Who would have thought that this can also be an alternative tourist attraction site? Dumulog Fish Drying Area is an off the beaten track destinations that many guide books failed to mention.
Dumulog is a coastal barangay in Roxas City, and its main livelihood in the area is dried fish or locally known as “uga”. In the Philippines dried fish is always best when served hot off the frying pan with fried rice, sunny side up, and sliced tomatoes or paired with a piping hot champorado.
When we went to the area, there’s only one type of fish getting dried under the sun. I asked the locals and they said most of the times, they only dry tabagak or Sardinella, a type of fish common in Western Visayas.
Normally they would dry the fish under the sun for two days before packing them in a wooden box before getting shipped to Manila. The men would usually place the fishes under the sea while the women would collect them and place them on wooden boxes. I asked how much a box of dried fish would normally cost, she said more or less Two Thousand Pesos. But prices vary depending on the season. Normally it is more expensive during the rainy season since there is a very limited supply.
Most of the drying activities are done beside the beach. But recently, some businessmen have moved their drying activities away from the beach. some have even moved to the farm lots (palayan)
. A lot of people have actually been complaining because in the long run, the soil would be affected by these activities, and the smell of the dried fish is just unbearable for some.
| BYAHILO Photo Hunt Clue(Photo #2) |
| Clue #1: Festival Dancers dance on the city's main thoroughfare named after a local hero who bluffed the Spaniards with their fake canons. |
Check out some of the exciting events coming up!