The local government of Alaminos City held a talaba ihaw-ihaw (oyster grilling) activity on Thursday as part of the Hundred Islands Festival celebration to boost the seafood’s popularity.

“Isa sa mga gusto naming maging popular na produkto ay ang talaba kaya namin pina-front sa festival (One of the products we want to be popular is the oyster, hence we highlighted it during our festival),” Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste said in a forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency Pangasinan.

Over 200 sacks of oysters were made available during the event held at the central business district.

To date, among the foods the city is known for is the garlicky tasty longganisa (pork sausage).

Celeste said about 80 families from the oyster farms in the villages of Baleyadaan, Mona, Cayucay, and Pangapisan produced around 460 metric tons of oysters in 2024.

He said the city’s produce are supplied to nearby towns and cities.

The city has adopted the modified bamboo raft technology introduced by the Department of Agriculture-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) to make oyster harvesting easier and to improve environmental safety.

Meanwhile, the other activities of the Hundred Islands Festival, set from March 7 to 29, include the Light Parade, Street Dancing Competition and Miss Hundred Islands beauty pageant, eyed to promote not only the Hundred Islands National Park but also the city as a whole.

Celeste said they target to attract around 50,000 tourists during the nearly month-long celebrations.

“It benefits the economy especially the business owners and vendors,” he said. (PNA)