Dagupan and Urdaneta Cities, and Pangasinan Province - Compiled Threads

[allan_dude]

5th Holistic Festival to be held this year

Bayanihan

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]

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!

[allan_dude]

City brings back night market
By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre

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

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

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

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

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
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.

[tyronne]

Originally Posted by allan_dude

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

Eh ako 5 minutes lang hehe!

[nayki]

Originally Posted by allan_dude

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

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]

Originally Posted by nayki

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!

[allan_dude]

Ferry boat to ply Pangasinan, La Union rivers

Sun.Star

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)

[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..

[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.

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?

[allan_dude]

Originally Posted by Sinjin P.

^ 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!

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

[allan_dude]

'Wowowee' entertains thousands in Dagupan


"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

[allan_dude]

Canceled na Wowowee.

[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/breakin...icle_id=102178

[tyronne]

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

[allan_dude]

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 by Cesar Ramirez)

[allan_dude]

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

Balita

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

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

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.

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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)

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


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