Combining fun and livelihood opportunities

Merriment and livelihood opportunities are combined as Dagupeños and thousands of revelers for the Bangus Festival 2009 flock anew to Dagupan City for this summer spectacle.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, who is again designated executive committee chair of this biggest crowd-drawer event in the province, told Pangasinan newsmen during the Philippine Information Agency-Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas Kapihan Forum, that due to the economic crisis, she and Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. prorititized to give livelihood support to their constituents and people from other areas.

The vice mayor said they are bringing back the Great Dagupan Sale which will benefit not only the business sector but most especially the consumers who will avail themselves of big discounts on items sold in various participating establishments.

She added that they have also invited Dagupan businessmen who set up their grills last year in downtown area to join them anew and move this time to the De Venecia Highway Extension (formerly known as the Pantal-Dawel-Lucao Diversion Road) for a more spacious entertainment area for the Bangusan Street Party.

Vice Mayor Fernandez said the committee is inviting 20 or more restaurant operators to set up their food stalls for the Bangusan Street Party.

As Dagupan is known not only as the haven of delicious bangus but also as the center of pigar-pigar (lean beef with liver sautéed with onion rings) which is a bestseller among beer drinkers as “pulutan” or appetizer, the committee is coming up with a Pigar-pigar Festival as requested by street restaurant owners.

Also, to further promote business of small street entrepreneurs, there will be a Halo-halo/Sa Malamig Festival to quench the thirst of visitors and spectators alike due to the summer heat.

The vice mayor added that the overwhelming success of carenderia owners will come alive again as they set up their stalls for the foodstrip to promote ordinary and sanitary food among the masses in Galvan Street.

The hunt for very cheap yet quality clothes and home kitchen wares, decorations, fashion jewelry among others continues with the famous Baratillo.

“If you notice, this year, we are vigorous in helping our businessmen, whether big or small because we want to improve the economy of Dagupan and hopefully this will help not only our local economy but the entire province will be complemented,” Vice Mayor Fernandez said. (Eva C. Visperas)