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.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

How Other Mayors Create Economics Opportunities to People

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.

Inducing a Lawmaker to Defect

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Upon seeing three city councilors of Dagupan City sworn into office at the Stadia in Lucao today, I told a lawmaker that of the 12 members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city legislature) the administration of newly elected Mayor Belen T. Fernandez should control the voting of the Dads there to pursue the “Hizzoner” programs in her three years’ term.

POWER PLAY. Senator Cynthia Villar (5th from left) and exiting Dagupan City Mayor Brian Lim (3rd from left) pose for posterity after the oath taking with Villar of the seven newly elected Councilors of the Bangus City. Out of the ten newly elected Dads, incoming Mayor Belen Fernandez got only three that shows that the civilian Lim has the control of the Legislation. (Photo Credit: Public Information Office)

Presently, seven of the ten lawmakers who won the recent election came from the party of outgoing Mayor Brian Lim.

“You got three regular Councilors plus the ex-officio members of the Presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangays and the Samahang Kabataan Federation, that’s five. Lim got seven Dads and you need to buy through sums or give the vulnerable Dad supervision of some projects (where the Councilor can get his S.O.P or share from the contractor) to make him susceptible and makes the political equation six-six,” I opined, of course, in the vernacular.

 It means Mayor Fernandez’s allied Dads become six versus the six Councilors of Lim that transforms Vice Mayor Dean Brian L. Kua - the Veem and cousin of Fernandez – to become a tie breaker in favor of the new Mayor’ programs that need legislative approval.

Photo Credit: Green Team

“That’s my solution to the political conundrum there that I’ve been writing – including how to sway some of the majority Board Members of exiting Pangasinan Governor Espino in favor of Governor Guico (READ: Power PlayBetween Guico and Espino Continues), - after the Comelec declared who won the election in the evening of May 9,” I cited.

The Councilor – one of the few intelligent Dads in the August Body of the Bangus City – told me he is looking too for that “vulnerable” Councilor in Lim’s Party to go on leave every time there is a votation of a resolution or ordinance needed by the Fernandez Administration.

But I differed to him.

“Pangit naman iyong kada botohan mag li-leave of absence iyong isa o iyong dalawang councilors na sinasabi ninyo”.

I advised him to instigate that Dad to defect to their party instead of taking leave of absence every time there is a division of the house.

“Oo nga, ano?!” he quipped.

He said the Councilor I was zeroing used to be their party mate.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

The Lethal, Costly Weapons of a Cobra

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 Says Daunting Tasks Loom to Spike Stocks of Constituents

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan – The incoming lady Mayor here has daunting tasks loom before her three years’ term how she will improve the social and economics stocks of her 129,011 constituents (2020 Census).

“I stand before you today knowing that I have a big shoe to fill because I am following the footsteps of the best mayor Bayambang has ever had,” Mayor-elect Mary Clare Judith Phyllis 'Nina' Jose-Quiambao described her predecessor-husband Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao who served this historic first town with chutzpah that amazed many people in and out of this flourishing high budget first class town.

INAUGURAL SPEECH. Bayambang Mayor-elect Mary Clare Judith Phyllis 'Nina' Jose-Quiambao gives her inaugural speech before selected guests attended by Pangasinan Governor-elect Ramon V. Guico, III and spouse's Maan Guico.

The speech held at the Event Center here last June 28 coincided with the oath taking into the office of the newly elected chief executive attended by Pangasinan Governor-elect Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III, spouse’s Ma-an and invited guests.

Quiambao pledged to continue the Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan  - a brainchild by her business tycoon husband.

“Bibigyang halaga pa rin natin ang Socio-cultural Development and Social Protection, Agricultural Modernization, Good Governance, Economic and Infrastructure Development, at Environmental Protection and Disaster Resiliency. At sa pagkakataon pang ito, muli po akong nanawagan sa inyo magtulungan po tayo. Magkaisa po tayo. Napakarami ng nagawa ang Team Quiambao-Sabangan (Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao and Vice Mayor Raul R. Sabangan), at marami pa tayong gagawin sa pagpapatuloy ng ating Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan at pagsasakatuparan ng mga plano sa Bayambang Poverty Reduction Plan,” an immaculate white Filipiniana gown garbed former actress – turned- politician emphatically told the applauding crowd.

