Author: Liz

With less than two months away, preparations are underway for this year’s celebration of the Bangus Festival.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chairman of the festival, said the event will kick off on April 15 to May 1 with daily activities and happenings.

The Vice Mayor called for public and private support even as she encouraged all Dagupenos to invite their relatives and friends abroad or from other parts of the country to participate in the festival especially during the main events – Festivals of the North, Gilon! Gilon! Ed Dalan street dancing competitions and Bangusan Street Party.

During the festivals of the north, spectators will get the rare chance to see the battle of the best festivals of Pangasinan, Ilocos, Tarlac, Pampanga and Cordillera all in one event.

“We in the city government will work hard to equal if not surpass last year’s success. We’ll try to set an example in the province on what a real festival should be,” she said.

In an interview with the media after the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on February 16, Fernandez bared that the much-awaited “Festivals of the North” street dancing competition will be giving away bigger cash prizes for the winning entries in each category – cities and municipalities.

First, second and third placers will receive P200, 000, P100, 000 and P50, 000, respectively.
As early as February, the roster of entries had reached the maximum number set by the organizers – solid proof of how keenly anticipated the festival is. From only 17 participants last year, 20 cities and 10 municipalities have already confirmed their participation in the competition.

“We will get the best and winning street dancers from all festivals in the region to perform in Dagupan City this year so don’t miss this opportunity,” she quips.

Another highlight of the festivity is the grandest street party called Bangusan Street Party that will feature famous celebrities and rock bands in the country today. A simultaneous display of colorful fireworks will wow the crowd in the midst of the party.

The Vice Mayor noted that the members of the events committee decided to transfer the venue of the party to De Venecia Extension Highway to accommodate a larger audience and to avoid stampede incidents.

As to financial support, Fernandez said there have been numerous sponsorships from big businesses and giant TV networks. She added that the earnings from the festival shall redound to civic and charity projects of the city government. (Leziel T. Cayabyab)

Indonesia may not have Europe’s high class and sophisticated charm, nor America’s fast-paced life, but behind the cover of practiced humility most Asian nations have taken to, Indonesia is a country that, given time, could easily be at par with the highly industrialized nations of today.

Jakarta, as the heart of the archipelago, hums with the busy bustle of a rapidly developing city. Jakarta alone can already give you a dash of Indonesia’s culture, through their world-renowned wayang kulit (shadow puppets), incomparable batik, and spicy foods.

Indonesians are friendly, although generally cautious to foreigners, especially fellow Asians. They rarely intermarry so the individuality of their physical features has been preserved.

The famous Borobudur Temple which is in the province of Yogyakarta is a mere 25 minutes flight from Jakarta. Its every bit as wondrous as it must have been to archaeologists in the past, when they considered naming it as one of the seven wonders of the world. The temple also depicts the life of Buddha, through the intricate stone carvings on its walls. You have to walk around the entire temple to finish it. At the topmost level, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic view of mountains, including the range they call Sleeping Giant because it resembles, well, a sleeping giant.

Tagged as the Paradise Island, the island of Bali is a place i truly dream of. The usual tourists here are those from Europe or America, with a few Asians drifting in and out. A vacation atmosphere hangs heavily in the air and you can detect it simply by looking at people.

Bali is a weird, totally cool place. Its like one very big house. You can wear anything you want (or nothing at all), and get away with it. And the beaches are really something, although I have some reservations of calling it the “second heaven.” Its just miles and miles of unspoiled beach, with the softest sand you ever stepped on. You can go in for as far as thirty feet, and not get anything but your knees wet.