An Attempt to be in the Guiness Book

Tonight's Baragatan Finale had been marked by rains, rains..and then the fireworks . I thought we broke the record for the world's longest grill..

Earlier at around 1800, I braved the congested Malvar Street to get the books we ordered at Josol Residence in San Pedro. Backriding with me as the rain poured was Ace, who herself had placed an order for a book whcih law students can buy only from Rex Book STores in Manila. I crisscrossed the length of the slippery thoroughfare, made sharp, quick turns just to avoid getting stuck in between vehicles, some of them16 to 18 wheelers. And then finally, we got to Glenda's house and learned they all went out to Rizal Ave, the city's main street where the longest grill was being set up. But not Mamang who was tending to her Diocel Beloved.

I asked Mamang why she didn't go. It's an important and historical undertaking, I told her. "It's ok", she said, "pwede namang kahit in spirit na lang ...".

We tahnked her bade her goodbye after she handed us the FedEx package containing the books. Again I readied myself for another driving stint with monstrous traffic situation in Malvar. Malvar is an alernative city street which parallels Rizal Ave. Since Rizal was closed for the "historical undertaking" going on there tonight, all vehicles were diverted to this alternate road. The traffic was so heavy that tricycles and multicabs, main modes of transportation here in Puerto Princesa, seemed like not moving at all. Which reminded me of EDSA and España during rush hours. Blue, another classmate who was also going to Glenda's place to get her books aboard a multicab, opted to turn back and went home instead, knowing that we're on our way there on a motorbike.

The drive going back was less stressful except that raindrops got bigger and plentier. We had to make a stop over at Legend's main entrance. The heavy downpour hit the city when we were waiting for Blue at Duchess' front yard. I wondered how's the grilling in Rizal going on...

Thank God, in a shortwhile, the rains stopped. I dropped Ace near the Provincial Capitol grounds where her group, which included her friends and a special someone leaving for Iloilo tomorrow, hanged out. Tonight's the last night of enterntainment extravaganza at the Capitol. This was the last night of live band performances, night bazaars, and food stalls, etc at the Capitol grounds.

Thereafter I went back to my boarding house, too eager to start browsing and reading my new books in Labor Law, Property and Sales. As I was checking on the pages of my books which were Fedexed all the way from Manila, I thought I heard a gunshot. And then there were two, and three..and then there were more. Fireworks! Ha ha. I've always been drawn to them. The second time I lost my cellphone, it was during that night a friend and I joined thousands who flocked to SM MoA's Promenade to watch the 2005 World Pyro Olympics.

So the fireworks which lit up Puerto skies after the rains, made me say goodbye for a while to my class' assigned readings. Bebang, Eric and I watched the fireworks from our boarding house here in Recaido. And when they asked me out, I did not respond with a single hesitation. So out to the streets we went. All three on one bike.

I was just too curious what happened to the province's attempt to be put in the Guinness Book of Records. The fireworks had come to a stop... and so did 95% of the grilling. What we happened to chance upon were a few groups still grilling, but the trucks had begun collecting and loading those grills that were earlier installed from Mendoza Park up to PEO Road. We even got to taste a forkful of grilled tuna and scallops.

Did we break the record? Yes we did. It's a new record -- the longest grill attempt that failed!

Ok, so blame it to the rains. But what happened to more than a million pesos spent for the preparation, for the media coverage and all? Where did all those sea produce go?

A meter of grill accordingly cost 5 thousand pesos and it included a mixture of seafood to be grilled. The attempt was to show the world the longest seafood grill at 3-km long. If the info I gathered was correct, trusting on my conversion skills, the organizers could have collected an astounding P15,000,000. But yeah, unfortunately it failed. How much they were able to collect I don't know. I just hope everything's well-accounted and that whatever sponsorships and financial collections the organizers had amassed would be enough to compensate the provincial budget allotted to this failed undertaking. Let's say they were able to successfully collect sponsorships for a kilometer-long grill, which as to my estimate as we walked from Rizal-Lacao to Dagomboy, was actually attained, that would still be 5M. Deduct the expenses paid up for preparation which could be at 1.5M, still a 3.5M is something.

I just hope taht whatever amount they were able to collect from this longest disappointment, they will be keeping and using for the "next attempt" as what they said. I can only wish they would be putting it in the bank....and not in their pockets. In the bank account of the provincial government not theirs. The province doesnt have to shoulder a single cent the next time they attempt the same.

To ooze away our feelings of disgust, we checked on the live band performance at the Capitol Square, did some sight seeings and ended at the Centralle Grill at the Corner of Rizal Ave and Junction 1. But the pub was another disappointment. The native and nature setting was ok but the service and the people who hang out there were weird.