Dagupan’s ‘Pista ng Dagat’ draws bigger crowd
THE Bonuan Blue Beach was transformed into a virtual sea of humanity as far as the eyes can see when Dagupan celebrated its annual Pista ng Dagat on Thursday as part of the 19-day Dagupan Bangus Festival.
Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair person of the Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008, and First Lady Elmina Fernandez led the fluvial parade that started at 8 a.m. at the Pantal River and ended at Tondaligan Park in Bonuan.
It was deemed the biggest sea festival ever, eclipsing the crowd that gathered in the capital Lingayen, Binmaley and San Fabian.
“We were overwhelmed by the big crowd that came, starting in the morning till late in the afternoon,” said Fernandez.
The fluvial parade was participated in by some 20 offshore fishing boats that regularly fish in the Lingayen Gulf whose catch are sold in the Dagupan Fish Market.
Chinese dragon boats also joined the fluvial parade.
Vice Mayor Fernandez, Mrs. Fernandez and City Engineer Virginia Rosario rode in the head boat owned by Pantal Barangay Chairman Lilia Yasar.
Each boat was laden with food, like lechon, as offering to thank the Mother Sea for more bountiful catch in the future.
The food was partaken later by the crew and their guests in observance of the age-old tradition of Pista ng Dagat.
While the fluvial parade was going on, Fr. Rodolfo Sumintac of the Annunciation of the Lord’s Parish in Bonuan celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass at the shore of Bonuan.
After the mass, he blest the sea and the fishing boats moored about a kilometer away from the shore.
Visitors came were from as far as Nueva Ecija, Cabanatuan City, and Concepcion, Tarlac; and Benguet province.
No untoward incident happened at the Dagupan Beach that day as lifeguards were on hand and members of the Dagupan police, in their beach shorts, patrolled the area.
Members of the city marshal put order in the beach and assisted children who were lost from their guardians due to the huge crowd that flocked there.
Among the activities held at the beach on Thursday were beach volleyball, sand sculpture contest, mud wrestling, amateur boxing, and bikini open.—LM
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