‘Kambog ed Kapokokan’ bolsters Binmaley’s rich culture

By April M. Montes

A fishing tournament the “Binmaley way” deemed as the ‘Kambog ed Kapokokan’ is up as one of the most anticipated event in this year’s Sigay Festival.

In Pangasinan language, the word ‘kambog’ means the act of catching fish in a drained pond termed as ‘pokok’ by locals. The ‘kambogan’ is usually done in various places in the town due to the fact that there exist a number of fishponds here. Thus, it best explains why Binmaley is known for its aquaculture industry urging it to launch the said fest which is now in its second year.

In this year’s celebration, the committee came up with the idea to include the said activity in their list. According to Edgar Ocampo, market supervisor and in-charge of the said affair, the ‘Kambog ed Kapokokan’ perfectly depicts the rich custom of the Binmaleyans and promotes the indigenous endeavor the town holds.

The requirements and the mechanics for a smooth flow of the ‘kambogan’ slated on January 29 are already prepared. It will be held at 7:00 a.m.on the pond situated near the Bangsal Lechon and Seafood Restaurant in Nansangaan. It is open to all bona fide residents of Binmaley ages 16 years old and above. So contestants must secure residency from their barangay captains. Only two residents from each barangay are permitted to participate in the said competition.

The game will be facilitated by the Disaster Emergency Rescue Team (DERT) and would run in this manner, marine products such as crabs and milkfish will be released in a drained pond. Crabs vary in sizes: 5 big, 10 medium, and 20 small. Each size has a corresponding cash prize. The big ones are worth P500 each, medium for P250, and small for P150. Along with these crabs are 20 milkfishes which are priced at P100 per piece. The crabs and milkfish will be marked by the committee to assure that these were really the products discharged by the facilitators.

As the facilitators declare the “GO” signal, all contestants will lunge on the pond and try their greatest effort to catch the marine products to win a prize. They are only given one hour to gather as much crabs and milkfish as they can. They are not allowed to use any fishing gear like ‘tabal’ (fish net) and ‘talakeb’ (called ‘salakab’ in Tagalog ), a cylindrical fishing device made of bamboo which is open on both ends – one end to trap the fish and the other end to get the trapped fish inside.

This is where the thrill touches down since contestants are compelled to use their bare hands in catching the marine products. This is considered as the “Binmaley way” of fish gathering as mentioned earlier. It sounds messy but indeed insinuates excitement and scores an amalgam of emotions on the part of the spectators. From a simple practice held in most barangays, it now incessantly reflect the rich culture of the town that Binmaleyans will treasure from today and for generations to come. (AMM/ PIA-Pangasinan)

Advertisement