Dagupan and Urdaneta Cities, and Pangasinan Province - Compiled Threads

[flymordecai]

^ Oh, it's my first time to hear this project. The website looks tacky. In a way, I think it's like a scam site.

Please try to contact the Governor's Office Division Chiefs to confirm the development. I'm sure they're more than happy to assist you with your concern. :)

NORMA UNTALAN
Investment and Promotion Unit
(075) 542-6853

ALVIN L. BIGAY
Housing Office
(075) 542-6696

NORMA UNTALAN (Department Head)
Planning and Devt. Office
(075) 542-6293

MA. LUISA A. ELDUAYAN
Tourism Operations Office
(075) 542-8007

Agreed. Looking at the website, it looks a lot like a scam site. If they are, someone has to expose them. :ohno:

[cq7cc2]

Agreed. Looking at the website, it looks a lot like a scam site. If they are, someone has to expose them. :ohno:

Thank you very much for your replies.
Anyone working with the Pangasinan Provincial Government among co-members here to give insights on the Lingayen Black Sands Project?
Do you know of any alternative beach front properties along Lingayen Gulf which may be really for sale?

[suri_maw2020]

Hindi kaya sa me bandang Capandanan ang tinutokoy d2 or sa bandang Binmaley na...hmmmmmm..kelangan malaman e2 ng mga nasa Capitolyo..he he he he...

[tyronne]

Yung old CSI dept. store along McArthur Hi-way, harap ng CB Mall sa Urdaneta, dinidemolish na. Ano kaya ipapalit don?

[bily_lion]

^^ Wala ba kayong picture ng CSI-Stadia?

[bily_lion]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1193/1428579229_b0fe63a687_m.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/1428579125_d81c63a1e3_m.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1349/1428579033_601ad71554_m.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/1429455802_2d066c15e7_m.jpg

http://csistadia.com/images/floor_plan.gif
source (http://csistadia.com/csi_facilities.htm)

Official Website: http://csistadia.com/

Overhead pedestrian walkway

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/1429455498_394ad94683_m.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/1428578701_9dd759bb6c_m.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/1429455384_9c87803aee_m.jpg

Along Arellano St./ NEPO

Other completed overhead pedestrian walkways located at City High/ Tapuac and AB Fernandez Ave.

My apologies for the low quality images. Taken last 09/22/07 :colgate:


Hi guys :D Meron na palang picture ang CSI-Stadia dito. Actuly hindi pa ito totally tapos pero ginagamit na for events. According sa source ko, 200 million ang nagastos dito. Dapat tapos nayan pero for some reason hindi parin. Maganda siya infairness lalo na sa loob pero sa labas, no comment:bash::lol:. Anyway yung lot sa side niya papatayuan yun ng hotel.

[tyronne]

^^Ang ganda naman nyan! Sana may tennis courts din :D Maganda yan, nagda-diversify na rin ang CSI, para hindi na lang malls ang line of business nila hehe!

Also, yung steel footbridge sa taas, parang ganyan din ang kalalabasan nung footbridge na ginagawa dito sa amin sa Villasis. Tatapusin yun for sure before fiesta namin sa January. :)

[allan_dude]

Hi guys :D Meron na palang picture ang CSI-Stadia dito. Actuly hindi pa ito totally tapos pero ginagamit na for events. According sa source ko, 200 million ang nagastos dito. Dapat tapos nayan pero for some reason hindi parin. Maganda siya infairness lalo na sa loob pero sa labas, no comment:bash::lol:. Anyway yung lot sa side niya papatayuan yun ng hotel.

Andyan ako sa CSI Lucao last Friday. Tapos na yung construction. Actually may Trade Fair at concert pa nga si Sarah Gironimo this November LOL

^^Ang ganda naman nyan! Sana may tennis courts din :D Maganda yan, nagda-diversify na rin ang CSI, para hindi na lang malls ang line of business nila hehe!

Also, yung steel footbridge sa taas, parang ganyan din ang kalalabasan nung footbridge na ginagawa dito sa amin sa Villasis. Tatapusin yun for sure before fiesta namin sa January. :)

Hi Ty! Update ko lang, hindi pa pala tapos yung footbridge sa tapat ng CSI Market Square, kala ko kasi patapos na dati kaya nasabi ko na magoopen na. hahaha my bad!

Naks mukhang maganda nga rin yung ginagawa sa Villasis ah! Go for cityhood! hahaha kaso mauuna pa kami sa inyo. :lol:

Uy excited na ako sa CSI mall sa town namin, almost 60% na tapos yung structure. siguro sa Fiesta namin magoopen. May Mc Donald's, Goldilocks, Headzone, Department Store, Supermarket, Appliance center ETC. hahaha ang corny

Yung Jollibee- San Carlos nagpadala naman ng Mobile Jollibee sa Plaza namin. Naku nanlalaki ang mga mata ng manager dahil sa lapot ng crowd at lakas talaga ng benta nila. Balak ng grupo ng Mayari ng Jollibee- San Carlos magtayo sa town namin kaso walang lot/building na available sa town center tsaka walang commercial bank samin. kaso sa Malasiqui may Jollibee na kahit wala pang commercial bank na malaki.

[bily_lion]

Andyan ako sa CSI Lucao last Friday. Tapos na yung construction. Actually may Trade Fair at concert pa nga si Sarah Gironimo this November LOL



Hi Ty! Update ko lang, hindi pa pala tapos yung footbridge sa tapat ng CSI Market Square, kala ko kasi patapos na dati kaya nasabi ko na magoopen na. hahaha my bad!

Naks mukhang maganda nga rin yung ginagawa sa Villasis ah! Go for cityhood! hahaha kaso mauuna pa kami sa inyo. :lol:

Uy excited na ako sa CSI mall sa town namin, almost 60% na tapos yung structure. siguro sa Fiesta namin magoopen. May Mc Donald's, Goldilocks, Headzone, Department Store, Supermarket, Appliance center ETC. hahaha ang corny

Yung Jollibee- San Carlos nagpadala naman ng Mobile Jollibee sa Plaza namin. Naku nanlalaki ang mga mata ng manager dahil sa lapot ng crowd at lakas talaga ng benta nila. Balak ng grupo ng Mayari ng Jollibee- San Carlos magtayo sa town namin kaso walang lot/building na available sa town center tsaka walang commercial bank samin. kaso sa Malasiqui may Jollibee na kahit wala pang commercial bank na malaki.


Yung structure tapos na talaga. Pero interior wise hindi pa, nakakainis nga eh kasi most of the materials na ginamit substandard ata. Andun din ako during Sari-sari store fair at Kasalang Filipino eh and marami pang hindi tapos. Anyway sana pagandahin yung landscaping sa labas. One more thing na aabangan ng mga taga Dagupan is yung future Hotel na ipapatayo sa tabi ng CSI-Stadia. Nasa planning stage na siya :)

[allan_dude]

Laguna-based factory to hire 700 workers in Pangasinan

By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/11/04/news/laguna.based.factory.to.hire.700.workers.in.pangasinan.html)

LINGAYEN -- The Fujitsu Computer Productions Corporation based in Calamba, Laguna will start its two-day hiring activity in Pangasinan on November 6.

The screening and interview will be held at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) gym here.

Provincial Employment Service Office (Peso) chief Alex Ferrer said Fujitsu will be recruiting 700 Pangasinan workers as production operators for its computer parts manufacturing facility.

The qualifications are: 18 to 22 years old, female, single, at least five feet tall, at least high school graduate but not college graduate.

Ferrer said those who will pass the interview on Tuesday will take the physical and medical examination on Wednesday. The daily wage is about P270.

Recently, Hanjin Shipping Company Limited, a Korean shipbuilding company based at Subic, conducted a recruitment activity here and is now training Pangasinense highly-skilled welders for its US$ 1-billion ship-building project at Subic Bay Freeport.

The Peso in Pangasinan opened in 1993.

Ferrer said it has so far provided local and foreign employment to more than 10,000 Pangasinenses, mostly factory workers.

The average applicant per day is 35 while the average employment rate is 15 percent.

Asked why the low number of people given employment since Peso started, Ferrer said that majority of those who seek employment at the Peso are “unemployable.”

"Peso is their last recourse to get employment," he said.

Others want office job and these people apply directly at companies hiring employees, Ferrer added.

Ferrer meanwhile said anybody can drop by at their office located at the Kalatiao building at the Capitol grounds and check on job vacancies. Another Jobs Fair is scheduled on November 29.

[allan_dude]

Yung structure tapos na talaga. Pero interior wise hindi pa, nakakainis nga eh kasi most of the materials na ginamit substandard ata. Andun din ako during Sari-sari store fair at Kasalang Filipino eh and marami pang hindi tapos. Anyway sana pagandahin yung landscaping sa labas. One more thing na aabangan ng mga taga Dagupan is yung future Hotel na ipapatayo sa tabi ng CSI-Stadia. Nasa planning stage na siya :)

What's new with CSI?! Ang gulo gulo nga nung tinayo na complex sa Lucao. Sana nga ayusin nila yung landscaping kasi ang dry nga tignan nung lugar. I-transfer na rin sana nila yung bodega, yung asa harap ng complex, pampagulo kasi.

Highrise ba yung hotel? hahaha (joke lang)

[OilMover]

Sa totoo lang malaki potential ng Pangasinan, kulang lang ng desire mga politicians kaya medyo mabagal pa din progress. Pero kompara naman sa ibang nothern province lamang ang Pangasinan in terms of economic activity at tourism potential.

Hey, why should they be different from the other politicians in the Philippines.:lol:

[allan_dude]

^ Mas aggressive na ngayon ang bagong provincial gov't. ;)

**********

Sta. Barbara airport up for study

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/04/sta-barbara-airport-up-for-study/#more-7108)

STA. BARBARA–An official here said the study on the feasibility of operating an international airport in this town will continue despite a directive from Malacañang to build one in Alaminos City.

Municipal Administrator Albertini de Guzman said the study by the Air Transportation Office

(ATO) will push through despite the fact that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself has announced the construction of an airport in Alaminos in her last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Prior to the SONA, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco had offered his town to host the international airport being in the heart of the province and its proximity to several of the popular tourist destinations such as the Manaoag Church, the beaches in San Fabian, Dagupan and Lingayen as well as the cities of Urdaneta and San Carlos.

“The study will continue and it will be up to the Air Transportation Office to determine its feasibility,” De Guzman said.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. supports Velasco’s position making Sta. Barbara the site for the province’s international airport, making it part of the mega projects envisioned by the national government under the Northern Luzon Agri-business Quadrangle.

The Department of Transportation and Communication will make the final recommendation on whether the project is feasible in Sta. Barbara.

De Guzman said a total of 700 hectares, located in barangay Leet and in adjacent areas are being offered as project site.—LM

**********

Sual shipping port needs P400 Million

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/04/sual-shipping-port-needs-p400-million/#more-7100)

SUAL–Some P400 million would be needed for the establishment of an international shipping port here, according to Mayor John Rodney Arcinue, quoting figures from the Philippine Ports Authority.

Arcinue said he and Governor Amado Espino Jr., the main proponent of the project, agreed that this is the minimum amount they intend to raise soon to make sure that the project will be completed within their terms in office for the next three years.

The establishment of an international shipping port is a joint vision of the provincial and the municipal governments.

“We and the provincial government are on the same direction as far as the establishment of an international shipping port here is concerned,” Arcinue said.

A study regarding the establishment of the Sual shipping port and where it would be best located in Sual Bay was conducted in 2003.

But the mayor said he continues to coordinate closely with Espino for identifying the most ideal site for the shipping port as they both foresee the international port to be a big boon to the economy of the whole of Pangasinan.

The mayor is optimistic that the proposed project could lead to the establishment of a complementary economic zone for the province.

Arcinue added that Sual would be an attractive site for investors as real estate prices here have yet to shoot up.

Sual hosts the 1,200-megawatt Sual Coal-fired Power Plant, owned by Team Energy Corporation, which will serve as the source of the power requirements of the proposed economic zone.—CSR

[bily_lion]

What's new with CSI?! Ang gulo gulo nga nung tinayo na complex sa Lucao. Sana nga ayusin nila yung landscaping kasi ang dry nga tignan nung lugar. I-transfer na rin sana nila yung bodega, yung asa harap ng complex, pampagulo kasi.

Highrise ba yung hotel? hahaha (joke lang)


Oo nga eh. Angpangit na mall pero pwede na. Yung warehouse na sinasabi mo, malabong tanggalin yun kasi kumikita pa yun ng malaki.:nuts:

regarding sa hotel-di kolang alam, basta ang alam ko nasa planning stage na:cheers:

[allan_dude]

^yung binabangit ko yung bodega na panarang distribution center nila, hindi yung warehouse club ha.

[bily_lion]

^yung binabangit ko yung bodega na panarang distribution center nila, hindi yung warehouse club ha.

Yap, yan din ang tinutukoy ko. Kumikita din kasi yun ng malaki.


Well CSI is the biggest yata sa Dagupan eh. Pansin kolang sa kanila, medyo magulo ang system nila. Wala silang magandang opisina. Sana nga in the future magkaroon din sila ng corporate center :lol:. May nalaman din akong gossip kaya daw walang SM sa Pangasinan dahil pinipigalan ng CSI :ohno:

[allan_dude]

^Mukha nga. Mostly pa kasi ng mga nagmamayari ng malls/ retail centers sa probinsya mga politiko. prenoprotektahan lang nila nga business interests nila.

Sabik na talaga mga tao magkaroon ng malaking mall satin. Biruin mo mga tao sa southern La Union, northern Zambales and Tarlac, and northwestern Nueva Ecija mostly sa pangasinan pa namimili. Kaya panalo talaga CSI. CSI claims to be the biggest retailer in Northern Luzon in terms of revenue and retail network.

Pansin ko lang ha, kahit na may Robinson's Department Store na sa Arellano, mas patok at pinupuntahan parin ang CSI Department store, lalo na sa C & D market segment. Sobrang trusted brand na ang CSI lalo na sa mga malalyong lugar sa loob at labas ng probinsya. Meron nga rin silang product line parang SM BONUS. :)

[bily_lion]

^Mukha nga. Mostly pa kasi ng mga nagmamayari ng malls/ retail centers sa probinsya mga politiko. prenoprotektahan lang nila nga business interests nila.

Sabik na talaga mga tao magkaroon ng malaking mall satin. Biruin mo mga tao sa southern La Union, northern Zambales and Tarlac, and northwestern Nueva Ecija mostly sa pangasinan pa namimili. Kaya panalo talaga CSI. CSI claims to be the biggest retailer in Northern Luzon in terms of revenue and retail network.

Pansin ko lang ha, kahit na may Robinson's Department Store na sa Arellano, mas patok at pinupuntahan parin ang CSI Department store, lalo na sa C & D market segment. Sobrang trusted brand na ang CSI lalo na sa mga malalyong lugar sa loob at labas ng probinsya. Meron nga rin silang product line parang SM BONUS. :)

That's true. Diba CSI is opening another branch? I don't know the exact location kasi.


Yap meron narin silang privilage card something na nilaunch nung 1st Sari-sari store fair. Honestly kung may kalaban lang sana sila, siguradong gaganda ang mga establishment nila.

[tyronne]

That's true. Diba CSI is opening another branch? I don't know the exact location kasi.


Yap meron narin silang privilage card something na nilaunch nung 1st Sari-sari store fair. Honestly kung may kalaban lang sana sila, siguradong gaganda ang mga establishment nila.

Sa Urdaneta naungusan na sila ng Magic tsaka Balingit malls.

[allan_dude]

^ Balingit mall? yun ba yung CB mall?

[tyronne]

^^Yeah, di ba Balingit may-ari non? :D

[allan_dude]

^ Not sure, but that's what i think. Kasi panay BHF yung laman, parang yung BHF Family Center sa Mayombo. Ano ba mga bagong stores sa CB Mall?

[tyronne]

Yung mga smaller businesses, hindi masyadong sikat hehe! I'm thinking na yung mga bigger names sa other half ng mall ang mga stores nila (under construction yung other half ng mall di ba?).

[allan_dude]

Yung mga smaller businesses, hindi masyadong sikat hehe! I'm thinking na yung mga bigger names sa other half ng mall ang mga stores nila (under construction yung other half ng mall di ba?).

^ Hindi ko pa uli nakikita. hehe Closed kasi yung bridge dun samin namin connecting eastern pangasinan kaya tagal na rin ako hindi nakadaan ng Urdaneta. Malayo na samin pag via Lareg-lareg. :nuts:

Anong mga homegrown stores andun?

Update mo kami lagi dyan sa Eastern Pangasinan ha. Mas exposed kasi ako sa Central.

That's true. Diba CSI is opening another branch? I don't know the exact location kasi.


Yap meron narin silang privilage card something na nilaunch nung 1st Sari-sari store fair. Honestly kung may kalaban lang sana sila, siguradong gaganda ang mga establishment nila.

Sa town namin sila nagtatayo. Malaki ang market ng CSI Bayambang within 25km radius, population approximately 451,000 almost half a million na.

Bayambang 100,000
Malasiqui 120,000
Bautista 30,000
Alcala 36,000
Basista 30,000
Camiling 75,000
Santo Tomas 15,000
Urbiztondo 45,000

Yung MAGIC Bayambang supposedly magoopen early 2000. Gawa na yung building kaso nagkaroon ng problem mga shareholders. Until now hindi pa clear kung magoopen pa yung commercial complex.

Yung isa sa shareholders, yung group ni Benji Lim, nakabili na ng new commercial lot sa Bayambang sa may intersection katabi ng Catholic Church. Problem lang mejo maliit yung nabili na lot, tapos yung katabing lot na malaki pagmamayari ng USATV pa (formerly BamBisTa Cable), Na part naman ng CSI Group.

Good news Allan! Di ko na kelangang pumunta ng San Carlos city para mag pa-renew ng driver's licence pag asa Bayambang ako. San naman kaya sa Bayambang ilalagay ang LTO office?

Sa may Quezon boulevard yung LTO office sa may STRADEC Compound, malapit sa Mother Goose.

[allan_dude]

Dagupan, Sto. Tomas cited best LGUs by SSS

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/04/dagupan-sto-tomas-awarded-best-lgus-by-sss-luzon/#more-7099)

DAGUPAN CITY and Sto. Tomas have been cited the “Best Local Government Units in the Luzon Central Cluster” by the Social Security System (SSS) during the agency’s Stakeholders Day held recently at La Majarica Hotel in Tarlac City.

Dr. Edwin Aguirre, executive assistant III at the office of Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., received the award in behalf of the city.

He said Dagupan was awarded because of its active support to the SSS branch as well as its information dissemination program that encouraged employers to register their workers with the system.

The other LGU awardees are the cities of Malolos, San Jose del Monte as well as the towns on Magalang in Panpanga, Obando in Bulacan and the Science City of Munoz in Nueva Ecija.

The Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines in Calasiao and Northern Cement Corporation in Sison were adjudged as among the Best Employers in the Luzon Central Cluster.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Bank of Alaminos City, Philippine Business Bank branch in Urdaneta City and the Philippine Rural Banking Corporation in Dagupan are cited as the Best Participating Financial Institutions.—LM

[allan_dude]

Korean delegates inspect site for Dagupan’s fish plant

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/11/08/news/korean.delegates.inspect.site.for.dagupan.s.fish.plant.html)

THE Dagupan City’s fish processing plant project will soon be realized.

Officials and experts from the Korean government and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) conducted ocular inspection and survey on the proposed site in Barangay Bonuan Binloc in the city last Tuesday and Wednesday.

They were also toured by city officials headed by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. to different bangus (milkfish) deboning and processing areas (small scale entrepreneurs); bangus fish ponds and fish cages; and bangus store area.

They met with officials of the Department of Agriculture and National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center and discussed the implementation of the project.

The primary objective of the Korean delegates’ travel to Dagupan was to see the conditions of the proposed site, check on the seafood processing facility proposal and matters related to seafood demand, as well as, the laws and policies concerning the project, and others.

They will meet with House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Mayor Fernandez in Manila on Thursday to present to the two local officials results of their two-day visit to the city.

The Korean team will be composed of Koica resident representative Kim In, deputy resident representative Park Joon-sung, and Korean experts Hoo-Kyu Oh and Dong-Geon Lee from the Pukyong National University.

Dagupan City is well-known for its tasty Bonuan Bangus. Other coastal municipalities in Pangasinan also produce bangus.

The proposed establishment of a Bangus Processing Plant (the name later changed to Fish Processing Plant) was first introduced by former Dagupan mayor Benjamin Lim.

The plan was carried on by Fernandez when he assumed as mayor last July 1.

Aside from the additional income the city will benefit from it, among the indirect project benefits include increase in bangus production and enhanced demand for allied products and fish processing activities. (LCMY/Sunnex)

***

Province wants Jan. 9 declared a holiday in Pangasinan

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/11/08/news/province.wants.jan..9.declared.a.holiday.in.pangasinan.html)

LINGAYEN -- The Pangasinan Provincial Government is aiming for the presidential declaration of January 9, 2008 (and every January 9 thereafter) as a special non-working holiday in the province.

The Provincial Board (PB) approved during its regular session last Monday Resolution 228-2007, which pertains to Pangasinan’s observance of Veteran’s Day.

The resolution “commemorates the triumphant Lingayen Gulf Landing of the Allied Forces on January 9, 1945, which showcased the heroism and bravery of Filipino soldiers, guerillas, and civilians.”

Also, it “recognizes the tremendous contributions and valiant sacrifices of our veterans.”

Accordingly, it is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who has the power and authority to declare a special non-working holiday of a certain place based on Book I, Chapter 7, Section 27 of the Administrative Code of 1987.

On January 9, 2005, foreign envoys led by then US Ambassador Francis Joseph Ricciardone and Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamasaki came to Lingayen and attended the province’s observance of the 60th anniversary of the Lingayen Gulf Landing.

It was to commemorate the liberation of Pangasinan from the Japanese invasion. The American liberators were led by the late General Douglas McArthur. (LCMY/Sunnex)

[allan_dude]

City to mark late Speaker Perez's birth anniversary

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/11/10/news/city.to.mark.late.speaker.perez.s.birth.anniversary.html)

THE San Carlos City Government is preparing for the observance of the birth anniversary of the late Speaker Eugenio Padlan Perez on November 13.

Also to be observed on that day is Pangasinan Day though it is vague as to when Pangasinan was created as a province.

Perez, the country's first Speaker and the last Speaker of the Commonwealth period, was buried in the city. He and wife Consuelo Salazar had four children, one of whom is Victoria (first wife of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and mother of Jose "Joey" de Venecia III).

For this year's celebration, a thanksgiving mass will be offered by the City Government at the St. Dominic Parish at 7 a.m. This will be followed by a flag-raising ceremony at the Speaker Perez Memorial Amphitheatre.

San Carlos Mayor Julier Resuello and Vice Mayor Joseres Resuello will lead the wreath laying at Speaker Perez's monument situated at the city plaza. A program follows shortly and the offering of flowers at Speaker Perez's tomb at the old public cemetery. (LCMY/Sunnex)

[allan_dude]

New diversion road in Dagupan opens in March 2008

Balita (http://news.balita.ph/html/staticpages/index.php/c-balita)

The P1.249-billion Dawel-Lucao Diversion road here is set to be opened to vehicular traffic in March next year, according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director Fidel Ginez.

Ginez said the new highway is now 70 percent complete and the remaining 30 percent uncompleted is the P903 million bridge across the Pantal river funded by a soft loan released by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

He expressed optimism that the 980-meter long by 9.7 meter wide bridge being constructed by the Toyo Construction of Japan will be finished by March.

Construction of the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao Diversion road, the biggest infrastructure project ever built by the government in Dagupan, started in 2002, according to Ginez.

The road component of the new highway measures 4.897 kilometers, including two small bridges spanning across small creeks.

Ginez, however, said P16-million is still needed in order to fully complete the project and went on to tap House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. for the additional amount.

De Venecia, main proponent of the project, agreed to produce P10 million and promised to source out the remaining P6 million

***

Sanitary landfill in Pangasinan still possible -- DENR

Balita (http://news.balita.ph/html/staticpages/index.php/c-balita)

There is hope that the proposed modern sanitary landfill in Bayambang town can still be realized.

This developed as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) denied that the project, proposed and subjected to a series of public hearings last year, was already shelved.

Samuel Songcuan, community environment and natural resources officer (CENRO) in Pangasinan, said it was unfair to say that the proposed multi-million peso sanitary landfill in Bayambang town was already deemed a failure as the project has not yet started.

"The landfill project there has yet to start so we can't say that it is already a failure," Songcuan said.

The proposed landfill project is supposed to be put up by private firm Waste Integrated Network System (WINS), headed by Abelardo Palad as president, on an initial 30-hectare area, with a provision for expansion in another 60 hectares of land.

WINS, backed up by big industrialists from Manila and Tarlac, will put up the project in its own property in Bayambang town.

Songcuan said he was aware that the social acceptability of the project from the barangay, municipal to the provincial levels had been completed and passed through legal processes.

"I don't think that the change of the provincial and municipal administrations can derail the project, because the new officials also want to see a better solid waste management system for their localities," he said.

On the other hand, the past provincial board of Pangasinan seemed to have just sat down on the resolution of the Bayambang municipal council endorsing the project, and so this was deemed approved, according to rules of that body.

The project was conceived during the incumbency of Bayambang Mayor Leocadio de Vera who already completed his last term of office.

Victor Agbayani, now a congressman of the Second District of Pangasinan, was the province's governor at that time.

At the beginning of his term, new Bayambang Mayor Ricardo Camacho indicated he would not let the sanitary landfill to rise in his town if it would accommodate wastes from adjacent towns and provinces.

But he admitted that he sided with the oppositors to the project since this was first proposed.

Governor Espino, a native of the adjacent town of Bautista, has not yet indicated if he is going to support the establishment of the sanitary in Bayambang.

But the governor is seeking more investments in Pangasinan and that a sanitary landfill could be prelude for the entry of more investors to the province.

Songcuan said Dagupan City also attempted to put up its own sanitary landfill but the latter proposal never reached first base for one reason or another.

But the proposed sanitary landfill in Bayambang was much way ahead than Dagupan, because the social acceptability was obtained from the barangay, municipal to the provincial levels.

Noting that garbage is now a big problem among all local government units, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office headed by Ms. Wendy Co will host an Ecological Solid Waste Management Summit in Dagupan in late November

Songcuan said they would discuss in this summit, to be participated in by representatives from 44 towns and cities in the Pangasinan, the current status of garbage and the solutions that can really be adopted by each LGU to protect their citizens from unhealthy environment.

***

Pangasinan to host business forum

Balita (http://news.balita.ph/html/staticpages/index.php/c-balita)

Provincial government officials will hold a business forum with senior managers of the Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philippines this month to hopefully hammer out strategies that could make Pangasinan as an attractive point of investment.

Alex Ferrer, head of the Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO), said the forum seeks to determine the reasons why there is a slow turn out of investors in the province despite its vast natural and human resources as well as trained manpower.

Furthermore, Pangasinan has the built-in advantage as the nearest province among the rest in the Philippines to the economic tigers of Asia, like China, Korea and Japan.

Ferrer said provincial officials want to hear from the businessmen themselves the reasons why they are not keen on investing their money in the province.

"In other words, we want to know from them what are the things they want us to do more to enable the province to attract investors," Ferrer said.

Provincial officials expressed belief that the province initially needs just one big company to blaze the trail of investments and other big companies will come marching in.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. himself admitted that despite the presence of the Hundred Islands and other natural attractions, Pangasinan still registered the third lowest in tourist arrivals among all provinces in the Ilocos region.

The governor hinted that Pangasinan may not be conducive to investments because it lacked the basic support industries, facilities and services that can adequately protect and promote large-scale industrial operations and other big-time businesses.

He cited, for instance, the need for an international airport as well as a big shipping port from where people and goods can land.

A big boost to Pangasinan was the personal commitment of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to put an international airport in Alaminos City as part of the big infrastructures envisioned for the North Luzon Agri-business Quadrangle.

Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza said a survey on the possible site of the airport's runway was already started by the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

Governor Espino revealed that due to financial constraints, the provincial government can only undertake practical solutions to address the problems hampering Pangasinan's development.

[Sinjin P.]

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2320/smro1.jpg

[Sinjin P.]

SM is here and it’s final! (http://rosales.gov.ph/rosales/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=59)SM SUPERCENTER ROSALES will be one of the latest additions to the flourishing conglomerate of SM Investments Corporation and SM Supermalls, the biggest chain of mall operators in the country. This was confirmed last October 16,2007 by SM bigwigs headed by Annie S. Garcia, President, SM Shopping Center Management, Antolin V. Paule, Senior Asst. VP for Engineering and Development Division, SM Mart, Inc.,
Bien C. Mateo, Asst. VP for Operations, SCMC and Fides Garcia of the SM Supermalls. The group visited the Presidencia ,and made their courtesy call to Mayor Ricardo V. Revita, Vice Mayor Romy L. Sim and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan of Rosales and finalized their plans on the construction of the first SM Shoemart in the province of Pangasinan.

The good mayor, Ric V. Revita , briefed the group with updated community profile and presented the town’s development plan with fervor and passion .

After the conference the group and their official builders, Manuel Sy, President of New Golden City Builders, Dennis Abcede and Associates together with the municipal officials and the technical staffs of the mayor motored to Carmen for site inspection.

SM SUPERCENTER, ROSALES will be erected in the 9 ha. lot (acquired by SM Primeholdings a couple of years ago) along Mc Arthur Highway in Brgy. Carmen, Rosales Pangasinan.

The operation of SM Shopping Center will serve as catalyst in the economy of this thriving municipality. It will serve as engine for growth and development of Rosales as a part of the urbanization program envisioned by the “technocrat” mayor, Ricardo Velo Revita.

[pi_malejana]

^^ :banana:
may SM na sa pangasinan.. kaso supercenter pa lang...
wonder what's CSI's reaction..:lol:

[tyronne]

SM is here and it’s final! (http://rosales.gov.ph/rosales/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=59)SM SUPERCENTER ROSALES will be one of the latest additions to the flourishing conglomerate of SM Investments Corporation and SM Supermalls, the biggest chain of mall operators in the country. This was confirmed last October 16,2007 by SM bigwigs headed by Annie S. Garcia, President, SM Shopping Center Management, Antolin V. Paule, Senior Asst. VP for Engineering and Development Division, SM Mart, Inc.,
Bien C. Mateo, Asst. VP for Operations, SCMC and Fides Garcia of the SM Supermalls. The group visited the Presidencia ,and made their courtesy call to Mayor Ricardo V. Revita, Vice Mayor Romy L. Sim and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan of Rosales and finalized their plans on the construction of the first SM Shoemart in the province of Pangasinan.

The good mayor, Ric V. Revita , briefed the group with updated community profile and presented the town’s development plan with fervor and passion .

After the conference the group and their official builders, Manuel Sy, President of New Golden City Builders, Dennis Abcede and Associates together with the municipal officials and the technical staffs of the mayor motored to Carmen for site inspection.

SM SUPERCENTER, ROSALES will be erected in the 9 ha. lot (acquired by SM Primeholdings a couple of years ago) along Mc Arthur Highway in Brgy. Carmen, Rosales Pangasinan.

The operation of SM Shopping Center will serve as catalyst in the economy of this thriving municipality. It will serve as engine for growth and development of Rosales as a part of the urbanization program envisioned by the “technocrat” mayor, Ricardo Velo Revita.

Oh, nice! Yung lot na yun katabi lang nung bahay ng friend ko sa Carmen hehe! So Supercenter lang siya, pero ok na rin. :D

[allan_dude]

SM is here and it’s final! (http://rosales.gov.ph/rosales/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=59)SM SUPERCENTER ROSALES will be one of the latest additions to the flourishing conglomerate of SM Investments Corporation and SM Supermalls, the biggest chain of mall operators in the country. This was confirmed last October 16,2007 by SM bigwigs headed by Annie S. Garcia, President, SM Shopping Center Management, Antolin V. Paule, Senior Asst. VP for Engineering and Development Division, SM Mart, Inc.,
Bien C. Mateo, Asst. VP for Operations, SCMC and Fides Garcia of the SM Supermalls. The group visited the Presidencia ,and made their courtesy call to Mayor Ricardo V. Revita, Vice Mayor Romy L. Sim and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan of Rosales and finalized their plans on the construction of the first SM Shoemart in the province of Pangasinan.

The good mayor, Ric V. Revita , briefed the group with updated community profile and presented the town’s development plan with fervor and passion .

After the conference the group and their official builders, Manuel Sy, President of New Golden City Builders, Dennis Abcede and Associates together with the municipal officials and the technical staffs of the mayor motored to Carmen for site inspection.

SM SUPERCENTER, ROSALES will be erected in the 9 ha. lot (acquired by SM Primeholdings a couple of years ago) along Mc Arthur Highway in Brgy. Carmen, Rosales Pangasinan.

The operation of SM Shopping Center will serve as catalyst in the economy of this thriving municipality. It will serve as engine for growth and development of Rosales as a part of the urbanization program envisioned by the “technocrat” mayor, Ricardo Velo Revita.

Sana magkaroon pa ng 2nd, 3rd at 4th na SM Supercenter sa probinsya! O kaya SM city naman next time. :lol: Big time na talaga Rosales, 2nd class municipality lang pero may SM na, dinaig pa mga siyudad.

^^ :banana:
may SM na sa pangasinan.. kaso supercenter pa lang...
wonder what's CSI's reaction..:lol:

Nanggigigil na siguro CSI ngayon. Dapat tapatan ng mga SM Supercenters yung mga CSI sa San Carlos at Alaminos, SM City naman sa Dagupan at Urdaneta, Para meron sa Eastern, Central at Western side. Competition makes shopping more interesting. :lol:

Oh, nice! Yung lot na yun katabi lang nung bahay ng friend ko sa Carmen hehe! So Supercenter lang siya, pero ok na rin.

Siguro lagi na kita makikita dyan sa SM!

[nayki]

^^Ayos ah... Sana naman pag butihin nila ang devopment plan ng Rosales specially iyong Brgy.Carmen. Napaka laki ng potential ng barangay na yan. Hindi malayong maging city ang bayan ng Rosales dahil sa brgy Carmen in the future.

[allan_dude]

^^ Nayki 15-20 minutes drive lang layo natin sa SM Rosales! :lol:

[allan_dude]

City brings back night market
By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/11/18/news/city.brings.back.night.market.html)

DAGUPAN CITY -- The City Government is bringing back Tinda'y Labi (Night Market) that was introduced last year by the past administration.

Dubbed this time as “Festival of Food, Fruits, Fishes, Flowers, Furnishings, Flavors and Fun,” the initial run will be on November 30. It will be held every Fridays and Saturdays thereafter and will last for five consecutive weeks from 6 p.m. until 1 p.m. the next day. The venue is A. B. Fernandez Avenue corner Galvan and Burgos Streets.

The Tinda'y Labi last year was conceptualized and organized by the Badminton Association of Dagupan (BAD) and JCI Dagupan Bangus in cooperation with City Government.

This year, it is being organized by the JCI Dagupan (with Griselda dela Cruz as events manager), fully supported by the Malimgas Dagupan Vendors Federation.

"We envision this activity to be a showcase of effective waste management, orderliness, fair entrepreneurship, peace and order, consumer rights protection, safety and health," said Dela Curz.

"The vitality of the city's trade and commerce even on the street level is the unmistakable symbol of the position Dagupan hold in this corner of the country. Expect this event to transform our street into a dining, shopping and entertainment hub after the public market, malls and other business establishments close their shops for the day," City Fiesta hermano mayor Councilor Joey Tamayo stated.

Meanwhile, the City Council is set to approve the resolution authorizing the closure of the portion of A.B. Fernandez Avenue and the suspension of the traffic ordinance during the duration of the Tinda'y Labi.

To be sold during the Tinda'y Labi are various goods including native delicacies and specialties, fashion items, home crafts, fruits, fresh sea foods, cut flowers, toys and other items will be on display in the night market.


