Only Abono Wins Out of 5 P’sinense Lead Partylists

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

DAGUPAN CITY – Among the five Pangasinenses lead partylist, only the province’s homegrowns Abono wins in the latest survey of the Pulse Asia for the partylists’ election on May 12.

Based on the March 25 to 29, 2025 polls, Abono entered the winning Top 45 partylist seats for the 63 congressmen from the partylist needed to fulfill the constitutional mandates that twenty percent (20%) of the 313 members of the the House of Representatives should be allocated to partylists.

Forty-five (45) partylists should have won incase election was held on that period and not 63 because Tingog, ACT -CIS, Duterte Youth, PPP, and 4Ps got three seats each while Senior Citizens, Ako Bicol, Uswag Ilonggo, Alona, 1-Rider, Malasakit, Bayanihan, Cibac, and Agap garnered two seats each or a total of 28 seats for 18 parties only.

A party that got 6% or more of the total votes cast for the present 156 party lists that vie for the May 12, 2025 election gets three seats while those that got 4% and 2% of the total votes get two seats and one seat, respectively.

In the survey, Abono got 1.04% of the respondents or No. 26 on the 45 party that won the March 25-29 poll in case election was held on that period.

There are 155 partylists that shoved and jostled for the May 12, 2025 national and local elections.

Abono Partylist represents the agriculture and marginalized sector especially the population of Pangasinan province. Its first nominee is Congressman Robert Raymund Estrella – a resident of Rosales, Pangasinan -- while its chair and treasurer is Eng. Rosendo O. So.

In the elections of 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022, Abono got 1 seat, 2 seats, 2 seats, 2 seats, 1 seat, and 1 seat, respectively.

Pulse Asia said at least 99 percent of respondents’ report awareness of the party-list system. It added that out of the 155 party-list groups participating in the May 2025 elections, 45 would secure at least one seat if the elections were held at present.

Pulse said it conducted its pre-election preference survey for the 2025 senatorial race from March 23 to March 29 through face-to-face interviews, covering 2,400 randomly selected Filipinos.

Analysis: The Lethargic Tourism Industry of the Philippines

 

AS THAILAND, MALAYSIA, VIETNAM LEFT PHIL BEHIND

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Despite the budgetary handicap of the Department of Tourism (DOT), a solon lauded the performances of its Secretary how she positioned the Philippines to lure foreign tourists to patronize the country.

STAKEHOLDERS of the tourism industry in Southeast Asia. Top photo and clockwise: The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), poster of tourism comeons of the ASEAN members. Pangasinan 4th District Cong. Christopher de Venecia, and Philippines Tourism Secretary and Lawyer Christina Garcia-Frasco. 

“Actually maganda ang plano ni (Department of Tourism) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. I always asked for a sum that will complement iyong ideal program sa DOT kaso ang Department of Tourism -- just like DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) ang pinakamamahal kong agency – hindi napaprioritize pagdating sa budget pero even then Sec. Christina makes the most of what she’s given. So tuloy tuloy iyong kanyang development ng mga experiences driven, mga tourism products,” Pangasinan 4^th District Cong. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia told this writer at the sidelines of the State of the Province Address (SOPA) of Pangasinan Gov. Ramon V. Guico III held at the ritzy Sison Auditorium here.

AWARDING OF FARM MACHINERIES

 

AWARDING OF FARM MACHINERIES. Two (2) units of Four-Wheel Tractors with Rotavator have been awarded to New Hope ARB and Farmers Association Inc. headed by Mr. Jerry Molina and One (1) unit Trailing Harrow has also been awarded to Aliguas Banaoang Farmers Association headed by Mr. Jerome Noble under the leadership of Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Santiago Zaplan and Municipal Agriculuture Office - LGU Sta. Barbara to support the agricultural productivity of the local farmers. Likewise, a Memorandum of Agreement and Deed of Donation have been served to the beneficiaries of the equipment for documentation and safe keeping.

3 Years Mark ‘Era of First Times, Lasting Accomp.’ – P’sinan Guv

 

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Governor Ramon V. Guico III highlighted historic “first” accomplishments in his first tenure during his third State of the Province Address (SOPA) on April 5 during the province’s foundation day celebration at the Sison Auditorium.

Dubbed as ‘Era of First Times, Era of Lasting Accomplishments,’ the SOPA bespeaks of the spirit of an era of doing things for the first time leaving lifetime effect for the people of Pangasinan.

 

Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III during the State of the Province Address 2025.

 Guico dedicated all the accomplishments achieved in his maiden tenure to the 3.2 million Pangasinenses.

“As your public servant in the province, please accept my heartfelt gratitude to all your prayerful and unfailing support. This State of the Province Address 2025 is not a chronicle of what the Governor has done alone. It has always been the accomplishment of the whole province,” the governor said.

Gov. Guico identified key programs that are “first” in tourism, agriculture, health, education, peace and order, infrastructure, environment, livelihood development, investment, employment, social services, disaster risk reduction.

