus Festival.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and City Councilor Alfie Fernandez, chairman and vice chairman respectively of this biggest event ever held in the city, told local newsmen that they are overwhelmed by the inspiring response of the mayors who sent the champion street dancers in their respective localities to join the showdown.

"Talagang dito makikita ang pinakamagaling sa lahat kasi yong mga representatives sa bawat lugar ay pawang mga champion (You can see here the best because representatives in every locality are all champions)," the vice mayor said.

She added that the champion among the champions will receive P150,000 cash prize plus trophy.

Vying for the crown as the best street dancers in region 1 through this competition are contingents from Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan through its Corn Festival, Manaoag with Galicayo Festival, Umingan with Kalansay, Payak Manok Festival, Mapandan with Pandan Festival, Laoag City with Pamulinawen Festival, Dagupan City with its own Bangus Festival.

Also, other contestants will come from Villasis with its Talong Festival, San Carlos City this province with Mango- Bamboo Festival, Balungao with Goat Festival, Bayambang with Binasuan Festival, Infanta with Mangga Festival, San Fernando, La Union with Pindangan Festival, Rajal National High School with Goat Festival, Bauang, La Union with We Love Bauang Festival, Agoo, La Union with Dinengdeng Festival and Binmaley with Sugpo at Malaga Festival.

She said city officials expect this event to be among the biggest crowd drawers in this year’s activity considering that the contestant who will come from various areas will also bring in their supporters to cheer for them.

The other big event is the Bangusan Street Party on April 30 that will relive the feat achieved by the city in its longest barbeque in the Guinness Book of Records in 2003 when it simulateneously grilled bangus (milkfish) in more than one kilometer-long grills set up along A.B. Fernandez Avenue.

This year’s contestants for the street dancing will parade around the major streets first around 3:00 p.m with 13 various floats that include moviestars from two leading competing television networks. Then they will have their showdown at the city plaza around 6:00 p.m.

BF08 off to a great start

The first day of the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008 proved to be the grandest and the merriest ever as it set the right festive mood where people crowded around the city plaza to witness the opening ceremonies marked with fireworks, release of yellow and green balloons, band playing the jolly festival theme song and dancers in their colorful costumes dancing gaily.

Led by no less than Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., the people enjoyed watching 26 groups of street dancers from different barangays who tried to give their best performances to bring home the crown for the street dancing competition.

Fernandez said the Gilon Gilon street dancing competition was started 11 years ago when the city celebrated its golden anniversary and it has since become a big crowd drawer and adopted as one of the main attractions of the Bangus Festival. He recalled that the Golden Anniversary of the city in 1997 was chaired by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, then a councilor, who introduced the Gilon Gilon street dancing.

He said the Gilon Gilon is a tribute to the aquaculture industry of the city and to the forefathers who have engaged in the bangus industry for a long time. He said this has contributed to the progress of Dagupan where its famous product, the bangus (milkfish) has conquered even the international market and is now known as the tastiest bangus in the world.

He commended the festival committee led by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez for the success of the event.

He said Dagupan is a city of one vision and one action where the officials and the department heads are fully supportive towards attaining the same goal.

Vice Mayor Fernandez said this year’s festival is dedicated to Dagupeños and their visitors who come here to enjoy the place, the food and the people and make the city their second home.

She said the activities display the many facets of life in Dagupan.

48-hour countdown, Bangus Festival na!

Forty-eight hours more to go and the region's most exciting summer festival unfolds.

THE Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008 on April 16 to May 4 promises to be the biggest, grandest and merriest in the history of the city, dedicated to the wholesome entertainment of the family, from kids to adults.

This was the prediction of Councilor Michael Fernandez, newly elected national chairman of the Philippine Councilors League and himself chair of the Bangus Festival 2006. “This will be a very different festival compared to past Bangus Festivals held in the city since the event was introduced in 2002,” he said. The opening day on April 16 featuring street dancers from the city’s 31 barangays, garbed in costumes using bangus as motif.

Another colorful event that promises to be a big hit will be the ‘Festival.

The top feature of this year’s Bangus Festival will be the Gilon-Gilon ed Baley on of the North’ featuring all the street dancing champions of towns and cities in the Ilocos Region and Baguio City.

