BIR Central P'sinan backs as Top Collector

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO - After several months of exerting efforts to surpass its tax target, the premier tax agency in Region -1 lately landed at the top 3 of the offices that hit its tax collection goal.

According to Revenue District Chief -4 Chief Merlyn Vicente, her office exceeded by P27, 901,656.17 or 8.02% increased its tax target of P375, 747,656.17 last August this year by collecting  P347, 846,000 amid the lethargic business atmosphere in the two cities 13 towns’ Central Pangasinan’s area.

EXEC. Top executives of the Revenue District-4 of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the two cities and 13 towns’ Pangasinan in this file photo. Fourth from left is RDO-4 Chief Merlyn Vicente, Assistant RDO-4 Chief Trina Villamil (3rd from left) and their top personnel.

Tax target is given by the national government as indicator for all revenue district offices in the country to collect the new national tax target for this year.

RDO-4 collected P286, 258, 068.99 last August 2016.

Despite the shortfall in the past, Vicente and her hardworking staff soldiered on by exceeding the July and August tax targets and those in the same months last year.

Lims penchant to overprice gov’t transactions – Dagupan Mayor

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The mayor and the vice mayor here traded barbs when the former charges that the latter and his father, the former mayor, have the propensity to overprice government supplies and projects.

What got the goat of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez was after Vice Mayor Brian Lim spoke lengthily on a radio interview that the construction of the new city hall will cost the coffer by P2 billion loans.

FATHER & SON – Dagupan City Former Mayor 

Benjie Lim and son Vice Mayor Brian Lim.

Lim had been telling the public that the new government building cost P500 million, P1.2 billion, P1.5 billion, and lately P2 billion that the people of this City will pay the crippling amortization.

Although it has already the omnibus term loan draft resolution, the legislative body has not started to deliberate how much loan this City will borrow from a bank.

“P2 billion. Ito ang sasabihin ko pa, siya ang magtatayo ng building. Siya ang estimate. Sanay sila sa overprice. Naalaala ninyo ang noodles Dep Ed? Magkano ang noodles noon? Six pesos! Siguro mas mura matagal na iyan five pesos, ang benta nila almost twenty pesos. Masyadong mataas sasabihin nila two billion pesos sanay kasi sila sa mahal overpricing pati gamot,” Fernandez rebuked the younger Lim in a press conference after Mayor Lim was criticized on the controversial purchased using public funds.

It can be recalled that in the 2011's budget hearing in the Sangguniang Panlungsod then Councilor Chito Samson exposed that a kilo of sugar and those of Milo, milk, Lucky Me Noodles were overpriced by the Lim Administration.

Piñol vs Cimatu and Careless Face Book’s Users

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

My elementary classmate Nathaniel “Ontoy” Fabila in Mindanao frantically called me last Monday morning in Dagupan City if I know Rappler.com's Northern Luzon Correspondent Frank Cimatu.

I told him Cimatu was based at the Rappler.com Baguio City’s bureau – an almost two hour’s ride from my city.

“Why you called?” I posed to Ontoy, who is a radio bloc timer of Secretary Manny Piñol of the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries (DAF).

 Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol 

“You read the Face Book (FB) Account of Secretary Manny he was furious at Cimatu who accused him with corruption”.

When I browsed Piñol, a town mate,  he was pugnacious and was craving for Cimatu’s blood in a libel case he mulled to file with his lawyer.

He posted that Cimatu’s post "Agri Sec got rich by 21-M in 6 months. Bird Flu pa more” was a criminal defamatory case.

Piñol stressed to exchanges with supporters at his FB account and at Cimutu’s public FB where he argued with a Cimatu’s friend, that the Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) Report was all about the Statements of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) that required public officials like him to file annually.

Stop deceiving our people, Sual mayor tells detractors

SUAL, Pangasinan – Mayor Roberto Arcinue called on the officials of the Save Sual Movement to refrain from misleading the residents about the signature campaign being pursued by village leaders, womenfolk, and leaders of the academe.

Coal Fired Power Plant in Sual Pangasinan
owned by TEPCO, Marubeni of Japan.

The signature campaign is in support of the entry of another coal-fired power plant in Sual.

Mayor Arcinue said that one leader of the pseudo organization – an alleged priest – is engaged in deception by telling people that power plant advocates are getting the residents to sigh blank papers.

“This is unfortunate because his (priest) claim is an insult to the people of Sual who know better than to sign blank papers or coupon bonds,” Arcinue said.

