VMLP Prexy has Ivy Leagues’ Degrees

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan - While many elective officials in the Philippines have hardly finished their secondary education, the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines – Pangasinan Chapter (VMLP-PC) president has his post graduate degrees from Ivy league schools abroad.

HONCHO. Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines – Pangasinan Chapter (VMLP-PC) President  Mark Stephen Mejia (extreme left) takes his oath of office for the VMLP-PC while his father Region -1 Medical Center Director Roland Mejia  (extreme right) looks. The young Mejia, a medical doctor, is a  newly elected vice mayor of landlocked Mangaldan town.

Ivy leagues means academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism. Its members are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

“Tapos post graduate ako Oxford University, Harvard University, Wharton University, Stanford University,” new Mangaldan Vice Mayor Mark Stephen Mejia told Northern Watch Newspaper.

He finished his bachelor of science’s degree in biology, doctor of medicine that he took and passed the board examination for surgeon in the Philippines.

“Tapos my dalawa pa po akong dito sa France, tapos sa U.S sa Israel po ang emergency medicine po ako iyon iyang specialty ko,” this young second most powerful politician of this landlocked town disclosed.

He worked before on a one-peso a year consultancy in Region -1 Medical Center (R1MC) in Dagupan City where his father, Dr. Roland Mejia, is the director.

Mejia said the VMLP office is located at Rufina in Binmaley, Pangasinan where he could be contacted by constituents and could entertain the problems of the members of the VMLP and Pangasinensis who need assistance.

Goodbye Fuel Powered Cars, Electric Vehicles are Coming

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I saw on Facebook a propaganda of a China made sports utility vehicle (SUV) Chery (damn, it sounds like Chevy of the U.S hahaha!) where the Filipino-Indian owner bragged about his minuscule financial expenses on the running efficiency of his electric car from Ayala Alabang to Makati City and round trip. He spends P100 for the plug-in power that runs his SUV. Alabang (the biggest village of Muntinlupa City) and Makati vice versa is 39 kilometers via Metro Manila Skyway.

“I used to have a (Toyota) Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol and spent P10, 000 a week,” he said about his expenses on fuel on his two gas guzzling SUVs on the same routes.

His electric car could run for 100 kilometers through electric power alone.

Nine Components Common to Electric Vehicles. Photo credit: Drivenauto.com

There will be new spike of fuel next Tuesday where gasoline and diesel will have an increase of P1.20 to P1.60 per liter and P5.90 to P6.20 per liter, respectively. With that increases their average prices could be more or less P80 per liter – damn, we used to buy them at P40 per liter before the Russian Despot Vladimir Putin sent his “cavalry” to invade democratic Ukraine.

With the prices of fuel keep swelling since last week, more people will have a moist eye to buy electric vehicle (EV) and shun internal combustion engine (ICE) cars that help poison our environment with their fossil fuel.
According to an article titled EV-Internal Combustion Price Parity Forecast for 2023 – Report published in March 13, 2020 by Mining.Com, the prices of electric vehicles will be competitive with the ICE middle of this decade -2024 to 2026-.

The major factor to the pricing of the EV is the price of its huge traction battery packs – that composed the entire floor of the car – that cost one-third of the present price of the electric car

“As of 2020, the electric vehicle battery is more than a quarter of the total cost of the car. Purchase prices are expected to drop below those of new ICE cars when battery costs fall below US$100 (Php 5,618) per kWh, which is forecast to be in the mid-2020s,” excerpt of the same article.

The cost for raw materials on an average electric vehicle, according to a report by Alix Partners, rose from U.S $3, 381 in March 2020 to $8, 255 or Php 463, 766 in May 2022. The cost increase was attributed mainly to lithium, nickel, and cobalt that are parts of the battery.

Bolivia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chile produce the largest lithium, cobalt, and lithium, respectively, in the world.

