A SUGGESTION by Councilor Celia Lim during last week’s regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to Mayor Belen Fernandez to stage the next Bangus Festival in the downtown area next time was dismissed outright by the latter.

At the end of their regular session on May 3, Lim, the mother of former Mayor Brian Lim suggested that the next kalutan of the Dagupan Bangus Festival be held in the downtown area where “95 percent of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the city are located”.

Councilor Lim was reacting to the manifestation of Councilor Dennis Canto that the last Kalutan ed Dalan along Jose de Venecia Expressway was so successful and was not only joined by national government officials but also diplomats from 17 countries of the world led by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Rev. Charles Brown.

“Umikot po tayo, lahat po na mga negosyo, kahit maliliit, ay punong-puno po ng mga tao, hanggang madaling araw,” Canto said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Fernandez, in a news conference on May 3, responded to Councilor Lim’s suggestion, saying the event did not discriminate against the MSMEs but even provided the same opportunity and space extended to all during the Kalutan to sell their products, for free.

It will be recalled that the seven majority members (that included Lim) of the city council passed an ordinance institutionalizing the holding of Kalutan ed Dalan, along A.B. Fernandez Avenue where it was first held during the administration of then Mayor Benjamin Lim (husband of Councilor Celia). Fernandez vetoed the ordinance.

“We are not forgetting that former Mayor Benjamin Lim was the founder of the Bangus Festival. But we are improving the event by holding it on a wider area along Jose de Venecia Express Extension and minimize security risks for everyone,” said Fernandez.

She recalled that when she was the vice mayor, she was named by then Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. to chair the city’s Bangus Festival that held its Kalutan ed Dalan in downtown area.

She cited that in the narrow area, security was difficult and ambulances had difficult time rushing people who needed medical assistance to hospitals.

On Lim’s claim that the MSMEs in the downtown area must also earn from kalutan, the mayor noted that during kalutan all the establishments along the A.B. Fernandez were closed, so they could not have sold anything; jeepney and tricycle drivers could not earn any because the entire A.B. Fernandez Avenue was closed for the kalutan for many hours.

Fernandez added that in this year’s Bangus Festival she also decided against putting up baratillo or street bazars coming from Manila and other cities to protect interests of local businessmen selling similar items. (Leonardo Micua)

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