Thursday, March 14, 2024

BATTLE ROYAL LOOMS: Guv Guico's Wife Transfers Residence to Urdaneta

By Mortz C. Ortigozas

Pangasinan First Lady Maan T. Guico has just transferred today her residence from Binalonan to Urdaneta City as a new registered voter of the city. She was accompanied by hubby Governor Monmon Guico and father-in- law 5th District Cong. Monching Guico and some political allies at the city election office
Some political kibitzers including this columnist have been saying in the past that Maan Guico would be a favorite mayoralty bet against incumbent Mayor Rammy Parayno in the looming battle royal for the May 12, 2025 election.

Supporters of outgoing Senator Grace Poe are calling her to run against reelectionist Pangasinan 3rd District Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas on the May 12, 2025 local and national elections.
“May tama si Rachel kay Grace Poe. Taga Malasiqui siya tapos ang kalaban kinikilalang taga vote-rich San Carlos City at anak pa ni Fernando Poe, Jr (Congresswoman Rachel will have a run for her money. She came from Malasiqui while the challenger is a recognized daughter of the vote –rich San Carlos City and movie icon Fernando Poe, Jr. who was the favorite son of the city),” according to political kibitzer Pido Montoya and his friends in Calasiao’s town about this possible battle royal between the famous Senator and the well-entrenched Congresswoman.
***
Whenever she dropped by in Pangasinan for a whistle stop in her senatorial bids and presidential campaign, she met the siblings of her father and kin from Barangay Kawayan Quiling here at a famous restaurant in this city.
It is not common to see a senator of the Republic running for the membership of the House of Representatives after his or her consecutive two terms or 12 years’ limit in the upper chamber.
Former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Loren Legarda, Ralph Recto, Pia Cayetano and Allan Cayetano ran and won too their congressional seats in the past.
It needs only for Senator Poe to be registered voter and a resident for at least one year in the 3rd Congressional District – the most populated among the six congressional districts in Pangasinan – if she wants to be elected for the lower chamber.

1st Film Fest in P’ sinan under the Guico Admin

 LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—To establish Pangasinan as a preeminent creative hub of the country, the Provincial Government of Pangasinan (PGP) will hold the first-ever film festival in Pangasinan.



Dubbed ‘PangaSINE Film Festival 2024,’ the activity will serve as one of the highlights of Pista’y Dayat (Sea Festival) this year.

As an initial step, Governor Ramon V. Guico III will sign a contract agreement with Mr. Narciso N. Santos, Jr., for the conduct of the activity.

A resolution was authored by Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Marinor B. de Guzman and approved by the august body on March 12.

“For this year’s celebration of the Pista’y Dayat, Mr. Narciso N. Santos, Jr., shall be the strategic partner of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan in the presentation of PangaSINE 2024: Official Film Festival of the Province of Pangasinan, with its festival theme: “Pangasinan Through the Lens of the Pangasinense,” the resolution partly stated.

Film-making workshops will be held primarily to encourage creativity through filmmaking, discover and nurture Pangasinenses to have the talent and skill in filmmaking, and produce meaningful and quality films that are exclusively made in Pangasinan.

Based on the project proposal presented by Pangasinan Information and Media Relations Officer Dhobie P. de Guzman, the event hopes to “source, curate, and exhibit 10 outstanding short films by homegrown filmmakers; conduct short courses (for students or individuals) in story writing, screen/scriptwriting, producing, directing, cinematography/principal photography, sound editing and design, film/video editing, and film appreciation.”

There are four essential elements the festival hopes to see. These are as follows: 1) narratives from the past that greatly influenced the present-day Pangasinense; 2) the vibrant and ever-changing culture of Pangasinan today; 3) storytelling techniques that fuse the traditional and modern; 4) the hopes, dreams, triumphs, and challenges of the modern Pangasinense, particularly of the youth.

(Ruby R. Bernardino/PIMRO)

More Poor Students to Attend Free College


AFTER GUICO COLLABORATES WITH SOKOR

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -  Through the initiative of the Pangasinan governor, more students from the marginalized sector will be attending free college education in the big province because of the scholarship given by the philanthropic South Korean organization.

