Mangaldan, Bani recipients of multi-million pesos road funds

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – Two Pangasinan towns are beneficiaries of a multi-million pesos project from the government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Mayor Bonafe D. Parayno said that Bani and this burgeoning town are the only recipients in the 48 local government units in Pangasinan of road construction projects from the Department of Public Works & Highway, Department of Trade & Industry and the USA Aid.

BENEFICIARIES: Mangaldan Mayor Bonafe D. Parayno and Bani Mayor
Gwen Palafox Yamamoto are recipients of   multi-million pesos road funds
from the government and the United States of America.

“That is fifty one million pesos Roll-It Program for Mangaldan,” Mayor Parayno cited.

The Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade or ROLL IT Program aims to further the growth of investments and other economic activities in the country through more road projects leading to manufacturing and economic zones.

According to Fernando Saguisag Cabrera, administrative officer 4 personnel, this tapa (cured beef) famous town will be receving fifty one million pesos to reconstruct its road networks to world class ten-width highway that include a drainage system.

“Its about the rehabilitation and improvement of the road networks ng J.L de Guzman Street, Visperas Street, P. De Guzman, Bari, itong Magno Street connecting Silamed Product,  slaughter house, livestocks,  na widen iyan tapos La Union inter provincial road sa main highway. Ito ang show case ng DTI, DPWH which mainly to showcase itong mga industries ng Mangaldan”.

DEMOLITION OF BIG FISHPENS AND FISH CAGES CONTINUES

DAGUPAN CITY – The City Agriculture Office and the Bantay Ilog Task Force are now working double time to demolish all illegal fishpens and fish cages in the rivers.

RIVER CLEAN-UP DRIVE – City Agriculture Officer Emma J. Molina (4^th standing, right) personally supervises the demolition of an oversized fish cage as her office and the Bantay Ilog are now working double time to meet the two-week deadline given by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez to demolish all illegal fishpens and fish cages in rivers. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo) 

Before leaving for the United States on a series of speaking engagements, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez ordered City Agriculture Officer Emma J. Molina and Marjorie Villanueva, also of CAO, to complete the demolition of illegal structures within two weeks.

At present the city has already demolished more than 900 fish pens with more than a hundred yet up for demolition.

This after Fernandez ordered a massive river clean-up drive upon the advice of Dr. Westly Rosario of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as the fish pens are affecting the water quality of the rivers.

Mayor Fernandez wants to save the rivers from total degradation.  

The more than a hundred owners of fishpens and illegal fish cages continue with their operations despite the warning issued by the city for them to discontinue with their illegal activities.

Berdugo groans how fellow cops kill bad guys

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A retired police colonel, known as a berdugo (executioner) among police circle, smirks on those cops who overzealously and summarily executed suspected criminals like dope pushers.

“It could not be counted how many crime delinquents I ordered kill. But I have a standard where I discussed with my men if the target was needed to be executed,” he told me recently.

He said he asked his hit men if they were “morally convinced” that the subject was riped for execution after they apprehended him or assassination if they chanced upon him in an opportune place.

“Makakatulog ba kayo nito pagkatapos ninyong patayin? Makakatulong ba itong kamatayan niya sa pagbaba ng crime rates sa area natin?” he told me his posers to his men.

He lamented the bravados nowadays of policemen in even crashing in the prison cells and houses of suspected narcotics pushers known for their notoriety and peppered them with bullets without considering the procedures mandated by laws.

“Remember may 20 years prescription ang murder. Iyong mga nagyayabang na madami silang pinatay, remember President Duterte's term will end in 2022. Di sila nakaka siguro na makakasuhan sila ng murder (non-bailable and metes a life sentence) after that year,” he explained to me what will happen to those behind the murders who were not pardoned by the president.

He deplored the way those three cops dragged and executed the 17 years old Kian delos Santos in Caloocan City.

