Smorgasbord
Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre

THIS fourth class agricultural municipality is aiming to set two records in the Guinness Book of World Records - the Longest Grill and the Longest Barbecue Grill.

The longest grill will have a length of 150 meters while the longest barbecue grill will be 3,000 meters long. The longest grill record ( 33 meters) is currently held by a town in Germany.  Validation result of Dagupan City’s 2.2 kilometer entry is yet to be known.

The three-kilometer (3,000 meters) long barbecue grill will start at barangay San Pedro Ili and end at barangay San Vicente. The whole stretch will traverse six barangays including barangays San Nicolas, Poblacion East and West and San Juan.

Entry fees amounting to $428 per entry had been paid to the Guinness World Records.

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Initial reactions would be: “Unimaginable, Impossible”, “Can the local government afford the expenses?”

A lot of Alcalenians are now living or working abroad but their hearts and minds never left their beloved Alcala. Their individual successes inspires them to do something for their ili and kailian back home.

They dreamed, they believed … thus they are carrying out with the plan to have that different kind of fiesta merriment. This time, no fence will distinguish one’s social class.

Alcala’s grand street party will be held on April 29. The event will also drumbeat the homecoming of Alcalanians both from overseas and other parts of the country.The theme is “Biggang Ti Rang-ay Ti Alcala (Spark of Progress of Alcala).”

Mayor Manuel N. Collado said setting the records will just be a bonus as the main objective is to raise funds for developmental projects in Alcala, and to have merry-making that is open to everybody.  

The idea of holding a grand barbecue party said Collado was first suggested to him by Dante Agdeppa, a kababayan based in Washington, USA who haven’t been home for a long time. The suggestion was initially supported by Alcalanians in the US.
 
He said he at first turned it down because of the big expenses to be incurred but he was assured the local government will not spend anything. The Alcalanians abroad, he remarked, suggested they will get sponsors and participants and the barbecue party will serve as a fund raising activity.
 
He agreed as long as the balikbayans will not bring back the earnings with them abroad.

Collado said the proceeds will be deposited to Rang-ay ti Alcala Foundation (Progress of Alcala Foundation). “It is a reputable local foundation organized many years ago, its president is acceptable to the different associations of Alcalenians abroad. One of its active members, in fact is, famous Filipino shoe designer Rusty Lopez who is a native of Alcala,” the mayor stated.

It will be used in projects (to be identified by the mayor) which will benefit the people in general. Projects that concerns health, education, livelihood, beautification of the town.

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The Alcalanians will officially grill 4,000 kilos of barbecue and 2,000 kilos of Bonuan bangus using 2,000 sacks of charcoal. The participants can grill other meat, fish and vegetable after the documentation process is done.

A three-meter grill (three one-meter long grills) costs $100 inclusive of four kilos pork/barbecue, two sacks of charcoal and 20 pieces bangus.

Collado said the 3,000-meter grills will have 1,000 sponsors/participants. The gross sales is pegged at P5 million. To date, organizers had sold or had tapped 975 sponsors. They expect to meet their target before the March 30 deadline for reservation.

The town’s population is 40,000. They are expecting, though, some 20,000 people during the party with the all sorts of balikbayan (and their respective visitors) coming home.
 
This town is rich in terms of Alcalanians working or have migrated abroad. Only five of the 21 barangays (mostly located across the river) were noticed to have few residents who went abroad.
 
So as not alienate them during the celebration, some of the groups abroad sponsored grills for the five barangays, he said adding he personally purchased extra grills for residents of those barangays.It was also agreed upon that those with grills will accommodate the others as if they are their visitors in their own home. “We want everybody to enjoy and have fun,” Collado remarked.

Well, just like in other towns/cities, the eve of the fiesta which usually is the Coronation Night alienates the poor from the rich. The well-dressed enjoys the party inside the fenced plaza while the poor are mere kibitzers watching the goings on from the outside.

Collado said their kabaleyans abroad would like to break that partition or barrier. No coronation night or crowning of Ms. Alcala this time but a grand homecoming and reunion of Alcalanians.
The town fiesta will be on May 1 to 3.

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Hitting a flock of birds with just one shot. Collado explained the holding of the grand street party has a multiplier effect to the local economy. “Our kababayans who are more into farming will have extra livelihood,” he said.

This in fact started with the preparation of the grills. “All the welding shops and welders were tapped. The municipal auditorium was turned into one big factory. The local government provided all the materials with the welders divided into 12 groups. They were paid P100 per grill and so, the grills were completed ahead of time as they worked fast to earn more,” the mayor said.

Tricycles drivers will earn more, so will those who are raising pigs and chicken as people will be preparing more food for their visitors.
 
Some families already sent money home for the repainting and repair of their houses. That means employment of carpenters, painters and other workers.

The multiplier effect extends to a number of people in Dagupan where the Bonuan bangus will be sourced and to some areas in the first district where the charcoal will be bought.