OFF-THE-AIR

ROSALES — Two new municipal halls in Pangasinan will be inaugurated this January. One is of historical heritage while the other is of ultra modern in architectural design. Both buildings are beauties or sights to behold.

On January 5, the restored Rosales Municipal Hall will be inaugurated. Mayor Ricardo Revita said the program will be held early evening after the sun had set.

The balikbayans and local residents will be serenaded by violinists who will be playing classical music at the verandah of the presidencia. To be invited are immediate heirs of former mayors in the town.

Read full story in the Sun.Star Online

San Jacinto, Pangasinan — A giant Christmas tree inspired by the town’s main agricultural product — corn — stands imposingly at the heart of the plaza here contributing to the season’s festive atmosphere.

Called Christ-mais (corn) tree, the symbol pays tribute to the bayanihan spirit of the townsfolk who painstakingly put up the tree as part of the Lady’s Choice Christmasterpiece ng Bayan, officials said.

More than a thousand lady’s choice bottles, corn husks, sasao-silag and other indigenous materials made up the tree which took 55 days to make.

Read full story in the Philippine Information Agency website

An urban vegetable production seminar was held at barangay Herrero-Perez as part of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and zero-waste programs of the city government.

The city government encourages the establishment of nursery gardens in the barangays where the composted materials can be used.

“This program is part of our undertaking to really lessen the volume of wastes being thrown on the dumpsite,” Mayor Benjamin S. Lim said in his message.

The mayor stressed that the city government is really serious in putting order in the disposal of wastes in the city.

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DAGUPAN CITY — The annual Barangay Night, one of the city fiesta activities, held Wednesday evening at the city plaza was full of oddities.

Most conspicuous was the absence of Pangasinan Fourth District congressman and House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

Also absent was beleaguered Liga ng mga Barangay (LB) president Eric Muñoz, chairman of Barangay Tambac. A seat that was allotted for Muñoz was given to a barangay councilman, who is his opponent in the barangay.

Read full story in Sun.Star Online

MEET the “Bossings.” Ten years ago, they were just a nameless, after-office-hours group of friends holding jam sessions in a garage at a posh subdivision in Dagupan City. They gathered simply “for the love of music, period.”

With acoustic guitars and table tops as improvised percussion instruments then, they traveled down memory lane and enjoyed the music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

Today, despite their hectic individual schedules, they play regularly at Ragtime, one of the more popular bars in Dagupan, and Bossings continues to make a name among yuppies and the not-too-young here.

“We never really expected we would go this far,” said former Pangasinan Board Member Roger Law, bassist, one of the only three remaining original members of the group.\

Read full story in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN – Sixteen fishermen, including two minors, were arrested Tuesday in the waters off the scenic Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City while they were fishing with the use of dynamites.

In a report to the provincial police office here, Supt. Amando Lagiwid, group director of the 106th provincial mobile group, said his group was in a routine patrol in the area shortly before lunch last Nov. 28 when they heard dynamite blasts.

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LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The legendary Princess Urduja may soon be relegated to historical oblivion following the proposal of a local historian here to change the name of the building that bears her name into Princesa Kabontatala.

“Why honor Princess Urduja? She is not a Pangasinense,” said Restituto Basa, author of Footnotes on Pangasinan History and The Story of Dagupan.

The Princess Urduja building, which is located at the right side of the capitol here, is the office and official residence of the governor.

It was built in 1956 by the Gov. Juan de Rodriguez and named it after Princess Urduja, who, Basa said, was thought of as a Pangasinense.

“But modern scholars say Urduja is a Cambodian. So, we might as well change the name of the Governor’s Office to Princesa Kabontatala because she is our own,” Basa said.

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It must have been at this time of the year 10 years ago when I last visited Anda aboard a Navy barge via the Kakiputan channel.

At that time, the bridge, which now connects Anda to Pangasinan mainland, was already nearing completion and in the barge, people were teary-eyed as they marveled at the unfolding structure that for many years may have only existed in their dreams.

To them, the bridge meant the end of their miseries, the end of their isolation. It was a bridge to their future.

And true enough. Only a few months after Anda was connected to the mainland, its economic landscape gradually changed for the better. It metamorphosed from depressed and neglected community into a progressive and vibrant one.