Tesla became the world's leading electric vehicle manufacturer in December 2019, according to an article Newest CAM Study shows Tesla as EV Sales Leaders by Chris Randal and published on February 4, 2020 in Electricdrive.com.  Its Model S was the world's top selling plug-in electric car in 2015 and 2016 and its Model 3 has been the world's bestselling plug-in electric car for four consecutive years, from 2018 to 2021.The Tesla Model 3 surpassed the (Mitsubishi) Leaf in early 2020 to become the world's cumulative bestselling electric car, according to an article titled Tesla Passes 1 Million EV Milestone & Model 3 Becomes All Time Best Seller published by Clean Technica in April 12, 2020. Tesla produced its 1 millionth electric car in March 2020, becoming the first auto manufacturer to do so.

Other leading electric vehicles – according to Wikipedia - are Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance with vehicle sales totaling over 1 million light-duty electric vehicles; Nissan with global sales of about 500,000 cars and vans sold by April 2020; Groupe Renault with more than 397,000 EVs sold worldwide; BAIC Motor with 480,000 units sold; SAIC Motor with 314,000 units; Geely with 228,700 all cumulative sales in China as of December 2019; and Volkswagen.

(Send comments totomortz@yahoo.com)

Cojuangco Wants End of Illegal Constrn. in Baywalk, Lingayen Gulf

 Told Guico, DENR, Binmaley Mayor on Land Grabbing

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINMALEY, PANGASINAN – The Congressman of the Pangasinan 2^nd District requested with dispatch the Department of Environment Natural Resources for a cease and desist order of the senseless construction of human structures in the Binmaley’s Baywalk, the portion of military Camp Andres Malong, and along the stretches of Lingayen Gulf pending determination of the legality of their status.

This was according to the August 7, 2022 letter of Congressman Mark O. Cojuangco to Forester Frank Vincent D. Danglose of the Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) based in Dagupan City.   

Photo is internet grabbed.

The same letter content with the same date was sent by the lawmaker to Binmaley Mayor Pedro Merrera.

“It has come to my attention that portions of Camp Andres Malong located at Barangay (s) Baybay and San Isidro Norte, Binmaley, Pangasinan with a total area of 19, 1479 hectares, is now being illegally occupied by private buildings and other commercial establishments,” excerpt of the letter.

Cong. Cojuangco's letter to Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico, III. Photo credit Northern Watch Reporter Arnel Montemayor.

The military reservation was created by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 119 dated December 18, 1936 and a donation executed by Mino Ferrer dated November 25, 1938.

But in the August 21, 2022 letter, an exasperated Cojuangco wrote Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico, III that after two weeks he complained to the DENR and Mayor Merrera the stoppage of the constructions in Binmaley “ has accelerated rather than ceased, until today still occupying Camp Andres Malong and constructions therein are still in progress”.

Cong. Cojuangco's letter to Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico, III. Photo credit Northern Watch Reporter Arnel Montemayor.

The solon said that Mayor Merrera had verbally called in August 21 (Sunday) Pangasinan Police Provincial Office Director Jeff E. Fanged to enforce a cease and desist order there.

Merrera, Cojuangco wrote, informed his municipal administrator and lawyer Jen Calamiong to write to the owners of the structures to immediately stop their construction.

 Cojuangco exhorted Guico and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislative body) to collaborate with him to the immediate demolition of all these illegal structures.

“It is only through our joint and immediate action that this illegal possession and blatant land grabbing of public land can be resolved,” he said.

The Baywalk particularly became famous in and out of this town for people who patronize the beach houses for rent and the cozy food and entertainment establishments there.

 

 

 

Moneyed Politicians Can Lose If They’re Brash

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I was at a party recently and my politically perceptive friend and I talked about the power-play of personalities in a particular first class town.

In the last election the then incumbent mayor there - whose father was into a big time construction business with the provincial government -  lost by more than two thousand votes to the multi-millionaire rival.

The former hizzoner failed his reelection bid because his P1,500 per voter buying spree among the tens of thousands of electorates ran short to the rival who bought votes at P2,000 per voter.