Can Ph Revokes the Chinese Visa to Prop Up Her Tourism Industry?

 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

While going back inside the Sison Auditorium after the State of the Province Address of the Governor of Pangasinan, I saw Bombo Radyo Framy Sabado interviewing Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia.

I stopped my pacing on the light brown narra floor of the ritzy building and whisked up my cellphone cum tape recorder from my right pants pocket and butted in after the Solon answered Framy’s query about the vaunted employment juggernaut ‘s Creative Law he authored and was lengthily reported by my son Jigger (the De Venecias (Mother (come backing congressional bet Manay Gina) and Son P.R Man) at our Northern Watch Newspaper.

 

Here’s my posers to the young Congressman in English:

Me: Are you a member in Congress of the Committee on Tourism?

Him: No.

Me: Are you privy about Tourism issues in our country like the Philippines being a laggard while ASEAN members like Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Cambodia have dusted us off in snaring foreign tourists?

 

The Congressman extensively answered my queries that I’ll be posting soon in my blog for all and sundry to read.

BY THE WAY, here’s the score of the state of our tourism industry versus those of the mentioned Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN):

“Thailand has reclaimed its title (for year 2024 – emphasis mine) as the most visited country in Southeast Asia by getting 35.5 million foreign visitors in 2024 after losing the crown to Malaysia in 2023.

Malaysia was second with 25 million visitors, which was short of its target of 27.3 million. Vietnam ranked third with 17.5 million visitors, followed by Singapore with 16.5 million and Indonesia with 13.9 million. The rest included Cambodia with 6.7 million arrivals, the Philippines with 5.4 million, Laos with 4.1 million, and Myanmar with 1.06 million” (E.vnexpress.net/)

***

Thailand became No. 1 in drawing foreign tourists among the members of ASEAN because she revoked the visa requirement for Mainland Chinese tourists to come to her shore.

The second biggest Southeast Asia’s economy hosted 32.7 million foreign tourists as of December 8, 2024 generating approximately 1.5 trillion baht (US$43.9 billion) in revenue.
China was the largest source of visitors of Thailand last year, with 6.3 million arrivals, followed by Malaysia (4.6 million), India (1.9 million), South Korea (1.7 million), and Russia (1.5 million).

Can the Philippines – which is No. 7 (eclipsed by backwater Cambodia which is No. 6, sanamagan!) emulates Thailand in getting rid of those Chinese visas to catapult her slow growing tourism numbers in the coming years?

It is quite impossible because of the military spat we have with Beijing. Incase that would happen, we could not be a Thailand in drawing Chinese tourists with an average of P100, 000 to spend from per tourist in Dakak, Boracay, Palawan, Siargao, or whatchacamacallit.

With that, we deprive our countrymen of employment and better standard of living unless national security is paramount to us despite the humongous number of the Chinese tourists.

What say you my friend on my opinion?

Walang CS Law na Nalabag; Hindi Kawani ng Munisipyo Iyong Tao

 Ni Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan – Mariing pinabulaanan ng babaeng alkalde sa mayamang bayan na ito na isa sa kawani ng local na pamahalaan ang may hawakhawak na poster ng kalaban niya sa pagka alkalde at nagsasayawsayaw at nagsisigaw na talo na ang karibal.

REELECTIONIST Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno (red arrow above) mingles with her consituents while her mayoralty opponent Vice Mayor Mark Stephen Mejia poses at the right photo.

Matapos batikusin ng mga mediamen at bloggers ang kanyang pangasiwaan, ani Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno: “as a government institution committed to upholding the election laws of the Philippines and Civil Service Rules and Regulations, LGU Mangaldan cannot over emphasize the importance of political neutrality in the government service bureaucracy”.

Sinabi ng alkalde na nag-isyu siya ng Memorandum isang araw o noong Marso 27 bago magsimula ang 45-araw na campaign period para sa mga kandidato sa local eleksyon sa Mayo 12 na ipinagbabawal ang pakikilahok sa electioneering o political partisan ayon sa Commission on Election (COMELEC) – Civil Service Commission (CSC) Advisory on Electioneering and Partisan Political Activities (Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2016).

Nagsimula itong pangangatiyaw kuno ng kawani ng munisipyo noong na nabidyuhan ang isang lalaki na hawakhawak ang poster ni mayoralty candidate Vice Mayor Mark Stephen Mejia at pasayawsayaw at pasigawsigaw na hindi raw mananalo si Mejia.

Kung talagang empleyado iyong lalaki ng munisipyo ilabas ng mga nagbabatikos ang dokumento na isa siyang kawani para masampahan na kaagad ng administratibong kaso sa Civil Service.

Ilabas na rin iyong bidyo at hindi na lang puro talak na napaghalataan tuloy ng karamihan na paninira lang sa kay Mayor Bona Parayno.

“It is unfortunate that an employee of LGU Mangaldan has been wrongly tagged in the aforementioned report even to the point of redicule when addressing the gender orientation of the employee,” ani Mayora sa maling akusasyon at pagiinsulto sa isang empleyado dito na hindi naman iyong taong naninira kay Mejia.

