Our Yachting Experience at Subic

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

WHILE I was at the bow pulpit of the 50 passengers' capable P70 million La Banca Yacht (one of the 18 various types of Yachts that include schooner, sloop, ketch, and yawl) owned by Johnny Valdes of the La Banca Cruises) that hailed from the Subic Bay Yacht Club located at Rizal Avenue and Burgos Street in Zambales and navigated between  the stretches of Sattler Pier and Bravo Pier, I saw a gray U.S made cutter turned offshore patrol vessel (the Yanks stripped it off with its lethal armaments when they donated three of it to us Filipinos) docked near the Bravo Pier that I later learned as the BRP Gregorio del Pilar with its 40 number (formerly 15) on its right hull.

“Pa’, that’s the naval ship we entered in 2013 at the deep water of Lingayen Gulf when you were invited to meet the ship Captain (the present Rear Admiral John Anthony Orbe (PMA ’92) when he was then a full Colonel or Navy Captain) and his Deputy (then Commander (Lieutenant Colonel) Julius E. Valdez (PMA ‘92),” my gym rat and boxing buff son quipped as he appeared from the stanchion at the starboard while I controlled my balance and held my digital desert camo bonnie hat because of the headwind.

22 Schools in Manaoag Receive P1.1-m From Mayor

P50-K for Each of the Schools for their Brigada Eskwela

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANAOAG, Pangasinan – The local government of the pilgrims’ town here provides P50, 000 for each of the 22 public elementary and high schools here for the Brigada Eskwela 2026.

“Every year, traditionally during Brigada (Eskwela) ang LGU ng Manaoag extends assistance to all public schools in Manaoag by giving P50,000 per school. Variable needs nila yero, pintura, semento, black board, upuan i-release namin tomorrow (June 3),” Mayor Jeremy Agerico “Ming” Rosario told this writer in the former office.

48K, Not 12K, Recipients of the Sako-Food-Bag in Calasiao

BASED ON A NUCLEAR FAMILY

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – It’s not 12,000 individuals but 48, 000 persons based on a nuclear family who benefited on the sako (woven fabric) food bags given recently here by the administration of Mayor Patrick A. Caramat.

An average nuclear family in the Philippines is composed of 4.1 household members that is composed of a father, mother, and their two children.

De Venecia: Japan as Ph Closest, Most Reliable Ally

NIPPON PLEDGES P210-B INVESTMENT, ARMAMENTS

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A prominent Congresswoman described Japan as the Philippines closest and most reliable ally for many decades after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. spoke to the Diet (parliament) in his May 26-29 state visit there.

“So when the Japanese Parliament invited our President to address their lawmakers directly, it sends a very strong message that the Philippines is viewed as a serious, stable, and important parties in the region,” Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Gina P. de Venecia said.

Pilot Calls Marines: Army Mill Around Drums of Gas

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SHUTTLING with various military planes between Awang Airport in Dinaig, Maguindanao and Nichols Air Base (the present Villamor) in Pasay City when I was a kid in the late of 1970’s until the retirement from the air force of my father in 1981, one of the experiences that still embedded in my rich neocortex was when the fire proof flight fatigue suit clad pilot of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport plane that would take off in Pasay to Maguindanao barked to the various branches of services of soldiers spitting and whittling around: “Palapitin ninyo sa akin ang mga Marines diyan! Kayong mga Marines bantayan niyong maigi iyong mga drum na iyan. Puno iyan ng gasolina! Bantayan ninyo ang Army na sisindi ng sigarilyo habang lumilipad ang eroplano natin”.

Writer as a teenager shuttling with various military planes between Awang Airport in Dinaig, Maguindanao and Nichols Air Base (the present Villamor) in Pasay City.  (Illustration by Gemini)

Those dozens of cold rolled steel drums of 100/130 aviation gasoline (a high-octane leaded piston aviation fuel) and the JP-4 (kerosene-based aviation turbine fuel) would be used by the air force for their T-28 “Tora-Tora” Trojan radial-engine planes and UH-1H helicopters that bombed and strafed the Moro rebels hiding at their strongholds and redoubts in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and some parts of Lanao.

Infras, Services Not Affected by Tax Reliefs on Quarry Operators - Capitol

THANKS TO ROBUST TAX COLLECTION IN THE 1ST QTR 

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Infrastructure projects and social services of the provincial government here could not be affected despite the tax relief given to quarry operators and the reduced toll fees imposed on them because of the robust revenue collections.

“(P)ag create po ng budget ng probinsya meron tayong expected na revenue at iyong revenue na iyan ay pampondo sa mga programa o proyekto ng probinsya. Sinagot po iyan ng provincial treasurer noong tinanong ko noong Friday lang iyong reduction sa collection natin. Ang sagot po niya ay ganito: Noong first quarter po natin maganda iyong collection ng province. We actually went beyond the target so kung ano man iyong surplus na kulekta natin because of the reduced rates. So wala pong existing na programa na maapektuhan o ma-cancel dahil una maganda ang collection natin,” said by Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino.

Can a Mayor Run in a 4th Term Because of a Broken 3rd-Term?

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

In my exchanges with politicians lately, a case of a third–term mayor cropped up who told some confreres that he could run for reelection despite the three-term (nine years) ban, as mandated by law.

His justification that his six months’ preventive suspension and the twelve months’ suspension meted in his second term because of the administrative cases from the Office of the President early this year broke the CONSECUTIVENESS (emphasis mine) of his three years’ terms.