Attached to the Manifesto of Support are coupons on which the residents write their respective names and addresses and affix their signatures, he said. Hundreds of residents have already signed up.

More residents, including women, barangay officials, drivers, employees, educators and students have expressed their willingness to sign up if they get hold of the manifesto, Mayor Arcinue said.

They eagerly welcome the proposal of a multi-national company to put up a state-of-the-art coal-fired power plant that could generate 1,000 megawatts, he added.

TALASTASAN ng mga HAKBANGIN

 MADALAS na abala si BANI Mayor Cothera Gwen Palafox-Yamamoto sa pakipagtalastasan sa mga nais at hakbangin na ukol sa bayan, sa pamamagitan ng iba’t-ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaang nasyonal, panlalawigan, NGO’s, POs at maging sa mga lokal na pamahalaan na may sadya sa munisipalidad.

Sa larawan, kamakailan ay nakaharap ni Mayor GWEN sa pulong ang mga taga Army Artillery Regimen – Multi-Sector Advisory Board at National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), sa kanyang tanggapan. (Photo courtesy of FB Bani Pangasinan

)

MINDANAO AWARDS P'SINAN MEDIA MAN

MEDIA AWARDEE – Political Commentator Mortz Ortigoza receives the Ten Outstanding SBC Alumni (TOSA) 2017- Media Service Category in M’lang, Cotabato Province M’lang is the town of Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Secretary Manny Pinol and Department of Health  Secretary Paulyn Ubial  Ortigoza is a member of High School Batch 1984 at Southern Baptist College. “The TOSA 2017 Search Committee has chosen you as an awardee based on your exceptional achievements and valuable contributions to society in the practice of your profession thereby giving honor to your Alma Mater,” said recently by SBC President Alvin Lynn P. Bergante during the Awarding Ceremony and Appreciation Banquets at the SBC Gymnasium.  Extreme Right is M'lang Mayor Russel Abonado - another awardee. Ortigoza owns Northern Luzon top Political Blog's P'NAN News and mortzortigoza.blogspot.com, a perceptive columnist of Pangasinan's newspaper Northern Watch, and fiery commentator of Sonshine Radio in the City.  He finished his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City, his Master in Political Science (C) at the University of Cordillera in Baguio City, and his Master in Public Administration at Lyceum Northwestern University in Dagupan City. PHOTO CREDIT: DR. RENE PACOLOR

After Ortigoza's interview with President Rodrigo Duterte.

MEDIA AWARDEE – Political Commentator Mortz Ortigoza receives the Ten Outstanding SBC Alumni (TOSA) 2017- Media Service Category in M’lang, Cotabato Province

M’lang is the town of Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Secretary Manny Pinol and Department of Health  Secretary Paulyn Ubial 

Ortigoza is a member of High School Batch 1984 at Southern Baptist College.

“The TOSA 2017 Search Committee has chosen you as an awardee based on your exceptional achievements and valuable contributions to society in the practice of your profession thereby giving honor to your Alma Mater,” said recently by SBC President Alvin Lynn P. Bergante during the Awarding Ceremony and Appreciation Banquets at the SBC Gymnasium. 

Extreme Right is M'lang Mayor Russel Abonado - another awardee.

Ortigoza owns Northern Luzon top Political Blog's P'NAN News and mortzortigoza.blogspot.com, a perceptive columnist of Pangasinan's newspaper Northern Watch, and fiery commentator of Sonshine Radio in the City.

 He finished his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City, his Master in Political Science (C) at the University of Cordillera in Baguio City, and his Master in Public Administration at Lyceum Northwestern University in Dagupan City. PHOTO CREDIT: DR. RENE PACOLOR

During a radio interivew with now Secretary Manny Pinol

, a town mate, of the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries

DAGUPAN , MILPITAS MAYORS MEET

 Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (left) exchanges notes with Richard Tan (right), city mayor of the City of Milpitas in California, U.S.A. when she  and her group from Dagupan paid the latter a visit at his office at the Milpitas City Hall.  Fernandez is now in the U.S.A for a goodwill visit along with the 10 Manlingkor Ya Kalangweran, City Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Lorna G. Bugayong, City Legal Officer Ma. Victoria D. Cabrera, City Budget Officer Luz De Guzman, Ana Cristina Sinlao, School Principal Gary Desoloc and Owen Tan. (CIO photo)

Sual officials bat for one more power plant

Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue. Photo Credit: Politiko South Luzon

SUAL, Pangasinan – Officials here led by Mayor Roberto Arcinue share the view that construction of more power plants is the most effective way of providing cheaper electricity and preventing another power crisis as what happened in the past.

