SMC, CPF Nagbigay ng 500 Kilos Poultry Meat, 100 Trays Itlog sa Capitol-P’sinan

 Personal na ipinasakamay ng San Miguel Foods Inc. ang aabot sa 500 kilos na poultry meat at 100 trays ng itlog mula naman sa Charven Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation (CPF) sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Pangasinan.

Tinanggap ni Provincial Administrator (PA) Melicio 'Ely" Patague II ang mga donasyon mula kay Dr Richard V. Pilleove, North Luzon Animal Health Services Manager-SMF Inc. at Mr Apisanti Surawut, General Manager, CPF.

Labis ang pasasalamat ni PA Patague sa natanggap na donasyon dahil malaking tulong ito sa mga feeding program ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan.

Ang turn-over ay sinaksihan ni Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) Officer Annabel Roque, Office of the Provincial Veterinarian Head Dr. Arcely Robeniol, Dr Raymond Vincent Guevarra, ilan pang kinatawan ng Governor’s Office, Dr. Orly dela Cruz, North Luzon Line Operations Manager, SMFI, Dr Romeo Visperas, Provl Operations Manager SMFI, mga farm veterinarian ng kumpaya, Dr Marlon Arce at Dr Ronald Garcia, Department Manager, North Luzon Integration Broiler Business, CPF (Terry Aquino & Kenneth dela Cruz/Pangasinan PIO)

Lawyers

 

Northern Watch Newspaper Editor confers with legal concerns with the top executives and lawyers of Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno at the office of the Municipal Administrator. From extreme left and clockwise: General Services Officer Ajie Cabrera, Lawyers Danny Fernandez, January Ragudo and Dindin Baniqued, Administrator Atty Doris Cerdan and Editor Mortz Ortigoza.

Mayor Resuello Hails Gov. Guico for the Immediate Repair of Town's Roads

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BASISTA, Pangasinan – The mayor here lauded Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III for the immediate repair of the concrete pavement in the Poblacion and Navatat Road.

The two provincial roads that connect the town of Urbiztondo and Obong here have been repaired by the provincial engineering office through the intercession of the governor, according to Mayor Jolly R. Resuello.

“Ito po ay matagal ng problema na kung saan nagiging sanhi ng disgrasya sa ating mga motorista lalo na sa pagkagat ng gabi. Nais ko din pong pasalamatan si Mr. Boyet Soriano na isa sa mga rason upang maisakatuparan ang pagsasaayos ng daan na ito sa ating bayan,” Resuello told Northern Watch Newspaper.

Meanwhile, through the leadership of Resuello, the distribution of the Urea Fertilizers to the farmers here have been successful for this year. Resuello hailed too the presidents and leaders of the farmers and the Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Office – 1 for granting the di𝐬t𝐫i𝐛u𝐭i𝐨n o𝐟 the fe𝐫t𝐢l𝐢z𝐞r d𝐢s𝐜o𝐮n𝐭 vo𝐮c𝐡e𝐫s.

Dahil sa Kapabayaan ng Majority Nabawi ni Dagupan Mayor ang P1.3-B

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

Naisahan ng limang minority na mambabatas ng Dagupan City and pitong kalaban nilang councilors matapos na mag leave of absence ang tatlo na miyembro na sina Councilors Alfie Fernandez, Celia Lim at Irene Lim-Acosta.  Dahil sa kapabayaang ito (negligence), the minority could be likened to an eagle hovering in the sky ready to pounce on its unwary prey on the ground. Tinira ng patalikod Diyos ko ang walang kaalam-alam na Majority.

 Itong nangyari sa plenary hall kamakailan lang ay isang masakit na leksiyon sa mga taga majority at sa mga libu-libong supporters nila

Like a thief in the night, the minority lawmakers of Dagupan City outsmarted the majority in passing the controversial P1.3 billion 2023 budget when some of them went on leave of absence. From left photo and clockwise: Dagupan City Mayor T. Fernandez, Minority Leader Michael Fernandez and Majority Stalwart Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia.

Kung sa boxing, ito’y hindi lang knocked down – knocked out ito anak ng bakang dalaga  dahil pinalakas nila ang “mortal” na kalaban nilang si Mayor Belen T. Fernandez sa halagang P1.3 billion na matagal na niyang hinihingi. Ang higanting halaga ay gagamitin niyang pampaguapo o pampaganda sa kanya sa taon na ito.

Sa nasabing sesyun, buo ang limang minority councilor kasama ang vice mayor na kaalyado ni Mayor habang apat lang ang majority aldermen na andoon.

Dahil majority ang minority sa quorum, ipinasok ng minority – like a thief in the night – ang P1.3 billion na proposed ordinance 0-835 para sa budget ni Mayor. Itong P1.3 billion ay nasupalpal na ito early this year noong ayaw patinag si Mayor na ipakita sa majority dads ang mga pangalan at suweldo ng mga job orders employees (JOE). Dahil naabutan ng March 31, balik reenacted budget si Mayor na wala ang 20 percent development funds sa mga bagong proyekto, supplemental budget, no creation and filling of new positions at iba pa.

Sinabi sa social media ng isang nagdaramdam  na miyembro ng majority dahil doon sa salisi na dapat  ang kailangan pag appropriation ordinance ay QUALIFIED MAJORITY  (lahat ng councilors andoon man o wala) ang bubuto hindi ang SIMPLE MAJORITY (na pasok sa quorum of majority (7 or more councilors) ng buong miyembro ng collegiate body na 13 kasama dito ang vice mayor).

DILG EXPLAINS SIMPLE MAJORITY AND QUALIFIED MAJORITY

E cite ko dito ang classic case noong kiniwestiyon nila Governor Jesus N. Sacdalan at Vice Gov. Manny Pinol noong February 9,2010 and Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG) na dapat qualified majority ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng North Cotabato (dating probinsiya ko, hihi) ang bumubuto hindi simple majority pag annual appropriation budget ang nakataya. 