A big Bangusan Street Party will be held on April 30 where seven popular bands from Metro Manila will entertain the crowd estimated at hundred of thousands people.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the Bangus Festival 2008, said although the festival had been expanded as an event for the whole region, its main objective is still to promote the local economy by providing opportunities for local businessmen, including jeepney drivers and other ordinary people to earn.

And for the first time, Bangus Festival will observe a “Great Dagupan Day Sale” where all business establishments in the city are expected to give discounts of up to 50 per cent.

A visibly impressed Councilor Fernandez said “this year’s festival is well coordinated”.

“The preparations are well-organized, all ahead of schedule, no cramming everything is well-scheduled and no whining from any sector, government or private, who joined the preparations voluntarily,” he said.

He attributed this to the leadership of the vice mayor, assisted by Councilor Alfie Fernandez as co-chair, who inspired and instilled a strong sense of volunteerism among all the employees and officials helping in the preparations of the event.

“Under Vice Mayor Fernandez’s stewardship, everything is voluntary, everything is by invitation,” said Councilor Fernandez, chair of the “Tunog Bangus” (”Battle of the Bands”) competition on April 17, 20, 23, 26 and 28 for the “Night of the Champion” at Dagupan Food strip on Galvan Street.

Councilor Fernandez noted that in past management of the festival, it was usually the organizer who was begging for sponsors. “This time, it is the other way around as it is now the sponsors who are begging for the attention of the organizer,” he mused.

“Vice Mayor Fernandez, president of the CSI Group of Companies, used her connections in the business community to make this Bangus Festival to ensure the success of the festival where every one has a role to play,” the councilor added.

LUCKY VISITORS

Meanwhile, prizes await “lucky visitors” to the 2008 Dagupan Bangus Festival.

Councilor Alfredo Quinto, events chair for the “Lucky Visitor” event, said his committee will mount the city-wide search for ‘most senior’ visitor, the ‘biggest family delegation’, ‘youngest showbiz personality’ gracing the occasion and ‘couple coming from farthest place’ and ‘longest staying hotel guest’.

Quinto said the search activity, supported by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Dagupan which he heads, starts on day 1 of the Bangus Festival, April 16.

The ‘lucky visitors’ will receive plaques and symbolic keys as well as certificates, t-shirts, best products being sold during the Bangus Festival as well as free overnight accommodation at the hotel where they have been staying.—LM

(Story from the Sunday Punch)

Important update on Bangus Cookfest Competition

There has been a change of mechanics for this year's Bangus Cookfest Competition. The event dubbed Bangus Cookfest Competition, Parent and Child Team category set for April 20 at the CSI Atrium has been changed to Family Tandem instead. This means accommodating contestants who are not exactly parent and child, but can be any pair who are family-related; i.e., lola and apo, uncle and nephew, etc.

Bangus Festival 2008 Golf Tournament

For those who are thinking of taking up the sport of golfing, here’s one tip (or incentive actually)-golfing might actually help you stock-up your kitchen or family room. Most non-competition golfing events have raffle prizes in lieu of hard cash and prizes can range from microwave ovens to the latest double-door refrigerators.

“I think this is a clever way of making “consuelo” to the wife who has to put up with the hubby being at the golf-course all day”, says Michelle Lioanag, newly appointed Dagupan City Tourism Officer who is in charge of “rallying” together local golfers from the city and the region for the Bangus Festival 2008 Golf Tournament which auspiciously closes the nearly two-week run of this year’s Bangus Festival.

Tee off time for the May 4 tourney is around 6 AM at the Dagupan Golf and Beach Club with event chairperson Councilor Chito Samson doing the ceremonial honors.

Lioanag who incidentally is a golfer’s wife, says that “rallying” is a more appropriate term for getting the local golfing community together because it is such a tightly-knit group. But Lioanag dismisses perceptions that it is an elitist sport- anyone can invest in a good set of clubs or even buy one second-hand and small, community clubs like Dagupan Golf don’t charge the kind of fees you’d find in Wack-Wack or Canlubang.

And before you know it, you’d be bringing home a plasma television set- if you’re lucky!

The event is sponsored in part by Smart and CSI.