Salamabit, it happened in the 2019 election where the workaholic mayor lost because she votes’ buy at P2,500 each of the electorates while her rival shelled out P3,000 per voter. The mostly vulnerable, gullible, and corrupt voters forget her mammoth accomplishments in her six years’ stint and vote instead the other mayorship bet because he outbidded her by P500.

I told my pal in that party – where we quaffed Johnny Walker - that superiority of money against an opponent is not a not a sine qua non in winning the reelection if the two duke out in the 2025 mayorship derby.

“Look at that multi-millionaire mayor of another municipality,” I cited. Despite the wherewithal, the hizzoner still lost to the challenger – a former mayor – because the voters just took the monies of the incumbent in the eve of the poll but vote for the rival who could empathize with their feelings and insecurities. The beaten brash mayor – reports reached me – had the propensity to embarrass the department heads and staff of the local government unit and even tore a document of a barangay chairman who made a call at the office.

“I resigned in September when the mayor sat in June 30 (2019). I saw how the chief executive berated and humiliated even the department heads in public. I don't want to give the mayor a chance to embarrass me, too,” a lady staff, who was identified with the former hizzoner, told me on conditioned of anonymity when I bumped into her.

But to the mayor who bought vote at P1,500 but lost in the May 13, 2022 election, he can recapture the municipal perch in May 2025 if the present occupant emulates the overbearing attitude of that sitting mayor who lost.

“Whatever amount of wherewithal you have if the masa could not stomach your attitude, they will just get your money and vote for your opponent who have inferior capacity to buy the preference of the voters,” my friend opined.

The chance of the former young mayor to capture the municipal hall is dim, my pal added however. He has no job to earn him funds for his next bid.

He just piggy back on the wealth of his parent. A phenomenon in Philippines politics where even an “idiotic” daughter or wife can be a Congress member or whatever because the family is in power already or has tens of millions of pesos to bankroll the hustings.

Nincompoop politician wins because idiotic voters can be bought – I usually quipped in an animated huddle with with pals or while we swigged booze.

“His father, a contractor, is out of his lucrative business too because his patron the then governor has been yanked out of office in the last May election,” I added.

This rich source of fund was one of the reasons the young mayor bludgeoned his uncle – a seasoned long reigning mayor in the burgeoning town – in the May 2016 election and decked out his challenger cousin – a former hizzoner, too – in the 2019 poll.

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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.

 

Merrera, Rosario Open for Collaboration

 Despite Brewing Tensions on Garbage Funding

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINMALEY, Pangasinan – The brewing tension between the mayor and the vice mayor here is not indefinite as both are open to collaborate for the good of this coastal town.

Former mayor and the present vice mayor Sam Rosario told the solons of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) in one of their recent sessions that he was willing to support any programs of Mayor Pete Merrera.

Rosario is allied with nine out of the ten members of lawmakers in the SB.

SCHISM? Binmaley Mayor Pete Merrera (left, photo)
and Vice Mayor Sam Rosario.

“Please tell the Mayor I’m supporting any of his programs,” Rosario exhorted the solons in one of the recent sessions where he said he has no plan to run for any political office in the future.

“Ah anyway, kung deal of support deal of support not by words. Kasi ako naman handa naman akong… kailangan ko rin ang tulong nila,” Merrera retorted when this writer recalled to him what Rosario had said on that session as seen on a video sent to him by a reporter of this newspaper.

Earlier, supporters of the two highest elective officials here exchanged barbs at the Facebook account of Mayor Merrera after the latter posted, excerpts:

“ Sa ngayon, hindi pa rin inaaprubahan ng Sangguniang Bayan ang resolution upang payagan ang Municipal Government, sa pangunguna ni Mayor Merrera, upang i-renew ang Memorandum of Agreement para sa waste management services (disposal ng residual wastes) sa pagitan ng lokal na pamahalaan at Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation”.

“Sa isang regular flag raising ceremony noong Hulyo, inihayag ni Mayor Merrera ang pagkadismaya sa sadyang pagharang at pamumulitika sa nasabing resolution”.

