Marcos on the Spratly, Vice Presidency

Q & A: Philippine Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. talks about the Philippines and Chinese claim on the islets and reefs in the West Philippines Sea and his probable run for the vice presidency with political columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza. Excerpts:

Senator Bong Bong Marcos (C) poses for posterity with
Veteran Scribe Ruben Rivera and Columnist Mortz
Ortigoza  (extreme right).

MORTZ: Sir, lately I was watching the Spratly and Scarborough Islets (in the West Philippines Sea) brouhahas there were 16 Pangasinan fishermen who wrote a complaint to the United Nations, then I saw your statement there that you were for the Bilateral Agreement with the Chinese.....
SENATOR BONGBONG MARCOS: No, no, no. I am for the Bilateral Talks with the Chinese..
MORTZ: Ya, Bilateral Talks with the Chinese...
MARCOS: Because, because for the first time in the entire situation the Chinese has agreed to talk in the framework of international law or the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) which is something that they never done before. Tapos noong nakaraan they talked about the 9 Dash Lines. Now they are willing to talk about under UN. That’s new. Hindi rin ni-rerecognized ng ating DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) hindi ata nalalaman kung gaano kalaking pagbabago ito. So we continued to do nothing except making our case in the jurisdiction ng UN.
MORTZ: The perception in the Philippines is the Chinese could not be trusted. One of the examples there is the Panatag Shoal’s hullabaloo where the BRP Pampanga left (in 2012 after it replaced the country’s frigate BRP Gregorio Del Pilar) with the Chinese as agreed. They, the Chinese ships, did not leave the place that’s why Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal now is controlled by the Chinese.

MARCOS: Will that as it may, we should talk with the Chinese or we should be with.. with... just doing nothing will not ignore the situation. We have to do something and I think the Chinese may give even as an opening and so we should take it. It’s an opportunity. Let’s start, I think, there.
In a way to begin this discussion if napaguusapan lang natin kung papaano ang policy ng Chinese at ng Philippines sa fishermen bago nagkagulo ng ganito. Iyong mangingisda ng China at saka ng Pilippines laging magkasama iyan e. They fish together at pagkatapos nilang mag fishing they eat together. Nagkikita kita sila. Walang problem, ngayon nagkaka problema. Ngayon, di ba natin ibalik doon sa dating situation. Uumpisahan natin fishermen para naman ang mga tao natin hindi naman nahihirapan.  So let’s start from this that’s still a small step. Let’s keep going we have to start. I’m not saying, if we met with the Chinese under the UNCLOS na tapos lahat ng problema natin. I’m not saying but we have to do something. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.

5 Pangasinan towns to offer free wi-fi

DAGUPAN CITY -Various public places in five Pangasinan towns will soon offer free wi-fi connection to the public through the “Juan Konek” program of the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO), bent on providing access to information, communication and technology.

Director Cheryl Ortega of DOST-ICTO Field Operations Office – Luzon Cluster 2, said the free wi-fi connection, which will be initially installed in selected schools and public places of the five towns in Pangasinan including Dagupan City, is in response to the implementation of the Television White Space (TVWS) technology.

Ortega said the program, which aims to enhance the internet accessibility for Filipinos in order to accelerate economic, social and education opportunities and reduce the digital divide, will cover all the 3rd to 6th class municipalities nationwide with a P1.4 billion fund.

The five municipalities in the province that will be provided with free wi-fi connection of the DOST-ICTO are the towns of San Jacinto, Laoac, Sta. Maria, Tayug and Natividad, she said.

Ortega disclosed that the public places such as public libraries, public schools, plazas, town hall, government hospitals and rural health units are the areas where the free public wi-fi shall be installed.

Dagupan school board confirms promotion of DepEd officials

 

DAGUPAN CITY – The Local School Board on Tuesday, September 29, has formally confirmed the appointment and promotion of the candidates for the different positions at the Division of City Schools here.

 

After going through a thorough screening and evaluation by the Division Personnel Selection Board, the following candidates were promoted as Public Schools District Supervisor: Margoth B. Calulut, Alicia B. Quimboy, Jaime C. Siapno, Leonarda J. Manansala and Rowena O. Lapaan. 

 

Meanwhile, Agnes P. Bacugan was promoted Supervisor for English while the following were promoted to Principal IV: Jane T. Cajayon, Maricris P. Ferrer and Liduvina Q. Antonio while Joann L. Jimenez, DepEd personnel, was promoted to the position of Planning Officer III.

Under the Local Government Code or Republic Act No.  7160, the Department of Education shall consult the local school board on the appointment of division superintendents, district supervisors, school principals and other school officials.

The board also approved the annual supplementary budgetary needs for the operation and maintenance of public schools within the city and the supplementary cost of meeting such needs amounting to P23.5 million, which is P1.5 million higher than last year’s school board budget.

The amount is based on the one percent share of the board in the city’s Real Property Tax collection as provided for under Section 99, paragraph (a) of the Local Government Code.

Aside from this, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez has allocated P63,438,000.00 million for education under the city’s General Fund for 2015 and has increased this to P75,794,049.19 million for 2016.

