TINAPAHAN FESTIVAL – the feast of the humble smoked fish

TINAPAHAN FESTIVAL
The Festival

The people of Lemery in Batangas dance in the streets in celebration of the feast of the humble smoked fish called the tinapa that fed multitude of peasants and laborers. The Tinapahan Festival takes center stage in this part of the country during the 14th of May, a three-day affair that showcases a trade fair of agro-industrial products, lectures about livestock raising and food processing, and food demo competition.

The Tinapahan Festival is held every year not only to pay tribute to the smoked fish business, Lemery’s primary industry, but to boost Batangas’ local tourism, which provide livelihood to the people of Batangas.

What was used to be a food for the poor, is now enjoyed by many, tinapa could be made varying from galunggong, bangus, tilapia, and many others. The fish is smoked to its golden color with its scent comparable to a bamboo and the sea.

One of th costal towns of Batangas province, Lemery is known for its beaches and resorts. During summer months, the resorts are occupied to the full.

Lemery used to be picture of somewhat a shanty town with no commodities to sell except stalls of few food and beverages. In the heat of the beaches, families sprout in the resorts, bringing the whole house, coolers, kitchenwares, even karaoke machines. Clothes hanged in the clothesline serves as dividers for privacy. A common scene people used to know of Lemery aside from being the place where many people would go to buy and sell produce, as it is the mercantile of eight neighboring towns that include Alitagtag, San Nicolas, Taal, Sta. Teresita, Alitagtag, San Luis, Calaca, Agoncillo, and Cuenca

Big developments in the town has started recently such as the construction of Fantasy World, an amusement park covering a land of 38 hectares, and the Leisure Farms, a project to create a community dedicated to organic farming and clean lifestyle.

Fishing season in Lemery starts from November to May. Bountiful catch of tulingan, galunggong, tamban, dampilas, milkfish, among many others are unselfishly blessed by the sea. So abundant the harvests are that fishermen usually sell a substantial portion at very low price. With this, the local government introduced the tinapa-making business, a solution to the excess catch.

History

Excited the people were, the Department of Agriculture introduced the skills and proper training for the people in the coastal areas in making tinapa and assisted to start business. Right after, they aimed to create a wide market for the new industry and promotion, thus the birth of the Tinapahan Festival.

Since no town in the Philippines has claimed to be the Tinapa Capital of the Philippines, through continous effort, Lemery has earned the title. They may be the country’s producer of best tinapa.

Compared to the usual reason to celebrate a festival, as commemorating something that has been an integral to the life and culture of a place, the Tinapahan Festival is the reverse, using the festivity to incorporate the celebration to the lives and culture.

Soon, street pageant and group dancing competition were organized. On the morning of May 1, the people of Lemery has celebrated their first festival as the street pageant paraded and danced in the thoroughfares, and converged into a humble court at the back of the municipal hall.

Floats from private sectors populated the streets while contingents of the local governmnent walked in bright yellow peasant costumes.

Main part of the parade was a competition for the court dancing tilt, participated by five schools of the town. The competition began in the court where contestants made good use of any tow of the things used in making tinapa such as fish nets, bilao of fishes, baskets, and round bamboo.