The Rabble Rousing JDV at 75; Meeting Larry Henares

The author poses with nonpareil humorous and witty columnist Larry Henares

Birthday "boy" former Speaker Jose de Venecia poses with lady solons of the House of Representatives

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

This columnist who used to patronize “turo-turo” (small eatery) has found himself sporting the coat and tie he inherited from  his grandpa in the Katipunan while partaking a more than a thousand of pesos a plate dinner hosted by “birthday boy” former five-time speaker  Jose de Venecia at the swanky Golden Bay  Sea Food Restaurant in Pasay City.

The almost 1000 visitors composed of present and former political high rollers of the country, foreign leaders and ambassadors spent the chilly night of December 26 feasting with Chinese cuisine with the de Venecias and (Speaker Joe’s wife Congresswoman Gina’s) Vera-Perez clans for the  visionary and rabble rouser natal day.

As what an able ally of the former speaker former congressman Ed Zialcita declared to open the festivity: “We are here to celebrate JDV’s 100th birthday!”

4 – cornered mayoral contest in Manaoag

Vice Mayor Kim Amador

The fluid political landscape in Pangasinan

4th District Rep. Rachel Arenas

Bautista Mayor Amado "Pogi" Espino III

Business tycoon Cesar Quimbao

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

The present non-bailable crimes that confront former President Gloria M. Arroyo, former Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos, and two-star general Jovito Palparan have chilling effects to would-be malefactors.

Feeding programs create jobs in Alaminos

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ALAMINOS CITY – The mayor of this city bared how his three-year feeding program benefited not only the nutritional and academic statuses of school children but the economic welfare of the people here.

In an interview recently with Hawaii’s TV “Health & Wealth’ hosted by Dr. Terry Shintani, Mayor Hernani Braganza explained that the city’s P10 million feeding program every year pumped-prime the local economy.

This is because the mostly farming parents supplied the foods for the feeding programs here by P577, 380.00 in 2008, P744, 566.23 in 2009, and P408, 312.75 in 2010.

Braganza said that the beneficiaries of this program were 7,000 day care and pre-school pupils and 13,000 elementary school children.

“Some 6,700 or 42 percent of 16, 000 families have benefitted from this program, too,” he stressed.

He noted that this endeavor dubbed as “Bright Child Program: created the following jobs here by 349 in 2008, 1,202 in 2009, and 1, 461 in 2010”.

Agham Party-list sues Meat Inspector

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ROSALES – The Agham Party-list which is allied with the agricultural sector,

recently sued Executive Director Jane Bacayu of the National Meat Inspection Service.

Abono Chair Rosendo So said Agham Party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones sued Bacayu because she procrastinated on the implementation of Administrative Order No. 22 that should have started last year.

Earlier, a national association of hog raisers asked the resignation of Efren C. Nuestro as chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, also for the non-implementation of AO 22.

Epektibo, pagbibigay ng reward

Sec. Antonio Villar ,Dangerous Drugs Board

Tayong lahat po ay sumusunod sa tuwid na daan ng ating Pangulo. Pero matanong ko lang po, kayo po ba Secretary Robredo at General Bartolome, tinatahak niyo po ba ang tuwid na daan ng ating Pangulo? O mahilig kayo sa zigzag road paakyat ng Baguio kaya paliko-liko ang daan na tinatahak niyo?

Magdadalawang taon nang nakaupo ang ating Pangulo at magdadalawang taon na rin nating tinatahak ang tuwid na daan, subalit ang sugal na jueteng ay patuloy pa ring namamayagpag sa buong bansa, lalung-lalo na sa Luzon.

How small towns in Pangasinan fare

Aguilar Town Hall

San Jacinto's public market

Urbiztondo Town Hall

What the towns of San Jacinto, Urbiztondo, and Aguilar have in common? They are classified by the Department of Finance as 3rd Class municipality based on their annual local income.