We believe in the power of education as a great equalizer. Once you are equipped with the knowledge, the attitude, and the understanding, we feel and know that our youth and all Pangasinenses and Filipinos could have the opportunity to alleviate themselves from poverty and the miseries of society,” declared by Governor Ramon V. Guico III during the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Lotte Shin Kyuk-ho Scholarship (Outstanding Talent Scholarship in Southeast Asia) of the South Korea based Lotte Group and the presidents of the four government owned colleges and university in Pangasinan.

MOA. Lotte Scholarship Foundation Chairwoman Chang Haesun (extreme left) and Pangasinan Polytechnic College President Raymundo Rovillos signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the two institutions for the free college education of selected poor students in Pangasinan while Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III, Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino, Board Member Vici Ventanilla look. The forging of agreement among the presidents of  the four government colleges and university in the province ensued on March 8, 2024. (Photo: Pangasinan Police Provincial Official) 

The Korean project aimed to provide a scholarship fund of USD $450 per semester to each of the qualified recipients for this school year in these tertiary institutions.

The forging of agreement between the four college presidents and the Lotte Scholarship Foundation (LSF) Chair Haesun Chang have been witnessed also by Vice Governor Mark Lambino, Board Member Vici Ventanilla and other luminaries.

These presidents were Dr. Macrina V. Cajala of the Binalatongan Community College in San Carlos City; Dr. Elbert M. Galas of the Pangasinan State University; Dr. Evelyn Abalos-Tomboc (University of Eastern Pangasinan in Binalonan; and Dr. Raymundo D. Rovillos of the Pangasinan Polytechnic College in Lingayen. 

“Lotte Foundation was established 43 years ago and has been  providing 3.8 billion to foster global talents. Now we want to support the Filipino students,” Chang said in her speech at the PPC.

“We will be the lamp that lights the path to learning,” said by the motto inscribed on the LSF official website.

It elaborated that it “selects outstanding foreign students who strive diligently to learn amidst difficult circumstances, provides biannual scholarships, and also supports scholarships for elementary, middle, and high school students who show excellent talent and scholastic performance.”

Under the MOA, each of the 80 scholars in Pangasinan will receive US$450 (P24,975) per semester for their preferred courses until they graduate.

It will be the tertiary institution that will select the scholars based on their respective internal guidance. The college will then report to the LSF on the operations and expenses they incurred.

“Rest assured that we shall carefully select students who will dedicate themselves to their studies despite challenging circumstances,” PPC First President Rovillos told LSF Chairwoman Chang.

The people of Pangasinan saw the formal opening of the PPC’s Center for Lifelong Learning (CeLL) and the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) held on February 14 at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center Complex here.

PPC, a landmark project under the administration of Gov. Guico, serves as his gift to the poor but deserving students in Pangasinan for a free education.

Expressing gratitude to the LSF, Guico sets his sights on soliciting more organizations and foundations to extend their altruism for the scholarships of the youth in Pangasinan notably those whose families hailed from lower income brackets of the society.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Ph Jets the Chinese Fear

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I was awed to see how big the supersonic F-8 Crusader (speed Mach 1.8 ) when I saw it recently displayed at the Clark Air Base’s museum in Pampanga when I dropped by there to interview the South Korean representative of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 multi-role fighter (speed Mach 1.8). The Crusader was much bigger than the needle nosed U.S made Northrop F-5 A/B and the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star displayed nearby.


After the South Vietnamese forces took our island Pugad (Southwest Cay) in the Spratly (Kalayaan) in 1979 and the threat of the Mainland Chinese to take any of our remaining 10 islets and shoals there, President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. in 1977 bought 35 – where 25 were refurbished and 10 were used for spare parts - F-8 Crusader night fighting jets in the United States at US $11.7 million (U.S $23 million if it included the training of 18 Pinoy pilots and maintenance personnel sent to the Vought Corporation in Dallas, Texas) and deployed them in the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. They flew continuous air reconnaissance and patrol flights over the disputed islands.
The presence of the day and night fighting Crusaders – superior fighters than our country’s squadrons of the day jets F-5 A/B - assured air superiority for the Philippine military forces against the Chinese and the Vietnamese in the 1980s in the Spratly. It deterred them in confronting the Philippines during that time despite bloody battles that ensued between the Chinese and Vietnamese in the nearby Paracel Island.
Crusader fighter pilots intercepted too many Soviet bombers which over-flew the northwestern area of the country.
Fast climbing and maneuverable than the F-5s, the F-8s gained fame in the Vietnam War when U.S naval pilots from the carriers destroyed 19 Vietnamese Soviet made MIGs 17 and 21 jets in air-to-air combat and only lost three in turn. It was called the Migs' Killer as it destroyed to smithereens more Migs than the vaunted U.S F4 Phantoms in the Vietnam War the U.S lost to communist North Vietnam and Vietcongs



