LINGAYEN, Philippines – The month-long festival of the sea, locally known as Pistay Dayat, kicked off here last Friday amid pomp and pageantry to the delight of thousands of local and foreign spectators.
Various groups showcasing their skills in street dancing and in assembling rhythmic pieces with their drum and lyre set the mood for the grand opening.
Gov. Amado Espino Jr., who presided over the opening ceremonies, urged Pangasinenses to work together in promoting and developing tourism in the province.
Espino noted how the festival has been effective since its launch seven years ago in promoting Pangasinan’s products, as shown by the growing number of participants and exhibitors in the Pistay Dayat expo, which also opened last Friday.
This year, at least 120 exhibitors took part in the expo, consisting of small and medium enterprises, tourism-related establishments, local government units, government agencies, special interest groups, and restaurant and food service entrepreneurs from Pangasinan, Cebu, Metro Manila and provinces in the Bicol region.
The 7th Pangasinan tourism and trade expo dubbed as “Aliguas ed Turismo tan Ekonomiya†runs until May 10 at the Provincial Training and Development Center grounds.
The provincial government conferred awards to the best decorated booths for food, gifts, toys and handicrafts, and furniture; best in landscape; best in one-town, one-product/local government exhibit; and best tourism exhibit.
The opening of Pistay Dayat – the festival which honors fishermen and celebrates the bounty of the aquaculture industry – was also highlighted by the launch of photo exhibits of past celebrations of the Agew na Pangasinan, Pistay Dayat, and other provincial events.
“I congratulate the provincial government of Pangasinan for this very noble project,†said Department of Tourism-Region 1 director Martin Valera, citing the potential of the province to be the top tourist destination in the region.