HEAVIEST BANGUS. Judges inspect the digital weighing scale as entries in the search for The Heaviest Dagupan Bangus are weighed one by one during the Bangus Rodeo event Thursday (April 28, 2022). Other competitions at the Bangus Rodeo were the search for the Prettiest Dagupan Bangus, Longest Dagupan Bangus, and individual contests such as Fastest Bangus Classifier, Fastest Bangus Deboner, and Fastest Bangus Eater. (Photo by Liwayway Yparraguirre)
DAGUPAN CITY – The winner of the heaviest bangus (milkfish) in this year’s Bangus Festival Rodeo weighed 6.24 kilograms.
In an interview on Thursday, Bangus Festival 2022 Secretariat head Maximo Tan said the return of the Bangus Rodeo is a sign of the good quality of milkfish products in the city and how the residents value the Dagupan Bangus.
The Bangus Rodeo is one of the festival’s institutional events since its launch in 2002 under the leadership of then-Mayor Benjamin Lim, father of incumbent Mayor Brian Lim.
Retired city agriculturist, now city consultant, Emma Molina, said: “We could glean from this activity that our fishponds in the city could produce big and heavy bangus. These sizes usually thrive in the ocean but now, we have the ability to produce their eggs in tanks and fishponds. They are still working on producing eggs for the community because for now, the eggs are still under the research institution.”
Molina said growing bangus is a passion that takes an investment of many years.
Aside from Marcos Dicipulo, who owns the winning bangus, the other winners of the heaviest bangus are Ruby Gen De Vera whose bangus weighs 5.91 kilos, and Adrian Caguioa, 5.17 kilos.
The competition recorded the Longest Dagupan Bangus measuring 87.5 centimeters owned by Adrian Caguioa.
John De Vera ranked second with bangus measuring 78 centimeters, while Henry Aquino placed third with 72-centimeter bangus.
The Prettiest Dagupan Bangus was won by the entry of Adrian Caguioa with an average score of 99 percent, followed by the entries of Alvin Caguioa and John Evangelista.
Molina said the Prettiest Dagupan Bangus was selected on the basis of how clear the eyes were and that it should be well rounded; scales were fine, smooth, and orderly, among others.
There was also an individual competition for the Fastest Bangus Classifier (managsaysay in Pangasinan dialect) won by Fernando Doria Jr.; Fastest Bangus Deboner (Imelda Santillan); and Fastest Bangus Eater (Jaime Bucao Jr.)
Meanwhile, Mayor Marc Brian Lim earlier announced that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte would be the special guest in the Kalutan ed Dalan ceremonial lighting of grills on April 30.
Through Proclamation Number 1340, as requested by the city government, Malacañang has declared April 30, 2022, as a special non-working day in Dagupan City. (PNA)
