From the Desk of P'sinan PPO-1 Director Col. Jeff Fanged

 

Sta. Barbara Losses P44-M From Nat'l Gov't

Settles for P325, 600, 000 Budget Next Year

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan – This first class town lost P44 million estimated national tax allotment (NAT) as seen on its year 2023 proposed budget of P325, 600,000.

Mayor Carlito Zaplan, Executive Secretary Sherwin Pioquinto, Councilors Noy Zaplan and Marking Cruz were unanimous in telling Northern Watch Newspaper that the municipal budget of P328, 000, 000 for year 2022 is much bigger than that of next year.

  

Sta. Barbara Mayor Lito Zaplan (left) and Councilor Noy Zaplan.

The Local Government Code of the Philippines cited that the local government unit (LGU) shall have a share in the national internal revenue taxes based on the collection of the third fiscal year preceding the current fiscal year as follows:… (c) On the third year and thereafter, forty percent (40%).

According to the Department of Budget and Management, due to the drop in tax revenues collected by the government in 2020 at the onset of the Corona Virus Disease - 19 pandemic local governments’ share in the proposed 2023 national budget will be reduced to P820.3 billion,
A local budget memorandum issued by the DBM said  that LGUs share from all tax collections in 2020, which was the basis of their 2023 national tax allotment (NTA), included P665.8 billion from the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) tax take two years ago; P154.4 billion from the Bureau of Customs’ collections of import duties and other taxes, and; P32.6 million in national taxes collected by other agencies.

One of the mitigating factors that help strengthen the budget of the LGU and brick making town of Sta. Barbara is this year’s more or less P70, 000,000 business tax paid by the plant of the Ginebra San Miguel, RC Cola, other sources of local taxes like those in the real property.

The 1,715 provinces, cities and municipalities in the country are not spared on the reduction of the national tax allotment -the successor of the internal revenue allotment.

In Pangasinan province alone, the capital town of Lingayen saw its NTA reduced from P344, 499, 436 this year to P294, 650, 708 next year or a loss of P49, 848, 728.

San Fabian Vice Mayor Danny Agbayani said his first class town will have a P274 million budget next year after P43 million was not included to it.  Basista Mayor Jolly R. Resuelo deplored the P32 million reduction from the present P157 million budget for his fourth class town next year.

“Dito sa amin mababawasan kami ng P32 million. Malaki na iyan para sa amin kasi maliit na bayan lang kami”.

Mayors Jeremy Agerico Rosario and Pedro Merrera of Manaoag and Binmaley, respectively, told Northern Watch Newspaper that they face a budget shrinking. Manaoag and Binmaley have a present budget of P268 million and P350 million, respectively. With P40 million and P44 million taken from the present budget, the proposed budget of Manaoag and Binmaley in fiscal year 2023 will be reduced to P228 million and P306 million, respectively.

Labrador Ranks 15th Place Nationwide on DILG’s SubayBAYANI Award

 1 of the 100 Awardees Among 1,715 LGUs in Ph

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LABRADOR, Pangasinan – This fourth class town was a recent awardee  as No. 15 nationwide of the highly acclaimed SubayBAYANI Award of the Department of Interior Local Government (DILG).

Labrador, Pangasinan Mayor Ernesto Acain crows to all and sundry the town's SubayBAYANI Award given recently to the town by the Department of Interior and Local Government. Among the 1,715 provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide, Labrador was No. 15 and part of the 100 LGUs and DILG field offices all over the country to receive the coveted accolade.

Mayor Ernesto Acain told Northern Watch Newspaper that the DILG through Undersecretary for Local Government Marlo L. Iringan wrote him a letter about the accolade in winning the SubayBAYANI.

Subaybayan ang Proyektong Bayan (SubayBAYAN) is the official online system monitoring of the DILG that provides real-time information on the physical and financial status, as well as the information on the actual location, implementation, and other basic data of the local funded projects (LFPs).

“As your partner in advancing sustainable local development, we wish to recognize your role as champion of M&E (monitoring and evaluation) systems and advocates for the preservation of transparency and accountability in the conduct of local project implementation and management. In this light, the DILG is honored to congratulate your LGU for qualifying as one of the recipients of the 2022 SubayBAYANI Awards,” excerpt of the letter.