Kahit ito ay provincial board ito ay ginagamit ng DILG sa pag sagot sa mga katanungan ng mga taga local governments ng mga bayan at mga siyudad sa Pilipinas.

Gamitin natin ang katanungan ni Mayor Celso Oliver Dator ng Lukban, Quezon kung ilan ba talaga ang requirement sa pag buto sa budget na matalinong sinagot ni DILG Undersecretary Marivel C. Sacendoncillo, CESO III noong 2019.

Ani Undersecretary Sacendoncillo: “For purposes of clarity, please allow us to discuss the terms quorum, “simple majority” and “qualified majority”.

Sinabi ni Undersecretary that the sanggunian to officially transact business there should be a quorum. A quorum is defined by Section 53 of the Local Government Code of 1991 as referring to the presence of the majority of the sanggunian who have been duly elected and qualified.

Sa SIMPLE MAJORITY, paliwanag ni Sacendoncillo, ay mga ordinary ordinances at resolutions na quorum lang ang kailangan at buto ng mga miyembro ng sanggunian na andoon sa sesyun.

“These pertains to the normal transactions of the sanggunian which are approved by the sanggunian through a vote of simple majority of those present,” aniya.

Sa QUALIFIED MAJORITY, ani Sacendoncillo, ay mga transaksiyon na ang Local Government Code ay nangangailangan ng buto ng majority ng mga councilors na ibinuto at nanalo noong huling eleksiyon

 “This is what we call approval by the qualified majority of the sanggunian. In this case, the approval is to be voted not just by the majority of those present in a session there being a quorum but by majority of all the members of the sanggunian duly elected and qualified regardless of whether all of them were present or not in a particular session, there being a quorum,” dagdag niya.

The Undersecretary explained that what is being referred to under Article 107 2nd sentence of paragraph (of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Local Government Code of 1991 which require the approval of a QUALIFIED MAJORITY VOTE is an ordinance or resolution (specific appropriation) authorizing or directing the payment of money or creating a liability”.

Sabi pa niya na ang Appropriation Ordinance at ang Ordinance directing the payment of money or creating liability ay iba basi sa nilalaman ng Section 55 (b) ng Code na kung saan ay ni mention ang dalawa kasama ang ipinasang Appropriation Ordinance.

Hindi kasali ang Appropriation Ordinance sa QUALIFIED MAJORITY VOTE na sinasabi sa Article 107 2nd sentence of paragraph (of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the LGC.

“In view of the above-cited DILG Opinion, this Department is of the position that the required vote to pass an (appropriation) ordinance is only SIMPLE MAJORITY (emphasis by this writer),” she cited.

Ex-Gov. Espino's Ambush Suspect Anong Alipio Nabs by Cops

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Policemen arrested at the wee hour today Pangasinan’s most notorious criminal whose strings of activities involved the alleged assassination attempt of former Pangasinan governor Amado T. Espino, Jr.

Arnulfo Cerezo Alipio alias “Anong Alipio” during his mug shot in the Binmaley Police Station. Photo Credit: Pangasinan Police Office

Combined efforts of the Pangasinan Provincial Office (PPO) and the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) bore fruit after they nab Arnulfo Cerezo Alipio alias “Anong Alipio” at his house in Binmaley, Pangasinan at 1:10 A.m today.
PPO Director Col. Jeff Fanged said that during the apprehension, the suspect had no time to resist because he was surprised by the law enforcers who immediately served his six warrant of arrests. Alipio did not have any firearm during the arrest.

Among the 13 suspects in the ambush of Espino and the death of his aide Richard Esguerra and his driver Agapito Cuison at Brgy. Magtaking, San Carlos City, Pangasinan in September 11, 2019, Alipio – a former councilor of Binmaley – was the eleventh to be apprehended by the authorities.
When asked by a skeptical radio announcer if Alipio’s co-conspirator 2019 election congressional candidate Raul Sison really died in March 26, 2020 of cardiac arrest while waiting in The Medical City at Ortigas Ave., Pasig City for the result of his Corona Virus Disease -19, Fanged begged off in the press conference held at the PPO here that he was not privy to answer the question.

“Sa tingin ko wala tayo sa posisyun na mag answer pero maraming tsismis at Maritess pero ang sabi ko nga any development will be subjected to further validation and intelligence monitoring”.

Sison a former close political ally of Espino deserted the latter after Espino’s reneged on his promise for him that he would be his congressional candidate in the May 2019 election. Espino chose instead his son Jumel for the post who eventually beat Sison with a margin of 18, 992 votes among the 243, 254 voters of Pangasinan 2nd Congressional District.

Alipio, according to the press release by the PPO, is a key member of the infamous Sison Group and Potential Private Armed Group (PPAG) because of his involvement in multiple gun-for-hire activities. He is notoriously known not only in Pangasinan but also to the neighboring provinces. As one of the most wanted criminal suspects nationally, he kept the entire National Capital Region vigilant owing to his illegal activities. The Department of Interior and Local Government, under Memorandum Circular 2021-120, had an imminent reward of PhP355, 000 for his capture.

Fanged said the reward would be given to the civilian informers of the peace officers who arrested Sison.
Alipio faces two murder cases; a frustrated murder and three counts of attempted murders issued by Presiding Judge Magnolia V. Cayetano of the Regional Trial Court, 1st Judicial Region, Branch 56 in San Carlos City, Pangasinan on February 15, 2021.

Gov. 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗼 R𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Pledge 𝘁𝗼 A𝗴𝗿𝗶-S𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 T𝗵𝗿𝘂 M𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺, L𝗼𝗻𝗴-T𝗲𝗿𝗺 P𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀

 (The article shows how Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. “Monmon” Guico, III cares for the province’s farmers as opposed to critics who assailed that he patently neglected them – Editor, Northern Watch)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Commitment to farmers has been the battle cry of the Guico Administration on its aim to transform the agriculture sector as partners towards Pangasinan’s food security.

In more than a year of his administration, Gov. Ramon V. Guico, III along with local leaders planned and strategize various initiatives to enhance agriculture sector competitiveness through medium and long-term projects and programs.