***

Potential irrigable areas in Pangasinan still big
by Danny O. Sagun (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p071116.htm&no=27)

DAGUPAN CITY - Of the potential irrigable areas of 181,000 hectares in Pangasinan, only some 63,000 hectares of farmlands are actually benefitting from irrigation now, according to the provincial irrigation officer.

Engineer Helsy Bermudez said that 14,000 hectares are covered by the national irrigation system (NIS) while 49,000 fall under the small or communal irrigation system (CIS).

The total existing service areas for both NIS and CIS is 103,000 hectares but the systems in some 40,000 hectares of ricelands are no longer functioning, thus the need for rehabilitation, he disclosed.

"Malaki na yong gap, mga 40,000," he told the Pantongtongan Tayo radio program of the Philippine Information Agency over Radyo ng Bayan-DZMQ, referring to the unserviced areas due to systems in a state of disrepair.

He expressed hope that government will finally implement the long-delayed rehabilitation of the existing Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS) and its expansion to cover some 70,000 hectares not in Pangasinan but also nearby Tarlac.

Crucial to the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP) full implementation is the planned regulating pond to be located some three kilometers away from the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam, which will be the source of water.

The project needs some P2.5 billion. It was to be funded originally by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, which later backed out reportedly due to strong opposition from militant groups.

President Arroyo identified the NIA pond as a priority project of the North Luzon Superregion.

Bermudez said the other potential irrigable areas are located in the western towns of Mabini, Bani, Sual and Mangatarem and Alaminos City.

He clarified that big irrigation systems are directly supervised by the regional office of the National Irrigation Administration thru irrigation superintendents.

The provincial irrigation office which he heads has jurisdiction over those CIS which can irrigate not more than 1,000 hectares.


***

5 companies get DTI silver seal
Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/18/5-companies-get-dti-silver-seal/#more-7253)

FIVE establishments in Pangasinan have been given silver seal certifications this year by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The certification serves as recognition to establishments that uphold the consumer rights and those practicing responsible business operations, said Marjury Lorezco, chief of the Trade and Industry Division Specialist of DTI Pangasinan.

The program, which was started last year, is aimed at encouraging businesses to look after the rights of the buying public.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Lorezco said those issued the certification are Robinson’s Supermarket (Dagupan City), Addessa Corporation (Urdaneta City), Ford Dagupan (Dagupan City), and Motorplaza Inc. (Calasiao and Urdaneta City).

Lorezco said that one of the criteria for the program is that the establishment should have its own Consumer Welfare Desk (CWD) and that its staff must have been trained on how to handle complaints.

The eligible establishments for the program are supermarkets, department stores, appliance centers, hardware stores, and service and repair shops.

She said that establishments can apply for coverage of the program.

Those awarded last year were GNS Tires and Service, City Light Cellphone Center, and Audio Electronics and General Merchandising.—CSR


***

Team Energy launches reforestation project
Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/18/5-companies-get-dti-silver-seal/#more-7253)

Team Energy, operator of the Sual-coal- fired power plant, is embarking on a reforestation program that will cover 2,000 hectares of land in the southwestern and eastern parts of Pangasinan.

The project will cost about P90 million and will cover the southwestern towns of Sual, which hosts the power plant, Labrador and Infanta as well as San Manuel in the east.

Eric Nuñez, Team Energy’s Office of Community Relations chief, met with Luduina Co, provincial environment and natural resources officer, last week to discuss the details of the five-year project scheduled to start next year.

The reforestation program, aimed at protecting and preserving the environment, is part of Team Energy’s overall corporate social responsibility program.

The coal-fired power plant operated by Team Energy emits carbon and thus has a negative impact on the air and the environment as a whole.

Mangrove and open forest areas will be set up using plants that are endemic in the area.


***

Sto. Tomas guns for Guinness Record
Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/18/5-companies-get-dti-silver-seal/#more-7253)

LONGEST CORN BARBECUE

STO. TOMAS–It was just a dry run but the event was so festive it could have been the real fiesta celebration.

Townsfolk gathered here Sunday last week for their plan to land in Guinness Book of World Records for the longest line of corn barbecue during the town’s first centennial celebration on February 10 next year.

The area fronting the town hall was adorned with colorful flaglets while upbeat music was blaring from huge speakers, drum and lyre corps were playing their marching tunes, and dancers filled the streets as spectators flocked to see the grillers lined up and doing their practice grill.

Mayor Vivien Villar, in an interview with The PUNCH, expressed delight at the impressive turnout of residents of the town, especially the barangay officials, teachers, and students, for the occasion to ensure the success of their bid.

“This early, I am both excited and nervous about our vie for the Guinness title. But we would like to think positive,” she said.

Vice Mayor Dick Villar, chairman of the Corn Festival and the Longest Barbecue event, said their three dry runs are meant to perfect their grilling.

Immediately after the dry run, the committee met to assess the performance.

The dry run, the first in a series, covered a 25 meter long grill. The succeeding practices will be longer as the target grill is 4.56 kilometers, covering the town from boundary to boundary.

The town will formally launch its Corn Harvest Festival on December 1, during which there will be simultaneous planting of corn that would be ready for harvest after about 65 days in time for the Guinness bid.

Chris Balila, municipal agriculturist, estimates that they will need about 95,000 corn ears, plus another 5,000 on standby.

The corns, the white glutinous corn variety, are certified organic as part of the town’s advocacy for the environment and good health.

Other activities lined up for the 100-year celebration are Corn Olympics, Corn Harvest, Corn Trade Fair, Search for Mrs. Centennial Sto. Tomas, Search for Centennial Baby, 100 Ways to Cook Mais, street dancing and nightly performances depicting the town’s customs and traditions.


***

Bolinao stakes claim to Mass held in 1324

By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=101541)
Northern Luzon Bureau

BOLINAO, PANGASINAN -- Was a Catholic Mass held here 200 years before Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines?

Memorial markers were put up in front of the town’s church and on Santiago Island, claiming that in 1324, Franciscan missionaries led by an Italian priest named Odorico took refuge in this town during a typhoon.

The markers said Odorico celebrated a thanksgiving Mass in honor of the safe journey of the mission. Odorico also baptized natives during his brief stay here.

The markers, which were put up in July, were donated by Italian priest Luigi Malamocco, who hails from Odorico’s hometown of Friuli, Italy.

Malamocco, 62, the chief financier of Villa Brunora, a retreat house in Batangas City, published a booklet that claimed the first Mass in the country was held in Bolinao and not on Limasawa Island or in any other place in the country.

Historical accounts recognize Limasawa in Southern Leyte as the venue of the first Mass held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday.

Another claimant to hosting the first Mass was Butuan City on behalf of its old Masao (Mazaua) district.

The National Historical Institute, however, settled the dispute on the venue of the first Mass in favor of Limasawa.

[Sinjin P.]

Sana magkaroon pa ng 2nd, 3rd at 4th na SM Supercenter sa probinsya! O kaya SM city naman next time. :lol: Big time na talaga Rosales, 2nd class municipality lang pero may SM na, dinaig pa mga siyudad.


Guys, hindi naman ibig sabihin na pag supercenter lang eh supercenter lang forever. Yung supercenter ay ang concept ng SM to test the waters in the area, and if successful ang mall at may demand, gagawin din 'yang SM City eventually :yes:

[allan_dude]

^^ Yea just like what happened to SM Sucat.

Marami naman ng nabili ang SM na properties sa pangasinan, they're just waiting for the right time para magtayo ng mall. Sobrang dami kasing kontrabida.

For sure big hit yang Hypermart na sa Rosales. Kaso wala sya sa center ng probinsya. Makikinabang dyan mga taga eastern panagsinan, northern tarlac and northwestern nueva ecija. Mejo malayo na sa Dagupan or San Carlos- about an hour drive, Alaminos is like 2 hrs away pa, Bolinao or Infanta naman approx 2 1/2 to 3 hrs drive.

[tyronne]

^^ Nayki 15-20 minutes drive lang layo natin sa SM Rosales! :lol:

Eh ako 5 minutes lang hehe! :lol:

[pi_malejana]

^^ hmm.. layo ba ng rosales sa dagupan? hope they'll put up branches soon.. that makes competition stiff.. either way pangasinenses will surely be the winner..:lol:

[allan_dude]

^^ Oo, I dont know the exact distance, mejo malayo layo rin. I guess it's more of the travel time. Traffic-chocked kasi yung Mc Arthur Hwy lalo, na sa bandang Urdaneta. I really hope mag set up ang SM or any big-box store operators like Makro, S&R or PureGold sa ibang mga cities para naman hindi panay plastic ng CSI or Magic nakikita ko. :nuts:

Singlaki lang pala ng ng SM Super Center Valenzuela yung sa Rosales.

[Sinjin P.]

^ Is there a need for an Ayala Mall in Pangasinan?

Btw, may Wowowee pala sa Pangasinan this Saturday?

[overtureph]

A royal house in a state of neglect

By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes
Inquirer
Last updated 01:57am (Mla time) 11/21/2007

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Residents of Pangasinan’s capital town of Lingayen may not know it, but a “royal building” is right in their midst. Called Casa Real (Royal House), the building is, however, neglected and in a state of disrepair.

“I saw a photograph of it in the Philippine Picture Post Cards, a collection of 1900-20 post cards by Jonathan Best, and realized that we have a heritage landmark which we took for granted all this time,” said Arabela Arcinue, president of the Pangasinan Heritage Society Inc. (PHSI).

Arcinue’s research showed that the structure was the Casa Real built by the Spanish government in the 1840s. It served as the provincial seat of government, where the alcalde mayor held office as governor and judge of the defunct Court of First Instance (CFI). It was also his official residence.

Casa Real—one of the early public structures built of brick in the province—is a two-story structure with a floor area of 1,728 square meters. It is located between the town hall and the carcel (provincial jail), another historical landmark.

“The still intact thick brick walls, ornate ceilings, the staircase of piedra china (granite stone) and wooden balustrades that lead to hardwood planks are all mute witnesses to the province’s history from the Spanish regime to the present,” Arcinue said.

The building has survived the elements, earthquakes and bombings during World War II.

Immense

A French ethnographer, who visited Lingayen in 1880, described Casa Real as “immense” and “covered with cogon roof.” In 1891, it had zinc roofing, Arcinue said, showing photocopies of the cover page of the building’s restoration plan (1885-87).

In 1886, Casa Real was renamed Gobierno to conform with political changes when the alcalde mayor was made to retain his judicial function as CFI judge, while the executive function went to the gobernador civil.

The landmark also played a part during the revolution against Spain.

According to the account of Felipe Quintos, a Katipunero from Alaminos town, Spanish soldiers and some Filipino recruits fought the native revolutionaries holed up in Casa Real.

The Katipuneros tried to capture the building from the nearby Baraca Street after crossing the Agno River behind it. Their movement was detected, however, and they were arrested and killed.

The Americans used Casa Real as seat of the province and changed its name to Capitol.

Residents also watched for the first time an exposition mounted by the Americans in the building on Feb. 3, 1910.

“It was a very big occasion that attracted many guests from all over the country. They think it was a carnival because their parents regaled them with stories of seeing wild animals like lions, tigers and elephants for the first time in their lives,” said Arcinue, citing accounts of old-timers.

In 1918, the present capitol was built along the historic Lingayen Gulf during the administration of Gov. Daniel Maramba. The following year, Casa Real was vacated and the provincial seat of power was transferred to the new capitol.

‘Juzgado’

Casa Real was used as a public elementary school for three or four years before it became the Juzgado, which housed two regional trial court branches and other offices of the court.

The courts moved out in 1996, but some local government agencies are still holding offices on the ground floor.

According to Arcinue, 90 percent of the building’s original design is intact but parts of the ornate ceilings are destroyed. Pipes protrude through the floor, some balusters are missing, and the wooden floors of the abandoned rooms are decaying.

“If it were human, it is in the throes of death and needs to be taken to the intensive care unit quickly,” she said.

When she was serving as president of the Soroptimist International of Lingayen, Arcinue asked the National Historical Institute to declare Casa Real a national historical landmark.

In 2002, the NHI issued the proclamation, citing Casa Real as “an outstanding and unique example of civic architecture from the Spanish colonial period, [surviving] the Second World War and [remaining] to this day as a beautiful monument to the artistry, craftsmanship and ingenuity of the builders.”

Plans were initially made to repair Casa Real, but these did not push through because of lack of funds from the provincial government. Then Gov. Victor Agbayani directed the offices occupying the building not to renovate any part of it.

The PHSI, whose advocacy is to preserve Pangasinan’s rich culture and heritage, has brought the issue to the attention of current Gov. Amado Espino Jr.

“We are still waiting for an answer. We are very hopeful because the governor shares our advocacy,” Arcinue said.

She said she would seek the help of Lingayen natives abroad to pool funds for the restoration.

“Or maybe we could ask [help from] the Spanish government, which might be interested in restoring one of the stately buildings that the Spaniards built during their reign in the Philippines,” she said.


Copyright 2007 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=102178

[allan_dude]

^ Is there a need for an Ayala Mall in Pangasinan?

Btw, may Wowowee pala sa Pangasinan this Saturday?

Ready na for a Market! Market! type regional mall.

Naku regarding Wowowee, for sure dadagsain uli yan, lalo na sa Lingayen capitol pa gaganapin, masmalawak ang venue. Bigat uli ng traffic sa Sabado naku! Sabi nga dati ng mga show organizers, masmarami nanood sa Wowowee Dagupan kesa sa Cebu last time. Sigurado mawiwindang nanaman ang Dagupan based ABS-CBN Channel 32 (North Central Luzon) sa pag control ng crowd. Good Luck sa kanila! :lol:

May Pangasinan based forumer ba na manonood? hahaha Watch tayo katuwaan lang! PM me. Baka pwede gamitin VIP pass hahaha :lol: J/K

[allan_dude]

'Wowowee' entertains thousands in Dagupan

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/lifepics/man12-08-05.jpg
"Wowowee" host Willie Revillame greets the Dagupeños that watched the game show in Dagupan City in Pangasinan recently. (Contributed photo)"Wowowee" host Willie Revillame greets the Dagupeños that watched the game show in Dagupan City in Pangasinan recently that evening.

ABS-CBN's noontime hit "Wowowee" is as big a sensation in the North as it is in the rest of the country, as proven by the recent visit of host Willie Revillame, co-hosts Iya Villania, Kat Alano and Janelle Jamer, and the rest of the show's team to Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

The team, which stayed in the city for two days, was the biggest story in Dagupan for the last weekend in November.

The "Wowowee" invasion of Dagupan started last November 25 with a major press conference for the "Wowowee" stars, which was attended by representatives of the local media. Later that day, thousands of people crowded the streets of Dagupan for the Wowowee motorcade, which lasted until 7 p.m.

According to locals, the combined crowd that gathered for the motorcade was the largest in Dagupan's recent history.

The event was capped by the live airing of "Wowowee" from the CSI Mall in the heart of Dagupan. An estimated 100,000-person crowd showed up to the live site to watch the episode, which ranks it as one of the biggest live "Wowowee" audiences to date.

Source (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2005/12/08/life/.wowowee.entertains.thousands.in.dagupan.html)

[allan_dude]

^^ Canceled na Wowowee. :rant::lol:

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan: SM to put up mall in Rosales

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2007/11/23/pangasinan.sm.to.put.up.mall.in.rosales.%287.30.p.m.%29.html)

ROSALES -- The plan of SM mall management to put up a branch here is now on the go.

Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita said SM officials came to the town last October 16 to inform him that they are planning to construct a mall in Barangay Carmen. He said they later discussed things like the local laws being implemented here and other matters.

The company has already paid the zoning fee. Laborers are now clearing and cleaning the area.

According to Revita, the SM branch here will be named SM Super Center Rosales. Initially, the mall developer will construct one building at their nine-hectare property.

The SM land is located along the national highway, beside the old common public utility vehicle terminal.

[allan_dude]

5th Holistic Festival to be held this year

Bayanihan (http://www.bayanihan.org/html/article.php/20071122123638913)

A large group of local and foreign delegates will participate in the 5th Holistic Festival in celebration of “Holistic Health and Wellness Day,” to be held on February 15 to 17 next year at the Villa Jireh Holistic Resort Hotel, Uyong, Labrador Pangasinan.

Festival chairperson, Helyn C. Escaño said the festival was originally set for November this year, but added organizational requirements to accomodate more participants forced its postponement to February.

The Holistic Movement promotes a balanced lifestyle among people in close communion with nature and protection of the environment.

The vital role of nature not only in day-to-day living but also in the healing of diseases has resulted in the widespread use of herbal medicines and food supplements, vegetarian cooking and other ways to harness natural, indigenous resources to maintain and enhance the well-being of people.

The Holistic Festival will further draw national and international attention on Pangasinan as a leading tourist, healing and holistic center in the whole country, Escaño said.

Escaño heads an international Holistic Movement which has been adopted as a major component of tourism programs in many countries such as developed countries in Europe and the more advanced economies of Asia.

She said many Pangasinan communities, especially those which own worldclass natural attractions waiting to be fully developed for worldwide promotions.

[nayki]

^^ Nayki 15-20 minutes drive lang layo natin sa SM Rosales! :lol:

Oo nga eh kaya dapat bilisan ang renovation ng Calvo bridge na nagdudugtog sa Bayambang-Bautista para hindi putol ang byahe papuntang Carmen.

[allan_dude]

Oo nga eh kaya dapat bilisan ang renovation ng Calvo bridge na nagdudugtog sa Bayambang-Bautista para hindi putol ang byahe papuntang Carmen.

Para rin makadaan uli Five Star or Dagupan Bus sa Bautista. Bilis kasi ng byahe pag mag cocommute kesa mag jeep ka.

Bat kami minsan nakakatawid parin sa Calvo? Makipot nga lang talaga yung bridge. Pag gabi raw may nagcocollecta ng toll-fee dun! LOL mga loko na mga taga Bayambang ang humaharang at ginagamit pa mga pangalan ng mga opisyales. Sana nga ma Imbestidador ito! :lol:

[allan_dude]

Ferry boat to ply Pangasinan, La Union rivers

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/11/25/news/ferry.boat.to.ply.pangasinan.la.union.rivers..html)

DAGUPAN CITY -- A passenger ferry boat will ply the rivers of Alaminos and Dagupan in Pangasinan and San Fernando in La Union soon.

Dagupan Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. said the project was initiated by Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza.

He said the funding for the construction of three ferry stations will likely be provided by the local government of the cities with a counterpart from the National Government as part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's super regions project.

The ferry system, Fernandez said, will greatly enhance the tourism of Alaminos; the trade, commerce, shop and dine business entities of Dagupan, as well as, the regional seat in San Fernando, La Union.

The mayors of the three cities held an initial meeting about the plan last November 15.

"This is another plus factor in luring more tourists in Dagupan," Fernandez said.

The project will also provide employment opportunities for Dagupeños who are graduates of maritime schools, the mayor added.

The project will be a joint venture among the three cities. There will be two kinds of ferry boat, a 30-seater and a 100-seater.

Fernandez said initially they will start with four units, with the number to be increased later.

The operation of a ferry boat will greatly reduce travel time.

Travel time by bus from Alaminos to Dagupan is more than an hour, while it takes about two hours from Dagupan to San Fernando, La Union. (LCMY/Sunnex)

[allan_dude]

Soon, ferry service across 3 cities

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/25/soon-ferry-service-across-3-cities/#more-7360)

DAGUPAN-ALAMINOS-SAN FERNANDO

THE cities of Dagupan, Alaminos and San Fernando are collaborating to set up a novel ferry system that will provide point-to-point service between and among them.

Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. announced that the ferry service was initiated by Mayor Hernani Braganza in order to hasten tourism and business activities in the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union.

Fernandez said Braganza, San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega and himself have set up a technical working group to study the project that would mutually benefit the three participating cities.

“The ferry system will greatly enhance the tourism potentials of Alaminos, the shop and dine environment of Dagupan as well as travel to the regional capital in San Fernando City,” Fernandez told newsmen.

If one is from San Fernando, he can visit the Hundred Islands in Alaminos in the morning and before going back to his point of origin, he can drop by Dagupan and do business.

He said the project is going to be a tri-venture among the three cities and each one is going to provide their own passenger berths.

The technical working group is currently studying two types of ferries, a 30-seater and a 100-seater.

“Depending on the results of the study, we will lease or purchase the ferry service units in the Pasig River,” he said.

He said they are initially considering four units for the trial run and eventually work out a loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the full implementation of the project.

He said if the project proves to be successful, the three cities are going to unload their investments and will seek to privatize the project.

“We will just pioneer in this project and invite private sector to continue with it,” he said.

The ferry service is expected to cash in on foreign tourists who will be coming from Baguio who may board at the passenger berth in Dagupan or San Fernando on their way to the Hundred Islands.

He said it usually takes five hours for tourists from Baguio to reach the Hundred Islands. With the ferry system, the travel will just be only two hours.—LM

***

First ferry service in Northern Luzon endorsed

Balita (http://news.balita.ph/html/article.php/20071124184005533)

Businessmen, including owners of resorts and hotels in Dagupan, are now excited over the plan to put up a point-to-point ferry service that will connect three cities in Region 1.

They said the novel project had their solid backing since it maximized water transportation, a neglected means of transport in the region.

The cities of Dagupan, Alaminos and San Fernando are collaborating to set up the ferry system that will traverse the vast expanse of the Lingayen Gulf.

Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. announced that the ferry service was initiated by Mayor Hernani Braganza to hasten tourism and business activities in the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union.

Fernandez said Braganza, San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega and himself had set up a technical working group to study the project that would be of mutual benefit to the three participating cities.

"The ferry system will greatly enhance the tourism potentials of Alaminos, the shop and dine environment of Dagupan as well as travel to the regional capital in San Fernando City," Fernandez told newsmen.

If one is from San Fernando, he can visit the Hundred Islands in Alaminos in the morning and before going back to his point of origin, he can drop by Dagupan and do business and make some shopping.

He said the project was going to be a tri-venture among the three cities and each one would contribute their own money for the project and also would provide their own passenger berths.

The technical working group is currently studying two types of ferries, a 30-seater and a 100-seater.

"Depending on the study, we will lease or purchase the ferry service units in the Pasig river," he said.

He said they were initially considering four units for the trial run and eventually work out a loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the full implementation of the project.

He said if the project would prove to be successful, the three cities were going to unload their investments and pass the project to the private sector.

"We will just pioneer this project and invite private sector to continue with it," he said.

The ferry service is expected to cash in on foreign tourists who will be coming from Baguio.

They may board at the passenger berth in Dagupan on their way to the Hundred Islands.

He said it took usually five hours for tourists from Baguio to reach the Hundred Islands.

With the ferry system, the travel will just be only two hours.

***

Pangasinan leads in real estate development

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/25/pangasinan-leads-in-real-estate-development/#more-7358)

SAN FERNANDO CITY–It’s boom time for the real estate industry in Region 1, particularly in Pangasinan.

The real estate industry in the Ilocos Region posted an average annual growth of 14% for the past seven years, more than double the 5.5% rate during the preceding period, based on a report by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

The increase is reflected in terms of licensed real estate projects that were built from 2000 to2007 in the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, said HLURB Regional Director Teresita Valdez Galacgac.

Galacgac reported that Region I has now 322 licensed real estate projects, of which 86% are residential subdivisions, 12% are memorial parks, and the rest are condominiums.

These developments are spread region-wide with 54% found in Pangasinan, 26% in La Union, 10% in Dagupan City, 7% in Ilocos Norte and 4% in Ilocos Sur.

Addressing real estate developers who attended the HLURB-Real Estate Developers Conference at Hotel Mikka here last week, Galacgac said this was based on the number of subdivision projects, condominiums and memorial parks licensed by her office.

She also acknowledged the presence and support of not only the leading local developers but also major national developers like Robinsons Land Corporation, Jamaica Realty Corporation, Crown Asia, and South Rock Realty, among others.

The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council recently ordered the creation of a one-stop shop for filing of applications for License to Sell, with HLURB as the issuance center.

The operating guidelines for the new directives are currently being finalized.

After the conference, Galacgac organized the Association of Real Estate Developers (ARED), a homogenous group of owners and developers of subdivision projects, memorial parks and condominium projects in Region I.

Elected interim Board of Directors and Executive Officers of the ARED are Atty. Reynaldo Dulay, developer of Eastwood Homes, West Coast Beach Subdivision and West Coast Suite Condominium in Bauang La Union as President; Engr. Vic Sison of Greenville

Realty in Urdaneta, Pangasinan as Executive Vice President; Rogelio Lazo of Monte Vista-Bantay, Ilocos Sur, Vice President for Internal Affairs; Engr. Rolando Ferrer of RTF Construction and owner of Grand Royale Subdivision-Bugallon, Pangasinan as Vice President for External Affairs; Rey Nisce of Eso-Nice Realty, developer of Eufrosina Heights in San Fernando City, La Union as Treasurer; Rodrigo Tadifa, regional manager of Jamaica Realty Development Corporation as Auditor; and Engr. Rainier Fuster of Fuster Garden-Binalonan, Pangasinan, Public Relations Officer.—LM

***

Pangasinan remains Region 1’s top corn producer

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/25/pangasinan-remains-region-1%e2%80%99s-top-corn-producer/#more-7351)

LINGAYEN–White and yellow corn will be planted in 49,042 hectares of farmland around Region 1 in the fourth quarter of the year to maintain its status as the top producer of quality corn in the country.

Pangasinan leads other provinces in the region with 27,904 hectares, followed by Ilocos Sur with 10,417 hectares, Ilocos Norte with 7,772 hectares and La Union with 2,950 hectares.

Luzon-wide Corn Coordinator Edgardo Rubio of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 1 said a total harvest of 271,726 metric tons at 5.02 metric tons per hectare is expected.

Rubio, speaking during the 2007 First Semester Regionwide Corn Assessment and Planning Workshop, said the good weather condition, support from the local government units, and the active participation of corn farmers contributed to the region’s success.

The DA provides a subsidy of P2,000 for the procurement of hybrid seeds and a 50% subsidy for Open Pollinated Variety seeds.

It also subsidizes the procurement of micro-biological fertilizer to help farmers lessen their production costs.

The DA, in cooperation with the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), is also set to establish a Post-Harvest Processing and Trading Center for corn to reduce corn processing costs as well as ensure quality produce.

The project, to be undertaken through a Build-Operate-and-Transfer scheme will have facilities such as warehouse, drying and shelling machines, conveying systems and accessories, hauling truck and other tools and equipment.

NABCOR will shoulder 75% of the project cost while the remaining 25% will be funded by joint venture partners that include the Local Government Units, cooperatives and private sector investors.

***

Urdaneta to sign sisterhood agreement with Spanish city

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/25/urdaneta-to-sign-sisterhood-agreement-with-spanish-city/#more-7359)

URDANETA CITY–Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. will leave for Spain on December 1 to sign a sisterhood agreement between Urdaneta City and Ordizia City in Spain on December 5 coinciding with the 500th birthday anniversary of Ordizia’s foremost son, Fr. Andres Urdaneta, after whom the former Spanish pueblo of Urdaneta was named.

Ordizia is a city located in the Basque region in the province of Guipuzcua in Spain, where Fr. Urdaneta, who figured prominently in the colonization of the Philippines, was a revered hero.

Perez said the accord will be signed by him and Ordizia Mayor Sta. Maria Ezia who was in Urdaneta City last week to personally extend the invitation to him to go to Ordizia and who received a resolution of the Ordizia City council manifesting their city’s intention to establish sisterhood relations with Urdaneta City.

He said Urdaneta City was identified for the sisterhood agreement after the people of Ordizia searched in the Internet, in connection with the Fr. Urdaneta’s 5th Centennial celebration, for any place in the Philippines that may have a historical link with the Spanish Augustinian friar.

Fr. Urdaneta, a philosopher, navigator, travel historian and a ship captain, was a member of the expedition headed by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.

In the expedition that left Spain for the Philippines on November 21, 1564, Fr. Urdaneta was with Legaspi on board the ship “Capitana” that sailed along with the galleons “San Pablo” and “San Pedro” and the tenders “San Juan” and “San Lucas”.

Legaspi ordered Fr. Urdaneta to trace a safer route between the Philippines and Mexico (New Spain) which was then called the “Urdaneta route”.

The 5th centennial of Fr. Andres de Urdaneta, said Perez, is a big day in Ordizia where an International Historical Commission on the Augustinian friar is holding a conference.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is reportedly also going to Spain to also attend the Ordizia celebration, but Mayor Perez will not be part of the President’s official delegation.

Perez said his city is looking forward to cultural as well as student exchanges with Ordizia City under the sisterhood relationship.

He said since Spain has opened up jobs to Filipino workers, he will take the opportunity to seek the employment of nurses and other professionals who graduated from the Urdaneta City University, using Urdaneta’s tie up with Ordizia.—LM

[AH-7Raja]

HUNDRED ISLANDS, ALAMINOS, PANGASINAN

http://hundredislands.ph/

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American travel agents tour Hundred Islands

Date posted:10/30/2007


Twenty travel agents from North America and Manila were in town last Saturday for a three-day familiarization tour at the Hundred Islands National Park.

Dubbed as “100 Islands Survivor Tour 2007”, the trip to the world famous park was sponsored by the Garden State Travel Group of Companies headed by its president Mr. Vid Figueras and Northwest Airlines represented by Ms. Shirley Yin.

The tour to the city was arranged by Refinne JG Travel & Tours Inc. (RJGTTI) based in the city and owned by Mr. Jun Gonzales and the city government of Alaminos.

Mayor Hernani A. Braganza was on hand in warmly welcoming the city’s guests.

He also joined the travel group, served as its guide in one of their eco-tours at the 1,884 hectare protected Marine Park and mingled with the guest during the socialization night.

The youthful and hardworking city head expressed gratefulness to the group for coming over to experience the real (Hundred Islands) adventure.

Braganza said this is another golden opportunity for the city to showcase its natural wonders, unique culture and warm hospitality.

“We are indeed very blessed and honored for having them in our very peaceful and beautiful city even as we look forward to a lasting friendship and cooperation to put back Hundred Islands to world’s tourism map,” he added.

To make their stay a memorable one, the city government through its tourism office organized the worthwhile activities for the tour agents and operators.

The Alaminos government also provided sumptuous meals, accommodations, vehicles and security of the group for the entire duration of their vacation here.

The tour agents enjoyed kayaking, snorkeling, mountain, hiking, island hopping, diving and swimming.

They also learned the proper techniques on making Alaminos Best longganisa (native sausage), how to de-bone bangus (milkfish) and make binungey (native rice cake).

The guests were also delighted to witness and take part cultural show and folk songs rendered by local artists.

The city even shared the professional agents all the valuable information they need to market the city the HINP to their clientele that include brochures, promotional materials, and newsletters.

Gonzales said they have invited their foreign counterparts to the Hundred Islands to personally view the true grandeur of the country’s first declared national park.

He said that the tour also kicked-off the city’s renewed marketing plan not only for North American but also to local tourists and other nationalities known as “barefoot luxury”, providing the guests indigenous amenities and nature surrounded accommodations.

“Now that they’ve seen the city’s pride, we are hoping that they can now help the city government in promoting our eco-tourist haven,” he added.

Mr. Carl Abella, one of the professional tour agents and president of Alpha Travel said he was mesmerized by the splendid beauty, the cool ambience and rich biodiversity of the Hundred Islands.

“Our travel to the Hundred Islands is indeed a very special one," said Ms. Dulce Mangaser citing that "the hospitality of us Filipinos cannot be measured by any amount of money as evidence in all the smiles we always have in our face.”

Others expressed fascination on panoramic view of the park when they reached the highest peak of the Governor’s Island, one of the famous, developed and most frequently visited islands.

They took photos of every island including its living creatures like the different species of endemic and migratory birds now breeding in the area like most nature lovers do.

Before heading home, the tour group called on the Mayor and him and the city government that their visit here is just the beginning of a better friendship and understanding.

And that they will definitely spread the good news that the old magic is back and will bring more tourists to the Hundred Islands to discover the beauty of nature at its best. (CIO)

[tyronne]

Malapit na sigurong umpisahan yung SM Rosales kasi fenced na yung area.

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/BEATING%20THE%20DEADLINE,PAGE-1.jpg

BEATING THE DEADLINE—Men and machines feverishly work on the P996-million bridge across the Pantal River in Dagupan City in an effort to beat the deadline set by the Department of Public Works and Highways for its completion, which is March of next year. (Punchphoto (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/25/beating-the-deadline/) by Cesar Ramirez)

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan town eyes Guinness record in 5-km Corn Barbecue next year

Balita (http://news.balita.ph/html/article.php/20071203183325402)

STO. TOMAS, PANGASINAN - With a few more kinks to be ironed out, the stage is all set in connection with the upcoming bid of this south-central municipality in Pangasinan to land in the world record book sometime next year.

Officials are hoping that their planned five-kilometer Corn Barbecue slated on February 10, 2008 as an exciting climax to the town’s Corn Festival beginning February 1 will be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Mayor Vivien Villar, who is behind this record-breaking feat, said the corn festival will be timed in during the 100 years anniversary of Sto. Tomas that will be spiced up with the homecoming of overseas residents across the globe.

“We are committed to this record-breaking feat,” said Mayor Villar, wife of Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force czar Antonio Villar Jr., saying it is the town’s own way of promoting Sto. Tomas and its chief product, corn, to the world.

“It’s like an elusive dream but we will pursue it because I was inspired by the will and determination of the other officials and people, specialy farmers, of Sto. Tomas who are pushing for this giantunertaking” she said.

She said that the attempt to put Sto. Tomas in the Guinness record is especially significant because it will be done when the town is celebrating its centennial celebration.

Vice Mayor Dick Villar, vice chairman of the fiesta executive committee, said preparation for this activity started almost one year ago with two dry runs already held.

The last dry run was held on Saturday on a 75-meter stretch in front of the municipal hall. For the entire five-kilometer stretch, there would be 2,028 grills that would be needed, beginning from the boundary of Sto. Tomas with Rosales and in the town’s boundary with Alcala in the west.

Each grill measures two meters and there would be three grillers in every grill or 6,084 grillers in all for the whole stretch.

He said they would need some 130,000 ears of corn to be grilled at one time and another 270,000 ears in reserve.

All these would come from the farms of Sto. Tomas, planted at the start of the corn production program that kicked off on Saturday.

To save cost, bamboos*instead of iron-- would be used as grill stands. All stands are now being mass-produced in the barangays, including the latheworks for the tin sheets as well as the chicken wire that will be needed.

“God is with us in this undertaking,” a beaming Mayor Villar said at a news conference on Saturday, which also marked the start of direct seeding of corn in the field by many of the farmers.

Among the activities of the Corn Festival next year include the Search for Mrs. Centennial Sto.Tomas, Agro-Industrial Fair, ecumenical services, alumni homecoming, Grand Day for non-government organizations (NGOs), Educators’ Day,LGU/Profesional and Busines Sector Day, Seafarers’Day, Special Day for Balikbayan, 100 Ways to Cook Corn, Cornoration Night and Street Dancing.

Cristino Balila, the town’s agriculturist, said at least 352 hectares of land are devoted to corn yearly in the whole town but with additional irrigation systems made available to the municipality by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, corn production areas have expanded to more than 600 hectares.

Not only that, with the use of 60-day maturing varieties, corn can be planted in the town twice a year after the main crop, rice.

Balila said there are two types of corn being planted in the whole town, the white corn and the yellow corn, which can be planted alternately after rice.

White corn, the hybrid glutinous type, can be harvested after 60 days while yellow corn, which is much in demand by feeds manufacturers, is harvested from 105 to 110 days.

Although concededly, Sto. Tomas cannot compete with other municipalities in terms of area planted to corn because of its tiny size, the yield per hectare in the town was among the highest if not the highest throughout the province at 6.5 to 7.0 metric tons per hectare.

