Group welcomes another power plant in Pangasinan

 SUAL, Pangasinan – A group of residents called Sual Proprogress reiterated their support for the plan to put up another coal-fired power plant here to address the problem on frequent power supply interruptions and high cost of electricity in the country.

            In welcoming the project, the group said aside from the exorbitant cost of electricity, there is now an impending power crisis as evidenced by the frequent power interruptions with Pangasinan as no exception.

They cited a recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia Research which showed that a majority of Filipinos are dissatisfied with the current prices of electricity in the Philippines, which is the second highest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Filipinos are also getting fed-up with the intermittent brownouts or blackouts.

Having more coal-fired power plants, which are much cheaper to build, should be pushed to generate adequate supply of electricity to make it cheaper and more affordable to many Filipinos, the group pointed out.

Mayor “saves’ P33M for auditorium

                        FUNDS HE GOT WHEN HE WAS A SOLON




By Mortz C. Ortigoza

.

.

LINGAYEN – The multi-million pesos budgets of the multi-purpose building here have been acquired by the mayor when he was still a congressman.

Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil said that the P33 million infrastructure funds came from the four sources he interceded when he was a last term congressman of the Second District of Pangasinan.

“Kasi one year ni program ko na ito. Itong covered court na ito nakahingi na ako ng pondo. Nakita ninyo ang apat na tarpaulin dito. Iyong tarpaulin na iyan iyong unang tarpaulin nahingi natin iyang amount na iyan sa isang party list. Buhay Party List. Iyong isa naman nanggaling iyan sa Manila Teachers Party List. Iyong isa naman isa sa local infrastructure project ng congressman ninyo so iyong bahagi na iyan. So iyong isa na iyon ay nahingi natin sa isang senator inipon ko, “Bataoil declared during the groundbreaking ceremony at the plaza of the building cum auditorium early this month attended by Second District Congressman Jumel Espino and Second Pangasinan Engineering Office’s District Engineer Editha Manuel of the Department of Public Works & Highway.

P33 million Lingayen Multi-Purpose Building.

 The funds were nearly transferred by these sources to other projects in other parts of the country when the former members of the Sangguniang Bayan (legislature) here objected to the infrastructure.

But Bataoil begged off for the patience of the sources of funds because he told he them he would win the May 13, 2019 mayorship election and eventually implement the project.

10 Years Jail Time vs Cultural Property Destroyer

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

When the private contractor of the Department of Education imprudently and controversially stripped to bare bones early this month the historical landmark’s Economics Building in Dagupan City that once housed United States Pacific Supreme Commander and Five-  Star Army General Douglas MacAthur during his liberation campaign in World War II, old timers and historical buff’s Jaycekeen and other stakeholders  cried “desecration”, “mutilation”, and whatchacamallit to the gall of the DepEd leadership in Manila and Dagupan City and  the private contractor, who is an ally of the city’s mayor, when they scandalously stripped off the walls and floors of the edifice and dumped them to the ground for the elements to consume.

DESTRUCTION - The two-storey bare to the bones Economics cum MacArthur Building recklessly stripped off by its walls, floors, and other materials by the Department of Education and its contractor raised furors from stakeholders in Dagupan City who cried destruction of the heritage house used as headquarter by United States Pacific Supreme Commander and Five-  Star Army General Douglas MacAthur during his liberation campaign in World War II. The DepEd said it wanted to restore the edifice to correct deterioration. PHOTO CREDIT: PNA

The endeavor of those parties was no longer the ideal restoration but plain and simple demolition, son of a gun.

Republic Act No. 10086 (National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Strengthening Its Powers and Powers and Functions, Etc.) says about restoration on heritage structure like the economics building. Restoration" shall refer to the action taken or the technical intervention to correct deterioration and alterations. 

The prohibited acts, penalties for those who violated Republic Act No. 10066 (An Act Providing for the Protection and Conservation of the National Cultural Heritage, and Others):

To the extent that the offense is not punishable by a higher punishment under another provision of law, violations of this Act may be made by whoever intentionally:

 Photo of General Douglas Mac Arthur addressing Dagupenos from his General Headquarters (now West Central Home Economics building).
On January 9, 1945, American troops landed in Luzon between the towns of Lingayen and Dagupan. That afternoon, General MacArthur himself waded ashore south of San Fabian. On January 13th, MacArthur moved his General Headquarters to Dagupan. Addressing the residents of Dagupan from this building, MacArthur said: "I am happy to have returned. Thank you and God bless you." CREDIT TO THE OWNER OF THE PHOTO

 (a)Destroys, demolishes, mutilates or damages any world heritage site, national cultural treasures, important cultural property and archaeological and anthropological sites; 

(b)Modifies, alters, or destroys the original features of or undertakes construction or real estate development in any national shrine, monument, landmark and other historic edifices and structures, declared, classified, and marked by the National Historical Institute as such, without the prior written permission from the Commission. This includes the designated security or buffer zone, extending five (5) meters from the visible perimeter of the monument or site (Section 48. Prohibited Acts).

