Monday, January 29, 2018

20,000 CHILDREN ATTEND SUMMIT ON JOURNALISM



DAGUPAN CITY – At least 20,000 elementary and high school students from both public and private schools here graced the opening day of the three-day Children Summit on Journalism and exhibits at CSI Stadia on January 29.
The opening ceremony was led by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez and Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Lorna G. Bugayong with Manlingkor Ya Kalangweran 2017 little mayor Jilian Kay Madison Fernandez who delivered her welcome remarks and Fourth District Representative Christopher De Venecia as  keynote speaker.
 
Parents, teachers, pupils from private and public schools in Dagupan City converged at the mammoth air conditioned Stadia for the 3rd Children Summit to hear veteran national and local journalists giving the students pointers on the tricks on TV, radio, and newspapers' works.

In his speech, De Venecia, a columnist of the Philippine Star and Chalk Magazine, also shared his skills on feature writing as one of the invited resource speakers during the plenary session.
In the afternoon, the participants attended lectures on news writing with Eva Visperas of The Philippine Star, Frank Cimatu on editorial writing, Velia Umanos on feature writing and Gabriel Cardinoza on Science and Technology writing.

“This Children’s Summit on Journalism is our continuing vote of confidence that the young people of Dagupan hold so much promise in bringing positive change for our city. As future journalists of Dagupan, we want to nurture a new breed of young active citizens who can move others to seek and pursue positive change,” said Fernandez.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

LOOK, ARTIKULONG BEINTE-UNO IN DAGUPAN !

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Region I workers get pay hike on New Year

Minimum wage earners in Region 1 will get a raise starting January 25, the Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office I today announced.  
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-1 has issued Wage Order RB1-19 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations granting P30 increase in the daily wages of workers in Large Non-Agriculture and Commercial Fishing Establishments. Workers in Medium Non-Agriculture Establishments will get P20 increase, while those in Small and Micro Establishments and
Agriculture (Plantation and Non-plantation) will receive P13 per day.  The said wage order will take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation on January 10-16, 2017. 

Saturday, January 27, 2018

CHA-CHA: One - House, One - Senate are Unwieldy, Duplicitous – JDV

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Former Five-Time House Speaker Joe de
Venecia and Political Commentator Mortz
C. Ortigoza.


Q & A: Professor and Columnist Mortz Ortigoza interviewed recently former Five-Time House of Representatives Speaker Jose de Venecia or JDV at his palatial coastal home in Dagupan City on the acrimonious and divisive proposed Charter-Change spearheaded by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. Alvarez was hell bent to change the centralized political landscape of the country to federalism with a strong unicameral legislative body. Here are the thoughts of De Venecia – a rabid advocate of these political changes. EXCERPTS:

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA: Filipinos are facing the strong arm tactics revision of the Constitution led by Speaker Alvarez where Federalism is dangled as the silver bullet to solve the miseries of the citizens. Do you think Federalism can better-off the lives of the Filipinos?

JOSE DE VENECIA: When I was Speaker for five times, I invited the Constitutional Committee to introduce a unicameral parliamentary system for the Philippines - just one House instead of the two Houses. So, in addition to a Unicameral Parliamentary System I was moving to a second step to a switch to a Federal System. We were very close to achieving it for the Filipino people until a moved was taken by the case to the High Court. Unfortunately we lost by just one vote. Our system One- House- One Senate is very unwieldy and it is duplicitous. The work of the House is duplicated by the work of the Senate. The work of the Senate is duplicated by the House.

 They said without the Senate there will be no check and balance.

 Check and balance is in the House. The Congress can point to the opposition, check and balance the congressmen who belonged to the majority. The majority, the check and balance is within the House itself just like in South Korea. They abolished the Two- House System in Korea because the work of the Senate duplicated the work of the House and vice versa.

 Without the Senate to do the check and balance, what can you say about Congressmen being vulnerable to the machination and manipulation of Malacanang Palace through pork barrel and multi- million pesos projects?

Friday, January 26, 2018

Dating abortion road sa Barangay Tebeng, Dagupan City, naging prosperity road na



Punung-puno ng pasasalamat ang mga residente ng Barangay Tebeng, Dagupan City sa pamilyang de Venecia sa pagresolba sa dating abortion road sa kanilang lugar dahil sa lubak-lubak na kalsada na sinemento na at tinawag ng prosperity road.
Pangasinan 4th District Congressman Christopher de Venecia is flanked by
Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez and former 5-Time Speaker Jose
de Venecia and wife former Congresswoman Gina de Venecia during the
inauguration of the  2.2 kilometers Tambak-Tebeng Road in Dagupan City.

