Losing the Dagupan Bangus brand

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

FLASHBACK: On May 3, 2003, Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim launched the Bangus Festival that was highlighted by the successful effort of the city government and residents to break the Guinness World Record “Longest grill” street party. It also became the launching pad for the Dagupan Bangus brand in the world market.

The Bangus Festival’s annual street party and street dancing became the most awaited celebration events in the city’s calendar, easily surpassing festive Christmas mood.  To Mayor BSL’s credit, it was a successful and effective branding for a product that is uniquely Dagupan.

The popularity of Dagupan Bangus eventually led to the mushrooming of fishpond cultured bangus in most coastline towns in the country, but not one would come close to the natural sweet tender taste and texture of Dagupan Bangus.

As an astute business person herself, the need to continuously promote and protect the  Dagupan Bangus was not lost to Mayor Belen Fernandez.  Taking off from where her predecessor left, she initiated mechanics and rules to further keep the Dagupan Bangus as a leading brand and quality product in the world.

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BACK TO REALITY. The city government’s initiatives have been so effective that all bangus producers in Luzon started to short circuit the return on their investments by finding ways to piggy back on the success of Dagupan Bangus.

This fact surfaced when today’s Brian Lim administration decided to tighten its stronghold on the Dagupan Bangus brand. Or so we thought. We thought wrong!

At the hearing of the then proposed ordinance, all bangus producers in Pangasinan, La Union, Bulacan, etc.  lobbied not to be shut out of the city’s planned protectionist policy.

In addition to bangus producers in Binmaley, Lingayen, Sual, Agno, and Bolinao, there are bangus producers in  Zambales, La Union and Bulacan who badly want their bangus to look like Dagupan Bangus –  by being able to unload their bangus in Dagupan City! (Of course, they realize they can’t possibly make their bangus taste like Dagupan Bangus, and they know that too well).

Well, lo and behold… it could only be the millions that passed hands at the city hall and city council from the wannabe-Dagupan bangus producers who lobbied heavily for the right to make their second-rate bangus look like Dagupan bangus that made it happen with a law to protect that right!

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SOLD TO THE LOWEST QUALITY. Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry who claims they are from the provinces and town listed in the ordinance can claim to the outside world that their bangus is Dagupan Bangus! What do they care about the quality and integrity of Dagupan Bangus as a product and as a brand? All they care about is they are able to dispose of their harvests with an improved image with a guaranteed good return on their investment!

The ordinance that was meant to protect the Dagupan Bangus turned out to be the master plan for our city officials to get rich effortlessly by voting “Yes”. Their votes sounded the death knell for the Dagupan Bangus not only as a brand and a product but as an industry.

Dagupeños should hold Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, Councilors Celia Lim, Michael Fernandez, Dennis Canto, Marvin Fabia, Karlos Reyna, Cisco Flores, Joey Netu Tamayo, Marcelino Fernandez and Tess Coquia accountable for acting as mercenaries who thought nothing of selling the Dagupan Bangus brand to the gross disadvantage of the city’s industry (Note: Dada Reyna and Chito Samson were absent during the session that approved the Ordinance but might have elected to have their names included as having voted or the ordinance. Let’s see). 

And Councilors Lino Fernandez and Jose Netu Tamayo will be remembered as the committee chairmen who led the funeral for the Dagupan Bangus.

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BRIAN FOR BSL LEGACY? But Mayor Brian Lim can still salvage not only Dagupan Bangus as a favored product of the city  to the world, the pride of Dagupan industry but the legacy of his own father, Mayor BSL, he who would do all to keep Dagupan Bangus exclusively for Dagupan. 

As mayor, he has the power to veto the ordinance and restore the original intent of the ordinance: “Ordinance To Protect the Dagupan Bangus Industry and Protect Its Quality and Integrity.”

If he doesn’t, he and his administration will long be remembered by generations as the men and women plotted to bury the Dagupan Bangus alive. The fish kills had nothing to do with it. 

And I sincerely hope Dagupeños are not seeing the early resurrection of the ‘Judas 9’ of the MC Adore sale.

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