Ex-Guv Espino, P’nan Dads Support Perez for PCL Election

By Renato “Atong” V. Remogat

LINGAYEN – While the Pangasinan Councilor’s League election is fast approaching, both camps of the political families' Perezes and Celestes of the gargantuan Pangasinan province are now consolidating their forces.

PANGASINAN’S LUMINARIES pose for prosperity for the Pangasinan Councilor’s League (PCL)  incoming election. From (L-R). Re-elected 6^th District Board Member Salvador “Dong” Perez, Former San Manuel Mayor, San Manuel Vice Mayor Salvador M. Perez, Former Pangasinan Governor, 5^th District and now Abante Pangasinan-Ilocano Partylist Chairman Amado T. Espino, Jr., Councilor Honeyboy Perez, and re-elected San Manuel Mayor Kenneth Perez.  

                It was known that the Celestes have already started calling up re-elected and newly elected members of the council.

                Yet the Perez camp have leaned on the support of former Pangasinan Governor and incumbent Abante Pangasinan-Ilocano Partylist Chairman Amado T. Espino, Jr.

                It was learned that Espino has already endorsed Antonio “Honeyboy” Perez during the meeting of all the allies of the former congressman Espino  in a gathering recently.

                Present during the meeting were the majority of the re-elected and newly elected mayors, vice mayors and the district’s board members.

                Political pundits are seeing that the contest in the councilors' league will be competitive between the two camps since both have the power, influence, and money.

                In a telephone interview with the former San Manuel Mayor, Vice Mayor Salvador “Badong” Perez, told this Writer in the vernacular with his baritone voice: “Iyong laban namin ng mga Celeste ay sa pulitika lang, hindi naman sana masisira yong samahan namin bilang magkaka-ibigan dahil pulitika lang yan”.

                Number one newly elected councilor Antonio “Honeyboy” Perez is the fifth son of former Mayor Perez while his rival Councilor Arthur Celeste, Jr. is the son of 1^st District Congressman Arthur Celeste.

                Whoever will win in the PCL election will be catapulted to be the ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislative body) representing the councilors’ in the forty four towns and three cities’ Pangasinan.

 

Coco Martin Look–Alike Won by Landslide Vs. Siting VM, Ex-VM

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – A less moneyed vice mayoralty candidate in this capital town buried with massive votes a sitting vice mayor and a former vice mayor here because of his being a doppelganger of the country’s most sought actor Coco Martin of the top-rating television drama series’ FPJ Ang Probinsyano.

LOOK-ALIKE. Lingayen Vice Mayor Dexter Malicdem (left) who is dubbed as the dead ringer of TV King actor Coco Martin and Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil pose for posterity near the town hall. Malicdem won in a landslide votes in the May election against then incumbent Vice Mayor Juday Vargas and former Vice Mayor Nephtalie Pasiliao with 22, 148 and 18, 514 margin, respectively. 

“Probinsiyano kami diya! Probinsiyano kami diya! Probinsiyano kami diya! (We are for the Probinsiyano here! We are for Probinsiyano here! We are for Probinsiyano here!),” chants paraphrased by public relation man Arnel Montemayor in the office of the mayor of the supporters of this town’s newly elected Vice Mayor Mac Dexter Malicdem every time he went to do a stump to most of the 32 villages here months before the May 9, 2022 election.

Martin alias the intrepid Kardo Dalisay is the King of Philippines’ boob tube.

“Kardo Dalisay ako, Sir! (I’m Kardo Dalisay, Sir!)” gamely quipped to Montemayor and this writer by Malicdem about Martin's role in the television series when the duo visited him at the office of the mayor for his acting role as the chief executive after Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil went to South Korea.

The 31 years old still single Malicdem told Northern Watch Newspaper that he is not a product of a political family since no one among his ascendants has experience with politics in the past.

He is a registered nurse who worked momentarily at the Regional-1 Medical Center in Dagupan City before he resigned and took his Bachelor of Science in Optometry at the Lyceum Northwestern University in Dagupan City.