Local art gets overdue recognition in Bangus Festival 08

For the first time since the Bangus Festival’s inception, art has been included as one of the featured events. The Dagupan Visual Arts Festival which opens on April 21^st until the 23^rd is a strong affirmation that art has indeed been given public acknowledgment as an important social activity.

It would take the foresight and support of a community leader such as Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chairperson of this year’s festival to make it happen. Fernandez acknowledges her belief that art is a central component of a well-rounded society. Based on what she had seen from all her travels, art is not only for the high-minded, but can be by itself, a tourist attraction and an indirect contributor to local revenue.

This potential of art as commerce excites Fernandez just as much as the fact that public exposure will change the impression that art is “too deep” or “too inaccessible”.

The Dagupan Visual Arts Festival will try to change that by featuring activities and competitions that brings art to an accessible level. Featured in the three-day run are Vase, t-shirt and canvas painting and performance art.

Led by local pioneering art group the Dagupan Artist’s Circle, the group has collaborated with the Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA) to hold TAMA 08. Flying in for the festival are twenty (20) performance artists from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Poland and the USA and ten (10) from Manila.

The event is chaired by Councilor Farah Decano.

Sportsfest in Bangus Festival

NO doubt that the city of Dagupan is the bangus capital of the world. Our government officials, then and now, are doing their utmost to promote this milkfish worldwide.

The city government even tried and was successful in breaking the world’s longest grill in 2004 for the Guinness Book of World Records until it was surpassed recently.

According to Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, this year’s chairperson for the Bangus Festival, the event will officially open on April 16 at 1:00 p.m. through the Gilon-Gilon ed Baley and the annual street dancing competition to be held at M.H. del Pilar street and A.B. Fernandez avenue, respectively.

In this year’s festival, nine sporting events will be held namely: billards, cycling, bowling, taekwondo, mud wrestling, parasailing, beach volleyball, badminton and golf.

It will be a total of ten if you consider the bodyfest for women called “bikini open” as a sport. It will be staged on Pista’y Dayat, May 1st, at Tondaligan Beach, Bonuan Gueset.

I’m not aware of the complete details of the other sporting events but I’m certain that the cycling event which I had been asked to direct will be held on April 19.

Cycling will be one of the main highlights of all the sporting events to be conducted because this will be participated in by the top guns in Philippine cycling like former Tour champions Victor Espiritu, Warren Davadilla, Santy Barnachea, Arnel Quirimit and national team members Llyod Reynante, Ronald Gorantes, Mark Julius Bonzo plus our local celebrities like Sherwin Carrera, Reynaldo Navarro, Enrique Domingo and Ericson Obosa, to name a few.

The road battle, “Bangus Festival Cycling Classic”, starts between 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. across the CSI Square along A.B. Fernandez Avenue with Mayor Al and veem Belen expected to flag off the 75 riders.

The participants will ride through the towns of San Fabian via the Bonuan Road, San Jacinto via barangay Angio, Manaoag via barangay Guebel, Mapandan via barangay San Ramon, Mangaldan via barangay Buenlag and back to Dagupan via barangay Bolosan, four times with an approximate distance of 180 kilometers.

Aksyon Radyo Dagupan 1161 Khz AM will do the wheel-by-wheel account from start to finish.

Cash prizes amounting P54,000, trophies and medals are up for grabs with the champion to pocket the P12,000 while first and second runners-up will bag P9,000 and P7,000, respectively.

Fourth finisher earns P5,000 while fifth placer nets P3,000. Eleventh placer up to the last finisher will receive an incentive prize of P300 apiece.

With the support of Mayor Al and Veem Belen, the city can certainly look forward to more interesting cycling events and other sports competitions.

(Philippine cycling legend Jess Garcia, Jr. directs the Bangus Festival Cycling Classic; this piece had appeared originally in his Sunday Punch column, Sports Eye)

Bangus Festival’s search for ‘fairest bangus’ on

THE search is on for the most “beautiful” bangus in Pangasinan.

Dagupan City Councilor Lino Fernandez, chairman of the committee for the Bangus Rodeo of the 2008 Bangus Festival, called on all bangus raisers in the province to bring their “biggest, heaviest, longest and most beautiful” bangus on April 29 at the Malimgas Market for the competition.

On the same day, cash prizes await the fastest bangus classifier, fastest deboner and fastest eater of grilled bangus.

