It appears that the Guinness World Records knows something that the City of Dagupan doesn’t.

While the city government was under the impression earlier that it was its 2005 Kalutan ed Dagupan feat that finally clinched the longest barbecue grill world record, the Guinness website is saying   something differently. The website lists the 2003 bid as the official record-holder, leading Mayor Benjamin Lim to conclude that it is the final word to date.

In a press conference held last February 8 at the City Museum, Lim said the city’s record is the first to appear on the home page of the website.
 

It will be recalled that the people of Dagupan posted the longest barbecue length of 1007.56 meters in 2003 breaking the record of Peru which held the longest barbecue record since 1999 with a length of 613 meters.
 

But as Lim recalled, the city’s victory was short-lived. “We learned that Turkey (which set a 1,600 meter length of the longest barbecue later broke our record. We were caught in-between twin options–recapture our crown or just sit on our laurels  and be satisfied for bagging the world championship crown, he stressed.

 This later prompted the city to stage a two-kilometer grill last year with over 24,000 bangus cooked simultaneously in a bid to put the issue to rest. The new record, however, has not been confirmed and instead the 2003 record still appeared unbeaten.
 

“But because the latest website of the Guinness flashes the record of Dagupan in 2003 we can still claim that we are the record holder,” he said.
 

According to Information Technology champion Gideon Ymasa of the City Mayor’s Office, the longest barbecue record of Turkey was the one posted on the Guinness Website from 2004-2005. However Ymasa said that the Guinness website has been revised as of the late December of last year.  Since then the website has been showing Dagupan 2003 longest barbecue record.

This means that Turkey may have been stricken out from the record in favor of the victory of Dagupan City, Information Office head Butch Velasco said.
 

During the presscon, Mayor Lim said that his office has been keeping track on the longest barbecue record. “We have been following up with the Guinness World Records office every month whether the longest barbecue we staged inyear 2005 has set the new world record, the city’s chief executive said.

 Mayor Lim also clarified during the presscon that the City will still stage the longest barbecue this year.

 “We still stage the Kalutan ed Dagupan because the Kalutan is the soul of the Bangus Festival,” but he did not clarify whether the objective is to beat the 2003 record or the 2005 feat. 

Lim said that all grill owners who purchased their grills in 2002-2003 or 2005 are requested to surrender their grills to the Bangus festival Executive Committee for proper recognition and accreditation as integral part of Dagupan’s successful bid.
 

Lim called this year’s Bangus Festival celebration as the Grand Reunion of Guinness World Record holders for longest barbecue.

Their grills will be stamped with the Guinness official logo as a fitting memento of their valuable participation in that record-breaking event and the same grills will be laid out on April 30 this year along A.B. Fernandez Avenue down to Burgos St. for the 5th Kalutan ed Dagupan Lim said.
 

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