The programs of the Quiambaos to chop the rearing ugly heads of poverty and boost the social and economics plights of the Pangasinan and Ilocano speaking residents here are the 10,000 jobs from their family funded vaunted bamboo industry, global city, protection against abuses to women and children, good governance, new town's owned university, ongoing construction of a hospital, and boosting agriculture through E-Agro Economics System.  

10,000 Jobs from the Quiambaos’ Bamboo Industry

Because of the family’s bamboo plantations in the four towns in Pangasinan, the Quiambaos need 10,000 workers to be part of them.

“Kailangan po namin ng sampung libong trabahante kasi pag may trabaho na po iyon po ang pangarap ng Team Quiambao –Sabangan (the new tandem of Quiambao and Vice Mayor-elect Ian Camille C. Sabangan) ang rebulusyon sa kahirapan,” she told the crowd in one of her campaign sorties several months ago.

She said that in year 2028 each of the families here should be earning not less than P10,000 a month.

Global City

She added that the 67 hectares’ development projects in Barangay Bani of the historic town will be an employment generating endeavor. The gargantuan projects – she and the spouse brainchild - will host a town center, coliseum, super malls, villages, and government center.

Pangasinan Governor-elect Ramon V. Guico, III (2nd from left front row) and spouse's Maan Guico. Photo by Mortz C. Ortigoza

“At sa pamamagitan po dito mas marami pong trabaho sa ating mga Bayambanguenos, mas maraming magbubukas at opurtunidad pa sa ating mga kababayan”.

Protection Against Abuses to Women and Children

Jose-Quiambao declared too her pet project on the protection of abused women and children.

“Abong na Aro (House of Love) na mag huhubog sa ating mga kababayan na inaabuso. Ngunit sa tingin ko kulang pa tayo sa concrete na programa na ganito”.

Good Governance

She crowed the good governance passionately advocated and vigorously implemented by her exiting mayor husband where entrenched and perennial corruption acts committed by the administration of his predecessors have been eliminated in the last five years.

“Kitang kita ninyo naman po ang mga buwis ninyo. Di ba lalong umunlad ang bayan ng Bayambang at lalo pa po nating papaunlarin patungo sa mas magandang Bayambang".

New Town's Owned University

This coming August the local government unit will open the Bayambang Polytechnic University (BPU). Quiambao said the free education given by the BPU to the youth here will be their pass for employment that can eventually help their family.

Spiking Agriculture thru E-Agro

She trumpeted about the online computer application concocted by her husband and friends that can jack-up the stocks of the rice, onion, and other farmers here.

“Ibig sabihin noon dapat po ginagamit po natin ang teknolohiya para maka innovate ng mga bagong paraan sa pagsaka. Kaya po ang aking asawa at si Tito George Yulo at iilang pang team ay gumawa po ng isang application ng apps sa phone”.

Mayor Nina and the newly elected members of the Sangguniang Bayan (Legislature).

She called it e-arrow ecosystem embedded in the android phones of the farm workers where its functions can be compared with those offered by online stores’ Lazada and Shopee.

“Sa pamamagitan po ng e-arrow at system na puwede na pong bumili ng (murang) binhi ang ating mga magsasaka at bumili ng fertilizer”.

She hoped the youth will have interest in farming after she will implement her programs in agriculture.

“Dahil naniniwala po kami sa Team Quiambao-Sabangan No. 1 force ng ating ekonomiya ay agrikultura kaya mabuhay po ang ating magsasaka”.

Outgoing Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao said the system financially backed by a venture of the public- private-partnership will lend money with miniscule interest to P50,000 or more to a farmer who tends a hectare of the corn, rice, or onion farm every four months from the time of planting and harvesting.

