Bolinao Mangunguna Festival buoys up unity, aquaculture bounty
BOLINAO—This town’s week-long celebration of their Mangunguna (local term for fisherman) Festival in the third week of April highlighted unity among its residents and communal gratitude for their aquaculture industry’s bounty.
“Mangunguna was an offspring of the Bolinao town fiesta, to give tribute to our fishermen… eventually it has become a tourist attraction,” said Margaret Celeste, one of the prime movers of the festival.
On its seventh year, the festival continued its sui generis activities, all related to aquaculture including water sports and a grand dining experience, among others.
Last April 25, hundreds of locals and tourists flocked along the Balingasay River for the fourth instalment of the Balingasay Water Sports Event composed of four unique events.
In one event, six men and women rode their carabaos for a swimming race, the animals gamely flapping their feet to reach the end of the course.
The bargisthon, another river sports of Bolinao origin, which got its name from six-foot long bargis (the local term for canoe boat made from recycled World War II airplane parts), drew male participants in the locality.
Patawthon, meanwhile, is a race that uses bamboo poles called pataw as a floater. Conducted in two categories — for males and females — the event sends everyone cheering for their pataw swimmer bets.
Mangunguna organizers also launched a team sports tagged “Team Balsa Hatakan”, the town’s version of the tug-of-war with one difference – opposing team members pull the rope while on board their bamboo rafts.
Celeste said the sports site, Balingasay River, traversing five villages — Balingasay, Estanza, Tupa, Cabuyao, and Luna — is home to bangus fry, crablets, and some of the biggest oysters found in Pangasinan, among other aquaculture yields.
Meanwhile, culminating the celebration on April 27 will be a sumptuous dinner where everyone is welcome to share in what they call pidudungo, a grand serving of seafood delicacies.
Other activities are the Mutya na Bolinao pageant and the streetdancing competition.
Bolinao, located in the western portion of Pangasinan, boasts of picturesque water-sites such as the Patar Beach, Enchanted Cave, and diving sites.–Johanne R. Macob
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