2nd Power Plant May Make Sual Richest Town in the Country

SUAL, Pangasinan – Officials here led by Mayor Roberto Arcinue are optimistic that this fast-growing town  would likely pole vault to the top spot in the list of richest municipalities if the plan to put up another power plant  pushes through.

Sual Mayor Bing Arcinue interviewed by media men at his office.Photo by Mortz Ortigoza.

According to a report released by the Commission on Audit (COA), the municipality of Sual maintained its position as the fourth richest municipality in the country with assets amounting to P2.037 billion.

Mangaldan Awaits Drug-Free Tag by PDEA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – After those narcotics related personalities have been accounted in the two villages here, this town has been declared by the police as illegal drugs free, according to the chief of police.

ANTI NARCS CRUSADERS – Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno 

and Police Supt. Jeff Fanged

Superintendent Jeff Fanged said the declaration of the Municipal Anti-Drug Advisory Council has been delayed because some individuals in Barangays Bari and Poblacion could not be found.

With the 91 high value targets finally accounted this town that has been locking horns with the illegal substance is narcotic free before the eyes of the Philippine National Police.

Meantime, this burgeoning local government unit (LGU) is in the stage of documentation for the final validation as narcotics free by the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

This town and 28 towns and a city in the 44 towns and four cities’ Pangasinan have been cleared by the Provincial Police Office in Pangasinan of dangerous drugs related persons.

No Clash between Bataoil, Agabas for Vice Guv

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – "What Marlyn for vice governorship?"

According to a provincial lawmaker, comes 2019 election the voters in Pangasinan will not be seeing a Marlyn Primicias-Agabas versus Leopoldo Bataoil vie for the vice governorship because the former will run as mayor of Tayug.

NO CLASH – Outgoing Pangasinan 2^nd District Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (left)

 and Exiting Pangasinan 6^th Distritct Congresswoma Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.

The source, who asked anonymity, told Northern Watch that he talked with Agabas husband Tyrone and the latter told him that outgoing Congresswoman Agabas will throw her hat in the mayoralty of the town where the present mayor is her husband.

“No, it’s not true that Marlyn runs for the vice governorship. I talked with Tyrone and he told me they will swap position,” he recalled his conversation with former Board Member Agabas.

Before becoming a third term congresswoman, Agabas was a member of the Sangguniang  Panlalawigan (provincial board) and Vice Governor of Pangasinan.

When asked during the meeting of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines – Pangasinan Chapter held at Jeck’s here, Vice Mayor Carlos Trece Mapili, a former mayor of Tayug, denied that there was a quid pro quo between him and the Agabases where he did not challenge Tyrone in the 2016 mayoralty poll with the condition the spouses would allow him to make a comeback for the mayoralty in 2019.

According to other sources, the two camps agreed that with Mapili gunning for the mayoralty, Marlyn runs for the vice governorship while Tyrone throws his hat for the congressional seat of the 10 towns’ District.

“I don’t know about it,” Mapili, a lawyer like the two Agabases, told this paper.

Political pundits said that without Agabas running for the No. 2 top post in Pangasinan, outgoing Second District Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil runs for the vice governorship without a rival.

“We cannot say he will be running alone. Mayors in the 4^th Congressional District are egging the District’s Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario to run for the post,” the solon said.

DARK HORSE? Mayors in the Fourth Congressional District goad
Board Member Ming Rosario to run for the vice governorship.

Another informant cited that Rosario told them that he waits for the imprimatur of Governor Amado I. Espino III if he will be in his tandem.
Rosario and Espino are closed allies.

 The almost two million vote-rich Pangasinan will be seeing a rematch  for the governorship between Governor Espino and former Congressman Mark Cojuangco in the 2019 election, according to a source closed to the latter.

Next Article Coming: Probable bets in the 4^th Congressional District

I'm Retired in Politics in 2019 - Mayor Bobom

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

URDANETA CITY – The outgoing mayor here denied he has a moist eye in the 2019 congressional election.

