Alcala attempts to make twin Guiness titles
 By Eva C. Visperas

 

Step aside, Dagupan. Watch for the grand attempt of this town to grab Guinness Book of World Record titles this coming April.

This quiet agricultural town, rich with townspeople who became immigrants from the United States of America and other foreign countries, will make a twin bid for Guinness World Record for longest grill and longest barbeque grill when it celebrates its town fiesta on April 29 at 5:00 p.m.
Mayor Manuel Collado told this reporter that the record holder for the longest grill was only 33 meters long by Germany. The town will have its 150- meter long grill to wrest the title.

The longest barbeque grill where Dagupan City also of this province made its 2,000 meters long barbeque grill using its world-famous product, bangus (milkfish) in April 2005 is yet to be officially certified by Guinness as the titleholder.

Collado said the town will make a three-kilometer stretch longest barbeque grill using pork, fish and other vegetables for their attempt to grab the title. This will start from San Pedro Ili to San Vicente.

He said that they have officially made their two bids to the Guinness and paid the necessary fees for them.

Preparations have been made for one year already for this big event and the grills have been finished a month ago by about 70 laborers who are all from this town, he said.

Collado said it was the idea of his townmates who are now immigrants mostly in California, USA to make this bid, a first-of-its kind in this province.

He said that the event will be graced by no less than President Gloria Arroyo who accepted the mayor’s invitation when she came to Pangasinan last Saturday.

The affair coincides with the first grand homecoming of Alcalinians not only based abroad but also locally to make the celebration not only happy and memorable but also to make it noble, he said.

There will be about 1,000 balikbayans who are coming for the said grand event.

With no expense at all to the municipal government, the Alcalinians abroad are the ones moving for the said affair by selling among them 1,000 grills at $100 each complete with P1,000 worth of pork barbeque to be grilled and charcoal to be used.

Three grills at one meter each are interconnected for the $100 cost. Thus, the organizers have to sell 1,000 grills and need to have 1,000 sponsors. But no worry, said Collado, as the immigrants have already sold among them 975 grills as of this time. They have until March 30 to sell all the grills.

Collado said the sponsors even donated three grills each for all the 21 barangays here so that people in the barangays could also share in the merry-making. The town which has about 40,000 populations is expecting to have more than 10,000 participants to this grandiose affair.

About 3,000 kilos of pork are needed for the barbeque grill and about 1,000 sacks of charcoal, the mayor added.

One half of the funds to be raised here will be left in a foundation which will handle projects for health, education and livelihood for the local folks.

“The townspeople here and abroad are very enthusiastic,” Collado said.

While grilling, the people will also be entertained with live bands, gift-giving and other gimmicks all through the courtesy of the balikbayans, he said.

He added that it is heartening to note that his townmates based abroad are very willing to help them without expecting anything in return.

With the theme, “Biggang Ti Rang-ay Ti Alcala (Spark of Progress of Alcala),” Collado is optimistic the holding of this grand event will signal the march of the town to progress.

The affair, he added, has so many multiplier effects like immigrants sent money to their relatives here to renovate their houses in time for their homecoming. The mayor said almost every household here, particularly in the Poblacion area, has a relative either working or already based abroad.

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(You can also read this writer’s other stories at http://businessblog.prepys.com.)

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