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STO.
TOMAS, July 4 (PNA) — Unity and hard work, plus its famous glutinous
white corn that is abundant after the rice season, put the little town
of Sto. Tomas in the world map.
This
was after the London-based Guinness Book of World Records affirmed that
Sto. Tomas succeeded in its bid to install the world’s longest barbecue
during its Corn Festival on February 10, this year, on the occasion of
its 100th year foundation.
The
certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records confirming that
Sto.Tomas, Pangasinan has successfully clinched the ‘Longest Barbecue’
title was received by Mayor Vivien Villar on Wednesday afternoon.
This
was an acknowledgement of the awesome efforts of the people of Sto.
Tomas led by their lady mayor and with the support of her husband,
Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group
czar, in the afternoon of February 10 this year when they put up a 3.8
kilometer long barbecue.
That
was where they grilled 93,540 ears of corn freshly harvested from the
farms which they served to every one on sight after the documentation
was already done.
The
activity was documented not only at close range but also from above in
strict observance of the rules of the Guinness book.
Sto.
Tomas bested the previous world record of 1.4 kilometer barbecue put up
by Monteviedo, Mexico in its “El Asado Mas Grande del Mundo” while
celebrating its “Rural del Prado” in early part of this year.
Before
that, the former record holder was Hermosillo, Mexico which was 1.3
kilometers, a record held much earlier by Dagupan City, Philippines in
2003 during its Bangus Festival at 1.07 kilometer.
Under
the supervision of Vice Mayor Timoteo Villar III, the Sto. Tomas corn
barbecue event was handled by some 3,500 people who cooked corn in
charcoal simultaneously.
The
cooking was made on inter-connected fabricated grills, made from bamboo
and chicken wire, that extended from the boundary of Sto. Tomas with
Rosales up to the town’s boundary with Alcala.
A
jubilant Mayor Villar thanked everyone in Sto. Tomas for their valuable
cooperation, saying all lent their helping hand to make sure that their
town will land in the world record book.
Vice
Mayor Villar said it took them a whole year to prepare and held many
rehearsals in-between just to perfect the activity that they must do
and succeeded in only their first try for the world record. (PNA) |