The scenes were much identical with the previous year. The crowd size was same as last year. The temperature didn’t go down, it was the same or even hotter this year. But one thing was certainly different, the street dancers performances got better and better each year. Yes, I was in the Gilon Gilon ed Dalan 2012 yesterday as part of the Bangus Festival 2012 celebration. As usual I walked with other spectators toward the street where the dancers gave samples of their winning performances. Some roads were intended to be closed to give way for the street dancing. When I arrived at the...

There is always a first time. It’s crucial for first impressions often last. Yet, as crucial as the first time, second time can be very important. Why? Because you compare your first encounter with the second and that happens to almost everything especially to restaurants where you dine. Yes, it’s my second time at Sidney’s Grill Dagupan City. This time with close friends Yas, Kenneth, and Aileen. I really wanted to re-experience the first experience at Sidney’s Grill. We chose the same cabin we had chose the first time. The physical ambiance was same relaxing. My...

Yahoooo! Proclamation No. 371 declares Monday, April 30, 2012 as special non-working holiday in Dagupan city. This is to give way for the Bangus Grilling or the Kalutan ed Dalan 2012. Certainly, the people of Dagupan, guests, tourists, visitors will enjoy that day. With no work in mind plus another holiday the next day (May 1 Labor Day, it means there’ll be longer holiday), many will surely have much time to grill and party on the streets of Dagupan. This is just one of the events of the Bangus Festival 2012 celebration. I promise myself to see this year’s Bangus grilling. The...

Just like the mushrooms that you can see and savor on your pizza, pizza stores in Dagupan city have mushroomed. All of them are vying for our attention and money. All promise satisfaction. Customers try each one of them. They compare not the prices (not much) but the taste and other palatability indicators like aroma, texture, form and presentation. Toppings are comparable and pizzas on that aspect are almost the same. The most noticeable parts are the cheese used and the dough. Angel’s pizza is not exempted from the comparison. I remember a friend who once said about Angel’s...

I had a chance to peek on the bangus festival float parade last April 13, 2012 even if I was hurrying to go home. I had no plans to stay longer and coincidentally while going down the bridge on the De Venecia road extension, I caught sight of floats of different colors and shapes. I stopped and took some pictures stealthily. The floats were on standby mode waiting for go signal. Bangus festival 2012 is really here. Almost anywhere in Dagupan city, you’ll see tarpaulins of every sort carrying slogans, advertisements, schedule of activities among other promotions. Bangus festival is an...

There is always a first time, and it happens many times in a lifetime. I’ve been in Dagupan city for almost 20 years. First as a student then as an instructor. I have seen various changes happened to Dagupan in a span of two decades. Aside from shopping malls that have been erected, infrastructures like highways, roads, bridges also made the city a great place to live and build a business. There are as well things I need to discover and rediscover about Dagupan city. Although Pangasinan is one of the largest provinces in the Philippines, Dagupan is not the largest in terms of geographic...

Few weeks from now, Dagupan will be celebrating its annual Bangus Festival. If you’re from a distant place, you must act quickly for your hotel reservations. There are various Dagupan hotels you can choose from. Leisure Coast Resort, though a resort, has hotel rooms ranging from economy to suite classes. Dagupan has many things to offer this summer as Bangus Festival is panting to its grand opening. Places to dine in are abundant. Last week, I had a chance to dine at Aj’s Cafe N Steakhouse. It’s located at the Assada Center, A.B. Fernandez Avenue, Dagupan City. If...

Yes! It’s more fun in the Philippines and, of course, in Pangasinan. The bangus festival 2012 is now being set. As I was pushing myself homeward I got a peek on the tarpaulin of bangus festival in Dagupan. The schedule is April 13 to May 1, 2012. The start falls on Friday the 13th. The organizers might chose 13 to strip off the bad connotations of that number and day. Instead of fright to go out on that day, Dagupenos and visitors all over the country will come and celebrate with the grand opening of Bangus Festival. May 1 is last day of bangus festival 2012. The culminating activity...

I had a chance last week to savor the coffee of Sabina Resto of Leisure Coast Resort, Dagupan City.  I’ve been to Sabina Resto countless times before and I had no problem about their coffee. What I recall is that, breakfast at Sabina, LCR is great. My wife prefers a Filipino breakfast called tapa. One time I ordered for an American breakfast but I wasn’t satisfied because I don’t really consider it a meal when there’s no rice. I am truly a Filipino. Rice is my staple. Going back to the coffee thing. My friend whispered with a little detest about the coffee. Coffees...

Because of the store my sister is managing, she goes to CSI Warehouse Club at least once a week. If she couldn’t make it, our mother does the purchasing of inventories. By the way, my sister Mai owns the  sari-sari store (it’s sari-sari because of diverse products, most are household products). She owns it and manages it as well. I remember what Bam Aquino said in our Comguild Conference last February 5, 2012 at AFP Theater that sari-sari stores have a strategic role in the distribution of products. They are almost everywhere in the Philippines. I think this is the reason my...