BANGUSAN STREET PARTY, IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE BIGGEST STREET PARTY

DAGUPAN CITY - A multitude estimated at close to 800,000 swarmed the Bangusan Street Party on April 30 as the 2017 Bangus Festival draws to a close this year.

THE BIGGEST STREET PARTY UP NORTH - Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (right), Pangasinan 4^th District Representative Christopher De Venecia (2^nd from right, partly hidden), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Agnes Joyce G. Bailen (3^rd from left), Social Security System Commissioner Gonzalo T. Duque (center), Dagupan City Police Station chief of police P/Supt. Franklin Ortiz (left), Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo (5^th from left) and Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (3^rd from right) along with 2017 Bangus Festival Executive Chairman Epee Rafanan (2^nd from left) led the ceremonial lighting of the grills of the 2017 Bangusan Street Party, Bangus Festival’s culminating activity along de Venecia Highway on April 30. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

This was confirmed by Dagupan City Police Station chief of police P/Supt. Franklin Ortiz.

Approximately 20,000 pieces of Dagupan bangus were grilled with almost a thousand grills used in cooking the tastiest milkfish along the De Venecia Highway.

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Pangasinan 4^th District Representative Christopher De Venecia, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Agnes Joyce G. Bailen, Social Security System Commissioner Gonzalo T. Duque, Dagupan City Police Station chief of police P/Supt. Franklin Ortiz and Mayor Belen T. Fernandez along with 2017 Bangus Festival Executive Chairman Epee Rafanan led the ceremonial lighting of the grills.

Department of Interior and Local Government Region 1 Director James F. Fadrilan and Department of Tourism Region 1 Director Martin Valera also graced the street party.

EIght stages were set up along the 3.5 kilometers stretch of the Bangusan  Street Party where people were able to watch their favorite performers like the Itchyworms, Rocksteddy, Silent Sanctuary, Up Dharma Down, Spongecola, Sud, Jensen and the Flips, Lunar Lights, Brisom, Giniling Festival and Maude, among others.

GMA’s Kapuso artists like Glaiza de Castro, Roco Nacino, Rochelle Pangilinan, Carlo Gonzales, Phytos Ramirez, and Arra San Agustin wowed their fans in their Kapuso Night at the Kapuso stage.    

Rafanan disclosed that given the number of people who participated in the street party, the Bangusan Street Party is still one of the biggest street parties in the country today.

As executive chairman of the 2017 Bangus Festival, Rafanan gave every member of the committee a pat in the back for a great 2017 Bangus Festival.

“It may not be perfect, but given all the challenges we had, we did an awesome job together with all our support groups,” he said as he also expressed his gratitude to Mayor Belen for giving him the chance to lead this year’s celebration of the Bangus Festival.  

Bangus Festival is now on its 16^th year since it started in 2001. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/May 2, 2017)