MANGALDAN LGU OPENS WORKERS HEALTH WELLNESS CENTER

WELLNESS – Mangaldan Mayor Bonafe D. Parayno (white blouse front row) poses with officials of the local government after the inauguration today of the more than two million pesos’ two-storey Employees Health Wellness Center (EHWC) located at the back of the Presidencia (Municipal Hall).

Parayno said the EHWC, just like the municipal hall’s elevator, is just one of the firsts in the 48 local government units in Pangasinan.

The funding of the EHWC comes from the Development Funds of the town this year.

Some of its features are swimming pool, exercise equipment, wellness drinks, and others. TEXT AND SOME PHOTOS FROM MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Dagupan Mayor “Bayaw” Redies as Bonuan Kap Bet

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The brother-in-law of the mayor here is being groomed for the chairmanship of the biggest village incase election in October this year will push through.

According to former Barangay Chairman  Angel Gumarang, Noel Bumanlag, the brother-in-law of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, is being readied by political leaders of Barangay Bonuan Gueset to challenge the leadership of incumbent village chief Ricardo Mejia.

BATTLE ROYAL: From Left: Fair Haired "Boy" Noel Bumanlag, 
Bonuan Gueset Chairman Rico Mejia, and former Bonuan Kap Angel 
Gumarang  

“My supporters and those supporters of former barangay chairmanship candidate Alberto Gregorio will form a formidable force to support Noel in case election will go as scheduled,” Gumarang, who worked as consultant of Mayor Fernandez, cited.

Gumarang used to challenge Mejia but loss in the latter in the election before.

Bonuan Gueset, according to Wikipidia, is the most populated barangay here. It accounted for about 13.6% of the city's population. It is also one of the villages of which the famous Bonuan Boneless Bangus is found.

Gumarang said that in case the village poll will be cancelled on October 23, 2017 and President Rodrigo Duterte tasks the Department of Interior & Local Government to choose the “barangay captains” he would offer himself to serve the post.

In October last year, the president signed a law that moved the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from October 31, 2016 to October 23, 2017.

Dad nixes Exec Logic “Only 4-Storey Bldg in Growth Area”

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A councilor disagreed to the declaration of an executive of the local government here that only four-storey building is allowed in the new growth center.

Councilor Netu Tamayo said that the four-storey edifices are only allowed in the western side of the Lucao-Pantal Road.

A photo grabbed of a modern city. Photo Credit: 2Modern

“It’s only in the western side for the four-storey. Aside from it and far from the western side skyscrapers are allowed,” Tamayo, one of the few outspoken lawmakers at the Sangguniang Panglungsod, cited.

Earlier, Director Nicanor Melecio of the Public Alert and Response and Monitoring Center disputed the photo of PNAN News, one of the biggest online sites in Pangasinan, about the photo- grab that complement the news article’s “Dagupan Mayor Crows World-Class Features of New City”.

Q&A: BIR Director on Shooting, Tax Target, and Economy in the Region

Northern Watch Political Columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza sat recently with the new regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the four provinces’ Region-1 at her swanky office in Calasiao, Pangasinan. He posed various queries to Director Teresita M. Dizon, who assumed her post February this year, on issues like the shooting of the service vehicle of the chief of a tax district, her tax target of P14.3 billion for this year, the economy of Region 1, the Growth Center in Dagupan City, and the kind of taxes BIR would be collecting after the Center was put under the auspices of the Philippines Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Excerpts:

DIRECTOR DIZON. Region-1 BIR Director Teresita M. Dizon (2^nd from Left) poses with Revenue District Office (RDO)-6 Chief CPA-Lawyer Maria Isabel Utit (3^rd from Left) and Assistant RDO-6 Chief Charmaine C.dela Torre (4^th from Left) for the District Office’s “rampaging” in surpassing its monthly collection target since January this year.

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA: What is the update on the shooting of the service car of Revenue District Office Chief-5 Thelma D. Mangio (of the BIR Western Pangasinan)?

DIRECTOR TERESITA M. DIZON: Tinatakot lang si RDO Thelma. Actually we went to Congressman Boying Celeste, we also went to (Pangasinan) Governor Amado Espino III and also to Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste to help us in determining who was behind the incident.