Mayor Amadeo "Bobom" Gregorio Perez IV dismissed the speculations of some political pundits that after he finished his third term in June 30, 2019 he will be throwing his hat for the congressional race in the 5^th District of Pangasinan.

“That is not true. After I stepped down in office I considered myself retired in politics,” he answered to the query of Northern Watch Newspaper.

POLITICAL ELITES - Urdaneta City Mayor Bobom Perez (left) and

 Pangasinan 5^th District Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr. Photo Credit: 

Politiko.com

During the seven years stint of Perez this largest cattle trading city in Northern Luzon burgeoned where it strutted with an annual appropriation budget of P850 million this year. It is a No. 2 spot after Dagupan City with a budget of P858 billion in the nine cities and four provinces’ Region 1.

P2000 Dagdag kay Teacher

Alaminos City – DAGDAG sa take-home pay ng mga guro ay ikinakasa ni councilor Alfred Felix De Castro, sa inuumang na city ordinance na inilatag noong October 23 regular session ng Sangguniang Panlungsod dito.

Ang dalawang-libong peso (P2,000.00) ay magsisilbing additional allowance kada taon na ipagkakaloob ng lunsod sa mga public elementary and secondary school teachers na kinabibilangan ng mga classroom teachers, ALS teachers at teachers ng Philippine Science High School System. Maging ang mga localy funded teachers ay pagkakalooban.

Susog ng panukalang ordinansa ay pakikinabangan ng siyam na raan limampu’t-tatlo (953) na guro, ito ay ayon sa pagtala ng DepEd division ng lunsod na ito. Na ang P1.9 Million kada taon na pondo ay kukunin sa Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses ( MOOE) ng alkalde dito.

Ayon pa sa panukalang ordinansa ay tatanggapin ng mga guro ang naturang dagdag benepisyo tuwing selebrasyon ng National Teachers day ng bawat taon o tuwing buwan ng Octobre kada taon.

Ang panukala na agad inaprubahan sa konseho ng lunsod ay suportado ng lahat na kasapi na dumalo sa sesyon na pinangunahan ni Councilor Apolonia Bacay, bilang pansamantalang presiding-officer at bise-alkalde dahil sa nasa ibang bansa si VM Anton Perez para sa opisyal na biyahe. (Kitz Basila)

Is the Philippines Going to the Dogs?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Reports say foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow declined middle of this year.

So with a diminishing FDI, is this rambunctious country where people especially the dirt poor, breed like rabbit, going to the dogs?

Arf, arf, arf, no!

Photo-Grab from YouTube

                                                             Overseas Foreign Workers

As long as we have overseas foreign workers (OFW) that grow by three to five percent a year and sent tens of billions of U.S dollars yearly (U.S $28 Billion or P1.4 Trillion last year) because of the incompetency of the political leadership to create employment atmosphere, we will have laborers and electricians that would be building these OFW houses and condominiums, we will have teachers and restaurant owners to serve the college children of these workmen, and we will have salesladies to serve big malls like SM and Robinsons where the OFWs and their family buy their fancy branded clothes and relished themselves with foods at those franchised restaurants there.

Netu Cries Malicious: Complained Red, GMA-7

RIFT - Dagupan City Councilors Red-Erfe Mejia (left) and Netu Tamayo

P1B “Super Highway” will benefit Dagupan Growth Center

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – The proposed almost P1 billion “super highway” that connects three villages in Dagupan City will be beneficial to the city’s growth center, according to the top honcho of the Department of Public Works & Highway.

ECONOMIC STIMULANT - A picture-grab from the internet of a super
 highway in other country.

“Malaking bagay iyan! Ito iyong makakatulong sa growth center,” District Engineer Rodolfo Dion of the Pangasinan 2nd Engineering District said on the multiplier effect of the almost three kilometers proposed multi-million pesos highway that cross Barangays Bonuan Guest, Mamalingling, and Bolosan  to the vaunted economic growth center in the Pantal-Lucao Area that will be a hub of Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing and others.

To ease the traffic in Dagupan City, Dion proposed to 4^th District Congressman Christopher De Venecia to lobby the national government for a fund to jump start this almost three kilometers highway.