Farmers in Pangasinan. Photo Credit: Politiko

Corporate farming program, the flagship program of the governor, was introduced in the latter part of 2022, primarily to enhance Pangasinan’s food production and transform farming into a profitable economic enterprise.

Under the corporate farming program are major projects to include rice production, corn production and high value crops production.

Utilizing the “convergence approach or strategy,” program partners which include private entities, were tapped to collectively address the gaps in the food value chain thru farm consolidation leading to corporate farming.

As this developed, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was executed between the Pangasinan provincial government and the Rice-to-Rise Program of TAO Foods Company, Inc., to venture in “contract growing” with farmers’ associations; financing institutions’ resources to provide financing needs; and agricultural supplies entities’ network to supply farm inputs at minimal costs.

Initial inputs were provided to farmer cooperatives such as organic and inorganic fertilizers and pesticides and agro chemicals. To date, there are 163 hectares established with some 173 farmer-cooperatives.

Furthermore, the provincial government through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) led by Ms. Dalisay Moya, regularly provides technical assistance and technology transfer skills training and livelihood assistance for farmers and fishermen.

Skills training on crops and fishery production, food processing, packaging and technologies, institutional and entrepreneurial are held to equip farmers with modern and appropriate technology and enhance their management and marketing skills preparing them to become agri-preneurs.

To increase production yield and income of farmers, the Provincial Government of Pangasinan distributed significant amount of high quality palay and corn seeds as well as other production inputs such as fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides.

Farm mechanization was boosted thru the support of national agencies notably the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). It can be recalled that in June this year, agricultural equipment worth P42.4 million were distributed to 13,609 farmer-members from 109 agrarian reform beneficiary organizations in the province.

For its part, the provincial government distributed 83 hand tractors and 10 units of axial flow pump to various farmers and fishermen associations and vegetable growers. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), on the other hand, supplied pump and engine sets to 70 associations.

On its support to the fishery sector, the present administration through the agriculture office, awarded a total of 160 gill nets and 40 fish coolers to various associations and some 93 units of fiber reinforced plastic boats. This benefited fishermen from 10 coastal municipalities in the province.

The province’s three provincial hatcheries also distributed a total of 816,800 pieces of tilapia and hito fingerlings which were dispersed in various communal bodies of water. The laudable project is aimed to increase fish population density, increase catch and income of fishermen.

The provincial government also continuously collaborate with the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in preparation for the sun-project’s inclusion under Scale-up funding.

The sub-project was proposed to help address inadequate supply of milkfish (bangus) fry in the country. Costing a hefty amount of P241.5 million, the bangus breeding and hatchery project will be constructed in Barangay Arnedo, Bolinao town.

“As the Bangus Capital of the country, we will soon produce 100,000,000 bangus fry every year through our Pangasinan Bangus Breeding and Hatchery Project in Bolinao,”Gov. Guico stated in his first State of the Province Address (SOPA) last March 2022.

Dubbed as the country’s top producer of bangus, Pangasinan contributes more than 28% in the country’s total production (PSA, 2019). (Ruby R. Bernardino with report from Analyn T. Cervantes/Pangasinan PIO)

Mangaldan Mayor Tells Sec. Abalos: We Follow the DILG’s Visions

                            ON THE COUNTLESS NAT’L AWARDS SHE GOT

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan – The mayor here told Department of Interior & Local Government Secretary Benjamin "Benhur"Abalos, Jr. that the countless national awards this first class municipality garnered were due to the values it soldiered on from the DILG’s tenets.

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR & LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARY Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos (extreme right) and Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno pressed flesh when the former inaugurated the P5 million solar street lights in the Angalacan River Mangaldan Eco-Tourisms Road his office bestowed to the local government headed by Parayno. Photo Credit: Mangaldan's Public Information Office

“Ganito po pinapatakbo ng aking administrasyon ang ating LGU; kung kaya’t patuloy tayong umaani ng ibat’ ibang parangal at gantimpala. At dahil sa ating SGLG Award ng 2022 tayo ay nakatanggap ng Limang Milyong (pesong) halaga ng proyekto na galing sa DILG – Seal of Good Local Governance’s incentive fund,” declared in part by Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno to Secretary Abalos when he graced recently the inauguration of the multi-million pesos solar lightning given by the DILG for the Angalacan River Mangaldan Eco-Tourism Road. The ten kilometers length river snakes on the 12 of the 30 villages here.

She said the lightning system would guide the path of her constituents when they go home from works and schools.

“Mga motorist, mangangalakal, mga turista, ang mga gustong mag-jogging o maglakad-lakad sa gabi habang nababanaag ang ilog Angalacan at pinapakinggan ang huni ng mga ibon at tahimik na pagdaloy ng tubig sa ilog. Tunay na malaking serbisyo, benepisyo at pakinabang ang hatid ng proyektong ito sa ating bayan”.

Mayor Parayno lauded the Secretary for the valued project and hailed his presence for personally feting the P5 million street lights.

When the former U.S resident Parayno ran and won the 2013 mayoralty race against vice mayor Bernardo “Berex” Abalos and until she bowed down from office in June 30, 2019, this central Pangasinan town swasbuckled on the limelight as it became recipient of various national government awards. These plaudits were four Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awards. 

SGLG is the gold standard on gauging the exemplary performances of the chief executive and his/her staff in administering a local government unit.

The fifth SGLG grant came in 2022 when she returned again in the mayorship here after defeating former Mayor Marilyn Lambino. Parayno expects her sixth SGLG award after the assessment by the national government in September this year.

Other grants the Parayno Administration received were as first place among LGUs in Pangasinan in the 2022 SubayBAYANI Awards, Gawad Kalasag Seal of Excellence and Child-Friendly Municipality awardee. The Municipality Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) has been recognized for attaining the Level 2 – Functional Status during the conduct of Service Delivery Capacity Assessment for calendar year 2022.