Sabi ng source ko naniningil daw siya ng rates sa taxpayers ng New Zonal Valuation kahit di pa implemented.

No, hindi totoo. May mga various activities she did sabay sabay mga malalaking (commercial) establishments sa Alaminos City and Bolinao.

Nang ha-hashiao sila ng income tax nila kaya may surveillances ang BIR?

Based on our data hindi sila ganoon ka compliant.
How much is the goal of your four provinces’ regional office for this year?
P14.3 billion for the whole year. P11.9 billion last year. More than 20 percent ang tinaas (from January) hangang August.

I saw BIR Eastern Pangasinan in Urdaneta City kept receiving awards every month for exceeding her collection.

Kami rin (in the region). Hopefully because of the plans and programs namin dito especially mga surveillance activities namin. Also filing of RATE (Run After Tax Evader) cases.  Sa Dagupan City nag file kami ng tatlong kaso for failure to issue receipts. Some of them were restaurants.

Kung naku-collect niyo your goal, it means the economy in the region is bullish?

Oo naman it’s growing even doon sa regional GDP (Gross Domestic Product) natin growing naman talaga ang Pangasinan. But siguro we have to classify the (inaudible) taxpayers to pay their taxes based on their incomes.

  Iyong Dagupan City ka a-aproved lang ng PEZA (Philippines Economics Zone Authority) her growth area in the Lucao-Pantal Road to host IT-BPO (Information Technology – Business Process Outsourcing) and other commercial establishments. Diyan sa IT-BPO maliit lang ang tax na binabayaran?

Witholding Tax lang iyan pag PEZA kasi 5% lang siya ng gross.

So ano ang ibang benefit ni BIR diyan, maam?

Sa withholding tax sa suweldo.

Dagupan Mayor is expecting 5000 jobs for the next three years.

Ya, kasi for the employment for taxation kasi, taxable 5% ang gross income, 3% kami, 2% sa local. Hati pa kami at the same time sa withholding tax and compensation.

Diyan sa Income Tax ang direct jobs 5000 workers and the indirect jobs naman generate say mga limang libo malaki na ang benefit ng BIR?

Possibly, depende na rin sa exception ng tao magkano ang allowance niya sa (tax) brackets. The higher the salary the higher the tax rate pag medyo mababa ka hindi masyado.

Before I closed the interview, what are other major accomplishments

your office had done?

So far Pangasinan is doing good. Actually tatlo (Revenue District Offices) ang naka goal, tatlo ang hindi.

B*llshit, Basketball Shorts of Kian could not hold a 2 kg Handgun

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Policemen were already summarily executing habitual delinquents and other notorious criminals even during the time of President Benigno Aquino III. One of the police officials told me that when he was a major his superior a Superintendent (Lieutenant Colonel in the military) asked some of his men – where the major was not part – to target a narcotics peddler.

 A Catholic student, Kian delos Santos, 17, one of the youngest
victims of President Duterte's war-on-drugs. Text and Photo by
thesummitexpress.com

 “They found him going to the basketball court when they pumped bullets that killed him,” my source said.

But he was not impressed with the operation; the situation of the corpse was the same as that murdered sensational teenager Kian delos Santos.

The police “planted” a hand gun beside the cadaver that was clad with a basketball shorts.

Basketball shorts, for everybody’s knowledge, is made of polyester with garter that holds it to the waist line.

"How can, salamabit, the short carry a tucked .38 revolver that weight from 1.59 kilogram to 2.26 kg with bullets without the handgun falling to the ground for everybody to see?” he told me with with incredulity.

HesusMariaHusep, after I saw the police in Caloocan City declared to the media of Kian wearing a shorts (some called it as boxer shorts)

I shook my head with disbelief.

“How can a .45 caliber weapon carried by a garter tightened shorts without the 2 kilogram handgun not falling?” I posed to myself.

Kian was murdered when he was knelling apt for that term “Death Knell” or he was just herded in a corner and treacherously killed when he was looking to the ground.

