Wow Sardinas: a show of strength and unity
It was a show of unity and strength for the thousands of Zamboangueños who turned up for the sardines-eating spectacle dubbed “Wow Sardinas”, highlighting Fiesta Hermosa 2009 day 10, Saturday.
Wooden tables were spread over a kilometre stretch of the R. T. Lim where people partook sardines, crackers and water for the third Wow Sardinas festival.
Mayor Celso Lobregat along with District I Congresswoman Beng Climaco led in the boodle fight together with Councilors Nonong Guingona, Charlie Mariano and Eddie Saavedra, City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr.. Military officials like Western Mindanao Command Chief Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command Chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama and Task Force Zamboanga Chief Col. Santiago Baluyot also graced the event.
Mayor Lobregat expressed elation over the turn out of participants to the Wow Sardinas and thanked everybody for the support and cooperation that made the event remarkably successful.
The mayor said the sardine-eating festival is in recognition of the presence of sardines factories. He said 80% of the sardines produced in the country are manufactured in Zamboanga.
Wow Sardinas, initiated by the city government through the City Tourism Division under the Office of the Mayor, started in 2006 to showcase Zamboanga as the sardines capital of the Philippines.
Saturday’s Wow Sardinas spectacle was made possible through the support and assistance of canning factories: Atlantic Foods Corporation, Ayala Seafoods Corporation, Permex, Columbus Corporation and Universal Canning Corporation; Monde Nissin Company that provided the Skyflakes crackers and Nature’s Spring that supplied the water, the ABS-CBN and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Wow Sardinas was one of the main highlights of Fiesta Hermosa festival, which kicked off October 1st and culminated yesterday, Oct. 11 with the floral parade, street dance and the main program at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex. (Sheila Covarrubias)