The F-8, used to be armed with four .50 caliber machine guns on both sides of her fuselage after first production in 1955, was the last plane to use four 20 mm autocannons on the same places of the fuselage.
It was called the "Last Gunslinger" after it was superseded by heat seeking fired missiles by its successors like the F-16, F-14, F-15 to name a few.
The other armament of the F-8, according to Wikipedia and which had been specified by the US Navy, consisted with 32 unguided Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (Mighty Mouse FFARs) and cheek pylons for two guided AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
Due to a lack of spares and the rapid deterioration of the aircraft, the remaining Crusaders were grounded in 1988 by the Philippine Air Force and left on an open grass field at Basa Air Base, Pampanga. They were finally withdrawn in 1991 after they were badly damaged by the Mount Pinatubo eruption and offered for sale as scrap. Some of the inoperational airframes were refurbished for use as props in the 2000 flick’s Thirteen Days, a dramatization of the Cuban Missile Crisis, that depicted the real-life U.S RF-8As involved in the low-level photo reconnaissance missions that took pictures of Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Gloria Arroyo, Larry Gadon Et Al. Are Coming!

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza


The May 2025 senatorial election is more than 14 months away from now. If one is determined to win one of the 12 post available as the top lawmakers of the country, it is time to campaign this early.

But early campaigning is not the silver bullet that catapults the candidate to victory with the votes of the the hoi-polloi, it needs the power of dough – hundreds of millions if not billions of pesos mostly for the expensive television ads –  to win the hearts and minds of the electorates who lived as far as the boondocks.

SENATORIAL WANNABES (from left to right front row) retired Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin, disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon, and former President Gloria M. Arroyo who graced the Barangay Night of Mangaldan, Pangasinan. The bourgeoning and one of the richest municipalities in the province celebrates its Pindang Fiesta. Other in the photo are Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno, Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Vice Governor Mark Lambino and spouse Lawyer Melanie. (Photo by PIO -Mangaldan)

 30 seconds TV ads cost more or less P500, 000 at the boobtube’s leader GMA-7 TV.

2022 election Senatorial bets Alan Peter Cayetano, Win Gatchalian, Mark Villar, and Joel Villanueva soared in the Top 10 of those who would win the electoral derby on the date of the survey by spending P1 billion each on ads a year before the election.

A billion of pesos, susmariosep!, to a post that gives P300, 000 a month or P23.4 million as salary in a six years term.

I asked Senator Grace Poe in the 2019 election: “Congressmen buy votes to win, a senator buys television ads to be victorious. Mostly consistent kayong No. 1 sa poll, ilan ang TV ads ninyo sa major televisions’ GMA-7 and ABS-CBN?”

“Maramirami rin. Ah, hindi naman ganoon karami katulad ng iba pero ang importante kasi sa lawak ng Pilipinas hindi maabot mo ang lahat ng mga bumoboto. E paniwalaan natin o hindi lahat naman ng nanood ng television kahit ano ang mangyari kahit pilitin sarili mo sa lahat ng pupuntan lahat ng liblib,” she told me.

She’ll be ending her six years’ term on June 30 next year as Senator and folks in Pangasinan are watching if she would transfer here her residence before May 12, 2025 poll to comply with the constitutional requirement of a one-year residency before she challenges incumbent 3rd District Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas.

What say you Poe’s P.R folks’  Nora D. Deuna and Ronnie Estrera Calumpita?

***

At the recent Barangays (Villages) Night of the fiesta of Mangaldan, Pangasinan I saw former President and incumbent Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joining one of the shindigs being celebrated by the local government. This event – where roasted calves and hogs and drums of beers adorned the ostentatious party as seen on other towns – is seen by wannabe senatorial candidates as opportunity to hype themselves with the people.

Arroyo was accompanied by would be candidates disbarred lawyer Larry “Mga bobo kayo put*ng ina mo” Gadon, Ariel Querubin, and a young man - a partylist official and bet - that I was not familiar with as I saw them at the town’s Facebook Page Public Information Office. Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno allowed these wannabes to give their encomium to ingratiate with the masa in their festivity.