Rough roads have been paved, new public buildings have been erected, local businesses have flourished. People finally had access to opportunities.

What used to be a torturous ride from across the bridge in Barangay Mal-ong to the poblacion, is now fast and comfortable because of its well-paved road.

(I would learn later from Mayor Nestor Pulido that even the road to the island’s famous Tondol Beach has been cemented, attracting more tourists to the place.)

In the poblacion, what used to be a garrison-like public market has been replaced by an imposing modern structure. The poblacion is now fast taking shape as a town center.

Anda’s public schools are now also getting their share of new buildings and classrooms, making them more conducive to learning.

And because it’s now easier to transport their produce to major markets, such as Metro Manila, the town’s businessmen are now also making it big, increasing in turn the town’s revenues.

And all these because of the bridge. With it, Board Member Alice Pulido, who was the mayor then, also did her part very well.

Losing no time, Manang Alice talked then to congressmen and senators to ask them for a share of their countrywide development funds to finance the town’s roadlines, which was the top priority then.

She obviously got what she wanted within months and by the end of her three three-year terms, Anda’s major road network has been paved.

In my visit there last week, Manong Nestor said that his focus is to make the island greener.

In his farm, which is about 200 meters away from his residence, are hundreds of mahogany seedlings for distribution to Grade 1 pupils.

“We should start them young. We should tell them that by these planting trees, they are saving for their future,” he said.

He is now also propagating bougainvillea cuttings for planting in the roadsides. Then, he will also be distributing langka and kasoy seedlings.

“With more trees, hopefully, more water will also be retained in our island for drinking,” he said.

ENDNOTES: Last Tuesday, Immigration Commissioner Al Fernandez celebrated his 62nd birthday at the Inn Asia Hotel and Restaurant. The place was full of guests, mostly Dagupenos, whom he served for almost two decades as a councilor, vice mayor and mayor… On June 20, Dagupan marks its 58th anniversary as a city. The activity is chaired by Sangguniang Panlungsod Secretary Jorge Estrada.

QUICK QUOTE: How could there be any question of acquiring or possessing, when the one thing needful for a man is to become — to be at last, and to die in the fullness of his being. — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Every time somebody drowns in the waters off Bonuan Beach, I always hear people say that that beach takes lives every year, as if the sea water is a living monster that preys every so often on unsuspecting beachgoers.
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With the drowning last Saturday of four teenagers in Bonuan Beach, I heard that statement again not just from one but from many people. It suddenly dawned on me that with the frequency the statement has been repeated and told to several people, it has somehow acquired a semblance of truth that more and more people tend to believe in it now than simply ignore it.

I wondered if somebody has thought of building a database on the drowning incidents in the area and have it analyzed by experts. This is not, of course, to establish whether the beach is a monster or not, but to find out if there is a pattern that can be drawn from these incidents and come up with a scientific explanation on why the drowning happened.

Doing this will not only change people’s superstitious beliefs about the beach but it will also enable us to adopt measures to prevent drowning in the future.

For instance, if from the database we are able to pinpoint areas where these drowning incidents occurred, then we can mark the area to warn the swimmers to take the necessary precautions just like what we do in accident-prone areas of highways.

Also, by knowing the water behavior during the dates and times the incidents happened, we will be able to caution the beachgoers about it, effectively preventing them from possible death.

With the city government’s development of the Tondaligan to make it more attractive to tourists, part of it should be the deployment of trained and fully equipped lifeguards. These lifeguards will be there not just to react when somebody is drowning, but to constantly watch over beachgoers and swimmers and warn them if they are no longer within the designated swimming areas.

While this will entail additional expenses to the city government, the lifeguards’ presence will enhance the image of the Bonuan Beach as a safe area, luring more tourists to the city because of it and increasing economic activity in the process.

It may be worth the city government’s investment in the long run.

*****
The last time I entered the Saint Louis University campus in Baguio City was in June 1981, when I accompanied a cousin to enroll there. At that time, the campus was already impressive and imposing, standing tall to assert its superiority as the biggest university in Northern Luzon.