Sinabi ni Kapitana Helen Fermill sa inagurasyon ng Tebeng Road, Livelihood Center at Gazebo kanina, na lubos ang kanilang kasiyahan sa pagtugon sa kanilang kahilingan na gawin ang naturang kalsada dahil sa labis na perhuwesyong dulot nito sa mga dumadaan doon.
Sinabi ni 4th District Congressman Christopher de Venecia na ito ay katuparan ng kanilang ipinangako noong nakaraang taon matapos mapasinayaan ang karugtong nitong kalsada sa Barangay Tambac.

Sinabi pa ni Congressman Christopher de Venecia na kapag maganda at maayos ang kalsada, malaking tulong ito sa negosyo at pagdadala ng pangunahing serbisyo sa isang lugar.
“Mas mabilis na pag-unlad,maayos na connectivity ang magpapalakas sa koneskyon ng mga tao,”ayon pa kay de Venecia.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

More jobs up as SM opens 2 more branches in P'gasinan


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by VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO

DAGUPAN CITY, Jan 25 (PIA) - Employment and business opportunities are expected to flourish this year as mall giant SM City  opens two more super malls in Pangasinan.

Kristine Santiago, public relations officer of SM City Rosales, said a job fair will commence on January 31 at the Urdaneta City Cultural Center to generate employment for the new SM branch in Urdaneta City. 

“Almost all positions will be open for the SM City Urdaneta Central branch, so more job opportunities are up, even for tenants,” Santiago told the Philippine Information Agency. 

She said some 32 companies are participating in the job fair and almost a thousand job openings will be available.

SM management is eyeing the Urdaneta branch as the 70th mall of SM. It will come complete with SM favorites like the hypermart, department store, dining, apparel and many more, she said.

Its grand opening is set this summer.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Criminal Liabilities on the P15.5B Warships


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Just like the nuances of Federalism, most Filipinos do not understand the brouhahas brought by the multi-billion pesos’ Combat Management System (CMS) in the two P15.5 billion South Korean made Hyundai Heavy Industry (HHI) Frigates.
Before I defined what CMS, the heart of the battleship, I’ll give you its illustration:
In case war between Mainland China and allied countries like the Philippines, Japan, and the United States break out, the function of the Netherlands’ Thales-Tacticos CMS is to guide the SSM-700K Haeseong (Sea Star) long-range anti-ship missile fired from one of the frigates to an eluding Chinese warship 200 kilometers away from its location in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
MULTI-MILLION PESOS MISSILE - Incheon-class frigate (FFX-I) ROKS Chungbuk
 launching a C-Star SSM-700K Haeseong anti-ship missile. ROK Navy picture.

In case the Frigate’s radar envelop could no longer detect the absconding enemy warship, does it mean the U.S $2,347,500.00 (Won 2, 500,000, 000.00 Wikipedia) each cruising missile, likened to U.S made Harpoon, would just plunge to the sea for nothing?
 The answer is in the negative if there is, say, a Japanese F-35B, a stealth supersonic jump jet, based on the helicopter carrier 248 meters long Izumo flying somewhere in the area that will cue and guide, thanks to the CMS, the SSM-700K to destroy the Chinese warship.

SEN. BAM: PROBE DIRECTION OF PH FOREIGN POLICY WITH CHINA


On September 19, 2016, Sen. Bam filed Resolution No. 158 seeking to clarify the country’s foreign policy direction to determine the administration’s position on several issues, including the West Philippine Sea, Benham Rise and other dealings with China.
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Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV

Stressing that a serious investigation on the government’s dealings with China is long overdue, Sen. Bam Aquino renewed his call for a Senate probe into the direction of the country’s foreign policy.
 “Importanteng malaman ng Senado at ng taumbayan ang foreign policy ng administrasyon, lalo na sa pakikitungo nito sa China. This is a serious issue and the Philippines has too much to lose,” said Sen. Bam, saying the probe will center on the details of deals entered into by the government with China, especially on the conduct of maritime scientific research in the Benham Rise or now known as Philippine Rise.
“Kailangang suriin ang laman ng kasunduang pinasok ng pamahalaan sa China. Hindi pupuwedeng dehado rito ang Pilipino,” said Sen. Bam.
“If these deals will truly benefit the Filipino people, there shouldn’t be anything to hide,” added Sen. Bam.
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that it has approved China’s request that it be allowed to conduct maritime scientific research in the Benham Rise, with the blessing of President Duterte.