Among the 1,715 provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide, Labrador was part of the 100 LGUs and DILG field offices all over the country to receive one of the most coveted awards given by the DILG.

The coastal town is one of the poorest towns in the gargantuan province. Acain defeated in the May 9 election this year Labrador's two-term's mayor Dominador Arenas. 

The plaque of appreciation given to the local government of Labrador, Pangasinan from the DILG.

Among the 100 recipients of this year, 54 have been awarded with exemplary partners and 27 for excellent performances in local project implementation of their respective category. The accolades included the top 20 overall performers for municipalities, top 4 for cities, top 3 for provinces, and 27 awards have been given for notable performances and implementation of the growth equity fund (GEF), SBBP, and others.

According to the Facebook Page of the DILG in Region 1, out of the forty - four towns and four cities in Pangasinan, only Labrador and Bautista towns won the plaudits given last December 12 at the Cocoon Boutique Hotel in Quezon City.

Other LGUs that won the SubayBAYANI in Region -1 were Rosario and Agoo towns in La Union Province.

 

Pinoys Relish Election Eve than the Xmas Eve

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Nope, I would not dwell on what my columnist Arnel Montemayor in Northern Watch Newspaper wrote and titled - son of a gun - : Christmas Season is for the Pagans.

I would dwell about the economics of the Yuletide and the joy it brings versus those recipients of vote buying in the eve of the election in the Flip Land.

Santa Clause (left) shows the bills he would give to the kids with good behavior while the other photo shows Filipino voters relish the thousands of pesos each of them receive from those candidates who run into public office.

In a huddle with my eldest son Jigger, he told me about the traffic snarls going to Baguio City and  Metro Manila especially in the viaduct in Bulacan where a lane of the North Luzon Express Way (NLEX) is being repaired since time immemorial and the hell hole called EDSA.

“One of the guys I met in the party hosted by Congressman (Eric) Acuna two nights ago told me that his friend and family left Pangasinan at noon of that day but arrived at the international airport in Pasay City at 9 o’clock in the evening,” I said.

Normally, a day trip from Pangasinan to the airport could be more or less four hours.

“That’s the bad side of a Christmas season,” I quipped to my son.

The good side is a bullish economy where people come in droves to the province from various parts in and out of the country and spend their monies in the place they visited. That’s multiplier effects to those lechoneros, fruit vendors like those bilog-bilog and other sellers. People in the province earned money where they spend it too for other people to earn.

“The spending these Christmas including the dollar remittances of Filipinos from different countries in the world buttress the Philippine Peso versus other denominations (P55 versus U.S $1 now where it was P58 to U.S $1 in October this year) are no match to the multiplier effects in the eve of the election last May,” I opined.

“Why?” Jigger posed.

“Look at those recipients of the pakurong (vote buying in Pangasinan), one mayoralty candidate in Dagupan City spent P4,000 per voter that I computed to be more or less half-a-billion pesos among the more than 100, 000 grateful voters”.

Doggonit! I could not fathom a more than one hundred thousand pesos a month salary for a Hizzoner to receive from the government while throwing like crazy those half-a -billion doughs to the voters.

Because of the wild circulation of monies in the city, train liked queues to fast food establishments like McDonald, Jollibee, and others were ubiquitous in May 9 – the election day – and the day thereafter.

In the May 2019 local election, some of these food stores closed shop in the dusk of the election day because their stocks could not supply the sea of humanity – mostly composed of the great unwashed wielding thousands of pesos – who were ready to buy what they offered.

 While seeing ecstatic folks – including the Pastor’s wife - crowing to me the P7,000 they each received from the two mayoralty candidates, I told all and sundry that election in the Philippines could shame the joy brought by the Christmas season to the Filipinos – whose morality has been long already sold to the Devil.

(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)

More Drug-Free Brgys, Fanged Warns Cops on Indiscriminate Firing

 CAMP BGEN OSCAR M FLORENDO – The Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC) chaired by the  Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has convened yesterday, December 20, 2022, at Camp Diego Silang, Carlatan, City of San Fernando, La Union, for the deliberation of forty one applicant barangays for a drug-cleared status.

