Cagayanons grill 3.5 tons of flying fish

SANTA ANA, Cagayan — It was a festive day in this coastal town yesterday as more than 4,000 residents, together with their municipal officials and visitors, grilled more than 3.5 tons of flying fish on a 4.8-kilometer charcoal grill.

Mayor Vic Rodriguez expressed hope that their feat would qualify for the world’s longest grill in the Guinness Book of World Records.

To put up the 4.8-kilometer grill, the local folk used 270 sacks of charcoal, 282 liters of gasoline, 10,000 board feet of coconut lumber as grill stand, 37 rolls of chicken wire, and several galvanized iron sheets.

Event coordinator Danilo Rugrug said at least P500,000 was allocated for the feat, one of the highlights of the town’s five-day Viray Festival.

Pinky Rodriguez, the mayor’s wife, said several government and non-government agencies as well as private individuals pitched in to make the event a success.

Located in Cagayan’s northeasternmost part, Santa Ana, some four hours’ drive from the capital city of Tuguegarao, is being developed as one of the country’s major tourism destinations. 

Santa Ana, seat of the Cagayan Export Processing Zone Authority, boasts of white sand beaches, including those in pristine Palaui Island, and historical sites such as the centuries-old Cape Engano. — Charlie Lagasca