Sen. Bam also called on the government to assert the country’s victory in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the West Philippine Sea issue, saying it will go down the drain if not implemented.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Thousands of Sual residents to benefit from second power plant



SUAL, Pangasinan - More than a thousand workers are needed for the planned construction of the second power plant in this town.

This was learned from the representatives of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) which is currently holding talks with municipal officials here headed by Mayor Roberto Arcinue for the construction of the second power plant.
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Coal Power Facility with Clean Coal Plant (Photo Credit:
SEC.gov't)
It was learned that more than three hundred regular employees would be needed for its operation.
Mayor Arcinue said most of the workers and employees needed should come from this burgeoning town as mandated by an ordinance which requires investors to recruit residents here for their manpower requirements, if ever available locally.
Aside from the hundreds of jobs, he also said that some P800 million in real property taxes could be collected annually from the proposed power plant, which shall be shared by the province, the municipality of Sual and Barangay Baquioen where the plant would be located..
Mayor Arcinue happily reported that an overwhelming majority of the people in this Western Pangasinan town welcomed the second power plant project, including womenfolk, senior citizens, farmers and fisher folk, employees, and students who stand to benefit through the scholarship program of the project proponent .
He said the project proponent is spending about two billion US dollars for the power plant project which has a generating capacity of 1,000 megawatts.
The mayor said this will boost and stabilize the power supply for the Luzon grid to do away with frequent power interruptions.
The construction of the second coal-fired power plant, he added, dovetails with the pronouncement of President Duterte who stressed the need to put up more coal-fired power plants to avert another power crisis owing to ballooning population and influx of investors.
Duterte 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,” Duterte repeatedly said as he inaugurated several coal-fired power plants in Visayas and Mindanao, the latest of which was the 405-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Misamis Oriental.
 “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..... You open the Philippines for all power players, I guarantee you the electricity will become cheaper,” he said.

The President stressed that there should be no problem with coal when it comes to pollution owing to the advent of new technologies.



Monday, January 22, 2018

DFA Calasiao does not operate any Facebook page, says management


DAGUPAN CITY, January 22 (PIA) - The Department of Foreign Affairs- Consular Office (DFA-CO) in Calasiao town said the CO does not operate any social media account and facebook pages or accounts using the department’s name are unauthorized.
Jennifer Catherine Demesa, officer-in-charge of DFA-CO Calasiao, said the “DFA Calasiao Pangasinan” facebook page is not authorized to use the departments’ name nor post consular related information.
Demesa said the public is advised to visit the DFA official website at www.dfa.gov.ph for all the information they need or the www.passport.gov.ph for the online appointment details and application.
She also informed the public that the consular office in Pangasinan is now implementing the online appointment system except for the applicants under the courtesy lane.
Applicants under courtesy lane are as follows: senior citizen with one immediate family member; persons with disabilities (PWDs) with PWD ID and one immediate family member; minors aged seven and below with their parents; single parent with solo parent ID and their minor children; pregnant with medical certificate; and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with sufficient proof of status such as iDOLE Card, valid employment contract or valid work visa.
Demesa said courtesy lane applicants will be accommodated as walk-in applicants from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“For all other concerns and queries, the public may call (075)-632-7892/ 632-7705 or email us at rcocalasiao@yahoo.com or visit us at 2nd level Robinsons Place Pangasinan, Narciso Rueca Ramos Hall in Calasiao, Pangasinan 10 a.m. to  5 p.m.,” said Demesa. (PIA-1, Pangasinan)


Sunday, January 21, 2018

Dagupan, DepEd to hold Children Journalism Summit



DAGUPAN CITY – The city, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), will  hold a three-day Children Summit on Journalism for elementary and high school students in the public and private schools on January 29 to 31.
The summit, which will be facilitated by the DepEd with Schools Division Superintendent Lorna Bugayong as chairman, is open to high school and senior students from public and private schools and to Grades IV and V in the elementary level.
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A Filipino teacher conducts  a campus journalism training among highschool students.
Education Program Supervisor Dr. Liezl Cancino disclosed that the summit committee has invited top notch journalists, broadcasters and television news personalities in the country and in the region including Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar and Director Florinda Princess Duque, both from the Presidential Communication Operations Office, as speakers and lecturers in the three-day summit.
Representative Christopher De Venecia of the fourth district of Pangasinan who is himself a journalist being a Young Star columnist of The Philippine STAR and Chalk Magazine Lifestyle editor, is the keynote speaker.