THANKS MR. PRESIDENT, SEC. PINOL

 Alaminos City Mayor Arthur F. Celeste gestures as he extends his sincerest gratitude to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the Department of Agriculture (DA) headed by Secretary Manny Piñol for the farm machineries that were recently turned-over to the city’s farmer-organizations during last Monday’s flag raising ceremonies at Plaza Marcelo Ochave. He lauded the current administration’s initiative wherein for the first time the DA farm implements were availed as a grant or with no farmer-group’s equity at all (Photo and Caption: Kitz Basila)

Dagupan Growth Area will Create More Trike Franchises

DAGUPAN CITY – The development of the new growth centers in the city will pave the way for the creation of additional tricycle franchise to benefit the more than 800 colorum tricycles in the roster of the Public Order and Safety Office.

This was bared by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez during the regular flag raising ceremony at the city plaza on October 23, as she confirmed that the city is now making a study on creating a common terminal for tricycles along De Venecia highway, one of the new growth centers of the city under the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).

P1.4B Infras for Arenas’ Congressional District

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

STA. BARBARA -The District Engineer of the Department of Public Works & Highway based here said that the Third Congressional District of Pangasinan has an allocation of P1.4 billion this year from the national government.

The District is under the watch of Congresswoman Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas.

Pangasinan 4th District Engineering Office Chief Simplicio Gonzales however said he was not privy about the appropriation the five towns and city’s District would be receiving in the next year’s budget.

District Engineer Simplicio Gonzales of
the Department of Public Works & Highway.

The P3.767 trillion 2018 national budget was approved last July by President Rodrigo Duterte where P643.3 billion was allocated to the DPWH.

DAGUPAN MAYOR LAUDS RODY FOR THE LIBERATION OF MARAWI

DAGUPAN CITY – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez congratulated President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the liberation of Marawi City following the killing of terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute when she addressed the Muslim community during the Peace Forum conducted by the National Commission on Muslim Affairs in cooperation with the Pangasinan Integrated Muslim Assembly at the Abong na Alumni on October 18.

Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez shakes
 hand with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I have always believed that peace will always be possible. Regardless of whatever strains that we went through in the past, history will be the better judged that when people are confronted with issues that may bring us to war or conflict that would result to violence or hostilities, we have the power of choice to see that whatever issue that may divide us, there will be more reasons for us to come together in peace and in positive engagement,” said Fernandez.

Region 1 has at least 71,263 Muslim residents and Dagupan have many of them either as dedicated professionals, traders, students and ordinary workers.

Duterte's Poll Stocks Fall: Was SWS Wrong Again?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

When the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in January 30 to March 6 this year took over the War on Drugs, narcotics proliferate again in the market thus the members of the Philippine National Police were called back to continue the fight against the peddlers. In October 10 this year President Rodrigo Duterte issued a memorandum circular pulling out again the superior in number cops and hailing the small in number PDEA’s agents.

President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo Credit: RMN

Evidently, the decision of the president was anchored on the Social Weather Station polls that showed his popularity rates cascaded to 18 percent after some policemen were charged executing innocent individuals like Kian delos Santos and Carl Arnaiz and other adverse issues that haunted his administration as played to the helm by the acrimonious Philippines media?

Was Duterte impulsive to drag out the PNP despite survey outfit Pulse Asia poll bannered “88% of Pinoys support war on drugs; 73% say EJKs happen—survey” by Philippine Daily Inquirer 's issue last October 16?

Would the war on narcs weakened as the PDEA has only 2000 personnel nationwide while the police have 175,000 men literally implementing the “long arm of the law”?

Here was my comment at Face Book after Pulse Asia showed its polls taken almost on the same dates with that of its rival SWS:

Anong nangyari?

 SWS Duterte’s 48% popularity versus Pulse’s 73%.