A certain Sam Ross, who said he was Vice Mayor Rosario, answered the post of Merrera, excerpt:

“Hindi po totoo na hindi po namin inaaprubahan ang resolution. Sadya nilang binawi ang resolution na Hindi namin alam ang kadahilanan. Pag alis ko sa puwesto bilang mayor noong June 30. May pondo para sa gasolina at para sa solid waste management. 50 percent ang total budget for 2022 ang nagastos lang namin dahil sa election . Sumunod kami sa regulation. Huwag kayong maniwala sa mga fake news na ikinakalat nila. Pakiusap Lang po nagsabi po kayo ng totoo. Maraming salamat. This is Vice mayor Sammy Rosario dating mayor po ninyo”.

Rosario was a nine years' chief executive here whose term ended last June 30.

Merrera told this newspaper that he withdrew the request in the SB for the funding of the P800 per metric ton (pmt) of garbage this town delivered to Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) in Pampanga because the lawmaking body through the request of Rosario would have to investigate first his municipal administrator why the contract of P850 per ton was inked when Merrera bargained easily the present P800 pmt he pays.

The contract with MCWMC during the administration of former mayor Rosario to dispose the refuse of Binmaley to Clark expired on June 30 this year.

“Kung e-ano pa wala sa committee marami pang pruseso ni pull-out ko na iyan,” Merrera explained why he pulled it out from a committee in the SB so it could not procrastinate his request for the funding of the garbage disposal this year.

Merrera was negotiating with Metro Urdaneta Waste Management Corporation –Urdaneta City that opened in August 15, 2022 for a P500 to P600 pmt service fee of the refuse of the people here.

“What I did through my pocket. Ako rin ang ang deliver at naghakot (going to Clark of the garbage)”.

This first class municipality has at least P350 million present annual budget considered as high among first class towns in Pangasinan.

It has however a more than P124 million loan in the Development Bank of the Philippines where the local government unit pays an interest of 4.25% a year.

Merrera negotiated with the bank that eventually complied that the town pays 4% interest only on top of the yearly amortization.

SM Seals Partnership with PHINMA-UPANG

SM Supermalls initiated another academe-industry partnership in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing ceremony on August 8, 2022. PHINMA-UPANG is the first university in the province of Pangasinan to seal such partnership with SM Supermalls. 

Ms. Cheryll Ruth L. Agsaoay, SM Supermalls’ Vice President for Human Resources, acknowledged through a letter the demonstrated values and skills of top talents from PHINMA-UPANG who have joined SM through the years.

PHOTO OPPURTUNITY to seal the memorandum of agreement (MOA) are (from left to right, photo) PHINMA-UPANG Asst. Chief Operation Officer (COO) Engineer Lyndon G. Padama and COO Ms. Cheryl Jane P. Chan and SM representatives’ Human Resources Manager Ms. Crisal B. Aquino, SM City Urdaneta Central Mall Manager Mr. Abraham M. Malicdem, SM City Rosales Mall Manager Mr. Herald D. Eleria, and SM Center Dagupan Mall Manager Ms. Eileen V. Delos Santos. 

In response, PHINMA-UPANG Chief Operations Officer / Executive Vice President,

Ms. Cheryl Jane P. Chan, stated that students will have the advantage over the others when they face the real world. She added that the university is grateful that they have found an ally in making lives better, as one of the university’s missions.

As stipulated in the MOA, PHINMA-UPANG will be responsible in supporting SM Supermalls in its recruitment and job placement activities. PHINMA-UPANG is also privileged to participate in the internship program of SM. Meanwhile, SM shall abide by the processes of PHINMA-UPANG in carrying out its job, recruitment activities and career fair programs. SM is also accountable to admit students to partake in the company’s internship program and guarantee development of their knowledge, skills, and attitude in training for their future career.

