Baguio guns for Guinness in fest as longest longanisa

By Pamela Mariz Geminiano 

BAGUIO CITY -- A total of 3,633 kilos of longanisa (sausage) was paraded by hospitality and tourism management students from different universities and colleges here during the longest longanisa festival on Oct. 6 as this city aimed for a world Guinness record.

"My longanisa is not just long, it is specifically made out of 1,700 kilos of lean pork, 1,300 kilos of fat, 300 kilos of garlic, dry spices and 71 liters of wet ingredient," said Vondalyn Alabanza of Alabanza Meat Store in an interview.

Some 16,050 longanisa measuring 7.862 kilometers long were produced in two months, she added.

The event marked the third time the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB), in partnership with Alabanza meat shop -- the maker of what is now known as “Baguio longanisa” -- made it an attraction of the Hotel and Restaurant Tourism (HRT) weekend.

It kicked off the HRT weekend where several students and workers in the industry come to the city to vie in different competitions related to the industry.

"As a businesswoman, to inspire young aspirants not only people in the food industry to dream big, to showcase what they have," she said.

The longanisa was displayed uncooked and sold to the public after the event.

Alabanza assured that the meat used in the sausages are free from African Swine Fever and fully inspected by the National Meat Inspection Service.

Alabanza said the third staging is a mere promotion of the longanisa which is becoming a favorite among locals and tourists.--  PNA