ROSALES, Pangasinan – The leader of the national agriculture industry assailed the minuscule benefits given by the Philippines Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to farmers devastated by the series of cyclones and flash floods that barreled Northern Luzon. Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) Chairman Rosendo So disputed the remarks to reporters by Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol when he visited Pangasinan last July 27 this year that more Filipinos have been beneficiaries of the PCIC under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte than his predecessor former President Benigno Aquino, III.
CHARGES - Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) Chairman Rosendo So (photo above) and Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol have conflicting views how the Philippines Crop Insurance Corporation give benefits to the farmers.
So told this paper that the Duterte Administration was lethargic compared to the financial aid the Aquino Administration had given to the afflicted farmers in Northern Luzon. “Ang sabi ni secretary noon sa Pangasinan may Crop Insurance. Bakit ngayon e pagtanungin mo doon sa mga magsasaka. Wala naman silang na insured na ni check natin sa mga Municipal Agriculturist Officers iyong mga kayang ma insured ten to fifteen percent lang,” the chairman stressed.
The increase in self-rated poverty is yet another indication that the Senate should move on legislative action to address rising prices of food and other goods by suspending the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.
“Kailangan na natin umaksyon. Solusyunan natin ang krisis sa presyo para tulungan ang mga naghihirap na pamilya,” said Sen. Bam, who has been pushing for the passage of the Bawas Presyo sa Petrolyo Bill in the Senate.
In its third quarter survey, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) noted an increase in self-rated poverty in September to 52 percent or 12.2 million families. This is four points higher than the 48 percent or 11.1 million families in June 2018.
Sen. Bam urged colleagues to support the minority’s Joint Senate Resolution No. 15, which aims to suspend the excise tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law and rollback the tax on fuel to December 31, 2017 rates.
The defection and repositioning of the supporters of the two camps of
the gubernatorial wannabes in Pangasinan exhilarated the spectators as the last day of
the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) will end on October 17.
The defection of
Board Member Raul Sison, a staunch ally of Governor Amado I. Espino, Jr and his
father to the camp of
Alaminos City Mayor and governorship candidate Arthur Celeste that surprised many Pangasinenses, triggered the
Espinos to allegedly commission retired police general Fidel Posadas, former
provincial director in Quezon Province and former PRO - 1 CIDG Chief, to
challenge the son of Sison, Urbiztondo Mayor Martin Sison, for the mayoralty of
the Second Congressional District's town.
GUV'S BETS - Alaminos City Mayor Art Celeste and Pangasinan Governor Amado I. Espino III.
After Bolinao Mayor Arnold Celeste filed his Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) last Thursday at the Commission on Election - Provincial Office in Dagupan City for the First
Congressional District to be left by his older brother Congressman Jesus, it
will prompt the candidacy of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
General Manager Tim Orbos to challenge the younger Celeste in the one city
nine towns' Western Pangasinan district.
But an insider
at the camp of Orbos told me that he was evaluating too, a few days before the end
of the filing of the CoC, on his stocks in case he runs for the vice
governorship.
Governor Espino
and his father were seen hobnobbing recently with former leaders of the first
district at the residence of former Alaminos City Vice Mayor Jing Aquino.
Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot has breached the P1 billion mark, the highest and richest in the Philippine history, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander Balutan said on Monday.
“Even foreigners can win the jackpot prize if they bought a ticket as long as they are 18 years old and above, which is the age requirement, and as long the claimant has the winning ticket, he or she can take home the jackpot prize,” Balutan said.
Balutan revealed that there are reports that even foreigners in the country were buying tickets hoping to win the jackpot prize.
“Itong P1-billion jackpot prize ay napaka-historic sa PCSO, lahat, lalo na ‘yung mga tumataya eh excited, ‘di na mapakali, at gustung-gusto na talagang manalo. Whoever wins this prize will be the first-ever PCSO billionaire,” Balutan said.
“Alam mo sabi ko nga last time, sana maraming manalo para distributed ‘yung jackpot prize lalo na itong P1 bilyon kasi sobrang laki n’yan, nakakalula! Para marami tayong mapaligaya. At habang papalaki ng papalaki ang naman ang jackpot, lumalaki din ang sales natin sa Ultra Lotto. Napalaking tulong ito sa ating Charity Fund. Sana may masuwertehan na talaga,” said Balutan.
DAGUPAN CITY – Just like many superstitious
candidates, does this country’s polls’ leader senator have a favorite lucky calendar
date when to file her Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) a few days before the
deadline set by the law?