The E-Agro Economic System has four components’ Activity/Labor & Service, Land Preparation, Planting, and Fertilization (Labor) that could uplift the economics stocks of the downtrodden peasant.

Hospital

Jose-Quiambao cited the being constructed Julius K. Quiambao Medical and Wellness Center that could treat the health problems of the people here.

Quiambao said the medical center will be the first hospital in Region-1 that has mental health facilities.

“Ito pong hospital na ito ay donasyon ng aming pamilya para sa mga minamahal naming Bayambanguenos at Pangasinense”.

This 77 villages' town for this year has an annual appropriation budget of P700 million.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

Bayambang Mayor Launches Online Borrowing to Boost Farmers’ Plight

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.

Hassle of Riding a Taxi in Manila

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Before my niece, my daughter, my wife, and I motored to the more than four hours trip to Manila from Dagupan City, I told the Missus if we four just rode a commercial air-conditioned bus where each of us just pay P500 or P2,000 for all of us.

 That would be 2,500 inclusive of the P500 taxi or Grab ride from the Cubao’s terminal of either the Victory Liner, Solid North, or Five Star Bus bound to the abode of my in-laws in the plush Valle Verde in Pasig where we have to spend the night for our last Friday’s morning flight to that iconic white beach paradise in Aklan province called Boracay.

SCARCE. Supply and demand for taxis in Metro Manila have dropped by almost half since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as passengers have become fewer and fuel costs atrociously high, an organization of taxi operators said Friday, June 24. Photo credit: Onenews.ph

We would be spending P6,000 in case we commute with the same transportation and hailed from the same places when we go back to Dagupan City this morning.

I changed my mind however last Thursday afternoon. I told the spouse we would just gas up worth P5,000 of diesel we bought at P83 per liter somewhere in Calasiao town.

“I’ll be dropping by as a side trip at a government's office in Tarlac for an interview with its executive there,” I told her as I cancelled the other one in Urdaneta City.

When the Missus arrived in our room at Valle Verde yesterday (Sunday) night, she told me the long pathetic queues of Metro Manila residents she and her sister passed by in their vehicle after they had bought their groceries.

Many Taxi drivers there did not ply their vehicles because of the skyrocketing prices of fuels that spike every Tuesday.

“Mabuti na lang nag car tayo papunta dito,” thankful she told me about not being part of those hapless folks who had to wiggle out for a ride because of that transportation’s conundrum that happened too in the airport.

AUTHOR (2nd from left) and family at a hotel in Boracay's Paradise Island.

While exiting to the service road of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Express Way (TPLEX) where I would cruise the 30 minutes trip’s Paniqui, Tarlac to Bayambang, Pangasinan for a short cut to drop my niece at her house in Barangay Macabito, Calasiao, Pangasinan, I asked the Missus to compute how much we paid for our slick rides – aw shucks, up to 120 kilometers per hour my daughter yelled - in the toll gates of Norther Luzon Express Way (NLEX) and TPLEX vice versa where she added the P5,000 full tank of diesel.

“We paid P1,100 for the toll gates or a total spending of P6,100,” she retorted.

“Damn, a difference of P100 if we commute and being insulated on that hell hole's taxi cabs scarcity whose drivers saw no longer profitable to feed their family.

AUTHOR posing for posterity at the Crystal Cave in Boracay Island.

This what I posted at Facebook after we arrived at 7 Am this morning (Monday) in the Bangus City. My Op-Ed on tourism triggered Northern Watch Newspaper’s columnist Toots Orfinada - who is the tourism and public relation pundit of the Kingdom of Princess Urduja - to post his observation about the tourism industry of Alaminos City – the home of the Hundred Islands:

F-to R: Missus Miles, daughter Alex, and myself.