SWS 23-27, 2017 polls showed President Duterte got 67% (Satisfied) 14% (Undecided), 19% (Di -satisfied) or 67 minus 19 equals 48% net Satisfaction rating. Pulse Asia’s 80% (Satisfied) 13% (Undecided), 7% (Dissatisfied) or 80% minus 7% equals 73% net Satisfaction rating. 48 % and 73% ran smack on that days issues, as stated by SWS, issues like the Senate probe into the shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China, in which the President’s son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and his son-in-law, Manases Carpio, appeared. Both denied allegations they were involved in smuggling.
Another was the “revelation” of Duterte that Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th had a secret bank account in Singapore, which the senator disproved. The President later admitted that he just “invented” the bank account numbers that he had announced in public supposedly to “bait” his critic.
The killings of teens Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman also dominated the headlines in August and early September, fanning public outrage and criticism of Duterte’s war on drugs, and others.

Who was telling the truth in these two poll outfits?

Read my blog/column:  PulseAsia more credible than Social Weather Station
*** 

I recently rubbed elbows at the meeting of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines –Pangasinan Chapter new Urdaneta City Vice Mayor Julio F. Parayno III and new Pozorrubio  Vice Mayor Ernesto Salcedo.

The gathering was held at Jeck’s in Dagupan City.

I said the duo were “new” since Parayno became the second most powerful man in the Cattle City when he assumed office in June 30, 2016 while Salcedo, the highest vote getter alderman, was catapulted to the vice mayoralty after the town mayor Artemio Chan was sacked by the Ombudsman and replaced by Vice Mayor Ernesto Go, a perennial rival, for the mayorship.

Parayno answered my query if he will run for the top post of Urdaneta City after mayor Amadeo "Bobom" G.E. Perez IV bowed out as his third term expired in the 2019 election.

 Parayno, a young law graduate of Saint Louis University in Baguio City, told me that in the next election it would be a tandem of Perezes versus the pair  of Paraynos clashing in the burgeoning city. 

“Paano maging Paraynos versus Perezes?” I posed in the vernacular.

He said the probable bets would be former Ambassador Amadito Perez, Jr. and daughter Councilor Tet Perez- Naguiat (wife of former PAGCOR Chair Cristino Naguiat) and him and his nephew Jimmy D. Parayno the present councilor of the city.

Espino, Perez, Parayno for Urdaneta City Mayor?

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA 

I recently rubbed elbows at the meeting of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines –Pangasinan Chapter new Urdaneta City Vice Mayor Julio F. Parayno III and new Pozorrubio Vice Mayor Ernesto Salcedo.

The gathering was held at Jeck’s in Dagupan City.

I said the duo were “new” since Parayno became the second most powerful man in the Cattle City when he assumed office in June 30, 2016 while Salcedo, the highest vote getter alderman, was catapulted to the vice mayoralty after the town mayor Artemio Chan was sacked by the Ombudsman and replaced by Vice Mayor Ernesto Go, a bitter rival, for the mayorship.

Parayno answered my query if he will run for the top post of Urdaneta City after mayor Amadeo "Bobom" Gregorio Perez IV bowed out as his third term expired in the 2019 election.

 Parayno, a young law graduate of Saint Louis University in Baguio City, told me that in the next election it would be a tandem of Perezes versus the pair  of Paraynos clashing in the burgeoning city. 

MARQUEE BETS - Pangasinan's 5th District Congressman
 Amado Espino, Jr (above photo) and former Ambassador
 Amadito Perez, Jr. 

“Paano maging Paraynos versus Perezes?” I posed in the vernacular.

He said the probable bets would be former Ambassador Amadito Perez, Jr. and daughter Councilor Tet Perez- Naguiat (wife of former PAGCOR Chair Cristino Naguiat) and him and his nephew Jimmy D. Parayno the present councilor of the city.

Fernandez seeks to uplift Dagupan's bangus industry

DAGUPAN CITY – The City Agriculture Office was directed by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez to conduct a feasibility study on the establishment of an exclusive trading place where local bangus growers can exclusively market or trade their Dagupan bangus to get a better price for their commodity.