Experts said the bullet trajectories were pumped by the .45 hand gun, created for its lethality because of the Moro Insurrection in the U.S –Filipino War, of a cop who was standing behind him while the third bullet that pierced his left ear was the coup’ d’grace (means a final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person for the understanding of those who are trike drivers, plumbers, others who read this column).

I didn’t have issue with recidivists and notorious criminals like drug pushers being waylaid to death by cops in some dark alleys as they were effective deterrence to criminality, but for Christsakes, they should practice prudence in snapping on their prey.

Colorum PUV Owners Beware: Dagupan Gov't After Your Scalp

The Public Order and Safety Office personnel has netted nearly 70 units of colorum and without decal tricycles in its bid to rid the entire city of these illegal vehicles that impede traffic along the main thoroughfare of the city.

POSO Chief Carlito Ocampo created an operational plan dubbed as ‘Oplan Zero Colorum’ to apprehend all tricycles operating within the city without franchise / decal stickers.
“During our ‘Oplan Zero Colorum’ our personnel has netted nearly 70 units of tricycle and subsequently impounded at the City Plaza” Ocampo added.
Ocampo said the POSO intends to continue its anti-colorum and out-of-line operations without let up anduntil such time that not a single illegal vehicle is plying along City main thoroughfare.
“We are determined not only to minimize, but to put a stop to the traffic problems caused by these colorum vehicles, which if left unattended will further cause more headaches to the general public and the authorities,” Ocampo said.

Colorum operation carries a fine of P1, 000 for 1st offense, P3, 000 for 2nd offense and 5000 for 3rd offense with a P400/day impounding fee.
Ocampo also encourage all stake-holders and commuting public to patronize tricycles with franchise decal stickers and to report traffic violators to POSO hotline (075 5291632) or via our POSO Dagupan FB page. (DCH)

Neglected, abandoned real properties considered nuisance, hazardous

DAGUPAN CITY – The city is now considering to declare neglected and abandoned real properties as nuisance and hazardous with attached penalties to the owners.

An ordinance is now being drafted at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on this matter, side by side with the creation of the Dagupan City Properties, Protection and Security Board (DCPPSB) with Mayor Belen T. Fernandez as chairman and the City Administrator as vice-chairman.

Proposed to be members of the DCPPSB are the heads of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Dagupan City Police Station, Public Order and Safety Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, One-Stop Business Center, Philippine Medical Society and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers.

The DCPPSB will issue notice to possessors and owners identified as being potentially hazardous real properties by the City Engineering Office in consultation with the City Health Office and City Assessor’s Office that their neglected or abandoned real properties have been identified as such; and shall be responsible for deciding the appeal filed by the owner or possessor who disagrees with the findings within ten days from receipt of the notice.

Bayambang to Hold Work Values, Ethics Forum on Thursday

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG – Business tycoon and this town Mayor Cezar Quiambao is not only known  as the one who bankrolled the P5,294, 240.00 8,150 barbecue grills for the 8.16 kilometers of this town’s bid in the Guinness World Record.

He is also hailed as a philanthropist who spent tens of millions of pesos for various socio-economic projects here.

VISIONARY LEADER: Bayambayang Mayor
 Cezar Quiambao and First Lady Nina Jose-Quiambao

FPJ's 78th BIRTHDAY REMEMBERED

Sen. Grace Poe and mother Susan Roces led the gathering of family members, friends and long-time supporters on Sunday, Aug. 20, to commemorate the 78th birthday of the late "King of Philippine Movies" Fernando Poe, Jr.

The Poe family expressed appreciation and gratitude especially to "die-hard" supporters who came from many places around the country for the unwavering support from the time FPJ was still the iconic movie star looked up to by many up to the present.

 Sen. Grace Poe offers prayers at the tomb of the late Filipino action king Fernando Poe, Jr. in Manila North Cemetery on Sunday in commemoration
 of his 78th birth anniversary.