As a result, the 41 applicant barangays and two new Municipalities (Balungao, Pangasinan and Dingras, Ilocos Norte) were conferred with Drug-Cleared status, while four other applicant barangays were categorized as Barangays having no presence of active drug personalities.

BRASS. Police Regional Office 1 Regional Director Brig. Gen.  John C. Chua (left, photo) and Pangasinan Police Provincial Office Director Col. Jeff Fanged.

During the activity, a validation was conducted with 471 out of the 474 barangays who were already declared Drug-Free has maintained their Drug Cleared Status while three barangays are subject for Re-Validation for existence of Drug Personalities as per earlier validation of PRO1-Regional Intelligence Division.

Currently, the PNP-PDEA Database has only 15.55% or 508 out of the 3,267 barangays in the region remained Drug-Affected.

 PBgen. John C. Chua PRO 1 Regional Director, has directed his Chiefs of Police and all line commanders to focus on the clearing of the remaining affected barangays through the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council. “We have to constantly coordinate with our counterparts with the PDEA and the Local Government Units (LGU)s, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)s, Civil Society Organizations (CSO)s and Faith Based Organizations (FBO)s,” Chua said and quoted the statement of DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, “Inaasahan po naming ang pakikiisa ninyo sa ating hangaring matuldukan ang iligal na droga sa bansa.”

Meanwhile, Police Provincial Office Director Col. Jeff Fanged of Pangasinan reiterated recently his warning against erring policemen including those who will engage in indiscriminate firing especially this holiday season. Fanged said he would not tolerate any illegal acts of his fellow cops.

“We will arrest erring cops even if they are part of our organization. The Philippine National Police (PNP) is relentless in its internal cleansing efforts to rid of scalawags and misfits in the organization,” he said. (PIO PRO-1, PIA)

 

 

Oplan Kandado Looms in P’sinan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 CALASIAO, Pangasinan – The Bureau of Internal Revenue in central Pangasinan would launch an Operation Kandado (Operation Padlock) to business establishments for their failure to comply with the remedies given to them by the agency.

“Na monitor namin sila and we found out na more than thirty percent iyong kanilang underdeclaration and of course may cover taxes iyon. Pag hindi nila babayaran iyon puwede silang e-recomend for closures o iyong operation kandado namin,” explained to Northern Watch Newspaper by Revenue District Office No. 4 Chief Aldrin A. Camba.

 Revenue District Office No. 4 Chief Aldrin A. Camba.

The BIR central Pangasinan covers the cities of San Carlos and Dagupan and the towns of Alcala, Basista, Bautista, Bayambang, Calasiao, Laoac, Malasiqui, Manaoag, Mangaldan, Mapandan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Santa Barbara and Urbiztondo in central Pangasinan. It has the power to suspend the operation of the errant businesses if they could not pay even after the BIR exhausted all the remedies they could avail.

Camba also warned those delinquent taxpayers that they are being watched by the agency.

“Ang importante mabayadan iyong tax para maiwasan din iyong mga penalties,” taxpayer Daniel Baan said.

Camba, who assumed his post last November 2, said that taxpayers should pay on time their taxes to avoid the penalties. 

Failure to pay the income tax return (ITR), the BIR will mete the delinquent taxpayer with three penalties as based on the Internal Revenue Code: A one-time surcharge of either 25% or 50% of the basic tax, 20% or 12% annual interest, and a onetime compromise penalty.

RDO No. 4 was tasked by the national government to collect P4.9 billion this year.

DOT Identifies More Roads to Build to Spike Tourism

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza 

MANAOAG,Pangasinan – To increase the volume of people that could patronize the tourist spots in Region-1, the Director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) identify more roads for the government to build.

“Ang ginagawa po ng DOT ay kami po ay nag –a identify ng sector development area and we have to assist ang road na ni request ni mayor is leading toward that (tourism) destination so we can increase accessibility,” DOT Regional Director Joseph Francisco R. Ortega told Northern Watch Newspaper when asked about his accomplishment in the vaunted P1.15 trillion National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) by the administration of then President Rodrigo Duterte to boost tourism in the Philippines.