The amount was allocated for the construction of covered court gymnasiums, classrooms of 3 to 4 storeys, perimeter fences of various schools, repair and electrical re-wiring of various schools, upgrading of school grounds and drainage system, among others.

Clean-up of rivers, esteros, coastal areas yields 3.6 tons of trash

DAGUPAN CITY – A total of 3,285.95 kilograms or 3.6 tons of trash was collected during the International Clean-Up Drive here on September 19 in the three coastal areas, 20 river areas and creeks of the city.

Comprising the top 10 items of trash collected were cigarette butts, food wrappers, grocery bags (plastic), other plastic bags, foam containers, plastic straws and stirrers, plastic bottle caps, plastic cups and plates, plastic forks, knives and spoons; and paper cups and plates.

Around 65,916 pieces of cigarette butts and 52,898 pieces of food wrappers consisting of candy, chips among others were collected while plastic bags accounted around 39, 912 pieces.

The most unusual items collected consisted of clothes, shoes and slippers.

The city’s target numbers of volunteers of about 300 to 400 actually exceeded 3,203 with 15 of them children under 12 years old.

The volunteers came from the different sectors of the city with the Barangay Family as having the most number of volunteers of at least 1,865; at least 358 from the city hall family; 278 from Bonuan Boquig National High School; 215 from the ranks of 4Ps; 97 from Barangay Health Workers; and 88 from the Dagupan City Police.

The other volunteers were from the Metro-Dagupan Chamber of Commerce Incorporated, 50; Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines, 45; Colegio de Dagupan, 40; Lyceum Northwestern University-ROTC, 34; Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-NIFTDC, 24; AKTO, 20; Salapingao National High School, 19; Senior Citizens, 15; Barangay Service Point Officers, 15; PhilHealth, 9; BFAR-R1, 6; PRIMO, 6; Speedo Riders, 5; Boy Scouts of the Philippines, 3; and Land Bank of the Philippines, 3.

Cayetano, suportado ni Duterte sa pagtakbo bilang Bise-Presidente

Wala pang desisyon ang alkalde ng Davao City na si Rodrigo Duterte kung tatakbo nga ba siya bilang Pangulo sa 2016, pero suportado naman niya si Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano sa pagtakbo niya bilang Pangalawang Pangulo. Sa isang panayam sa Davao City nitong Martes (Set. 29), sinabi ni Duterte na matagal na ang mabuting ugnayan niya sa mga Cayetano, mula pa sa senador na si Renato “Compañero” Cayetano.

DUTERTE-CAYETANO. Ang sikat na Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte
(gitna) at sina Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano sa Davao City 
noong September 29. PHOTO CREDIT: Pia Ranada

"Kaibigan ko itong magkapatid talaga (patungkol sa magkapatid na Cayetano na sina Senador Alan at Senador Pia Cayetano) matagal ng panahon. At alam nila ang mga taga-Davao ay buo ang suporta sa kanilang pamilya,” dagdag ni Duterte.

Goat Industry in Pangasinan to thrive more with GPN

 Lingayen – Goat industry in Pangasinan may thrive more as backyard raisers and goat raisers will be encouraged to engage on ‘goat production network’ (GPN), a project which seeks to help increase goat production to eventually bring more business ventures for the industry stakeholders.

            This was bared by Asingan Sheep and Goat Raisers Association (ASGA) President Nestor Salvador during a courtesy call on Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. last September 29 as he said that the concept of GPN will help develop backyard raisers, to become entrepreneurs or “contract growers” and later on become core or breeder farm who will produce required kids for fattening by other contract growers.

            Mr. Salvador along with some board of directors of Nagkaisa, a cooperative under ASGA, informed Governor Espino that the idea of GPN will help resolve the slow and inconsistent goat production in the province.

            Governor Espino, who vowed to help the ASGA on the implementation of the GPN, said that the project will contribute a lot to the goat industry of the province even as he said that it will benefit Pangasinenses through employment generation.

Villasis not a threat to investment in Urdaneta City – Perez

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

URDANETA CITY – Despite some new investors putting shops in neighbouring Villasis, the town is not a threat to this city according to its mayor.

Threat to Urdaneta City? Wilcon Depot in
Villasis, Pangasinan

Mayor Amadeo "Bobom" G.E. Perez IV said that business taxes here did not spike on a year-on-year basis because one of the reasons many would - be investors go to Villasis because of the low taxes and cheap prices of lands there.
He cited a big furniture shop Wilcon that constructed an edifice at the flooded area of Barangay Bacag near the boundary of this city.
He said he is not threatened about the swell of investors at the neighbouring first class town but exhorted his constituents not to sell lands expensively so this city can attract more investors.
Many economic spectators saw this area of Villasis near the boundary of this city as a future burgeoning business hub compared to the boundaries of this city and Binalonan and Sta. Barbara town.
“There are eateries there but if the construction of TPLEX (the 88.85 kilometers Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway) would be transferred in Pozurubbio, the exit of the vehicles (from Manila) would be there,” Perez referred to the future movements of business from the boundaries of this city and Binalonan to Pozurubbio