LINGAYEN — The rebuilt Domalandan Bridge here was inaugurated and opened again to motorists after almost six years of reconstruction work.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the inauguration rites. She was assisted by House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and Lingayen Mayor Ernesto Castañeda.
Present were Second District Representative Amado Espino Jr., Pangasinan Governor Victor Agbayani, Vice Governor Oscar Lambino and Public Works Region 1 Director Fidel Ginez.
After the inauguration, Castañeda presented to the Arroyo a Municipal Council Resolution 189-2006 making her an adopted and favorite daughter of Lingayen.
Read full story in the Sun.Star Online
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — President Arroyo is now an adopted daughter of this capital town of Pangasinan.
The resolution officially making here an adopted daughter of Lingayen was presented to her yesterday by local officials during her visit.
Mayor Ernesto Castañeda Jr. read the resolution that embodies the adoption of the President as a daughter of this town during the inauguration of the Domalandan Bridge that coincided with the town fiesta.
Read full story in The Philippine Star
DAGUPAN CITY — Every first day of January, it has been the tradition of residents of barangay Pogo Grande, this city, to meet the new year with a bang — and a big bang it is!
Dubbed as “Balon Kaaguan” (New Noon), residents donate and gather up unsold firecrackers and hang then up along the main barangay road. This snaking away of firecrackers is lit at the strike of 12 noon of January 1 with all the excitement of a fiesta.
More than a hundred meters of small and large firecrackers put together to build the longest Judas’ belt estimated to cost more than P100,000 never fails to draw people from all over the city to witness the event.
Read full story in the Philippine Information Agency website
By Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz
Archbishop, Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese
Good spirit, best wishes and high hopes cannot but accompany the greetings of “Happy New Year!” Said and heard the world over. However, during thses particular times in the life of our country, the truth has to be said that the greetings carry a good amount of reservation.
In other words, with the doubts and ears that accompany the day to day living of millions of Filipinos, it is rather easy to say “Happy New Year!” But truly hard to expect that the year 2007 would be really happy, this is not pessimism but reality, not surrender but the truth–considering that the national present is difficult and the country’s future is rather bleak.
It is said that all economic indicators are up, investments are pouring in, the peso is never that strong. Yet millions do not have enough to eat. People die for lack of medicine. The peso has never been buying so much less. Some 2800 Filipinos leave the country to find work abroad. They not only finance their families but also fund the government.
So many extrajudicial and political killings still go on, with most of the killers remaining free to kill again–and again. No less than two billion pesos were allegedly set aside not really to stop but simply to lessen graft and corruption in government. But the Philippines continues to top the horror roll in cheating and stealing of public funds.
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