Other PHIMA-UPANG official present in the signing ceremony was Engineer Lyndon G. Padama, Assistant Chief Operations Officer. SM representatives including Human Resources Manager Ms. Crisal B. Aquino, SM City Urdaneta Central Mall Manager Mr. Abraham M. Malicdem, SM City Rosales Mall Manager

Mr. Herald D. Eleria, and SM Center Dagupan Mall Manager Ms. Eileen V. Delos Santos, also witnessed the successful endeavor. (P.R News)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P2.4-B Chinese Shabu Dealer Uses Subd. Owned by P’nan Politician

  By Mortz C. Ortigoza

After the narcos in the Philippines trembled, cowed, and absconded because of the brutal drug wars launched to them by then President Rodrigo Duterte in his term where thousands of them died, big time Mainland Chinese narcotic dealers are coming with their nefarious trade under the Administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos who these malefactors think would be soft by not murdering them.

Yesterday, a police source told me about a mammoth raid by various operatives of the country in a subdivision owned by a politician in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan.

Philippine police and drug enforcement officers set up a display of more than a half ton of crystal methamphetamine confiscated following an operation in which four Chinese nationals were killed in Zambales province, Sept. 7, 2021. Photo Credit: Benarnews.org

He said that law enforcers seized 360 kilograms of shabu (crystal methamphetamine or meth for brevity) with estimated Dangerous Drugs Board's value of P2.448 billion (other news reports said it was 400 kgs worth P2.72-B) and arrested Ke Wujia - a Chinese National, 49 years old, and a resident of San Vicente Sur, Agoo, La Union -;  Johnbert Yagong - 22 years old - ; 3. Jenson Rey Yago - 29 years old, a resident of Napaturan, Brgy. Codcod, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental - ; and 4. Ritchell Repuesto - 28 years old, a resident of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

The situs of their illegal trade was in the Blue House Subdivision located along Torqouise St. Sunshine Village, Brgy. Banding, Pozzorubio, Pangasinan.

I saw on the television the presence there of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) top honchos led by Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva, Deputy Director Greg Pimentel – a former Police Region-1 Director -, and my kasimanwa - Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Adrian G. Alvariño -  who guffawed on the antics I posted at Facebook and the pride of PDEA because of his feats -, members of the Philippine Navy, and the cops in Region-1.

Pimental (a PMYer like Villanueva and Alvariño) told GMA-7 news that the billions of pesos’ narcs were intended to Regions 2, 3, and the Western Visayas.

Madali makuha yung mga supply dito kasi nasa dalampasigan lang ang Region 1 (It is easier to transport supply here since Region 1 (Ilocos Region) is a coastal area," he said.

The malefactors would then repack the illegal drugs in Pozorrubio town, and send it to customers outside Pangasinan through a technique called dead-drop, he added.

As their modus operandi, the suspects would purchase used cars and leave them at the designated area, with the narcs inside the car, hidden inside junk food products that were covered by blankets.

The buy-bust operation was initially for five kilos of shabu worth P5 million but the law enforcers uncovered more blocks of suspected meth bundled in 18 sacks marked with Chinese tea Guanyiwang.

The raid resulted to the following seizures: 360 Kgs of shabu worth P2.448B; two cellphones (android); one analog phone; various identification cards ; various  documents; and Php P5 Million boodle money.

Top brass of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) answer questions from the media after the the narcotics raid in Pozzurubio, Pangasinan. Photo Credit:Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Adrian G. Alvariño

 The busted bad guys together with the confiscated illegal drugs are now under the custody of PDEA for proper disposition. Case for Violation of Sections 5 and 11, Art. II of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) are being prepared for filing in court against them.

Selling of narcs in the Philippines is a non-bailable felony.

***

Here were the poser and statement to me by my source - a decorated police official:

1)      Kapag gagawa ka ng illegal, see to it that you have the right connection and knowledge of the ground to have the confidence na mag-prosper ang illegal activity mo. Who gave them the confidence to utilize that property in Pozzurobio?

2)      Mala “exclusive” iyong subdivision. Guarded at kailangan ang clearance (to those who want to enter – MCO) sa subdivision owner – the Politician.