Cash prizes during the Bangus Rodeo range from P5,000 to P15,000.

Himself a multi-awarded winner in these contests in previous years and owner of several fishponds in Dagupan, Fernandez said only one entry per fishpond operator will be allowed to level the playing field.

Last year’s heaviest bangus weighed 7.2 kilograms, a breeder locally known as sabalo.

Fernandez’s winning entry on the first year of the Bangus Festival only weighed 1.8 kilograms.

Unlike in previous years, the rodeo committee will inject a safe chemical to the sabalo entries to keep these alive and still viable for selling.

A 5-year old sabalo fetches P1,000 per piece.

The Bangus Festival starts on April 16 and ends on May 4.#

(Story from the Sunday Punch)

Hataw Pinoy, Sayaw Dagupan

Showbiz stars come down on Bangus Festival 08

The largest constellation of entertainment stars from the country's biggest television networks are set to descend in Dagupan City to lend shimmer and shine to the 2008 Bangus Festival.

Bangus Festival executive chairperson and Vice Mayor Belen T. Fernandez said media giants ABS CBN and GMA7 will usher in hundreds of its prized stars from their respective stables of Kapamilya and Kapuso talents from television, movies, music and other performing arts.

Leading band icons from the country's music industry like Parokya ni Edgar, Sponge Cola, Bamboo, Kamikaze, Black Dyak, Mocha and Join the Club are likewise set to join and perform during the Bangusan Street Party on April 30.

At least seven entertainment platforms will be erected along the whole stretch of A.B. Fernandez Avenue for the grand street party, including the ABS-CBN Team One Summer Kapamilya and the GMA Grand Kapuso Night shows which is expected to attract huge crowds because of the vaunted drawing powers of its multimedia crossover stars.

Vice Mayor Fernandez added that TV music concert shows SOP and ASAP 08, both topraters of GMA7 and ABS-CBN respectively will also broadcast its live shows separately on April 20 and April 27 from the colossal halls of the 12,000-seater Jimmy L. Fernandez Center at the CSI Stadia.

"Truly, the diverse, rich color and texture of this year's Bangus Festival will not only strengthen the city's standing as the regional center of media but also mark its meteoric rise as the seat of entertainment in Northern Luzon," Fernandez said.

GMA TV 10 is slated to setup and fortify its regional operations in time for the Bangus Festival, adding up Dagupan's bustling media community, which includes its first regional television station ABS-CBN Northern Luzon, three cable television stations, a dozen AM and FM radio stations and a dozen more local weekly newspapers. (CIO/RR)

Food fiesta to open in Galvan Street

Native delicacies, grilled bangus, pork barbecue, pancit, puto, burgers, fries and sandwiches, a wide variety of beverages and hundreds of other gastronomic delights, including the local favorite pigar-pigar will lord it over Galvan Street from April 16 to April 30.

Dubbed as the Bangus Foodstrip, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, executive chairperson of the Bangus Festival, said the whole breadth of Galvan Street up to the corner of Rivera Street will be morphed into Dagupan's newest nucleus of food enthusiasts, operating round the clock for two weeks.

"The Bangus Festival is the occasion where we will set new standards in food preparation and handling. The food should not only be delectable, it must also be safe and clean, and the vendors properly trained," she said, stressing that the City Health Office will ensure that the highest sanitation and hygiene measures are prescribed and observed to protect the general public.

In addition to the existing pigar-pigar operators in the area, around thirty operators who applied for occupancy of food stall spaces are now procuring health certificates for food handlers, sanitary permits to operate and will further undergo a food handlers' training course to be conducted by CHO.

The Bangus Foodstrip is seen as a sparkling promenade for tourists and residents alike, complemented by nightly performances from various competitions such as the Dagupan Pop Idol, Tunog Bangus Battle of the Bands and Hataw Sayaw, Hataw Dagupan contests.

Councilors Jess Canto and Chito Samson chair the Bangus Foodstrip event (CIO/RR)

Kundiman Contest: A night of celebrating music and tradition

The dying art form that is the Kundiman or the traditional Filipino love song may find a welcome revival as the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008 creates for one night, the magic of traditional romantic ballads with a Kundiman Contest on April 25 at the City Plaza.