Balila said corn was planted here in a massive scale since 2001 or 2003 as an alternative to burley tobacco which lost its magnet due to sudden plunge in prices of this commodity.

***

Nature clears way for park redevelopment

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/03/nature-clears-way-for-park-redevelopment/)

NATURE may have provided the reason to finally implement the much heralded redevelopment plan of the Tondaligan Park, Dagupan’s biggest park covering 72 hectares at the Bonuan Blue Beach.

With about 70% of the standing cottage and picnic sheds, doubling as residential houses and videoke pubs at night, destroyed by the northeast wind surge as Super Typhoon “Mina” was exiting from the country, the government may now be able to carry out the blueprint of the longstanding redevelopment plan.

Giant waves as high as nine feet battered the shores of Bonuan on Tuesday and Wednesday, destroying properties along the coastline not only in Pangasinan but also in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

Barangay Captain Angel Gumarang of Bonuan Gueset advised cottage and shed owners not to rebuild their facilities just yet and waste their money as the city government is bent on implementing the redevelopment plan for Tondaligan Park.

The blueprint of the Tondaligan Redevelopment Plan was prepared by the City Planning and Development Staff.

Myrna Cayabyab, vice chairman of the Dagupan City Urban Poor Federation headed by Roman Manaois, agreed with Gumarang that shed owners should cooperate with the government’s plan.

“We shall wait for the city government to take its move in implementing the redevelopment plan,” Cayabyab said.

With most of the cottage and picnic sheds down, the public can now have a full view of the Lingayen Gulf again even from a distance.—LM

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan still seeking ‘special’ day

By Gabriel Cardinoza
INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=104889)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Pangasinenses now want to know.

Concern is growing that despite the observance of a yearly provincial holiday and the celebration of the Pistay Dayat (Sea Festival), they have yet to celebrate a “real” Pangasinan Day.

“It’s time we give importance to a great province and for Pangasinenses to express their pride and sense of belonging to a distinct group of Filipinos,” said Verna Perez, provincial board secretary.

“It would be nice to have a day when we can encapsulate and highlight everything that makes Pangasinan special—from its historical beginning to the many achievements of its people and as a government unit,” Perez said.

Since 1989, Pangasinenses have been celebrating Nov. 13 as “Pangasinan Day.” But Republic Act No. 6271, which was signed into law by then President Corazon Aquino, declared Nov. 13 a special nonworking public holiday in Pangasinan in celebration of the birth anniversary of the late Speaker Eugenio Perez, a native of San Carlos City.

Starting next year, the province will also be celebrating Jan. 9 as Veterans’ Day, a special nonworking holiday in commemoration of the American liberation forces’ Lingayen Gulf landings in 1945.

Anniversary bonus

Without a founding date, provincial government employees have also been deprived of anniversary bonuses since 1997.

Under Circular No. 65 of the Department of Budget and Management, local government employees are entitled to a P3,000 anniversary bonus every five years, if their local governments have existed for at least 15 years.

“But since we do not have a founding date, we have not been able to grant this bonus to our employees,” Hilaria Claveria, provincial budget officer, said.

No record

According to the circular, she said, the founding year of local governments “shall be based on authentic documents showing their establishment, or on the enabling act of law creating such localities.”

Perez said her office had tried two years ago to do a research on the province’s founding date.

“We wrote the National Historical Institute then, but we were told that there was no record in the national archives. Wala daw talaga (There was really nothing there),” Perez said.

She said the NHI had advised her instead to do a research in Spain. At the start of his term in July, Gov. Amado Espino Jr. had floated the creation of a research group that would go to Spain, but local historian Restituto Basa said this might be “a futile exercise.”

Basa said that in the late 1960s, when Cipriano “Tito” Primicias Jr. was governor, he had asked then Philippine Ambassador to Spain Luis Gonzales, who is from Rosales town, to look for the province’s founding date in the Spanish archives.

“The ambassador found nothing,” Basa, one of Primicias’ former assistants, said.

He said it might already be impossible to identify an exact date because, he noted, Pangasinan already existed as a political entity even before the Spaniards came. “We antedated the Spanish conquest,” he said.

Alcaldia mayor

In her book, “Pangasinan 1572-1800,” historian Rosario Mendoza Cortes said Pangasinan was among those organized into political subdivisions, known as alcaldias mayores, in 1580 when Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa was then the country’s governor-general.

“With the organization of Pangasinan into an alcaldia mayor, Lingayen must have been designated as the capital for it was where the alcalde mayor resided,” Cortes said.

But accounts from other sources said it was only in 1611 when Pangasinan was made into a province, comprising Zambales and some areas of La Union and Tarlac.

If it is impossible to find an exact date, the provincial board might as well adopt an ordinance to recognize Jan. 1 as Pangasinan Day, Basa said. “This is based on the assumption that the province was organized ahead of Lingayen, its capital, which was founded on Jan. 6,” he said.

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/NEW%20BRIDGE,PAGE-6.jpg
NEW BRIDGE–Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., with Mayor Alipio Fernandez , Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, Department of Public Works Regional Director Fidel Ginez, and City Engineer Virginia Rosario, inspects the ongoing contruction of the new bridge across Pantal River that will link the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao road. The road project is funded mainly through the Speaker’s Priority Development Assistance Fund. (Punchphoto by Cesar Ramirez)



http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/TONDALIGAN%20RE-DEVELOPMENT,PAGE-9.jpg
TONDALIGAN RE-DEVELOPMENT—City Development Administrator Alvin Fernandez (center) presents the blue print of the proposed redevelopment plan of Tondaligan Park during a consultative meeting with members of the Tondaligan Shed Owners Association on December 3 at the Mayor’s Conference Room. Assisting Fernandez are City Planning and Development Coordinator Romeo Rosario (left) and City Information Officer Ryan Ravanzo.—CIO


Filed under News, Business by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com).

[tyronne]

What's 'pinakbet' without eggplants?


By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes
Reporter
Northern Luzon Bureau

Posted date: December 09, 2007


VILLASIS, Pangasinan--What's pinakbet, the favorite vegetable stew of many Filipinos, without eggplants?
But aside from being the dish's main ingredient, eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many different ways, according to residents of this town, one of its biggest producers.

Villasis positions itself as a vegetable basket in eastern Pangasinan, but many farmers are focused on eggplant production as it is literally a "cash crop" that brings lots of money to them.

Eustacio Mencias, 57, says that he used to plant tobacco on his one-hectare farm but shifted to eggplant. He has never looked back since.

At one time, he harvested eggplants that brought him enough income to buy a jeepney.

Capital-intensive
Eggplant production is capital-intensive with P70,000 to P80,000 needed for one hectare for labor and inputs like seeds and fertilizer.

On good days, a farmer can harvest 4,000 kilos a day. At P20 a kilo, that means a farmer can earn P80,000.

A farmer starts harvesting two months after planting. Harvest is done every five days or so for six months. A hectare averages 30 tons or 30,000 kilos per production cycle, or some P300,000.

But not every planting season is good, Mencias says. "Sometimes, when other provinces produce much, the price plunges," he says. A worse scenario is when the price is below P5 a kilo.

For years now, Mencias has been planting eggplant and through experience, he has learned many technologies that he readily shares with co-farmers.

Soil fertility
"Cultural practices based on experience are best when combined with new technologies," he says.

For instance, he learned that when the eggplant's growth is stunted, "it means the soil is already acidic from over-application of chemical fertilizer."

"The soil needs the micro-nutrient zinc sulfate to bring back its fertility," he says.

He also frowns at the overuse of pesticide. He says he uses it only when it is needed.

The Bureau of Plant Industry monitors the toxic residue from pesticide "and our eggplant always passes the test," says the municipal agriculturist, Cornelio Atchuela.

He says 12 of the town's 21 villages are involved in eggplant production. A total of 335 hectares are planted to the crop.

The soil in these villages is favorable to eggplant, which thrives on sandy loam and well-drained soil.

Casino-type
Atchuela says about 600 people are engaged in the production, but more residents are given work during harvest time.

Farmers plant several hybrid varieties, but the most preferred is the casino type--long and dark purple. This variety is prolific and resistant to diseases and has longer shelf life, Atchuela says.

Next month, the eggplant will take center stage when Villasis holds its Third Talong Festival, a happy occasion for farmers and residents to advertise their versatile vegetable to the world.

[allan_dude]

^^ Wow Talong Festival! parang naughty pakingan. :lol:

Malapit na sigurong umpisahan yung SM Rosales kasi fenced na yung area.

Lapit na! heto article..

Rosales will be home to 35th SM mall

Sunday.Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/rosales-will-be-home-to-35th-sm-mall/#more-7526)

ROSALES–An SM Department Store will soon rise here, the first in the province and the 35th in the retail giant’s chain of malls around the country.

Initial fencing is already ongoing around the nine-hectare site in Barangay Carmen, according to Mayor Ricardo Revita.

Construction work for the initial one-storey building is expected to start soon after. The target opening date is October next year.

Revita, in an interview with The PUNCH, said he is thrilled by the investment as this will enhance the economic situation of this largely agricultural town.

The proposed mall project was immediately approved by the local government following SM’s commitment to prioritize locals in their hiring.

About 3,000 jobs will be given to the town’s residents.

SM has also acquired properties in Dagupan and Urdaneta cities, the two main business hubs in Pangasinan, but plans to construct a mall have yet to take shape.

Rosales is strategically located on the eastern side of Pangasinan and is close to the provinces of Tarlac and La Union, neither of which has an SM mall yet.

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan gets biggest IRA share

LINGAYEN – Pangasinan is the country’s top billionaire province under the 2008 Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) distribution.

With a share of P1.36 billion, the province is getting the biggest IRA amount, followed closely by Cebu and Negros Occidental, with P1.33 billion P1.33 billion, respectively. Provincial administrator Rafael Baraan, told regional directors of the different line agencies that they must take this opportunity to awaken this “sleeping giant”.
Baraan, echoing the lament of Governor Amado Espino Jr., said it is sad that “most, if not all, of the 13 provinces belonging to the billionaire’s club are more progressive than Pangasinan”.

The other members of the billionaire club are Bulacan, Quezon, Isabela, Palawan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Iloilo and Leyte.

Baraan said that despite Pangasinan having one of the richest natural resources in the country and it is considered the food basket of Region 1, has the highest incidence of poverty in the Ilocos region.

Among families, the province has a poverty incidence of 25.8% compared with the region’s 24% while among the population, the indicator is 31.7% against the region’s 30.2%.

Espino earlier pointed out that while two major power plants, the Sual coal-fired power plant and the San Roque hydro power plant which have a combined generating capacity of 1,545 megawatts, are located in the province, “we don’t have big industries operating in the province to provide jobs and livelihood opportunities for our people, including the growing number of unemployed college and vocational graduates that we produce every year”.

Espino said while he is not blaming anyone for the “missed opportunities” he wants the line agency heads to act and create an environment ripe for investments. Nine priority programs have been identified by the provincial government including the development of pro-duct display and pasalubong centers, warehouses and cold storage, processing plants, economic/industrial zones, fish landing facilities, deep sea fishing boat repair services, commercial seaport, Lingayen Gulf cruise via San Fabian town and the upgrading of Lingayen Airport.

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/pangasinan-gets-biggest-ira-share/#more-7539).

***

Pangasinan mangoes get ok for export to the US market
LINGAYEN–Pangasinan mangoes have been given the seal of approval by the United States Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (USDA-BPI) for entry into the American market.

The USDA-BPI has certified the province’s mango produce as free from the presence of mango pulp and seed weevil.

The certification was issued following a series of surveys involving more than 120,000 mango trees from September 2006 toOctober this year under a USDA-BPI project called “Enhancing the Export Competitiveness of the Philippine Super Mango”.

Dr. Hernani Golez, a mango expert and head of the National Mango Research and Development Center, was part of the survey activity.

Vicente Adorna, USDA-BPI regional project coordinator for Region 1 and Atty. Cipriano Santiago, regional executive director, has sent a letter to Gov. Amado Espino Jr. announcing the good news.

“These findings will pave the way as this is a pre-requisite to qualify our mangoes produced in the province of Pangasinan for export to the United States of America,” said the letter to Espino.

Pangasinan accounts for 89% of the mango production in Region 1 and 41% nationwide.

The top 20 mango producing municipalities in the province are San Carlos City (100,540 bearing trees), Malasiqui (44,000), Mangatarem (27,280), Aguilar (22, 880), Urdaneta City (21,604), Bolinao (17,600), Villasis (17,160) Urbiztondo (16,940) Bayambang (15,400), Umingan (13,772), Calasiao (13,640), Pozorrubio (12,839), Mabini (12,320), Infanta (7,920), Sison (7,392), Bugallon (7,348), San Manuel (6,952), Sta. Barbara (6,820), Basista (6,732) and Mangaldan (6,600), according to data from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist as of June 2007.
Filed under News, Business by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/pangasinan-mangoes-get-ok-for-export-to-the-us-market/#more-7528).

[tyronne]

It's indeed the right time for Pangasinan to "wake up." Go, Pangasinan! :cheer:

[bily_lion]

^^ May nasagap akong balita na mag iinvest ang Sitel sa Dagupan. Sana matuloy ito.

[tyronne]

I think I've read about that somewhere, too. Sana nga matuloy :D

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan gets biggest IRA share

...Provincial administrator Rafael Baraan, told regional directors of the different line agencies that they must take this opportunity to awaken this “sleeping giant”.

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/pangasinan-gets-biggest-ira-share/#more-7539).Naks! I agree sleeping giant nga!

It's indeed the right time for Pangasinan to "wake up." Go, Pangasinan! :cheer:

Sana nga tuloy tuloy na. Partida pa nga province natin dahil undeveloped pa mga resources at industries, compared sa ibang mga billionaire provinces. Biruin mo tayo pa nag #1! :cheer::cheer::cheer:

^^ May nasagap akong balita na mag iinvest ang Sitel sa Dagupan. Sana matuloy ito.

Dami nga nagplaplano na mag-locate kaso wala na ata available office space sa Dagupan. Kelangan pa mag tayo ng mga buildings or mag convert ng mga existing buildings para mag fit sa requirements ng mga BPO companies.

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/NEW%20OVERPASS,PAGE-1.jpg
NEW OVERPASS—Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Mrs. Gina de Venecia, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez cut the ceremonial ribbon formally opening a newly built overpass footbridge across A. B. Fernandez Avenue in front of CSI Market Square in Dagupan costing P4.5 million funded through the Speaker’s Priority Development Assistance Fund. (Punchphoto by Willy Lomibao)


http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/MISS%20DAGUPAN%20HOPEFULS,PAGE-1.jpg
MISS DAGUPAN (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/08/29/august-2007/) HOPEFULS—Contestants in the Search for Miss Dagupan 2007 display their poise and assets when they were presented to the media during a pictorial at the Leisure Coast Resort in Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City last December 2. (Punchphoto by Cesar Ramirez)


Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/new-overpass/).

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan mayors divided on airport site issue

Pangasinan -- Despite a supposed inclusion of funds in the 2008 budget of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) for the proposed international airport in Alaminos City, other mayors of Pangasinan appear ready to lobby for the airport to be established somewhere else like in Sta. Barbara.

The move was formalized last week by the Pangasinan Mayors League (PML) led by Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico, Jr. which presented a manifesto to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressing preference for Sta. Barbara as site.

The move of his fellow mayors has reportedly irked Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza who said the matter of airport site should transcend "narrow political or partisan interests."

President Arroyo declared during her State of the Nation Address before Congress sometime in July that the international airport would be located in Alaminos City, where Pangasinan's top tourist spot, the Hundred Islands National Park, is located.

Sta. Barbara Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, PML executive vice president, said his town is ready to accommodate the proposed international airport, adding that some 500 hectares of land in barangay Leet, Sta. Barbara is available for the project.

Representatives from the Air Transport Office already conducted an ocular inspection of the proposed site of the airport in his city preparatory to the conduct of feasibility study on the project, he said.

Acting Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas said the provincial government is adopting a neutral position on the issue, saying they will support wherever President Arroyo deems the airport to be located as the money will come from the national government. (PIA (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p071207.htm&no=38))

***

San Fabian’s products now in Pasalubong center

Updated December 10, 2007 SAN FABIAN–A PasalubongCenter will be opened here early this month to showcase and promote this town’s products as well as those in other towns within the province.

Natalie Dalaten, chief of the business development division of the Pangasinan office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), told The PUNCH that the center is a part of the One Town, One Product (OTOP) program of the government.

The San Fabian Pasalubong Center is a project of the DTI with the local government of San Fabian, the Pangasinan Council of Women Inc. (PCWI)-San Fabian chapter headed by Mrs. Irene Libunao, wife of San Fabian Mayor Mojamito Libunao.

Dalaten said the center will serve as a stall and exhibit of local products not only from the town but also the other towns and cities of the province.

This coastal town is known for its dried fish like pingka and is also a popular tourism destination for its beach area.

Dalaten said DTI provincial director Peter Mangabat and Mayor Libunao will lead in the formal opening of the said center.

Dalaten added thatGov. Amado Espino Jr. has also expressed interest in putting-up similar centers in the towns of Lingayen and Manaoag and in the cities of Alaminos and Urdaneta.

Aside from tourist spots like the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City and the pilgrimage town of Manaoag, the province is rich in unique products like processed bangus, tapa from Mangaldan, duhat wine from Bugallon town, moscuvado sugar of Mapandan, puto of Calasiao, bagoong and pastries from Lingayen, and rice crackers of Bayambang town.—CSR
Filed under News, Business by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/pasalubong-center-opens-in-san-fabian/).

***

TESDA training center to be built in Rosales LINGAYEN–A training center that will be operated by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the second in the province, will soon be built in Rosales town.

The P35-million project, which will occupy an 8,000 square-meter area, will be funded by 6th District Representative Conrado Estrella III, who has pledged P25 million, and his brother, ABONO partylist Representative Robert Raymund Estrella, who will cover the remaining amount.

Washington Agustin, TESDA regional director, told local newsmen that the training center will serve manpower development in eastern Pangasinan.

It will have programs on welding skills, hotel and tourism training, arts, computer animation, software development and other short-term but employable skills.

The bidding for the project is set next month and opening is expected by July next year.

Agustin said the training center is aptly timed for the opening of the SM mall in Rosales (See Business section for related story).

Meanwhile, Agustin announced that TESDA is allotting about P30 million worth of scholarships for Pangasinan next year.
Filed under News, Business by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/tesda-training-center-to-be-built-in-rosales/).

[allan_dude]

Guidelines issued for new beach sheds in Dagupan

Updated December 10, 2007 Owners of unsightly cottages and sheds at Tondaligan Park that were blown away by storm surge last month will have to wait a little longer before they can rebuild their structures.

Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. has directed that new sheds should conform with prescribed design and specifications to create a landscape that is more balanced and with architectural symmetry.

Moreover, he issued a reminder to all shed owners that henceforth all regulations will be strictly enforced.

Fernandez issued the order at a time before owners of sheds and cottages destroyed by giant waves of the Lingayen could start to rebuild their structures and resume their business operations.

City officials led by City Administrator Alvin Fernandez are in the process of finalizing the design and guidelines for the new sheds about to be restored consistent with the Redevelopment plan of Tondaligan Park.

Fernandez emphasized that the new sheds must not be used as sleeping quarters at night and most importantly, the sheds must not obstruct to the open view of the sea.

“We will not displace the legitimate stallholders because that is their livelihood. But the regulatory requirements must be observed always,” he said.

He initially ordered that the new sheds be set back a few meters to protect these from a possible recurrence of another storm surge. Most of the sheds and cottages destroyed by the recent storm surge were situated 5 meters away from the water.

Fernandez had already ordered the city engineering office to conduct a study on the hydrological behavior of the water of the Lingayen Gulf in relation to the occurrence of deadly storm surges.

The study is urgently needed because before the occurrence of the storm surges, concrete sea walls built along the beach were noticeably crushed and washed out. —LM
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/guidelines-issued-for-new-beach-sheds/).

***

Bayanihan spirit holds key to Alaminos tourism

Updated December 10, 2007 ALAMINOS–This city is strengthening its promotion of the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) under a program centered on the traditional bayanihan concept.

A two-day Alaminos Tourism Summit, set to start on December 12, will bring together the town’s private and public sector stakeholders to discuss and assess the city government’s tourism plan.

Mayor Hernani Braganza said they will jointly outline future plans and specific projects through closer public-private partnerships.

The summit “would shape the future of the city’s tourism industry and Alaminos in general”, said Braganza.

“We are now ready to venture beyond borders and campaign for more travel packages geared towards different target groups,” he added.

Small sectoral discussions have been undertaken prior to the summit to identify funding and project implementation schedules and monitoring.

Other matters that will be discussed during the summit include the development of tour packages as well as improving standards among the professional tourism front liners and the requisite training.
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/bayanihan-key-to-alaminos-tourism/).

***

‘Galicayo’ 2007 Festival opens in Manaoag

Updated December 10, 2007 MANAOAG-The 9th Galicayo Festival opened here on Friday to pay homage to the Lady of Manaoag whose apparition centuries ago inspired the people to build a shrine in her honor.

The three-day festival this year has for its theme “Alay ng Pasasalamat Kay Ina”, said Rufo Mangonon, chairman and event organizer of the Galicayo Festival 2007.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and wife Gina graced the occasion on Saturday, as they always did in previous celebrations.

“As in the past, this year’s celebration is again unique in spite of limited funds,” Mangonon said.

An added activity to the festival is the taping of GMA-7’s “Walang Tulugan with Mr. Showman” scheduled on December 8.

Some of the activities lined up for this year’s Galicayo include nightly band jamming from December 3 to 9, Outreach/Gift-Giving Programs, Street Dancing Competition, Fireworks Display, Rave Party, all on December 8 and Singing Contest on December 9.

“Galicayo is a purely Catholic-based celebration expressing the people’s gratitude and devotion to the Lady of Manaoag”, Mangonon said. –S. Moselina, CdD
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/%e2%80%98galicayo%e2%80%99-2007-opens-in-manaoag/).

[nayki]

wow daming good news sa pangasinan. Thanks allan_dude for sharing!
Abante Pangasinan!

[bily_lion]

^^ Balita ko, magppatayo ng building ang CSI-Stadia para sa Sitel :D

[allan_dude]

Gains of anti-flood program bared

Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV20071212111374.html)

DAGUPAN CITY — At least 74,000 families are now protected by the flood-mitigating projects of President Arroyo in Tarlac and Pangasinan, it was reported.

President Arroyo’s anti-flood program has spared the inhabitants from damages to crops, properties, public facilities and risk to their lives, a member of the Region 1 Development Council said.

"Consequently, the program contributes a lot to the efforts to enhance the economic and social welfare of the thousands of residents in and around the project areas," he said.

He said that a major portion of the riverbank is now reenforced with earth dikes, thus preventing floods.

The people living near the riverbanks in the urban areas, meanwhile, are protected by the concrete walls.

The major flood- control facilities already constructed are earth dikes, concrete walls, and spur dikes.

In order to protect the Bayambang (Pangasinan) area, part of the flood discharge has been diverted to the Poponto swamp through an 800-meter-wide floodway, engineers said.

It was recalled that some 70 percent of the riverbanks was damaged by the earthquake in 1990 and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

However, most of these flood facilities had been rehabilitated by the Project Management Office (PMO)-Agno Flood Control System (AFCS) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

It was reported that the cities of Tarlac, Dagupan and Urdaneta, and Lingayen also benefited from the flood-contral program, which is being undertaken with the support of congressmen, governors, and mayors. This includes the implementation of Phase II of the Agno River Flood Control Project (ARFC.

DPWH Major Flood Control and Drainage-Cluster 11 head Director Philip F. Menez is closely supervising the implementation of the R1.156 billion Agno River Flood-Control Project.

Region 1 DPWH Director Fidel D. Ginez is the incumbent project manager of Agno Flood-Control System (AFCS), while Engineer Aurelio C. Mendoza, who supervised the implementation of flood system project in Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga Region), is now the project engineer in charger of Phase II of ARFC.

"We are fast-tracking this project so we can meet our target date of completion," Engineer Mendoza said.

Todate, the implementation of ARFC’s Phase 11 is 38.35 percent complete with positive 4.38 percent slippage in ground operations.

The groundworks on the guide channel to Bayambang portion of ARFC’s Phase 11 flood system is under contract with Daewoo Eng’ng and Construction Co. Ltd. under the supervision of Project Manager Kim Baek Ki. Project Consultant Manager is Shomei Ezaki of Nippon Koei.

The completion of the ground work for ARFC’s Phase 11 is targetted on Oct. 30, 2009.

"Upon completion, this project is expected to play a vital role in the improvement of the living environment of the people by relieving them from the recurrent floodings," Director Menez said. (MUC)

[allan_dude]

Working group plans first-ever North Luzon ferry service

Pangasinan -- TWO types of ferries, a 30-seater and a 100-seater, may be used for the planned tri-point ferry service that will take a tourists or travelers from San Fernando to Dagupan to Alaminos, or vice versa in a jiffy.

"Depending on the study, we will lease or purchase the ferry service units in the Pasig river," Mayor Alipio Fernandez told media last week in an update on the announced tourism project.

He added that they are initially considering four units for the trial run and eventually work out a loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the full implementation of the project.

He said if the project proves successful, the three cities are going to unload their investments and pass the project on to the private sector.

"We will just pioneer this project and invite private sector to continue with it later," he said.

The ferry service is expected to cash in on foreign tourists who will be coming from Baguio and who may board at the passenger berth in Dagupan on their way to the Hundred Islands.

Fernandez said it usually takes five hours for tourists from Baguio to reach the Hundred Islands. With the ferry system, the travel will be only two hours.

If one is coming from San Fernando, he can visit the Hundred Islands in Alaminos in the morning and before going back to his point of origin, he can drop by Dagupan and so business and make some shopping, he said.

The ferry service idea was initiated by Mayor Hernani Braganza in order to hasten tourism and business activities in the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union.

Fernandez said Braganza, San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega and himself have set up a technical working group to study the project that would be of mutual benefit to the three participating cities. (PIA (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p071214.htm&no=57&r=&y=&mo=))

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan redistricting move up anew

By Danny O. Sagun (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p071214.htm&no=58)

Pangasinan -- FOUR more congressional districts will be added to the present six in Pangasinan — if plans push thru.

The idea is to add more voices in the House of Representatives considering the size and population of Pangasinan, according to lawyer Raul Lambino, who is working closely with the six congressmen in drafting a bill for the purpose.

"Natilak tila no agtayo ongalaw natan, nasabian tilay 2010," (We'll be left behind if we don't move now ; 2010 wil overtake us) he told a radio interview Tuesday, noting the difficulty of introducing the redistricting plan after that year.

He did not mention it but with House Speaker Jose de Venecia at the helm, the plan may be easier to realize now than after his term as House leader.

One of the suggestions is for the towns in the first, second and third districts to be grouped into five districts, and for the fourth, fifth and sixth district towns to compose the other five districts for Pangasinan to have a total 10 districts.

He said that concerns raised by Congressmen Marcos Cojuangco and Conrad Estrella of the fifth and sixth districts, respectively, as to the grouping of the municipalities are being studied by the working group.

Lambino said that redistricting is a better option than the proposal to divide the province into two or even three provinces.

The addition of more districts will in effect mean more pork barrel funds to the province.

He noted that small provinces like Batanes with some 15,000 voters practically get the same benefits as the bigger provinces.

He also said that other political leaders from the province will have bigger chances of becoming members of Congress unlike now when there are only six districts.

The plan may also affect the present membership of the provincial board, Lambino said.

The board is presently composed of 10 members with each district having two members. If there will be 10 districts with two members each, the sangguniang panlalawigan would have 20 members aside from the sectoral representatives.

De Venecia, according to Lambino, is awaiting recommendations on the plan (DOS/PIA)

[tracymack]

^^ Wow Talong Festival! parang naughty pakingan. :lol:



Lapit na! heto article..

Rosales will be home to 35th SM mall

Sunday.Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/09/rosales-will-be-home-to-35th-sm-mall/#more-7526)

ROSALES–An SM Department Store will soon rise here, the first in the province and the 35th in the retail giant’s chain of malls around the country.

Initial fencing is already ongoing around the nine-hectare site in Barangay Carmen, according to Mayor Ricardo Revita.

Construction work for the initial one-storey building is expected to start soon after. The target opening date is October next year.

Revita, in an interview with The PUNCH, said he is thrilled by the investment as this will enhance the economic situation of this largely agricultural town.

The proposed mall project was immediately approved by the local government following SM’s commitment to prioritize locals in their hiring.

About 3,000 jobs will be given to the town’s residents.

SM has also acquired properties in Dagupan and Urdaneta cities, the two main business hubs in Pangasinan, but plans to construct a mall have yet to take shape.

Rosales is strategically located on the eastern side of Pangasinan and is close to the provinces of Tarlac and La Union, neither of which has an SM mall yet.

Hmm.. I find it kind of odd that SM Prime Holdings opted to put up SM Rosales first over Urdaneta or Dagupan. I'm from Urdaneta and I've heard about the SM Urdaneta since I was in High School (1994-1998). Just a couple of years back. :lol: I think SM Urdaneta (In Brgy Anonas) has bigger land area (15 hectares) compared to Carmen (9 hectares). In my opinion, SM would do better putting up a mall in Urdaneta just by the sheer size, location as well as population of the surrounding area than in Carmen. Frankly, I don't see people flooding SM Rosales during weekdays. I only see it happening on weekends. Most Schools, Offices & Other establishments are primarily located in Urdaneta and I just don't see people from Urdaneta having lunch, doing their shopping in Carmen during weekdays. Imagine thousands of students, employees & residents doing their grocery, having lunch & hanging out at SM Urdaneta not only on weekends but also on weekdays. That's good business for SM don't you guys think? I don't know. I guess it's just the Urdaneta Homie in me that's talking. Question is, what happened to SM Urdaneta? Will SM still push through wih this project considering they already acquired a massive land area? What's the hold up? Red tape? If Rosales converted their agricultural land to a Mall site so quickly then why can't Urdaneta? I also read from Sunstar Pangasinan that the Carmen mall is to be called SM "Supercenter" Rosales. This means that it's probably not as big as most "SM City" malls. Will there be an SM City Urdaneta anytime soon? Appreciate any information regarding this. Thanks.

Sidenote: This is my first post. Cool Forum. :cool:

Naimbag nga aldaw yo amin!

[tyronne]

^^Welcome to SSC :hi: I'm from Villasis, karruba :D

Well, I heard it's more of politics why the proposed SM City Urdaneta and Dagupan haven't been realized yet. So, the difference lies on the LGU's capability to allow or not to allow such big investments to enter into their respective territories. Fortunately, for Rosales, they welcome this project with their arms wide open (hmmm parang kanta hehe). The one in Rosales is just a Supercenter so I guess the volume of the market it plans to cater would just be right (southern, eastern Pangasinan plus northern Tarlac area). I bet even people in Urdaneta would visit SM Supercenter Rosales when it gets built. I'm very sure of that. Remember, it's going to be the 1st SM in Pangasinan. Babyahe ang tao makapunta lang ng SM :lol:

[tracymack]

^^ Inya ngay karruba? Thanks for the warm welcome! :banana2:

Yes, I'm pretty sure even people from Urdaneta will go to SM Supercenter Rosales. That includes myself when I go home to Urdaneta every so often. It's just a bummer that I've been hearing about SM Urdaneta since I was young and had been eagerly awaiting for it to be built. Now I'm 25 and still no SM Urdaneta. Instead SM Rosales is being put up. I just think that it is such a waste to not put up an SM Mall in my hometown. It's a win-win situation for both SM & our city. I heard from some sources that SM would still push through with building its Urdaneta branch. I guess SM is being cautious about putting up a big mall in Pangasinan opting to "test the waters" by putting up just a supercenter for the meantime. I've also heard about those "political reasons" before. One particular reason is that the city was having a hard time converting agricultural land to a commercial one. I'm not sure this adds up since Urdaneta is now primarily a commercial hub. Maybe SM is also waiting for the traffic to ease up once the road widening project is done before putting up SM Urdaneta. There's just too much speculation. I just hope SM would set a target completion date for SM City Urdaneta so that I can remove any doubt in my mind that an SM mall would indeed be put up in my beloved hometown. :lol:

[tracymack]

Urdaneta City eyeing first class status (http://news.balita.ph/html/article.php/20070804174319904)


With its promising economy as the melting pot and center of commerce and education in eastern Pangasinan, Urdaneta City is now eyeing to jump from second to first class status, best in other cities in the province and in Ilocos region.

An elated Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. announced the city posted an income of P440 million last year, derived from local taxes and Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), excluding P123 million from its own City of Urdaneta University (CUU).

The city-operated CUU, a model for all local government units, is virtually the goose that lays the golden eggs for Urdaneta as it earns extra income for the city's general fund.

Observers keenly watching Urdaneta's phenomenal rise in economy said with more opportunities coming its way soon, the city's first class status may now be in the bag.

"We might come to that, but let me clarify that we are not competing with other cities in Pangasinan," Perez said, referring to Dagupan, San Carlos and Alaminos cities.

He said that due to sound financial management and moderation in expenses, the city was able to realize an unprecedented P44 million surplus from its budget last year.

In 2005, Urdaneta was tagged by the Commission on Audit as having the biggest in savings and the lowest in expenditures among all cities in Region 1.

Now on his third term as mayor of Urdaneta, Perez said that although they earn more now, he sees to it that they come up with a very conservative budget each year in order to prevent the city from incurring deficit.

When Perez assumed as city mayor in 2001 after completing three terms in Congress, he was shocked to find out that the city had maturing loans with various financial institutions almost up to its neck.

With the city's finances in disarray, he put it back to shape by ordering a strict policy of belt-tightening. He was also compelled to order the laying off of casual employees to pay its obligations with the banks. These efforts, complemented by vigorous tax collections, enabled the city to write off all its loans with different financial institutions in less than three years.

Perez foresees the opening of the high-rise Building-B of the public market financed by a new loan of P170 million from the Development Bank of the Philippines to further soar economic opportunities in the city.

Building B will complement Building A, built two years ago through self-help, as additional attractions for investors who may want to expand their business to the city.

Building A was financed by joint contributions from Rep. Mark Cojuangco of the fifth district of P80 million and P15 million from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, both of which were complemented by local funds of P60 million.

Both Buildings A and B of the public market, designed to have pay parking areas in their third and fourth floors, assure enough stalls for anybody who wants to do business in the city.

At the same time, Perez announced that a multi-national company is negotiating to buy a 49-hectare property along the Mac Arthur Highway between Urdaneta City and Sta. Barbara town which it seeks to convert into an industrial center.
He, however, declined to identify the company and the project that it intends to build until its deal with the landowners in the city are closed.

Tagged as the single factor that made Urdaneta more attractive to investors was the recent completion of the widening of the Mac Arthur highway that relieved the once congested highway of unnecessary heavy traffic.

Shoe Mart Inc. has also acquired a property in barangay Anonas a few years ago but its plan to build a mall was stalled for the meantime due to unsettled land dispute. (PNA)

Wow! I didn't know that Region 1 does not have a first class city as of the moment and Urdaneta is on the brink of becoming the first one. Even with the delay in constrction of SM City Urdaneta, the city is still very capable of gaining first class status. This is probably because Urdaneta is the most profitable city in the region (most income, least expense). I wonder which multi-national company is looking to buy that 49 hectare lot along MacArthur Highway. Could there be a remote possibility for it to be a semiconductor company? If so, then I'll quit my job at Intel & come running back home to Urdaneta! :lol: This is good news indeed. More business, more jobs, better quality of life. It seems to me that my hometown has been and still is on a roll. Now if only the construction of SM City Urdaneta gets started... :wink2: The potential seems to be limitless. Go Urdaneta! And of course, Go Pangasinan! :carrot::pepper::banana:

[tracymack]

Yes nakakabitin. Anyway anchor store ang Robinson's Supermarket and RDS sa NEPO Mall dagupan.

