Binmaley Mayor’s Junks Meridian, Okays PCSO’s Peryahan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINMALEY – The mayor of this town said that he did not renew this year the business permit of Meridian Jai Alai (MJA) as he replaced it with Peryahan Games (PG) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Mayor Sam Rosario

Mayor Sam Rosario explained that he gave Meridian up to January 18 to close shop here to usher for PG’s entry with its betting kiosk and uniformed mobile collector to gather bets for their company.
PG’s Hulog Holen is played like MJA and the illegal number game jueteng.
Its franchisee from PCSO is Global Tech Mobile Online whose owner is Mr. Jose Gregorio R. Aguiling.
MJA is believed to be run in this biggest town in the 2nd Congressional District by big time gambling boss Atong Ang. Meridian gained a semblance of legality after its lawyers chalked up an injunction case at the Court of Appeals for two years now.
“I had a hard time to decide. I have to consult with my lawyers first and they have to carefully study the laws that govern Peryahan. They found it to be legal,” he stressed.
Mayor Rosario said PG gives more benefits to its collectors and other personnel compared to Meridian.
Unlike jueteng and Meridian, the three times a day draw of Hulog Holen and other of its betting games are governed by carefully made transparent rules of PCSO.
According to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Holen, where a bettor’s one peso wins P500, its mechanic ranged  from 1 to 38.“A combination of two (2) numbers is drawn; one from each set within the number range. A player wins if his chosen combination matches that of the drawn combination in correct order,” it says.
The frequency of the draw is three (3) times a day of every 11 AM, 4 PM, and 9 PM”.
 “PCSO representative will conduct the draw for the Games and will be assisted by the Draw Assistant; 2. The Chairman of the Panel of Judges drops the inspected ball in the specified chamber at the top of the machine. As the ball travels down to the spinning wheel at the bottom of the machine, its path is affected by bumpers. The number upon the ball will rest shall be recorded accordingly. The ball will be removed from the draw machine. The process is repeated to determine the second of the two (2) number winning combination;  3. In the event that a draw machine breaks down, the Draw Assistant will announce the malfunction. The machine will be replaced by the alternate draw machine. All inspections and tests will be repeated prior to actual draw. Should the malfunction occur during the drawing of the 2nd number, the first number already drawn shall be considered valid,” one of the excerpts of the IRR says how the draw is broadcast by media nationwide.

Flood control, road widening projects, end this year

DAGUPAN CITY – Several flood mitigating infrastructure projects including road elevation and widening are due for completion this year in the city.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez together with District Engineer Rodolfo Dion of the 2nd Pangasinan Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and City Engineer Virginia V. Rosario made an ocular inspection on January 9 along the river banks in Lasip Chico, Lasip Grande, Pogo Grande and Malued to see the progress of the on-going 1.2 kilometer long river bank protection dike.

Dion said the construction is now 99 percent complete.

“Very soon we will also start with the construction of another 1.5 kilometer over the area and similar infrastructure along the areas of Pantal and Sabangan of Bonuan Gueset of about 800 meters long each,” Dion said.

Lingayen Baywalk to extend towards Binmaley

LINGAYEN – The Lingayen Baywalk project that has become a popular promenade in the Lingayen Beach will soon be extended towards the coastline of San Isidro Norte in Binmaley town to attract more tourists in the province.

Congressman Pol Bataoil (C) lauded for creating and
funding the famous bay walk project in Lingayen,
Pangasinan.

 The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) passed a resolution expressing full support to the extension of the Lingayen Baywalk project and endorsing the same to the Department of Tourism for additional funding.

SP Member Nestor Reyes, author of the resolution, said the project, initially funded and accomplished through Second District Rep.Leopoldo Bataoil, was highly appreciated by people since its completion.

“It is the clamor of the people to extend the baywalk to Binmaley town,” said Reyes stressing that fund for the extension of the project is already available.

Comelec prepares for special SK polls set on Feb. 21

DAGUPAN CITY -The Commission on Election (Comelec started its preparation for the Special Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections on February 21.

Lawyer Michael Francis Sarmiento, election officer of the Comelec in San Carlos City, said the 45-day election period for the SK polls will start on January 22 and will end on March 2.

“The continuing registration of voters and validation of voters’ record for the May 9, 2016 synchronized national and local elections will be temporarily suspended on February to give way for the youth polls,” said Sarmiento during the “Pantongtongan Tayo” radio program of PIA-Pangasinan aired over DZMQ Radyo ng Bayan on Tuesday.

He said effective January 22 to February 21, issuance of appointments and promotions; creation of new positions or giving of salary increases in government offices will be prohibited.

