By Bianca Marie France E. Viadan 

‘The Pista’y Dayat Festival’ is a festivity in Pangasinan that showcases cultural and Thanksgiving Day in the province by local fishermen for a bountiful sea harvest. Through this celebration, they have also shown their Province’s tourism with fun activities such as beauty pageants, trade fairs, battle of the bands, singing, and dance contests, boat parades, arts, and crafts competitions, and many more. 

The celebration of Pista’y Dayat Festival also known as ‘Sea Festival’ is an annual event on every 1^st day of May and started in the year 1970 wherein Pista is a Spanish word for Festival while Dayat is a Pangasinense language that means sea. This festivity was also recognized by the local government as the ‘Mother of All Festivals’ of the Province. It is an event showing their gratitude for the abundant sea that provides them livelihood. The fun activities and friendly competitions allow the participants to show the beauty of the province including their culture, talents in sports, artistic masterpieces, native products, and delicacies that can be enjoyed not only by locals but also by visitors and tourists who get to witness the festival. This celebration not only shows the beauty of the province but also exhibits their appreciation and gratefulness for their yearlong bountiful sea harvest blessed by our creator and provider from up above. 

If you haven’t got the chance to visit the province of Pangasinan to witness their amazing festival, you don’t need to worry because you can still visit the province and enjoy not only different kinds of fresh salt water seafood but also their other field of specialty in agro-industrial businesses, such as milkfish (bangus) cultivation and processing, livestock raising, fish paste processing (bagoong), and others. Aside from the field industry, we can’t forget the province’s famous beaches and tourist spots such as Hundred Islands, The Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag, Bolinao Museum, Rock Garden Resort, St. John Cathedral Garden, Hundred Islands Marine Sanctuary, Tambobong White Beach, Caves in Bolinao and many more historical and educational places you will surely enjoy. 

These kinds of festivals were the ones worth celebrating because they show us how blessed we are for being able to bring food in our tables and being able to provide for our family’s needs through harvesting in the wide and deep seas and oceans.  

May we never forget to take good care of our natural resources, not only because of the reason it provides for us but also because it is our responsibility to do so. Let’s stop the abuse of nature and don’t let this abundance be gone because of greediness. Learn to give back by treating the seas and oceans like our own home so we will receive the same kindness and bountiful harvest from its waters. 

“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, And his wonders in the deep. For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, Which lifteth up the waves thereof.” Psalms 107:23-31 (KJV)  

References: Tourism Promotions Board Philippines official website, Philippines Travel official website, Philippine News Agency official website, Province of Pangasinan official website, Department of Trade and Industry official website and Bible official website 

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