Vargas bares activities for Lingayen’s Bagoong Festival

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – The chairman of the famed Bagoong ((salted fish sauce)) Festival in this capital town of Pangasinan bares the following activities that would kick off this month.

Festival chairman Judy de Leon- Vargas

Councilor Judy Ann Vargas said that on Day 1 at 5 Pm of January 18 there will be a Bagoong Car Show held at the Dela Cruz Auditorium here. At 6 Pm there will be a motorcade and thanksgiving mass, the opening program will start at 9 Am, followed by Smart 3-Point Shootout/Bingo Basketball Friendship Game: LGU versus ABC at 4 Pm that would be all held at the Dela Cruz Auditorium.
Vargas said that on Day 2 of January 23 there will be a medical mission at 8 Am at the Dela Cruz Auditorium, legal mission for village officials and legal mission for their constituents at 10 Am at the Liga Function Hall, Cabolan Cultural Show at 6 Pm and Yer Yeran ed Plaza - Smart Night where a group dance competition will be held at the same town’s auditorium.
Vargas said that on January 24 at 6:00 Pm for Day 3 there would be the unveiling of the giant bagoong jar.
“The jar measures 14 feet tall with 14 feet diameter. Earthen jars are used here traditionally to produce the most delectable bagoong through fermentation, she explained.

 She said that on that day at 3 Pm a Bandbanwit or street dancing competition and float parade would be held.  At 7 Pm there would be a song festivity or Kansyunan ed Plaza while at 10 Pm it would be Globe Night.
On January 25 at Day 4 or the closing day there will be a cooking exhibition at 10 Am with bagoong as base, and bagoong making demonstration at Barangay Pangapisan North here, and at 7 Pm there will be a GMA Kapuso Fiesta to be held at Dela Cruz Auditorium.

Bagoong Festival was conceived and first celebrated in 2011 under the leadership of former mayor Jonas Castaneda. Since that year officials from the executive department chaired the show until this year when Mayor Josefina "Iday" Castaneda appointed Councilor Vargas to lead the festivity.
The perceptive and searching Vargas is the rising star of the town council for her series of expose' among incompetent and inefficient officials of this town.