VIDEO: Fast boat from Boracay to Caticlan where an aircon van waits for us. From the hotel we rode two vans and an airport aircon bus - one of the three busses - for the 170 seaters Airbus jet that waits for us at the airport. There were three commercial jets parked at the tarmac of Caticlan Airport when we arrived there. A source told me there after Boracay was opened in 2021 to present there were 24 commercial jets that land every day. "Before the pandemic around 4O jets many from various parts of the country that arrived in Caticlan - a 15 minutes’ ferry ride to the world's renowned white beach island," he disclosed. Long haul jets from other countries like South Korea - the No.1 foreign money churning visitors -land in the 2,500 meters’ runway of the nearby Kalibo International Airport.

Before the pandemic there were 6,000 foreign and local tourists that come there EVERY DAY, Bert, who was the driver of another, van told me in Ilonggo as this writer speaks to the locals there in that vernacular.

A lady worker at the Malay town's local government unit, who sees the town's entry ticket, told me presently there are 2,000 guests that enter the Paradise Island where high end hotels like the P25,000 a day"s room Shangrila cordially wait for them.

Sanamagan! 2,000 guests multiplied by 3 days stay there means 6,000 individuals. How do they affect the local employment there if each of these tourists spend P8,000 in three days in their hotel fee, foods, and the amenities there like Islands' hopping?

Godzack and Godzilla! That's P48 million in three days! And I am not yet talking here about the P7000 round trip airline ticket for each of the passengers for the 30 minutes ride from Imperial Manila to this island in Aklan Province.

Our government should improve in other parts of the country our tourism sites as they are the goose that lay the golden eggs like in Thailand and Indonesia.

 READ MY OTHER BLOG:

Shield Law Does not Protect Radio Announcers on Libel

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.

 

Basista No. 3 in Ph. on DTI’s Resiliency Award

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BASISTA, Pangasinan – The Mayor of this thriving town is exhilarated nowadays after landing his local government unit (LGU) to No. 3 in the country’s most resilient towns amidst the economics challenges and natural calamities.

One of the examples was surviving economically the scarring pandemic’s Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) that wrought havoc for about two years in the country but through the chutzpah of Mayor Jolly Roque “J.R” Resuello, he still steered to boost the number of investors that come here.

NO. 3 IN PH. Basista, Pangasinan Mayor Jolly Roque “J.R” Resuello is flanked by the staff of the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Bureau of the Department of Trade & Industry when his rustic town was feted as No.3 in the Philippines for being economically resilient amidst the challenges and calamities. 

“Buong Pilipinas pangatlo kami. No. 1 kami sa Pangasinan sa third and fourth class towns’ category,” he disclosed to Northern Watch Newspaper after the award for the third and fourth class towns' category given to him here by the top brass of the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Bureau of the Department of Trade & Industry.

The plaque for the National Competitiveness Summit held last year was signed by DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez.

CMCI Director Lilian Salonga, Assistant Director Jordan Darom, and party personally come here last Wednesday from their Manila’s office to personally give the plaque of appreciation to the young reelective Mayor.

Salonga said the duty of her office is to recognize the LGUs that excel on their mandates as public corporation like in the commercial competitiveness category.

“We really want that the national competitiveness be hinged on local competitiveness that makes the framework”.

The strength of the thirteen villages’ town, according to the Director, was anchored on her resiliency’s pillar.

Assistant Director Jordan Darom told this writer that they personally sought to hand the award to authenticate if the indices given to them by the central Pangasinan’s LGU were for real.

Compared to other third and fourth class towns in the gargantuan province, this town burgeoned after the Mayor increased the rentals of the stalls in the public market – whose occupants did not pay the rentals religiously in the past -  repaired and improve the market by using the revenues being paid to the public coffer, and aggressively invite various new investors like 7-11, basement priced selling Chinese owned store 988, Welcome Mart Grocery, Driving School Office, Siomai House, and more stalls that sprouted in the public market that erased her reputation as a sleepy town blamed on the young mayor's predecessors.

He said an investor for McDonald is looking for a land her to put shop for the U.S licensed based food chain.