Toff, Mayor Belen to bolster Bangus Festival to spike tourism

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – Congressman Christopher de Venecia collaborates with this City’s mayor to buttress and spruce-up the Bangus Festival to be in the league of those iconic festivals like Ati-Atihan, Sinulog , and Dinagyang so it can draw more tourists here.

BARANGAY NIGHT. 4^th District Rep. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia speaks
 before the barangay officials of the 31 villages’ Dagupan City during its 
recent Barangay Nights held at the City Plaza. The solon was joined by 
Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, and the congressman’s parents former Five-Time
 House Speaker Jose de Venecia and former Congresswoman Gina de Venecia.
 MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA.

According to wikipilinas.org, the Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of Sto. Nino or Infant Jesus that ends on the third Sunday in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan province.

“The Sinulog-Santo Niño Festival is an annual cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, and is the center of the Santo Nino Catholic celebrations in the Philippines. The Dinagyang Festival is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog in Cebu and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan”.

Bangus Festival is an annual festivity in this City that kicks off every month of April. It celebrates this City’s vaunted Bonuan bangus.

De Venecia was here recently as guest speaker in the fiesta’s Barangay (village) Nights hosted by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez.

He cited the 8.2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product that came from the tourism industry of the country where this City could exploit the country’s burgeoning tourism industry.

He said this city has the comparative advantages to draw tourists because travel takes only two hours motor ride from Manila and one hour vehicle ride from Clark International Airport.

De Venecia cited the express ways built by the private sectors.

“Ibig sabihin, napakadali na para sa mga foreign at local tourists ang maka-bisita sa Dagupan. Kailangan pong makinabang ang Dagupenyo sa development na ito,” he stressed.

The other advantages the solon and Mayor Fernandez hatch are the heritage tour, board walk, river cruise, and fish farming.

He cited the building of the board walk in Tondaligan Beach, construction of promenade and river cruise at Barangay Pantal here.

De Venecia advances the farm tourism for visitors to have direct experiences how aquatic and marine products are developed at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Barangay Bonuan Binloc here and those at the Fish Farm of former Mayor Al Fernandez in Barangay Bacayao Norte here.