The Departments of Public Works and Highways and Tourism  undertake two  road projects in Libacao, Aklan to improve tourism, trade, and industry in the area.

The NTDP covered 2, 620 kilometers road networks, airports, cruise ports, railway, site infrastructure, tourism enterprise zones, transport units, accommodation facilities, and aircraft acquisition.

Ortega said that even President Ferdinand R. Marcos and DOT Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco advocate the same more road access projects of the previous administration.

When he joined the DOT-Region 1 in the late 2019, Ortega saw the problem confronted by tourists like the expensive prices of goods and services and the hassles one encounter in going to the intended establishments.

He cited San Juan, La Union, the surfing capital in Northern Luzon, where it was enmeshed before with garbage problems and scarcity of restaurants.

“Pag pumunta ako doon pipila po tatlong beses dahil ako sa labas lilipat po ako tatlong beses dahil puno. Ganoon po karami iyong tao at hindi po naman dati. Dito po pumapasok ang importance ng makapag activate tayo ng ibang towns, city towns and siyempre we want to increase traffic sa ibang town para hind na lumabas ang tao doon sa ibang towns,” Ortega explained how his office eased out the burden of tourists in La Union, Province.

The road tourism projects help also residents with degree or certificate in hotel business to seek work in the region instead of looking for one in Manila.

He cited that the most sought tourist locations in Pangasinan are the The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in this town and the pristine beaches of Bolinao.

“Here in the province of Pangasinan the most producing in the region. In fact ang Manaoag sa stat (statistics) noong 2019 produced eight million visitors and in fact Bolinao is one of the biggest producing traffics as destination in the region”

Pangasinan government tourism head Malou Elduayan said the province benefited on President Duterte’s Build –Build -Build Projects through the creation of more roads near the beaches of Dasol and Bani towns.

“During that time nag benefit po talaga ang western Pangasinan because our edge and our (inaudible) actually most of our tourist destination are considered to be safe destination because it is outdoor directed the activities tourist got engaged into safe to hold”.

She talked about the safety protocols while encouraging tourists to visit the mammoth province during the onslaught of the pandemic’s corona virus dieses -19 (COVID-19).

Ortega, Eduayan, and other stakeholders of tourism were in this town lately for the launching of the Marian Pilgrimage Circuit featuring the various Marian Shrines of canonically crowned images of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the four provinces of the Ilocos Region.

A Few Good LGUs

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 In the recent awarding of the local government units composed of provinces, cities, and municipalities in various premium hotels in Manila, only 20.4 percent have been awarded with the most coveted and stringent on criteria basis 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).

DILG Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos, Jr. congratulated with elation the 350 LGUs composed of 18 provinces, 60 cities, and 272 municipalities that hurdled the SGLG’s parameters. He said the 350 LGUs are sources of inspiration to other local governments in pursuing meaningful local autonomy and development.

“COVID-19 is a huge roadblock in public service yet this year’s SGLG awardees persisted. I congratulate all 350 LGUs for their exemplary performance in delivering quality public service to their localities and for bagging the 2022 SGLG Award. I commend you for your commitment to raising local governance standards despite the challenges brought by the pandemic and other calamities we have faced in recent years,” Abalos said.

The Secretary said that out of 1,715 provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide, only 20.4 percent have received the Seal this year. 

“Nasala nang mabuti ang ating mga LGU tungo sa paglilingkod na tumutugon sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan ngayong pandemya,” he disclosed.

The Philippines has 81 provinces, 145 cities and 1,489 municipalities.

Among the 48 LGUs in Pangasinan only the provincial government, two cities, and seventeen towns were feted at the Manila Hotel- Fiesta Pavillon held in December 14, 2022.

These recipients were the cities of Alaminos and San Carlos and the towns of Aguilar, Alcala, Asingan, Anda,  Balungao, Basista, Bugallon, Burgos, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Manuel, San Quintin, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Urbiztondo, and Villasis.

Basista Mayor Jolly R. Resuello acknowledged Abalos statement that the SGLG is the golden standard in gauging how competent public officials who run an LGU.

“SGLG iyan ang pinakamataas na pagkakilala ng DILG sa isang bayan,” the young mayor of the fourth class  town in central Pangasinan cited.