"Sa mga sitwasyon, ang importante ay hindi tayo mawalan ng direksyon kung ano ba talaga ang tama at nararapat at ipagdasal natin na we remain courageous and compassionate. Yun ang dalawang bagay—na hindi tayo maging duwag at hindi tayo mawalan ng awa at pagmamahal dahil pag meron tayo nun kahit na napakahirap ng hamon ay tatayo at tatayo tayo at ipaglalaban natin ang nararapat at tutulong tayo lalung lalo na sa mga mahihirap at walang boses," Poe said at the Manila North Cemetery.

Poe's husband Neil and son Brian also attended the gathering. 

Dagupan Mayor Crows World-Class Features of New City

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The mayor of this burgeoning city bares the “Guideline for the Development of the Local - Pantal Tourism and Growth Center (LPTGC)” as contained in the Zoning Ordinance for 2015 to 2025.

On its race to world class commercial and governmental landscapes, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez cited on the documents she presented that the LPTGC is developed into two major zones.

An artist perspective of a modern city. After the approval of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan

for the Growth Center in Lucao-Pantal Areas, skyscrapers like in this photo would be constructed
 by Ayala Project Estates, SM Properties, Megaworld Business Park, and others just like the
economic hubs in Iloilo City. Mayor Belen T. Fernandez told reporters during the Information
Technology - Business Process Management Summit that after the approval of growth center
 mammoth corporations on IT-BPM would be providing 5,000 direct jobs to the graduates of
  colleges and universities. PHOTO CREDIT. SMART CITY DAGUPAN CITY

“Zone 1 located in the Northern Site or more commonly known  as the Pantal Area and Zone 2, located on the Southern Area or more commonly known as the Lucao Area,” according to the already approved ordinance known as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

The two zones will be linked by a Midway Zone with approximately 3.5 kilometers apart from the Zones.

“The Midway Zone shall be an activity mode in the middle these major zones. It is aimed to enliven the environment by hosting wholesome festivities, mini - concert and mini- play, among others,” the law says that was already sanctioned by the The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

Mayor Fernandez said that Zone 1 Regulations (Pantal Area) will be known as the New Growth Business District with the following buildings, structures, development types, and city hall with adjacent government offices; activity grounds and space; retail shop connected through green and open spaces; riverside retail shop; mixed used offices that would be future development, institution buildings for future developments,; university campus; college buildings, hospitals and other;  residential development; fish ports, transport terminal, party block, and socialized housing site”.

The zone known as Lucao Area, according to the mayor, will be doubled as the Entertaining Tourism, and Recreational District with the following buildings and development types; Retail Strip; Ferry Terminal for Riverside Tours, Resort Development and Themed Parks and hotels; and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Middle of last year Mayor Fernandez told reporters during the Information Technology - Business Process Management Summit that after the approval of growth center mammoth corporations on IT-BPM would be providing 5,000 direct jobs to the graduates of colleges and universities here.

Fernandez said if she and the ICT-BPM stakeholders succeed, they might even extend this opportunity to other Pangasinan towns because of the enormous job generation potentials of this industry.

 In 2020, IT-BPM will be a U.S $40 to $55 billion industry due to the American English proficient Filipinos and the cheaper salaries, dusting off the remittances of the traditional dollar source of the country, the overseas contract workers (OFWs) that will generate $30 billion this year.

U.S corporations such as Citibank, Safeway, Chevron and Aetna all have  Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operations in the Philippines according to the Los Angeles Times, as do smaller companies ranging from a Georgia medical collection agency to a New York spa operator that outsources its customer appointments.

DAGUPAN RANKS NO. 13 NATIONWIDE IN COMPETITIVENESS

DAGUPAN CITY – The city of Dagupan jumped to number 13 overall among all component cities nationwide from No. 15 last year in terms of competitiveness as gleaned from the results in the 5th National Competitiveness Summit and Awards Ceremony 2017 held at the Philippine International Convention Center on August 16.

Dagupan was ranked number 15 last year in the overall national competitiveness index among all component cities in the country.