They made the observation after noting that another multi-national company is planning to put up a

1,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant here.

This town already hosts Team Energy’s 1,200-MW Sual power station, the country’s biggest coal-fired

power plant, located in Barangay Pangascasan, here ,which began operating in 1999.

“Our population is growing and we need an additional plant to serve the people of Luzon, North Luzon,

and Metro Manila,” Arcinue said.

P2B this year for Celeste’s Congressional District

Congressman Jesus Celeste

.

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BOLINAO - The roughly P2 billion reason why infrastructures and other projects keep pouring in a  congressional district because the area is huge compared to other districts in the Pangasinan province, according to a solon.

Pangasinan First District Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste said that for this year he has received a P1.4 billion regular allocation from the national budget notwithstanding the P600 million appropriations to his district given by national agencies like the Departments of Education, Tourism, and others.

“Our area is bigger here that’s why we have a bigger budget,” when asked why another congressional district in Pangasinan has P700 million allocation as regular budget this year.

A congressman of another district told Northern Watch Newspaper before the reason the First Congressional District has a bigger allocation because its area started to develop while other congressional districts in the province have almost done their infrastructure projects.

Celeste is preoccupied in seeing his nine towns and one city’s district benefited on the paved concrete roads, improvements of tourism sites in the area, coastal highways, and mulled to construct a bay walk just like in the Second and the Fourth Congressional Districts of Representatives Leopoldo Bataoil and Christopher de Venecia.

“One of our projects is fencing the highway going to the airport in Alaminos,” he cited.

He said that the national government re budgeted the botched airport project that he said would be a stimulus for the economic growth of the district that caters to its pristine beaches, swanky hotels, and other tourism come-on.

He said in the past that the presence of an airport and casino will phenomenally leapfrogged the financial viabilities of the hotels and pristine beaches here, Alaminos City and other towns because of the influx of local and foreign tourists like the Chinese, South Koreans, Taiwanese, and others who will relish the full package of a casino and beaches.

 Celeste is a member of the Committees on National Defense and Security, Appropriations, Games & Amusement, Natural Resources, North Luzon Growth Quadrangle,  Reforestration,  Science and Technology, and Tourism in the House of Representatives.

He is serving his last term as the solon of Western Pangasinan that will end on May 2019 election.

A source, who asked anonymity, said that Celeste will be running for the mayoralty post of Alaminos City versus the rumored opponent the City’s Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Miguel Y. Perez while the present mayor Art Celeste, his younger brother, will run for the congressional race versus the rumored opponent Under Secretary Tim Orbos of the Department of Transportation and Communication.

PH OFFERS PRAYERS TO MEXICO AFTER 7.1 QUAKE KILLS DOZENS, DAMAGES EMBASSY

The Philippines offered its sympathy and prayers to Mexico after a powerful earthquake rocked the capital past noon on Tuesday, leaving at least 61 people dead and undetermined number injured.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano kneels to pray as he joins staff of the foreign affairs department at the flag-raising ceremony Monday, May 22, 2017 in suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. PHOTO CREDIT; AP

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the magnitude 7.1 temblor sent a number of structures crumbling and left many others, including the building housing the Philippine Embassy, badly damaged.

‘PROBINSIYANO AKO’ VISITS DAGUPAN

 “Probinsiyano Ako” Vice Mayor of the City of Laoag Michael V. Fariñas (2^nd form right, sited) visits Dagupan City for a goodwill visit as Laoag City intends to establish a sister city relationship with Dagupan City. Fariñas, along with a bunch of Punong Barangays of Laoag City, were welcomed by City Administrator Farah Marie G. Decano (2^nd from left), 

Federation of Senior Citizen Association President Luz Geminiano (left, ), Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs President lawyer Cornelia Español (right), City Councilors Alvin Coquia (center, right, standing) and Marcelino Fernandez (center, left, standing), Punong Barangays Helen Fermill (4th form right, standing) of Barangay Tebeng, Condrado Muyalde (2^nd form right, standing) of Barangay Salisay and Joseph Maramba of Barangay Bonuan Boquig (3^rdfrom right, standing) and the different Department Heads of the city. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

10 DAGUPAN STUDENTS ON VISIT TO MILPITAS CITY, USA

DAGUPAN CITY – Ten students from private and public schools here are leaving for the United States on September 14 for a goodwill visit to Milpitas City, Dagupan’s sister city, till September 28. 