Resuello said the achievement of the rustic town ensued because of the cooperation of the offices of the mayor, vice mayor, the lawmaking body, and department heads.

He disclosed to Northern Watch Newspaper the town had been a recipient of the SGLG in the years 2016 under Mayor Manolito de Leon, 2019 under De Leon and himself when he became the mayor in June 30, 2019, and this year.

“Sikat diyan pag nakamit ng isang bayan ay SGLG matamis na pagkilala ng DILG sa isang bayan, hindi mayor kundi ang bayan mismo ang na parangalan”.

Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil proudly told this Newspaper that the coastal town was the recipient of the most sought plaudit from the national government.

Bataoil said that the capital town - in getting one of the nods of the SGLG - increased the collection of the public coffer by twenty percent in 2019 and chalked up the revenues by nine percent when the Corona Virus Disease-19 pandemic wrought havoc.

“Kahit na hirap ang situation these supported us by way of paying their taxes by the way of paying their rentals in various stores and another business establishment. So we were able to survive. And were able to provide the needs of our people,” the President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Pangasinan Chapter said about the taxpayers in the first class town.

The aid the mayor gave to his constituents during those trying times were relief goods, food packing, financial assistance and others.

Under the SGLG program, competing LGUs must pass the following governance areas: financial administration and sustainability; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity; health compliance and responsiveness; sustainable education; business-friendliness and competitiveness; safety, peace and order; environmental management; tourism, heritage development, culture and arts; and, youth development.

The incentive fund given to the winner amounts to P9.5 million for a province, P7 million for a city, and P5 million for a municipality.

Sue with Coercion the Abusive Members of this Org

By Mortz C. Ortigoza 

The first time I saw a bullying incident by a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagle Philippines was when a person visited a relative in a subdivision in Manila. He parked his motorcycle to a space used by the regional governor of the fraternal order and an executive of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Rio Arizala, the top executive of the Fraternal Order,  order to put a tire lock to the motorbike.

An associate of Arizala summoned the man – where his kin accompanied him – to the residence of the governor. Arizala chided the unwary person as if he committed a felony. He boasted to him he was the top man of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Philippines as commented by Ben Tulfo on his television and social media program.

Person (left) coerces another person. Photo credit: FindLaw

“Di mo ba ako kilala, Agila ako?!” Arizala threateningly crowed as recalled by the kin of the motorcycle owner as seen on the YouTube video’s Isusuka ka ng Organisasyon mo sa Ginawa mo.

Fortunately, the sibling of the victim video tape the “bullying” encounter and sent it six months ago to the social media’s program of Ben Tulfo.

The fraternal order is a socio-civic organization.

***

Just this morning, I saw at Tiktok posted by Luckyboy03 to Facebook about a male with entourage asking a person in a commercial area to take off his t-shirt because it had a picture of a Philippines eagle boldly printed in front of it.

“Bawal iyan (It is illegal)!” he sternly told the latter.

The owner resisted because he bought it online. The vanguard – who introduced himself to be a member of the Fraternal Order - had an exchange of heated arguments with the wearer.

When they parted ways, the former shouted invective’s “put*ng ina mo” which the latter responded “Oh nagmura pa !(Look he still cuss!). The Eagle’s guy companion acted to pull off a handgun – as caught by the video camera- inserted behind the button part of his jeans.

***

Wearing a tee with eagles my goodness – like those bought as souvenir in Davao City – is not illegal. What is illegal with corresponding jail time is those provided in the Revised Penal Code and those in Republic Act 493.

Article 179 in the Penal Code of the Philippines says about Illegal use of uniforms or insignia. It provides that a penalty of arresto mayor shall be imposed upon any person who shall publicly and improperly make use of insignia, uniforms or dress pertaining to an office not held by such person or to a class of persons of which he is not a member.

It is complemented by Republic Act No. 493 –  a year 1950 special law – prohibits the use or conferring of military or naval grades or titles by or upon persons not in the service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine Constabulary, to regulate the wearing, use, manufacture and sale of insignias, decorations and medals, badges, patches and identification cards prescribed for the said armed forces of constabulary, and for other purposes.