In economic dynamism, the city also ranked No.16 overall this year from No. 17 last year, ranked No. 9 in government efficiency from No. 13 last year and ranked No. 16 in infrastructure from No. 28 last year.

The city’s overall ranking in the national competitiveness index made a big leap in 2015 when it climbed to number 19 from number 44 in 2014; from 76th place to 28th in infrastructure; and from 25th to 17th in economic dynamism. This after Mayor Belen T. Fernandez employed good governance with zero corruption and consequently implemented numerous programs and projects.

Hospital director unfazed on ouster move

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The regional director of the biggest government hospital in Region-1 was unfazed about an influential woman who wants his head out at the Region-1 Medical Center (R-1MC).

“Iyong mga ganyan hindi na namin pinapatulan. They can do what they can say (but) we don’t have to appease anyone as we do our job,” Director Joseph Roland Mejia stressed recently to reporters.

Region-1 Medical Center Director Joseph Roland Mejia (2nd from right)
explains the various programs in the biggest government hospital
in the region he is going to implement.

Mejia explained that the woman wanted a piece of a project in the 600-bed hospital by skewing the bidding process in her favour but that would violate the procurement law of the country.

”Iyan ang mahirap sa atin kung humihingi sila. Hindi basta humingi ang contractor, you have to bid, isasama kayo sa bidding. Pag nanalo kayo, kayo ang (winning) bidder. Hindi ho natin maibibigay dahil may procurement process,” he said when asked if his detractor was spurned after she was not accommodated.

The detractor, a source who asked anonymity, is a stakeholder in a gambling franchise and a close friend of a Malacanang official.

Binalonan celebrates 50th ASEAN Bday with Hoopla

BINALONAN - This burgeoning town celebrated with festivity the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) last August 8 with the theme “Under One Light, We Are one ASEAN".

Fifty years ago the organization was established in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (also known as Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of the organization like Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia followed suit from 1984 to 1999 making up what is today the ten Member - states of ASEAN.

This town was lucky to be one of the 75 local government units (LGU) in the entire country to participate in this momentous celebration. One of the highlights of this celebration was the simultaneous lighting ceremonies of the 20-foot lantern and fireworks display at exactly 7:00 o’clock in the evening. It was where the LGU showcased and promoted to the whole world its culture and talents. Staging of other activities like cultural presentation , fireworks display, bands, concerts and food festival that spiked the excitement here.

The town made a difference and pushed through this historic event because of the unwavering commitment of all the people here from the municipal officials, barangay officials and all government and non-government sectors in the municipality. It was not easy to make a difference but through UNITY this town was able to chalk-up with everyone under the leadership of Mayor Ramon V. Guico III and Vice-Mayor Melicio F. Patague II.

 Based on the conclusion of the fete, this town strutted her stuff at  her best by showcasing the benefits of the harmonious relationship of member countries in the ASEAN region. It was an opportune time to raise the awareness of the folks here about ASEAN, in order for them to have interest and realization about its aims and purposes like soaring economic growth, unwavering social progress and laudable cultural development in the region. /TED

DAGUPAN CITY VETERINARY OFFICE ISSUES AVIAN INFLUENZA PROTECTION MEASURES

DAGUPAN CITY – The City Veterinary Office here released several avian influenza protection measures that should be observed by the public amid the bird flu outbreak in Pampanga.

A the same time, City Veterinarian Dr. Michael P. Maramba advised the public to report to authorities any illegal entry of infected chicken and their  products and by-products in the market or any unusual death or unexplained high mortality of chicken in poultry farms for  three consecutive days.

Maramba disclosed that exposure to influenza virus such as H5N2, H7N2, and H5N1 is possible during the slaughtering process and when plucking feathers of chicken or fowls.

He said bird flu is transmitted to humans through close contact with infected birds or through inhalation or contamination with infected discharges, feces of sick birds; or when virus secreted in feces is pulverized and is inhaled. Flapping of wings could also hasten the transmission, he added.