All of them were issued a 10-year US visa by the United States Embassy in Manila recently.

2017 MILPITAS VISIT – Ten of the Manlingkor ya Kalangweran headed by Jilian Kay Madison S. Fernandez (7^th from right) will be off to Milpitas City in California, USA for goodwill visit from September 14-28. They will be joined by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, City Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo and Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Lorna G. Bugayong along with City Legal Officer Ma. Victoria D. Cabrera, City Budget Officer Luz De Guzman (left), Ana Cristina Sinlao (2^nd left), School Principal Gary Desoloc (2^nd right) and Owen Tan (right). (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

The students will be accompanied by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez together with City Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, City Legal Officer Ma. Victoria D. Cabrera, Ana Cristina Sinlao, Owen Tan, Schools Division Superintendent Lorna G. Bugayong, School Principal Gary Desoloc and City Budget Officer Luz de Guzman.

The students will be led by young city mayor Jilian Kay Madison S. Fernandez of Pangasinan Universal Institute.

She will be joined by Harmond A. Santos Jr. of Mother Goose Special Science High School System Inc., Nathalie D. Cuison of La Marea Academy, Gaile Stephanie B. Tan of Pangasinan Universal Institute, Abigail D. Azores of Divine Word Academy of Dagupan, Andrea Karla Paragas Sinlao of St. Albert the Great School, Tabitha Vallejos Jimenez of La Marea Academy, Marla Andreyana Maramba Ober of Dagupan City National High School, Noreen Kyle Calicdan Bravo of Phinma-University of Pangasinan, and Rianna Ricaela Fernandez of Dagupan City National High School.

'Toff' raises concerns about SUC's R&D initiatives

Pangasinan Fourth District Representative Christopher de Venecia (CDV) raised concerns about mechanisms in the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that would connect all the research and development (R&D) initiatives of state universities and colleges (SUCs), especially in provinces, with appropriate markets.

In a recent budget hearing of CHED, de Venecia asked Chairman Patricia Licuanan this question even as he said that “I don’t want us to be a production mill of researches that don’t really go anywhere.”

Pangasinan Congressman Christopher de Venecia
and CHED Chief Dr.Patricia Licuanan

Licuanan said they don’t have it in CHED but it is part of the whole cycle of R&D. “This is one of the things we are encouraging and we are linking up people who are quite knowledgeable in this,” she said.

She assured de Venecia “this is something that we take quite seriously and we are pushing for more support for R&D”.

Dagupan police conduct seminar for barangay tanods

DAGUPAN CITY – Members of the Barangay Peace Action Team in all the 31 barangays, clustered into six groups, underwent a one-day training/seminar given by the  Dagupan City Police Station at the city museum on September 11-14.

Police Superintendent Franklin O. Ortiz said that at least 633 BPAT members, who included barangay tanods, force multipliers and the chairman of the barangay peace and order in every barangay were invited to attend the seminar.

The participants were oriented on the principles of barangay peacekeeping, duties of first responders and crime scene preservation, community awareness on terrorism, handling violence against women and children incidents, arresting techniques, disarming techniques and IED (Improvised Explosive Device).

P'sinan students shine in ASEAN provincial competition

BY VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO

DAGUPAN CITY  - Students from the six school divisions and various universities of Pangasinan battled it out for the provincial competition in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The ASEAN competition, organized by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Region I, aims to strengthen the general public’s awareness on ASEAN and to widen the public’s knowledge on the benefits and opportunities of being a member-country of the globally-recognized association.

 “This activity will help the different sectors of the society, specifically the youth,  to appreciate the developments that ASEAN can bring to the country,” said Regional Director Jennilyne Role of PIA.

The poster /slogan making contest was joined by students from Grades 4-6, quiz bee by students in Grades 7 to 10 and the essay writing by college students. 

The activity was held simultaneously in the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. Representatives from the three ASEAN Pillar offices—the Departments of social welfare and development, trade and industry and foreign affairs—served as judges during the contest along with judges from the Department of Education (DepEd)  and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).  