DPWH, CSC Extend Dion Stay for One Year



By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – “This was first time in the history of DPWH,” quipped by the Department of Public Works & Highway District Engineer  Rodolfo Dion who is based here when the Department Secretary Mark Villar and Civil Service Commission (SCS) extended for one year his service after his mandatory retirement last January 19.
 IRON MAN - The 65 years old DPWH District Engineer Rodolfo “Boy” Dion (extreme left) is known in the country as a Triathlon Athlete where he dusted off younger competitors in swimming, cycling, and running.
He breezed with his speed bike, where sometimes he sneaked to smoke a cigarette, the more than hundred kilometers stretches of the cities of Dagupan and Baguio and the city of Dagupan and Subic Free Port Zone in Zambales. 

Dion, the chief of the Pangasinan Second Engineering Office, said before he bowed out from office at the age of 65, Second and Fourth District Congressmen Leopoldo Bataoil and Christopher de Venecia asked for his acquiescence if he wanted to extend his stay because they want to relay this to the Secretary who will ask the imprimatur of the Civil Service Commission.
“It is covered by law,” Dion, who is a professional long distance biker, said on his extension that was the first to happen in the annals of the DPWH in the country.
He added that he is physically and mentally fit to cope with the pressures of the works brought by the demands of the one city twelve towns’ congressional districts.
His extension order from the CSC took effect last Thursday.
“I’ll probably serve six months or up to July this year only,” he cited.
Dion major accomplishments when he served the DPWH for 41 years were the transformation to modernity of the AB Fernandez Avenue in Dagupan City and other parts of the city.

Friday, January 19, 2018

The gall of Speaker Panty; My interview with Senator Ejercito


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The gall of Speaker Pantaleon “Panty” Alvarez threatening those local government units (LGUs) officials that they will not receive their regular financial aid from the national government in case they will not support the Constitutional revision he spearheaded .
HesusMariaHusef, was that sheer hubris and blackmail?! 
Internal Revenue Allotment, called by LGU officials as IRA, is mandated by law as stated in the Local Government Code of 1991.
IRA is the financial life blood of the towns, cities, and provinces as their share of the taxes collected by the national government.
The gall of Speaker Panty Alvarez threatening the 22 senators that in case they did not join the 294 congressmen, the Lower “Going Gutter Low” House will railroad the revision of the charter where plebiscite will be held this May.
 May this year?
 Holy Casserole and Guacamole, that is roughly four months from now! Public hearings among the 103 million Flips, er, Filipinos would be improbable as time and space dictate.
So how can we get the pulses and inputs of the people in changing the law, not just an ordinary law son of a gun, but the freaking Fundamental Law of our Land?
Where are the sense and the sanity on this Speaker Panty?!
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SENATOR - Political Columnist Mortz Ortigoza interviews Reelective Senator Jayvee Ejercito at the office of Capital Town Lingayen, Pangasinan Mayor Josefina Castaneda (extreme left). The senator with Actor Raymart Santiago and others through their Italian and Germany’s made big motorcycles’ Ducatis and BMWs have been crisscrossing the Luzon peninsula and dropping by at the offices of provincial, city, and municipal officials.

***
The other day, Lingayen Mayor Josefina” Iday” Castaneda, after I interviewed her on Contract of Usufruct with the DepEd, told me not to leave her office  as she and her officials were waiting for reelective Senator Jayvee Ejercito , actor Raymart Santiago, and company who rode straight from Imperial Manila on their multi-million pesos giant bikes’ Italian made Ducatis and BMWs.
Here were the excerpts of my interview with Senator Ejercito, the son of former President Joseph Estrada, who was crisscrossing the peninsula as probably part of his barnstorming the "boondocks" to boost his critical 10-12 Rank with former Senator Lito “Intellectual Puzzle” Lapid and Broadcaster Erwin Tulfo at the latest polls of Social Weather Station for the Magic 12 of the senate bet on the 2019 election.