****

I couldn’t just imagine that La Presidenta Gloria de Excelsis and the bemedaled retired Marine Colonel Querubin- a former member of the leftist student group Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan - would be rubbing elbow with each other on every soiree and fiesta they whistle stop all over the country.

In February 26, 2006 Querubin and a throng of Marines launched a stand-off at their barracks after Arroyo relieved Major General Renato Miranda, the Philippine Marine Corps Commandant, who was suspected to be part of a looming coup d'état against her.  Many in the military then detested her for abetting corruption, favoritism among the brass, and rigging the votes against her May 2004 presidential opponent actor Fernando Poe, Jr. – the father of Grace Poe.

Querubin was released from the slammer after President Benigno Aquino, III – who eventually threw Arroyo to the brig -- granted amnesty to soldiers who were linked to the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the 2006 Fort Bonifacio standoff and the 2007 Manila Peninsula Siege.

Many Filipinos could not forget the somber faced La Gloria telling them on national TV: “I AM SORRY”.

The cheating accusation against her centered on the audio recordings in which she told then Commission on Elections Chief Virgilio Garcillano (son of a gun, a fellow Pangasinense!) to secure for her a million-vote margin in the May 2004 ballot. Garciano checkered pasts involved his alleged vote-rigging stunt in the 1995 ‘dagdag-bawas’ senatorial race.

Now both Arroyo - who became a nine years’ termed president – after the military toppled down President Joseph Estrada 2001 and ushered her succession as the then vice president -  and the idealistic Querubin - become a strange bedfellow.

Politics, by golly, is full of paradoxes. It is a game of convenience for those with vested interest unmindful about the propriety of their actions that they were once nemesis flailing on each other's throat.

Diyos ko! Parang si Boy Tapang at Cherrie White lang.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Sokor KF-21 Threats to F-16, Euro Fighters in Ph Market

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CLARK, Philippines – A business executive of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) said their KF-21 (Boramae or known too as KF-X) is a candidate for the Philippines needs of a multirole combat jets.

Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 multirole fighter jet with its smaller drones used for electronic intelligence (ELINT), Electronic Warfare (EW), optical reconnaissance, and anti-radar purposes. (Eurasiantimes.com)

“Actually, Philippines armed forces interest of getting the multiple-role fighter jet in the near future and I heard KF-21 can be considered as one of the candidates,” disclosed to this writer by Hyaonjin Ha, the International Business Development for Asia Executive of KAI, at its booth that displayed a model of the homegrown KF-21 in the Haribon Hangar here. The booth is one of the several booths brought by Korean arms and technology manufacturers during the recent Korea Air Force staged three-day air shows to mark the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and South Korea.

The two-engine KF-21 Block-2 will compete with the U.S made General Dynamic-Lockheed Martin's F-16 Falcon Block 70/72 and Sweden’s Saab produced Gripen JAS Series E in the multirole jet needs of the military in the Philippines.

The Block-2 is superior to the F-16 Viper and Europe made fighters like the Dassault Aviation’s Rafale Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo’s Typhoon and Saab’s Gripen JAS E.

It carries four stealth drones or adoptable area platform (AAP) as seen on its model display here where this writer and some Filipino fighter pilots - clad on their green jumpsuits - milled around them with curiosity.

“It can be launched from the KF-21 but they are also can be launched from the ground or we can carry this one to the cargo or from the air,” said by Mr. Ha in his non-accented fluent English on the AAPs.

A prototype of the KF-21 Boramae flies over Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, March 28, 2023, during a test flight. Photo courtesy of Defense Acquisition Program Administration. 

SUPERIORITY

KF-21 stealth capabilities exceeds those of Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon but less than of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. (1)

The Weapon Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University advised that the KF-X should be superior to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, with 50% greater combat range, 34% longer airframe lifespan, better avionics, more active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, more-effective electronic warfare, more data link capabilities, and approximately 50,000 pounds-force.

It is a 4.5 generation fighter. (2)

KF-21 resembles the stealthier F-35 of the United States after KAI disregarded the European delta wing design it earlier submitted. Its airframe however does not carry weapons in internal bays like fifth-generation fighters, though that internal bays may be introduced in later development. (3)

FEATURES

“We will finish the Phase-1 development and the manufacturing until 2026 and we will deliver to the (inaudible), Mr. Ha told this writer.