This town’s Civil Registrar became an Outstanding Local Civil Registry in the Medium Category thus becoming the first Recipient of PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance in Region 1.

“At palagi din naming nasusungkit ang mga recognitions na nanggagaling sa DILG sa area ng Anti-Drug Abuse Council sa mga Performance Audits nito hanggang sa National Level”.

DILG Sec. Benjamin Abalos (extrem left) confers with Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe. D. Parayno, Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario and Binmaley Mayor Pedro Merrera in his visits at Mangaldan. He graces the P5 million solar street lights in the Angalacan River Mangaldan Eco-Tourisms Road his office bestows to the local government headed by Parayno. Photo Credit: Mangaldan's Public Information Office

Her administration became a bronze awardee of how she managed and implemented the Human Resource Management System under the enhanced Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) in the national level.

This town was awarded recently by the Department of Trade and Industries on Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index as 10^th Place Nationwide in the overall Competitiveness for the category 1^st to 2^nd Class Municipalities; 11^th Place Nationwide for Economic Dynamism; and 20^th Place Nationwide for the Innovation it had been implementing on its Business Permit and Licensing Office.

“In health, we are 3^rd Placer in the Search for Best Performing LGU Voluntary Blood Service Program. We were also awarded as Lead Developer of Quality and Responsive Local Investment Plan for Health and Annual Operational Plan”.

Parayno told Abalos that she reaped all these awards because she ran the municipality under the 10-Point Tenets of the DILG on good governance.

These tenets are the Financial Administrative and Sustainability; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection and Sensitivity; Investment on Health System; Sustainable Education; Business –Friendliness and Competitiveness; Safety, Peace and Order; Environment Management; Tourism Industry; and Youth Development.

Liabilities of DPWH Brass on the Illegal Building of P75-M Sea Walls

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The administrative and criminal liabilities that will haunt the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highway in Region-1 and Pangasinan on their construction of the 920 meters’ sea walls could be a lesson and deterrence to other regional and provincial executives of the public works in other parts of the country.

THE INFAMOUS sea walls being constructed in the coast of Lingayen, Pangasinan. Photo credit: GMA-7

If the construction of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet file and concrete materials made walls to parry the waves of the Lingayen Gulf to flood the residential areas in the towns of Lingayen and Binmaley was indeed an idea of 2^nd District Cong. Mark Cojuangco (as what those Kapitans in Lingayen told the provincial lawmakers in their recent public hearing), DPWH 2^nd District Engineering Office’s District Engineer Editha Manual and company would have to defend themselves against the brunt of Lady Justice of our country and not Cong. Cojuangco because they signed the official documents that started the construction of the sea walls that cost the public coffer P75 million.

Paper trail man, paper trail!

Why I singled out Manuel and not include her superior DPWH Region-1 Director Ronnel Tan?

It is still on my blog what former District Engineer Simplicio D. Gonzales of the 4th District Engineering Office told me in 2022 that if a project cost more than P400 million, more than P100 million but not more than P400 million, and P100 million below, it can be implemented by the DPWH’s national office in Metro Manila, regional office, and district office, respectively.

The sea walls bleed the national treasury of P75 million and someone has to answer to our justice system for that.

It is a knowledge to many that district engineers are deterred to stonewall the ideas of their congressmen and congresswomen lest the lawmakers lobby in Imperial Manila for their ouster and deprive them of the perks of their post. But blind obedience could give them criminal repercussions like technical malversation.

The crime of Technical Malversation has three (3) elements: "(a) that the offender is an accountable public officer; (b) that he applies public funds or property under his administration to some public use; and (c) that the public use for which such funds or property were applied is different from the purpose for which they were originally appropriated by law or ordinance (Article 220 Revised Penal Code of the Philippines).

Manuel et al. deviated from the purpose of the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program ((TRIP) provided in the General Annual Appropriation of 2023 of the Republic of the Philippines that gives P75 million budget for the bay walk in the stretches of Lingayen and Binmaley. The multi-million pesos’ allocation is for the construction or improvement of access roads leading to declared tourism destinations. Examples of TRIP are drainage construction, tree planting, and asphalt overlay.

The sea walls are far from the highway where the TRIP concerns are located.

The looming charges of temporary restraining order (TRO) and injunction and Writ of Kalikasan to be filed at the Supreme Court by the protesters headed by retired police colonel Sonny Verzosa (PMA Class of 1982) for the boondoggle of the DPWH on wasting P75 million for the private contractor on the illegal construction of the walls could be a lesson to other officials of the Dami Puro Walang Hiya (DPWH), err, Department of Public Works & Highways.

What a nerve for these officials to construct when they did not acquire first an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on an area which bar them to create a wall because there was no significant flooding – as the sand dune stops the waves according to Verzosa – and the situs is “Lingayen Gulf as an area to be devoted to sustain production of fish and other marine products, preserve genetic diversity, PROTECT NATURAL FEATURES (emphasis mine), and enhance outdoor recreation” as mandated by Presidential Decree No. 156 Series of 1993.

Susmariosep, what had you done D.E Manuel and subalterns?

Your actuation could resurrect former U.S President Ronald Reagan and snarls again his famous phrase in Berlin, Germany during the Cold War against the Commies’ Politburo leadership in Kremlin, Russia: "MR. GORBACHEV, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!" said by the former B movie actor cum the hero that defeated the Soviet Unions through his Star War's project.

That wall in Berlin imprisoned Eastern Germans to practice their basic human rights because the despotic Red Russians and East Germans discouraged them to do under duress and fear of death.

The controversial, infamous and under siege 920 meters’ sea walls in Lingayen to Binmaley (a part of the 10 kilometers stretch that cost a staggering P1.7 billion project, son of a gun!) will deprive the lowly fishermen to make a living for themselves and their families as they are barred to make an ingress and egress there with their sampans or bancas.  

This notwithstanding the sea walls become an eye sore to the residents of the capital town and the tourists who visit the area because their view of the tranquility and beauty of the sea is barred.