Leading star Coco Martin in "Ang Probinsyano" | Photo Credit: Instagram/ Mr.Cocomartin

The courteous soft spoken vice mayor disclosed that when he ran for the Sangguniang Bayan (legislative assembly) in the May 9, 2016 he won the No. 2 slot of the eight members body.

In the May 13, 2019 poll he was catapulted to the No. 1 post among the eight members’ S.B.

In the May 9, 2022 electoral derby he “bludgeoned” the incumbent Vice Mayor Juday Vargas and former Vice Mayor Nephtalie Pasiliao with 22, 148 and  18, 514 lead votes, respectively.

In that poll Malicdem, Pasilao, and Vargas garnered 33, 679, 15, 514, 11, 531 total votes, respectively.

 

 

San Fabian Mayora Continues Programs of Predecessor-Hubby

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan – The new lady mayor here will continue the programs and projects initiated by her husband and predecessor.

Former Mayor Constante “Danny” Agbayani said that incumbent Mayor Marlyn Espino - Agbayani will carry on the scholarship given by the previous administration to college students and constituents, those unfinished infrastructures, and other projects he started.

Mayor Marlyn Espino - Agbayani

“Tatapusin iyong infrastructure na hindi natin nagawa. Susundan niya pa rin iyong mga ginawa ko. Priority pa rin iyong mga scholarship”.

The former Chief Executive said each of the scholars here in the tertiary level of education receives every week an allowance.

“Depende kasi limang libo may allowance sila. P1,000 every weekend”.

The Agbayanis have given too financial assistance of P25,000 from the embalming to the internment of the dead of the bereaved family here.

One of the major infrastructure projects constructed when former Mayor Agbayani – who is now the incumbent Vice Mayor – was the more than a hundred of millions of pesos’ modern public market located along the highway in Barangay Cayangan here.

The giant infrastructure, the former mayor said, is in preparation for the San Miguel Corporation’s P50 billion agro-industrial and tourism industry which could generate more than 3,000 workers.

“O di saan sila kakain kung walang Jollibee?” Agbayani posed then to this newspaper after political detractors here opposed the construction of the market.

He said another project the agriculture building was already completed during his mayoral stint.

How Lucky Me! and Pancit Canton Gradually Kill Consumers

                   By Mortz C. Ortigoza

With European Union countries’ Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Croatia, Greenland, Faeroe Islands, and Malta banning Lucky Me! instant noodles and Pancit Canton manufactured in Thailand because of their poisonous content that gradually kill the consumers, I wonder what has the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines (formerly the Bureau of Food and Drugs) has been doing on the dried noodles that are the favorite staple of the poor in the country?

The governments of the E.U countries prohibited their people to consume Pancit Canton’s beef noodle soup, original, chili, kalamansi, and chilimansi because they contained ethylene oxide in the food's spice mix.

If these European countries stopped their people to consume these products, what has the FDA been doing to stave off the Pinoys from these two noodle brands?

The food regulatory body has known to have issues of incompetency with rogue producers in the past.

I remembered before about those buko juice commercially distributed all over the country allegedly mixed with formalin to stay fresh.

I remembered too those candies and other food products imported from China that contain formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is a chemical used for the production of polymers and other compounds. It is used to in glues for the manufacturing wood products and embalming solutions. Formaldehyde is a toxin, allergen and carcinogen, and is restricted or banned in many countries due to its detrimental effects.

With the continued sale in the country of these noodle and pancit by Lucky Me!, I pity the great unwashed in the Philippines who survived their daily struggle in life through these cheap products as their daily three if not two square meals.

These food stuffs were the favorite survival food among Filipino poor who could not afford to buy rice during the early months of the pandemic’s lockdown in 2020.  Lucky Me! And Pancit Canton products were the items that quickly disappeared from grocery shelves, forcing the Department of Trade and Industry to control its purchase.

Ethylene oxide is a chemical to protect plants and often used as a preservative to keep products fresh. Several countries allow its use but the European Parliament and European Commission have banned it since 2020.

The brouhaha in Europe started on June 23 this year when Germany notified the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) that chemical was found in the “spice mix” from instant noodle which was imported by The Netherlands.

