• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Defying adverse weather conditions, seafood enthusiasts flooded E.B. Magalona on Aug. 8 for the municipality’s popular eat-all-you-can blue crab feast, generating an estimated P225,000 in revenue and consuming roughly 750 kilograms of freshly cooked local crabs.
Mayor Matthew Louis Malacon said the feast, which forms a centerpiece of the municipal government’s “Sabado Night” program, saw an overwhelming turnout during its second Saturday run of the month.
Due to continuous rains, organizers temporarily shifted the venue from the public plaza covered court to the Wilkinson Social Court.
Malacon said the event will return to the plaza next week to support local micro-vendors selling à la carte seafood and drinks, ensuring the economic benefits of the festival are spread across the community.
The unlimited blue crab initiative was created by the municipal government primarily to support local fisherfolk after Philippine blue swimming crab exports to the United States were hit by a trade ban.
By building a strong domestic market, the program has helped stabilize and revitalize local prices.
Vice Mayor Marvin Malacon said blue crab prices dropped to between P150 and P180 per kilogram, following the loss of the US market.
With local initiatives like the “Sabado Night” feast, market prices have rebounded to P200 per kilogram while national efforts continue to restore US export channels, he added.
Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez joined the festivities on Aug. 8 to show support for the municipality’s fishing sector.
Seafood lovers still have two remaining Saturdays this August to experience the eat-all-you-can blue crab feast in E.B. Magalona. | GPB
