THE colorful fluvial parade was a rare sight by the city’s main rivers that will be long remembered by Dagupeños.

For the Dagupan City government and the Catholic archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan that collaborated to stage a colorful and meaningful celebration of Dagupan’s 400th year as a parish and the city’s month-long fiesta, a grand fluvial parade along the Pantal and Calmay River last December 27 was fitting to mark the culminating activity for both occasions.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas led the fluvial parade that saw the participation of the three flatboats of the city’s Island Tours and 50 colorfully-decorated motorized bancas.

The fluvial parade started at the docking facility by the Star Hotel and ended in front of the NBI building in Barangay Poblacion Oeste.

A religious procession to the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral followed the fluvial parade where a Holy Mass was celebrated by the archbishop.

Fernandez said she hoped the fluvial parade created higher awareness towards the importance of the local river system “We can only hope for bountiful harvests if our rivers are kept clean and sustainable,” she added.

She pointed out that fishing is not only a vital industry in the city but a main source of livelihood for many of the city’s communities.

“ So we must thank the Lord for all the blessings He has given us,” the mayor said.

For Villegas, the fluvial parade was a fitting event to honor St. John the Evangelist, the patron saint of Dagupan, who was a fisherman.

“This fluvial procession is our way of thanking to the Lord and to fulfill our promise to take care of the river,” said the archbishop.

One of the highlights of the parade was the release of 20 “sabalo” (mother milkfish) and 2,000 bangus, tilapia, seabass, and shrimp fingerlings along Calmay River.

The sabalo and fingerlings were provided by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – National Integrated Fisheries Technological Development Center (BFAR-NIFTDC).

The release of sabalo and fingerlings is expected to further enhance the production of bangus, the city’s primary product. One “sabalo” is capable of producing millions of eggs which will give the city a good source of bangus fingerlings.

Meanwhile, some 19 motorboats, 50 bancas, and livelihood equipment were turned over to fisherfolks after the parade.

The beneficiaries from the city’s island barangays also received fish cages for high value fish, kalokor or beach seine, and oyster rafts. (CIO)

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