Event chairperson Councilor Pacoy Torio promises music lovers a special night showcasing beloved kundimans as interpreted by different competing groups. Entries for the competition are still open for groups of 22 members each.

Various leading universities and colleges all across the region have expressed interest as well as already committing to send representatives including the University of Pangasinan, DMMSU, the University of Baguio, University of Cordillera, Saint Louis University’s Alumni Association Choir, the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Choir and the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation.

Festival chair Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez expressed delight at the high level of interest in the competition, noting that the wide range of participant even outside the city and the province fulfills the promise of the Bangus Festival as significantly transforming itself into a regional event.

The competition is also open to private companies and organizations with their own choral ensemble,

Each group will be required to interpret two songs for an over-all performance time limit of 10 minutes.

The winning group will get Php 30,000 plus a trophy with an additional Php 10,000 for their school; runner-up prizes are as follows, for the second prize, Php 20,000 and trophy with Php 8,000 for the school, while the 3^rd placer gets Php 10,000 and trophy with Php 5,000 for their school.

Criteria for judging are as follows:

Tonal Quality is 40% which includes the elements of voice quality, blending, balance and harmony.

Interpretation is 40% which includes execution, blocking and mastery and stage deportment. The remaining 20% of the criteria covers stage discipline, costume, stage presence and audience impact.

Kiddi stars bring star-power to Araw ng Mga Bata

He's smart, cute and extremely funny. She's versatile- can be wickedly funny and then cry a river at a moment's notice. Both are barely 10 years old but have resumes that even older performers would envy.

Child stars Aaron Junatas and Sharlene San Pedro bring their unique talents to Dagupan City with special appearances for the Araw ng Mga Bata event on April 23, 4 PM at the City Plaza. The kiddie-themed event is part of this year's Dagupan Bangus Festival 08 celebrations and promises an afternoon of fun, games and special prizes.

Junatas made his mark with an impressive finish with the "Star Circle Quest Kids" before signing on to memorable roles in such ABS-CBN shows as "Krystala", "My Juan and Only", "Rounin" and "LoveSpell". Movie appearances have followed with roles in the acclaimed film "Donsol" and "Shake Rattle and Roll 8".

San Pedro also made her mark on "Star Circle Quest Kids" before becoming a household name on the popular soap, "Mga Anghel na Walang Langit". Another role that cemented her stature as one of the country's leading child stars was playing the iconic role of "Princess Sarah". She is currently with the cast of the Angel Locsin-Piolo Pascual soap, "Lobo".

Councilor Jess Canto who chairs the event urges all kids ages 3 to 12 to come and join. The event is sponsored in part by Mcdonalds, Wrigleys, Lucky me

(Sharlene photo from PEP).

Bangus Festival 08 para rin sa mga bata

Tiyak na matutuwa at masisiyahan ang ating mga bata sa lungsod at maging mula sa ibang lugar sa gaganapin na “Araw Ng Mga Bata” bilang bahagi ng Dagupan Bangus festival celebration sa taong ito sa lungsod ng dagupan.

Sinabi ni Councilor Jess Canto, chairman ng nasabing event na kakaibang karanasan at tuwa ang mararanasan ng mga bata kasama ang kanilang mga hinahangaang batang artista ng ABS-CBN tulad ni Aaron Junatas ng going bulilit at si Sharlene San Pedro na nakilala bilang Princess Sarah. Magpapakita din ng talento ang mga pre-school children mula sa mga ibat-ibang barangays .

Sinab ni canto na ang pagdiriwang ay magsisimula alas-kwatro ng hapon sa Abril 23. magkakaroon ng parade of mascots handog ng Mcdonalds, Wrigleys, Lucky me at iba pang sponsors. itoy susundan ng isang isang programa na gaganapin sa city plaza.

Hindi lamang mae-entertain ang mga bata dahil sila ay bibigyan din ng maikling lektura tungkol sa edukasyon, kalusugan at values. Inaasahan din na ang mga bata ay makatatangap ng mga gift packs mula sa mga sponsors.

Ang “Araw Ng Mga Bata” ay libre at bukas para sa lahat ng batang may edad tatlo hanggang 12 anyos, dagdag pa ni Canto (EV).