France’s General Directorate for Food and Malta’s Environmental Health Directorate said four Lucky Me! noodle variants were found to be non-compliant with the use of “pesticide” on food.

“Although the consumption of the contaminated product does not pose an acute risk to health, there may be health issues if there is continued consumption of ethylene oxide over a long period of time. Therefore, exposure to this substance needs to be minimized,” the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said.

Salamabit, have you read the words above “there may be health issues if there is continued consumption of ethylene oxide’?

The Flips in this Flipland have been eating Lucky Me! and Pancit Canton since they were a child.

They even coined a joke whenever somebody accomplished something: “Mag pa Canton ka naman (Treat us with Canton)”.

 It is a play of words bordering on the sexual term’s cantot (sex). The unwary Filipinos susmariosep do not have an idea that the Canton being fed to them by the celebrant was already their one-way ticket to hell if they have not signed their one-way ticket to heaven.

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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.

 

Mayor Niña Opens P126-M WB Project to Benefit Town

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan –  The bane since time immemorial that haunted the people of the far flung villages here will be over after the new lady Mayor led recently the ground breaking ceremony of a concrete road and bridge that will connect them to the Poblacion here.

GROUND BREAKING. Bayambang Mayor Niña - Jose-Quiambao (4^th from right) hits the ground with a shovel during the ground breaking ceremony of the San Gabriel –II Farm-to-Market Road with Bridge. The more than P126 million World Bank – Department of Agriculture grant will benefit economically Barangays San Gabriel II, Pantol, Manambong Sur, Manambong Parte, and Paragos. The almost two kilometers concrete road and the 61. 5 linear meters’ concrete bridge have commenced work last July 5 and will be finished 450 calendar days thereafter.  

“Dahil po sa kalsada at tulay na ito ang mga bumibiyahi po papuntang Manila ay hindi na kailangan dumaan ng Alcala at Bautista para makapunta sa expressway. Ngayon ay mapapabilis na ang pagpunta natin sa Barangay Pantol para magbigay ng serbisyo. Ganito po ang pagmamahal ng Team Quiambao-Sabangan sa mga Bayambangueños,” Mayor Mary Clare Judith Phyllis “Niña” Jose-Quiambao told recently guests, reporters, and the local government officials how her husband and predecessor then Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao patiently waited for the World Bank and the Department of Agriculture to grant them the P126, 478,000.00 project of the D.A- Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) that would expedite travel of the prejudiced residents of these villages.

The concrete road stretches for 1.93 kilometers while the linear bridge is 61.6 meters.

Former Mayor Quiambao said it took four years to the groundbreaking ceremony held last Monday in Barangay San Gabriel II Elementary School for the project he and the officials and staff of the local government unit here worked vigorously to materialize.

“Ano ang lessons? A lot of patience ng LGU; Pangalawa, perseverance. Hindi tayo tumigil kahit maraming disappointments. Mga empleyado natin nagpupuyat para mai-submit natin on time pero marami pa rin kailangan gawin. We persevere for this project. Perseverance, patient, and of course transparency”.

Former Mayor Quiambao said that the more than a hundred million pesos’ project given gratis by the World Bank was above board.

Because of the 17 bidders that joined it to garner the award, the D.A gave his administration an honor of the Most Numbers of Bidders.

“Sa katunayan nakatanggap tayo ng isang award from the Department of Agriculture: The Most Number of Bidders Award hahaha pambihira! Labing pito (17) po ang sumali sa bidding”.

Because of  fierce competition to outbid each other and win the project, the WB and the Philippines government benefited to the final P107,932,093.15 winning bid or a saving of P18, 545,907.00 in the coffer.

“Diyan ninyo nakikita how transparent we are. Kaya I congratulate ang Chairman ng Special Bids & Awards Committee Mr. Ricky dela Rosa,” he added to the applause of the attendees.

Because of transparency of the past administration, the new chief executive will have an easy task to request for another grant with the international financial institution.

The former mayor and spouse of the present chief executive dubbed in the vernacular the hardship his team undergone to garner the multi-million pesos’ project: “Para tayong dumaan sa butas ng karayom (it’s just like we wiggle in the eye of the needle).