WATER LILY WEAVING

 Residents of Malued Fisheries area and Malued Punong Barangay Pheng Delos Santos watch how water lilies are transformed into useful products by a technician of the city government of Las Piñas during their trip to the city organized by the City Agriculture Office under Emma J. Molina. This is another livelihood program initiated by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez to solve unemployment problems in the barangay. (CIO photo by Arriz Fruelda) 

DADS OK CITY HALL TRANSFER, RECLASSIFICATION OF DONATED LAND

DAGUPAN CITY – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) here approved on September 14 the transfer of the city hall along Pantal-Lucao area and the reclassification of the property donated by spouses Kerwin and Mary Ann Fernandez and the CSI Warehouse Club Incorporated from agricultural to non-agricultural and for institutional use as a government center.

Nine of the members of the SP, with one objection and one abstention, agreed that the proposed site within the Pantal-Lucao road is consistent with the spirit and intent of the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).

The joint committees on land utilization and on laws, ordinances and judiciary in their committee report viewed that any other area alien from an approved plan is unauthorized by law considering that Pantal area meets the requirement provided for under Section 11 of the Local Government Code of 1991.

In the same manner, the joint committee found that the donated lot and road right of way with an aggregate total of 24,560 square meters is sufficient in size as to accommodate the erection of a new, modern and state of the art government center in the Lucao-Pantal area.

That after due consultation, majority of the city’s constituents have expressed overwhelming support to the planned transfer of the government center provided that there shall be a satellite pay station to remain at the present City Hall.

Sual welcomes another power plant

SUAL, Pangasinan – Residents here welcome the entry of another coal-fired power plant as it would mean hundreds of job opportunities and millions of pesos in additional annual revenues for the municipality.

Mayor Roberto Arcinue cited the previous public  hearings the municipal government held to take the pulse of the public over the proposed plan to put up another power plant in addition to the existing 1,200-megawatt Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant in barangay Pangascasan.

Arcinue said at least six consultation meetings, attended by fishermen, school teachers and officials, barangay leaders and residents, womenfolk, Sangguniang Bayan members, cooperatives, and local and national government employees, were conducted to discuss the establishment of a second power plant. The mayor said: “Nobody expressed opposition to the plant.”

This politico incites the ignorant

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The debates on the transfer and construction of the new Dagupan City Hall became “nagkakainitan na” or acrimonious as the days passed by.

What aggravate the situation were for people like Vice Mayor Brian Lim telling half of the story or concocting or exaggerating another story that inflame the emotions of a large number of gullible, stupid, and ignorant people in the City.

VITRIOL. Dagupan City Vice Mayor Brian Lim (extreme left) attacks Mayor Belen Fernandez and her family on this radio interview held at DWIZ - Dagupan City last Thursday

Here were some of his salient declarations on his more than an hour interview yesterday at DWIZ – an FM radio station owned by the Cabangons, another nemesis of City Mayor Belen Fernandez.

“Why the then administrations of then Mayors Cipriano Manaois, Libring Reyna, and Al Fernandez did not relocate to their family owned land the transfer of the new city (unlike what Mayor Belen was doing)?

MY ANSWER: Traffic congestion, the danger imposed by the rickety worn out wood made government edifice, and flooding did not pose so much inconveniences and dangers before as what they posed today. Beside, there was no Kerwin Fernandez before who has the benevolence today to donate 1. 2 hectares of land worth P400 million as situs for the new City Hall.

That’s a lot of saving for the Dagupan City’s government if she can be spared to borrow from bank just to buy a land.

QC Director lauds Pangasinan BIR Exec

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

QUEZON CITY – “She’s a performer,” quipped by the director of the second biggest tax regional office in the country to a chief executive of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Eastern Pangasinan that has been excelling in tax collection's every month.

Director Marina de Guzman cited that Revenue District Office (RDO) - 6 Chief Maria Isabel Barcia-Utit is efficient and assiduous as seen on the Weekly Weekender.

TAX HONCHOS. Quezon City Regional Director Marina de Guzman
 and Revenue District Office - 6 Chief Maria Isabel Barcia - Utit

“Mahusay siya kasi trained na iyan sa akin sa Tuguegarao kasama ko siya sa Tuguegarao. Tapos magkasama kami dito. Actually iyon ang program that we put in place during my time they are just reaping,” she stressed.

Utit was under then Region 2 Director De Guzman when the former was the RDO Chief of Nueva Vizcaya’s province.

She was also the superior of Utit when then Region 1 BIR Director De Guzman covered Eastern Pangasinan.

She said that the Eastern Pangasinan’s honcho can be a shoo-in the post of assistant regional director.

“Oo, she is qualified CPA-Lawyer by profession”.