Braganza’s led economic alliance braces to achieve MDG

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ALAMINOS CITY – The four members of the One Pangasinan Alliance (OPAL) are not only bent to achieve four of the eight targets of the Millennium Development Goal but are geared to be a model in the country as the first group to attain them.
Mayor Hernani Braganza said since he was a congressman it was his utmost desire to lift the economy of the first congressional district.
He said the Philippine government could not breach the target of the United Nations in 2015 to reverse and eradicate extreme poverty, promote universal primary education, maternal health, and environmental sustainability but optimistically declared that the OPAL could do it.
OPAL, an economic alliance,is composed of this city, and the towns of Agno,Anda, Bani,Bolinao, Burgos,Dasol, Infanta, Mabini and Sual.
But it is Alaminos, Bani, Dasol and Burgos which took part in the MDG project. Officials of these four LGUs met last December 15 to formalize the integration of the MDG in their respective annual investment plan (AIP) for 2012 dubbed as “Festival of Good Governance”.
Roland Cabigas, managing director of La Liga Policy Institute said the four members OPAL have allocated almost P200 million for various MDG-related programs and projects for 2012 which is expected to improve the delivery of basic social services for the poorest of the poor sectors in their respective localities.
A total of P111, 997,426 has been allocated for various MDG-related programs by Alaminos City. This represents 35.5 percent of the city’s proposed total proposed budget for 2012, of P314, 890, 970, 46 per cent of which are dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty.

BIR –Region 1 scores absence of gov’t projects

BIR Region-1 Director Guballa

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

CALASIAO – The director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Region-1 lamented the sluggish tax collection because of the absence of major projects by the national government in the first semester of 2011.

LawyerArnelGuballa explained that unlike the tax collection in industrialized urban areas, BIR in the region depends primarily on the taxes by the regular tax payers.

“In the provinces, we rely on TRA (Tax Remittance Advisory) only. If there is no project, what can you expect in remote areas? What can you collect? There are no businesses there expect simple trading, sari-sari (store),” he said.

The Spratlys Conundrum: FVR and JDV’s solutions

Icons of Philippines' Politics: From left is former President Ramos and former House Speaker de Venecia

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

FVR and JDV as every Filipino knows is former president Fidel V. Ramos and former five-time House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

During the stints of the duo, FVR achieved an average of  5 percent Gross National Product and a coup’d’tat’-free six year administration, while Speaker JDV chalked up the successful US Bases Economic Conversion Law that turned Clark, Subic, Camp John Hay, La Union’s Wallace Field into free ports and special economic zones and Forth Bonifacio into a satellite city, authored the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, which has built railways, electric power plants, airports, markets and infrastructure worth more than $30 billion at no cost to the Philippine government, and the Rainbow Coalition, which brought together more than seven political parties that enabled Ramos to govern even with his 24 percent share of the national vote.

In a recent ride on a river cruise in Dagupan City, I asked former President Ramos what was his take on the conundrum brought by the South China Sea (Spratlys) territories disputes primarily with economic and military juggernaut Mainland China.

He told me the acronym UST.

“Unity, Solidarity, Teamwork.”

BIR to give special calendars

Christine Cardona, Chief of the Revenue District Office-4

Assistant Revenue District Chief Charmaine Dela Torre

CALASIAO – The chief of the Bureau of Internal Revenue who supervises Central Pangasinan said that some 50,000 tax calendars for 2012 will be distributed so that taxpayers could take seriously the stated tax deadlines and reminders.
Christine Cardona of the Revenue District Office-4 based here quoted the recent pronouncement of BIR Commissioner Kim Henares that there have been court decisions that had been based on the tax calendars produced by the revenue agency in the past.
Cardona said this is not an ordinary calendar.
"When you file beyond the deadline, the banks are not supposed to accept the returns," Henares cited recently at the BIR website, noting that in this case, the taxpayer must go directly to the bureau to have their obligations computed first.
She stressed that there should be "valid reasons" in cases when the bureau could practice "leniency" in enforcing the deadline.
The calendar according to Cardona cost the government some P2.25 million.
The RDO-4 chief said that the calendar is part of the continuing tax campaign of the bureau.
The calendars will be distributed to different government offices and BIR district offices.
They will also be distributed to accredited accountants and big-ticket taxpayers on a first-come-first-served basis.
Apart from the important dates, the calendar also lists the authorized agent banks of the bureau and even the location of efficient service machines of the Land Bank of the Philippines, among others.

Meanwhile, Cardona said that from January to October 31, 2011, RD)-4 has overshoots its target of P1, 417,509,000.00 billion by more than P 86.2 million.