***

Next time a member of the Eagle forces you to take off your t-shirt, you call the police and charges him with Coercion or Unjust Vexation so he could immediately be thrown into jail where he would realize there how stupid and entitled he was.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

The Lethal, Costly Weapons of a Cobra

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.

Manaoag, San Fabian Mayors Join Marcos Distribution of P6-M Aid

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 The Mayors of Manaoag and San Fabian in Pangasinan joined recently presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos in the distribution of six million pesos’ aid to the indigents of the two towns.

Each of the two first class towns received P3 million from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

SENATOR AND MAYORS. Senator Imee Marcos (from left photo and clockwise), Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico "Ming" Rosario and San Fabian Mayor Marlyn E. Agbayani. 

The AICS is a social safety net or a stop-gap mechanism to support the recovery of individuals and families from unexpected crises such as illness or death of a family member, calamities and other crisis situations.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga bayan ng Manaoag at San Fabian sa Pangasinan sa kanilang mainit na pagsalubong sa aking pagbisita ngayong Huwebes, Disyembre 8,” the eldest sister of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said.

Senator Imee Marcos in Manaoag, Pangasinan.

The Senator said that two thousand beneficiaries in the two central Pangasinan municipalities received P3,000 each.

The indigent recipients were identified by the offices of Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario and San Fabian Mayor Marlyn Espino-Agbayani.

They were the lowly farmers, tricycle drivers, persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, solo parents, parking and candle boys, car blessing assistants in The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag, and narcotics user surrenderees.
 Agbayani was joined by her husband Vice Mayor Danny Agbayani who was a cousin of Senator Marcos.

The former nine years’ mayor proudly told this writer that he is a dyed in the wool supporter of the Marcoses because of his being a relative. This kinship resulted in the multi-million pesos’ concrete bridge Senator Marcos interceded in the Department of Public Works & Highway that constructed it in the northern part of the coastal town.

Stating the difficulties faced by many Filipinos with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unabated inflation of the basic commodities, Marcos said, “Kaunting palubag lang ito lalo sa senior citizens, solo parents, higit sa lahat’ yong PWDs.”

Senator Imee Marcos in San Fabian, Pangasinan.

The Senator also urged beneficiaries to help rebuild tourism in Manaoag as jobs were affected because of the onslaught of the Covid-19.
The Minor Basilica is a top draw in the country for Catholic travelers around the world.
Before the pandemic, the heritage church drew thousands of devotees yearly.

In a message to Marcos, Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico, III thanked her intercession on behalf of the Pangasinenses.
“Sana ay huwag kayong magsasawa sa pagbisita sa Pangasinan.  You are always welcome to this province. We will support you all the way because you have shown great support to our beloved province,” Guico said.

It can be recalled that Marcos had already distributed the same financial assistance in the previous month to the poor in the huge province. She visited the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan and San Carlos and the towns of Bayambang and Binalonan.

 

Dela Torre Collected More than P10-B a Month Before Target

 SEES P1.3-B EXCESS COLLECTION IN 2022

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga – The feat of the chief collector of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in this central Luzon province is worth emulating by her counterparts all over the country.

Revenue District Office No. 21-A Chief Charmaine C. dela Torre had already collected more than P10 billion on the P9.7 billion the government tasked her a month before the end of this year.

“The good news I was about to tell you ang P9.7 billion tapos na and we’re able to exceed the annual goal last month (November 30),” she told Northern Watch Newspaper.

TOP COLLECTOR. Revenue District Office No. 21-A Chief Charmaine C. dela Torre in a video presentation posted at YouTube for the education of the taxpayers how to transact with the Bureau of Internal Revenue in North - Pampanga. Dela Torre was feted this year as one of the top collectors in the country of the tax agency.

Dela Torre cited that for December she expects to collect more or less P11 billion or an excess of more or less P1.3 billion versus the annual goal of P9.7 billion.

The huge taxes that she will be collecting from the burgeoning cities of Angeles and Mabalacat and the towns of Magalang, Porac, and Arayat of Pampanga could dwarf the annual collection of many regional offices in various parts of the Philippines.

RDO 21-A is part of the 11 RDOs in BIR Region -4.

