Dagupan bids today for world record

DAGUPAN CITY — Excitement among Dagupeños builds up today as the city makes its bid for the World’s Longest Barbeque in the Guiness World Record.

The city will attempt to break Peru’s record when it holds its Kalutan ed Dagupan (Grill in Dagupan) starting at 6 p.m. on A.B. Fernandez Avenue — the main roadline of the city.

Not only Dagupeños but also, national and international media are all agog to see this event happen. The city will bid for the world’s longest grill and the Liket tan Gayaga ed Kalutan — a bid for the world’s longest grill party. About five tons of Bonuan bangus, three tons chicken and pork, a ton of vegetables and cold cuts will be prepared for the grill.

Bangus Festival Chairman and Dagupan "Bangus" Jaycees president Manny Yao Jr. expressed optimism the city can easily heat the current record for the longest barbeque held by Peru organized by La Municipalidad Provincial de Canchis measuring 613 meters long and made up of 536 grills with each grill measuring 1m x 72cm built in Sicuani, Peru on Nov. 13, 1999 participated in by about 20,000 persons.

Yan said Dagupan has prepared 1,001 meter-long grill with each grill measuring 1.20 meters in length. The city is expecting about 40,000 participants to join and witness the making of a world record.

The Bangus Festival, a brainchild of Mayor Benjamin Lim, is an entirely new festival which is timed for the holding of the Pistay Dayat, a thanksgiving for the bounties of the sea held every May1.

The festival is a certified crowd drawer as beachlovers enjoy beach swimming and frolicking in the long stretch of beautiful beach in Pangasinan. — Eva de Leon