Sus! With those actuations by the DPWH I mentioned above, D.E Manuel and gang could not only make Ronald Reagan rises from his tomb but resurrect former President Fidel V. Ramos from the cemetery. Ramos wrote Presidential Decree No.156 known too as “Proclaiming Lingayen Gulf As An Environmentally Critical Area”.

Protester to Sue DPWH at the SC on Its “Illegal” Sea Walls' Project

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The leader of the protesters against the construction of the sea walls in the Lingayen Gulf will sue officials of the Department of Public Works and Highway anytime from now with a temporary restraining order (TRO) at the Supreme Court.

“Basta ready na kami mag file. May abugado na kami naka ready na sa TRO muna, Writ of Kalikasan, administrative (case) susunod na iyan. TRO doon mo titingnan basis mo. Di pa masabing government project iyan kasi hindi pa na consummate iyong mga requirements,” retired Police Colonel Mariano “Sonny” Verzosa told Northern Watch Newspaper.

THE CONTROVERSIAL under siege sea walls (top photo) constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III (extreme left), leader of the protesters retired police Col. Mariano Verzosa and Binmaley Mayor Pedro Merrera.

He said the technical malversation’s criminal suit will also follow after the TRO and the administrative case against the DPWH officials assigned at the offices in the region based at San Fernando City, La Union and in the 2^nd District Engineering Office here.

Verzosa deplored how glaring the abuse of authority and gross negligence of the DPWH officials lead by Regional Director Ronnel M. Tan and District Engineer Editha Manuel in building the 920 - meter phase-1 of the walls that cost the government P75 million.

The 10 kilometers wall purported to prevent the waves that flood the residences of the inhabitants on the shore from Lingayen to Binmaley will be P1.7 billion of the taxpayers’ money. The fishermen here and in Binmaley oppose the walls because they would prejudice their livelihood. Verzosa said the sand dunes are enough to parry the waves to go to the residential areas.

                        GOVERNOR EXPOSES THE WISDOM OF THE DPWH

During the public hearing conducted by the provincial lawmakers in September 14, Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III exposed with his searching questions the representatives of the DPWH from the regional and provincial offices about the absence of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), violation of the project on the P75 million appropriation from the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) included in the 2023 General Appropriation Act and the Presidential Decree No. 156 Series of 1993.

The P75 million TRIP allocated it to the stretches of the baywalk in Lingayen to Binmaley, Pangasinan.

The governor told the DPWH officials that the project made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet file and concrete materials deviated from the TRIP.

“Dapat gumawa kayo ng drainage, taniman ninyo ng puno, nag asphalt overlay kayo. Pero gumawa kayo ng sea wall napakalayo doon sa existing na baywalk. O di ba,  ano iyan? Technical malversation iyan? (Inaudible) technical malversation kasi iba ang project title sa ginawa ninyo!” Guico told the middle level public works officials sent by their supeirors to answer the inquiries of the provincial officials and other stakeholders. These officials have been at a loss to answer the questions not only by the governor but with the others who joined the jam packed public hearing held at the Training Center in the Capitol here.

  Guico pointed out that the DPWH personally stated the construction has no approved ECC from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources.

He bared that the DPWH executives violated PD No. 156 signed by then President Fidel V. Ramos who proclaimed the Gulf as an environmentally critically area.

The proclamation mandates that the natural features of the gulf must be protected and outdoor recreation must be enhanced, among others.

Guico cited that the under siege project stands on an environmentally critical area.

“What have you done?” he posed to them.

     BINMALEY MAYOR QUESTIONS THE COMPETENCE OF THE ENGINEERS

The governor and Binmaley Mayor Pedro Merrera – a former District Engineer of Quezon City – questioned the conspicuous absence of Manuel and Tan.

“Alam niyo kasi ang problema andito ang gobernador, vice governor lahat ng board members inexpect naman namin sana iyong mga head ninyo ay magpakita dito para masagot ang katanungang ito, di ba? Sasabihin ninyo hindi ninyo level pero sana nandito sila. Tawagan ninyo ang head, hepe ninyo,” Guico told the officials of the DPWH.

Merrera said he did not see any file bearing on the seawalls built on the sea shore of his town. He doubted if the DPWH considered the per square inch of the swash of the waves against the walls. He questioned too the small three inches in diameter pipeline constructed by the public works to mitigate flooding on the residential areas near the shoreline. The pipeline is where the flood water enters and exits to the sea.

“I don’t know I have to challenge your direct engineering kung pinag-aralan ninyo mismo ang pinag-aralan ninyong sea wall kasi its people’s money. It’s people money! So sabi ko with your presentation lang e kung ako ang tatanungin ninyo di papasa sa akin and then I challenge also your regional director”.

Manaoag is True Gateway of P’sinan - Mayor Ming

 AS THE PROVINCE’S TOP TOURISTS DESTINATION

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANAOAG, Pangasinan – With her more or less 55,000 mostly devotees that flock weekly to the The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, the mayor dubbed his town as the ‘true gateway of Pangasinan”.

“We are the No.1 tourists’ destinations in Pangasinan. In fact, hindi naman sa bragging but, we are the true gateway of Pangasinan -- totoo naman,” Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario told Northern Watch Newspaper.

MANILA MAYOR Honey Lacuna-Pangan and Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico “Ming” Rosario (5th and 6th from left first row) and their entourage pose in Manaoag, Pangasinan during the forging of the two Chief Executives of the Twinning Agreement on their collaboration that will provide cultural exchanges, opportunities from trade, investment, economic development and economics initiatives.

Last Holy Week, the Mayor expected 165,000 pilgrims, devotees, and penitents that converged here from various parts of the country.

Because of this comparative advantage compared to other towns and cities in drawing people, Rosario looks for other come-ons that will attract these visitors so they can spend their monies here and bolster the employment and economy of the town.

“Real challenge to Manaoaguenos is how we can make them stay longer than usual. The longer they stay the better to Manaoaguenos they’’ spend their money here”.