Last year collection of her office was almost P1.28 billion of the same periods

RDO-4 that is based here supervises two cities and 13 towns.

Assistant Revenue District Office-4 chief Charmaine dela Torre said that the surplus RDO-4 have been reaping for the last ten fiscal months was the result of letters sent by her and RDO-4 Chief  Cardona to tax payers.

“We kept on sending letters reminding them with their obligation. We kept sending those letters from the BIR. We mean business. We are after those who are not paying correctly their taxes,” Dela Torre stressed.

In the light of lower collections that beset the other district offices in Region -1 because of lower Tax Remittance Advisory (TRA) collection, dela Torre explained that despite the absence of projects from the national government through the TRA her office under the able stewardship of Cardona did not flinch to hit its tax goal (MCO).

Dagupan can’t patronize Urdaneta’s landfill yet - Lim

By Mortz C. Ortigoza


DAGUPAN CITY – Mayor Benjamin Lim said as long as Dagupenos do not know how to segregate their wastes, it would not be feasible for this city to patronize the engineered sanitary landfill in Urdaneta City.

Lim said segregation of wastes has not been a habit among households here.
“You have to teach the people first how to segregate their garbage before the city can dump the residual part of the garbage,” Lim said.
Mayor Lim said it would be very expensive to dump this city’s voluminous wastes at Urdaneta without segregation.
He noted that village officials should not collect non-segregated wastes so the people would learn how to segregate them.
Mayor Lim urged that the best way to mitigate the garbage problem is to collect those that can be reused.
“Ngayon e, sisingilinkang P900 (garbage per ton by Urdaneta City).Halimbawa 10 tons iyongbasura e di P9000. E kung 50 na trucks, P450,000a day! Di biro iyan. Half-a-million a day anggagastusinmona budget, paralangmagtaponngbasurasaUrdaneta City,” he said.
He said what should be dumped at the landfill are residuals of fish, vegetables and other products where they can be made into fertilizers.
He said the non-biodegradable wastes like cartoons and plastics could be collected and reused.

P1M buwanang ‘pakimkim’ mula sa jai-alai?

ILANG araw na lang at Pasko na. Panahon ng pagbibigayan at pagmamahalan.

Ang mga mababait at tumutupad sa kanilang gawain ay dapat na biyayaan. Subalit ang mga tiwali ay dapat na huwag tantanan upang sila’y magbago tungo sa tuwid na daan.

Hindi tayo ang dapat na dumisiplina sa kanila kundi ang mga direktang amo nila. Tayo ay instrumento lamang upang ibunyag ang mga pang-aabuso ng mga gaya nina Senior Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte, police provincial director ng Pangasinan, na makailang beses na rin nating ibinunyag sa kolum na ito.

JDV’s geo-political thoughts

The author (extreme right) after one of his interviews with the rabble rousing former Speaker de Venecia. 

By Mortz Ortigoza

Over gastronomic delights of lunch made of locally produced aquatic products. I asked recently former five-time House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. his thoughts on some political and economic global issues at his swanky residence located at the coastal city of Dagupan. Excerpts:

A chance for United States President Barrack Obama to reverse his anemic political stocks and wins his re-election next year.

JDV said with a nine (9) percent unemployment rate haunting  the U.S economy, Obama will have a hard time winning his reelection bid “unless he re-invent himself”.

I asked him if the U.S economy will have a respite after the U.S troops withdraw this month in Iraq.

He doubts if the troop’s withdrawal would be a breather for the sluggish U.S economy as many of these returning soldiers would add to the number of unemployed in America.

Would heavily debt haunted European countries Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain recover instead of exploding and drag the global economy.

JDV said there would be pain before recovery. He told me about a 50 percent debt write-off imposed by Eurozone leaders and the International Monetary Fund among themselves where a U.S $1 billion of loan extended before to Greece (to stave off a global economic crisis) could be repaid only by $500 million.

LOREN LECTURES ON LAWMAKING

Senator Loren Legarda is joined by Grade Six students of Miriam College after her lecture on the importance of legislation and the lawmaking process. Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Climate Change, Committee on Cultural Communities, and Committee on Foreign Relations, stressed that senators and congressmen, as representatives of the people, were given the mandate to craft the nation’s laws to ensure that the principles and decrees enforced in the country respond to the needs and concerns of the Filipino citizens.