Dagupan’s 2015 Budget Biggest among 4 Cities in Ilocos Region

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Dagupan City

DAGUPAN CITY – If the members of this city’s council come to their senses by approving the proposed P691 million budgets, the sum would bring back this local government unit reputation as the top budgeted city in Region-1 for this year.
This observation ensued after the former topnotch budgeted Urdaneta City approved in December last year its 2015 annual appropriation by P512 million only.
According to Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Gregorio “Bobom” E. Perez IV his city has a budget of more than P600 million this year.
“P656 (million), I’m not sure parang mataas lang kami sa Dagupan City”

Urdaneta City

But Urdaneta City Administrator Ronald San Juan contradicted him by showing data that this entrepot city’s 2015 budget is only P512 million.
Major projects allocated for this year’s budget, according to San Juan, are infrastructures like farm to market roads, drainage, concreting of all the 34 villages of the city.
He said that this year's budget is 5% higher than last year’s annual appropriations.
He explained that the present appropriation is conservatively agreed. In case there would be a supplemental budget for the city needs, he stressed, it would happen in the last part of the year.
“Depende, kagaya niyan (2014 budget) hindi naman kami nag supplemental dahil hindi naman namin kailangan”.
Unlike this city that is facing a standstill among its lawmakers who are not in the mood to give their imprimatur to the much needed budget for Mayor Fernandez, the approval of Urdaneta City’s budget was a breeze according to City Councilor Peter Jason Agsalud.
“Wala naman kaming problems as we deliberated it last December”.
The Mayor Belen F. Fernandez's administration is now running under the 2014 P628 million reenacted budget.

The absence of the 2015 budget is blamed to the disagreement of Mayor Fernandez to heed the intention of most of the 11 members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to appropriate P1.8 million as pork barrel for each of them.
Without the P691 million this city operational budget could prejudice the salaries of hundreds of its job order workers, the P10 million grant from the European Union for the establishment of a diagnostic center, construction of the P16 million evacuation center in Barangay Salapingao, to name a few

Environmentalist to Cojuangco: Educate Us on Tech Roles vs Calamities

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The consultant of this city’s Climate Change Task Force said he will be inviting gubernatorial aspirant Mark O Cojuangco to discuss how to help solve the perennial flood problem and the threat of tsunami here through the Lidar Radar.

This lidar may be used to scan buildings, rock formations, etc., to produce a 3D model
 The lidar can aim its laser beam in a wide range: its head rotates horizontally; a mirror tilts
 vertically. The laser beam is used to measure the distance to the first object on its path.
PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA

Environmentalist Nick Melecio, speaking at radio station DWPR here, said Cojuangco is an indispensable source because of his eye on the roles played by technology and innovation on how to counter natural calamities that could hit this city and the province of Pangasinan.
Cojuangco earlier told Northern Watch that one of the solutions to arrest the scourge of flood in the big province is by using Lidar Radar.
According to the U.S National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration , LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
The other technique he explained to help solve the massive flooding in Central Pangasinan aside from Lidar is through dredging, resettlement of illegal settlers on the river banks, and expansion of waterways.

Bigger water ways, he said, means large volume of water can be accommodated. The former congressman of Pangasinan said these expanded water ways could arrest flooding on areas near the rivers.
He also said stilling or excavating a wide land area to catch large volume of water would help control flooding.

Gov. Espino Orders Legal Office to file Admin Charges Against Erring Hospital Staff

LINGAYEN--   Two provincial employees in Manaoag Community Hospital are now facing administrative charges for Dishonesty, Grave Misconduct and Abuse of Authority in relation to the violation of No Billing Policy (NBP) for indigent patients in government hospitals.

TRABAHO LANG: Quipped by Dr. Jeremy Rosario, the No. 2 man of the provincial health office, after two of his town mates were implicated on dishonesty charges at the community hospital in the pilgrim town Manaoag.

 

 

 

 In an Administrative Case No. 01-2015 signed by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. on January 6, the two hospital staff have been allegedly found engaging in “unlawful acts of manipulating hospital bills.”

            The filing of  formal  charge  stemmed from a handwritten affidavit complaint addressed to Gov. Espino last January 2 by a patient wherein she was charged of P4,000 as hospital bill during her confinement period from August 16 to 20, 2014 in the said hospital due to severe diarrhea

            In her complaint, the patient narrated that she was billed an amount of P8,000 despite being a Point-of-Care (POC) enrollee of the provincial government.

            The patient’s sister named a certain employee who told her that their hospital bills will be lowered to at least half or P4,000 because the patient is a Philhealth member.  They no longer contested the hospital charges as they were already asked to pay the bill in the pharmacy so they could be immediately issued a discharge form.

            However, it was later found out that only P81 was remitted to the Provincial Treasurer’s Office with acknowledgment receipt No. 9441513 and the same receipt number was issued to the patient bearing their P4,000 payment for hospital bills. The receipt was allegedly issued by a certain pharmacy aide.