UPGRADING DAGUPAN’S AQUACULTURE. Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation vice-president Jumnun Sudtrong (6^th from left) visits Dagupan City on instruction of Thailand Ambassador to the Philippines Thanatip Upatising to do some scientific study on the city’s aquaculture industry. He is joined by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (5^th from left) along with City Agriculture Officer Emma J. Molina (5ht from right), City Councilor Marcelino Fernandez (4^th from right) and Punong Barangays Arsenio D. Santillan Sr. (right) of Lomboy, Delfin F. De Guzman (2^ndfrom right) of Salapingao, Nestor Victorio (3^rd from right) of Pugaro, Luzviminda Velasquez (3^rd from left) of Carael, and Evangelista Dela Cruz (4^th from left) of Calmay, Bernard Cabison (left) of CDRRMO and City Engineer Virginia Rosario (2^nd from left). (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

“Iba ang Dagupan bangus kaya dapat magkaroon ito ng presyo, which is different sa ibang bangus grown outside of the city,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez is also considering the putting up of a harvest to pay scheme for small fisher folks in the city with a marketing plan that will be designed by the city, to help them sell their products at better prices.

Fernandez met with Jumnun Sudtrong, vice president of Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation, a Thailand company based in the country engaged in fish feed sales, when the latter visited the city on October 9.

Foes insecure on Dagupan’s Classy New City Hall – Mayor Zaplan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The mayor of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan cited that the group who opposed the transfer of the city hall here to the Lucao-Pantal  Growth Area were insecure of their political future thus they played politics.

Mayor Carlito Zaplan saw that the present city hall is small, dilapidated, flood prone, and uncomfortable to its workers.

Upon seeing the perspective plan of the new government building here he said he was impressed by its world class design.

“World class ang design ng city hall ng Dagupan. Dapat maging proud kayo,” he quipped.

Zaplan knew what he was talking because he brainchild the construction of the P40 million municipal hall funded by government loan and his personal monies.

                                       VISIONARY LEADERS – Dagupan City Mayor Belen T.

Fernandez and Sta. Barbara Mayor Lito S. Zaplan

The failure behind the success of Abono Party-List

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG – Pangasinan vaunted farmers party list Abono had a dramatic trial before it became a successful entity with ten years streak in the House of Representatives.

According to one of its pillars Former Councilor Levin Uy, this town's Executive Director of Kasama Kita sa Barangay, he was instructed by Abono Party List Founder and Chairman  Rosendo So to draft in 2007 an application at the Commission on Election for a party list.

PILLARS - Abono Party-list Chairman Rosendo So (Left)

 and Kasama Kita Sa Barangay Director Levin Uy.

So is also the present Chairman of the popular anti –smuggling group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG).

“Iyong instruction ni Kuya Sendo ay mga agri operators organization na magkaroon ng representation sa Congress through party list so naisip namin kaagad is ABONO,” he stressed.

Zaplan mulls to challenge Arenas in 2019

                                             

WITH ESPINO BACKING

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SANTA BARBARA – The mayor of this first class town is ambivalent if he will heed the advice of a political kingpin to challenge the reelection of the incumbent congresswoman of the Third Congressional District in Pangasinan.

Mayor Carlito F. Zaplan said that Fifth District Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr, a former governor and Pangasinan Political Kingpin, prodded him to challenge the bid of Representative Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas in 2019.

DREAM FIGHT - Sta. Barbara Mayor Lito Zaplan and
Pangasinan Third District Congresswoman Baby Arenas.

“I am thinking about it because my son my Junior will be running for the mayoralty,” Zaplan, who will end his last term in 2019, cited.

He said his son Carlito Zaplan, Jr, a graduate of La Salle University and a businessman, will be facing this town Vice Mayor Joel F. delos Santos for the top post here in the next election.

Councilor Bobby G. Barbiran who was rumored to tangle with the younger Zaplan will not be running but instead chose to run for reelection, according to the elder Zaplan.

Arenas and her daughter former Congresswoman Maria Rachel Arenas are the political nemesis of Espino as the duo zealously supported the 2016 gubernatorial candidacy of former Congressman Mark Cojuangco versus Espino’s son and namesake who heavily won on that election.

