PEACE-MAKER
In our column last Sunday, we said that Pangasinan is a place of diverse culture and heritage and rich natural resources that are highlighted by vibrant festivals celebrated by the different localities, such as the Bangus (milkfish) Festival in our hometown Dagupan City.
This vibrant festival serves as a community thanksgiving which honors St. John the Evangelist, our patron saint, and celebrates our city’s Bangus, which is considered “the juiciest and tastiest” in the world.
The highpoint of the festival is the Kalutan ed Dalan (grilling on the street), where Dagupeños, together with thousands of local and foreign tourists, flock to the city’s central business district every April 30 for the grilling of thousands of Bangus.
Dagupan City produces an estimated 16,000 tons of milkfish annually and Pangasinan is the top producer of Bangus in the Philippines. In 2023, our province contributed some 139,000 metric tons of milkfish, or 39 percent of our country’s total production and accounting for 52 percent of our country’s milkfish trade.
As a Dagupeño, whose education was helped financed by Bangus harvests, we are proud of this festival and of our Bangus. Our family owned fish farms in Bonuan just off the Dagupan River, on the eastern outskirts of the city. We cultured Bangus, a brackish-water fish our family harvested in large quantity. The fish farms have been there for many decades, inherited from our forefathers. We studied in high school and college partly on the income we raised from the farms, which is also the case with many Dagupeño families. That is also how our personal “life-long romance” with fish farming evolved.
Dagupan became a city on June 20, 1947 by virtue of Republic Act No. 170, known as the City Charter of Dagupan, which was authored by the renowned Pangasinense, Speaker Eugenio Perez, who served as the last Speaker of Commonwealth and the first Speaker of the Philippine Republic. Our grandfather, Guillermo de Venecia, served as mayor of Dagupan in the early 1900s.
The Bangus Festival is more than just a culinary event. It is also a cultural event that showcases the rich traditions of Dagupan. From street parades to cultural performances to art exhibits, the festival offers a diverse range of activities that highlight the significance of the Bangus in the local economy and cuisine.
The Bangus Festival also serves as a reminder of the importance of sustainable fishing practices and environmental conservation. As the demand for Bangus continues to grow, it is essential to preserve the marine ecosystem to ensure the continued abundance of this iconic fish for future generations.