The 26 villages’ Manaoag has a population of 76,045 (2020 Census) and size of 1,400 square kilometers.

In spite of the few number of small hotels cum inns and the new Manaoag Hotel that is fully booked every weekend, the Mayor said this town needs investors to build more hotels to cater to the burgeoning number of pilgrims.

“Kulang kulang. We are open to investors. In fact, marami na ang kumakatok and even the Guanzon Group ay naka-avail na ng lot. Hotel din o Pedritos (a chain of restaurant owned by Guanzon)”.

He said this first class land locked town needs hundreds if not thousands of rooms to accommodate the swelling number of tourists.

Meanwhile, the local government units (LGU) of this town and the country’s capital Manila forge a Twinning Agreement.

The collaboration will provide cultural exchanges, opportunities from trade, investment, economic development and economics initiatives.

It was culminated when this pilgrimage town’s Mayor Rosario and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan (lawmaking body) met recently here with Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and the members of her lawmaking body led by Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto.

Mayors Rosario and Lacuna-Pangan and Rosario’s spouse’ Twiggy are medical doctors.

Rice Retailers Not Patriots -- They Wouldn’t Sell at a Loss

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I could not fathom Grains Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (GRECON) President James Magbanua exhorting rice retailers in the country to sell at losses for one week their regular and well-milled staple before they finalize their stance against the national government.

According to Executive Order 39 (Imposition of Price Ceilings on Rice) signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., published in a newspaper of national circulation and took effect last September 5, rice retailers should sell the two kinds of staple at lower prices. Regular and well-milled at P41 and P45, respectively, per kilo each.

Photo credit: Bombo Radyo

According to GRECON spokesman Orly Manuntag, these retailers bought each of these brands at P46 and P50 a kilo and forced to sell each at a loss of P5.

During the consultation with the government, Manuntag said a retailer will lose at least P49,000 in just one week of the implementation of the price cap.

***

I would not buy the idea that these businessmen would allow themselves to financially bleed for one week in the name of patriotism at a cost of P49,000. Susmariosep! There is no Love of Country for the Filipino traders to be altruistic. We are not fighting in a war against the greedy and bully China that the P49,000 is each of their contribution to the war effort.

 These businessmen saw themselves fighting a negligent inutile government against hoarders, profiteers, cartels, and what have you who thumb their noses to the law enforcers. They see a government that arbitrarily impose these price caps in their throat because it failed to neutralize these malefactors who exploit the spike of prices of rice in the international market and the lean season in the national market.

This is a fight, these small bizmen saw, about a government whose President promised to all and sundry in the May 2022 election for their votes that in case he was elected in the highest office of the Flipland, err, Filipino Land the price of the staple would plunge to P20 a kilo. But instead the price goes south tragically that earned him the wrath and ridicule of his constituents.

Every one of these rice traders would either close their store or stall or hide their regular and well-milled rice instead of losing that P49,000 for the week's grace period GRECON has posits. Only the air is free in this forsaken country, son of a gun!.

***

The brouhaha brought by E.O 39 even cost the job of a highly respected Department of Finance (DoF) Undersecretary Cielo Magno. Magno - a Professor of the University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) loaned to DoF - was sacked recently by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin after posting a statement at Facebook: “Since the commodity is priced below the economically sensible level—or cheaper than it should be—more people want it, such that some buyers will find it sold out because of increased demand”.

Magno made an added comment on the price ceiling graph: “I miss teaching..(emoji of a classroom teacher).”

That post even elicited comment from Karl Chua the young former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Chief in the last part of the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“[You] can teach it in [the] Cabinet,” Chua said.

***

This where I differed with Magno. As a former Economics college Prof myself, her statement that the supply of cheap rice would immediately be sold out as more buyers patronized it could be wrong. Panicking buyers could not deplete it because the profit motivated sellers beat them in a draw by hiding the staple in their bodega or stockroom instead of selling it at a loss.

The Facebook comment was probably the last straw that broke the camel’s back on the part of the Palace after Magno – a straight shooter-, crossed path with powerful personalities in the government when she proposed to impose more taxes on the mining industry.

Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of anti-mining coalition Alyansa Tigil Mina found her resignation unsurprising as Magno was outspoken advocates on transparency and good governance. For one, her advocacy for an increase taxes on mining corporations was clearly inconsistent with the agenda of House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Speaker Romualdez – a cousin of the President - is tied to the mining industry. He is son of the late Benjamin Romualdez - the younger bro of the Super Maam Imeldefic -, former president and chief executive officer of copper and gold mining behemoth Benguet Corp.

Romualdez is a board of director of nickel mining firm Marcventures Holdings. The Speaker set up too a mining subsidiary last year worth US$2.7 million.

Among Marcos Jr’s staunchest political allies with high stakes in the mining sector are Senator Cynthia Villar, chair of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, her son Senator Mark Villar, owner of Prime Asset Ventures Inc, the parent company of TVI Resources Development Phils. Inc., which produces nickel. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian whose family-owned Wellex Group whose mining subsidiary extracts nickel and limestone in the country.

 

𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗼 𝘁𝗼 Ink 𝗠𝗢𝗨 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗢𝗛-𝗖𝗛𝗗𝟭

 

 FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on its regular session on recently, approved a resolution authorizing Governor Ramon V. Guico, III to enter into and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Health (DOH)-Center for Health Development (CHD) 1 for the implementation of the 2023 Healthy Settings Program for Healthy Communities.

Sponsored by SP Member Shiela Marie F. Baniqued, the resolution stated that “in the implementation of the program, it is the objective of the Province of Pangasinan and the Department of Health to further improve and sustain an efficient and effective health care delivery system in the Province through health promotion initiatives designed to ensure that the environments wherein individuals live, learn and work are promotive and protective of health.”

As the content of the resolution, there are various minimum components which the law mandates in local health systems. They are primary care provider network with patient records accessible throughout the health system; accurate, sensitive, and timely epidemiologic surveillance systems; and proactive and effective health promotion programs and campaigns.