Dela Torre still lamented however that she could collect more for this year if her revised zonal valuation (ZV) was approved and took effect last August instead of September this year.

She assumed office here in November 2021.

She cited that eight months were opportunity lost for the government to collect new taxes after the old ZV expired on December 2021. She said amendments of the zonal valuation happen every three years as mandated by law.

With a new valuation, she projected a bigger collection for RDO No. 21-A next year.

“When I assumed my duty here in November I looked into the revision talaga. In a span of four months we were able to submit sa technical committee. So we are targeting by August that would take effect and that would double our collection from the One-Time Transactions (ONETT)," she told this writer earlier.

The new revenue she chalked up come from the deed of sale, capital gain tax, estate tax and others.

Another source of revenue that helped buttress the collection of her office was the huge quarry operations in the area.

 “Monitor ko na lang that it should be increased. So hindi ako pumapayag na baba ang collection sa quarry kaya monitor weekly,” she said.

Dela Torre was feted by the government in August after catapulting her office to No. 5 among the 132 RDOs all over the country by hurdling her collection target by at least 20 percent in August this year.

She was honored again in September 2022 after bringing RD0 21-A as No. 8 top collector in July to September 2022 among the same number of RDOs in the Philippines.

He Lives Like King but Dies like Pauper

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In a huddle with a seasoned former mayor, he told me that an ex- city mayor, after several attempts to reclaim his post, lives now in a financial distress.

The former Hizzoner and his favorite contractor for nine years live in an economic agony.

The misery of the veteran politician was aggravated by his addiction to casinos while the contractor – one of the biggest in the province before – could not even pay the two million pesos he promised to my former mayor friend when the latter interceded to sell a land to a government agency.

A poor man waits for his death.

“Wala na kasi ang mga mayors na kaibigan niya kaya naghihirap na siya ngayon,” the former Hizzoner told me.

Material wealth is not absolute. These people I mentioned live the life of opulence before where they threw monies to anybody as if there would be no tomorrow.

***

I remembered Pangasinan’s Jueteng Lord Bong See (real name: Bong Cayabyab) of San Carlos City.

When I was new in the media profession I was in the city covering an event of the mayor there when I saw village chiefs (Kapitans in the vernacular) and media men milling and ingratiating with Bong See at the rear part of the public gym.

“Who’s that white Chinese looking guy,” I asked veteran broadcaster Harold Barcelona and a friend of the Gambling Lord.

“He is that Bong See I told you”, Harold told me about See who would just give wads of bills at a drop of a hat after conversing with those folks he rubbed elbow.

The gambling czar who was a Lothario told me in the early 2010s he gave as an average twenty thousand pesos to a beauty contestant of Manila in a tryst in a hotel in Dagupan City.

“Meron pa nga nirito sa akin maganda raw. Noong pumasok ako sa hotel di ko type. Ginawa ko binigyan ko ng biente mil (P20,000) at binigay ko na lang sa body guard ko,” he told me with a chuckle.

He was an accountancy undergraduate who was jailed in the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa. Upon his released from the slammer he became the gambling boss of the forty- four towns and four cities province.

He gave generously to solicitors like police brass, politicians, reporters, and the indigents.

Bong See’s house near the justice hall of the 86 barangays’ San Carlos was secured by armed body guards.

Media men regularly go there to get their allowance to buy their silence.

Harold told me that when Bong See and the Mayor of the city occupied the second floor of the Warehouse Club in Dagupan City for booze with nursing students of one of the universities in the city, the gambling lord and the Hizzoner quaffed an expensive Remy Martin’s champagne-cognac. Their female friends were wide eyed in the endless delivery by the waiters of finger foods (pulutan) and San Miguel Beer Lights on their tables till the wee hours while the body guards of the duo at the corners watch the surrounding.

***

When the power in the province got a new gambling czar, life for Bong See went south. He died not only of ailment but his family’s incapacity to bring him in a good hospital and provide him with effective medicines.

The late Guardian Newspaper Editor Lorna Hermogeno –whose genius was mistaken for lunacy – of San Carlos City told me: Mortz, Bong See lived like a King but died liked a Pauper.