Ang mga paglabag sa Comelec-CSC Advisory ay ang mga sumusunod:

• Forming groups, associations, or committees to solicit votes or campaign for/against a candidate.
• Holding political rallies, caucuses, meetings, or parades for election campaigning.
• Making speeches, announcements, or media commentaries to support or oppose a candidate.
• Publishing, distributing, or displaying campaign materials promoting or opposing a candidate.
• Directly or indirectly soliciting votes, pledges, or support for a candidate or party.
• Using government resources—such as time, personnel, facilities, and equipment—for political purposes.
• Providing financial or material contributions to candidates or political parties.
• Wearing campaign-related shirts, pins, caps, or accessories, unless authorized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
• Serving as a watcher for a political party or candidate during the election.

Ang mga kaparusahan ay ang mga sumusunod:

Government employees who engage in prohibited partisan political activities may face administrative sanctions under the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS):

• First offense: Suspension of one (1) month and one (1) day to six (6) months.
• Second offense: Dismissal from service, including loss of benefits and disqualification from future government employment.

Nanawagan si Mayor Bona sa mga mediamen na sundin ang “journalistic standards and verify information” first bago bumanat.

Esteves, Sumera Acting Mayor, VM ng Urdaneta City

 KAPWA MAMBABATAS NA NAGMATIGAS MAKAKASUHAN 

Ni Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

URDANETA CITY – Matapos ang halos tatlong buwang pagkaantala ng mga konsehales dito kung sino sa kanila ang hahalili sa sinuspendidong alkalde at bise alkalde, tinanggap na rin ng dalawang mambabatas noong Marso 28 ang Designation Order sa kanila ng Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

ACTING MAYOR. Urdaneta City Acting Mayor Rio Esteves (left) and Acting Vice Mayor Doc Bles Sumera.

Matapos pirmahan noong Marso 26 ang Order ni DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, si Rio Esteves at Doc Bles Sumera ay pormal na ring pumirma ng kanilang Acceptance Letter sa opisina ng alkalde dito noong Marso 31 na sinaksihan nila City Councilors Amado O. Veridiano, Onofre C. Gorospe, Aurelion L. Agsalud, Sr., Warren Andrada, at City Local Government Operation Officer Richard S. Real.

Pagkatapos ay inihayag na rin sa araw na iyon kung saan merong flag ceremony ng dalawa sa mga kawani ng pamahalaang panlungsod ang pagtanggap nila ng Letter.

Sa sipi ng liham ni Region 1 DILG Director Jonathan Paul L. Leusen, Jr. kay Remulla, sinabi niya: “Further, with the official assumption of local officials as Acting Mayor and Vice Mayor, may we earnestly request guidance on what will be the next action for the PNP Personnel manning the old and new city hall of Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.”

Si Esteves at Sumero ay numero otso at numero siyam sa labingdalawang mambabatas dito. Nahaharap ang mga kasamahan nila sa kasong Dereliction of Duty sa hindi pagtanggap ng utos ng DILG noong Enero pa na palitan nila pansamantala si Mayor Julio F. Parayno III at ang pinsan niyang si Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno.

Ang labingdalawang konsehales ay kaalyado ng mga Parayno.

Si Mayor Parayano at Vice Mayor Parayno ay nakasuhan ng kasong Grave Abuse of Authority at Grave Misconduct na pinirmahan ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin noong Enero 3, 2025. Sinuspende sila ng Office of the Philippines President ng isang taon magmula noong Enero 7 noong isinilbi ng DILG sa tanggapan ng dalawang Parayno.

Kahit na binarikadahan na ng mga kapulisan ang tanggapan ng dalawa noong Pebrero 4 ay patuloy pa rin silang nagsisilbi ng tungkulin nila. Ang pagmamatigas ng dalawa na bumaba ay magiging dahilan na sila ay makakasuhan ng Usurpation of Authority or Official Functions (Article 177 Revised Penal Code) at Falsification of Public Documents (Article 171).

Binalaan ni Atty. Romeo P. Benitez, Undersecretary for External, Legal and Legislative Affair, si Councilors Francis del Prado at Warren Andrada ang numero uno at numero dos  na may pinakamaraming boto na nanalo sa Mayo 2022 eleksyon noong mga nakaraang buwan na ang kabiguan nilang sundin ang utos ng batas na umupo sila sa nasabing pwesto ay maging “ground for criminal and/or administrative sanction”.

Ang kasong administratibo ng dalawang magpinsang Parayno ay hango sa “OP-DC Case No. K-090 entitled Michael Brian M. Perez vs. Mayor Julio F. Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy D. Parayno” kung saan ni indefinite suspended ni Mayor Parayno si Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) President at San Vicente Punong Barangay Perez dahil sa June 14, 2022 na Manifesto ng 33 sa 34 na Punong Barangay ng lungsod na ito para alisin siya na LNB President.