Capiz festival serves nearly 1,000 kilos of seafood

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Mountains of ready-to-eat seafood filled Villareal Stadium in Roxas City, Capiz, on Friday evening, April 17, as nearly 1,000 kilograms of fresh catch were served during the Surambaw Seafood Feast.

The event featured an eat-all-you-can buffet priced at PHP 999 per head and drew around 400 guests as part of the Capiztahan Festival celebrating the 125th anniversary of the province’s civil government.

Organized by the Association of Resorts, Restaurants and Hotels of Capiz in partnership with the Capiz provincial government, the annual feast highlighted the province’s reputation as the Seafood Capital of the Philippines.

ARRHC President Tony Marie Del Rosario said the Surambaw Feast, now in its fourth year, continues to evolve.

“We started in 2023 focusing on seafood, and every year we try to innovate and offer something different,” Del Rosario said.

This year’s spread included crabs, oysters, fish, shellfish, and dried fish, alongside grilled chicken inasal, pork barbecue, and local delicacies such as balut from Dao, puso from the municipality of Panay, and traditional sweets like butong-buto and panutsa.

Del Rosario said around 300 kilograms of crabs alone were prepared for the event.

She added that participating hotels and restaurants under ARRHC divided tasks to ensure smooth preparation and service, with some handling specific dishes while others managed setup and logistics.

Despite the festive atmosphere, Del Rosario noted a lower turnout this year compared with previous editions that drew as many as 700 attendees.

She attributed the decline to rising fuel costs but said the group remained committed to delivering a quality experience.

“We may have fewer guests this year, but we continue to give the best of what Capiz has to offer,” she said.

“We highlight abundance—that is why the presentation is designed like mountains of food, to reflect the richness of seafood in Capiz,” she added.

Health and safety protocols were observed, with medical and security teams deployed at the venue.

The term “surambaw” refers to a traditional fishing method used in the province’s coastal communities.

It involves a large square net mounted on a bamboo frame that is lowered into the water and later lifted to catch fish and other marine resources.