Accordingly, the Guinness World Records based in London has sent the Guinness certificate to the town's longest barbecue record.
Their record: the longest barbecue measuring 3,803.96 meters.
Town residents grilled 93,540 glutinous corn on the 1,559 meters long especially-made grills (each interconnected grill measured 2.4 meters). It was set up in the town's boundaries in Rosales in the east and Alcala in the west, traversing its 10 barangays.
The longest barbecue event was chaired by Vice Mayor Timoteo Villar, Jr. who was also the overall chairman of the Santo Tomas Centennial Celebration.
Accordingly, the Guinness World Records sent the Guinness certificate to Mayor Vivien Villar.
Among those very happy with the town's feat is Undersecretary Antonio Villar, Jr. of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), the mayor's husband. The PASG head served as mayor for more than 20 years.
The holding of the longest barbecue, the Mayor said, showcased the Sto. Tomas people's diligence, discipline and teamwork.
The town officially launched its Corn Festival 2008 on December 1, 2007.
Officials led the planting of hybrid glutinous corn in the town's five-hectare organic farm.
The corn ears were harvested three days before the main event.
On that historic day, each participant (from the grillers, members of the documentation team, marshals and local folks) stayed and played their respective roles.
Celebration started immediately after the necessary documentation was finished. The grilled corn was distributed to the people, and some were given to the visitors to bring home.
Vice Mayor Villar said several dry runs - from laying down of grills, burning of charcoal to actual corn grilling - were held before the main event to perfect the flow and time per step and to avoid any accident that would thwart their attempt for a world record.
Their first try was a smash hit.
Sto. Tomas' longest barbecue erased Montevideo, Uruguay's 1,493.2 meters long record (they grilled red meat.)
Meanwhile, in April 2002, Dagupan City broke Canchia, Peru's 613 meters long record set in November 1999.
Dagupeños grilled bonuan bangus in their 1,001-meter long grill during the "Kalutan ed Dagupan" street party.