“But I assure you after this experience pwede na tayo humingi palagi ng projects sa Philippines Rural Development Program (PRDP) dahil sa ating karanasan kung paano pumasa sa paghingi ng proyekto sa World Bank”.

He jocularly told the crowd that during his 2016 mayoralty electoral sortie at Barangay Pantol he told then Vice Mayor Raul Sabangan that he mulled to give the remote barangay to either the towns of Bautista or Alcala.

”Sinabi ng ating mga kasamahan: Naku po! Matatalo kami magagalit ang mga Taga Pantol. So instead of announcing that I (would) give up to the other municipality, noong nanalo ako I announced pagagawa natin iyong Pantol to San Gabriel II”.

The bridge and the road will economically benefit the villages of San Gabriel II, Pantol, Manambong Sur, Manambong Parte, and Paragos. It will reduce travel time from 60 minutes to 30 minutes at year-1 onwards; reduce input hauling cost by 60% or from P25.00 without subproject to P10.00 with subproject; reduce output hauling cost at year -1 for rice and corn by 60% or from current hauling cost of P25.00 without subproject with P15.00 difference; and reduce transport losses from 4% to 2% from palay, corn, and Mung-bean; from 6% to 3% for onion, and from 8% to 5% for mango.

The invited guests for this occasion were Undersecretary for Operation and PRDP National Project Director Ariel T. Cayanan, D.A Region -1 Director Nestor D. Domenden, DA Regional Executive Director 2 Engr. Anthony Yanes, and other luminaries.

Belen T. Fernandez: Workaholic Mayor Back in Dagupan City

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A day after assumption into office, the tireless mayor of this coastal city has been seen combing government offices and making ocular inspections at the public market by meeting concerned persons there.

CONFER. Newly elected Dagupan City's Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (2nd from left) confers with the local government's Budget Chief  Lawyer Jessa Joy C. Royupa, CPA (standing) during her ocular inspections of the city's offices a day after her inauguration as chief executive of the richest city in Region-1. Other persons on the photo from L-to-R are Lawyer Aurora Valle, former Budget Chief Luz de Guzman, and City Administrator Lawyer Alex Norman Lomboy. Photo credit: C.I.O

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, a former six years’ chief executive here, was seen on Friday visiting offices of the various department heads and lower level staff.

 In tow with her were her transition team like the new City Administrator Alex Lomboy, Lawyers Aurora Valle and Catleya de Limbos- Guzman, the new City Information Office Chief Eva Visperas, and other officials.

The hands - on Chief Executive and party first inspected those offices that were transferred to the Dagupan City Museum like the One-Stop Business Center. Fernandez visited too the finance department located at the City Hall Complex to check its state after her rival then Mayor Brian Lim governed the city for three years.

Fernandez beat Lim in an acrimonious election by a margin of 14, 457 votes among the 120, 541 voters who casted their ballots in the May 9 electoral derby.

"We should know the finances of the city upang ang serbisyo sa tao ay hindi mahinto,” she justified why the office was the first to be examined.

The fast pacing Fernandez, who worked even in the wee hours during her previous mayoral stints, visited the offices of the public order and safety, city information, city planning and development, city social welfare and development, population control, E-Library, and others.

"Inikot niya halos lahat ng offices ng Dagupan LGU, lalo na iyuong nasa city hall complex, sa poolside, at engineering," City Information Chief Visperas told this newspaper.

Even during the weekend of Saturday (July 2), Mayor Fernandez was seen roving the public market looking at the prices and state of the commodities and the infrastructures there.

The former co-owner of chain of malls in Northern Luzon was sworn into office by Regional Trial Court Judge Genoveva Maramba held at the family owned Stadia in Barangay Lucao here last June 30.

In her inaugural speech, she told the thousands of invited attendees that she would implement July this year her campaign promise that tricycle drivers and operators would no longer be billed to secure permit to operate, regulatory and franchise fee up to year 2025.

She disclosed there the allocation of P200 million for this year for the scholarship program of college students and the continuation of the waste-to-energy project to address the nagging solid waste issues that besieged the 174, 302 residents (2020 Census) of the richest city in Region-1.