Political pundits see Zaplan will be giving the Arenases a tough fight with the former piggybacking on the popularity of Espino whose feat in the 2016 election was by immensely trouncing the reelection bid of Representative Ma. Carmen “Kimi” Shulze Cojuangco in the Fifth Congressional District – the bailiwick of the Cojuangcos – and defeating her husband Mark with more than 200 thousand votes.
The same pundits said that Zaplan - with Espino backing - is a superior opponent compared to those rivals the Arenases faced in their past reelection bids in the one city five towns' District. 

“I asked Congressman Espino to convince Vice Governor (Ferdinand) Calimlim to run on my stead,” he said.
Zaplan cited that Calimlim, a resident of Mapandan town, can give also the Arenases, who used to live in Makati City, a run of their monies.

 “The vice governor can run toe- to- toe with the wherewithal of the Arenases as Ferdie has lucrative business and huge inheritance from his deceased parent,” he said.

Zaplan, who is building his P60 million state- of- the- art palatial mansion, is one of the moneyed persons in the District what with his mammoth construction company backed up by hundreds of trucks and construction equipment.

Calimlim will be ending his nine years straight term for the vice governorship in 2019.

Last term Pangasinan Second District Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil is seen as his replacement for the vice governorship under the tandem of reelection governor Amado Espino III.

Zaplan ventured in politics in 1992 by winning the vice mayoralty here and won the mayoralty in 1995 and bowed out from office in 2004.

His wife Jinky, the present President of the Barangay League and Ex-Oficio member of the Provincial Board, succeeded him for the chief executive post. Zaplan ran for the mayoralty in the 2007 mayoralty poll but lost to former police general Rey Velasco.

Groomed Vice Gubernatorial bet Pol Bataoil (extreme left) and
outgoing Pangasinan Vice Governor Ferdie Calimlim as they
receive the Holy Communion  from the Catholic Priest.

He defeated Velasco in the 2010 and 2013 mayoralty polls and defeated Vice Mayor Juan Emmanuel T. Cabangon, Velasco brother-in-law, in the 2016 mayorship election. 

FILIPINO FOLK-ROCK SINGERS STRUT

By Mortz C. Ortigoza


Southern Man by Folk Rock Singer Canadian Neil Young excellently played especially the guitar riff and strum by Loloy of Davao City and Jun Lahi.
 They warmly welcomed me at Makati Avenue because I wrote a blog on them titled Anatomy of a Folk Rock Singer.

"The lyrics of "Southern Man" are vivid, describing the racism  towards blacks in the American South. In the song, Young tells the story of a white man (symbolically the entire white South) and how he mistreated his slaves. Young pleadingly asks when the South will make amends for the fortunes built through slavery when he sings:

I saw cotton and I saw black,

tall white mansions and little shacks.

Southern Man, when will you pay them back? (Wikipidea)

VIDEO

"The song also mentions the practice of cross burning.

Young was very sensitive about the song's message as anti-racism and anti-violence. During his 1973 tour, he cancelled a show in Oakland, California because a fan was beaten and removed from the stage by a guard while the song was played (Wikipidea).

Geez, my video when I sang at the folk-rock house Cuervo Makati. My favorite watering hole whenever I am in this effing jungle asphalt.
Mortz Baby singin' Don Henley's Desperado while the White Apes Caucasians from North America and Europe applauding his antics buttressed by Philippines best crooners Loloy of Davao and Jun Lahi. I wrote a blog on Loloy and Jun on their music feat (CLICK HERE) thus their warm hospitality whenever I am at their bar.

VIDEO

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE By Billy Joel and sang by inebriated (hindi pa naka toma') Political Columnist Mortz Ortigoza. Gamot pa lang sa high blood at Vitamin iyong nainum niya diyan when he sang with Dagupan City's best band Bossing.

VIDEO

PHOTOS

Duterte backs coal plants

 President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines will continue to use coal in power generation but will implement new technologies to minimize emissions.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte leads the unveiling of the inaugural marker of the Filinvest
Development Corporation Misamis 405-MW coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis
 Oriental on September 22, 2016. KING RODRIGUEZ/PPD

“But for as long as the most viable fuel is coal and cheapest so that the power can also be delivered the energy to the people at a much lower price, then we’ll have no other alternative except to upgrade the technology to its fullest―to limit,” Duterte said during a  recent visit to Sarangani for the groundbreaking of another coal-fired-power plant.