It has a larger airframe with room for upgrades that could lead to a future reclassification as a fifth-generation fighter.  KAI partnered with Lockheed Martin – the maker of the F-16 and the F-35 - for technological support.(4) The contract formed a plan for delivery of the aircraft to begin in 2026.

Lockheed Martin transferred two dozen F-35A technologies as part of a purchase deal with KAI. The US government however blocked the transfer of four vital technologies: AESA radar, infrared search and track (IRST), electro-optical targeting pod (EO TGP), and radio frequency jammer (RF jammer) technologies. The South Korean manufacturers however developed those technologies.

The first test fly of KF-21 was on July 19 2022 after it used six flying prototypes, including the two two-seat versions and conducted 2,200 flights. Its mass production of the 40 Block-1 jets begins in 2024. (6). The Block-1 jets have an interim capability of limited air-to-air interdiction. Its first customers will be South Korea and Indonesia. Mass production of the multirole 80 Block-2 jets will start on 2026. Later developments of the Block-2 will include equipping it with a domestically developed air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) and hypersonic missile. (7)

The Block 2 was what KAI intends to sell to the Philippines, Peru and Poland.

The KAI KF-X is South Korea's second domestic fighter jet development program after the successful FA-50 supersonic light multi-role aircraft. The Philippines bought 12 FA-50 in 2014 at P18.9 billion under the administration of President Benigno Aquino, Jr.

PERFORMANCES

KF-21 has a maximum speed of 2,200 km/h (1,400 mph, 1,200 kn) or Mach 1.81.
It has a combat range of 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi) and a ferry range of 2,900 km (1,800 mi, 1,550 nmi) (8)

 SUPERIOR JETS FOR PH. Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) Executive Hyaonjin Ha, head of the International Business Development for Asia of KAI, discusses with Northern Watch Newspaper Editor Mortz C. Ortigoza at its booth in Clark, Pampanga that the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate is willing to supply the Philippines its superiority two-engine multirole fighters after it starts to mass produce from its plant the lethal aircraft a few years from now.


ARMAMENTS

It has the following weapons:

Guns:

 1× 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary autocannon.

 Hard Points:

 10 (6 under-wing hard points and 4 under-fuselage hard points).

 Air-to-Air Missiles:

 MBDA Meteor; AIM-120 AMRAAM; Diehl IRIS-T; AIM-9X Sidewinder; ASRAAM (planned).

 Air-to-Surface Missiles:

Taurus KEPD 350; AGM-65 Maverick; Korean long-range air-to-ground guided missile (Block 2 improvement); MBDA Brimstone (planned); SPEAR 3 (planned); Anti-ship missiles: AGM-84 Harpoon; Taurus KEPD 350; SPEAR 3 (planned); Dual-purpose ordnance (with both anti-ship and land-attack capability): Taurus KEPD 350; Korean Air-to-Ship Guided Missile-II (planned); SPEAR 3 (planned).

Bombs:
Normal bombs: CBU-87 CEM; CBU-97 SFW; GBU-39 SDB (Block 2 improvement); Mark 82 bomb (Block 2 improvement); Mark 84 bomb (Block 2 improvement); Precision guided bombs: JDAM; GBU-54/56 LJDAM (Block 2 improvement); GBU-12 LGB (Block 2 improvement); KGGB (Block 2 improvement);
CBU-105 WCMD (10)

 

Mr. Ha could not say the exact year KF-21 can be delivered to the Philippines in case the latter wants to procure a squadron of the jets.

“It is really hard to talk… we have not on the stage of mass production at this point so it is hard to tell,” the Executive told this writer after he badgered him to have a guess of the date of the multirole jets delivery in case the Philippines buy them.

 While KAI was the primary builder of the aircraft, numerous other domestic and foreign companies were contracted to provide its components or support. Several of these firms had worked with KAI on the T-50 – the training version of the FA-50.

During a visit to South Korea in April 2023 of Sebastian Chwałek, chairman of the PGZ (Polish Armaments Group), he expressed Poland's desire to participate in the KF-21 project as a development partner in 2026 when Block-2 begins. It is reported that the Polish government discusses the possibility of acquiring Indonesia's stake in the program by paying the ₩800 billion in overdue contribution funds that it failed to pay. PGZ reportedly plans to deliver a letter of intent to participate in development partners to the Seoul soon through the Polish government. (8)

Just like the Saab made Gripen JAS C/D and E/F, the KAI made jet, the KF-21 Block-2 has lower operational cost not to mention its less expensive purchase price, too.