“Section 30 of Universal Health Care Act Implementing Rules and Regulations provides that local government units, guided by the Health Promotion Framework Strategy, shall issue and implement effective health promotion policies and programs that promote health literacy and healthy lifestyle among their constituents, prevent and control diseases and their risk factors to advance population health and individual well-being,” the resolution likewise stated.

RA 11223 or the Universal Health Care of 2019 mandates the implementation of health reform program that will ensure that every Filipino is guaranteed an equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare services and is protected against financial risks. (Ruby R. Bernardino/Pangasinan PIO)

Mayor J.R Hails Founding Father, Et Al. on Basista’s 62nd Anniv.

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BASISTA, Pangasinan – The mayor lauded the founding father and those who collaborate for the creation of this town during her 62^nd anniversary held recently here.

“Ito po iyong ating 62^nd Founding Anniversary. We all know the story of our town na kung saan ang ating mahal na former Mayor Attorney Artemio Frias kasama ang kanilang mga kaibigan na tumulong na upang maging ganap na bayan ang ating bayan na Basista. Mula sa first, second at third attempt nagtagumpay tayo. Nagtagumpay po ang kanilang pagsusulong na maging ganap po na bayan ang ating bayan na Basista,” Mayor Jolly Roque “J.R” Resuello told his constituents and guests that converge in the municipal gym here last Tuesday night to celebrate the birth of this town.

Basista Mayor Jolly Roque “J.R” Resuello.

He cited that these personalities were responsible “na kung saan tayo po ay nandito at magkasama”.

Resuello wanted to make the anniversary next year grander and would invite the relatives of Mayor Frias and those stakeholders for the founding of this landlocked  municipality of central Pangasinan.

“Asahan ninyo po sa susunod na taon maraming e improve papagandahin pa po namin at may mga nabubuo na po kaming  mga plano ngayon pa man para po sa susunod na taon ng ating 63^rd foundation anniversary”.

This year’s foundation was celebrated for one day and two nights where the guest of honors were Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico, III and Pangasinan 2^nd District Cong. Mark Cojuangco.

“Patuloy po ang aming pagbibigay ng serbisyo. Patuloy po ang pagmamahal namin sa inyong lahat dito,” Resuello told the crowd in that evening festivity.

                                                                  Creation of Basista

Basista was founded in September 5, 1961 when President Carlos P. Garcia issued Executive Order No. 446 creating the rustic municipality. It is composed of 13 barrios. Four years after, however, the Philippine Supreme Court declared the town's creation as without legal basis citing their ruling in the "Emmanuel Pelaez vs. Auditor General "that "municipalities created under Executive Orders are void".
But the District's Congressman Jack L. Soriano immediately filed a bill in Congress and was eventually signed by the President into law through Republic Act No. 4866 that minted it as a de jure local government unit after it was chartered in May 8, 1967.
The former village of the then town’s San Carlos, now the site of the town proper or poblacion, was once the biggest and one of the progressive barrios located in the far south of the mother town (now a city).
According to Wikipedia, as early as the year 1918, some of the most influential and prominent families of barrio Basista came together and made the first attempt to petition the municipal government and the provincial board of San Carlos and Pangasinan, respectively, to grant its township.
Prominent politicians during that time volunteered their help in making representations with the proper authorities but their request was not granted. The proponents then were General Mamaril, Don Valeriano Perez, father of then speaker Eugenio Pérez, Buenaventura de Vera, Telesforo de Vera, Gregorio Malicdem, Cayetano Perez, Gaudencio Padua, Gregorio Valdez, Ramon Valdez, Don Roque de Vera, Domingo Resultay, Bernardo Resultay, Liberato Frias, Hipolito Cayabyab, Alejandro de Guzman, Pascual Resultay, Raymundo de Guzman, Vicente de Guzman, Domingo de Guzman, Vicente Frias, Florentino Malicdem, Faustino Monzon.
The 2020 census said Basista has a population of 37, 679.

Sec. Abalos to Visit Mangaldan on Friday

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan - The executives of this thriving central Pangasinan town have met to prepare for the visit on Friday here by Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benjur” Abalos, Jr. who will grace the blessing and inauguration of the P5 million solar panel streetlights along Angalacan River Eco-Tourism Road.

The meeting of the officials held in the Office of the Mayor was presided in September 4 by Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno.

 Department of Interior & Local Government  Secretary Benjamin “Benjur” Abalos, Jr. and  Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno.

Abalos is to lead the ribbon cutting ceremony for the five-million pesos project. The sum was a proceed from the Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG) as incentive for the first class town's outstanding performance when it became a national awardee of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) in 2022.

The alignment meeting aimed to ensure the orderly conduct of the activity and the guests' security and their safety.

Present during the meeting were Municipal Administrator Atty. Teodora S. Cerdan, LGU department heads, and officers from the national agencies like Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) Marilyn B. Laguipo, Mangaldan Philippines National Police OIC-Chief of Police PLt. Col. Roldan E. Cabatan and Municipal Fire Marshal Inps. Virgilio A. Mamitag, III.

Officials from all barangays and key civic organizations are also expected to grace the occasion.

Secretary Abalos had been in several towns of Pangasinan gracing fiestas like in Dagupan City and Binmaley. He gave in July this year a 1,000-gallon fire truck as response to the request of the coastal town  Binmaley Mayor Pete Merrera – his cousin.

Early this year, the 29 villages first class town of Sta. Barbara became a beneficiary of a P173, 000, 000 from the DILG for the rehabilitation of the three damaged slope protections of a dike.

According to Mr. Sherwin Pioquinto - the Chief of Staff of Mayor Lito Zaplan - the three slope protections are located in Barangay Maningding and in Brgy. Poblacion Norte. The latter village host two of the slopes that would be repaired.

The sum given to Sta. Barbara was probably the biggest release by the DILG to the LGU in the four cities and forty –four towns’ Pangasinan. 