I was there last Friday and I found out that the campus has expanded with the addition of some buildings and the expansion of the others. I was particularly surprised to find out that the men’s dormitory, where I stayed for four years while I was a student there, has been literally annexed to the Sacred Heart Hospital beside it through an overhead walkway connecting the two buildings’ third floors.

Being one of the first residents of that dorm when it opened in 1976, seeing it being converted into a hospital made me somewhat nostalgic and sentimental and the memories of the days and nights I spent in that dorm immediately came to mind.

I had thought at first that the university administration has completely dropped the idea of running a men’s dorm. But to my surprise, it did not. It has instead built a new four-story building at Assumption Rd., just outside the hospital driveway — a bigger dorm that can accommodate up to 250 residents, compared to the 200 residents that the old dorm housed.

I learned later that the same amenities were there – rooms roomy enough for four students, one locker and study table for each resident, a spacious bath and wash room in each floor, a mess hall and reception areas.

The house rules we dreaded are still there and they have been modified to plug loopholes and ensure that its residents achieve “academic excellence.” I remember that it was during our time when the open-door study period from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. began. This was imposed after the dorm masters discovered that many residents did not study their lessons and had failing grades at the end of the semester. During the study period, dorm masters would go from one room to another to see to it that its occupants are really studying.

To parents, this is instilling discipline and developing students to be responsible while they are away from their parents. This is also a reassurance that inside that dorm, the students are safe and secure.

QUICK QUOTE: Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. — Mother Teresa

Yesterday, the city hall opened at 7:30 a.m. and closed at 6:30 p.m., longer than the usual 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. working hours. It was the first day of the implementation of the four-day work week this summer, based on a directive of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Although most city hall offices will now open Monday to Thursday (frontline services, such the Waste Management Division, police, etc. are exempted), each government employee will still be working 40 hours a week as mandated by law.

To the national government, the scheme means energy savings. Millions of pesos. To most government employees, it will be longer weekends this summer.

To the people, they can now transact with government offices earlier. Hopefully. That is, if government employees will really report on time. As radio commentator Orly Navarro rightly observes, even if offices open at 7:30 a.m., but its employees or department heads report at 9 a.m., the four-day work week will not mean anything.

If the national government really wants to save energy, then it has to think of measures more than just the four-day work week scheme. Although it has been relentlessly urging people to save energy in its radio and television ads, the message do not seem to sink in. Maybe, this is because the people do not see the government adopting energy-saving measures.

For instance, the use of government vehicles has not been very strict. Even on weekends, we see several red plates in malls, public markets, beaches, cockpit arenas – in places where they should not be. These vehicles consume gasoline paid for by the people’s money.

In offices, there have been lights-off and aircon-off times, but these were hardly observed. And what about the street lights and water faucets for public use? These are but small details that need the government’s attention.

In other words, if the government wants the people to save, then it should be the first one to do it for the people to see. Leadership by example.

By simply seeing to it that the lights are turned off at the proper time in government offices, leaking faucets are repaired and government vehicles are used properly, millions of pesos of energy would already be saved.

*****
It’s fiesta time. Any town you go this summer in Pangasinan, there’s a festive mood.

Just last week, Bayambang and Mapandan were celebrating. Bayambang had its fiesta in honor of its patron, St. Vincent Ferrer. Ten days of fun and celebration.

Mapandan had its Pandan Festival, a week long festivity. We were there last Wednesday to witness the inauguration of several buildings around the town square.

In Bayambang, when we saw Mayor Leo de Vera on the day the cycling race he sponsored was circling the third district, he was a picture of a happy man. His residence at Barangay Bical was a place everybody admired. Not so much for the imposing landscaping being completed but for its kitchen that doesn’t seem to run out of food.

Anyone who enters his compound eats. And in a day’s time, his staff may have fed thousands of people. For 10 days.

Whew!

ENDNOTES: Third district Rep. Gener Tulagan was in Mapandan with presidential son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, when the news about his ailing and aging mother’s death came through that Wednesday morning. He was very calm, as those who have learned about it condoled with him. Manong Gener, the strong and religious person that we know, may have long prepared for it and just left everything to God. He knows that in finally meeting her Creator, his mother is in now safe hands. Interment will be on Thursday, April 14.
QUICK QUOTE: The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand. –Robert Vallett