World cue masters vs. local talent in BangusFest Billiards Challenge 08

It would seem that only the best would do for this year’s Dagupan Bangus Festival. If rubbing shoulders and exchanging tips on the perfect forehand with national champions and coaches seems to be the perfect weekend for local badminton players, billiard aficionados would surely find themselves in 8-ball heaven when they find themselves pitted against the likes of world billiard masters Ronato Alcano, Dennis Orcullo, Robert Gomez and Joven Bustamante.

This dream exhibition match is not fantasy, but a once in a lifetime opportunity offered to the 4 semi-finalists who will emerge from the Bangus Fest Billiards Challenge to be held on April 28 and 29, 2008 at the CSI Atrium, CSI the City Mall.

Festival Chair Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez expressed confidence that this show of force- sports wise that is- would inspire Dagupenos (as well as Pangasinenses) to think beyond local borders.

“This is the thrust and vision of this festival- to motivate and inspire people to think and dream big.” Fernandez added

Youthful event chairperson Councilor Carlo Fernandez is hopeful that playing with world-class champions would create hopefuls with national if not world-class potential noting that there is abundance of promising local talent.

The presence of Alcano, Orcullo and company certainly raises the profile and caliber of the billiards challenge. Alcano was the surprise winner of the 2006 World Pool Championship; Orcullo has an impressive resume which includes the World Pool League, and IPT World open 8-ball Championships among others; Gomez is last year’s World 9 ball runner-up while Bustamante was the Guinness 9 ball Taiwan first leg runner-up.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez Badminton Cup 2008: raising local badminton to world-class standards

Local badminton enthusiasts are in for a real treat as the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008 brings the game to a totally new level with the staging of the Vice-Mayor Belen Fernandez Badminton Cup 2008 on May 3 to 4. The weekend event will be held at the fully air-conditioned CSI Stadia which has perhaps the only badminton courts in the region constructed according to world-class competition standards.

Festival chairperson Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez also pointed out that if that wasn’t enough incentive, participants would also get the chance to improve their game and polish their skills through the mentoring of national champions Irene Chiu and Coach Renato Reyes. Chiu and Reyes would be spearheading special badminton clinics and tutorials during the tournaments.

The competition would have four categories or events namely;

Juniors Event (Under 17)
- Boy's Singles
- Boy's Doubles
- Girl's Singles
- Girl's Doubles

Elite Event (Age 18-25)
- Men's Singles
- Men's Doubles
- Women's Singles
- Women's Doubles

Seniors Event (Age 26-35)
- Men's Doubles

Veterans Event (Age 36 & Above)
- Men's Doubles

Awaiting the winners are specially designed glass trophies and attractive cash prizes. Entry fee is Php 150 per player per event and is inclusive of Bangus Festival souvenir shirt and other freebies. Deadline of Entry Submissions is on 02 May 2008, at 3PM.

For inquiries, contact Bong Reyes (0920-2152550) or Vrix Alvarado (0928-9859388),
or landline at (075) 5228602 or (075) 5231918.This event is managed by MatchControl Tournament Management (http://www.matchcontrol.com) and sponsored in part by Sunbolt Sports Drink, Anchor Milk, Johnson & Johnson, Dunlop-Carlton. Events chair is Councilor Karlo Reyna.

Globe: Better Late Than Never

One amazing aspect of the Dagupan Bangus Festival is that it is able to bring together even the most intense of competitors. From a business standpoint, this makes practical sense; indeed, why let your competitor hog the spotlight? But at the end of the day, all the strategies and the marketing ploys are set aside over a bottle of beer, a fresh plate of pigar-pigar and some of Dagupan Fiesta's signature bangus sisig.

That's what the festival is really about- fun and camaraderie.

Globe Telecom joins Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008 partners ABS-CBN, CSI, CSI Stadia, GMA and Smart Communications.

Discount! Discount! Great Dagupan Sale!

Inaasahan ni Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, Chairman ng Bangus Festival 2008 ang full support ng mga negosyante sa Dagupan para sa tagumpay ng Great Dagupan Sale mula Abril 16 hanggang Mayo 4.

Sa isang miting na ginanap kahapon, sinabi ni Marge Navata, isa sa mga namamahala sa naturang event na kasalukuyang umiikot ang mga kasama nila upang maipasiguro ang complete participation ng iba’t-ibang rehistradong establisyemento.

