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.

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.