Upon conviction, the offender shall be subject to a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) or imprisonment for a term of not less than ten (10) years, or both, upon the discretion of the court: xxxxx
Heads of departments, commissions, bureaus, agencies or offices, officers and/or agents found to have intentionally failed to perform their required duty as prescribed by the deputization order under Section 28 of this Act shall be liable for nonfeasance and shall be penalized in accordance with applicable laws (Section 49. Penal Provisions).

READ MY OTHER ARTICLE:

Oldies Want to Preserve, Popularize Spanish-Era Warehouse

P13M budget for Calasiao's defective drainage system – DPWH

By Mortz C. Ortigoza  

   

CALASIAO – The defective drainage system of the Department of Public Works & Highway that causes flooding at the poblacion here has a proposed P13 million budget in the next year’s General Appropriation Act (GAA).

According to 4th District Engineering Office's District Engineer Simplicio D. Gonzales, the DPWH central office in Manila approved the P13 million budget for the concrete canal that stretches from the cockpit arena here to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Chowking, Jollibee, to the Datuin Machine Shop.

Fourth District Engineering Office's District Engineer Simplicio Gonzales in his office at the Department of Public Works & Highway in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan. 

“Once it is approved by congress I will call a bid for it on November so the contractor will start the construction on January 2020,” Gonzales said.

The drainage problem in this town started in 2017 when the owner of a land where a creek is located at the Judge Jose de Venecia Highway back filled it that impede the flow of the drainage water that runs to the Banaoang River.

RPG-7s, M-79s Fired at this Governor

  

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In a huddle with fellow media men, some of them cited that the recent ambush of former Pangasinan governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. that killed his body guard and driver and wounded his other escorts was due to the volleys of fire from high powered assault rifles M-14 and M-16.

“The ten gunmen positioned at the ambush site in a close quarter military fashion,” a radio commentator who quoted what provincial police director and Colonel Redrico Maranan told them in the earlier press conference held at the San Carlos City's police station.

I told them that the bush-whack of the former regional police director and ex- congressman in his two convoy vehicles was child’s play if one compared how malefactors in our place in Mindanao pounced on a then incumbent governor.

In July 3, 2001 Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr. (yes Virginia the patriarch of those Ampatuan siblings who killed 32 journalists out of the 58 they ordered slain) and his security escorts were on board five vehicles on their way to Cotabato City from coastal town of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao when they were ambushed by treacherous brigands.

30 Muslim gunmen, who positioned on both sides of the highway in Barangay Salimbao, Sultan Kudarat, daringly opened fire at them with Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG-7s), shoulder-borne M79 projectiles, and machine guns.

Compared to the M-14 and M-16 assault rifles used by the hired hands against Espino, RPG has a grenade that protrudes from its launch tube with a size of 40–105 millimeters in diameter and weighs between 2.0 and 4.5 kilograms compared to the minuscule 7.62 x 51 mm and 5.56×45mm  bullets of the M-14 and M-16. 

ROCKET FIRE - A gun man wielding a lethal Russian made Rocket Propelled Grenade -7 (RPG-7) waits for the signal to blast in an ambush fire several convoys of the cruising  sports's utility vehicle's Chevrolet Suburbans below the buildings.

Ampatuan’s vehicle, a Ford F-150 pickup, was crippled in the initial rocket fire. His bodyguards, who fought back with the ambushers, extricated him out of the vehicle before it caught fire and exploded. Four of his bodyguards were also slightly wounded in the initial volley of fires.

But it left four people dead, more than a dozen wounded, and triggered a conflagration that destroyed 25 houses because a store selling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was hit by the blast of the Russian made RPG-7 or probably B.L, not the Bausch & Lomb of Rayban sunglasses, but the defectively Buhat sa Lanao or Made in Lanao RPG-7 if we translated these words to English.

County to continue using coal power plants - DOE

DURING the budget hearing on the budget of the Department of Energy (DOE) for FY 2020, Secretary Alfonso Cusi told the members of Congress that the Philippines would continue to rely on coal-fired power plants as the main source of energy to sustain the country’s economic development.

Energy experts hailed this latest development as they cited various reasons to support Secretary Cusi’s stand to achieve stable energy supply and, perhaps, prevent another energy crisis from happening.