ME: Are senators one that embarking into a revision of the Constitution needs that the Houses of Senate and Representatives voted separately?
SENATOR EJERCITO (SJ):  Nagkaroon na tayo ng hearing noong isang araw. We heard from (former Supreme Court Chief Justices Hilario Davide and Renato Puno and (SC Associate) Justice (Adolfo) Azcuna that the Senate has to assert its fight for independence and fight for its independence because iyan ang prinsipiyo ng Bicameral kasi nga Bicameral tayo – check and balance.
ME: When the House of Representatives will have their session do you think some senators will commit treachery by attending their (House) Constituent Assembly?
SJ: Ahh, I don’t think so because it is agreed upon by both majority and minority all senators caucus that we will fight for the Senate’s independence.
ME: Isa pang problema, iyong House tapos na ang 40 bills like PublicService Acts (click here). Doon sa Senate tinulugan daw ninyo ang version ng Public Service Act kaya Speaker Alvarez called you Mabagal na Kapulungan? Any comment?
SJ: Ano iyan?
ME: Iyong 60-40 percent business equity dito na anti foreign investors kaya kakaunti mga nag i-invest dito sa Pilipinas kaya madami ay walang trabaho.
SJ: Ah, hinde ko alam iyan!
 I don’t know what is the status. Sa Senate kasi we are careful, nag aaral ho kami, hindi ng mga bagay na hindi na dapat kinakailangan especially when it comes to altering the fundamental law of the land charter change.
ME: Ranked 10-12 kayo sa latest SWS polls, si brother Jinggoy Estrada ninyo ranked 7-8. Tatakbo rin siya sa 2019?
SJ: Name recall. Ejercito ako Estrada siya. He used to run. The survey is just a guide. Hindi pa naman iyan final.
ME: Sir, suwerte ninyo nakadikit kayo kay Red (Dagupan City Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia who was seated beside him) almost three million rich voters kami dito sa Pangasinan.

(The Senator and Red guffawed while Lingayen Mayor Iday Castaneda – who hosted the meeting inside her office – chuckled on my last statement)

(You can read my selected columns at mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com) 


OYSTER FARM IN DAGUPAN CITY

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'TALABA" FARM IN TOCOK LUCAO – Aside from bangus, Dagupan is also known for its tastiest ‘talaba’ especially the one grown in Barangay Lucao. In photo are Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Dr Michael Rice, Professor at the Dept. of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Rhode Island, USA, and American students while visiting an oyster farm located at Sitio Tocok, Barangay Lucao. Fernandez promised to give permits to owners of oyster farms in order to boost  the ‘talaba’ industry in the area. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

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 Dr Michael Rice said:
“The rivers in Dagupan today are extremely clean and very, very well managed in comparison to just a few years ago. I was here a few years ago and the water itself was brown—almost black— because of excessive fish pens.
What we’re seeing here is an area where there were lots of fish pens in the past, where lots of feed was going into the water and that feed was basically degrading the water quality.
At this point, the program has been to return oysters to this area, and as one could see about all of the water, it is nice and green and the oysters are looking very, very healthy, and we see baby fish among the oysters which is good for all the people with the fish traps—who rely on fishing for a livelihood.
And in fact, I have written– just last month—written about this in international aquaculture journals about how astoundingly effective the program is here in Dagupan.
And I would hold this up as a model from anywhere in the world where there is aquaculture going on. I will be able to provide the mayor with some of the written materials that I’ve put together on this.” We both tried the oyster taste excellent.
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Thursday, January 18, 2018

New BIR Exec First Quip: “Where would I be assigned?”


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ALAMINOS CITY – The newly promoted Officer-in-Charge Revenue District Office-5 Chief based here only knew that she was plucked to the top post while driving her car.
“Hello Charmaine, congrats RDO ka na!,” excitedly quipped recently at her mobile phone by Tarlac City’s RDO-Chief Christine Cardona, the former boss in BIR Central Pangasinan of the newly promoted OIC-RDO-5 Chief Charmaine C. dela Torre.
The first pose of dela Torre to her former superior was where she would be assigned.
“Where am I going to be assigned? 
EXECUTIVES - Revenue District Office Chiefs Charmaine dela Torre (left) of Western Pangasinan and Lawyer Maria Isabele Utit Eastern Pangasinan donate some of their blood to the needy during the bloodletting ceremony at the office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.
She told Northern Watch Newspaper that her car did not bump the century old acacia trees that remained uncut located inside the stretched of Urdaneta City’s highway upon hearing the breaking information that her name was included at the Revenue Travel Assignment Order (RTAO) for the prestigious position.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

