The pen speaks
New Calasiao town
hall up by December
CALASIAO, noted for its tender sweet-tasting puto, will have a new three-storey town hall by December, an exuberant Mayor Roy Macanlalay told the weekly Enkwentro sa Lenox forum Wednesday.
Macanlalay, who may eventually run for vice-mayor next year in tandem with his son Mark, an incumbent councilor, belied reports that the municipality’s loan of P60 million with Land Bank was suffering from hitches that would delay the construction of the new hall. Fire gutted the old building last year. The pen speaks
New Calasiao town
hall up by December
CALASIAO, noted for its tender sweet-tasting puto, will have a new three-storey town hall by December, an exuberant Mayor Roy Macanlalay told the weekly Enkwentro sa Lenox forum Wednesday.
Macanlalay, who may eventually run for vice-mayor next year in tandem with his son Mark, an incumbent councilor, belied reports that the municipality’s loan of P60 million with Land Bank was suffering from hitches that would delay the construction of the new hall. Fire gutted the old building last year.
He also brushed aside rumors about treasure hunting at the construction site. “Kung maghahanap pa ng gold yong contractor di na nya matatapos yong building sa December.” He said that the contractor has six to seven months to finish the project and that will be in December. On the high fence surrounding the construction site, it was just normal for the owner or the contractor to secure the property and prevent any theft or pilferage, he said.
Mayor Roy needed to stay longer than his co-guests at the forum (he was paired with Pat Orduna and company and newsmen had their focus on the buried/excavated medicines at the Capitol compound), to answer questions surrounding the town hall reconstruction and many other controversial issues like the killing of engineer Domingo Ballesteros right at the temporary town hall premises. The mayor could have been the star of the show (as did Sta. Barbara Mayor Rey Velasco in the special edition of the weekly forum a day earlier) if he was not paired with the provincial officials. He had to bear waiting for newsmen’s prying questions. It could not come until all questions involving the medicine scandal would have been exhausted.
We thought the mayor would be scheduled in later editions. That was the impression we got from Pangasinan press prexy Allan Sison because Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. would have to get prime time, so to speak. It already happened exactly a week before when almost all questions raised were for second district Rep. Victor E. Agbayani. Philhealth Regional Manager Douglas Cardona and District Engineer Rodolfo Dion had to play ‘supporting roles’ only. Well, the governor just sent his men.
Anyway, Macanlalay had all the time after the provincial officials left. He said his town is welcome for investors, businessmen and mall developers since neighbor Dagupan would no longer accept “outsiders.” He has not abandoned the planned conversion of the Central School lot into a commercial center.
On his political plans, he said he might run as vice-mayor with his son Mark as the front-runner “for the continuity of his programs for the town.” We in jest told him to be careful reminding him of what happened to San Carlos City Mayor Julian “Jolly” Resuello, who, while campaigning for vice-mayor with son Ayoy as the candidate for mayor, fell into assassins’ hands. Well, politicos from his town, he pointed out, have kept their campaign at a high level and have not resorted to any violent means.
On the alleged landgrabbing charge hurled against him in connection with the property he got along the Bonuan beach, he said the area involved is not covered by Proclamation 98 and is therefore alienable and disposable. The case is pending at the regional prosecutor’s office since the city prosecutor’s office inhibited itself. A sirin?
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A plantation of mahogany trees right at the diversion channel for the Agno River in the Alcala area is affecting the early completion of the Agno River flood control project under Phase II. Having joined the pro-performance team of PMS chief Secretary Hermogenes Esperon that made project monitoring and inspection last Thursday, we saw for our self how the young trees literally blocked the pathway of the diversion channel.
We were told the owner (a barangay captain?) was demanding P7,000 per tree, way above the P1,500 to P2,000 price set by government. With the number of trees we saw there aside from grown mango trees nearby, we think government needs to cough up several millions of pesos (P80 million?) if the whims of the alleged owner prevail.
Esperon, pro-performance team head and Cabinet monitoring officer for eastern Pangasinan, looked dismayed and irked as he discussed right on top of the diversion bridge the situation with public works officials, Agno river project director Fidel Ginez, Korean engineers, and Alcala Mayor Manuel Collado. He wanted the project to continue pending any case before the courts or agency. In the meantime, a dialogue was set today (Tuesday) between the involved parties.
