BINMALEY, Pangasinan — Boxing champion and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao will pay a visit to this town on Saturday morning to inaugurate a newly-renovated museum.
Around 200 policemen, soldiers, and army reservists were tapped to keep crowd control and security as hundreds of Binmaleyans are expected to troop to Poblacion to take a glimpse of the world famous boxer.
Pacquiao will formally open the museum together with Pangasinan’s second district Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil and the representative of Governor Amado Espino Jr., Mayor Lorenzo Cerezo said.
The governor will not be able to attend the event as his older brother, the late Bautista Vice Mayor Jose ?Pepe? Espino will be laid to rest Saturday morning.
The museum is at the Estacion Triangle Park 1 and the Triangle Park 2 (fronting the Our Lady of Purification Hospital).
Binmaley is currently celebrating its 422nd Founding Anniversary and Town Fiesta, back-to-back with the 2nd Sigay Festival.
Saturday’s activities will commence with a fluvial parade early in the morning, and will be capped with the SK Night.
Pacquiao, an army reservist promoted last year to the rank of lieutenant coronel will be arriving on a helicopter.
Accordingly, he will land at the 7th IB, Philippine Army camp at barangay San Isidro Norte where he will be met by Bataoil, Cerezo, and other local officials. It has yet to be confirmed if he will have a conversation with the soldiers and fellow reservists upon arrival or before he flies back to Manila.
Meanwhile, Cerezo said the Estacion Triangle Park 1 and the Triangle Park 2 were designed by Architect Alvin Dimalanta, a native of barangay Papageyan, this town.
Dimalanta placed second in the 2010 Architect Licensure Examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). The topnotcher was fellow University of the Philippines graduate Shamcey Supsup, Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up.
Accordingly, Dimalanta, Supsup, and another UP classmate who was also among the top five examinees formed an architectural firm.
Meanwhile, Fiesta Executive Chairperson Gertrudes Reyes said Sigay Festival events are scheduled until February 1, culmination of the town fiesta.
Sunday morning, representatives/participants from the different barangays will outskill each other in catching crabs and bangus with barehands in the Kambog ed Kapokokan event. This will be held at the fishpond beside the Bangsal Restaurant here.
Reyes said crabs and bangus will be released at the fishpond before the game, and the participants who catch the biggest crab and the heaviest bangus will be declared winners. Aside from the cash prizes, they will bring home their catch.
The civic parade and Sigay Street Dancing will be held on February 2 while the Binmaleyan’s Night will be held on February 3.
The coastal town of Binmaley is known as the “fishbowl” north of Luzon. Accordingly, 60 to 70 percent of the town?s income comes from the fishing industry.
Sigay Festival was first introduced in 2010 by former mayor Sammy Rosario through a grand evening picnic at Poblacion. Grills were set-up, and the townsfolk grilled different seafood while bands performed.
Last year, Cerezo incorporated the Sigay Festival as part and parcel of the annual town fiesta celebration. It was chaired by his wife Marissa.
With the rivers of Binmaley cleared of fishpens and other fishtraps after the massive river clean-up drive introduced by Governor Espino, Cerezo launched last year the first-ever fluvial parade (and competition) participated by a good number of barangays and non-government organizations.
The fluvial parade, Cerezo said, is one of our ways of thanking God the Almighty for the bounty of the rivers and the seas which feeds their kabaleyans. It is also a way for the townfolks to see the beauty of their rivers.