COAL AS SOURCE OF ENERGY

Among these reasons are the following:

Affordability. Energy produced from coal fired plants is cheaper and more affordable than other energy sources. Since coal is abundant, it is definitely cheap to produce power using this fuel. Moreover, it is not expensive to extract and mine from coal deposits. Consequently, its price remains low compared to other fuel and energy sources.

Abundance. There are approximately over 300 years of economic coal deposits still accessible. With this great amount of coal available for use, coal fired plants can be continuously fueled in many years to come.

Pinoy Trader Answers to Vietnam Cheap Rice

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A farming entrepreneur has the silver bullet to compete with the six pesos per kilo cost of production (COP) of the Vietnam rice that becomes a bane to local farmers.

Lawyer Eric Acuña explained to this newspaper that if the COP of the Vietnam rice has P6.00 cost of production per kilo versus the Philippines P12. 41 a kilo he can compete with a P4.53 a kilo by using his plant growth enhancer technology.

 Acuña, a former Pangasinan congressman, said that Vietnam rice that floods the market because of the Rice Liberalization Law and at the expense of Filipino farmhands is still cheap even after it entered the Bureau of Customs.

“The cost of production of Vietnam is P6.00, tariff imposed by the Philippines government on that price is 35% or P2.10 a kilo, freight cost is P1.00, and importer’s profit is P1.00,” he cited the landed cost of P10 a kilo.

He said that with AMO organic fertilizer applied to a hectare of a rice farm, a kilo of the local palay will cost P4.53 that could threaten the Vietnam staple.

“Habol natin is for everybody to try. We are willing to conduct free farm trial,” Acuña , who impressed several sectors like National Tobacco Administration after he gave them a free trial, stressed.

He explained that in a conventional farm, a Filipino farmer earned four tons or 4,000 kilos a hectare or 80 cavans at a cost of P12.41 kilo or P49,000 a hectare.

“With AMO high Brix farming it will become six tons or 6,000 kilos per hectare or 120 cavans a hectare or P8.16 a kilo or P49,000 a hectare”.

Because of the organic farming technology, a Filipino could reduce by P3.63 his COP from an P8.16 a kilo or a saving of P4.53 a kilo.

Based on inputs like fertilizer in conventional farm (CF) , the price is P12,000 for the 12 bags of commercial fertilizers while AMO high Brix farming technology (AHBFT) cost P4,000 that will be mixed with 4 bags commercial fertilizer.

On plant growth enhancer, CF costs P1,130 on Gromax while AHBFT is priced at P2,800 on 4 packs of AMO at P700.00 each.

On insecticide, CF costs P1,120 on Cypermetrin  Chlorpyrifus Cartap while AHBFT is zero expense.

On fungicide, CF cost P4,990 on Armory while zero expense on AHBFT.

“Iyong insecticide, fungicide dito ka kukuha magbabawas ka ngayon sa fertizer,” the former solon said.

On soil conditioner, CF cost P425 for Milca while AMO high Brixx Farming Technology is zero expense, on Molluscicide it cost P670 while AHBFT is zero expense, Rodenticide is priced at P800 for 40 pieces. AHBFT is zero expense.

Conventional farming total cost is P21, 335 while AHBFT is pegged at P6,800 or a saving of P14, 535 per hectare.

 Acuña will be a resource speaker at Mindanao Rice Farmers Forum on September 20, 2019 to be held at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City through the invitation of Mindanao Development Authority Chairman and Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

He said he will discuss the technology of AMO miracle plant growth enhancer to the stakeholders there.

“Upuan ninyo tingnan kung doable nga kasi paniniwala namin na paniniwala ko doable kasi iyan ang computation ko,” he stressed of what he will tell the spectators there.

Entrepreneur and former Pangasinan congressman Eric G. Acuña and wife Rosalie (3rd and 4th from left) and Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol (2nd from left) pose for posterity after the Acuñas presented their intention to Piñol at his office in Quezon City to demonstrate for free to the Philippine government how their innovative fertilizer can increase palay yields in a hectare by  almost 50 percent.

READ MY OTHER NEWS ARTICLE:

Tobacco Farmers in P’gasinan earn P1M per Hectare

Mushroom business helps school coffer

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – Because of the entrepreneurial spirit of the secondary school principal here, the coffer of the institution is filled up with another source of revenue from its mushroom growing business.
Principal IV Olive Paragas Terrado, Ed.D, principal of the Calasiao Comprehensive High School, told this newspaper that at P60 of a 200 grams per pack, the mushroom culture tended by four of her teachers in an abandoned classroom is sold like “hot cakes” after their daily harvest.