Q & A: South Korea continues to give weapons to Ph – Envoy

 Political Columnist Mortz Ortigoza interviewed South Korea Ambassador Kim Jae Shin on the military aid to the Philippines  by the Korean government to fight her enemies, just like what the United States and Japan have been doing.

Ortigoza, a son of a Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) veteran, inquired in the recent 18^th Korean War Veterans Memorial Day at Fort Bonifacio to His Excellency if South Korea would still be as prosperous as today or be as impoverished as North Korea if the Philippines and the 15 nations did not come to her succor in the early 1950s after she was invaded by the Communist North Korea and patron China. Excerpts:

Mortz C. Ortigoza: Filipino Korean veterans are decreasing in number. What can you say about their contributions in that war in the early 1950s that Communist North Korea and the Chinese nearly conquered your country?

 Political Columnist Mortz Ortigoza interviews South Korea Ambassador Kim Jae Shin 

Ambassador Kim Jae Shin: Yes we thank the contributions. In the second part as I said earlier the Korean country was happy as put in history the contribution not only (of) the Philippines but the other 15 countries (or a) total (of) 16 countries who sent troops to defend us for democracy. So we always appreciate.

Without the 16 countries from the United Nations (UN), do you think South Korea now is under the clutches of Communist North Korea?

 No, no. I cannot say that. I think, I mean impossible…

 Without the 16 countries, do you think your government could flush-out alone the two invaders?

 If if in the history is very good to explain to say I cannot say the Korea might colonize by China or North Korea. I cannot say that. But I said for sure North Korea was not able to capture our country.

Japan and the U.S gave us military hardwares to fight our enemies. Do you give military aid just like the two countries did to us?

 Yes we did, yes we did! We are going to provide vessels and ships and also….

SEC ALAN ON REPATRIATION FOR HURRICANE IRMA VICTIMS

“Good afternoon everyone. I would like to give you the following updates on Hurricane Irma: We are dispatching more personnel to fast track the repatriation of more than a hundred Filipinos displaced in the Caribbean and assist those in the United States who would be affected by Hurricane Irma. 

Hurricane Irma evacuees use flashlights at the Hampton Inn and
Suites in Estero, FloridaPhoto Credit: Los Angeles Times

A five-member team from the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs led by Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola is en route to Washington, D.C. to oversee the rescue and repatriation of some 136 Filipinos stranded in the British Virgin Islands. Four personnel from the Philippine consulates general in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago will also be joining the team from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. that is now in Puerto Rico waiting for the go-signal to proceed to Tortola. The team will be bringing emergency relief supplies and make arrangements for repatriation of the stranded Filipino, possibly via chartered aircraft.

Bataoil watches closely P1B highway project for Lingayen

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – A congressman in Pangasinan is watching closely the P980 million appropriation for a highway project so it could not be diverted by the powers that be to other programs of the national government.

Pangasinan Second District Representative Leopoldo Bataoil

 He said that the sum was intended for the 2018 national budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways and would be used as funds for a highway, viaduct, and bridges here.

He told guests in the consultation meetings held at the Capitol Resort Hotel how this project can ease up the perennial traffic congestion in this capital town.

“According to the Resolution that I received sa taong bayan sa Sangguniang Bayan ng Lingayen. Their resolution said they encounter problem of traffic as a result of development. Lingayen is a capital town at hindi mo na mapipigilan ang pag angat nito, pagdating ng tao, pagdami ng sasakyan, business opportunity, negosyo. So what do we do to address problem?” he stressed in a meeting attended by residents and public officials here, officials of the DPWH from the province of Pangasinan and the regional office in San Fernando City, La Union.

THAILAND AMBASSADOR VISITS DAGUPAN

THAI ENVOY. Mayor Belen Fernandez (center) meets Thailand Ambassador to the Philippines Thanatip Upatising
 with wife Montip, Minister Counselor, Consul Somjai Taphaopong, and First Secretary Rathanand Vichaidit. 

DAGUPAN CITY – The Ambassador of Thailand, Thanatip Upatising and his wife Monthip, paid a courtesy call on Mayor Belen T. Fernandez at her office after visiting Thai students enrolled at the Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) in Dagupan on September 8.

The Ambassador said he and his wife wanted to see how well the Thai students are doing in their studies and in their stay in Dagupan City.

Thanatip  told Mayor Fernandez that the Thai students spoke well of the city’s well managed peace and order, adding that  the city is clean as well as a stress-free place for them to stay and study.

Mayor Fernandez said she was humbled to hear such good impression from Thai students about Dagupan and explored on how the city could help them while they are in the city to study.