ALAMINOS CITY—The city’s oyster industry received a big boost after the holding of Talaba Ihaw-ihaw Festival as part of the city fiesta that concluded last week.

Talaba Ihaw-ihaw was held on March 23 along the central business district of the city.

The city produces the Crassostrea iredalei species, locally known as talabang tsinelas measures five to seven inches big for marketable size with a carapace diameter of three to five inches.

City Agriculturist Arceli Talania said the annual activity aims to promote oyster production and to encourage eco-friendly mari-culture projects that will provide additional livelihood to the marginalized fisherfolk here in the city.

Gilbert Rabadon, an aqua-culturist from the City Agriculture Office and focal person of oyster development program of the city, told The PUNCH that the city produces the best talaba in Pangasinan grown in coastal barangays of Baleydaan, Mona, Pangapisan and Cayucay zonified as oyster mari-culture areas.

He said there are 64 project beneficiaries for the oyster development project of the city government in Lucap.

A separate partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 1 under the shellfish development program provides other materials for oyster culture. There are 50 fisherfolks each in Baleydaan and Pangapisan that are benefiting from this.

The recipients give labor counterpart. “We only ask them to give us production data and to help us promote oyster industry not only in western Pangasinan but in entire Region 1,” Rabadon said.

Rabadon said oysters here are marketed in Dagupan City and in other areas in Pangasinan up to Metro Manila.

As of 2015 data available here, about 240 metric tons of oysters in shells are produced annually.

Alaminos’ oysters are served in hotels and restaurants either grilled, steamed, adobo style or kilawen, among other dishes or appetizers. (Tita Roces)

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