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)
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