Up to 50 percent ang mga magiging diskwento ng mga mamimili at mga give-aways sa mga makikisaling establisyemento. Lahat ng participating outlets ay inaasahang magsasabit ng streamer sa harap ng kanilang pwesto na may nakasulat na Great Dagupan Sale up to 50 percent discount at magpapatugtog din ng theme song ng Bangus Festival upang malaman ng mga tao na kasali sila sa promo.

Ayon pa kay Navata, natutuwa sila sa magandang pagtanggap ng mga negosyante sa pakulong ito na inaasahang magpaparami ng mga bisita sa Dagupan para sa Bangus Festival at Pista’y Dayat Celebrations.

Tinatrabaho din nila hindi lamang yong mga nasa downtown area, kundi pati rin yong mga nasa Mayombo, MH Del Pilar, Tapuac at Lucao.

The Bangus Industry of Dagupan: Fast Facts

Bangus Numbers

Total area devoted to the culture of Bangus:

Fishponds--- 930 hectares

Fishpens --- 24 hectares (licensed)

Total --- 954 hectares

Total value of industry in terms of Capital investment

Area development of ponds --- P 1 million per hectare and about P . 7 M per hecatre of fishpen

= Total value of investments = P 946.8 M

Total production is estimated at 15 tons a day excluding outside Dagupan production . Valued at P 75.00 per kilo it will be P 1.125 M per day x 25 good days

= P 28.125 M per month

= P 337.5 M annually

We trade also about 6- 10 tons a day providing income to the consignacion of 5 % marketing cost and labor for the others in the market.

Average production is 2.48 MT per hectare in the ponds and 4.2 MT in the fishpens

Bangus Profile

The entry of alien bangus in the Magsaysay market does not happen anymore in the city.

Dr. Rosario describes Dagupan bangus as a) physically good looking, tastier flesh and better texture b) it has small head, fine and smooth scales, bulging stomach, tender bones and a short lower fin tail c) if the belly is opened, there is no unpleasant odor because it feeds on the natural food called lablab

Why better bangus in Dagupan: Studies show that the following factors are present:

a) frequent flushing of the water in the rivers and the fishponds due to the perennial flooding which cleans the river and pond bottom of hydrogen sulfide causing microorganisms

b) Fishponds have less phosphorus

c) good mixture of brackishwater which favors good growth and balanced salinity with ranges from 10- 25 parts per thousand and temperature 25-32 ' C and good dissolved oxygen of 3-5 milligrams per liter due to the frequent chnage of tides since we are near the opening to the sea (Emma Molina, pic from fao.org)

Taekwondo jins magpapakitang gilas sa Bangus Fest

Magpapakitang gilas ang mga marurunong sa larong taekwondo sa Abril 27 sa CSI Atrium, Lucao District, Dagupan City. Ayon kay Dagupan City Councilor Karlos Reyna, Chairman ng nasabing event na isa sa mga inaabangang bahagi ng Bangus Festival 2008, magkakaroon ng bracketing ang nasabing palaro mula walo pataas ang edad.

Ito ay pangangasiwa ng national Olympic Committee ng Philippine Sports Commission. Sa kasalukuyan, nasa 90 porsyento na ang mga naaprobahang mechanics ng naturang patimpalak at ito ay inaasahang mabubuo na sa linggong ito, ayon pa kay Councilor Karlos Reyna.

Naniniwala si Reyna na malaki ang potensyal ng mga manlalarong Pinoy na magtagumpay sa taekwondo base na rin sa mga sunod-sunod na mga invitational tournaments na ginaganap upang mapalawig ang nasabing sports. Marami na rin aniya ang mga atletang Dagupeno na nag-uwi ng gintong medalya sa sports na ito. Ito rin aniya ang huhubog sa iba’t ibang values ng isang manlalaro tulad ng disiplina at ang pag-uugali nito. Ang pakikipagkaibigan at ang pagkakaroon ng paniniwala sa sarili, dagdag pa ni Reyna.

May mga nakahandang premyo tulad gaya ng cash at medalya sa pamamagitan ng mga sponsors sa tulong ng chairman ng Bangus Festival na si Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez.