FESTIVAL OF CRABS. Hundreds of residents and visitors enjoy a boodle fight of crabs locally called “kasag” as part of the celebration of the first "Kasag Festival" in Barangay Poblacion of Castilla town in Sorsogon province Saturday (June 22, 2019). The celebration honors St. John the Baptist, the village's patron saint. (Photo by Connie Calipay)
CASTILLA, Sorsogon -- A village here claiming to be the province's crab basket launched over the weekend its first "Kasag Festival" highlighted by a street boodle fight that stretched 400 meters long and partaken by hundreds of residents and guests.
The boodle fight, a military style of eating together with food arranged on top of fresh banana leaves, served 300 kilograms of cooked “kasag” (crabs), rice and root crops such as camote, cassava and gabi as well as fruits that included mangoes and bananas.
Alex Sotto, chief of Barangay Poblacion, who led the launching of the festival, said in an interview on Saturday that the event aimed to create public awareness of the abundance of fresh and delicious crabs grown in their village in order to attract visitors and potential investors who wish to engage in the crab industry.
"The Kasag Festival will be celebrated not just to give thanks and praises to the Lord for the bountiful harvest but also to honor the fisherfolk who contributed more for the promotion of Castilla's best practices towards tourism programs, projects, and activities," he added.
Sotto said his barangay has a great potential in producing crabs. “Our village alone is already producing 100 to 200 kilos of crabs a day, making the area the 'crab basket' of the province.”
He said with improved crab production technology and setting of protocols, he is hopeful that production and harvesting would tremendously improve.
“Right now, we are closely coordinating with the Department of Agriculture to assist us in the technical and operational aspect of how we could manage the full potential of the industry," he said.
Sotto said based on a study, the crab species being harvested in their place has a “unique” taste compared to others grown in other towns of the province, owing to the fact that these are from Sorsogon Bay, where the sea and fresh water meet, resulting in “extra sweet” taste among the marine product.
He said he is working out with the Castilla local government on making their Kasag Festival a town-wide annual event.
Sotto, a businessman and civic leader, said the town has other growth potentials including a seaport where commercial sea vessels from the Visayas and Mindanao regions regularly dock, bringing cement and other products bound for other Bicol provinces as well as the southern Tagalog provinces.
Meanwhile, other events showcased as part of the festival that is being held from June 18-25 were a colorful street dance where participants were clad in costumes depicting the crab industry, parade, and trade exhibits.
"We're very optimistic that the tourist arrival will increase and we will prepare our village to accommodate more visitors," Sotto said.
The Kasag Festival also honors St. John the Baptist, the village's patron saint. (PNA)