MANGALDAN TOWN FIESTA'S ACTIVITIES


Mayor, VM Expelled After Adorning Ambulance with their Faces


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY –  The Department of Interior & Local Government  Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo Año  had released to the regional office of the DILG in San Fernando City, La Union the suspension order of the mayor and vice mayor of Asingan, Pangasinan, according to the complainant.
FOES – Political nemesis Asingan Mayor Heidee Chua (L) 
and Councilor Vangie Dorao.
Asingan Councilor Evangeline V. Dorao said the suspension order for the one year suspension of Mayor Heidee Chua and Vice Mayor Carlos Lopez, Jr. was forwarded last Monday by Año to the DILG's regional office.
News report said that the provincial DILG in Pangasinan had implemented last Thursday the suspension of the duo where Councilors Joshua Viray and Mel Lopez took over as mayor and vice mayor, respectively.
Dorao filed a complaint last October 17, 2016 at the Ombudsman after she saw the newly purchased ambulance of the Eastern Pangasinan town embellished with the images of Chua and Lopez.
The legal fiasco of the two town executives ensued when Dorao wrote a letter dated October 10, 2016 to Chua and Lopez warning them of a Memorandum Circular 2010-101 from the DILG that prohibits the placing of names, initials, images or pictures of government officials in billboards and signage on government projects and property. 
Upon the inaction of the duo, the lady member of the Sangguniang Bayan (Legislative Body) wrote another letter dated October 17, 2016 to them without receiving from the mayor and the vice mayor the courtesy of a reply even to the time they both removed on the first week of November last year their names and photos at the external body of the ambulance.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Pangalawang power plant tuloy na sa bayan ng Sual


Lalong lumakas ang pag-asa na magkakaroon ng pangalawang coal-fired power plant sa bayan ng Sual matapos magpahayag ng suporta sa naturang proyekto ang pinakamalaking samahan ng mga senior citizens sa naturang bayan.
Isang Manifesto of Support ang kanilang nilagdaan sa pamumuno ni Retired Lieutenant  Jaime V. Aceret, na siyang presidente ng Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs, at ni Ginang Cecilia D. Camo, presidente ng Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of Sual.
Nauna rito, nagpalabas din ang Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan ng Sual (UNAKA), ang pinakamalaki at natatanging samahan ng mga kababaihan sa naturang bayan, ng kahalintulad na Manifesto.

Narito ang nilalaman ng naturang Manifesto of Support:
Ang nasabing Manifesto of Support ay pirmado ng lahat ng presidente 
ng Senior Citizen Associations mula sa iba’t ibang barangay sa bayan ng Sual.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

LTO extends office hours to release license backlogs



DAGUPAN CITY  - The Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Dagupan branch has extended its office hours to accommodate the bulk of clients securing their driver’s licenses.

Aileen Peteros, transport regulation officer  of LTO-Dagupan City  branch, said the one-year delay  in issuance of drivers licenses resulted to 30,000 backlog in the release.

As such, LTO-Dagupan has opened its doors as early as 5 o’clock in the morning until 9 o’clock in the evening from Monday to Friday, a big adjustment from the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  regular office hours.

It also operates on Saturdays but closes earlier.

“Nakita namin na marami pa ring tao kahit noong nagco-close kami ng 8 p.m. kaya pinahaba pa namin ang operations hours to better serve more clients,” Peteros said during the KBP Forum held at the Philippine Information Agency Thursday. 

Peteros said the branch issues 300 queue numbers on a first-come, first- served basis on weekdays and 200 numbers on Saturdays.

Priority lane is accorded to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women.

“Habang may tao na nakakuha ng number na na-issue namin ay tatapusin namin sa araw na yun, maliban kung nag-offline ang system,” she added.

Peteros said  the branch has started releasing the licenses in November 2017 bringing the backlog this January down to  21,000. The long queue may persist until the middle of the year, she added.

Problems in contractors and service providers have hounded LTO nationwide which prompted the management to hold the release of licenses in November 2016. (VHS/PIA-Pangasinan)