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A corrupt lady solon and a corrupt DPWH chief?

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

A Local Government Unit (LGU)in Pangasinan is going to apply for an almost P100 million loan in a government bank.
The mayor is optimistic that a resolution empowering him to negotiate with the bank for the loan would be unanimously approved by the members of the Council (Sanggunian).
My insider told me that the members of the August Body forego any meticulous scrutiny how the multi-million-peso loan would be utilized by the mayor for his projects.

DMNHS Holds 2011 Alumni Homecoming

Mr. Amorsolo Rosario,  a successful entrepreneur and former vice president of Nestle'- Philippines, graced the recent alumni  homecoming of Daniel Maramba National High School in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.

The 2011 Alumni Homecoming of Daniel Maramba National High School, one of the most awaited events in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan was held on November 26-27, 2011.  One of the highlights of the celebration was the speech of the Guest of Honor and Speaker, in the person of Mr. Amorsolo M. Rosario, the Valedictorian of Class 1977 who is now a successful CPA and entrepreneur.  He was eloquently introduced by Dr. Maria Wilda T. Silva, the Executive Committee Chairperson 2011.
What made the event different from previous celebration was the fact that for the first time an outstanding alumnus graced the occasion as the Guest of Honor. Outstanding yet humble, Mr. Rosario delivered a very inspiring message to more than 3,000 alumni especially when he reads a poem he wrote himself entitled “Home Sweet Home”. It really fostered the essence of great pride and enthusiasm of everybody for his coming back to his beloved Alma Mater, his second home, the Daniel Maramba National High School. Amor as everybody fondly calls him concluded his message quoting Einstein “Don’t try to be a man of success but a man of values”. A Plaque of Recognition was awarded to him by the Hon. Mayor Carlito S. Zaplan who earlier delivered his inspirational message assisted by Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman and  President Liza J. Melendez, BOT Secretary Divine C. Doctor and 2011 Executive Committee Chairperson Dr. Maria Wilda T. Silva.

           

On the first day of the festivity, a Holy Mass was officiated by Rev. Father Carlito V. Yden, Parish Priest of Holy Family Parish and attended by hundreds of representatives from almost all the batches, a proof that the alumni put God first above all things.    This was followed by the parade which was exciting as ever with all the batches displaying their colorful and attractive banners. The VMU Band and the DMNHS Drum and Lyre Corp made the parade livelier especially so that they entertained the alumni during the morning break with Band Exhibition.

           

All the 2011 honorees: the Diamond Jubilarians, Class 1951; Golden Jubilarians, Class 1961; Ruby Jubilarians, Class 1971; and Silver Jubilarians, Class 1986, whom they call themselves “ Matibay Ka” came with colorful attires. The Silver Jubilarians as Host Batch with Dr. Maria Wilda Tagudan-Silva as the Chairperson of the Executive Committee awarded the Honorees with Tokens as their tangible “recuerdo” of the affair. Likewise the members of the Executive Committee of 2010 were awarded their Certificates of Recognition together with the 2011 benefactors of the Nonformal Education Scholarship Program.

           

The report of the Chairman and President, Miss Liza J. Melendez centered on her appeal for the support of the Alumni in the construction of new Alumni Building to replace the termite infested Alumni Center. She also campaigned for the registration of Alumni to acquire a Power ID which will give those benefits of discounts from business establishments and service fees from medical and dental clinic of Alumni Practitioners.

Fellowship luncheon among the different batches made the reunion very meaningful. The simultaneous conduct of Popularity Contest and General Assembly was well managed after the luncheon. Engr. Marieta B. Mendoza, Chairperson of the Popularity Contest with Mrs. Filipina M. Zaplan as Co-Chairperson managed the Popularity Contest efficiently with Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Wilmer G. Poserio as the 2011 Alumni Homecoming King & Queen. The amount raised will be for the Nonformal Education Scholarship Program of the Association.