Ang tagal naman bago magkaroon ng "real" mall dito samin considering the size and economy of our province. Problem kasi politicians and influential families nagmamay-ari ng mga community malls and Hypermarkets. Way back in the 90's hinarang na nila pagpasok ng SM, Ever-Gotesco and Uniwide. :ohno:

Right on the money dude. Nakakainis ano? Oh well. That's Philippines for us. :(

[tracymack]

Urdaneta tops in region in financial performance (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/Urdaneta%20tops%20in%20region%20in%20financial%20performance)

URDANETA CITY–A second-class city and only on its ninth year of cityhood, Urdaneta bested seven others in the Ilocos region in terms of resource management, according to the 2006 financial report of the Commission on Audit (COA).

Urdaneta posted the biggest total income at P423.25 million, but placed second to San Carlos City in net income.

The city also topped in terms of total assets and equity.

Earning its cityhood in March 1998, Urdaneta is set to pole-vault to a first class city in the next reclassification round to be conducted by the Department of Finance.—LM
_______________


It's always nice to hear (or read) good news about your hometown & your province. Now I'm even more excited to go home for Christmas vacation! Goodbye Cavite (for now)! Hello Urdaneta! :cheers:

[tracymack]

30 Miss Earth candidates set to visit Urdaneta

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/10/19/news/30.miss.earth.candidates.set.to.visit.urdaneta.html)

THIRTY of the more than 80 Miss Earth candidates will be in Urdaneta City on October 28, 2007 for the swimsuit competition.

Venue of the swimsuit competition is the Lisland Rainforest Resort located a few meters away from McArthur Highway in Barangay San Vicente in the city.



Dang! I missed out on this one. My friend was one of the few who got tickets. She even had extra tix which she could have given me but I was overseas that time. :( Oh well. Maybe some other time.

[allan_dude]

Welcome aboard tracymack!!

It's always nice to hear (or read) good news about your hometown & your province. Now I'm even more excited to go home for Christmas vacation! Goodbye Cavite (for now)! Hello Urdaneta! :cheers:

Kuha ka ng mga pictures sa Urdaneta pag uwi mo. Post mo dito :)

[tracymack]

Welcome aboard tracymack!!



Kuha ka ng mga pictures sa Urdaneta pag uwi mo. Post mo dito :)

Thanks for welcoming me here. :banana2:

Sure. I'll try to take as many pictures as I can. :) Anong klaseng pics po ba gusto nyo? Pangasinan/Urdaneta in general?

[allan_dude]

District 4 barangays to get P1M each

Updated December 16, 2007

FROM JDV’s PORK BARREL

A MILLION pesos for each barangay.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., representative of the 4th District, made this promise to his constituents last week when officials of the 140 barangays took their oath of office before him.

The 4th District covers Dagupan City and the towns of Mangaldan, San Jacinto, Manaoag and San Fabian.

The fund will be sourced from De Venecia’s Countrywide Development Fund.

He told the newly elected barangay chairmen, councilors and Sangguniang Kabataan officials that they should start planning their priority projects that can be funded by the allotment.

“Anggapoy pinili, anggapoy nilabi (No one is favored, no one is discriminated),” he said.

De Venecia, who recently called for a moral revolution in government, told the local officials to serve faithfully and well.

“We didn’t run to become rich, powerful, abusive or arrogant,” the veteran politician said.

ALLY

Meanwhile, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, one of the most vocal critics of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has thrown his support behind De Venecia on his moral revolution advocacy.

De Venecia visited Cruz Saturday afternoon at the chancery here where they discussed De Venecia’s call.

The house speaker is asking the President to “save the administration, save her presidency”.

“Maybe God is starting to move a little bit because no less than Cardinal (Ricardo) Vidal, the senior leader of the Catholic Church, Archbishop (Angel) Lagdameo, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and now we have the support of Archbishop Cruz,” De Venecia told the local media after his lengthy talk with the archbishop.

He also said that, “It is better if we can transform ourselves, then we can change the human heart and if we change the human heart, then you can change the world.

Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch. (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/15/district-4-barangays-to-get-p1m-each/#more-7604)

***
Tondaligan Park redevelopment outlined
AFTER the storm surge that destroyed the beach sheds lined up at the Blue Beach area, the city government immediately put forward the much awaited Tondaligan Redevelopment Program.

The program was discussed during a meeting called by City Administrator Alvin Fernandez, attended by members of the Tondaligan Vendors Cooperative.


Engr. Romeo Rosario, city development coordinator, outlined the conceptual framework plan of the project that calls for the relocation of beach sheds 30 meters away from the shoreline.

There will be uniform sheds that would be reconstructed measuring 3 meters by 3 meters.

A maximum of 120 sheds, divided into four clusters, will be allowed to operate. Each cluster, composed of 25 to 30 sheds, shall use a common area for cooking, bath and restrooms.

From 216, the number of sheds along the beachfront will be reduced to 209.

The group also suggested the transfer of the City Jail, situated in the western boundary of the park, and the dumpsite at its eastern boundary.

Fernandez said the Tondaligan Park Redevelopment Program involves the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the park into a safe, attractive, and wholesome recreational area for local residents and tourists.

This is envisioned to restore the area’s image as one of the best tourist destinations in Pangasinan.

This is one of the priority programs of Mayor Alipio F. Fernandez, Jr. designed to boost tourism and at the same time generate more local revenues.

Under the program, major improvements shall be introduced in Tondaligan Park, namely, landscaping and tree planting, public facilities such as restrooms, first-aid clinic, and information center,

Civic/Administration Center, pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks, jogging and bicycle lanes, and promenade, lighting system, street furniture, signages and sheds, children’s park facilities, picnic grounds utilities, pay parking area, waste disposal system and lifeguard outposts.

Officials said private investors will be invited to put up convenience stores, souvenir shops, coffee shops, fitness centers, food establishments, hotels and apartelles, and water sports facilities.

Certain portions of the park shall be up for lease to locators for a certain period. They may develop the leased area in accordance with the master development plan of the park.

Tondaligan People’s Park is part of the 72-hectare national park covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 98 issued by then President Diosdado Macapagal March 26, 1963.—LM
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/15/tondaligan-park-redevelopment-outlined/#more-7606).

***

2008 provincial budget soars to P1.3 billion

LINGAYEN - The provincial budget next year is pegged at P1.32 billion from P1.14 billion this year, or higher by 16%.

The 2008 budget was approved by the provincial board during last week’s session through Appropriation Ordinance No. 5 series of 2007.

The bulk of the province’s General Fund goes to health-related expenditures, infrastructure, and provincial office operations.

This year’s total current operating expenditures went to the operation of hospitals atP252,024,310 on top of the P18,858,047 that went to the Provincial Health Office.

The Office of the Provincial Engineer got P76,876,689; Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, P44,098,845; Office of the Provincial Governor, P36,985,948; and the Office of the General Services Officer, P34,791,151.

Total current operating expenditures, which include personal services, maintenance and and capital outlay of various offices, totaled P646,993,844 while total non-office obligations amounted to P668,531,411 and another P5,524,000 for total capital outlay.

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/15/2008-provincial-budget-soars-to-p13-billion/#more-7607).

[allan_dude]

Thanks for welcoming me here. :banana2:

Sure. I'll try to take as much pictures as I can. :) Anong klaseng pics po ba gusto nyo? Pangasinan/Urdaneta in general?

Ang laki kasi ng province natin, better siguro kapag sa Urdaneta and surrounding areas muna. Maganda pag ma post natin dito mga developments sa lugar natin. Tagal na rin ako hindi nakapunta sa Urdaneta.:lol:

Wow! I didn't know that Region 1 does not have a first class city as of the moment and Urdaneta is on the brink of becoming the first one. Even with the delay in constrction of SM City Urdaneta, the city is still very capable of gaining first class status. This is probably because Urdaneta is the most profitable city in the region (most income, least expense). I wonder which multi-national company is looking to buy that 49 hectare lot along MacArthur Highway. Could there be a remote possibility for it to be a semiconductor company? If so, then I'll quit my job at Intel & come running back home to Urdaneta! :lol: This is good news indeed. More business, more jobs, better quality of life. It seems to me that my hometown has been and still is on a roll. Now if only the construction of SM City Urdaneta gets started... :wink2: The potential seems to be limitless. Go Urdaneta! And of course, Go Pangasinan! :carrot::pepper::banana:

Yeah Urdaneta is also becoming Region 1's financial hub. Credits to all the folks that made it happen! :)

[allan_dude]

The 5-year old swimming sensation from Bayambang

Updated December 18, 2007

THE five year-old boy sensation who caught the fancy of the whole nation when he swam the six-kilometer Mactan Channel in Cebu within two hours in October 8, 2006 was born in Bayambang, Pangasinan.

Justin Daniel Junio, who again swam the Hilungatan Channel, also in Cebu, a distance of 10 kilometers, for a remarkable three hours and 46 minutes, is the son of Col. Jose Florendo Junio and Ma. Velina Pinlac, both from Pangasinan.

Mrs. Junio said there is no doubt that her son already surpassed the record in the Guinness book with his incredible feat.

“He already passed the record and is just waiting for the result,” the boy’s mother said of her son’s bid for the Guinness record.

Bayambang Mayor Ricardo Camacho is also proud of Justin, most especially because he is a son of their town.

Justin was introduced to the public in Bayambang on December 10 as an inspiration to the youth.

His father said many were amazed that Justin already knew how to swim at only 11 months old.

The Junios said they will support their son in fulfilling his dreams.

They believe that Justin may soon be tapped to represent the country in international swimming competitions soon and win the elusive gold.—G. Greissel, CdD
Filed under News, Sports by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/15/the-swimming-sensation-from-bayambang-town/).

***

Farmers make money from dukayang

Updated December 18, 2007
MAPANDAN—For Felipe Ogoy and his fellow farmers, time is gold.
Ogoy said they wake up early every morning to till their farmlands and to gather grass they call dukayang (a type of wild grass for animal feeding), which sells for P20 per bundle.

Ogoy, 48, a farmer since he was eight years old, said he and the other farmers in the barangay (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/11/04/barangay-federation-leadership-race-begins/) sell dukayang almost everyday and make good money.

When supply is scarce, the prices can go up to P30 per bundle.
They sell the grass along the roadside in barangay Sta. Maria here where they average ten bundles a day per farmer.

“Marami ang bumibili dito lalu na ‘yung mga nag-aalaga ng kalabaw, baka, kambing o kabayo (a lot of people buy, especially those who raise carabao, cow, goat or horse),” he said.

He said this is a good side business while waiting for their corn or rice to mature.

“Sayang naman ang oras at nalilinisan pa namin ang bukid (With this we are not wasting time and we get to clean our farms,” he added.–CSR
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/17/farmers-make-money-from-dukayang/).

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/GALICAYO%20FESTIVAL,PAGE-7.jpg
GALICAYO FESTIVAL-Clad in colorful costumes, pupils of the Manaoag Central School entertain the crowd that flocked to the 9th Galicayo Festival in honor of the Lady of Manaoag when they performed in the street dancing competition last Sunday. (Punchphoto (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/15/galicayo-festival/) by Cesar Ramirez)


http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/Signing%20in%20Ordizia.jpg
SIGNING OF SISTERHOOD PACT -Mayor Jose Miguel Sta. Maria (left) of Ordizia City in Spain sign the historic sisterhood pact of his city with Urdaneta City, Philippines while Urdaneta Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. waits for his turn to sign. (Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/15/signing-in-ordizia/))


Urdaneta, Spain’s Ordizia forge sisterhood pact URDANETA CITY-Bound by history, Ordizia City in the autonomous Basque country in Spain, and Urdaneta City are now sister cities.

Urdaneta Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. crossed continents to sign the sisterhood pact with Ordizia City Mayor Jose Miguel Sta. Maria in Ordizia on December 5, coinciding with the 500th birthday of Fr. Andres Urdaneta after whom this city was named.


Basque is a vast country in Northern Spain where the big industries that run the wheels of the economy in the whole of Spain are located.

Perez had received a letter from Sta. Maria conveying the intent of Ordizia city council to establish sisterhood relationship with Urdaneta City, the only place in the world named after their revered hero.
To prove his sincerity, Sta. Maria personally came to Urdaneta on November 15 this year to extend to Mayor Perez the invitation to go to Ordizia to sign the historic sisterhood pact.

The signing took place at the Orizia city hall, witnessed by members of that city’s council and other officials.

Perez said the people of Ordizia consider Fr. Urdaneta as their hero.

Fr. Urdaneta was a scholar, navigator, explorer and a man of God. He was remembered as having traced the route of Ferdinand Magellan 20 years after the latter reached the Philippines on March 16, 1521.

He was in the company of Adelantado Jose Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who first landed in Samar and established their main headquarters in Manila before colonizing the whole Philippines in the name of King Philip II.

In connection with the 500th birth anniversary, the Fr. Urdaneta 5th Centennial Commission surfed the internetto look for any place in the world that may, in one way or another, have a link with the Spanish friar.

The commission said Urdaneta City is the only place in the world named after Fr. Urdaneta who, according to history books, was ordained priest at a rather late age of 46.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo witnessed the signing of the sisterhood pact when she was in Ordizia on December 5 as official guest of that city and the Spanish government.

Perez said he came home on December 7 filled with optimism and with a promise by the Ordizia City council to sponsor 150,000 Euros (approximately P9.3 million) worth of college scholarship for poor but deserving students of Urdaneta, spread over four years. –LM

[tyronne]

Wednesday, December 19, 2007
China to invest in Pangasinan: Gov.

LINGAYEN -- The Provincial Government is confident China will include Pangasinan in its future investment sites in the Philippines.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. has been drumbeating that Pangasinan is an ideal export and economic zone with the province's vast natural and human resources.

Recently, Espino hosted Chinese Consul Chen Lai Ping and his delegation from the Consulate from the People's Republic of China.

Espino and other provincial officials toured Chen and his group to different places in Pangasinan including the world famous Hundred Islands in Alaminos City and the two large power plants in Sual and San Manuel towns.

Officers of the Pangasinan Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce joined the host officials in the three-day visit of the Chinese official.

The Chinese Consul told the governor that the areas of investment the Chinese government and Chinese businessmen are looking into are food processing factories, fish terminal and storage facilities, cement plant, container port and tourism, among others.

Espino said it is important for future investors to see what the province has to offer for them to know what kind of investment is suitable in a certain area and for the province to be able to prepare the area in time for the arrival of the investors.

"We have good impressions about Pangasinan especially its vast agricultural and natural resources and we are confident areas of cooperation between your province and its counterparts in China will be established soon enough to help boost the Provincial Government's immediate and long-range programs for progress," Chen said.

Chen expressed the need to strengthen a two-way communication system for Pangasinan and China and this should include regular trade and economic exchange visits and consultations among Chinese and Pangasinan delegations.

He said the Chinese consulate based in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte will arrange the projected trips of Pangasinan officials to China early next year.

"Basic information about Pangasinan and its investment potentials are already included in our website, but we need more adequate and detailed data," the consul said.

Espino informed the Chinese delegation that Chinese investors have drawn up plans for the putting up of a fishport in Pangasinan, and needed only a local bank to guarantee loans and the equity needed for the projected investment.

Pangasinan was left behind in terms of investments.

Espino said the Provincial Government is working double time to show to the world that the province has the capacity and capability to accommodate future investments and economic activities. (LCMY/Sunnex)

[lightsaber46]

what the name of this commercial bldg.?

[lightsaber46]

[QUOTE=tyronne;13852361]A new commercial building with multi-level parking being built on the site of what used to be Urdaneta's Public Market.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/579661329_d7accf2d3d_o.jpg

Is this the reported site of a new BPO, and that they intend to shoulder the cost for the renovation?

[lightsaber46]

what's the name of this commercial bldg.?

[tracymack]

[QUOTE=tyronne;13852361]A new commercial building with multi-level parking being built on the site of what used to be Urdaneta's Public Market.

Is this the reported site of a new BPO, and that they intend to shoulder the cost for the renovation?

A call center? I'm from Urdaneta and I know for a fact that this is Building B or A :) of the New Urdaneta City Public Market. This building houses the wet market (ground floor) and pay parking (upper floors). This is probably not the future site of the BPO you're talking about. If it is then well and good. More jobs for Urdaneta & the rest of Pangasinan. :)

[tracymack]

Urdaneta, Spain’s Ordizia forge sisterhood pact
URDANETA CITY-Bound by history, Ordizia City in the autonomous Basque country in Spain, and Urdaneta City are now sister cities.

Perez said he came home on December 7 filled with optimism and with a promise by the Ordizia City council to sponsor 150,000 Euros (approximately P9.3 million) worth of college scholarship for poor but deserving students of Urdaneta, spread over four years. –LM


I sure hope that this amount of money gets spent on scholarships and doesn't end up somewhere else. :)

[allan_dude]

A new commercial building with multi-level parking being built on the site of what used to be Urdaneta's Public Market.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/579661329_d7accf2d3d_o.jpg

Is this the reported site of a new BPO, and that they intend to shoulder the cost for the renovation?

OT: this market in Dagupan is reported to house a BPO company on its 3/F.
http://www.mandostore.com/malimgas.jpg

Dagupan's “Malimgas Market” which means “Clean or Tidy Market" (Open since 2004)

G/F Wet & Dry Market, Eateries
2/F RTW, Clinics, Community Shops
3/F Admin office, Parking
4/F Parking

[allan_dude]

Wednesday, December 19, 2007
China to invest in Pangasinan: Gov.

LINGAYEN -- The Provincial Government is confident China will include Pangasinan in its future investment sites in the Philippines.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. has been drumbeating that Pangasinan is an ideal export and economic zone with the province's vast natural and human resources.

Recently, Espino hosted Chinese Consul Chen Lai Ping and his delegation from the Consulate from the People's Republic of China.

Espino and other provincial officials toured Chen and his group to different places in Pangasinan including the world famous Hundred Islands in Alaminos City and the two large power plants in Sual and San Manuel towns.

Officers of the Pangasinan Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce joined the host officials in the three-day visit of the Chinese official.

The Chinese Consul told the governor that the areas of investment the Chinese government and Chinese businessmen are looking into are food processing factories, fish terminal and storage facilities, cement plant, container port and tourism, among others.

Espino said it is important for future investors to see what the province has to offer for them to know what kind of investment is suitable in a certain area and for the province to be able to prepare the area in time for the arrival of the investors.

"We have good impressions about Pangasinan especially its vast agricultural and natural resources and we are confident areas of cooperation between your province and its counterparts in China will be established soon enough to help boost the Provincial Government's immediate and long-range programs for progress," Chen said.

Chen expressed the need to strengthen a two-way communication system for Pangasinan and China and this should include regular trade and economic exchange visits and consultations among Chinese and Pangasinan delegations.

He said the Chinese consulate based in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte will arrange the projected trips of Pangasinan officials to China early next year.

"Basic information about Pangasinan and its investment potentials are already included in our website, but we need more adequate and detailed data," the consul said.

Espino informed the Chinese delegation that Chinese investors have drawn up plans for the putting up of a fishport in Pangasinan, and needed only a local bank to guarantee loans and the equity needed for the projected investment.

Pangasinan was left behind in terms of investments.

Espino said the Provincial Government is working double time to show to the world that the province has the capacity and capability to accommodate future investments and economic activities. (LCMY/Sunnex)

Hope the Chinese would recognize the pre-Spanish trading link between the Kingdom of Caboloan and China. GO Pangasinan! :banana:

[allan_dude]

Guv hosts party for journalists

Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2007/12/22/news/guv.hosts.party.for.journalists.html)
Saturday, December 22, 2007

LINGAYEN -- After several years, three media organizations in Pangasinan gathered together on Thursday evening for the Media Night Paskuhan 2007 hosted by Governor Amado Espino, Jr.

It was the first grand Christmas party given to the media.

The party was held at the Capitol grounds fronting the Capitol building, which is draped with Christmas lights.

Present are journalists of the Pangasinan Tri-Media Association (Patrima) headed by Butch Velasco, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP)-Pangasinan chapter led by Marvin Modelo, and Pangasinan Press and Radio Club (PPRC) led by Jesus Perez.

The newly elected KBP officers took their oath before the governor.

The leaders of the three media groups said from then on, they would conduct joint projects to further enhance the relationship of the local media practitioners.

Espino thanked the journalists for informing the Pangasinenses of the plans and programs of the Provincial Government to make Pangasinan live up to its nametag as one of the premier provinces in the country.

He also acknowledged that part of the job of the fourth estate is to be critical of the occurrences in the province, but he asked that it should be done with "finesse".

He urged the journalists to uplift the standard of their profession. Velasco who said reporters should love their work.

Velasco said, "One must make an effort to improve knowledge to be an effective reporter".

He stressed that if one aims to be "powerful or to get money", media job is not the answer. "You should look for other jobs. But if this is what you want, then you should be in love with the profession and improve your craft," he said. (LCMY/Sunnex)

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan is sleeping giant –Ex Senator Shahani

ASINGAN—It is not only Governor Amado Espino Jr. who is saying that Pangasinan is one giant in deep slumber.Former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani, now working with a non-government organization promoting the welfare of women in the countryside, said she is glad Espino sustained her previous observation before.Shahani, who ran for governor in 1998 but lost, was the first to claim that while other provinces were counting their blessings, all that Pangasinan was doing was to sleep.“Didn’t I tell you that before,” Mrs. Shahani said in a talk during the Regional Taekwondo Championship held on Sunday at the Francisco Sapigao Memorial Sports Center here.“The question is,” she said, “Even the media did not believe me.”Shahani concurred with the statement of Espino that although Pangasinan is the biggest province in the country in terms of population, it is lagging far behind in development among many and even smaller provinces.The former senator and her son Ranjit, former congressman of the Fifth District, are Espino’s close allies in eastern Pangasinan.The former senator lamented that Pangasinan native products, like mangoes, “bagoong” (fish paste), bucayo and even bangus are not getting anywhere. They are the same old products of old that did not grow big with the times, she said.Espino blamed the Agbayanis who ruled theprovince for 29 years, for the sluggish performance of the province in all aspects as Pangasinan remained having the highest poverty incidence despite its size.“I felt bad when I learned that although Pangasinan has the biggest IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) share among all provinces in the entire country, it also has the biggest incidence of poverty,” said Shahani.In her message to the participants of the sporting event, Shahani urged them that “when you go back to your respective towns, you should help make our province and region great again”.The former senator expressed hope that Pangasinan would soon be a part of Information Technology with Urdaneta City as the hub.Although she and son Ranjit are now out of the government, they are still helping the province and are expected to play a lead role in bringing IT technology in Pangasinan.The Shahanis are all set to make their high-rise commercial building in Urdaneta as home for several call centers.“Information technology is one way we can modernize Pangasinan,” the former senator said.At the same time, the former senator called on local officials to get rid of the old traditional way of politicking, including the numbers game jueteng which many people depend on for a living.“We should instead create additional wealth by developing the resources of our big, big province,” she said— LM***Chinese investments coming to Pangasinan

LINGAYEN—Chinese investments are expected to pour into the province soon following a three-day visit last week of Consul Chen Lai Ping, head of the Office of the Consulate of the Chinese Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.Chen and his delegation, who were welcomed by Governor Amado Espino Jr. and other officials of Pangasinan at the Urduja House, outlined some of the projects his country are looking into in Pangasinan.These include food processing factories, fish terminal and storage facilities, a cement plant, container port and tourism.Consul Chen and members of his delegation, together with officers of the Pangasinan Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, also toured various places of interest in the province.They visited the proposed Eco-Resort and Recreational Park along the Lingayen beach, 100 Islands in Alaminos City, the Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant and the San Roque Multi-Purpose Project in San Manuel.Chen said he will push for a robust business relationship between China and Pangasinan which, he added, started close trade relations as early as 1,000 years ago.“We have good impressions about Pangasinan, especially its vast agricultural and natural resources and we are confident areas of cooperation between your province and its counterparts in China will be established soon enough to help boost the provincial government’s immediate and long-range programs for progress,” Chen said.FISHPORT


For his part, Espino informed the foreign visitors that a group of Chinese investors have also drawn up plans for a fishport in Pangasinan.The group is still looking for a local bank to guarantee loans and the equity needed for the projected initial capital.He said the Limahong Channel facing the Lingayen Gulf is ideal for the establishment of a fish port and terminal.The channel was dug up by Chinese corsair Limahong in the late 1500s as his escape route to the sea when he was pursued by Spanish captain, Juan de Salcedo, and his men.Consul Chen expressed the need to strengthen the communication between Pangasinan and China to include regular trade and economic exchange visits and consultations among Chinese and Pangasinan delegations.He said the Chinese consulate based in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte will arrange the projected trips of Pangasinan officials to China early next year.“Basic information about Pangasinan and its investment potentials are already included in our website, but we need more adequate and detailed data,” the Chinese consul said.Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and other key officials led by Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan attended the briefing.-LM
Source: Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/24/chinese-investments-coming-to-pangasinan/)

[nayki]

Merry Xmas ed sikayon amin Kabaleyan!!

[allan_dude]

^^ Malikeliket ya Pasko tan Balon Taon ed sikayon amin! :) (Marry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all!)

***

Interconnected Hundred Islands seen

By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20071226-108816/Interconnected_Hundred_Islands_seen)

ALAMINOS CITY, Philippines--To attract more tourists to the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP), the city government of Alaminos in Pangasinan has decided to embark on an ambitious project to link these islets on the Lingayen Gulf through a network of transparent underwater tubes.

Visitors can walk through these underwater "bridges" to view various species of fish, corals and marine creatures in their natural environment.
The "bridges" are part of the Hundred Islands Underwater Marine Park project that envisions the establishment in the area of fish sanctuaries, snorkeling and diving areas, a facility for water sports, and a marine institute where experts can study the biological diversity of the Lingayen Gulf.

"It is a grandiose plan. But it is a highly feasible [project] and is actually a part of the comprehensive development master plan of the city," says Mayor Hernani Braganza.

The plan, prepared by the Palafox Associates, an internationally recognized firm engaged in architectural design, urban planning and consultancy, involves a development blueprint for Alaminos as a major player in the socioeconomic and tourism growth of Pangasinan and the Ilocos.

"The plans are ready. What we just need are investors," Braganza says.
He admits that the city's plans for the HINP are "big" but the effort and possible investments that would go to it would be worth every sweat and centavo as the park is the country's first national park and the top tourist attraction of Alaminos and Pangasinan.

Even in its "untouched" stage, the park already draws about 100,000 visitors yearly, Braganza says.

The park offers tourists white beaches, dive spots, caves and bird sanctuaries.

"A wide variety of fish abounds in the waters. They have multiplied fast after we put a stop to illegal fishing activities there," Braganza says.
The coral beds, strained from destructive fishing, are recovering, too. The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute maintains a giant clam (Tridacna gigas, locally known as taklobo) farm in the area. This also serves as nesting ground for various species of fish.

The city cannot actually introduce heavy development in the islands because under the National Integrated Protected Areas (Nipas) Act, the city has to protect and conserve this natural spot, says Roel Añonuevo, city planning officer.

The master plan groups the islands into three categories: The "exclusive islands," intended for those who want to have privacy and try scuba diving and snorkeling; the "exploration islands," for tourists who are into adventure and extreme sports such as rappelling, parasailing, kayaking and trekking; and the "everyday islands," for families and groups who want to go swimming, snorkeling, trekking, and bird and bat watching.

"The underwater bridges project is the ultimate [goal]. It will justify all the other infrastructure requirements of the area such as the airport, a seaport, a highway, shopping malls and others. It will jumpstart the city's development," Braganza says.

The city's master plan does not revolve only on the HINP, but on the entire city based on its geographical characteristics and investment potentials.

With this, the city would be divided into five clusters, Braganza says.

While development for the Hundred Islands (Cluster 1) is minimal, the proposed development for Cluster 2, which includes the Bolo Beach, is bigger.

The proposed projects there include resort and hotel development, ecotourism, forest hillside development, health and spa, view decks, mangrove forest, golf course and an equestrian village.

The horseshoe shaped Bolo Beach, with its shallow waters, offers a perfect getaway for vacationers and is actually an alternative to the Lucap wharf as a jump-off point to the islands.

The master plan's Cluster 3 is called the "Heritage Walk Zone," which offers a tour of the "Old Town"--the church, town plaza, ancestral houses, museums, the Balay-a-Daan, salt farms and rivers. Cluster 4 is the "countryside farming zone" while Cluster 5 is the "business park zone."

"The master plan is designed to make Alaminos a 'green city'...Investors, big and small, are welcome to do business in the city," says Braganza, who sponsored his native town's cityhood bid when he represented Pangasinan's first district in the House of Representatives in 2001.

But he says only light industries, tourist-related facilities and those that draw strength from the rich agriculture and fishery resources of the city are welcome.

While tourism is the primary focus of the master plan, its other goals include a fully developed agriculture, adequate and highly modernized physical infrastructure and facilities, availability of modern education, accessible health facilities, well protected and rehabilitated coastal resources and assured public safety and peace and order.

All it takes for Alaminos' master plan to take off is an international airport, Braganza says.

The entire western Pangasinan, which has potential tourism and commercial areas, will benefit once an airport is built there, he adds.

Braganza says while Alaminos is accessible by land transportation, travel time from the different airports like the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Metro Manila), Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Pampanga) and the San Fernando City Airport (La Union) is "quite long and tiring."

"Who wants to travel for three to six hours by land to get to the islands? With an airport, tourists from other countries can fly direct to the city," he says.

Braganza welcomes President Macapagal-Arroyo's endorsement of a commercial airport project in her State of the Nation Address in July.

"This has been a long dream of Alaminos and Pangasinan that will soon become a reality. It will make the province accessible to businessmen and tourists, and hopefully, it can accommodate cargo planes for Pangasinan to export its agricultural resources," he says.

[nayki]

^^Another ambitious project. I hope it will materialize in near future. :)

[dancethingy]

^^ I hope it doesn't, adding man-made structures to a naturally beautiful environment just scars its prisitine image.

[allan_dude]

Gov't, private sector team up to market Pangasinan assets

Lingayen-- A joint provincial government-private sector promotion and marketing of Pangasinan's business potentials has just been launched here.

Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. asked local executives to support his vision even as he commended the Pangasinan Council of Tourism Industries Inc. (PCTII) for its plan to launch a tourism magazine set to come out last week of January 2008.

PCTII initially aims to highlight the wonders of Pangasinan and other vital information regarding the province in the magazine. Pangasinan writer Orpheus "Butch" Velasco will be its editor.

Tourism Operations and Parks Administration Chief Ma. Luisa Elduayan disclosed that the PCTII headed by Raymund C. Reyes, has vowed to support all tourism undertakings of the province.

Meanwhile, the provincial government recently created the Provincial Tourism Board (PTB) chaired by the governor and co-chaired by SP Member Charizzma Salud A. Carancho, chairman of the SP Committee on Tourism. The governor stressed that effective strategies are planned to further promote the tourism potentials of the province as it is now lagging behind other Region 1 provinces in tourist and investor arrivals. (PIA (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p071227.htm&no=66))

***
Pangasinan towns wage 'war' over airport location

Dagupan City -- Pangasinan leaders are warring over the proposed multi-million peso international airport for Pangasinan originally set to be built in Alaminos city.

Aside from Alaminos City, other sites being proposed for the international airport are Sta. Barbara, Lingayen and even Carmen, Rosales.

Particularly irked by the 'maneuverings' of his fellow political leaders who are opposing the location of the airport in Alaminos is Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Braganza said initial funding for the project was already incorporated in the 2008 budget just passed by Congress but he expressed fear that last-minute maneuvers by other political leaders might sabotage the project and compel President Arroyo to change her mind.

Although Braganza did not identify these political leaders, it is clear that he was referring to Governor Amado Espino Jr. who is pushing for either Sta. Barbara or Lingayen as the site of the international airport.

Braganza deplored a manifesto signed by some members of Pangasinan Mayors League (PML) headed by Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico Jr., who is also president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, asking the President to place the airport in Sta. Barbara.

Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, retired police three-star general and executive vice president of the PML, said about 500 hectares of land in his town of Sta. Barbara are available for the airport project. Both Velasco and Espino are former police officers.

Braganza, however, said the frequent flooding in Sta. Barbara every rainy season makes that town not an ideal place for the international airport.
Lately, hoping to keep a middle ground on the controversy, Gov. Espino proposed that the present feeder airport in Lingayen be extended and widened to accommodate bigger planes such as those bringing in foreign tourists.

Engineers from the Air Transportation Officer, he said, came to Lingayen recently to conduct an ocular inspection of the Lingayen airstrip and see its potential for development as an international airport.

A report however said its being located very near the Lingayen Gulf makes it vulnerable to treacherous crosswinds which would pose danger to aviation. The Lingayen airport was built by the Americans who liberated Luzon in 1945 for emergency landing by their dive bombers. It has never been utilized as a commercial airport, mainly because it needs major improvements. (PIA (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p071227.htm&no=68))

***

TO DRUM UP EXPORTS
Yap opens facilities for Pangasinan mango


By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes
PDI Northern Luzon Bureau (http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=108653)



MANAOAG, Pangasinan--Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap recently inaugurated facilities for mango processing that would boost the chances of Pangasinan mangoes to enter the international market.

The Department of Agriculture granted the extended hot water equipment (EHWT) and seven units of mango dryer machines to the Pangasinan Tropical Fruits Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The cooperative provided the building and other equipment for the project.

Yap said the DA wanted to increase mango exports because 95 percent of the country's production is consumed locally while only 5 percent is shipped out.

The EHWT destroys eggs of fruit flies in fresh mangoes.

Lito Arenas, chairman of the cooperative, said it is a facility that complies with the sanitary requirements imposed by the Chinese government for fresh mango exports to Hong Kong and China.

"The requirement was imposed by the Chinese government due to the discovery of mangoes infected with fruit flies from previous exports," Arenas said.

Arenas said the project would initially benefit 100 mango growers and contractors in the province and other mango growers in the Ilocos region who could now command higher prices for their produce.

China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Brussels are among the cooperative's initial buyers of fresh mangoes.

Yap also inaugurated a facility hosting mango dryer machines of the Lito Arenas Trading, a company that buys the fruits produced by the cooperative.

The facility can produce 27 metric tons of dried mangoes per month. Arenas said 180 metric tons of fresh mangoes are needed to produce 27 tons of dried mangoes.

The facility has seven machines, including five given by different government agencies.

Each month, a ton of dried mangoes is produced for export to Japan and the United Arab Emirates, Arenas said. The plant has also started producing pickled mangoes and papaya for export to Canada through a group based in Metro Manila.

Arenas said fresh fruits rejected by the market are processed so losses, due to spoilage and wastage, are minimized.

The processing plant also gives employment to residents.

Arenas said during peak season, about 200 workers are hired on a daily basis.

Pangasinan is a top producer of mango in the country, contributing 41 percent of the total production. This was the first time however, that a mango processing plant was established in the province.

[benchjade]

air conditioned ang Malimgas Market diba?

[tj_brewed]

http://www.knittinginhollywood.org/photos/happy_new_year.gif

[Jarenz]

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/Jarenz_038/happynewyear.gif

[IMPRESARIO]

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5579/3bjbxnyrtk5.jpg
:carrot::cucumber::pepper:From SSC-Iloilo:carrot::cucumber::pepper:

[SUV111]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/2149006770_ccf53fd88c.jpg?v=0

[ruralvillage]

Dagupan gov't employees get additional bonus (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Cities_And_Towns_23/Dagupan_gov_t_employees_get_additional_bonus.shtml)
Positive News (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/) Media

DAGUPAN CITY, Jan 1 (PNA) -- Additional bonus was never too late for officials and employees of the city government even if the bonanza was received by them late Friday, after Christmas.

The bonanza was in the form of P5,000 additional bonus for regular employees, P2,000 for emergency workers and P1,000 as incentive for volunteer workers, among them Barangay Health Workers. Read more. . . (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Cities_And_Towns_23/Dagupan_gov_t_employees_get_additional_bonus.shtml)

[tyronne]

Ang liit pala nung lot ng SM Supercenter Rosales.