The introduction of the KF-21 in the market will have a ripple effect on multirole jet manufacturers globally.

 References

1.     "KF-X Fighter: Korea's Future Homegrown Jet". Defense Industry Daily. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.

2.      "KF-X Fighter: Korea's Future Homegrown Jet". Defense Industry Daily

3.      Roblin, Sebastien (13 April 2021). "Korea's New KF-21 Jet Isn't A Stealth Fighter—But Could Evolve Into One"The National Interest. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

4.       "KF-X Fighter: Korea's Future Homegrown Jet". Defense Industry Daily

5.      "국방기술 연구개발 투자 1 시대를 열다"Defense Acquisition Program Administration. 6 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.

6. "KFX/IFX program is continued, Government should chose the design (Translation from Indonesian)".

7. Jung Sung-li (6 October 2009). "Probe Into Foreign Defense Firms May Widen"The Korea TimesArchived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.

1.  8.  "한국형 전투기 KF-X 시제기 출고식 - [끝까지 LIVE] MBC 중계방송 2021 04 09"YouTubeArchived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

9.  "KF-21 Next-Generation Fighter"Korea Aerospace Industries. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

10.  Kang Heon (7 March 2023). "앞으로 남은 시간 36개월, 순항 중인 KF-21 보라매". Uberin. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.

 

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Mangaldan Celebrates Women’s Day as Part of Fiesta

 MANGALDAN, Pangasinan – “𝑩𝑨𝑩𝑨𝑬 𝑨𝑲𝑶, 𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑰 𝑩𝑨𝑩𝑨𝑬 𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑮

 Women from different barangay families and walk of life gathered at the 3rd floor of the Municipal Social Hall here recently for the Women's Day celebration in line with the Mangaldan Town Fiesta and Pindang Festival.

Municipal Administrator and Event Focal Person Atty. Teodora S. Cerdan warmly welcomed about 500 participants comprised mostly of Barangay Health Workers (BHW), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), Barangay Service Point Officers (BSPO) and local government employees.

Municipal Administrator Atty. Teodora S. Cerdan welcomes about 500 participants comprised mostly of Barangay Health Workers (BHW), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), Barangay Service Point Officers (BSPO) and local government employees during the Women's Day in Mangaldan town.

Cerdan lauded the speakers for sharing their knowledge and time on this woman empowering event.

Municipal Coop. Officer Dr. Rosallie Hulipas, delivered Mayor Bona Fe de Vera-Parayno's speech during the early part of the event, where she said that under her administration, women in Mangaldan will not be left behind but are being taken care of, respected, given importance and loved.

Dr. Grace Petonio from the Municipal Health Office talked about Teenage Pregnancy, Dr. Diana Ray Margarita Diala, Medical Officer III discussed about Postpartum Depression & Menopause, Sylvia Jimenez, Midwife II talked about Family Planning.

PSSg. Jeanneth Nabua from the police talked about Republic Act 11313 or Safe Spaces Act or commonly known as Bawal Bastos Law while Diana Grace Uson, Psychometrician/Admin. Aide IV from the MSWDO lectured about Women Empowerment, Gender Equality & Mental Health.

John Patrick dela Cruz and Joanne Santiago from Magnolia Chicken San Miguel Foods - Mangaldan branch also shared a business opportunity talk to the village folks that can help them earn extra money for their family.

During the latter part of the event, Mayor Bona who came from an important engagement surprised the crowd and personally greeted the participantson Happy Women’s Month and affirmed them that under her administration, women in Mangaldan are empowered!

The local chief executive asked the barangay families for their support as the local government unit of Mangaldan resumes the Bantay Barangay this April.

Participants were enthused to actively listen and participate during the lectures and were rewarded with prizes from Kiwanis Club of Metro Mangaldan led by Ms. Emma Cabrera and Mangaldan Pindang Lady Eagles led by Janice Barrozo through a raffle draw.

The question and answer portion was also spiced up by the instant loading of nominal cash prizes to the winners’ e-wallets courtesy of the event focal person, Atty. Cerdan. (𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒂𝒏𝑷𝑰𝑶)