Wait for SONA on Brgy Poll – Solon

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN -  Will there be a barangay election on October?

A congressman said that stakeholders should wait for the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte at the State of the Nation Address on July 24.

President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address (SONA)

“Whatever is the stand of the chief executive and it will be made as priority to conduct or postphone, the barangay election there will (inaudible),” declared by Pangasinan Second District Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil.

When asked for a law to empower the president to postphone the election on October and if the Congress can expedite the passage of the bill to back up the extension, the solon said he was not privy about the House of the Senate, but members of the House of Representatives can fast tract it.

Greedy, Corrupt Member of Congress

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I and a first class town mayor talked about an avaricious and corrupt member of the House of Representatives.

The spouse of this lawmaker chided a mayor when the former learned that the latter was responsible for the downloading of the sum of a multi-million pesos national project to a government bank in the province the latter faithfully followed up with the powers that be in Manila.

“Sabi ng mayor when it was downloaded from the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) the spouse of the lawmaker angrily called her on the phone. Ang sabi, bakit ninyo pinangungunahan ang project dapat sa amin iyan!” I said.

To the uninitiated, being a recipient of a project means twenty percent of the project goes to the pocket of the congressman. Politicians and private contractors called this anomaly in the jargon as S.O.P.

“Hinde lang ganid iyang mag-asawa ayon sa mga contractors, ma epal pa kahit kaunting drainage canal andoon na ang mukha nila,” my mayor friend narrated.

The hizzoner cited his experiences with his former congresswoman where a downloaded project was claimed by the underlings of the latter.

“Sasabihin nila na sila daw ang nag follow up sa Manila. I disagreed and argued with them. Tapos, hihirit kung ilang percent daw ang bigay ko sa kanila sa project. I told them bluntly, wala kayong porsiyento dito!”

The mayor added that his present congressman does not interfere with the dilemma of the mayor I mentioned earlier. He said whatever projects the mayors in the district chalked up in Manila the solon did not intervene.

Do we have congressmen and congresswomen like this non-covetous solon in the province?

PAYAO FOR BETTER FISHING

DAGUPAN CITY – In a bid to increase the income of small fisher folks here, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) – Region 1 and the local government of Dagupan installed at least six fish aggregating devices called payaos in the Lingayen Gulf, particularly along the area of Barangay Pugaro on July 12.

Fisher folks of Barangay Pugaro install four aggregating devices called payaos in the Lingayen Gulf, particularly along the area of Barangay Pugaro on July 12. The installation of six payaos is under the livelihood assistance program of the City Agriculture Office on order of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in a bid to increase the income of small fisher folks. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

Being a livelihood assistance to the small fisher folks, residents of Barangay Pugaro, – in the spirit of “bayanihan” – helped staff of the City Agriculture Office and BFAR in installing the payaos in four strategic areas in the gulf.

“This is another significant day for our fisher folks in the city as this will help them save more time in looking for fish to catch without going far into the middle of the sea thus spending more money for their gasoline", ” said City Agriculture Officer Emma J. Molina.

The payaos were submerged in about six to seven feet deep and each is about three to four kilometers away from the shoreline of Pugaro.

“We choose Pugaro because this area will soon be a tourist spot and we would like to show to the people that we are serious in protecting our sea especially against dynamite fishing. Furthermore, we are assured that our fisher folks here will keep the payaos safe from getting lost in the sea,” said Molina noting that the first payao installed was lost in the sea and was never recovered.

Pugaro, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is the breeding place of some high-value fish like lapu-lapu and talakitok.

LARGER THAN LIFE WITH SM ACCESSORIES

                Although accessories are the elements of style that come in small packages, they are actually larger than life in their visual impact and ability to make a strong statement. This is evident in the latest campaign of SM Accessories, which features larger than life accessories floating against a backdrop of smaller people images.

                Here neckpieces dazzle, hats say hello in a big way, and eyewear pieces electrify not only with their size, but their great style.  And to be sure, you’ll feel their elegance and energy as you navigate the office, home, weekend, and party circuit.

                There are statement necklaces with leaf accents; floppy wide brimmed straw hats and classic fedoras; and retro inspired sunnies with modern updates – from tinted lenses to classic everyday frames.

                SM Accessories is available at all SM Stores nationwide. Get connected with SM Accessories through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat: @smaccessories.

Mangaldan Mayor retrofits market’s façade

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – The mayor here graced recently the groundbreaking ceremony of the renovation of the public market she dubbed as the market central of the three towns and a city that surrounded it.

“The objective of this project is kept atop of the design of modern infrasture and architectural design of the modern world. Sabi nga nila embrace change and we all knew Mangaldan market is the center market catering to the nearby towns which are San Fabian, Manaoag, Mapandan and even Dagupan City,” the mayor stressed.

Architect's design of the face-lifting of the Mangaldan Public Market.

She cited that because of this strategical location the burgeouning town has a “market day” every day - a comparative advantage to other local government unit (LGU) that has one market day only in a week.

Huge High School has New Principal

NEW PRINCIPAL. Dr. Leo Blaquir takes his Oath of Office as the new Principal IV of Mangaldan National High School with the town’s Mayor Bona Fe De Vera-Parayno and Vice Mayor Jojo Surdilla at the Mayor's Office this morning. Mangaldan, Pangasinan has the biggest national high school in Region -1 with 35,000 students to boot. (Photo Credit: Councilor Aldrin Soriano)

DAGUPAN JOINS ASIA CEO FORUM IN MAKATI

DAGUPAN CITY – This city joined the province of Pangasinan in promoting the potentials of the province to foreign and local investors in the Asia CEO Forum held at Dusit Thai Hotel in Makati City on July 5.

MBTF JOINS ASIA CEO FORUM – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (4^th from left),  along with other Pangasinan Local Chief Executives, namely  (from left) San Carlos City Mayor Joseres Resuello, Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste, and Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez IV, Pangasinan Governor Amado I. Espino III (center), Harriet Abordo (5^thfrom left) of PEZA, Rey Untal (6^th from left) of IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines,  Manaoag Mayor Kim Amador (6^th from right), Binmaley Mayor Simplicio Rosario (7^th from right), Dasol Mayor Eric Versoza (8^thfrom right), Umingan Mayor Michael Cruz (9^th from right) and Raffy Baraan (2^nd from right) serves as one of the panelists in the Asia CEO Forum at Dusit Thai Hotel in Makati City on July 5 where she promoted the city to foreign and local investors as a zero corruption and red tape free city. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

As one of the panelists at the forum, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez presented Dagupan to some 150 local and foreign investors which include resorts property owners, food processing companies, renewable energy companies, and business process outsourcing industries among others.

Fernandez made a sales pitch for the city that Dagupan is a pool of talents, strong infrastructure and the presence of investors’ support services.

“In our city, we hate corruption that is why we have zero corruption and our city is red tape free,” said Fernandez.

With the city’s new Comprehensive Land Use Plan duly approved by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board in Resolution No. 945 series of 2017 on May 3, Dagupan is opening new gates of development in Lucao-Pantal as tourism growth center, Poblacion, Caranglaan-Tebeng and Bonuan area as the other new growth centers.