While there is no evidence established as of press time that any human case of Avian Influenza have been acquired by eating poultry products, it is not recommended that meat of sick chicken be taken in as food for humans and other animals.

DOST, De Venecia turn over bioreactor facility to San Fabian

 

 

SAN FABIAN-- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Region 1 and Pangasinan fourth district Rep. Christopher de Venecia turned over on Aug. 12 an almost P600,000 worth bioreactor facility to the municipal government here that would help farmers turn their biodegradable wastes into organic fertilizer.

ORGANIC FERTILIZER. Department of Science and Technology Regional Director Armand Ganal, Pangasinan fourth district Rep. Christopher de Venecia and San Fabian officials led by Mayor Constante Agbayani pose in front of a bioreactor facility that converts biodegradable wastes to organic fertilizer.

DOST Region 1 Director Armand Ganal said their agency would also provide the other component of the facility, the shredder, by allocating another P200,000 for it. These are partners that would be placed in the facility while the equity of the local government will be the infrastructure and the road network going to the facility, he said.

MANGO FORUM

MANGO FORUM was held recently at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen, Pangasinan graced by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol (right) where attendees hailed from as far as the Cordillera and Bulacan provinces.

Photo shows Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar dropped by at the Forum to greet the Agriculture Secretary and the hundreds of stakeholders and participants. Andanar was the guest of honor of elected officials and their communication officers of the 47 towns and cities local government unit of Pangasinan lead by Governor Amado Espino III and his father Fifth District Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr. at the nearby Training Center.
Piñol told the representatives that he was a fighter and will commit the resources of his department to advance the welfare of the Mango Industry's stakeholders.

He explained the worth of the huge highways built and to be build under the Duterte Administration’s Build-Build-Build Project when the government could not fund small farm-to-market roads that will connect with these big highways for farmers like those in the mango sector.

“We mull for ten billion peso loans to the farmers. That’s pittance for the seventy billion give away by the government to the indigents on its 4Ps Program. In that ten billion pesos loan the government will be paid by the farmers, say, even five billion pesos while the seventy billion peso from the 4Ps is not amortized by the recipients to the government,” he said. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Dagupan, Procter & Gamble Finally Signed MOA to End Garbage Woes

DAGUPAN SIGNS MOA WITH SURE GLOBAL W2W INNOVATIONS FOR WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY 

DAGUPAN CITY – In compliance the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act”, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez and the SURE Global Waste to Worth Innovations entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on August 10 to improve the city’s solid waste management and end the operation of the 50-year old open dumpsite in Tondaligan.

SURE is under the auspices of Procter and Gamble and the Asian Development Bank.

THUMBS UP FOR W2W – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (2^nd from left, seated) along with City Legal Officer Victoria Cabrera (left, seated) and the members of the council (standing from left) Marcelino Fernandez, Marvin Fabia, Jeslito Seen, Alvin Coquia, Jose Netu Tamayo, Maybelyn DC Fernandez, Dennis Canto and former councilor Carlos Reyna do the thumbs up sign with Jill Boughton (2^nd from right, seated), president and Chief Executive Officer of SURE GlobalW2W Innovations and Paul Puthenpurekal (right, seated), director of SURE GlobalW2W Innovations after signing the Joint Venture Agreement by and between the City of Dagupan and SURE GlobalW2W Innovations for the W2W facility. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

The MOA was signed by Jill Boughton, president and Chief Executive Officer of SURE Global W2W Innovations; Paul Puthenpurekal, director of SURE Global W2W Innovations; City Legal Officer Victoria Cabrera and Fernandez in a fitting ceremony held at CSI Stadia.

The Waste to Worth Project, especially designed for Dagupan, underwent a series of feasibility analyses. It aims to deliver an economically viable, environmentally sound and fully compliant with environmental controls and guidelines.

The Waste to Worth facility in Dagupan is anticipated to produce 4,000 liters of diesel from plastics and 6,000 kilograms of usable methane from food waste per day.

Boughton assured that the facility will be environment friendly to the city as it will strictly comply with the environmental controls and guidelines once it is operational.