SO far, so good.

This was the assessment of Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, executive chairperson of this year’s Dagupan Bangus Festival, two days into the 19-day festivities, which will last until May 4.

Fernandez hailed the huge crowd that lined up the streets even under the blazing sun to watch the “Gilon-Gilon ed Baley” Street Dancing on Monday afternoon.

She said that the street dancing has so far drawn the biggest crowd and they can look forward to more street dancing during the Festivals of the North on April 26, where all street dancing champions in Northern Luzon will be participating.

Mayor Alipio Fernandez, in a speech during the festival opening on Monday at the plaza, credited Vice Mayor Fernandez for starting the “Gilon-Gilon” dance fever in the city when she introduced it in 1997 as chair of the Dagupan City Golden Year Anniversary.

This year, Barangay Mangin topped the “Gilon-Gilon ed Baley” winning the 1st prize of P80,000 and another P20,000 for being adjudged as best in choreography.

It was followed by Barangay Bolosan, represented by the Jose de Venecia Sr. Memorial National High School, clinching 1st  runner up prize of P60,000, and another P20,000 for having the best choreographer.

Barangay Lucao was 2nd runner-up at P50,000; Dagupan City National High School, 3rd runner-up at P40,000 and another P20,000 for being best in costume and  Barangay Pogo Chico was 4th runner-up for P30,000.

Barangay Mangin will represent Dagupan in the “Festivals of the North” competition.

FESTIVAL CROWD-DRAWERS

On the night of April 16,  the Dagupan Bangus Festival beauty pageant, another crowd drawer, was held wherein ‘Dagupan’s Five Prettiest’ led by Ruth Marie Suarez, a beauty and brains from Lasip Chico, were crowned.

On Thursday,  the mayor and vice mayor, Councilor Alfie Fernandez, vice chair of the Bangus Festival, and Councilor Jesus Canto opened the ‘Dagupan Foodstrip’ on Galvan Street,  featuring food shops serving Dagupan native delicacies, such as pigar-pigar and kaleskes, among others.

“We were also impressed by the huge number of people that came to walk through and enjoy the ‘Dagupan Foodstrip’, where a competition called ‘Tunog Bangus’ or Battle of the Bands was also being held,” the vice mayor said.

No heavy traffic was noted even if the main streets were kept unlike in previous festivals where the main streets were closed to traffic.

The executive committee changed the previous policy to enable the transport sector to earn as well, not to deprive them, during the festival and gave unrestricted access to the public in all places where the multi-events are being conducted as the festival is really for them.

City Councilor Alfredo Quinto, president of the Dagupan Hotels and Inns, Inc., confirmed that all their member establishments are now almost fully-booked.

Also well-attended was the ‘Beauty Talk’ at the city plaza on the night of April 16 by beauty consultant Dr. Vikki Belo, whose popular clinics in Manila are being patronized by TV and movie personalities.

Dr.  Belo mesmerized the crowd, dominated by women, in her solo lecture on how to retain ageless beauty just with the use of soap and water even without the use of any cream.

She won the crowd to her cause when she said that eating bangus belly can help maintain a healthy skin.—LM

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