The President said he sees nothing wrong with the government’s plan to put up new coal-fired power plants to boost power supply in the country.

“You open the Philippines for all power players, I guarantee you the electricity will become cheaper,” he pointed out.

 “At this time, whoever is the president of the Philippines would always contend with coal. There’s so much coal still that can be utilized by civilization for the next 50 to 70 years. And to be worrying about pollution, well, we just have to come to terms with that in our time, in our generation, it is really what it is. There is nothing you can do about it,” Duterte said.

Tenderfoot Mayor Hides from Media Interview

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

When I dropped by at the major newsstand in the city, its owner told me that he was a newspaper boy before he ventured into selling dailies.

When our conversation went to the number of newspapers, tabloids, and community papers he sold, he deplored the lethargic sale.

Photo is Comedian Jim Carey in his famous movie's Dumb and Dumber.
 Many Filipino mayors are either "dumb" or "dumber".

“Iyong ibang provincial newspapers wala na ngang bumili,” he quipped.

He said that he could only sell ten copies of the major community newspaper in a week and the number of copies of Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, and Manila Bulletin declined tremendously in weekly basis compared to what he told me months ago.

He cited early this year that he could only sell only 15 copies a day of major broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer   while its rivals Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin averagely sell eight and four copies a day, respectively.

He said that the number one community news in the city sells only 20 copies in a week in his stand.

I told him that newspaper business is dying what with the digital gadgets like cellphones where anybody can read and watch news from the intellectual dailies like New York Times to the prurient content and ordinary Joe’s serving Filipino headline screaming tabloids.

I read years ago that in Australia and European countries newspapers are passé’ because people browsed the de rigueur and convenient mobile phones and laptops.

 “Yap, because mobile phones are cheap. One could buy those Filipino made with touch screens like Cherry Mobile and My Phone and their cheap Chinese counterparts for a song. Cellular phones are obviously much cheaper than laptops,” my son Jigger told me once.

If hard copies newspapers are bound to extinction while online news are gaining prominence in the digital war, here’s a member of Congress.

When I showed to Pangasinan Congressman Pol Bataoil, whom I had breakfast at the Army Golf Club in Taguig City, the immediate and positive comments of readers of my news “Bataoil watches closely P1B highway project for Lingayen” at P’NAN News, a major blog with tens of thousands readers, as seen on my mobile phone, the solon told me that it was good as it saved the cutting of paper trees.

***

Before the 2016 local election I supported the advocacy of this battle-scarred mayor. On that poll, the mayor lost to a young tenderfoot mayor.
Tenderfoot, to those plumbers of Malabanan Poso Negro and embalmers of Pasay Funeral Parlor who read this column or blog,  means " a newcomer in a comparatively rough or newly settled region; especially :one not hardened to frontier or outdoor life".
During the victory parade I and some media men waved our hands as congratulatory gesture to the victor who was on the lead truck standing at the haul bed while tens of hundreds of his supporters snaked with their vehicles at his back.
He did not reciprocate my action even I did not criticize his poor performance when he was in public office as a lower level official.
Lately, somebody told me that when I visited his office to get his side of an issue on an overpriced project and promises to voters he failed to give them, he told his assistant that he avoided talking to me.
That’s fine.
So what would happen now?
I’ll comment negatively on what ills your town because of your patent incompetence because you would not want to talk to me on your half cooked competence?

I remembered an allegedly corrupt public official when we crossed path, the honcho smarted I negatively wrote about her.

“You did not want to talk to me when I visited your office to get your side,” I told her because of her propensity to hide from media men.

“Para ano pa, hinde na kelangan!” she arrogantly told me.

That’s what made an official ugly. You ain’t want the media to get your side, then people read or hear your bad side.

 (You can read my selected intriguing but thought-provoking columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)