MUSHROOM - Teacher John Mark Garcia sprays with water the 250 floating bags that contain the cultured mushroom in an abandoned room of Calasiao Comprehensive High School in Calasiao, Pangasinan. The burgeoning mushroom business and the canteen of the school help defray its expenses on electricity, guards, and utility men that its Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses could hardly finance. Photo credit: GMA-7 Regional TV

“On the first day when we sold our harvest we earned P300, and the second daywe earned P600. As the days went by the demand grows,” she stressed.

Paragas said the price of their mushroom is cheaper that those sold by commercial establishments here and the nearby Dagupan City.

Mushroom, she cited, can be cooked fried, sisig (fried pork jowls, ears and liver) style mixed with green slice papaya and malunggay (moringa), and other delicacies.

The endeavor started last July when Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers led by John Mark Garcia and collaborated by Ether and Ricky Padilla told her about the viability to culture the toadstool inside the school campus.

“Sabi ko iyan na ang longtime dream ko na magkaroon kami sa school hindi ko natupad nalipat ako”.

JOBS FAIR LINGAYEN

Lingayen Mayor Awes by MinDA's Zeal on Fruits Fest

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – The mayor of this capital town was awed by the zeal of the chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority to promptly transport by air and land fruits from Mindanao for this town's version of fruits festival.

“I saw the successful MinDA Fruits Festival in Baguio City. And I texted Secretary Piñol, sabi ko sa kanya when is your next festival because you may want to consider Lingayen. All right he said. Next week!” declared with a chuckle by Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil to reporters in the first of the second fruits galore held here in the province of Pangasinan.

FRUITS GALORE – Lingayen, Pangasinan Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil (3^rd from left) proudly shows at his office the various fruits from Mindanao brought by the Mindanao Development Authority in his town’s first fruits festival  held last September 7. From left are MinDA Development Management Officer – 3 Raymund Peter Esperat, Vice Mayor Judy Vargas, and Isidro “Toto” Albano (rightmost).

The second fruit galore will be on this coming September 14 to be held at the public plaza here.

Bataoil, a former congressman and retired police general, was amazed by the consumers from here, other towns and cities of Pangasinan, and other provinces who frantically bought early in the day fruits like pomelo, lanzones, and mangosteen.

Isidro “Toto” Albano, the trusted aide of Piñol, said that in just two hours after the retail and whole sales opened at the plaza, the pomelos were bought by the buyers.

He said that all the fruits were sold for P100 a kilo for retail and P95 a kilo for wholesale. Albano told reporters that durian is pegged at P50 a kilo in Davao City that made the price here of Mindanao’s odd oval fruit “that smell like hell but taste like heaven”, reasonable.

“Actually nagulat kami sa Baguio City ang best seller namin doon at blockbuster even here in Pangasinan is durian!"

Albano declared that durians were sold like hot cakes here and in the two festivals in Baguio City in August 25 and September 1, 2019.

He cited that one of the factors that people impulsively purchase the tropical king of fruits because of curiosity.

With the 2.5 tons or 2,500 kilos durian transported here, only three boxes, where each contained six fruits, were left at one o’clock in afternoon during the September 7 festival here.

FRUITS - Mindanao Development Authority Chairman and Secretary Manny Piñol (second from left) gives a free taste to a resident of Baguio City of the succulent marang fruit in the First Minda Fruit Festival in Baguio City held last August 25 and September 1, 2019  at the Pines City. With Piñol at the Burnham Park is the city’s mayor Benjamin Magalong (extreme left).

Secretary Piñol said that there should be 15 tons of durian to be sold here last Saturday and last Sunday in the nearby Dagupan City but the hauling truck figured at an accident in Southeren Leyte.

“A bigger shipment of 15 tons of Durian was delayed because the first cargo truck which carried the load figured in an accident in Agas-agas, Southern Leyte.

An estimated two metric tons of Durian was lost to local people who feasted on the fruits scattered along the side of the highway. Another cargo truck had to be brought in from Manila to continue the journey because the first truck was a total wreck,” he stressed.

In the first fruits festival here, MinDA brought 10 tons of mangosteen, 1.3 tons of lanzones, 4.5 tons of pomelo 2.5 tons of durian and various processed fruit products from Davao City based fruit company Eng Seng and fruit farmers’ groups.

                      GMA-7 TV: FRUITS FEST IN LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN

The fruit fest in Dagupan City disappointed may buyers as seen on their post at Facebook because it was cancelled Friday afternoon. According to Albano the brass of the local government unit reason lacked time to prepare for the event.

To minimize losses, Albano told this writer they hauled in trucks the lanzones, mangosteen, pomelo, and durian and sell at a bargain in the whole sale market of Urdaneta City, the entrepot of northern and central Luzon.

READ MY OTHER BLOG/COLUMN:

How Other Mayors Create Economics Opportunities to People