To rephrase a word of my English speaking (yes Virginia, media men of yore speak with each other Shakespeare’s language unlike the present crop) friend Lorna – a magna cum laude at the University of Pangasinan – for those average I.Q readers of this column, she cited the gambling czar lived like a king but died like a very poor person.

His misfortune could be similar with the former seasoned city mayor and his contractor I mentioned earlier: They lost their connection to the power that be.

Benellis being Patronized because of Their Prices

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The comparative advantage of Benelli’s big engine motorcycles compared to their foreign made counterparts is its price.

Benelli-Philippines General Manager Ager Kiocho told this newspaper that the Italian brand is being assembled in Carmona, Cavite thus it pays only one percent tax while those imported brands pay thirty percent tariff.

Various Benelli muscle motorcycles being displayed in the company's Dagupan City branch.

“Ang assembly na benefit kung ano iyong nagi-gain namin in terms of reducing duty iyon ang tina-translate namin na saving ng mga end users so binibigay namin iyon,” he told Northern Watch Newspaper.

According to zigwheels.ph the most expensive imported big bike model in the country is the P4.68 million Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide while other brands produced for the market are Bristol, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, KTM, and others.

Kiotcho said the norm if one purchases an imported motorcycle is its pricing based on the cubic centimeters or cc displacement of the engine.

“Ang norm is P1,000 per cc 400 cc iyon P400, 000. Sa Benelli P238, 000 lang because of that saving. Dito na ina-assemble. Iyong savings na iyon sini-share namin doon sa end user”.

Unlike their foreign counterparts, Benelli owners can immediately buy its spare parts produced in Cavite.

Pangasinan franchisee Armando Lao thought before the motorcycle brand would not jibe with the customers who used to patronize smaller engine motorbikes when he opened in Dagupan City three years ago. He eventually discovered that the Benelli was a hot sale to folks in the city and the gargantuan province.

Various Benelli muscle motorcycles being displayed in the company's Dagupan City branch.

“Sa Dagupan improving ang sale dito binuksan namin ang Benelli Dagupan. Nagbukas kami ng 2019 December. Ngayon we are already on our third year,” Kiocho told this writer.

Aside from Pangasinan, he added that they have branches in Baguio, La Union, Pampanga, Urdaneta City, Mangatarem, and Alaminos City.

Public relation man Toots Orfinada lauded Benelli in the muscle motorcycle industry in the Philippines.

“Mula bata pa ako biker na ako noong mag-aral ako sa UST”

He used to speed off his swift 400 cc engine’s Kawasaki in his teenage years. After relegating at the background his gas guzzling sports utility vehicle (SUV) due to the unabated spikes of fuel this year, he bought a 400 cc Benelli's Imperiale and relished again his old zeal by joyriding to and from Manila and Alaminos City – his residence – and to and from Cagayan Valley and Alaminos City.

“Mag-aalmusal lang siya sa Claveria (Cagayan) at babalik,” jested by his Alaminos childhood friend Kiocho.

BENELLI-PHILIPPINES General Manager Ager Kiocho (3rd from left). Others in photo are (from extreme left) Dagupan City's Benelli's franchisee Armando Lao, vlogger Rio Hana AKA Inang Moto, this writer, and vloggers’ Earl Marie Teano AKA Inday Lakwatsera. 

During the free test ride of various Benelli’s brands in Dagupan City, Kiocho was joined by the Italian brand motorbike aficionados and vloggers’ Earl Marie Teano AKA Inday Lakwatsera (who drives a 400 cc Benelli), Rio Hana AKA Inang Moto (who owns a 500 cc Benelli’s Leoncino), Carmak and Benelli-Dagupan Manager Gani Marceliana and other influencers.

Benelli Q.J. is an Italian company, based in the city of Pesaro in the Marche region, that produces motorcycles and scooters.
Since 2005, according to Wikipedia,  Benelli is owned by the Qianjiang Motorcycle, a Chinese company ran by the Geely Holding Group. Originally founded in 1911 in Pesaro, Benelli is the second oldest Italian motorcycle company still in business.
Design, development and marketing activities are carried out at the Benelli QJ headquarters in Pesaro, Italy, in synergy with the parent company of Wenling China where motorcycles are produced.