[tracymack]

Ang liit pala nung lot ng SM Supercenter Rosales.

Happy New Year karruba! Tagatnu ka gayam ta Villasis?

Yup, maliit nga yung lot sa Rosales. 9 hectares lang. Sana nga maumpisahan na yung SM City Urdaneta. 15 hectares yun sa Brgy. Anonas with more space for expansion sa bandang likod. Fenced yung area (barbed wire pa nga lang) pero may security guard na nagbabantay 24/7 sa lot. Malamang SM Department Store, Hypermarket, Ace Hardware, Sports Central, Our Home, Surplus Shop at Food Court lang yung sa SM Rosales. Maybe some boutiques & a cinema. Nakakainip hintayin yung SM Urdaneta.. :sleepy: Sana ma-start na para naman di nahuhuli ang Pangasinan sa ibang provinces na full blown mall ang SM nila.

[tracymack]

Pangasinan is sleeping giant –Ex Senator Shahani

The former senator expressed hope that Pangasinan would soon be a part of Information Technology with Urdaneta City as the hub.Although she and son Ranjit are now out of the government, they are still helping the province and are expected to play a lead role in bringing IT technology in Pangasinan.The Shahanis are all set to make their high-rise commercial building in Urdaneta as home for several call centers.“Information technology is one way we can modernize Pangasinan,” the former senator said.At the same time, the former senator called on local officials to get rid of the old traditional way of politicking, including the numbers game jueteng which many people depend on for a living.“We should instead create additional wealth by developing the resources of our big, big province,” she said— LM

The Sanctuary (Shahani's Commercial Bldg.) along MacArthur Highway is one of the bigger buildings in Urdaneta. I think it would be a good location for call centers to operate. It's not the prettiest building in the city and from what I've heard it's one of the priciest. It's location though, makes up for it and call centers could probably afford the high cost of rent. The last time I've been to that building (a few years back :lol:) it hosts China Bank, ABE, Prudential Life Insurance, a college (forgot the name), convenience store and other offices. It's a huge building. It's located midway between CSI Warehouse Club Urdaneta & CB Mall/CSI Urdaneta. I wonder which call centers Shahani was referring to. Is it a done deal that these call centers will operate in their building? Although I don't consider call centers as huge "IT boosters" compared to software development companies (Accenture, HP, etc.) & semiconductor companies (Intel - this is where I work :)), it's a good start. Good for the city & the province.

[tyronne]

^^Taga-barangay Puelay siak :D Lapit lang sa palengke.

[papable]

^^ I hope it doesn't, adding man-made structures to a naturally beautiful environment just scars its prisitine image.

agree 101%

[allan_dude]

San Carlos eyes P250 M infra projects next year (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/punch.dagupan.com)

SAN CARLOS CITY–An infrastructure boom in this city is expected in 2008.

This became evident after the local government has mapped out P250 million worth of infrastructure projects for implementation next year.

According to Mayor Julier Resuello, the projects will be funded through a loan from the Philippine National Bank.

First in the list of projects is a new city hall that will cost P70 million. Construction is scheduled to start by January.

The new two-storey building will stand on a more than 2,000 square-meter area at the corner of Rizal and Roxas Streets near the new public market.

Along with the new building is the computerization of the city hall’s records system estimated to cost P15 million.

By the second quarter, a slaughterhouse worth P30 million will be built in Barangay San Pedro.

The cemetery will also be expanded through the purchase of lots worth P15 million.

By the second half of the year, P20 million will be spent for the100 low-cost housing units to be built at the BLISS site in Barangay Pagal.

About P35 million will be used for the purchase of heavy equipment, P4 million for the upgrading of the public market and P41 million for the concreting of barangay road lines.

“We expect that 2008 will be a boom year for our city because of these projects,” Resuello said, adding that he wants the implementation of these projects in succession for proper monitoring and implementation.

***

Alaminos employees get P25,000 bonus (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/punch.dagupan.com)




ALAMINOS CITY—Employees of the local government here got their biggest Christmas gift this year.All 309 regular employees here received a P25,000 bonus each while 273 job order workers received P3,000 in cash benefit.


Mayor Hernani Braganza said the employees deserve the cash gift for their continued hard work and dedication to the city, home of the Hundred Islands National Park.


Braganza noted the cooperation of the city council, which approved the proposed Appropriation Ordinance No. 2007-02 covering the bonus amounting to more than P8 million.


The extra bonus is provided under Local Budget Memorandum No. 54 dated Dec. 19, 2007 signed by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr, according to City Budget Officer Rowena Ruiz.

Under the memorandum, President Gloria Arroyo authorized local government units to grant additional benefits to their personnel using the local government’s savings.


Ruiz said the city government has sufficient funds and the move is within the Personal Services limitation under Sections 325 (a) and 331 (b) of RA No. 7160.


Braganza said 2007 has been a banner year for the city in all areas, including an improved revenue collection.

“And this paved the way for the city government to share its blessings to our hardworking employees out of the generated savings,” the mayor said***

Dagupan police will have new headquarters (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/punch.dagupan.com)

A New Year, a new home.

The construction of a brand new building for the Dagupan City Police Station is scheduled to start by late January 2008 and expected to be completed by August.


Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, police chief, said the former site of the Philippine National Red Cross office will serve as the new location of station’s new headquarters.


The original plan was to construct the new headquarters at the station’s present site on Perez Boulevard.


Borromeo said the 1,000 square-meter lot is a much better location than their existing station, giving credit to Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and the city council for the new site.


Borromeo said the new office will be major moral boost to their force.

Funding for the construction will be sourced from both the Philippine National Police and the countrywide development fund of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan to mark year-round festivities (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2008/01/05/news/pangasinan.to.mark.year.round.festivities.html)

LINGAYEN -- The town of Villasis will celebrate the year-round festivals in Pangasinan.

Now on its third year, Villasis Mayor Nonato Abrenica said the Talong Festival would be held on January 18.

Villasis is known as the vegetable bowl (sometimes called pinakbet town) in Northern Luzon. The vegetables grown in this agricultural town aside from eggplant are tomato, okra, ampalaya, string beans, and corn, among others.

Sto. Tomas will also celebrate its foundation centennial anniversary, says Mayor Vivien Villar. One of the highlights of the celebration is the launching of the Corn Festival capped with a bid for the Guinness Word Record for Longest Grill through its five-kilometer corn grilling.

By March, there is the Longanisa and Talaba Festival of Alaminos City, which was launched in 2004 by Mayor Hernani Braganza.

The month of April is also festival laden. There is the Mango and Bamboo Festival of San Carlos City initiated by then late mayor Julian Resuello in 2001.

There is also the Binongey Festival of Anda town, as introduced by former mayor now Pangasinan Board Member Alice Pulido in 2004 to promote its own native delicacy. Binongey basically is sticky rice with gata placed inside a bamboo and charcoal-cooked.

Mapandan town, on the other hand, will celebrate the fifth year of Pandan Festival.

The Goat Festival will also be held in Bulangao town, introduced in 2005.

Dagupan City's Bangus Festival will start on the fourth week of April until May 2. Former Dagupan mayor Benjamin Lim introduced the Bangus Festival in 2001 to promote the Dragoman's tasty and succulent Bonuan bangus.

On May 1, the province celebrates Pista'y Dayat.

Calasiao Mayor Roy Macanlalay will also initiate in reviving this May the Puto Festival. Aside from the Señor Divino Tesoro Shrine, which is being flocked by Catholic devotees, Calasiao is also known for its "white gold" or puto. Puto is best as snack food.

The festival concludes with Manaoag town's Galicayo Festival in December in honor of the miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag.

Other towns are already conceptualizing their own festival centered on the products their respective localities are known for. (LCMY/Sunnex)

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/SOON%20TO%20OPEN,PAGE-1.jpg
An aerial view of the new Pantal bridge shows the almost completed phase except for its northern approach. The bridge and the completed Dawel-Pantal-Lucao road are set to be opened to traffic in March this year. (PunchPhoto (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/news/headlines/) by Willie Lomibao aboard a helicopter).

***
Plans for ferry service to proceed on course ALAMINOS CITY–Taking the ferry service plan a step further, a technical working group has been formed to look into the implementation of the public water transport system between this city, Dagupan and San Fernando City in La Union.

Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza said he and the mayors of Dagupan and San Fernando will soon be looking at a twin engine ferry boat which could possibly be used for the initial ferry services.

Braganza said the ferry service will cut travel time between his city and San Fernando to just one hour from the three-hour land trip.

Between Alaminos and Dagupan, the trip by boat will be 30 minutes compared with one hour by land.

Under the initial plan, four ferry boats will be in operation, each one with a capacity for 100 people.

The local governments are prepared to undertake a cost-sharing scheme to kick off the project but Braganza said they are also open to private investors.

He added that once the project is operational, they will be definitely moving towards privatization.

The ferry service will also be particularly important for Alaminos as it is seen to boost tourist arrivals in the popular Hundred Islands National Park.

Dr. Leonardo Quitos of the National Economic Development Authority has pledged technical support for the project.—LM

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/07/plans-for-ferry-service-to-proceed-on-course/#more-7833).


***

Dagupan to ban spitting in public areas IF San Fernando in La Union wants to be known as a “no smoking city” as part of its drive for cleaner environment, Dagupan will not allow itself to be far behind.

To date, a Dagupan City councilor is mulling over the passage of an ordinance, similar to a law in Hong Kong and Singapore, that will outlaw spitting in public which is also the city’s own way to promote healthier environment.

Councilor Jesus Canto, a doctor by profession and chairman of the health committee of the Dagupan City Council, said he is finalizing the draft of the proposed ordinance seeking to ban spitting in public.

He said he will submit the draft to the city council through Vice Mayor and presiding officer Belen Fernandez who may refer this back to his committee for the conduct of public hearings.

“We need such an ordinance because it is one way of protecting ourselves from the onslaught of harmful diseases,” said Canto, a retired director of Region 1 Medical Center.

He said the Chinese learned a hard lesson from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that hit their country a few years ago, that is why they have now banned spitting in public.

“You know, sputum contains millions of minute bacteria that might be spread to other people in the air which we all breathe, such as what happened to SARS,” Canto said.

He said if the ordinance is passed and people can not really control themselves not to spit, they can do so in their own hankies which are really the safer destination for the sputum.

He said approval of the ordinance will mean that persons can no longer spit wherever and whenever they want lest they pay corresponding fines.—LM
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/07/dagupan-to-ban-spitting-in-public-areas/#more-7827).

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/Qatar%20ambassador.JPG
Qatar Ambassador Abdulla Ahmed Y.A. Al-Mutawaa (left) discusses with Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza how he intends to help promote the Hundred Islands, Pangasinan’s number one tourist destination when he called on the latter during a whirlwind visit last Thursday.

Qatar ambassador to promote 100 Isles

ALAMINOS CITY-The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Qatar, impressed by his two-day visit here last week, has vowed to promote the Hundred Islands National Park to his countrymen and encourage them to invest in possible business ventures in Pangasinan.

Ambassador Abdullah Ahmed Y.A. Al-Mutawaa, accompanied by Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board chairman Thompson Lantion and representatives from Unioil Philippines, Inc., visited the province for the first time.

“The first time, we will do promotions for the investors to go to Pangasinan, even the whole Philippines. Sure, we will try to make a good promotion for the Philippines…for the progress of Philippines,” he told local media.

The ambassador of the oil-rich Qatar said his country and the Philippines maintained good relations with more than 75,000 Filipinos working there as doctors, nurses, and in the construction industry.

Al-Mutawaa said these Filipinos “are in very good condition.. we protect them”.
Qatar is one of the fastest developing countries in the Middle East with its aggressive infrastructure development and urbanization projects.
Filed under News, Business by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/31/qatar-ambassador-to-promote-100-isles/#more-7754).

***
Alaminos City gets it

PANGASINAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT


ALAMINOS CITY—Mayor Hernani Braganza is unperturbed by the maneuvers of his fellow Pangasinan officials to snatch his pet project away from this city, proud home of the famed Hundred Islands National Park.

Thompson Lantion, chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), has confirmed here on Thursday that the national government is bent on Alaminos as site of the planned international airport for the province.

Lantion said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has clearly instructed DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza to put the airport in Alaminos.

As this developed, Braganza said a budget has been allocated in the about-to-be approved national budget for the conduct of a pre-feasibility study for the project.

Defending the project, Braganza said, the provincial board of Pangasinan as early as 1993 already proposed Alaminos as site for the airport.

Provincial Board Resolution No. 293, said Braganza, was in support of House Bill No. 1399 authored by then Congressman Oscar Orbos which sought the construction of a domestic airport in Alaminos.

The presiding officer of the Provincial Board at that time was Vice Governor Ranjit Ramos Shahani, nephew of former President Fidel Ramos, and a cousin of Braganza. The provincial board member in the first district at that time was Anthony Sison.

At that time, Braganza was a private citizen.

Braganza brought out this fact in order to point out that the proposal to construct an international airport in Alaminos was much ahead than the recent proposal endorsing Sta. Barbara or Lingayen as the site, which Governor Amado Espino Jr. supports.

The proposal, said Braganza, was made long before Espino became governor of Pangasinan and General Reynaldo Velasco became mayor of Sta. Barbara.

Espino is also pushing for the present feeder airport in Lingayen to be upgraded into a domestic airport while Velasco has been promoting the availability of Sta. Barbara as a site of an international airport.

COMMERCIAL CATEGORY


Braganza cited tourism as the primary purpose for the airport.

Investments in agriculture and in the province’s identified economic zones will just be second priority, he added.

“Pangasinan should have an airport to make the province more accessible to tourists and investors who may want to come, visit and explore the possibility of investing their money,” Braganza said.

He said the airport in Alaminos will be of commercial level, higher in category than the present Lingayen Airport that is only a feeder airport.

A normal commercial airport, said Braganza, is capable of cargo-handling and where bigger planes can land and take off.

The other purpose for a commercial airport in Pangasinan is for the province to be able to bring its native products for sale to other places, including abroad, he added.

“So, from Pangasinan, you can bring your product to Hong Kong, including the Middle East,” he added.

The province of Pangasinan does not need another airstrip, like the one located in Carmen, Rosales as well as the privately owned airstrip on Binalonan town, the mayor added.

He pointed out that an airport must not only be for people, but it must also service the movement of goods as well, enabling Pangasinan to increase its export capability and capacity.

Braganza said based on the initial findings of the Air Transport Office (ATO), an international airport in Alaminos is technically viable.

In further defending the choice of Alaminos as site of the international airport, Braganza said 74% of the province’s tourist destinations are in the first and second districts, both of which are coastal districts.

The fourth district of Pangasinan, which is also coastal, will bring the potential to 90%, while the other three districts-third, fifth and sixth will bring in the remaining 10%.

In terms of agriculture, the mayor said, the first district accounts for 31% of the land area, and together with the second district, the total would be 51%.

Braganza said Alaminos, Sual and Bani are included among the declared economic zones in Pangasinan, along with Villasis and San Fabian. Majority of these are in the first district.—LM (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/12/31/alaminos-city-gets-it/)


***
Ordizia’s scholarships start in June URDANETA—In time for the opening of classes in June this year, the city government is now finalizing the guidelines to avail of the college scholarship grant offered by Urdaneta’s sister city Ordizia, in Spain’s prosperous Basque region.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. said the scholarships are intended for poor but deserving high school graduates so that they can go to college and take up a four-year course.


Perez signed the sisterhood pact in Ordizia on December 5 last year during the celebration of
the 500th birthday of Ordizia’s favorite son and hero, Fr. Andres de Urdaneta.

Fr. Urdaneta, an explorer, navigator and scholar from Ordizia, was from whom this city derived its name.

Ordizia, headed by Mayor Jose Sta. Maria, promised the equivalent of P9.5 million in scholarship grant so that economically-challenged students from Urdaneta can have the opportunity to earn college degrees.

Sta. Maria and members of the Ordizia city council will be official guests of Urdaneta on March 25 to observe local situations.

The group intends to bring along a business mission to look for business prospects in the Philippines, particularly Urdaneta.

It will be Sta. Maria’s second trip to Urdaneta since coming here November 15 last year.

Perez said students who may be granted the scholarship may enroll not only in the city-owned University of the City of Urdaneta but in any university here.

There are now at least three universities operating in Urdaneta.

Perez thanked Mayor Sta. Maria and the people of Ordizia for granting the scholarships, the first fruit of the sisterhood relations between Urdaneta and Ordizia cities.—LM

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/07/ordizias-scholarships-start-in-june/#more-7832).

[tracymack]

***
Ordizia’s scholarships start in June URDANETA—In time for the opening of classes in June this year, the city government is now finalizing the guidelines to avail of the college scholarship grant offered by Urdaneta’s sister city Ordizia, in Spain’s prosperous Basque region.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. said the scholarships are intended for poor but deserving high school graduates so that they can go to college and take up a four-year course.

...

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/07/ordizias-scholarships-start-in-june/#more-7832).

It's good to know that this money will indeed go to less fortunate but deserving students and not end up somewhere else. Well, hopefully. :lol: Kudos to the officials and people of Ordizia, Spain for their kindness and generosity. The same goes to Urdaneta City officials who pursued this sisterhood with Ordizia City. This will certainly change the lives of future scholars for the better. :okay:

[allan_dude]

Rizal was part-Pangasinense

Updated January 8, 2008

It was not only Leonor Rivera after who had an attachment to Pangasinan. Philippine National hero Dr. Jose Rizal was part-Pangasinense.

This new note in the province’s history was revealed during the Rizal Day celebration at the Dagupan City Plaza when City Administrator Alvin Fernandez made public the results of his own research.

Fernandez, who was guest of honor and speaker during the 111th Rizal Day celebration, said that Rizal’s mother Teodora Alonzo y Quintos was a Pangasinense.

He said the father of Dona Teodora was Manuel Quintos a lawye And some historical notes indicate that it was after him whom the Quintos Bridge in Dagupan was named.

But Fernandez conceded that the first one to determine this was local historian Restituto Basa in his book, Vignettes of Pangasinan History”. In Basa’s book, Don Manuel was the described as the presidente municipal of a Filipino native colony in Lingayen.

Basa also affirmed that the Quintos bridge was named after Don Manuel.

The Quintoses of Lingayen, said Fernandez, were of Chinese lineage, which was confirmed in Basa’s book. There was also a Chinese colony of Lingayen called “parian” headed by a Chinese, wrote Basa.

Fernandez said when Dona Teodora Alonzo was still unmarried, she used to visit her cousin Victoria Quintos de Zarate, whose family owned the old Victoria Hotel and several other establishments in Dagupan City.

Rizal himself used to visit Dagupan to serenade Leonor Rivera, a beauteous lass whose mother hailed from Lingayen.

Basa, in fact, wrote that Rivera was Rizal’s cousin.

The father of Rivera was an engineer from Camiling who helped construct and manage the Caloocan-Dagupan Railroad.

The Rizal Day celebration, organized by the Department of Education, was attended by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez.

Special guest during the commemorative program was Professor Manfred Ollik, a German national living in Dagupan and a Knight Commander of Rizal in Germany. Source (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/07/rizal-was-part-pangasinense-alvin/)

[allan_dude]

Poor Pangasinan: Are the Agbayanis really to blame?

By DANNY O. SAGUN

WHY Pangasinan with all its big population, huge land area and billions in internal revenue allotment (said to be the biggest beating even Cebu and Negros) lags behind other big provinces in terms of development is quite a puzzle to many.

Critics of the Agbayani family which for decades had ruled the province thus have a grand time pointing the accusing finger at the political clan. But were the late Aguedo and his son Victor really to blame for the failure of the province to be at par with Cebu or the provinces surrounding Metro Manila in terms of progress and development? Does it mean that Pangasinan would have transformed into a Manila clone had there been families holding power other than the Agbayanis?

If we use another analogy, we might also wonder if the Philippines could have become an economic giant like Japan and South Korea if the Philippines had not been ruled by strongman Marcos for more than two decades.

We are not in any way comparing the Agbayanis with the Marcoses here. But the analogy deserves curious interest.

Before the Agbayani patriarch captured Urduja House, other noted families took turns holding the political front in the province - the Primiciases, Duques, Estrellas - who no doubt had in their minds and hearts the best interest of the province. They could only do so much.

Agbayani’s reign was interrupted by the terms of Rafael Colet and Oscar Orbos, who, during their time, tried to make a difference by introducing grandiose plans. Colet had his “Balon Pangasinan” concept. Orbos wanted big infras like super highways and airports. But just like Agbayani’s “Possible Dream,” everything remained a dream.

Their efforts were apparently lacking as no significant changes or improvements were felt by the people. The province’s landscape practically remained the same as the years passed.

There must be factors that hamper immediate progress and development other than the shortcomings of the rulers themselves.

This province has produced leaders who can readily bring home the bacon, so to speak. FVR, Joe de Venecia, GMA and many other ’stars’ can bring millions, if not billions, at any given time.

They in fact have already brought such billions of pesos to Pangasinan and yet it is claimed the people here are living in poverty.

If FVR during his time and now GMA at the helm could not just bring this province to a level of prosperity as desired despite a huge cache of cash at their disposal, then why point the accusing finger at the local executive whose options are limited unlike that of a national figure like GMA?

We’ll see if the present Urduja occupant, Governor Amado T. Espino, a close partymate of GMA at Kampi can really turn this so-called sleeping giant of a province into an awesome economic tiger among its peers.

Filed under Opinions, The Pen Speaks by The Pangasinan Star (http://pangasinanstar.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/01/the-pen-speaks-poor-pangasinan-are-the-agbayanis-realy-to-blame/#more-2244).

***

Fish processing plant building up next year

THE city government of Dagupan is expected to start building its own fish processing plant hopefully by January next year to be completed and opened sometime in July at the earliest.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is collaborating with the Dagupan City government in building the project, utilizing a financial grant of US $2 million dollars (approximately P82 million) from the Korean government.

Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr., who sourced out the fund, has requested the Korean International Development Agency to now release the fund so that the project can start in January.

Dagupan’s counterpart to the project is the 1.5 hectare lot on which the project will stand, located just beside the National Integrated Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) of the BFAR in barangay Bonuan Binloc.

Dr. Westly Rosario of BFAR said that when fully operational, the fish processing plant will need some 500 workers, all of whom will come from Dagupan City.

“The plus point for the project is that our good market for processed plant will be Korea, said Rosario.

He said that this is the reason the projects must conform to Korean standards as Korea will be the chief market of products coming from the proposed fish processing factory.

There is also the possibility that the processing plant might absorb the shrimps of Zambales province which is producing 600 tons a year, using the white shrimp or vannamei specie. (PNA)

Filed under News, Provincial News by The Pangasinan Star (http://pangasinanstar.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/01/fish-processing-plant-building-up-next-year/#more-2243).

[allan_dude]

Jan. 9 special non-working holiday in Pangasinan

Tempo (http://www.tempo.com.ph/news.php?aid=35884)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared today, Jan. 9, a special non-working holiday in his province.

Proclamation No. 1442, signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Joaquin Lagonera (in behalf of the President), declares January 9, 2008 as a special non-working holiday in Pangasinan.


Jan. 9 marks the celebration of the Pangasinan Veteran’s Day in the province.


January 9, 1945 also commemorates the Lingayen Gulf landing of the Allied Forces which showcased the heroism and the bravery of the Filipino soldiers, guerillas, and civilians. It also recognizes the tremendous contributions and valiant sacrifices of war veterans.

[tracymack]

^^

Wala palang pasok dyan kanina. Nakakainggit naman. :( Anyway, sana na-enjoy nyo yung holiday. :)

[allan_dude]

^^ Honga sana naka uwi ako! humpf! siguro dami tao sa beach kanina.

[tracymack]

^^Taga-barangay Puelay siak :D Lapit lang sa palengke.

A ok. May mga classmates ako nung high school na taga Villasis. Di ko lang maalala kung sino sa kanila ang taga Puelay.

[tyronne]

^^San ka ba nag-high school, Divine? Sa St. Anthony Abbot ako :D

[pi_malejana]

wow.. bagong bago ang bridge na yan ah!!! ilang lanes pala iyan..?? sana nga ma-ease na ung traffic jan sa dagupan.. arellano ung name nung ma-traffic na street dun diba?

[tracymack]

@Tyronne: Yup, Divine Word College of Urdaneta. :) Sa Abbot ka pala. May classmates ako na ang last names Quiming & Ramirez. Isipin ko pa yung ibang taga Villasis. Dami rin sila eh.

[tracymack]

Ang laki kasi ng province natin, better siguro kapag sa Urdaneta and surrounding areas muna. Maganda pag ma post natin dito mga developments sa lugar natin. Tagal na rin ako hindi nakapunta sa Urdaneta.:lol:


As promised here are some pics of Urdaneta taken when I went home for the holidays. These pictures were taken from inside a car and some were taken while driving. I was able to take pictures that are not blurry thanks to daily traffic jams! :lol: I promise I'll take better pictures next time.

Now for the pics.. According to my sources, these four buildings are owned by one family in Urdaneta. You can tell just by looking at the buildings & its names. The mother building (owned by the mother :lol:) is the EF Square. It's huge that's why I was only able to take a picture of half of it. The mother had one building built for each of her children. Right now there are three other buildings sharing the same theme, "glass". These are the S Plaza, Mat Square Plaza & the "Speed" (don't know the name) building. The building names either include the word "square", "plaza" or both. :lol: I was told that the mother has more than three children so I guess we can expect more buildings like this to scrape Urdaneta's skyline in the near future.

S Plaza
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2114/2183433540_6cae388858_o.jpg

EF Square
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2182647645_f6921e218a_o.jpg

"Speed" Bldg.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2302/2182647725_97cbdd60d0_o.jpg

Mat Square Plaza
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2183433618_dcb1dab87e_o.jpg

I'll take pictures of the Shahanis' building (The Sanctuary) the next time I go home. As mentioned in one of the articles posted by allan_dude, this building will be housing several call centers. I'll also try to get the actual name of the "speed" bldg.

[tracymack]

I posted this on another thread..

More recent pics of my hometown's market (New Urdaneta City Public Market). Pictures were taken from inside the car. My apologies for that.

It's not as pretty as Dagupan's Malimgas Market but it sure is huge. Building A houses the wet market on the ground floor & parking on the upper floors. Building B houses stalls for various types of business/merchandise such as clothing, newstands, barber shops, dentist clinics, eye clinics, other types of clinics, pet shops, specialty shops, beauty parlors & restaurants. Basically everything other than the wet market. :lol: The top floor houses the amusement/gaming center (video games, kiddie rides & bingo). The market also has escalators for accessibility to people especially the elderly & the disabled as well as the lazy people. :lol:

This has got to be one of the largest Public Markets I've ever seen. I thought the Vigan & Laoag City markets were huge but after its completion, those two markets paled in comparison to the size of the Urdaneta Market. A little make over of its exterior would be nice though.

Building A

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2088/2182768103_357ae4c60e_o.jpg

Building B

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/2182768197_7e5e56c13c_o.jpg

I'll take more pictures from other angles to show just how large this structure really is.

[tracymack]

It's nothing new and most of you probably have seen it but here it is.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/2183596926_02d5fabeaf_o.jpg

[allan_dude]

As promised here are some pics of Urdaneta taken when I went home for the holidays. These pictures were taken from inside a car and some were taken while driving. I was able to take pictures that are not blurry thanks to daily traffic jams! :lol: I promise I'll take better pictures next time.

...



Thanks for the photo updates tracymack! We passed by Urdaneta on our way home from SFC La Union last Dec 22. The main road near the widened bridge/intersection is undergoing repair and i think they are also fixing the drainage or something. Traffic was horrible!

@tyronne

Mayat gumatang didyay Villasis! namili rin kami sa "Bagsakan Market" ng gulay galing sa SFC. Na experience ko rin tumawid sa foot bridge papunta sa Mercury Drug. hehe Dilaw na Dilaw ang bayan ha! Ang gara tignan nung munsipyo, lalo na yung christamas decorations, minimalist pero ang lakas ng dating! Pati yung island sa gitna ng daan, dilaw na dilaw talaga.

Pauwi ng Bayambang nadaan kami sa Villasis-Malasiqui Road. Sobrang smooth ng highway at ang ganda ng scenery, ang lawak ng palayan at panay mango orchards sa mga burol ng Lareg-lareg. :):)

[tracymack]

Here are pics of the old & new city halls. The new city hall is gorgeous and it's huge but it's a bit far from the city proper. The old one is well, old:lol: but it's at the center of the city and is a lot more accessible than the new one. The new city hall is becoming more of a financial burden because of its location as stated in this article: http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2007/08/05/urdaneta-maintains-2-city-halls/. The new city hall is in Brgy. Anonas. It's near the SM Urdaneta lot.

My take on this is that Mayor "bleep" who had the new city hall built was banking on SM luring more people to its location. I also think that he pushed through with this so that he would have a "big" project. Frankly, I don't remember him having any project with substance. This project cost the city a lot of money and Urdaneta was buried in debt. The city had more important issues that needed to be addressed than having a new city hall built. The city could have used the money for infrastructure development such as road widening & drainage improvement. If the city hall needed more floor space then they could have just brought down the old one and built a bigger one on the same location or they could have just expanded the old one. It's a good thing that the current mayor is doing a decent job turning things around and now Urdaneta is even being considered for upgrade to first class status. See article posted by allan_dude in this thread: http://news.balita.ph/html/article.php?story=20070804174319904.

The pics:

Old City Hall
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/2183726724_b6ffb73589_o.jpg

New City Hall
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2184/2182939601_d2c9a40c21_o.jpg
Picture of new city hall courtesy of jovie naval.
http://www.treklens.com/gallery/Asia/photo249149.htm

[allan_dude]

^^ I forgot to mention, we also dropped by at the City Hall's Assessors Office. I noticed the large parcels land around the complex. I think the local govt should develop the area into a new CDB to congest Urdaneta. I guess they are only waiting for SM to jump start the development plan.

[tracymack]

We went to Binalonan to buy clay pots & garden dishes for plants. We ended up buying plants as well. The house we went to had a big yard with plants all over the place. There were like a dozen houses/lots like this in that barangay. I forgot the name of the barangay. I'll try to find out. Most of the pictures here are of the garden. It's a great place to visit. Very cool & relaxing.

The pics:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/2183021099_d18a804dd6_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2020/2183020955_b17b734a0e_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/2183021187_81f4c858da_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2091/2183808738_0056b1f27d_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/2183808976_7853344bff_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2183026185_11867c972c_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2183813272_ed53872185_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2059/2183809064_d35745a0a7_o.jpg

[tracymack]

^^ I forgot to mention, we also dropped by at the City Hall's Assessors Office. I noticed the large parcels land around the complex. I think the local govt should develop the area into a new CDB to congest Urdaneta. I guess they are only waiting for SM to jump start the development plan.

Did you really mean to say congest? I hope not. Urdaneta is already too congested especially the area surrounding the Baguio/Dagupan/Asingan/Manila intersection. :D

That is most likely the case. Tagal kasi ng SM eh.:sleepy: Aside from that, they are probably waiting for the road widening project to be finished. By the way, did you notice the SM lot near the city hall? It's on the left side of the highway just before you reach PSU, PUNP, LNL & all those schools coming from the city hall. It's fenced with barbed wires & has a security guard post. If so, what do you think of the size? location?

Sorry about the traffic. I hope it gets better real soon. :)

[allan_dude]

Did you really mean to say congest? I hope not. Urdaneta is already too congested especially the area surrounding the Baguio/Dagupan/Asingan/Manila intersection. :D

That is most likely the case. Tagal kasi ng SM eh.:sleepy: Aside from that, they are probably waiting for the road widening project to be finished. By the way, did you notice the SM lot near the city hall? It's on the left side of the highway just before you reach PSU, PUNP, LNL & all those schools coming from the city hall. It's fenced with barbed wires & has a security guard post. If so, what do you think of the size? location?

Sorry about the traffic. I hope it gets better real soon. :)

My bad! I mean to decongest the city traffic. I was half awake when i got online! :lol:

[tracymack]

^^ Yup. I guess one way of easing traffic is by dispersing the volume of vehicles to different parts of the city. Right now traffic is concentrated on the central part of Urdaneta where most offices, schools & commercial establishments are located (Brgys. Poblacion, Nancayasan & San Vicente). Having SM & the City Hall in Brgy. Anonas would ease the traffic in those three barangays since people from the northern part of the city wouldn't need to go to the city proper to do their shopping & government transactions. This means less traffic in the city proper but this would mean more traffic in Anonas. Hopefully the road widening would compensate for it.

[tracymack]

Pangasinan to mark year-round festivities (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2008/01/05/news/pangasinan.to.mark.year.round.festivities.html)



Props to all the Pangasinan cities & municipalities mentioned in the article. We need more of these kinds of festivals. :applause:

As for my hometown... well..:ohno: I love Urdaneta to death but our city fiesta has got to be one of the crappiest in the province. It doesn't even have a theme like Villasis' talong festival & Dagupan's bangus festival. It's been the same old fiesta (if you can call it a fiesta) ever since. These old school officials need to learn from other cities. Can't they think of something like a cattle festival (largest cattle market north of manila)? Heck I'd even settle for "traffic festival" just to have some event name relevant to Urdaneta.

Here's a list of activities common in the fiesta calendar: parade, drum & lyre competion, teachers' night, balikbayan night, gay pageant, ABC-SK night, ballroom dancing and Miss Urdaneta City coronation night. Sounds disinteresting? It is!

The drum & lyre or marching band competition is great & has always been part of the fiesta. I've been a band member myself (for points in extra-curricular activities & for the experience :D) At least 20 schools compete in the grade school level. The high school level was removed probably because there were only two schools competing yearly & only one school (DWCU, my alma mater) wins. :hahaha:

The parade is a total waste of time. The floats are horrible. Just some popularity/money contest winners or balikbayans on dump trucks barely decorated with flowers & balloons. That's what you get if the festival does not have a theme. And why are students (non-members of marching bands, street dancers, floats, etc..) of all educational institutions in Urdaneta (around a hundred) required to join the parade? Who wants to watch long lines of exhausted, sweaty & irate kids? It's like watching a yearly death march.:rant:

All other activities are just so so.. I wouldn't even bother elaborating.

Oh well.. At least the people on the floats give away free candy. :lol:

I apologize for ranting. It just felt like I needed to let some fumes out. :)

[Sinjin P.]

The new Urdaneta City Hall looks grand

[tyronne]

Thanks for the photo updates tracymack! We passed by Urdaneta on our way home from SFC La Union last Dec 22. The main road near the widened bridge/intersection is undergoing repair and i think they are also fixing the drainage or something. Traffic was horrible!

@tyronne

Mayat gumatang didyay Villasis! namili rin kami sa "Bagsakan Market" ng gulay galing sa SFC. Na experience ko rin tumawid sa foot bridge papunta sa Mercury Drug. hehe Dilaw na Dilaw ang bayan ha! Ang gara tignan nung munsipyo, lalo na yung christamas decorations, minimalist pero ang lakas ng dating! Pati yung island sa gitna ng daan, dilaw na dilaw talaga.

Pauwi ng Bayambang nadaan kami sa Villasis-Malasiqui Road. Sobrang smooth ng highway at ang ganda ng scenery, ang lawak ng palayan at panay mango orchards sa mga burol ng Lareg-lareg. :):)

Yeah, our town is so yellow hehe! If MMDA's Fernando likes pink, our mayor likes yellow :D

It's our fiesta right now. You guys should visit :D

[tyronne]

Props to all the Pangasinan cities & municipalities mentioned in the article. We need more of these kinds of festivals. :applause:

As for my hometown... well..:ohno: I love Urdaneta to death but our city fiesta has got to be one of the crappiest in the province. It doesn't even have a theme like Villasis' talong festival & Dagupan's bangus festival. It's been the same old fiesta (if you can call it a fiesta) ever since. These old school officials need to learn from other cities. Can't they think of something like a cattle festival (largest cattle market north of manila)? Heck I'd even settle for "traffic festival" just to have some event name relevant to Urdaneta.

