ROXAS CITY—Have you ever tasted spaghetti using meat of a dried fish? What about dried fish kare-kare?
These were just among the dishes whipped up using dried fish as main ingredient during the first Uga (dried fish) Festival in the coastal village of Dumolog, about eight kilometers from Roxas City proper.
The festival on November 24 was meant to showcase the barangay’s (village) thriving dried-fish business.
Roxas Councilor Emmanuel Billones Jr. expressed hopes that with the holding of the festival, the dried-fish business in Dumolog, the main livelihood of the residents, would get support.
During the festival, various kinds of dried fish were displayed and sold in stalls put up along the shoreline of Dumolog.
The residents and guests were treated to several contests such as the Uga Art Contest and the Fastest Uga Latag, a competition to show how fast the candidates can prepare and dry their fish.
Several meals were also whipped up using dried fish and dried seafood as main ingredients. Among these are spaghetti, kare-kare, carbonara, monggo, ensalada.
These meals were then laid on banana leaves and served to the guests “boodle fight” style.
Students from the Dumolog National High School enlivened the festival with street dance and a short presentation.