Mangaldan Mayor Parayno drafted a letter to Abalos to request a firetruck, funds for another set of solar lights to be constructed at the other bank of the Angalacan River Eco-Tourism Road and others.  (With reports from Mortz C. Ortigoza)

Critics Wrong on Guv’s Miss World-Ph Franchise, Travels Abroad

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

I could only shake my head reading and hearing shallow thinking columnists and broadcasters assailed the boondoggle of public funds by Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico, III when he bought the provincial franchise of the Miss World-Philippines (MWP) and the absence of a financial bonanza his constituents could benefit from it.

Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico, III (left of photo)

The franchise –that cost probably a few million pesos – will give a propaganda coup to Pangasinan’s tourism spots like Bolinao, Dasol and other pristine beaches and maximize the come-ons either preserved or created by the mayors and private stakeholders in their towns and cities like the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City. In the pilgrimage town of Manaoag, she hosts more or less 55,000 folks every week who flock in the The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Mayor Ming Rosario told me he and the private sectors collaborate to maximize by creating more amenities for these church goers to stay longer in the land lock municipality so they can shell out more monies.

“We are blessed here jobs are accessible to our people because of the tourists,” he disclosed to me.

The other nascent and soon to be discovered tourism spots could piggyback on the mileage every time the beauties of MWP visited - for countless of times - the huge province.

TOURISM NO. 3 MONEY CHURNER IN PH ECONOMY

These media men lashed out the Governor of how this franchise cannot give jobs to the unemployed and salvaged the poor farmers from the morass they’re snagged in.

Susmariosep! These practitioners did not know that tourism is a money-churning juggernaut – mind you No.3 contributor of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - in the Philippines where many countries envy her for her comparative advantages on pricing competitiveness (22^nd) and natural resources (37^th) like those in Boracay, El Nido, Coron, Bolinao, Siargao and others according to Tourism Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum.

 This industry gave 5.23 million jobs last year where the government received a revenue of P208.96 billion (equivalent to U.S $3.68 billion). 25% of this came from Boracay (“PH 2022 tourism revenues hit P209-B". Manila Bulletin. January 2, 2023).

In 2019 foreign arrivals peaked at 8,260,913 and dwindled to 1.48 million individuals in 2020 when the Corona Virus Disease-19 CoViD scourged the country and spiked again at 2.7 million in 2022.

The travel and tourism industry contributed 6.2% to the country's GDP in 2022.

***

I wrote in Can Ph get Rid of Being a Tourism Slow Foot in the ASEAN that the Philippines could eclipse Southeast Asia top No. 4 Singapore (almost 16 million tourists) and No. 5 Indonesia (13.62 million arrivals) as ranked by Global Data in 2019 after then President Rodrigo Duterte infused $23 billion (PhP P1.3 Trillion) in tourism infrastructure from 2019 and 2022.

Then Finance Undersecretary Grace Karen Singson said in late of 2010s the government’s goal is to double the number of foreign tourist arrivals, increase tourism revenues by 90 percent and generate 14.4 percent of total Philippine jobs from the tourism sector by the time Mr. Duterte stepped down in 2022. The CoViD-19 disrupted this goal in early 2020s.

The National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) investments cited Duterte’s ambitious projects to cover road networks, airports, cruise ports, railway, site infrastructure, tourism enterprise zones, transport units, accommodation facilities, and aircraft acquisition.

“2,620 kilometers of tourism roads over the next six years, from a baseline of 900 kilometers, which will require an investment of $2 billion,’ then Finance Undersecretary Singson told the media.

The Miss World-Philippines, the airports and the four lanes’ Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEx) of the San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) interceded by Guico jibe with the national strategies how to boost tourism and generate jobs among Pinoys who breed like rabbits. Among these beneficiaries include those farmers and their children who want to abandon a less profitable livelihood.

GUICO, ET AL. MEET SOLAR POWER BIZMEN IN CHINA

On the alleged propensity of the Governor and his officials to go abroad as harped by his bashers who pooh-poohed it as junkets. Damn! Was it a junket for a governor and his fellow officials to go overseas and break bread with investors there?

Just take what I read on August 24 on this newspaper's columnist’s the eloquent Filipino writer’s Paquito Basila:

“Masigasig na mga pinuno na last week ay nasa China para sa ilalagak ng mga Tsino na solar power sa Unang Distrito, kauna-unahan sa lalawigan na proyekto na solar powered plant. Sina Dasol Mayor Rizaldy Sadong Jimenez Bernal, First District Congressman Arthur Del Fierro Celeste at Gov. Ramon Guico III ay nasa China to see personally how a solar plant works”.

The U.S$503 million (Php P28.4 billion) twin solar power plants are to be constructed in Infanta and Dasol, Pangasinan that will not only generate more power to industries in the province but create more employment to the folks in Western Pangasinan.

The proverbial dotted - line was signed in May last year at the Capitol in Lingayen during the Joint Development Agreement by Jesus Antonio Magsaysay of URIT Limited Philippines Inc., Bernard Bawing and former Bayambang Mayor Cesar Quiambao, both of CSFirst Green Agri Industrial Development Inc., Andy Wu and Yang Jiyu of China Energy International, and Jusslun Maisie Ong Tan of Urit Limited Philippines. The Governor witnessed the inking of the Agreement.

PANGASINAN LINK EXPRESSWAY (PLEX)

The construction that will end after four years of the 42.76-kilometer four lanes’ Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEx) by the SMHC will expedite travel time from 20 to 30 minutes from Binalonan to Lingayen. Presently, it takes one hour and forty minutes for a vehicle to run that stretch.

The P34 billion (U.S $602 million) expressway will not only spur tourism in the province but would even give jobs this early to tens of thousands people and business folks in and out of the province who would benefit on the spade work that will last to year 2027.

MY POSER

So who were those wise guys - son of a gun! - who said that the franchise on the Miss World-Philippines, travels of the Guv overseas and the 47.76 kilometers PLEx could not create jobs for the humongous population of this Northern Luzon’s province?

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

It’s the U.S not the Colombians that destroyed Escobar

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 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.