Here's a list of activities common in the fiesta calendar: parade, drum & lyre competion, teachers' night, balikbayan night, gay pageant, ABC-SK night, ballroom dancing and Miss Urdaneta City coronation night. Sounds disinteresting? It is!

The drum & lyre or marching band competition is great & has always been part of the fiesta. I've been a band member myself (for points in extra-curricular activities & for the experience :D) At least 20 schools compete in the grade school level. The high school level was removed probably because there were only two schools competing yearly & only one school (DWCU, my alma mater) wins. :hahaha:

The parade is a total waste of time. The floats are horrible. Just some popularity/money contest winners or balikbayans on dump trucks barely decorated with flowers & balloons. That's what you get if the festival does not have a theme. And why are students (non-members of marching bands, street dancers, floats, etc..) of all educational institutions in Urdaneta (around a hundred) required to join the parade? Who wants to watch long lines of exhausted, sweaty & irate kids? It's like watching a yearly death march.:rant:

All other activities are just so so.. I wouldn't even bother elaborating.

Oh well.. At least the people on the floats give away free candy. :lol:

I apologize for ranting. It just felt like I needed to let some fumes out. :)

Come visit Villasis, it's our fiesta right now :D

Speaking of drum and lyre competition, I'm sure you're aware that our school (Saint Anthony Abbot Academy) was the unbeatable drum and lyre band :D We were the champions in PRISAA from 1992-1997 (i'm not sure the years after that because I graduated in 1997). Divine was always a challenger but there were other good schools like Holy Angel of Binalonan and the Dominican School.

:D

[nayki]

from wikipedia

José María Sison :Early Years

A graduate of the University of the Philippines, in 1959, he studied in Indonesia, before returning to the Philippines to settle as a university professor of literature. In 1964, founded the Kabataang Makabayan or Patriotic Youth. This organization rallied Filipino youthagainst the Vietnam war, against the Marcos presidency and corrupt politicians.

On December 26, 1968, he formed and chaired the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), an organization founded on Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought, stemming from his experience as a youth leader and labor and land reform activist. This is known as the First Great Rectification movement where Sison and other radical youth criticized the existing Party leadership and failure. The reestablished CPP included set its general political line as two-stage revolution comprising national-democratic as the first stage then proceeding to the socialist revolution. On December 26, 2007, the Communist Party of the Philippines commemorated its 39th anniversary. Jose Maria Sison confirmed its birth, at Barangay Dulacac at the tri-boundary of Alaminos, Bani and Mabini, Pangasinan, where the CPP "congress of reestablishment" was held on December 26, 1968, exactly at a hut near the house of the Navarettes, the parents-in-law of Arthur Garcia, one of the CPP founders.[3]Sison announced that communist guerillas held "cultural activities" and celebrated the 39th anniversary of the movement.[4]

After this, the old Communist Party sought to eliminate and marginalize Sison. However, the reorganized CPP had a larger base and renewed political line that attracted thousands to join its ranks.[citation needed] On March 29, 1969, the CPP organized the New People's Army (NPA), the guerrilla-military wing of the Party, whose insurgencies around the Philippines, particularly in the northern part of the country, persist to this day. The NPA seeks to wage a peasant-worker revolutionary war in the countryside against landlords and foreign companies.

After Martial Law was imposed, Sison was imprisoned and chained to a bed in a solitary cell. His experience was described in Prison & Beyond, a book of poetry released in 1986, which won the Southeast Asia WRITE award for the Philippines.

[allan_dude]

Yeah, our town is so yellow hehe! If MMDA's Fernando likes pink, our mayor likes yellow

It's our fiesta right now. You guys should visit

HAPPY FiESTA!!! :banana:
HAPPY FiESTA!!!

Talong festival na ba?

"On December 26, 2007, the Communist Party of the Philippines commemorated its 39th anniversary. Jose Maria Sison confirmed its birth, at Barangay Dulacac at the tri-boundary of Alaminos, Bani and Mabini, Pangasinan, where the CPP "congress of reestablishment" was held on December 26, 1968, exactly at a hut near the house of the Navarettes, the parents-in-law of Arthur Garcia, one of the CPP founders."

^^ Plano ng Alaminos City Govt maglagay ng tourist trail/marker sa lugar na yan.


39TH ANNIVERSARY
Joma Sison recalls birth of CPP in Alaminos


By Gabriel Cardinoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20071226-108822/Joma_Sison_recalls_birth_of_CPP_in_Alaminos)

ALAMINOS CITY, Philippines--The Communist Party of the Philippines marks its 39th anniversary Wednesday, but few residents of this bustling coastal city in western Pangasinan know that the CPP was born in one of their upland barangay or villages.

Mayor Hernani Braganza, a former member of the Kabataang Makabayan, a leftist group that went underground when martial law was declared in 1972, said he learned about this fact only in 2001. He was then the agrarian reform secretary and member of the government panel engaged in peace talks with the CPP's political arm, the National Democratic Front (NDF).

Braganza said it was CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison who told him about it during a meeting in the Netherlands, where the latter has lived in self-exile since the late 1980s.

Sison, the chief political consultant of the NDF, confirmed in an e-mail to the Inquirer that it was in a "barrio" in Alaminos where the CPP "congress of reestablishment" was held on Dec. 26, 1968.

According to Braganza, that barrio is the remote Barangay Dulacac at the tri-boundary of Alaminos and the towns of Bani and Mabini.

Sison said the meeting place was a hut near the house of the Navarettes, the parents-in-law of Arthur Garcia, one of the CPP founders. Garcia died in 1969.

Christmas Day

"We did not use the Navarette house [for the congress] but a smaller type of bamboo house used for rest from farm work," Sison said. "We had to walk for some 30 minutes from the Navarette house to the smaller house."

Sison said the CPP founders arrived in Alaminos by Pantranco bus from Metro Manila on Christmas Day in two batches, and walked from the bus terminal all the way to the site.

The place was chosen because "it was safe, secluded and distant enough from Manila," Sison said.

He said Garcia's in-laws and wife were not aware of the nature of the meeting: "They must have thought we were having a picnic."

A total of 11 delegates attended the congress, including Sison, Garcia, Carlos del Rosario and Noli Collantes, and two lookouts from a Manila trade union.

"I [will not] mention the names of the living because I do not have their permission to name them," Sison said.

Braganza said the only means of transport to Dulacac at that time was the kalesa (horse-drawn cart) or on horseback.

He said politicians campaigning for election had to use the dusty uphill road to Dulacac, and "it took them a day to get there."

The road has since been paved, and travel time has been reduced to 30 minutes by car.

Alaminos, home to the Hundred Islands National Park, is now also a popular tourist spot.

Hardly changed

But except for the paved road, Dulacac has not changed much since 1968, Braganza said. It is still a sparsely populated farming village surrounded by thick vegetation.

"I was never able to go back to the place," Sison said. "Thus, after 39 years, I have forgotten [its] name. We have long [referred to] the place...as 'somewhere between Central and Northern Luzon.'"

Sison suggested that Braganza develop the site into a tourist spot and reconstruct the hut where the CPP founding congress was held.

"Since 39 years ago, the CPP has become the revolutionary party of the proletariat and the Filipino people and has been an undeniably major force in Philippine history," he said.

Braganza agreed that the CPP was "now part of our political history." He said a "marker" could be put there to indicate that the party was "born in that area."

Recalled Sison: "There should still be a tree there because one of the lookouts fell asleep on a sturdy branch and fell. I do not remember what kind of tree [it was]."

Can't stop it

The lookout was trade unionist Mariano (Ka Duma) Lacsa, who became a leading cadre of the CPP's Northern Luzon Regional Committee. He died in Isabela in the early 1970s, Sison said.

In a statement issued to mark the CPP anniversary, Sison said the Arroyo administration could not stop the "armed revolution," which he described as a "just cause."

"The Arroyo regime cannot destroy but unwittingly causes the armed revolution to advance... It is currently the best recruiter of the armed revolution," he said, adding:

"It is, therefore, understandable why this armed revolution is indestructible and has successfully persevered against the Marcos fascist dictatorship and the subsequent pseudo-democratic regimes."

Saying that the CPP's armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), was "gaining strength and advancing," Sison belittled the capacity of the police and military in preventing the spread of the armed revolution.

He cited "many keen observers" in saying that the military and police could occupy and control only 10 percent of Philippine territory, and that "government troops could not concentrate their maneuver units on more than 10 percent of the NPA's guerrilla fronts at any given time."

3 factors

Sison said the CPP was confident that its revolution would "continue to gain strength as massive corruption in government forces the masses to join the communist underground movement."

He said three factors were contributing to the "indestructibility and success" of the CPP revolution:

The alleged failure of the system of government, which had supposedly been aggravated by globalization and the war on terror.

The Filipinos' "desire" for revolutionary change, which purportedly resulted from their alleged view of President Macapagal-Arroyo as "the paragon of social, economic, political and moral bankruptcy."

The CPP's "resolute and effective leadership" of the movement.

The CPP-NPA, through party spokesperson Gregorio Rosal, had earlier declared a four-day holiday ceasefire.

He said the NPA would not launch attacks against government forces during "the traditional holiday celebrations."

[allan_dude]

Town halls revisited

By Danny O. Sagun

Dagupan City - Municipal halls - municipio or presidencia as locals call such buildings - in Pangasinan have transformed from small two-storey wooden edifices to imposing concrete multi-storey buildings.

This we noticed in our trips around the province as we conducted interviews with local officials being our respondents for an academic research study. Only about six town halls we visited have remained in their original state. Some are either entirely new buildings, while the others underwent full renovation.

The Mabini town hall looks practically the same as it did decades ago –only that an extension building was constructed on the right side to house the sangguniang bayan and other offices. The presidencia in Mangatarem is the same old building where the mayor holds office at the second floor, but nearby are the new legislative and PNP buildings. Mapandan has yet to abandon its old town hall although at the back is a concrete building where majority of offices like the mayor's office are located. On the left side of the old hall is the new PNP building.

San Jacinto has remodeled its hall to make way for extensions at the wings and at the back although it practically looks the same as the old presidencia we used to see during our grade school days. A new PNP building was recently opened. Sta. Maria also maintains the old municipio. Built nearby are new buildings to accommodate some offices.

The Malasiqui town hall is the same edifice we saw a decade ago. Ditto with the Basista hall although that building was built a few decades back being a young town. That one in Bayambang already saw some renovations although it practically looks the same as it was several years ago.

The facade of the Aguilar town hall was maintained but extensions at the back portion and on the left front were made. Market stalls occupy the ground floor of the left wing extension while government offices including the sangguniang bayan occupy the second floor. Urbiztondo has a new imposing municipal hall built during the time of Mayor Arambulo who unfortunately lost his re-election try. But the facade looks like the old building. A separate legislative hall was built on its left.

In Manaoag, the hall was renovated to accommodate an extension at the left side. Nearby is the new PNP building. Urdaneta has a huge city hall far away from the poblacion. Mayor Amadeo Perez decided however to hold office at the old building most of the time for his constituents to readily reach him. The collection unit of the treasury office also holds office at the old building. The city police has also remained at a building at the back of the Mayor's Park adjacent to the old hall.

The old town hall in Alaminos underwent major renovation although the facade was also maintained. The police is now housed in a new building far from the city hall. The sangguniang panlungsod has its separate building across the city hall. Binmaley recently renovated its old hall but maintained the original look and structure. Only that the name Presidencia was covered from view by an extension right infront.

The old hall in Mangaldan was also preserved where it still houses the mayor's office. The new building on the right is home to many other offices. The sangguniang bayan is located some distance away at the gymnasium beside the public plaza.

We saw a totally-different looking town hall in Pozorrubio - a three storey glass structure. It was so entirely different from the old town hall we used to see. The police however continues to occupy an old building at the side.

Other municipalities with new town halls which no longer look like the old presidencia are Villasis (like a MacDo outlet according to former Secretary Mike Defensor when he came over early last year to inaugurate the building apparently due to the bright colors), Asingan, Rosales, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Bani, Agno, Bugallon and Sual.

We have yet to visit a few towns left. Next time please. (PIA-Pangasinan (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p080111.htm&no=40&r=&y=&mo=))

***


Texas cop trains Dagupan enforcers

By Behn Fer. Hortaleza, Jr.

Dagupan City - Gun handling as practiced and lived by the San Antonio, Texas police in the United States formed a major part of a firearms training recently conducted for Pangasinan police officers and men by a visiting Filipino-American peace officer based in the Lone Star state.

Texas police officer Monico Siapno Meneses, a certified law enforcement firearms instructor in the US and a native of Bonuan in Dagupan City was guest lecturer during the training held at the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office in Lingayen last Thursday, Jan. 3.

Meneses, a recipient of several National Champion trophies and awards in shooting competitions, both in the police service and outside, in the United States, shared his knowledge and skills in handgun and shotgun handling under difficult circumstances while on and off duty.

He also passed on to his local counterparts in the law enforcement service some survival techniques on saving other people's lives, using a powerpoint presentation and films to illustrate the key moves to some 25 participants coming from various police stations and the PNP headquarters.

The visiting Texas police officer was welcomed by Provincial Police Director Isagani Nerez who lauded the opportunity to learn techniques from one among the best police outfits in the world and home of the famous Texas Rangers of the US.

P/Supt Harris Fama, chief of operations of the Pangasinan Police organized the training. (PIA-Pangasinan (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p080111.htm&no=28))

***


NEDA to help plan tri-point Noorth Luzon ferry service

Alaminos City - The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has agreed to help prepare the feasibility study for the ferry system envisioned to serve the tri-points of Alaminos-Dagupan City-San Fernando City in La Union, according to Mayor Hernani Braganza of Alaminos.

Braganza said this January, units of the boats that will be used for the ferry system will be brought to Alaminos to test their seaworthiness. The boats are twin engines and can be designed either as 50, 60 and 100-seater, he said.

Braganza said he and the mayors of Dagupan and San Fernando City are thinking of buying the boats from the company that previously operated the ferry system in Pasig River or order these from a boat maker in Laguna.

He said the ferry system will be a big help to Alaminos residents going to San Fernando City, the regional government center, which trip by land takes one hour at most, instead of three hours by private car.

The ferry system technically will cut travel time by precious two hours, he estimated.

On the other hand, from Alaminos to Dagupan City, by ferry,would take only 30 minutes.

"In our initial talk, the three cities will take care of the initial cost but of course we are also open (to) the entry of the private sector that will eventually operate the project," the mayor added.

He said there should be a management group to operate the system as the local government units do not have the expertise needed for such project.

Dagupan City Mayor Fernandez suggested four to five boats to initially ply the Lingayen Gulf under the ferry system.

The whole feasibility study period for the project may take about three to four months, Braganza said. (PIA-Pangasinan (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p080111.htm&no=31))

[pi_malejana]

^^ wow.. they mentioned my hometown--San Jacinto..:lol: although i can't picture the hall they're talking about.. hehehe..

[tracymack]

The new Urdaneta City Hall looks grand
It is. And so was the price tag. :lol:

[tracymack]

Come visit Villasis, it's our fiesta right now :D

Speaking of drum and lyre competition, I'm sure you're aware that our school (Saint Anthony Abbot Academy) was the unbeatable drum and lyre band :D We were the champions in PRISAA from 1992-1997 (i'm not sure the years after that because I graduated in 1997). Divine was always a challenger but there were other good schools like Holy Angel of Binalonan and the Dominican School.

:D
Happy fiesta gayam karruba! Mapan ak ta ayan yo. Agpakan ka ngarud! :lol:

Yes, I am aware of SAAA's dominance in the PRISAA drum & lyre competition but what I was referring to was the Urdaneta City fiesta drum & lyre contest. It's where the opposing school got whipped year in & year out.:D

Is there a Holy Angel school in binalonan or are you referring to Holy Child?

[tracymack]

Come visit Villasis, it's our fiesta right now :D

Speaking of drum and lyre competition, I'm sure you're aware that our school (Saint Anthony Abbot Academy) was the unbeatable drum and lyre band :D We were the champions in PRISAA from 1992-1997 (i'm not sure the years after that because I graduated in 1997). Divine was always a challenger but there were other good schools like Holy Angel of Binalonan and the Dominican School.

:D
Happy fiesta gayam karruba! Mapan ak ta ayan yo. Agpakan ka ngarud! :lol:

Yes, I am aware of SAAA's dominance in the PRISAA drum & lyre competition but what I was referring to was the Urdaneta City fiesta drum & lyre contest. It's where the opposing school got whipped year in & year out.:D

Is there a Holy Angel school in binalonan or are you referring to Holy Child?

[chocolato1000]

ATO urged to build airport to service Hundred Islands

ALAMINOS CITY, Philippines -- The Regional Development Council in the Ilocos region is urging the Air Transportation Office to build an international airport in Alaminos City "to bolster the economic gains in Northern Luzon."

Alaminos is the trade, commercial and educational center in western Pangasinan, and home to the Hundred Islands National Park, one of the region's major tourist attractions.

The council, which coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the province, cited the increase in the arrival of local and foreign tourists in the region as a result of the continued development of tourism facilities and amenities close to the Hundred Islands.

"A greater number of tourists are projected to visit the city and the surrounding tourist sites if only travel to western Pangasinan is shortened to less than an hour relative to the other major tourist attractions in Northern Philippines," the council said.

The council said the establishment of a regional airport in Alaminos was proposed as early as 2002 when initial discussions on its possible site were made.

In a letter, Joaquin Ernesto Po, Asian Spirit executive vice president, told Mayor Hernani Braganza that the company would use its turboprop aircraft to service the city once the airport is built.

“As this is now the trend in tourism, we hope that the proposed Alaminos City airport will be able to accommodate our jet aircraft and enable us to fly in tourists from Korea or Taiwan direct to the home of the world-famous Hundred Islands," Po said.

Braganza said the Department of Transportation and Communications has assured the city government that the P7.5 million need for the feasibility study has been included in the 2008 national budget.

He said a pre-feasibility study conducted by the ATO already showed that an international airport in the city was technically and financially viable.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. is batting for the rehabilitation of the Lingayen airstrip while the League of Mayors of Pangasinan has endorsed the establishment of the airport in Sta. Barbara town.

Albertini de Guzman, municipal administrator of Sta. Barbara town, said the feasibility study to be conducted by the DOTC includes Sta. Barbara.

[allan_dude]

Dagupan City to build own slaughterhouse FINALLY, Dagupan will soon build and operate its own modern slaughterhouse that could become the model in the province.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez announced this after the courtesy call made by the city council on Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. last January 7. She said the establishment of the new slaughterhouse is one of the priority projects spelled out by the mayor for 2008.

“A slaughterhouse for Dagupan City is long overdue,” she said.

Dagupan’s old and dilapidated slaughterhouse near the bank of the Pantal River was closed in the 1980s by the National Meat and Inspection Commission for being sub-standard and unsanitary.

Since then, the city depended on meat and meat products supplied by a privately-owned slaughterhouse in barangay Tebeng in the city and later from the double a slaughterhouse in Mangaldan.

Vice Mayor Fernandez said she was informed by meat vendors at the Malimgas Public Market that besides Mangaldan, the other town supplying meat to Dagupan is Malasiqui.

A report stated that the fact that meat coming from Malasiqui usually no longer undergoes the usual sanitary inspection before this is passed to vendors in an adjacent private market at much lower prices.

Fernandez earlier assured the meat vendors in the city that the city council will support the construction and operation of a modern slaughterhouse.

The location of the abattoir has yet to be finalized.

“We in the city council will give our whole-hearted support to this project,” said Fernandez, adding that the city intends to seek the help of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. for this undertaking.
The National Meat and Inspection Commission will also be asked not only to boost the funding available but also provide the necessary guidelines for the project.—LM (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/dagupan-city-to-build-own-slaughterhouse/#more-7898)

***


GK, Urduja to build 1,048 homes LINGAYEN–Gawad Kalinga (GK) and the provincial government will provide more than a thousand new houses for the province’s poor through“sweat equity” of the beneficiaries.

Engr. Alvin Bigay, provincial housing and homesite regulation officer, told The PUNCH that about 1,048 housing units will be jointly built at a 10-hectare lot within the 30-hectare property of the provincial government which has been allocated for the homeless.

The beneficiaries, who will be selected from this capital town and neighboring municipalities, will be required to render 200 hours of construction work.

Bigay said 150 families have so far already been identified.

GK will source the materials from its donors while the provincial government has allocated an initial P5 million for the housing project in its 2008 budget.

GK officials led by Charito del Rosario, head of the partnership management group, and Lyndon Bonson, regional head of the GK for Northern Luzon, visited the home site last December 20 and discussed the project.

The provincial board passed last Monday three resolutions related to the project.

These include the identification and designation of the 10-hectare area as the housing project site; institutionalizing the Abong Tayo Eletneg Program (ATEP)-”We Build Homes Together”, a local housing initiative for the homeless and underprivileged families in Pangasinan; and giving Gov. Amado Espino Jr. authority to enter into an agreement/partnership with the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, Inc. for the establishment of the of GK-ATEP sites in the province.

The Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, Inc. is a private group involved in building Christian communities through housing projects coupled with values formation and skills training for sustained development and social transformation.
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/gk-urduja-to-build-1048-homes/#more-7900).

[allan_dude]

Indian national awarded Dapupan’s outstanding resident

By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
Sun.Star (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2008/01/13/news/indian.national.awarded.dapupan.s.outstanding.resident.html)

DAGUPAN CITY -- An Indian national who has been residing in the city for the last 27 years was given recognition as outstanding resident of Dagupan by the City Government last December.

Ashok Vasandani, lone recipient of said award, received it during the city fiesta and coronation night from Dagupan Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. on December 27, 2007.

Vasandani was cited “for his admirable civic spirit and cooperation worthy emulation not only by other resident foreigners but also by all Dagupeños.”

Tamayo said it is but fitting to acknowledged Vasandani's “selfless civic spiritedness and cooperation in various social functions and undertakings, especially those involving the welfare of marginalized and less-privileged constituents in the city.”

He said Vasandani endeared himself to the cross-section of the city's populace on account of his unbridled spirit of voluntarism, especially rendered to enhance or accelerate the enforcement of local statutes and the realization of Local Government programs and projects.

Vasandani is the incumbent president of the Philippine Indian Community -- Pangasinan chapter.

He organized last year the Indian Community Blood-letting Project held on August 2007 in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) -- Pangasinan chapter.

He and his fellow Indians later participated in the blood-letting project of Bombo Radyo Pangasinan.

Among the many beneficiaries of his civic work were the Dagupan City Police Station, Region 1 Medical Center, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) district office in Dagupan.

Vasandani said his civic work is his way of sharing to the people the blessing he and his family receives from God.

Starting at 5 a.m. every morning, he starts sending spiritual text messages to more than 600 friends.

He said he painstakingly send the message one recipient at a time for it to be personal and meaningful.

***

Council okays P427.5M city budget for 2008 The Dagupan City council approved in its special session on Monday a P427.5 million budget for Dagupan in 2008.

The approved budget is P52 million higher than the P375 million budget last year.

Stressing that the budget is realizable, Councilor Danilo Torio, chair of the committee on finance and appropriations, pointed out that the bigger 2008 budget was arrived at owing to the anticipated P44 million increase in the city Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez said much of the budget will be spent to make Dagupan City both child-friendly and business-friendly.

This year’s budget, according to Torio, will be financed from the P211,580,529 million IRA, comprising 50 percent of the whole budget; P68,149,471 or 19 percent from miscellaneous revenues; and P147,330,000 or 34 percent from local taxes.

The budget is distributed into the following: General Public Service, P189,541,812, 44 percent; Health, Nutrition and Population Control, P27,738,000, 7 percent; Social Security, Social Services and Welfare, P18,870,246, four percent; Economic Services, P106,368,942, 25 percent; Debt Servicing, P60,000,000, P14 percent; Aid to Barangay, P3,131,000, one percent; and P21,350,000 or five percent reserve for calamity.

Councilor Michael Fernandez, vice chairman of the committee on finance and appropriations, joined Torio in defending the increased budget.

He said the council also took into consideration the needs of every department of the city in consonance with the growing needs of the people of Dagupan.
MALIMGAS RENT FEE



Fernandez said the high cost of rentals pegged by the previous administration is the main reason for the low occupancy in the three-year old Malimgas Public Market saying.

He said he favors full occupancy with lower stall rental fees to stimulate economic growth in the city. —LM (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/council-okays-p4275m-city-budget-for-2008/#more-7905)

[allan_dude]

First Ilocos ferry system in place by June- Braganza

ALAMINOS CITY—The first-ever ferry system in the Ilocos Region is targeted to be in place by June this year, according to the project’s prime-mover Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Braganza said the test run for a 30-seater ferry in the vast expanse of the Lingayen Gulf, to be attended by Mayors Alipio Fernandez Jr. of Dagupan

and Pablo Ortega of San Fernando City, is scheduled this the month.

The ferry will link Alaminos to Dagupan and San Fernando cities via the Lingayen Gulf.

Braganza first broached the idea of a point-to-point ferry system to Ortega when he visited San Fernando City last November.

Fernandez, meanwhile, gave his full backing to the project when Braganza discussed this with him later.

The three city chief executives immediately formed a technical working group (TWG) to study the project and set the timetable for its implementation.

The TWG is currently considering a 100-seater type ferry to accommodate more passengers in a single cruise, aside from the 30-seater.

The mayors are eyeing to buy the boats used in the ferry system along the Pasig River or order these from a manufacturer in Laguna.

Braganza disclosed the need for such a ferry system because more than half of tourist destinations in the country are in Region I.

At least 31 percent of these can be found in western Pangasinan, the mayor said.

“This is the reason why the Alaminos-Dagupan-San Fernando ferry system project has to be initiated,” Braganza said.

Once fully operational, the ferry service is expected to serve local and foreign tourists from Baguio and those from Vigan and Laoag who would like to go to Alaminos City’s Hundred Islands National Park.

By land, it usually takes four to five hours for tourists from Baguio to reach Alaminos.

“With a ferry system, the travel time will just be two hours, aside from the luxury of viewing the breath-taking sceneries that include the skylines of San Fernando and Dagupan, the coal-fired power plant in Sual and the long stretch of white beaches along the gulf,” said Braganza.

BENEFITS


Dagupan’s Fernandez said the ferry system will greatly enhance the tourism potentials of Alaminos, the shop and dine environment of Dagupan as well as easier travel to San Fernando, the regional capital.

“If one is from San Fernando, he can visit the Hundred Islands in Alaminos in the morning and before going back to his point of origin, he can drop by Dagupan and do business and make some shopping,” Fernandez said.

Being a tri-venture among the three cities, each one is expected to contribute funding for the project and provide their respective docking areas.

This early, Dagupan businessmen are reportedly excited about the project.

Some big hotel and resort owners been have offering their places, especially those situated along the river, for berthing.

Fernandez said they were initially considering four units for the trial run and eventually work out a loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the full implementation of the project.

He said if the project proves successful, the three cities are going to unload their investments and pass the project to the private sector.

“We will just pioneer this project and invite the private sector to continue it.” Fernandez said.—LM (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/first-ilocos-ferry-system-in-place-by-june-braganza/#more-7904)

***

Villasis ‘Talong’ Festival beckons on January 18 VILLASIS–Talong (eggplant), the main produce of this town known as the Vegetable Bowl of Pangasinan, takes center stage on January 18, the annual fiesta celebration highlighted by the Talong Festival.

Mayor Nonato Abrenica said the people in their town will once again take the streets for the street dancing, cookfest, float parade, and a grilling showcase, all featuring their top and most famous produce.


Abrenica said that since they started holding the Talong Festival, already a part of the Philippine Tourism Authority’s official event’s calendar, more people have been coming to buy their agricultural products, especially at their Bagsakan Market.

Of the 21 barangays here, 12 are in-
volved in eggplant production with 335 hectares planted to this crop.

While there are many varieties of eggplant planted here, local farmers prefer the best-selling type, the long, dark purple casino variety, deemed ideal for grilling and usually dipped in bagoong with spiced with vinegar or calamansi and mixed with sliced tomatoes and chopped onions.

“Our eggplant is re ally a hit among the masses because aside from being cheap, it is long, big and delicious,” Abrenica said.

Meanwhile, the mayor said he is also very happy with the overwhelming support of balikbayans (homecoming Filipinos) for infrastructure projects.

This year’s Miss Villasis search, a popularity contest, generated P9 million which will be used for the roofing of the town’s auditorium.

To be crowned Miss Villasis on Jan. 19 is Aileen May Abrena supported by the Villasinians Organization of California, USA, while first princess is Paola Sison Morden sponsored by the Villasinians Federation of Europe and the local government unit and second princess is Roxanne Dumenden supported by Villasinians Association of East Coast, USA.
Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/villasis-talong-festival-beckons-on-january-18/#more-7902).

[allan_dude]

Tondaligan plan set into motion

TO the relief of city workers, the owners of the remaining old and unsightly picnic sheds at Tondaligan Park in Bonuan Gueset offered no resistance when the deadline for their demolition lapsed.

Councilmen Eddie de Vera and Roger Ceralde said owners of the sheds voluntarily tore down their sheds and beat a bulldozer from doing it for them, to pave the way for the implementation of the re-development plan.

Barangay Chairman Angelito Gumarang said the move is part of the re-development plan of the Tondaligan Park now being implemented by the city government in order to attract more tourists to the city.

The councilmen said the newly vacated areas will be leveled and converted into a long bay walk for Tondaligan visitors.

The owners of the sheds blown by the storm surge were already stopped from rebuilding their sheds and those that were recently demolished by their owners were those that survived the storm.

The new plan will feature uniform sheds with no wall partitions walling and this time, set back a few meters from the beach shoreline.

De Vera and Ceraldesaid with the unsightly sheds gone, the sea is now very visible from the outside and look forward to the establishment of a new Tondaligan Park that would be a pride of Dagupan City.

The two credit City Administrator Alvin Fernandez for initiating the plan.—LM (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/tondaligan-plan-set-into-motion/#more-7903)

***

Sto. Tomas all geared up for longest grill record STO. TOMAS–”Walang sunog na mais, lahat masarap kainin (No charred corn, all good for eating).”

Mayor Vivien Villar proudly told The PUNCH after the town completed its fourth dry-run on January 4 for its bid for the longest barbeque in the Guinness Book of World Records using its glutinous white corn product.

Villar said they are ready to break Hermosillo, Mexico’s longest barbeque record of 1,290.4 meters on Nov. 20, 2006.

Sto. Tomas’ grilling feat will be held on Feb. 10 at 4:00 p.m., which will be the climax of the celebration of the town’s 100 years founding anniversary.

The grill will be almost five kilometers long, using 121,00 corn ears of the white glutinous variety type, with 2,028 grills made of bamboo to be used, with each grill measuring 2.4 meters long.

Vice Mayor Timoteo Villar III, chairman of the Corn Festival, said three persons will be manning each grill, or a total of 6,084 people, all of whom are volunteers among the town’s population.

The mayor said organic farming was used in their corn planting as part of their advocacy for the environment and health.
Other activities during the 10-day Corn Festival include a showcase of 100 ways to cook mais, trade fairs, street dancing, and float parade, among others.
Filed under News, People & Events by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/13/sto-tomas-all-geared-up-for-longest-grill-record/#more-7899).

[gurugeri]

Hello. guys! I went to Baguio February last year and found Urdaneta City's traffic has not improved at all. On a positive note, the traffic jams were an indication of a truly bustling city. In 2002, was Urdaneta already a city? I thought that time that it was busy and all. Anyway, I saw that city hall. Yes, very grand. Currently, what is the city's income classification. I bet it would magnify when SM finally opens its doors to you guys!

[tyronne]

Urdaneta should do something about their drainage. Sometimes, konting ulan lang baha na sa may Nancayasan tapos mabaho pa yung tubig. I like what Tarlac City is doing. Inayos nila yung drainage nila tapos pinaluwang ang highway.

Yung traffic matagal nang problem yan sa Urdaneta kasi nga yung intersection going to Baguio, Dagupan, and papuntang east. Tsaka ginagawa kasi yung road-widening kaya parang lumala pa. Pero hopefully pag natapos yung road-widening project siguro naman wala nang masyadong traffic jams sa Urdaneta.

[pi_malejana]

^^ flooding is a bad and yet old problem in urdaneta.. i remember being stranded there for hours inside a bus, even though manaoag is just less than an hour away..

at least they're having a road widening.. sana in the future i-divert na ung routes ng mga bus sa isang expressway, and not to go through the city proper anymore..:)

[tracymack]

Urdaneta should do something about their drainage. Sometimes, konting ulan lang baha na sa may Nancayasan tapos mabaho pa yung tubig. I like what Tarlac City is doing. Inayos nila yung drainage nila tapos pinaluwang ang highway.

Yung traffic matagal nang problem yan sa Urdaneta kasi nga yung intersection going to Baguio, Dagupan, and papuntang east. Tsaka ginagawa kasi yung road-widening kaya parang lumala pa. Pero hopefully pag natapos yung road-widening project siguro naman wala nang masyadong traffic jams sa Urdaneta.

That is exactly what Urdaneta is doing right now. It's not just road widening but also drainage improvements. That is why it's taking too long. I don't know if you've passed by Urdaneta lately but there's a lot of digging going on and they're installing these HUGE drainange tunnels. Huge as in you can fit like two cars in it. At least the flooding is not as worse as other cities where a little drizzle would cause floods then brownouts happen and classes get cancelled. Classes/work only get cancelled when there is a signal #3 typhoon. Hopefully all this work would benefit Urdaneta the soonest possible time.

[tracymack]

^^ flooding is a bad and yet old problem in urdaneta.. i remember being stranded there for hours inside a bus, even though manaoag is just less than an hour away..

at least they're having a road widening.. sana in the future i-divert na ung routes ng mga bus sa isang expressway, and not to go through the city proper anymore..:)

The answer to that would have been the Urdaneta flyover project. I don't know what happened but I've heard the funds were used for something else. :nuts: Maybe a diversion/circumferential road would be effective. I wasn't totally in favor of the flyover project. The bragging rights for having a flyover in your city would be nice but I personally think it would make the city look a little dim (because of the shade) and dirty especially if the flyover starts to age and gets filled with all sorts of vandalism. The circumferential road on the other hand would create more areas for development especially the untapped parts of the city. The road widening currently being done is a good start though.

[tracymack]

Hello. guys! I went to Baguio February last year and found Urdaneta City's traffic has not improved at all. On a positive note, the traffic jams were an indication of a truly bustling city. In 2002, was Urdaneta already a city? I thought that time that it was busy and all. Anyway, I saw that city hall. Yes, very grand. Currently, what is the city's income classification. I bet it would magnify when SM finally opens its doors to you guys!

Hey there! :wave: Urdanetan here. Traffic actually worsened because of the road widening project which hopefully would alleviate the current traffic situation once it's completed. Yeah, I guess traffic jams are signs of progress. :) Urdaneta became a city in 1998 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdaneta_City) so it's a pretty young city but it's now at 2nd class city status and is on the verge of being tagged as 1st class, the first in region 1 (http://news.balita.ph/html/article.p...70804174319904). As for income classification, it's 1st class (http://www.pangasinan.gov.ph/towns/urdaneta.htm). This is what makes SM's choice of putting up SM Rosales first before SM Urdaneta a mystery to me. I think SM is the break that Urdaneta is waiting for and is necessary for the city to sustain its rapid growth. The sky's the limit for this city once SM establishes its presence here.