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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.

Guico Ika-31 na Gobernador ng P’nan

 Progreso at paglakas ng ekonomiya ang pangako ni Governor Ramon “Mon-Mon” Guico, III sa kanyang inagurasyon na ginanap sa The Sison Auditorium, Lingayen nitong ika-29 ng Hunyo, 2022. Si Guico, na dating nagsilbi bilang Punong Bayan ng Binalonan at Representante ng Ikalimang Distrito, ang ika-31 na Gobernador ng Probinsiya ng Pangasinan.

Pangasinan Governor-elect Ramon Guico, III has formally taken his oath before presiding judge of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Binalonan and Laoac Judge Harriet Cabreros during his inauguration at the Sison Auditorium in capital town Lingayen, Pangasinan on Wednesday. (Photos by Cesar Ramirez)

Kabilang sa mga naisakatuparan ni Guico bilang Alkalde ng Binalonan ay ang pagpapatayo ng University of Eastern Pangasinan kung saan libu-libong residente ang nakapag-aral ng libre dahil sa scholarship at daan-daang estudyante ang nakatangap ng allowance na umabot ng P40,000 kada buwan dahil sa Tertiary Education Subsidy Program ng Commission on Higher Education.

Sa kanyang namang termino sa Kongreso, si Guico ay naging may akda ng 119 Lower House Bills at naging daan sa pagsasakatuparan ng kauna-unahang Philippine Zone Authority Industrial Park sa Pangasinan kasama ang SUMI North Philippines Wiring Corporation na magbibigay ng aabot sa 12, 000 na trabaho sa taong 2025.

Gumawa rin ng kasaysayan si Guico bilang unang Congressman na bumisita at nag-abot ng tulong sa 1,364 barangay sa 44 na bayan at 4 na siyudad ng probinsiya.

Ang bagong Gobernador ay inaasahang mangunguna sa pagbabago at progreso kasama ang Bise Gobernador Mark Lambino. Sila ang nanguna sa grupong Alyansang Guico-Lambino (AGuiLa) na nagsimula ng “Lipad Pangasinan!” – ang panawagan sa bawat Pangasinense na magkaisa para sa isang probinsiya na maunlad at mataas ang nararating.

Matapos siyang makakuha ng 885, 272 na boto at ma-proklama ng Commission on Elections bilang panalo, agad na nag-trabaho si Guico at nakipag-pulong sa mga potensiyal na investors mula sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo. Nangunguna ang bagong Gobernador sa isang exploratory meeting para sa Pangasinan Eastern Western Expressway na magpapabilis ng biyahi mula sa silangan at kanluran Pangasinan at magpapayabong ng turismo sa probinsiya. Nakipag-pulong na rin si Guico kay Arch. Felino “Jun” Palafox, kasama si noong Bayambang Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao ukol sa master plan para sa Pangasinan.

Ipinakita naman ni Guico ang kanyang pagtutok sa sektor ng kalusugan matapos siyang magkaroon ng diskusiyon kasama ang mga doctor at mga pinuno ng iba’t ibang ospital sa lalawigan uko sa mga paraan at solusyon sa mga isyung pangkalusugan ng mga Pangasinense.

Pantay-pantay na opurtunidad sa trabaho, mas mataas na sahod ng mga manggagawa, modernisasyon sa sector ng agrikultura, scholarship at tulong sa mga kabataan, pagtatayo ng mas maraming economic zones, pangangalaga sa kapaligiran, pagpapapalakas ng turismo, tulong pangkabuhayan para sa mga kababaihan, suporta sa LGBTQ+ community at mga senior citizen, mabuting pamamahala, at pagpapalakas ng suporta sa basic social services – ang mga ito ay ilan lamang sa mga prayoridad ng administrasyon ng bagong Gobernador ng Pangasinan.

Mataas ang pangarap niya para sa probinsiya, subalit malaki ang tiwala ni Gobernador Guico na habang siya ang piloto ng pagbabago at progreso, at hangga’t nagkakaisa at nagtutulungan ang bawat Pangasinense, ay matayog ang liliparin ng lalawigan ng Pangasinan.