Caught surprise by the posed of this paper, Senator
Grace Poe jested here that her favorite number is what will hit the elusive 12
numbers’ combination of the jackpot P903, 290,152.00’s Ultra Lotto that made
the betting population of the Philippines crazy for several weeks.
“Ganoon?
Ako iyong favorite number ko sana iyong kung ano mga lalabas sa lotto,” she said
as the crowd who overheard it chuckle.
The re-elective solon cited that everybody will be
assured about that undisclosed date when she files already her CoC.
The deadline for the filing at the Commission on
Election (Comelec) will be on October 11 to 12 and 15 to 17 this year.
Many candidates from the high office's congressmen to
the lowly members of the municipal council called Sanggunian have been
customarily preoccupied with illusions on dates like “15” and “16” as their
most favorite days to troop the Comelec. They reasoned that these days give
them more chance to win the acrimonious and expensive election
VIDEO: SENATOR GRACE POE SPEAKS ILONGGO AS
THE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS HER
In the last filing of the CoC in the April 14 to
21, 2018 Barangay (Village) Election, candidates for the village chiefs in
Pangasinan, the province of Poe’s father actor Fernando Poe, told this paper
that “18” was phenomenal.
A bet said that the diagonal and curve lines of ocho
or “8” in 18 goes up to the end point.
“Pataas
e, saka itong araw na ito araw na pinakamatigas”.
Amansabina, Mangaldan bet Salvador Visperas de
Guzman cited that “15” brought luck too to candidates because the singko or “5”
has an upper end tip point.
He explained that “15” and ‘16” were the luckiest
numbers in the six days filing of CoC’s period as dictated by the Lunario or Lunar Calendar.
De Guzman lost however to a moneyed candidate who
did not believe about the ‘craps” brought by the Lunario.
Earlier, Poe and her son Brian Poe Llamanzares told
media men that she was ambivalent to seek reelection in the May 13, 2019
election.
One of her reasons was the overload of works in the
Senate while being an independent maverick legislature, Llamanzares told this
paper.
Meanwhile, Poe lauded the Bureau of Fisheries &
Aquatic Resources – National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center
(BFAR-NIFTDC) here for its program that tremendously benefit the aqua culture
industry while it trains fishermen and fish growers.
After she sent to the sea a giant turtle
surrendered by fishermen to BFAR-NIFTDC Chief Dr. Wesley Rosario, Poe told reporters
that she was familiar with the water and sea dwelling specie as her mother,
Ilongga actress Susan Roces, had a similar pet when she was a kid.
“Actually,
may alagang pagong ang nanay ko noon. So familiar ako diyan. Tuwang tuwa ako
kasi ang gaganda ng mga pagong,” she stressed in Tagalog.
DAGUPAN CITY – Experts from the academe, professionals, and the government, voiced out their objection here to the “Anti-Backfilling Ordinance” passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) which was recently vetoed by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez.
All expressed their views in an open forum session during the scientific meeting held at Star Plaza Hotel here on October 3, called by Mayor Belen Fernandez to discuss possible long-term flood and disaster mitigation measures in the city.
OPPOSE - Experts from the academe, professionals, and the government, voiced out their objection in Dagupan City to the “Anti-Backfilling Ordinance” passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) which was recently vetoed by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez.
Ordinance No. 2147-2018, authored by Councilor Nicanor Aquino, chairman on the committee on Land Use, seeks to regulate backfilling of lots as a result of reclassification under the zoning ordinance of the city and providing penalties for violation thereof.
According to the ordinance, regulation of backfilling of lots as a result of classification under the Zoning Ordinance is an imperative necessity as one of the adverse effects of backfilling is the occurrence of flash floods brought by high tide and torrential rains.
Experts studied and discussed the possible effects of the law, particularly along its scope and requirements clauses, as there was no expert study mentioned in the ordinance that points to that backfilling as the main cause of flooding in the city.
A Pangasinan
solon and his driver met a vehicular accident Friday pre dawn in Tarlac
province as they traversed the Tarlac’s highway.
A photo of the wrecked Starex Van of Pangasinan Second District Representative Leopoldo Bataoil. Reports said that Second District Congressman Leopoldo N. Bataoil and his driver Armando Manlongat were on their way to Pangasinan 4:50 Am of October 4 when they were bumped along the Paniqui-Camiling Tarlac Highway by a motorcycle driven by Renato Macato. The highway was pitched dark and under road construction when Manlongat, who was driving a Starex Van, was surprised when the motorcycle rider on the other lane, shifted to their lane to avoid the newly cemented road with rocks all over it.