Hey thanks for your kind words about our city and for appreciating our city hall. :) A lot of people dislike Urdaneta primarily because of the traffic. For that, I apologize. Hopefully things get better soon. :)

[tyronne]

That is exactly what Urdaneta is doing right now. It's not just road widening but also drainage improvements. That is why it's taking too long. I don't know if you've passed by Urdaneta lately but there's a lot of digging going on and they're installing these HUGE drainange tunnels. Huge as in you can fit like two cars in it. At least the flooding is not as worse as other cities where a little drizzle would cause floods then brownouts happen and classes get cancelled. Classes/work only get cancelled when there is a signal #3 typhoon. Hopefully all this work would benefit Urdaneta the soonest possible time.

Oh, yeah, I've seen those huge tunnels. I apologize. I even passed through one of them (yung nakalagay sa gilid ng daan) one time when I went to Smart's office. :D Sana lang madaliin kasi parang it's taking them forever to finish the road widening project. Kelan ba to nag-start at kelan matatapos ang project?

[gurugeri]

Urdaneta became a city in 1998 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdaneta_City) so it's a pretty young city but it's now at 2nd class city status and is on the verge of being tagged as 1st class, the first in region 1 (http://news.balita.ph/html/article.p...70804174319904).

Do you mean there is no first class city in Region I? What about Dagupan, San Fernando?


Thanks for your kind words about our city and for appreciating our city hall. :) A lot of people dislike Urdaneta primarily because of the traffic. For that, I apologize. Hopefully things get better soon. :)

You're welcome. Well, I can relate much because my hometown, Daraga, Albay, also has problems in traffic. The worst part is that there is no available space for expansion unless our officials move the town proper to the uplands, which is quite impossible.

[tracymack]

Do you mean there is no first class city in Region I? What about Dagupan, San Fernando?


None, unless one of the cities got upgraded sometime between now & august 2007 (the article publish date). Dagupan & Urdaneta are both 2nd class cities. I don't know about San Fernando but I'm pretty sure it's not 1st class.

[gurugeri]

None, unless one of the cities got upgraded sometime between now & august 2007 (the article publish date). Dagupan & Urdaneta are both 2nd class cities. I don't know about San Fernando but I'm pretty sure it's not 1st class.

Ah, yes. I remember the towns and cities were reclassified sometime last year, I think, and Legazpi and Naga--both were first class cities before the reclassification--are now second class like Dagupan and Urdaneta.

[tracymack]

Ah, yes. I remember the towns and cities were reclassified sometime last year, I think, and Legazpi and Naga--both were first class cities before the reclassification--are now second class like Dagupan and Urdaneta.

Really? A reclassification? Do you have links to articles regarding this? I just want to know what the requirements are for a city to be eligible for upgrade. Thanks!

[gurugeri]

I think the League of Cities website has an explanation on this. The National Statistical Coordination Board website may have one too. Pero you can also search via google. Last year lang ata yung reclassification.

[tracymack]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/2200961912_34fba0688e_o.jpg

Here's a pic of the older CSI in Urdaneta. This is not CSI warehouse club Urdaneta. This is the one fronting CB Mall. Half of it which used to be the cinema is being torn down. Business wise, this Urdaneta branch is doing well but the structure isn't the prettiest. Anyone with any info on why it's being torn down? Renovation? Expansion?

[tyronne]

^^Yeah, that thing is old. They should totally tear it down and build something bigger/taller.


Balikbayans join Talong fest


By EVA VISPERAS
The Philippine Star
January 17, 2008

VILLASIS, Pangasinan – Balikbayans will prove to all Friday that their favorite talong (eggplant) remains their top choice among the Ilocano food as they participate Friday in the fastest talong eater contest as part of the Talong Festival here.

Mayor Nonato Abrenica told The STAR that hundreds of balikbayans who purposely came home for their annual fiesta celebration, highlighted by the Talong Festival will surely have fun and memorable vacation through this contest.

Boiled eggplant of the long-purple casino type, its skin removed, will be eaten by the balikbayan participants as they dip this cooked vegetable in bagoong and vinegar with small amount of siling labuyo, he said.

They will be featured live in a national morning television show Friday.

Abrenica said they want to pay tribute to the generosity of their balikbayans who had been fully supporting their fund-raising drive to raise funds for various infrastructure projects of their town like the municipal hall, the town park, auditorium, among others.

Also, Abrenica said his townmates will once again show their skills in street dancing, cookfest, decorating floats, and in grilling, all using their top famous eggplant.

Abrenica said that since they institutionalized the holding of the Talong Festival three years ago, many people have drawn their attention to their town and consequently more people buy their produce, especially in their Bagsakan Market.

Abrenica is happy because their Talong Festival has been included in the Philippine Tourism’s event’s calendar.

Out of 21 barangays here, 12 are into eggplant production and a total of 335 hectares are planted to this crop by about 600 people, but more are involved during harvest time.

While there are many varieties of eggplant planted here, local farmers prefer the best-selling type which is the long, dark purple casino type ideal when grilled dipped with bagoong with either vinegar or calamansi and mixed with sliced tomatoes and chopped onions for omelet.

"Talagang patok na patok sa masa ang aming talong kasi ibang klase ito – mura na, mahaba, malaki at malinamnam pa (Our eggplant is really a hit among the masses because aside from being cheap, it is long, big and delicious)," Abrenica said.

[tracymack]

^^Yeah, that thing is old. They should totally tear it down and build something bigger/taller.


I agree. CSI should build something grander in Urdaneta since they are already lagging behind Magic (Magic Mall, Supermagic) & Balingit (CB Mall).

[tracymack]

^^Yeah, that thing is old. They should totally tear it down and build something bigger/taller.


Balikbayans join Talong fest


By EVA VISPERAS
The Philippine Star
January 17, 2008

While there are many varieties of eggplant planted here, local farmers prefer the best-selling type which is the long, dark purple casino type ideal when grilled dipped with bagoong with either vinegar or calamansi and mixed with sliced tomatoes and chopped onions for omelet.

"Talagang patok na patok sa masa ang aming talong kasi ibang klase ito – mura na, mahaba, malaki at malinamnam pa (Our eggplant is really a hit among the masses because aside from being cheap, it is long, big and delicious)," Abrenica said.

Makapabisin met ta im-post mo karruba! :drool:

[tyronne]

^^Apan ka damdama mga 2pm yung Street Dancing Competition. Ngayong umaga yung Cookfest eh. Hindi ko maaabutan kasi mamayang 1:30 pa uwi ko. Yung Street Party/Concert mamayang gabi, pupunta ako with my friends :D

[tracymack]

^^ Haan ak makaawid tatta eh. Adda work ko gamin. :( Mapan ak to laeng dyay balay yon. Idyay ak nga mangan ti tarong. :D

[tyronne]

^^Haha! Sige garud ta pagatangek ni tatang ko ti tarong nga ado hehe!:lol:

[gurugeri]

^^Yeah, that thing is old. They should totally tear it down and build something bigger/taller.


Balikbayans join Talong fest


By EVA VISPERAS
The Philippine Star
January 17, 2008

VILLASIS, Pangasinan – Balikbayans will prove to all Friday that their favorite talong (eggplant) remains their top choice among the Ilocano food as they participate Friday in the fastest talong eater contest as part of the Talong Festival here.

Mayor Nonato Abrenica told The STAR that hundreds of balikbayans who purposely came home for their annual fiesta celebration, highlighted by the Talong Festival will surely have fun and memorable vacation through this contest.

Boiled eggplant of the long-purple casino type, its skin removed, will be eaten by the balikbayan participants as they dip this cooked vegetable in bagoong and vinegar with small amount of siling labuyo, he said.

They will be featured live in a national morning television show Friday.

Abrenica said they want to pay tribute to the generosity of their balikbayans who had been fully supporting their fund-raising drive to raise funds for various infrastructure projects of their town like the municipal hall, the town park, auditorium, among others.

Also, Abrenica said his townmates will once again show their skills in street dancing, cookfest, decorating floats, and in grilling, all using their top famous eggplant.

Abrenica said that since they institutionalized the holding of the Talong Festival three years ago, many people have drawn their attention to their town and consequently more people buy their produce, especially in their Bagsakan Market.

Abrenica is happy because their Talong Festival has been included in the Philippine Tourism’s event’s calendar.

Out of 21 barangays here, 12 are into eggplant production and a total of 335 hectares are planted to this crop by about 600 people, but more are involved during harvest time.

While there are many varieties of eggplant planted here, local farmers prefer the best-selling type which is the long, dark purple casino type ideal when grilled dipped with bagoong with either vinegar or calamansi and mixed with sliced tomatoes and chopped onions for omelet.

"Talagang patok na patok sa masa ang aming talong kasi ibang klase ito – mura na, mahaba, malaki at malinamnam pa (Our eggplant is really a hit among the masses because aside from being cheap, it is long, big and delicious)," Abrenica said.

I saw some dancing and cooking spree on Umagang Kayganda this morning. I found the festival weird, nonetheless, fun. I hope the LGU is really able to bring out the cultural essence of the festival. Hehe.

[gurugeri]

Sadly I barely understood the chit-chat. Hehe.

[tracymack]

Sadly I barely understood the chit-chat. Hehe.

I'll translate it for you in tagalog.. :lol:

Makapabisin met ta im-post mo karruba! :drool:

Nakakagutom naman yang post mo! :drool:

^^Apan ka damdama mga 2pm yung Street Dancing Competition. :D

Punta ka mamaya. Mga 2pm yung street dance. :D

^^ Haan ak makaawid tatta eh. Adda work ko gamin. :( Mapan ak to laeng dyay balay yon. Idyay ak nga mangan ti tarong. :D

Di ako makakauwi kasi may work ako ngayon. :( Punta na lang ako sa bahay nyo. Dun na lang ako kakain ng talong. :D

^^Haha! Sige garud ta pagatangek ni tatang ko ti tarong nga ado hehe!:lol:

Haha! Sige magpapabili ako ng maraming talong sa tatay ko. hehe! :lol:

:D

[gurugeri]

Hahaha! Funny pala? Anyway, Ilocano (Iloko, Ilokano?) is the Philippine language I truly find difficult to decipher. Balay is also balay in Bicol. Hehe. Thanks, Tracy!

[tracymack]

No problem. :) Learning a dialect is probably easiest when you're put in a situation wherein you're forced to communicate using it. :D

[gurugeri]

Waw. Mega-profound. Haha.

[tracymack]

^^ That was just me being Captain Obvious. :lol:

[OilMover]

I'm from the ilocano section of Pantal, Dagupan. My mom's folks were from Vigan, my dad's, native Dagupenos. I grew up speaking mostly ilocano, although after my mom died, i spoke mostly pangasinan. I did not realize until i married into a family from ilocos norte that my ilocano sounded much different from theirs....meaning, my ilocano has a pangasinan sound to it. Pangasinan is probably the hardest dialect to learn and sound like a local.

[gurugeri]

^^ That was just me being Captain Obvious. :lol:

Ahaha!

[pi_malejana]

so a lot of pangasinenses do speak ilocano.. my grandparents know how but i dont..:D i know how to speak good pangasinense though..

[tyronne]

The eastern towns of Pangasinan speak Ilocano. I believe even some of the western towns speak Ilocano. Pangasinan is mostly spoken in the central part of the province.

[tracymack]

^^ Yup. Pangasinan is in Region 1 and a lot of people in the past migrated here all the way from Ilocos so it's no surprise that a lot of people in this province speak Ilocano.

[tracymack]

^^ I also know a lot of people from western Pangasinan (mostly from Alaminos) who speak Ilocano. I think Ilocano is their main dialect. Eastern Pangasinan is predominantly Ilocano. I don't know of any town east of Urdaneta that uses pangasinan as their main dialect. What tyronne said is pretty accurate. The Pangasinan dialect is used mostly in the central part of the province.

[le Reine]

The eastern towns of Pangasinan speak Ilocano. I believe even some of the western towns speak Ilocano. Pangasinan is mostly spoken in the central part of the province.Yeah, in our town, San Nicholas, people speak Ilokano.

[allan_dude]

I'm from the ilocano section of Pantal, Dagupan. My mom's folks were from Vigan, my dad's, native Dagupenos. I grew up speaking mostly ilocano, although after my mom died, i spoke mostly pangasinan. I did not realize until i married into a family from ilocos norte that my ilocano sounded much different from theirs....meaning, my ilocano has a pangasinan sound to it. Pangasinan is probably the hardest dialect to learn and sound like a local.

Ay tuwa! pati siak sananey so accent ko no man ilocano ak aro!

so a lot of pangasinenses do speak ilocano.. my grandparents know how but i dont..:D i know how to speak good pangasinense though..

Nayari ta la man-pangasinan dya! yahoo! :lol:

The eastern towns of Pangasinan speak Ilocano. I believe even some of the western towns speak Ilocano. Pangasinan is mostly spoken in the central part of the province.

^^ I also know a lot of people from western Pangasinan (mostly from Alaminos) who speak Ilocano. I think Ilocano is their main dialect. Eastern Pangasinan is predominantly Ilocano. I don't know of any town east of Urdaneta that uses pangasinan as their main dialect. What tyronne said is pretty accurate. The Pangasinan dialect is used mostly in the central part of the province.

Tuwa tay kan yo! Dyad central puron pangasinan so totoo. balet agak talaga pangasinan, Ilocano ak.

---

Need translation guys? :lol:

[allan_dude]

Sta. Barbara not giving up on international airport

MAY THE BEST TOWN WIN


STA. BARBARA–This town is not giving up on its bid to be the site of an international airport in the province as promised by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, bent on making Sta. Barbara the airport site, said he will look for funding outside the country to finance the feasibility study for the project and the construction of the airport itself.

President Arroyo last year announced that an international airport will be built within her term in Pangasinan to be located in Alaminos City, home of the Hundred Islands National Park.

In a talk to reporters on Monday, Velasco said representatives of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) came to Sta. Barbara last week and told him that the town’s location “is well within the technical requirements” for the airport project.”

However, he was told that the P7.8 million set aside in the proposed national budget for the international airport’s feasibility study will be spent solely in the announced Alaminos airport project and nothing for Sta. Barbara.

“There’s no problem about that. It is only P7.8 million. We can look for that amount somewhere else, including the money that will be used to build the whole international airport,” Velasco said.

The ATO has narrowed down the list of potential airport sites to Alaminos and Sta. Barbara, leaving out Lingayen which was also considered earlier.

Velasco said the President has encouraged him to look into the Sta. Barbara option saying, “Rey, tignan mo lang kung mas maganda yan, Yon ang ilagay natin sa SONA next year.”

The mayor said because of that statement of the President, “I am now more determined to make sure that Sta. Barbara will also be the location of an international airport.”

He said if Sta. Barbara will turn out to be the better site of the project based on the feasibility study, he will personally seek funds from outside the country to put up the airport under a Build-Operate-Transfer scheme through the National Economic and Development Authority.

“Bahala na ang Alaminos na magkumbinsi sa gobyerno na pondohan ang airport. Pero ako, maghahanap ako sa labas para hindi mahirapan ang gobyerno,” Velasco said.

“That is how we do things in Sta. Barbara. If there is a problem. We solve it ourselves,” he added.

INVESTORS

Velasco said he has had initial talks with a Singaporean group from whom he is asking P700 million to partially finance the construction of the airport.

Velasco said he is willing to give 600 hectares of land in barangay Leet as site the airport but the Singaporeans wanted 1,000 hectares because they are looking for a more comprehensive development of the site once the airport is built.

The group, he said, earlier bidded for the Fort Bonifacio privatization but lost.

Aside from the Singaporean group, there is an American group that has hinted interest in the project.

A third interested party is Velasco’s Korean friend who owns a company that manufactures pre-fabricated houses at the Cavite Export Processing Zone for export abroad, and is also eyeing to build a world-class golf course in Subic.

Velasco called on his fellow officials not to resent him for pursuing the airport project because an airport would benefit his constituents.

“We have a homework to do and we will do it because we do not want to lose by default since it might just turn out in the end that Sta. Barbara is the best place for the airport,” Velasco told newsmen.

Velasco, initially dismayed by reports that Sta. Barbara is not suitable for an airport being a flood-prone area, clarified that barangay Leet, the prospective site, is not prone to flood.

“May the best town win,” he said as he appealed to his detractors to await the result of the feasibility study.—LM

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/sta-barbara-not-giving-up-on-international-airport/#more-7992).

[tracymack]

Ay tuwa! pati siak sananey so accent ko no man ilocano ak aro!

Nayari ta la man-pangasinan dya! yahoo! :lol:

Tuwa tay kan yo! Dyad central puron pangasinan so totoo. balet agak talaga pangasinan, Ilocano ak.

---
Need translation guys? :lol:


Yes, please. :D

[nayki]

Sta. Barbara not giving up on international airport

MAY THE BEST TOWN WIN


STA. BARBARA–This town is not giving up on its bid to be the site of an international airport in the province as promised by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, bent on making Sta. Barbara the airport site, said he will look for funding outside the country to finance the feasibility study for the project and the construction of the airport itself.

President Arroyo last year announced that an international airport will be built within her term in Pangasinan to be located in Alaminos City, home of the Hundred Islands National Park.

In a talk to reporters on Monday, Velasco said representatives of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) came to Sta. Barbara last week and told him that the town’s location “is well within the technical requirements” for the airport project.”

However, he was told that the P7.8 million set aside in the proposed national budget for the international airport’s feasibility study will be spent solely in the announced Alaminos airport project and nothing for Sta. Barbara.

“There’s no problem about that. It is only P7.8 million. We can look for that amount somewhere else, including the money that will be used to build the whole international airport,” Velasco said.

The ATO has narrowed down the list of potential airport sites to Alaminos and Sta. Barbara, leaving out Lingayen which was also considered earlier.

Velasco said the President has encouraged him to look into the Sta. Barbara option saying, “Rey, tignan mo lang kung mas maganda yan, Yon ang ilagay natin sa SONA next year.”

The mayor said because of that statement of the President, “I am now more determined to make sure that Sta. Barbara will also be the location of an international airport.”

He said if Sta. Barbara will turn out to be the better site of the project based on the feasibility study, he will personally seek funds from outside the country to put up the airport under a Build-Operate-Transfer scheme through the National Economic and Development Authority.

“Bahala na ang Alaminos na magkumbinsi sa gobyerno na pondohan ang airport. Pero ako, maghahanap ako sa labas para hindi mahirapan ang gobyerno,” Velasco said.

“That is how we do things in Sta. Barbara. If there is a problem. We solve it ourselves,” he added.

INVESTORS

Velasco said he has had initial talks with a Singaporean group from whom he is asking P700 million to partially finance the construction of the airport.

Velasco said he is willing to give 600 hectares of land in barangay Leet as site the airport but the Singaporeans wanted 1,000 hectares because they are looking for a more comprehensive development of the site once the airport is built.

The group, he said, earlier bidded for the Fort Bonifacio privatization but lost.

Aside from the Singaporean group, there is an American group that has hinted interest in the project.

A third interested party is Velasco’s Korean friend who owns a company that manufactures pre-fabricated houses at the Cavite Export Processing Zone for export abroad, and is also eyeing to build a world-class golf course in Subic.

Velasco called on his fellow officials not to resent him for pursuing the airport project because an airport would benefit his constituents.

“We have a homework to do and we will do it because we do not want to lose by default since it might just turn out in the end that Sta. Barbara is the best place for the airport,” Velasco told newsmen.

Velasco, initially dismayed by reports that Sta. Barbara is not suitable for an airport being a flood-prone area, clarified that barangay Leet, the prospective site, is not prone to flood.

“May the best town win,” he said as he appealed to his detractors to await the result of the feasibility study.—LM

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/sta-barbara-not-giving-up-on-international-airport/#more-7992).

Hindi nga flood prone iyong site ng airport pero iyong paligid naman taas ng tubig paano kaya un. Lagi na lang binabaha dyan sa st.barbara :ohno:

[nayki]

Ay tuwa! pati siak sananey so accent ko no man ilocano ak aro!

Nayari ta la man-pangasinan dya! yahoo!

Tuwa tay kan yo! Dyad central puron pangasinan so totoo. balet agak talaga pangasinan, Ilocano ak.

---
Need translation guys?

Yes, please. :D

Tagalog na lang ha?:lol:

-Totoo! pati ako iba ang accent ko kung mag i-ilocano ako kaibigan!

-Pwede na tayong mag pangasinan dito! yahoo!

- Totoo yang mga sinabi nyo! Sa central purong pangasinan. Pero hindi talaga ako pangasinan, ilokano ako.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[tracymack]

Ay tuwa! pati siak sananey so accent ko no man ilocano ak aro!

Nayari ta la man-pangasinan dya! yahoo!

Tuwa tay kan yo! Dyad central puron pangasinan so totoo. balet agak talaga pangasinan, Ilocano ak.

---
Need translation guys?

Tagalog na lang ha?:lol:

-Totoo! pati ako iba ang accent ko kung mag i-ilocano ako kaibigan!

-Pwede na tayong mag pangasinan dito! yahoo!

- Totoo yang mga sinabi nyo! Sa central purong pangasinan. Pero hindi talaga ako pangasinan, ilokano ako.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Salamat! :)

[Sinjin P.]

Hi guys, I'm planning in advance for my summer vacation in Luzon (March 22nd to May x) and I'd like to ask a question: Aside from the Lady of Manaoag Shrine, what else are the "popular" tourist destinations in Pangasinan (particularly old churches, heritage sites)? Thanks in advance for your help

[pi_malejana]

^^ hi.. sorry for this late reply.. seems everybody in this thread are too busy right now.. besides manaoag you can take a jeep/bus (whatever) to dagupan city.. you can find an old church there called St. John's Cathedral.. Not far from the city, in Calasiao, near the municipal building is the SANCTUARIO DEL SEÑOR DIVINO TESORO.. you can also find a version of Calvary Hill in Bani.. it has a 1000 step Via Crucis leading to the Redeemer's Cross.. in Lingayen you can find the Capitol as well as the Princess Urduja House, Gov. Residence...

other tourist attractions are the hundred islands in Alaminos, Umbrella Rocks in Agno, Cape Bolinao and the beaches along San Fabian..:)

[tyronne]

Sinjin, pag gusto nyo bumili ng vegetables daan kayo sa bayan namin sa Villasis. May bagsakan ng gulay don, try nyo yung talong namin ok? :D Picture-an mo na rin yung town hall namin hehe! Madali lang makita yun kasi matingkad na yellow ang kulay :lol:

[pi_malejana]

^^ oo nga.. madadaanan mo yun kung pauwi ka na ng maynila...:D

[allan_dude]

Hi guys, I'm planning in advance for my summer vacation in Luzon (March 22nd to May x) and I'd like to ask a question: Aside from the Lady of Manaoag Shrine, what else are the "popular" tourist destinations in Pangasinan (particularly old churches, heritage sites)? Thanks in advance for your help

Pangasinan is huge. Most of the old churches are located in central pangasinan, particularly cities and municipalities along Lingayen Gulf and Agno river. heritage sites are concentrated again in central and alaminos-bolinao corridor. The province is popularly known for the Hundred Islands and Manaoag Church. Listed are popular "local" tourist attractions..

:okay:= I recommend

Western

Hundred islands, colonial houses and the church, mud flats in Alaminos :okay:
Churches in Labrador, Aguilar, Bogallon
Cape Bolinao Light house, Bolinao Church, Patar Beach, Santiago Island , water falls, caves :okay:
Tondol white beach in Anda
Cacupangan Cave system in Mabini :okay:
Agno ambrella rocks
White sand Beaches/coves in Burgos and Bani :okay:
Islands and white sand beaches in Sual (Cabalitian Island), Infanta (Balqui Island) and in Dasol (colibra) :okay:
Baliwangga Falls in Bani :okay:
Horseback riding in Dasol
Manleluag Hot Springs
Salt Beds in Alaminos, Dasol, Infanta
Sual Zigzag road and View Deck, overlooking Lingayen Gulf :okay:

Central Pangasinan

Churches in Calasiao, Dagupan (reconstructed), Binmaley, Lingayen, Bayambang (renovated), San Fabian, San Carlos, San Jacinto (renovated)
Calasiao bucayo and puto :okay:
San Carlos Handicraft Market
Bagoong/Alamang/Patis Factory :okay:
Dagupan Museum
San Fabian Beach, Tondaligan Beach, Lingayen beach, Binmaley (I don't recommend this silver sand beaches)
Boating World in San Fabian
Capitol Grounds/ Urduja :okay:
WWII memorial

Eastern
Butao spring, San Manuel
hot springs in Balungao
Waterfalls in Natividad
(I need help for the east side Ty! tracymack!)


^^ hi.. sorry for this late reply.. seems everybody in this thread are too busy right now.. besides manaoag you can take a jeep/bus (whatever) to dagupan city.. you can find an old church there called St. John's Cathedral.. Not far from the city, in Calasiao, near the municipal building is the SANCTUARIO DEL SEÑOR DIVINO TESORO.. you can also find a version of Calvary Hill in Bani.. it has a 1000 step Via Crucis leading to the Redeemer's Cross.. in Lingayen you can find the Capitol as well as the Princess Urduja House, Gov. Residence...

other tourist attractions are the hundred islands in Alaminos, Umbrella Rocks in Agno, Cape Bolinao and the beaches along San Fabian..:)

Using pi_malejana's itinerary, here's my quick and easy travel guide using Manaoag as your main stop. You need one whole sunny day for this Central Pangasinan Tour.

1. Manaoag church

2. Drive westward towards Dagupan, about 30 min drive, Along the way you can stop at Mangaldan if you are interested to buy carabao tapa. In Dagupan you can sample the famous Bonuan Bangus in "Matutina's Restaurant" at Tondaligan Beach (PGMA's fave local resto in the province). Also check the city museum, the reconstructed Old Cathedral, check out the seafood market if you want to buy Bangus.

3. Again drive westward to Binmaley, 10 min drive from Dagupan. They have an old Church and vast aqua culture ponds along the highway.

4. Continue your travel to Lingayen. Aside from the usual Capitol Tour, You should see for yourself how Lingayen Bagoong are made. I'm only familiar with Alps factory. check out Lingayen Church.

5. Drive south towards San Carlos, about 30 mins from Lingayen using Binmaley-SC Highway. you should go to this city if you want to try the famous Pangasinan mango. A little trivia here, Pangasinan is the largest producer of super sweet carabao mangoes in the Phil. The produce is mostly exported to our east asian neighbors. If you're familiar with the legendary merchants riding a "cow carriage" with and overloaded handicrafts, potteries etc, most probably they're from this city. Bamboo crafts and basketry is SC's thriving industry, you can see them on display at the new public market trader's square. The SC church is also good.

If you dont want to do that, just drive straight to Calasiao to see the old church, try the local "puto", bucayo and other pasalubong stuff.

6. Hit southeast. Stopover in Villasis to buy gulay. :):)

Road Map:
http://www.pangasinan.org/images/map1/surfmap.jpg
Map Source: Pangasinan.org (http://www.pangasinan.org/surfmap.htm)

[tracymack]

I found this website that shows the changes the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Church (Urdaneta City Cathedral) have undergone. I go home to Urdaneta at most once a month and when I'm there I never could find time to go to church. :( Because of this, I rarely get to see the cathedral. I was surprised as to how much makeover has been done. With all these changes, the Urdaneta pastoral & finance councils are not yet done. There are still some phases of the project that are to be constructed/renovated. I'll post pics of the old cathedral, the new cathedral & improvements to the cathedral that are yet to be constructed. I guess these changes are also being done to address Urdaneta's growing population.

The pics..

Old Cathedral
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2098/2217899456_bb22b2d029_o.jpg

New Cathedral

Facade, Porte, Cochere & Bellfry
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2210016896_e2ba7a91dd_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/2218072878_f282c6553b_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/2217283433_192e4f0264_o.jpg

Left & right cathedral wings expansion, interior, exterior and choir loft
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/2209223839_60934d8486_o.jpg

Current Altar
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2217271897_798e266178_o.jpg

To be constructed/renovated

Cathedral Dome
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/2210016962_27619204fd_o.jpg

Altar
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2312/2209223935_8c964cdf7d_o.jpg

Roof/Ceiling
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2398/2210017206_1027fdd21e_o.jpg

Columbarium
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/2209224067_c365cbc5cc_o.jpg

Source: http://www.urdanetacathedral.org/index.htm

[tracymack]

First of all I would like to give credit to DRK and to The Main Man, admin of Urdaneta City Online for the pics. These were taken from DRK's photoblog posted by The Main Man in the UCO forums. (DRK & The Main Man are probably the same person :))

Visit them/him by clicking these links:
Urdaneta City Online: http://urdaneta.proboards37.com/index.cgi
The Urdaneta Cathedral Photoblog: http://urdanetacityphotos.blogspot.com/2007/02/urdaneta-cathedral_07.html

The pics..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2061/2217324013_ef13642b67_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2233/2218118264_8ae64de761_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/2218118218_833721ca02_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2186/2218118284_f1ed496220_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2293/2217324207_616bf5a3b9_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2222/2218118194_7cc32b92b4_o.jpg

[tracymack]

Again, credits to DRK & The Main Man.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/2218118506_bd1e7a803f_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2342/2217324293_e4ffc73852_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/2217324327_b342265a98_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2333/2218118442_56828a8d15_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2218118578_ec8429faa4_o.jpg

[allan_dude]

Guv lauds Pangasinan I division meet athletes

Sun.Star

LINGAYEN -- Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. commended the young athletes who participated in the Pangasinan I Division Meet held last January 22 to 25 at Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) here.

Pangasinan 1 Schools Division covers 22 municipalities in the province particularly those located at the first, second, and third districts of Pangasinan.

Over 2,000 athletes in elementary and secondary level competed in the various sporting events that included badminton, athletics, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, table tennis, lawn tennis, volleyball and baseball.

The winners in the different sporting events qualified as members of the Pangasinan Division 1 delegation who will compete in the Ilocos Region Athletics Association (Iraa). The Iraa will be held on February 24 to 29, 2008 to be staged also at NRSCC.

"Sports is a powerful tool for youth development," Espino said.

He said the event provided opportunity to the athletes to display their sports prowess and to improve their self-esteem, sense of fairness, honesty, perseverance and other values.

He encouraged the young athletes to strive for excellence and aim for global competition like Manuel "Manny" Pacquiao, the country's international sports hero.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Government is eyeing the 2009 Palarong Pambansa.

The return of the Palarong Pambansa here will be nostalgic on the part of the governor as he was the Pangasinan police provincial director when the national sports competition was held here in 1995.

As executive director of Palarong Pambansa, Espino supervised the construction of NRSCC. The sports complex was a landmark as it was completed in 49 days.

He said the Provincial Government has made it a top priority to pursue programs aimed at promoting the welfare of the young through sports and in providing an ideal venue where they can develop top-caliber prowess and ability in various sports events. (LCMY/Sunnex (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2008/01/26/sports/guv.lauds.pangasinan.i.division.meet.athletes.html))

***

Tayug ready to host 2,000 athletes in Provincial Meet

Sunday Punch

TAYUG – All is set for the Provincial Meet slated here from January 28 to 31 to be participated in by some 2,000 athletes from Units I to IV under the auspices of Pangasinan School Division II.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. will deliver the keynote address on January 28 at the newly renovated Tayug Sports Center inside the Tayug National High School (TNHS).

Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas will be the guest of honor and speaker during the meet’s closing ceremony on January 31 while Rep. Conrado Estrella III will deliver his own message.

The sports center, main venue of the four-day meet, has been spruced up at a cost of P2.7 million, according to Mary Lynne Bautista, TNHS principal.

Seeing action in the four-day meet are athletes from the Fourth District (Unit 1), Fifth District (Unit II), Sixth District (Unit III) and private schools (Unit IV).

Sports events such as track and field, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, taekwondo and chess will be held daily at the main venue while boxing will be held at the Luna Colleges.

Lawn tennis will be held at the old Voice of the Philippines compound while gymnastics, archery and table tennis will be held at the Tayug Central Elementary School.

Basketball for girls will be held at the Mormon’s Chapel playground while basketball for boys will be held at the Tayug Municipal Plaza.

Meanwhile, swimming for boys and girls will be held at the Treasure Island Resort in barangay Barangobong.—LM

Filed under News, Sports by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/2000-athletes-join-provincial-meet/).

[allan_dude]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/first%20pangasinan%20senator,page-7.JPG
Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. and Mrs. Gracia Ayers unveil a bust of the late Senator Pedro Maria Sison at the Balikbayan Park, was also renamed Sison Park, in Urdaneta. The unveiling coincides with the 123rd birthday of Sison, the first Pangasinense senator. Ayers is the youngest daughter of Sison while Perez is Sison’s grandson. (Punchphoto by Cesar Ramirez (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/news/inside-news/))


Urdaneta honors Sen. Sison

URDANETA CITY–Don Pedro Maria Sison Jr., the first Pangasinense senator, was honored here, in his hometown, on January 18 by unveiling a bust and renaming a balikbayan park after him.

“It is but fitting and proper that the Balikbayan Park be renamed after the late great senator as an undying gratitude of the city government and the people of Urdaneta City to the family of a native son, a statesman par excellence, a former brilliant senator and a philanthropist rolled into one,” reads the resolution passed by the city council on January 14.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. told The PUNCH that the present site of the park and substantial portions of the city market were actually donated by the family of Sison, who served in the Senate from 1912-1916.

The resolution renaming the park located within the Doña Gracia Village was jointly authored by Councilors Higinio Agsalud and Onofre Gorospe.

The resolution indicated that the late senator’s legislative work benefited Urdaneta, Pangasinan and the entire country as well.

The mayor, a grandson of the late senator, and other city officials joined Gracia Ayers, youngest daughter of the late senator, in unveiling the bust.

Ayers, 82, one of two surviving children of Sison, thanked the city government here for honoring her late father.

The unveiling of the bust coincided with the 123rd birth anniversary of the late senator.

Sison was born here on January 18, 1885 and died on June 12, 1938.

Lawyer Luis Sison, grandson of the late senator, said his grandfather “at the early age of 11, already showed his intense love for country by joining his father in fighting the Spaniards.”

“When the American took over, Lolo Pedro— then in his teens— again joined his father in restoring peace and order in Binalonan and Urdaneta towns,” said Luis.—CSR (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/urdaneta-honors-senator-sison/#more-7980)

***

San Carlos educator, pride of Pangasinan in volunteerism

Pangasinan Star

AN EDUCATOR from San Carlos City became the pride of the Ilocos-Pangasinan region with his selection as one of the recipients of the national awards for volunteerism

Dr. Edwin Ferrer, the Region 1 awardee for volunteerism, received the national award for outstanding volunteer - adult category in the 2007 Search for Outstanding Volunteers during awards ceremonies held at Shangrila, Mandaluyong City.

Ferrer, who spent his free time educating people coming from the different sectors of society, received his award from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education, Ferrer reached out to parolees, probationers and the pardonees; gave street children the opportunity to study;; the market vendors, the privilege to enhance their number skills and the senior citizens, the chance to prove that they can still be valuable members of the society.
]
Through the program PRIDE (Probationer, Parolees and Pardonees Reformation and Improvements through Development Education) which he authored, more than 300 inmates in San Carlos City were benefited.

They were provided with social services through literacy training, cultural awareness, health and sanitation, welfare services, sports/recreation program, gender and development and values formation; economic services through livelihood training, and agricultural services through integrated farming system, promotion of high value crops and livestock/vegetable program.

Keynote speaker during the ceremony was Antonio Meloto, national president of Gawad Kalinga. (PNA (http://pangasinanstar.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/22/san-carlos-educator-pride-of-pangasinan-in-volunteerism/#more-2303))
***


Mobile day care center to serve 31 barangays A MOBILE day care center will soon be put into operation by the city government as part of its continuing effort to make Dagupan a most child-friendly city.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez said the mobile day care center is among the priority projects planned by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. for 2008 to reinforce his ongoing program for children in the city.

The mobile day care center will be housed in an air-conditioned container van loaded in a truck. It will reportedly be the first of its kind in Northern Luzon.

Vice Mayor Fernandez said the van will visit all 31 barangays in the city to care for children of pre-school age whose parents are working.