           

Likewise, the General Assembly was successfully managed by the Chairman on Election, Romulo B. Balolong. The newly elected Board of Trustees for 2011-2012 were Liza J. Melendez, Engr. Marieta B. Mendoza, Bernadette M. Roco, Romulo B. Balolong, Divine C. Doctor, Jeselette G. Desamero, Filipina M. Zaplan, Esperanza N. Pascua, Grace S. Padlan, Atty. Florante C. Natividad, Dr. Tercinio J. Melendez, Cristina G. Reyes, Dr. Maria Wilda T. Silva, Arch. Joel F. Delos Santos, Mr. Ireneo Ico, Mr. Ben Diaz and Ms. Cristina B. Barbiran. Miss Liza J. Melendez was reelected as the 2012 Chairman and President of Board of Trustees for the fourth time together with Engr. Marieta B. Mendoza who was unanimously elected as the Executive Vice President.

           

TRC sa Dagupan binuksan na

A first in Region 1.

’Yan po ang Dagupan City Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center sa Barangay Bonuan Binloc na binuksan na noong Sabado ang administrative section nito para sa mga out-patients.

Lighting of Capitol Christmas Tree

Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., (13^th from left) Pangasinan First Lady Mdm. Priscilla I. Espino (14^th from left), Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr. (13^th from right) and Limgas na Pangasinan 2011 titlist Cristy Regaspi (14^th from right) lead provincial officials, town mayors and department heads in the traditional Capitol Christmas Tree ceremonial lighting last December 2 at the Capitol Plaza in Lingayen.  The 45 feet yuletide tree is brightly adorned with parols and symbolic gifts representing various resources that the province is famous of.  (PIO Photo by Meinard Sadim)

Manay Gina opens Drug Rehabilitation Center

Rep. Gina de Venecia with husband former House Speaker Joe

Excerpt of Manay Gina’s speech during the inauguration of the Dagupan City- Region 1 Drug Rehabilitation Center, Bonuan Binloc, Dec 3, 2011; Saturday

Mangaldan is richer than other major towns

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

MANGALDAN – Among major towns in Pangasinan, this town is millions of pesos richer in terms of appropriation for the fiscal year budget of 2012.

According to Dr. Rose Ramirez Hulipas, executive officer of Mayor Herminio Romero, this first class town will have a P145 million appropriation for next year.

Based on the survey done by this paper, this 4^th congressional district municipality appropriates P145 million for next year’s budget, followed by the P138 million of Santa Barbara, P132 Calasiao, and P130 of capital town Lingayen.

Dr. Hulipas said that one of the major sources of revenues here are the laboratories of renowned pharmaceutical companies that buttressed the coffer of this town.

Less fireworks seen in budget approval

BY RUEL CAMBA

DAGUPAN CITY –Less fireworks are expected in the passage of the city budget this year.

Councilor Jigs Seen, chairman of committees on finance, trade and industry, told the Regional Examiner on Wednesday that some “adjustments” will just have to be made in the review process before the approval of the 2012 city budget.

“We have to make sure that proper procedure is observed in the approval of the new budget and that public interest is well served,” he said.

Thus, he added, cooperation between the mayor’s office and those under it and the Sangguniang Panlungsod is vital in coming up with a practical and realistic annual budget.

Abono calls for BAI’s chief resignation

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ROSALES-The Abono Party-list joined the call of organizations of hog and poultry raisers in the Philippines for the resignation of Efren C. Nuestro  as director of the Bureau of Animal Industry in view of outright technical smuggling of pork and chicken products.

A Lousy Press Club?

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

I could not understand Department of Education Pangasinan- I Superintendent Aurora Domingo.

When two media men asked Domingo in October 2010, how was her trip to the U.S, she snapped “It’s personal!”

When I asked her on that date about her takes on K+12 (Kindergarten plus 12 years in high school), she told me she could not comment on it because she did not read the data on K-12.

Narco-Politics totoo ba?

By Sec. Bebot Villar, Dangerous Drugs Board

MARAMING nagtatanong sa akin kung totoo ba itong sinasabing Narco-Politics? At ang aking sagot sa kanilang katanungan ay, OO! Ang narco-poltics ay nagaganap sa ating lipunan ngayon.

Sa simpleng salita ang narco-politics ay ang pagsasabwatan ng mga pulitiko at mga drug lords para kapwa itaguyod ang kanilang mga interes. Ito ay lubos na nakakabahala sapagkat ang mga sindikato ng droga na protektado ng mga pulitiko ay sadyang mahirap makabangga! Sila ay mistulang mga untouchables. Pati mga awtoridad ay magdadalawang-isip na sila ay galawin!