By the manner the former Armed Forces chief of staff is moving busily in the eastern corridor, he could be slowly eating away whatever advantages his perceived congressional opponents in the coming political exercise had established. So far, two other names are bruited as having a moist eye on the seat to be vacated by Congressman Conrado Estrella – Vice-Governor Marlyn Agabas and San Manuel Mayor Salvador Perez.
He also brushed aside rumors about treasure hunting at the construction site. “Kung maghahanap pa ng gold yong contractor di na nya matatapos yong building sa December.” He said that the contractor has six to seven months to finish the project and that will be in December. On the high fence surrounding the construction site, it was just normal for the owner or the contractor to secure the property and prevent any theft or pilferage, he said.
Mayor Roy needed to stay longer than his co-guests at the forum (he was paired with Pat Orduna and company and newsmen had their focus on the buried/excavated medicines at the Capitol compound), to answer questions surrounding the town hall reconstruction and many other controversial issues like the killing of engineer Domingo Ballesteros right at the temporary town hall premises. The mayor could have been the star of the show (as did Sta. Barbara Mayor Rey Velasco in the special edition of the weekly forum a day earlier) if he was not paired with the provincial officials. He had to bear waiting for newsmen’s prying questions. It could not come until all questions involving the medicine scandal would have been exhausted.
We thought the mayor would be scheduled in later editions. That was the impression we got from Pangasinan press prexy Allan Sison because Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. would have to get prime time, so to speak. It already happened exactly a week before when almost all questions raised were for second district Rep. Victor E. Agbayani. Philhealth Regional Manager Douglas Cardona and District Engineer Rodolfo Dion had to play ‘supporting roles’ only. Well, the governor just sent his men.
Anyway, Macanlalay had all the time after the provincial officials left. He said his town is welcome for investors, businessmen and mall developers since neighbor Dagupan would no longer accept “outsiders.” He has not abandoned the planned conversion of the Central School lot into a commercial center.
On his political plans, he said he might run as vice-mayor with his son Mark as the front-runner “for the continuity of his programs for the town.” We in jest told him to be careful reminding him of what happened to San Carlos City Mayor Julian “Jolly” Resuello, who, while campaigning for vice-mayor with son Ayoy as the candidate for mayor, fell into assassins’ hands. Well, politicos from his town, he pointed out, have kept their campaign at a high level and have not resorted to any violent means.
On the alleged landgrabbing charge hurled against him in connection with the property he got along the Bonuan beach, he said the area involved is not covered by Proclamation 98 and is therefore alienable and disposable. The case is pending at the regional prosecutor’s office since the city prosecutor’s office inhibited itself. A sirin?
#######
A plantation of mahogany trees right at the diversion channel for the Agno River in the Alcala area is affecting the early completion of the Agno River flood control project under Phase II. Having joined the pro-performance team of PMS chief Secretary Hermogenes Esperon that made project monitoring and inspection last Thursday, we saw for our self how the young trees literally blocked the pathway of the diversion channel.
We were told the owner (a barangay captain?) was demanding P7,000 per tree, way above the P1,500 to P2,000 price set by government. With the number of trees we saw there aside from grown mango trees nearby, we think government needs to cough up several millions of pesos (P80 million?) if the whims of the alleged owner prevail.
Esperon, pro-performance team head and Cabinet monitoring officer for eastern Pangasinan, looked dismayed and irked as he discussed right on top of the diversion bridge the situation with public works officials, Agno river project director Fidel Ginez, Korean engineers, and Alcala Mayor Manuel Collado. He wanted the project to continue pending any case before the courts or agency. In the meantime, a dialogue was set today (Tuesday) between the involved parties.
By the manner the former Armed Forces chief of staff is moving busily in the eastern corridor, he could be slowly eating away whatever advantages his perceived congressional opponents in the coming political exercise had established. So far, two other names are bruited as having a moist eye on the seat to be vacated by Congressman Conrado Estrella – Vice-Governor Marlyn Agabas and San Manuel Mayor Salvador Perez.
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