The van will be loaded with various teaching aids that will help enhance the early education of the children.

The vice mayor said the mobile day care centers will complement the ser vices of existing day care centers located in different barangays of the city, some operated by the city and others operated by private companies as part of their corporate responsibilities in their communities.

Under his plan for 2008, Mayor Fernandez also envisions to strengthen existing day care centers and renovate their current infrastructures.—LM
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/mobile-day-care-center-up-soon-in-dagupan-city/#more-7983).

[allan_dude]

Schools to teach students Pangasinan history soon?

LINGAYEN – It’s time to learn Pangasinan history.

The provincial board passed a resolution this week asking the different schools divisions in the province under the Department of Education to incorporate Pangasinan history in the primary and secondary school curriculum.

The resolution has been referred to the Committee on Education of the provincial board for further discussion on Monday.

Under the resolution, elementary and high school students will be taught basic information about the province’s history, including its heroes.

Vice Gov. Marlyn Agabas and Sixth District Board Member Tyrone Agabas, primary sponsors of the resolution, noted that students in Pangasinan today do not even know how many congressional districts or municipalities and cities there are in the province.

“Through this move, we can provide them basic knowledge about Pangasinan,” Agabas said in an interview.

Schools division superintendents of Pangasinan divisions I and II, Atty. Armando Aquino and Dr. Alma Ruby Torio, respectively, have reportedly expressed support to the proposal.

Meanwhile, another resolution has been put forward that aims to educate students about the political structure in the country.

“Whatever national positions for officials in the actual elections voted upon, from the president, vice president, congressman, governor, vice governor, board members, mayor, vice mayor, and councilors, should also be the positions to be elected in the student bodies,” said Agabas, author of the resolution.

She added that this proposal will prepare the young when they reach voting age.

“In order to inculcate in the minds of the students in the province the hierarchy of elective positions in the provincial and municipal governments, it would be both practical and desirable for such student bodies to replicate the elective positions in the national, provincial and municipal governments,” she said.

Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/schools-to-teach-students-pangasinan-history-soon/#more-7985).

***

Beach sheds move inland, reluctantly

IF NOT for strong winds and surging waters hitting them last year, beach shed owners at the Tondaligan (People’s Park) would have stuck to their decrepit facilities.

Now they have finally agreed to leave the waves-battered shoreline and move farther inland.

Uniform sheds or picnic huts made of nipa and bamboo are now being built at areas several meters away from the shoreline which is being continually harassed by surging waves due to strong winds.

The city set the standard size and design for the huts, according to city information officer Ryan Ravanzo. The owners will shoulder the expenses.

The city on the other hand will construct common rest rooms. A baywalk will also be built with corresponding landscaping, Ravanzo added.

The beautification project came amid calls long before to develop the beach area into a truly tourist destination.

The old sheds that lined up the shoreline all the way from the Area 1 Vocational and Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) on the western side to the

PAGASA weather station on the east actually blocked the sea from view leaving many visitors wonder where the beach is.

Aside from being an eyesore, some owners of the sheds also used them as sleeping quarters even as the huts were being rented out to couples for short time trysts.

Tondaligan, which is actually a vernacular word for a park, is the name given to the area stretching from the AVRC premises to the fishery research center in Bonuan Binloc. The late President Diosdado Macapagal declared it a national park in 1961.

The presence of squatters particularly in the Binloc area and the garbage dumpsite located right at the beach mars the beauty of the park, city officials said.

Filed under News, Provincial News by The Pangasinan Star (http://pangasinanstar.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/22/beach-sheds-move-inland-reluctantly/#more-2305).

***

Rep. Arenas: Projects are my own initiative MALASIQUI – “I am my own leader.”

Third District Rep. Rachel Arenas made this pronouncement as she belied reports that she is simply implementing projects initiated by her predecessor.

She stressed that even before she was elected in May last year, she had already implemented projects such as the road lines in Malasiqui.

“Hindi naman sa pagyayabang, even before I became a congresswoman, tatlong concreting na po ang aking naipagawa, dun sa barangay Nancapian going to Tobor barangay, Taloy road at Tambac road sa tulong po ng ating mahal na dating Presidente Fidel Ramos and, of course, sa tulong ng mahal na Presidente GMA,” she said.

She also listed among her other projects are the pipeline, the roofing of the amphitheater in Malasiqui, construction of Tarece road and a covered court in Turac as requested by San Carlos City Mayor Julier Resuello, and several farm-to-market roads.

“I worked hard for the funds,” she said.

“I am appealing to our people not to dwell on intrigues. Let’s focus on the positive things this new year,” she added.
Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/arenas-projects-are-my-own-initiative/#more-7982).

[allan_dude]

Baraan says crosswind in airfield not true

LINGAYEN - Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan belied claims that the Lingayen airfield is affected by crosswind from the Lingayen Gulf which is bad for aviation.

Defending the need for the expansion of the Lingayen airfield, Baraan said there are up to 10 trainer planes landing there daily, which would not be there if the area is buffeted by a crosswind.

He said two-seater light planes would be the last ones to land and take-off in an area constantly hit by crosswind.

“That only goes to show that the technical problem (involving alleged crosswind) that they are talking about is non-existent,” Baraan said.

The Lingayen airfield was built by the Americans who were part of the allied liberation forces that landed in the shores of Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945.

He expressed certainty that the American engineers who constructed the Lingayen airfield had studied that very basic technical aspect before deciding to construct it.

Making a pitch for the Lingayen airfield, Baraan said this was listed by the Air Transportation Office as an active regional airport and as proof of it, the airport was assigned three different frequencies.

“Since that is an active regional airport, it is an active operational airport and, therefore, there is nothing spectacular or extra-ordinary if it will undergo major repair and maintenance work,” he said.

Baraan also stressed that the upgrading of the Lingayen airfield will not be in conflict with the proposed airport in Alaminos because the former is already exists while the latter will be a new one.

He said the Lingayen Airport needs upgrading in order to accommodate bigger planes, including those coming from abroad.

“The Caticlan Airport in Aklan, the jump off point to Boracay, is only 900 meters, whereas the Lingayen airfield is 1,034 meters and will still be extended by another 150 meters,” he noted.

“More economic activities in Pangasinan can be triggered by the presence of a Lingayen Airport,” he said.

He said retired General Salvador Mison, president of flag-carrier Philippine Air Lines (PAL), told Governor Amado Espino Jr. to make the runway really good “and we will fly the planes to your place”.

Mison reportedly said passengers from Pangasinan can be flown to Laoag, Taipei or Hong Kong via the Lingayen Airport.—LM

Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/baraan-crosswind-non-existent/).

***

City revenues for 2007 up

REVENUE collections of Dagupan City from real property, business and community taxes and miscellaneous fees registered a 9.10 percent increase for 2007.

Records revealed last year’s collections from all these sources totaled P407, 788,784.59.

A report from the city’s One-Stop Business Center (OSBC) showed the total collection is P34, 027, 853.96 greater than the 2006 total collection.

Real property tax posted a 12.46 percent increase or P3, 086, 269.99 higher than last year’s collection.

Total collections from business tax and licenses reached P93, 727, 426.76 which is 9.44% higher than last year’s total collection of P85, 643, 455.78

Community tax collections also showed an increase last year when it turned in P5, 042, 068.23. The figure represents an increase of P103, 281.70 or 2.09 percent over the previous year’s collection.

There was however a slight decrease in collections for miscellaneous fees by 7.52 percent or P4, 536, 668.15 as compared to the 2006 collection.

A 9.54% decline was also recorded for collection on market fees where collection amounted to P25, 292, 204.94 which meant a P2, 666,933.16 decrease compared to the 2006 collection.

Income from fishery rental fees and charges also incurred a dramatic 49.33% decrease from P2, 701, 647.75 in 2006 to P1, 368, 941 this year.

City agriculturist Emma Molina explained that the decrease was brought about by the implementation of Ordinance No. 1897-2007 which grants 50% discount on the payment of aqua lease agreement fees by fishpen operators in the city.

A total of 636 new business establishments registered their operations with the city government, while 3, 655 business permits were renewed.

Some P1.9 million is projected to be collected from tax delinquencies, according to OSBC OIC Digna Liwanag even as she said that her office is consistently serving notice of delinquency to delinquent taxpayers.

Liwanag said the OSBC processed a total of 175, 529 transactions for 2007 which is equivalent to an average of 665 transactions per day.

A daily average transaction of 1, 114 however, was recorded during the peak months of January to March. (PNA)

Filed under News, Provincial News by The Pangasinan Star (http://pangasinanstar.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/22/city-revenues-for-2007-up/#more-2301).

***

Dagupan seeks restructuring of over P300-M bank loan

Dagupan City -- THE city government will work for the restructuring of its loan of more than P300 million with the Land Bank of the Philippines this year in order that the city's yearly debt servicing can be reduced.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez said this was among the plans spelled out by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., at the start of the year.

The mayor spelled out his proposed initiative during the traditional New Year's Day call on him Monday by members of the city council.

Councilor Michael Fernandez, vice chairman of the committee on finance and appropriations, said P60 million or 14 percent of the city's P247.5 million annual budget this year was set aside for debt servicing.

If the city can restructure its loan, the debt-servicing can be reduced to only P22 million annually as the city will only be paying the principal.

The loan was used for the construction of the high rise Malimgas Market and the purchase of a dredging machine from abroad.

The market's second floor is yet to be fully occupied while its third floor that was designed as a pay parking area has remained idle up to this time, derailing the income projections of the city government on the building.

The vice mayor told newsmen the city council will support the mayor's initiative to restructure the loans so that the amount saved from debt servicing can be channeled to other high impact projects for the people of Dagupan.

If this will happen, she said there is a great possibility that the city government may finally grant the long-time call of stallholders for a reduction of their stall rentals. (PIA-Pangasinan (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p080122.htm&no=80))

[allan_dude]

15 regional ICT hubs to be pushed in e-services forum

By Erwin Oliva (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20080125-114727/15-regional-ICT-hubs-to-be-pushed-in-e-services-forum)
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- Fifteen regional information and communications technology hubs will be pushed during an e-services forum slated February, a commissioner of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) said.

CICT commissioner Monchito Ibrahim said the 15 regional hubs will take part in the Department of Trade and Industry’s annual e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition as a way to promote these regional areas as potential locations for offshore outsourcing services.

The CICT is coordinating with the DTI Regional Operations Group under undersecretary Carissa Cruz-Evangelista, Ibrahim said.

“We want to let offshore outsourcers realize that it’s not just Metro Manila where they can locate but they have a wider choice of locations,” Ibrahim said in an interview.

The 15 regional hubs will have their own booth exhibits during the e-Services conference. These areas include Clark in Angeles City, Cagayan de Oro, Legaspi, Urdaneta, Subic/Olongapo, Bacolod, Sta. Rosa, Dagupan, Iloilo, Davao, Cainta, Poro Point in San Fernando, Batangas City, Balanga in Bataan, Tacloban, Ibrahim said.

The cost of the booths will be subsidized by the DTI, the CICT commissioner said.

The e-Services conference and exhibit will feature major outsourcing players across all information and communications technology (ICT) sectors and related industries, according to the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the trade promotions arm of the DTI.

Over 100 exhibitors have confirmed their participation in this year’s event, including business process outsourcing firm SPI, Business Process Outsourcing International Inc., Japan External Trade Organization Manila, among others.

[tracymack]

15 regional ICT hubs to be pushed in e-services forum

By Erwin Oliva (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20080125-114727/15-regional-ICT-hubs-to-be-pushed-in-e-services-forum)
INQUIRER.net

The 15 regional hubs will have their own booth exhibits during the e-Services conference. These areas include Clark in Angeles City, Cagayan de Oro, Legaspi, Urdaneta, Subic/Olongapo, Bacolod, Sta. Rosa, Dagupan, Iloilo, Davao, Cainta, Poro Point in San Fernando, Batangas City, Balanga in Bataan, Tacloban, Ibrahim said.

Sweet! Thanks for posting allan_dude. :okay:

[tracymack]

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/first%20pangasinan%20senator,page-7.JPG
Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. and Mrs. Gracia Ayers unveil a bust of the late Senator Pedro Maria Sison at the Balikbayan Park, was also renamed Sison Park, in Urdaneta. The unveiling coincides with the 123rd birthday of Sison, the first Pangasinense senator. Ayers is the youngest daughter of Sison while Perez is Sison’s grandson. (Punchphoto by Cesar Ramirez (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/news/inside-news/))


Urdaneta honors Sen. Sison

URDANETA CITY–Don Pedro Maria Sison Jr., the first Pangasinense senator, was honored here, in his hometown, on January 18 by unveiling a bust and renaming a balikbayan park after him.

Sison was born here on January 18, 1885 and died on June 12, 1938.

—CSR (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/urdaneta-honors-senator-sison/#more-7980)

Filed under News, Inside News by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/20/mobile-day-care-center-up-soon-in-dagupan-city/#more-7983).

Very informative. Another good find. Thanks again allan_dude!

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan hymn launched LINGAYEN – A song for Pangasinan.

The Pangasinan hymn, the first in the province’s long history, was played for the first time before provincial employees during the regular Monday morning flag raising ceremony in front of the Capitol building.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. said the hymn, entitled “Pangasinan Aking Yaman“, reminds Pangasinenses of their rich history, vast natural resources and love for their province, and hails the onset of economic progress spawned by a united people.

Commissioned by Espino, the song was composed, arranged and sang by Raul “Insiong” Tamayo, a veteran Pangasinense radio announcer and alternative music singer.

The lyrics are originally in Pangasinan, but the translation in Pilipino is in the works.

Espino said the plan is to have it sung in schools, during provincial, municipal and city programs, and regularly played over the radio.

Espino, during Monday’s flag ceremony, again called on employees to maintain dignity in their public service responsibilities saying, “There is no small or big player here because everybody has a role to play and he or she should play it properly”.
Filed under News, Headlines by Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/27/pangasinan-hymn-launched/#more-8058).



^^ Aken met Tagalog? Kumon ginawa da lan Pangasinense may kansyon.

[pi_malejana]

^^ang akala kong gagawin nilang song eh yung "manilak lay labi"..:lol:

[tyronne]

^^I think it's Malinak, not Manilak. I know how to sing that song, pinag-aralan namin nung elementary hehe! Yun lang ang alam kong Pangasinan :lol:

Anyway, na-feature yung bayan namin (Villasis) sa Jessica Sojo last Saturday dahil sa Talong Festival :D Napanood nyo? :D

[pi_malejana]

^^ hehehe... nakalimutan ko ung title..:D un lang din ang alam kong pangasinan song.. :lol:

[tracymack]

^^I think it's Malinak, not Manilak. I know how to sing that song, pinag-aralan namin nung elementary hehe! Yun lang ang alam kong Pangasinan :lol:

Anyway, na-feature yung bayan namin (Villasis) sa Jessica Sojo last Saturday dahil sa Talong Festival :D Napanood nyo? :D

Wen karruba. Nagado nga tarong! :lol:

There were a lot of talong recipies featured. I think the "hidden talong" recipe was declared the winner in the cooking contest. Very cool concept. They removed the insides of the rounded talong and it served as a shell where they put the cooked talong dish (I think it was fried & resembled siomai) inside thus the hidden talong.

Great fiesta. That's how a town should celebrate. :okay:

Urdaneta officials should learn from this...

[OilMover]

^^ang akala kong gagawin nilang song eh yung "manilak lay labi"..:lol:

That song brings back sweet memories of childhood. My dad used to sing that to me...and my mom used to sing to me Ti ayat ti maysa nga ubing as a lullaby.:) WOW! I'm getting misty. :cry:

[benchjade]

^^ hi.. sorry for this late reply.. seems everybody in this thread are too busy right now.. besides manaoag you can take a jeep/bus (whatever) to dagupan city.. you can find an old church there called St. John's Cathedral.. Not far from the city, in Calasiao, near the municipal building is the SANCTUARIO DEL SEÑOR DIVINO TESORO.. you can also find a version of Calvary Hill in Bani.. it has a 1000 step Via Crucis leading to the Redeemer's Cross.. in Lingayen you can find the Capitol as well as the Princess Urduja House, Gov. Residence...

other tourist attractions are the hundred islands in Alaminos, Umbrella Rocks in Agno, Cape Bolinao and the beaches along San Fabian..:)

old church ba ang st. johns? parang modern church ang structure niya.

[benchjade]

^^ Haan ak makaawid tatta eh. Adda work ko gamin. :( Mapan ak to laeng dyay balay yon. Idyay ak nga mangan ti tarong. :D

namimiss ko ti tarong nga pinirito and inihaw, then adda ti sawsawan mo nga bagoong with sibuyas and kamatis...hmmm, nagimas! then ag-ihaw ti tilapia..

[OilMover]

old church ba ang st. johns? parang modern church ang structure niya.

You must have been to the "newer" St. John's. Right next to it is the old St. John's which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1991 but is now fully restored and operational. They only celebrate a few masses there on sundays and I believe is closed the rest of the time. This original church has probably been around since the spanish era. This is where I was baptized many, many moons ago. :lol:

[tracymack]

namimiss ko ti tarong nga pinirito and inihaw, then adda ti sawsawan mo nga bagoong with sibuyas and kamatis...hmmm, nagimas! then ag-ihaw ti tilapia..

Mayat!:okay:

[pi_malejana]

kung di ako nagkakamali eto yung old st johns...

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/453/oldcathedral6ek.jpg

[Nabartek]

Is it just me or many Pangasinenses have "Espino" as their surname??0_o

[pi_malejana]

^^ pangasinense indeed..:okay:

[Nabartek]

I have cousins who are Espinos[in Dagupan], then there seem to be local Pangasinense politicians who have the surname Espino.

Oi, I like the bibingka of Dagupan. Hehehe.

[tracymack]

^^ The governor's last name is Espino.

[tyronne]

Some pictures I tookl during this year's Talong Festival :D

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/2224392683_f1b9e8e5b8.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2158/2224393901_93127b9910.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2224393355_4a02c593c3.jpg

[tracymack]

^^ Nice! Rich colors. How come most of them are wearing orange? Shouldn't they be wearing purple & green to resemble talong? :D

[tyronne]

I think that's what they were trying to avoid--they don't want to end up having the same purple color in their costume. They ended up having the same orange color instead hahaha:lol: Seriously, 3 groups lang yan. It's so happened na magkakapareho sila ng kulay. SAAA won the best in costume award and their costume is mostly purple. :)

[tracymack]

Hahaha. Iniwasan nila yung purple para wala silang kapareho pero puro naman orange nung huli. :lol: Nice pictures. Congrats to SAAA!

Karruba, nag-adalam ti elementary? Puelay? Ada ammom nga Molina ti lastname na? Valedictorian sa idi. Salutatorian mi isuna dyay Divine.

[[dx]]

Calasiao Church
Photos by John Young UK (http://flickr.com/photos/wow/)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2203452413_5effdb0dab_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/2204246634_e299bf9042_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/2203453623_63f6d33df4_b.jpg

^Ang ganda! :uh:. A friend lives in Calasiao, I wish I can visit the place someday. Looks great!

[tracymack]

Yup! After you visit the church, you can go and try the famous Calasiao Puto. Of course if there's puto then there is also kutsina. :)

[[dx]]

^Hehe thanks for the tip!
btw, does the Calasiao bell tower look like its leaning (curved) or are my eyes playing tricks on me? :nuts::lol:

[benchjade]

Yup! After you visit the church, you can go and try the famous Calasiao Puto. Of course if there's puto then there is also kutsina. :)

ay oo, ang sarap ng calasiao puto....

[nayki]

Yup! After you visit the church, you can go and try the famous Calasiao Puto. Of course if there's puto then there is also kutsina. :)

Samahan mo na din ng tupig, masarap ang tupig ng pangasinan!:)

[tracymack]

Samahan mo na din ng tupig, masarap ang tupig ng pangasinan!:)

Yup! Nakalimutan ko yung tupig. Hehe. Sama mo na rin yung bukayo, patopat, suman, bibingka, etc.. :lol:

[OilMover]

kung di ako nagkakamali eto yung old st johns...

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/453/oldcathedral6ek.jpg

YES.

[allan_dude]

Pangasinan, Dagupan police are RP’s best

Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2008/01/27/pangasinan-dagupan-police-stations-are-rps-bests/)

LINGAYEN- The cops in the provincial and Dagupan City police stations have reason to crow.

Both the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office and the Dagupan City Police Station have been chosen recently as the country’s Best Police Provincial Office and Best City Police Station, respectively, by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, provincial director, said they were informed about the citation on Tuesday, immediately after the result of the awarding committee’s evaluation was released.

Nerez expressed elation over the recognition and said he was confident that they would again bag the recognition.

This is the fourth time that the Pangasinan station will receive the same award, while the Dagupan station is already on its sixth.

Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, Dagupan City police chief, in an interview with The PUNCH, said he is on “cloud nine” about the award.

Borromeo credited the station’s exemplary performance to the full support given by the city government to the police station in their community service, operations and anti-crime projects.

Nerez said his station will not simply rest on its laurels instead “the will serve as a challenge for us to maintain our good service to the people. This will enhance our capability to initiate projects with greater impact.”

Recognition was awarded for the two stations’ accomplishments particularly in service-related, infrastructure and community enhancement projects.

REGION 1


In a related development, the Region 1 police command, for the first time in PNP’s history, took the grand slam in the Best PNP Unit nationwide search by bagging five major awards.

Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, police regional director of the Ilocos region, told The PUNCH the Region 1 police was cited as the Best Police Regional Office (Police Regional Office 1 or PRO1), the Best Regional Mobile Group (Region 1 Mobile Group led by Senior Superintendent Edgar Basbas), the Best CIDG Regional Unit (under Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola), Best Police Provincial Office (Pangasinan Police Provincial Office under Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez) and Best City Police Station (Dagupan City Police Station headed by Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo).

Bataoil described 2007 as the shining moment of the Ilocos police.

The awards will be given during the celebration of PNP Day on Feb. 6 in Camp Crame with President Gloria Arroyo.

[allan_dude]

Arroyo approval of Alaminos airport seen

By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20080129-115408/Arroyo-approval-of-Alaminos-airport-seen)
Northern Luzon Bureau


ALAMINOS CITY – President Macapagal-Arroyo has been briefed on the potentials of the proposed international airport here, which, when completed, is expected to spark economic, tourism and agricultural development in Pangasinan, Mayor Hernani Braganza said.

Braganza said he was optimistic that Ms Arroyo would approve the establishment of the province’s first commercial airport. The Department of Transportation and Communications is preparing a feasibility study on the project.

The P7-million budget for the study on the airport’s establishment has been included in the 2008 budget, Braganza said.

A briefing paper cited Alaminos’ “strategic location” for an international airport, although it is not at the geographic center of the province.

It said an airport in this city has a great potential to enhance accessibility to Pangasinan, connect it to major global and domestic destinations, and trigger tourism and economic development in the province.

Another briefing will be held before Ms Arroyo decides if the airport would be built in Alaminos or in Sta. Barbara town, which is also vying for the project, Braganza said.

In an earlier interview, Sta. Barbara Mayor Reynaldo Velasco said he had contacted a foreign investor to conduct a feasibility study on an airport project in the town.

“In the end, what matters is who has the money? I hope they won’t take it against me that I propose an airport project in my town,” he said.

“As mayor I am merely working for what’s good for my town. We can’t rely on rice and corn forever. May the best town win,” he added.

Braganza said Alaminos would still benefit even if the airport was built in Sta. Barbara as the facility would be used by tourists on their way to the Hundred Islands National Park in the city.

But he said an airport in Alaminos would enhance accessibility to tourist destinations in Pangasinan and in other parts of Northern Luzon.

“The airport will also hasten the realization of the underwater marine theme park of the Hundred Islands which already has a plan and which is just waiting for investors. It will trigger beachfront development from San Fabian to Infanta,” he said.

An Alaminos airport will also hasten the development of various industrial parks in Pangasinan – the existing industrial park in Alaminos and proposed parks in Bani, Sual, San Fabian and Villasis towns.

The airport is also expected to strengthen the commercial viability of the proposed Sual seaport in Sual, which has been included in the master plan of the Philippine Ports Authority.

Recently, United Nations diplomats visited Alaminos in connection with the city’s ecological programs.

On Jan. 18, Nileema Noble, UN Development Program resident representative in the Philippines, toured various project sites of the Hundred Islands, such as the Giant Clams Garden, Coral Reef Garden, Governors’ Island and Quezon Island.

She was accompanied by Paula Schindeler, second secretary for economic and cultural affairs and officer in charge of the Development Cooperation Program of the Netherlands Embassy in Manila.

She promised to return and bring more UN representatives to Alaminos to visit the Hundred Islands, particularly its dive sites.

---
^^ Earlier reports say Mayor Velasco would still push for the construction of an airport in Sta Barbara thru BOT if Alaminos gets the presidential thumbs up.

[pi_malejana]

Yup! Nakalimutan ko yung tupig. Hehe. Sama mo na rin yung bukayo, patopat, suman, bibingka, etc.. :lol:

masarap din ang dagupan bangus, fresh and boneless..
pati na rin ung bagoong...:cheers:

[tyronne]

Hahaha. Iniwasan nila yung purple para wala silang kapareho pero puro naman orange nung huli. :lol: Nice pictures. Congrats to SAAA!

Karruba, nag-adalam ti elementary? Puelay? Ada ammom nga Molina ti lastname na? Valedictorian sa idi. Salutatorian mi isuna dyay Divine.

Yeah sa Puelay ako nag-elementary. Ah, si Rosana Molina? Yeah, ahead kami sa kanila ng 1 year. Naging crush ko kaya yun noon hehe! Yup, Valedictorian siya nung elementary. Ka-batch nya yung pinsan ko na Salutatorian naman nila:D Yung ate ni Rosana classmate at friend ng kuya ko :)

[OilMover]

masarap din ang dagupan bangus, fresh and boneless..
pati na rin ung bagoong...:cheers:

Nakatikim ka na ba ng PINGAO o MALAGA na sinigang sa manggang hilaw? UmmUmmUmm!

[tracymack]

^^Tama na. Nagke-crave na tuloy ako.. :drool:

[pi_malejana]

Nakatikim ka na ba ng PINGAO o MALAGA na sinigang sa manggang hilaw? UmmUmmUmm!


agamang tawag namin dun.. ang sarap, my tongue is tingling...:lol:

[tracymack]

Yeah sa Puelay ako nag-elementary. Ah, si Rosana Molina? Yeah, ahead kami sa kanila ng 1 year. Naging crush ko kaya yun noon hehe! Yup, Valedictorian siya nung elementary. Ka-batch nya yung pinsan ko na Salutatorian naman nila:D Yung ate ni Rosana classmate at friend ng kuya ko :)

Ayos! Ibaga ka man.. Hehe. :lol:

[allan_dude]

Thursday, January 31, 2008
Dagupan councilor is 4L Philippines president

DAGUPAN City Councilor Farah Marie Decano won the national presidency of the Lady Local Legislators' League of the Philippines (4L Philippines) last January 25 in the national election held at the Pearl Hotel in Manila.

Decano bagged the presidency by garnering 273 votes against the 106 votes of her opponent, Baguio Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda.

Her party (called 3G) won clean. She said 3G means Girl power for Genuine representation through collective, competent, and transparent Governance.

Except for one candidate, all the rest under her line-up were elected as officers.

The other elected officers are Quezon City Councilor Lala Sotto (executive vice president), Talisay City Vice Mayor Lani Abarquez (secretary general), Leyte Board Member Evangeline Esperas (treasurer), Tagum City Councilor Mylene Baura (auditor), Nueva Ecija Board Member Raquel Agapito (vice president for Luzon), Mandaue City Councilor Naoleen Bobajos (vice president for the Visayas), and Dapitan City Vice Mayor Patri Chan (vice president for Mindanao).

The league elected four directors each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. They are Tuguegarao Councilor Mimi Dayag, Tarlac City Councilor Anecita Magalued, Malabon City Councilor Leslie Yambao, Bataan Councilor Emily Lubag, Siquijor Board Member Emily Gom-Os, Leyte Councilor Malou Soco, Samar Councilor Reggie Rabuya, Bohol Board Member Aster Piollo, Compostela Valley Councilor Maricar Apsay, Zamboanga Sibugay Board Member Lycel Tan, South Cotabato Board Member Cecille Diel, and Sultan Kudarat Councilor Mariam Kanda.

Decano vowed to institute major changes in the league so that it may effectively empower its members for the ultimate benefit of the country.

"4L is in a very strategic position to further women's and children's causes. The officers and I shall see to it that this potential shall not be wasted," she said.

Acting as beacon of change in the league, Decano won an overwhelming landslide margin over her opponent in the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Decano earned 170 votes from Luzon, while Tabanda garnered 74 votes. The vote standing from the Visayas delegation was 44-18 (Tabanda), while the Mindanao delegates gave her 59 votes as against the 14 votes her opponent captured.

Decano had a strong support from her province mates. There were 35 voting delegates from Dagupan City and 25 delegates from the province of Pangasinan.

The 4L Philippines is a women organization with vice governors, board members, vice mayors, councilors, barangay leaders and councilmen and councilwomen, and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) presidents as members.

It was born in 1996. The founding president was former Pangasinan board member Editha Demetria (of Binalonan town).

Decano succeeded former Davao del Sur board member Shirley Aala. (LCMY/Sunnex (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2008/01/31/news/dagupan.councilor.is.4l.philippines.president.html))

[gurugeri]

I saw these ladies tour Northern Luzon. I mean I saw them on TV and they basically did shopping and eating and dancing and that was all. I was laughing at someone sing with all that horrendous voice to the delight everyone listening. I watched because I wanted to find out what they were up to with that tour. Hay, NBN did something wrong with these women or wasn't there anything sensible the "tourists" had to do rather than shop, eat, and dance, and all that was just a waste of money?

[allan_dude]

San Carlos lauds 2 NGOs' support to city's dev't.

San Carlos City, Pangasinan -- Mayor Julier Resuello paid tribute to two city-based non-government organizations for their outstanding contributions to the progress and development of the city.

The two are the Marcelo Casillan Foundation (MCF) and the Binalatongan Historical and Cultural Foundation, both led by Marcelo Casillan Jr., an engineer.

The MCF bought millions of pesos worth of forest trees which it donated to the different elementary and high schools in the city for planting as their response to the phenomenon of climate change.

Aside from this, it built and donated an Olympic-size swimming pool, one dome-shape sports and cultural center, amphitheatre that can seat 1,200 people and one monument of the city's hero. Juan dela Cruz Palaris.

On the other hand, the BHCF is regularly staging competitions in music, dance, and the arts for the city's talented youth and adults.

The other projects of the BHCF due to be finished this year are a diorama depicting the history and culture of the former Spanish town of Binalatongan, now San Carlos City; a book on the lives and accomplishments of all mayors of San Carlos, cultural presentations and seminars and workshops on arts.

Dr. Guido M. Tiong and Pator Pablo Macaranas, chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the BHCF said the diorama is expected to be finished by April 2008. (PIA-Pangasinan (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p080131.htm&no=57))

[icarusrising]

RP-Mexico rivalry: From boxing to barbecue
By Eva Visperas

Saturday, February 2, 2008
Philippine Star Online

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan –The Philippines will try to upstage Mexico once again, but not in the boxing arena.

Barely a few months before the much-anticipated Pacquiao-Marquez return bout, the country girds for another showdown with Mexico as this quiet town attempts to capture the record for the Longest Barbecue in the Guinness Book of Records currently held by Hermosillo, Mexico.

The attempt to break the record coincides with the town’s first Centennial celebration, the Sto. Tomas Corn Festival, highlighted by the main event on Feb. 10.

The event will feature food and decorations, costumes and accessories, all using corn and corn husks from its hybrid white glutinous corn product.

A parade along the five-kilometer stretch of the town kicked off the festivities.

Vice Mayor Dick Villar said they will try to top the existing record for the longest barbecue which is set at 1,290.4 meters (4,232 ft 3.3 inch) achieved in Hermosillo, Mexico, on Nov. 20, 2006.

The organizers will use 2,024 corn grills made of bamboo that will be connected on a stretch of 4,938 meters, 800 sacks of charcoal, and 1,050 liters of kerosene gas.

The grill will span 10 barangays from the boundary of Rosales up to Alcala.

The grill will pass through Barangays Salvacion, San Agustin, Poblacion East, Poblacion West, San Marcos, La Luna, Sto. Domingo, San Jose, Sto. Niño and San Antonio.

“The Filipino people will be surprised. We will introduce something new and those who will witness it will surely be amazed,” Villar said.

“This is like boxing, Pinoy versus Mexico,” Villar added.

Mayor Vivien Villar, executive chairperson of the Centennial celebration, said she conceived the idea of making the longest corn barbecue in her town about five years ago to highlight their first centennial celebration.

She said although their town is the smallest in Pangasinan with only about 17,000 residents, “we, however, are united, disciplined and easy to lead because we are all cooperative.”

“I know this attempt is a big challenge for the officials and the people but I am thankful to them for working non-stop and for giving their voluntary support. I am very confident we will achieve our goal to make Sto. Tomas achieve a world record,” she added.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080201154

[tracymack]

PHASE 1 OF TARLAC - LA UNION TOLL EXPRESSWAY (TLUTE) SET TO START

With the approval of the resolution recommending the award to Private Infra Development Corporation (PIDC), the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Tarlac-La Union Toll Expressway (TLUTE) Phase 1, the construction of the expressway to Northern Luzon is expected to start next year. According to DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr., the TLUTE project will be implemented through Public-Private Partnership using Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) variant scheme wherein the project proponent is responsible for the design, financing and construction of the initial two-lane expressway. Total project cost is P14.610 Billion with P469.99 Million for detailed engineering, P13.347 Billion for civil works, supervision and project management, and P793 Million for right-of-way acquisition. "The Philippine Government shall provide for the acquisition of the road right-of-way," Ebdane said. The 84-kilometer expressway starts from La Paz, Tarlac (terminus of the Subic-Clark Expressway) passing through the municipalities of Victoria, Gerona, Paniqui, Moncada and San Manuel in Tarlac province, Rosales, Urdaneta, Binalonan, Pozzorubio and Sison in Pangasinan and ends in Rosario, La Union. The expressway project involves the construction in two phases. Phase 1 will be two lanes while Phase 2 will be the expansion into four lanes to be undertaken when the capacity reaches 25,000 vehicles. The project is expected for full operation by 2013.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2288/2240654000_05051d3a2a_o.jpg

Source:
http://www.dpwh.gov.ph/news/index.asp

[tracymack]

^^ This is good news for Pangasinan. The obvious benefit would be for motorists. Travel time may be reduced depending on your destination. The Expressway will also create more areas for development. For Urdaneta, this means decongestion of the city proper/MacArthur Highway. Traffic situation will be improved significantly upon completion of the Tarlac-LU expressway considering widening of the MacArthur highway is already being done.

[tyronne]

HMMMMP!!! Asan ang Villasis dyan? HMMMMP!

[tracymack]

^^ Relax Karruba. I'm pretty sure the expressway will pass through Villasis. I was also wondering why Villasis wasn't mentioned. I mean how would the expressway connect Urdaneta City & Rosales without passing through Villasis? :)

[tyronne]

^^Siguro invisible yung part na yun sa Villasis tapos magdidisappear na lang yung mga sasakyan tapos pagdating sa Urdaneta appear sila uli hehehe! :lol: I guess na-overlook lang hindi pa kasi sikat yung bayan namin hehe! From the map, it looks like the expressway will run through the eastern side of MacAthur Hi-way at least until Urdaneta. It also looks like the phase proposed for 2008 until 2010 will end in Urdaneta.

[tracymack]

Yup. The expressway would be built east of and parallel to MacArthur highway. Good thing the first phase of the project ends in Urdaneta since a lot of motorists/commuters go to and from this city.

Naoverlook siguro yung town nyo not because hindi sikat. Siguro underground yung expressway sa inyo or gagawan ng flyover. :lol: