ALCALA – A park on the dike.

The engaging eco-tourism prospects of such an idea is now being seriously studied by Vice Mayor Clemente Arboleda, Jr. of this town in his desire to breath life to an otherwise drab earthdike of the Agno river in sitio Patalan, barangay San Pedro Ili here.

Arboleda, who owns several farms in the area, said he has made initial talks with Engr. Fidel Ginez, regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Region 1 and project manager of the Agno Flood Control System for the construction of a public park at the dike.

While Ginez is initially unreceptive to the idea, saying that a dike is “first and foremost a flood control structure,” the DPWH chief supposedly believes some other better practical uses can be made of the earthdike, given enough and thorough studies in cooperation with barangay and town officials.

Arboleda said he is not giving up easily however as he cited the Dipalo river in San Quintin that crosses into a national park The park was declared thru a bill sponsored by then Senator Loren Legarda. The park is now known far and wide and visited by picnickers and various outdoor-lovers who wish to enjoy rustic sceneries while swimming,eating or having fun as a group.

“Such a sprawling area as that earthdike in San Pedro Ili should not be confined to being a road and dike,” Arboleda said. “I really believe in turning the area into a theme park , or even a promenade area , even only in the summer.

Other local officials said people who have visited the earthdike commonly comment on its tourism potential , saying it affords a view all around “that calms the senses and nerves.”

Provincial officials led by Gov. Victor E. Agbayani and Vice Gov. Oscar B. Lambino present to Police Chief Superintendent Leopoldo N. Bataoil a replica of the resolution passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan commending the general for his “unparalleled” accomplishments and achievements in his career as police officer. Bataoil, public information officer and spokesman of the Philippine National Police, hails from Lingayen and served as provincial police director in the province in 2001 (PIO Photo/Bob Sison)

IN the next few years, the city of Dagupan may draw water from San Jacinto town, some 27 kilometers to the north-east in case its wells dry up or become severely affected by salt water intrusion.

The water may be pumped from barangay Awai in San Jacinto, where the city bought a 30-hectare property in 2001 for multi-purpose use–water source, relocation site for squatters and site for sanitary landfill.

Last week’s tree planting activity in the area spearheaded by both Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim and San Jacinto Mayor Rodolfo Columbres, along with the personnel of the Dagupan City Water District and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, confirmed the plan of the city to generate potable water from the area.

The move envisions to create a big watershed area and a forest park that can be harnessed for potable water to be conveyed by gravity irrigation via a long pipepine to Dagupan City, which is now experiencing some problems of water intrusion in its wells.

This appeared to indicate that Dagupan City has already junked its plan to convert part of the 30-hectare property as site for sanitary landfill, a move strongly opposed by San Jacinto Mayor Columbres and his constituents.

A memorandum of agreement signed by Lim, DCWD General Manager Ramon Reyna and Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Rogelio Pimentel during the tree planting activity sought the conversion of a large part of the property into a watershed area and a forest park.

Regular tree planting activities by city government employees of Dagupan will soon be scheduled in the area, till it becomes a forest resort and a watershed.

As a possible water source, the area could be an ideal place because today, some parts are inundated by rain and run-off water from adjacent rolling hills.

Bought by Dagupan at P16 million, the property is adjacent to a big parcel of land in barangay Lobong owned by the Duque family which itself may be converted into an exclusive golf course. (PNA)

LINGAYEN – Concerned about the rising number of child abuse and exploitation in Pangasinan, the provincial government will soon launch a more specific program on child health care and development.

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Emilio Samson said Gov. Victor Agbayani will spearhead the program that will institute measures to address the issue of child abuse and exploitation.

Being planned for implementation is a three-year program seeking among others to conduct training in early child care and case management on child and women abuse and exploitation that will be supported by the Council for the Welfare of Children based in Manila.

Samson said at least five municipalities will be chosen by the province as pilot areas. These will be chosen according to their malnutrition rate, cases of school drop-out and cases of abused children.

The proposed program complements the various programs of the provincial government serving the interest of the Pangasinan youth that are already in place.

Among these are the ‘Kalusugan sa Barangay’, provincial scholarship program, Camp Victory Pangasinan, ‘Sumbong Musmos’, Operation Dagdag Timbang’ and others. (PNA)

EIGHT school buildings for public schools were turned over by the Pangasinan Filipino- Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PFCCC) to the city government in ceremonies held August 11 at the Star Plaza Hotel. City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim and Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez thanked PFCCC President Edison Soriano for his group’s continuous support to the city government.

The new structures are located in the Caranglaan Elementary School (1), Bolosan Elementary School (2), Pantal Elementary School (1), Sabangan Elementary School (1), Gueset Elementary School (1) and the Bonuan Boquig Elementary School (1) and High School (1).

Five school buildings were also constructed in Sta. Barbara in Minien (1), Maningding (1), Matic-Matic (1) and at the Banaoang Elementary School (2), bringing the total number of donated buildings to 13. (SHEILA H. AQUINO)

THE new modern Malimgas market will continue to operate as a public market contrary to rumors that its second floor will be given to a private group connected to the city mayor which operates a local chain of malls, a City Hall official stressed Wednesday.

City Administrator Rafael Baraan laughed off the allegation saying Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, whose family operates the Magic chain of malls in Pangasinan, is decent enough and will never venture into such idea. Stall occupants at the second floor have asked the city government to reduce the rentals because of poor sales. Some stalls have already been closed, according to reports.

The city administration appeared unperturbed by the exodus of many stallholders. Baraan said persons with business acumen will be given the opportunity to occupy the closed stalls and that’s that.

He claimed that many such businessmen are just waiting in the sidelines.

He said the old practice by some of selling their stall rights to others will no longer be allowed. If the stall owner could no longer operate his stall, the city will jut give it to another, he pointed out.

Dagupan built the new market building thru a P280 million loan with the Land Bank. The building is equipped with an airconditioning facility, an escalator and parking spaces at the third and fourth floors.

Judging from its short operation so far, it appeared the planners missed some crucial marketing points, it was observed. The market started operating early this year.

Meanwhile, the anti-hawking division stepped up its campaign against ambulant vendors.
Market stallowners have complained that the presence of sidewalk vendors is one factor greatly affecting their duly sales.

But Gutierrez, who heads the division, admitted that ambulant vendors again sprouted in the side streets for the past months. The recent acquisition of a new truck to haul goods sold by the sidewalk vendors will help them get rid of hardheaded vendors, he added. (PIA/DOS)

THE San Marino project on Bonuan road, this city appears to be having difficulty producing proper documents needed and required by the city government to justify its present riverside land development project.

This became evident during an initial consultative meeting called by two city task forces with the private developers who sent a representative, Engr. Jurie Claros to explain their position but could not produce the required papers.

The meeting sought to get the answer of the San Marino Project of the Managen Land Development group on charges leveled against it for encroachment, mangrove destruction, zoning violations, illegal/unauthorized land use conversion and river easement violation.

Among other documents being sought by the city’s Task Force on Comprehensive Survey, Recovery and Management of Public Land and Task Force on Housing and Squatter Relocation are the company’s application for an accreted area from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and permits and clearances for the project from the Housing and land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), Department of Agrarian Reform, and Department of Agriculture.

The task force on comprehensive survey and recovery of public lands headed by Executive Asst. Teofilo Gallang also wanted to see the Managen’s rehabilitation and management plan to avoid destruction of mangrove trees along the river, an acknowledged deterrent to riverbank soil erosion.

Claros failed to answer the task forces’ queries satisfactorily, prompting the city representatives to demand the company’s submission of its formal explanations and proposals “as soon as possible” before the city undertakes adverse action against it.

Gallang said Managen officers should take advantage of the city government’s extended offer for the company to submit its own proposed solutions to the problem that would be beneficial to itself and to the city.

The task force members pointed out that the area being developed by Managen is considered among the eco-critical and protected area of the city.

Gallang bared that Mayor Benjamin S. Lim has a plan to establish a marina or wharf in a portion of the San Marino’s accreted land in line with the mayor’s wish to develop water transportation as an alternative means of people and goods’ movement in the city

Executive Assistant Teddy Villamil also called attention to Sangguniang Panglunsod Res. No. 4197-2003 urging the mayor to strictly implement the provisions of R.A.7279, otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act which requires subdivision developers to allocate 20% of their subdiviision, townhouse or housing projects for socialized housing.

AUGUST 17, 1985.

IT actually started out on that date as the Pioneer Herald, the product of a journalistic “itch” of the late colorful newsman Herminio A. Manantan teaming up with the late Dominador P. Navarro, former editor of The Weekly Reporter, the first offset-printed newspaper in Pangasinan in the 70s. The duo contracted then banker-printer Delfin Tandoc for the printing of a forgettable number of copies at the latter’s Mayombo printing press. When Manantan died, Navarro and Tandoc took in Behn Fer. Hortaleza, Jr., who in turn scouted for a financier and found it in his former University of Pangasinan pal and newly-passed lawyer Rodrigo V. Coquia. The editorial office was located, on Coquia’s voluntary offer, at the lawyer-trader’s feeds supply store along Burgos St., this city..By this time, the newspaper had been renamed The Pangasinan Examine with Tandoc still the printer.

The partnership was short-lived though and Coquia, after a few issues of the newspaper, went out.

Left with nothing but their editorial zeal and a few pesos for printing payment, Navarro and Hortaleza accepted Tandoc’s proffer to be part of the newspaper. Years of smooth operation followed until a parting of ways ensued between Tandoc on one hand, and Navarro and Hortaleza, on the other after the former took in more and more staff members whose idea of newspapering did not exactly jibe with Navarro and Hortaleza’s own. Hortaleza was first to leave when the situation became really uncomfortable for him; Navarro stayed on for a few months more only to decide to quit the “team” too.

The two struck out on their own carrying their Pangasinan Examiner banner even as Tandoc insisted on using the same masthead, By that time, the late writer Armando R. Ravanzo, advertising lady Evangeline S. Estrada and budding reporter-columnist Danny O. Sagun had joined the Navarro-Hortaleza group, boosting both its editorial and business wheels.

A messy court battle followed that led all the way to the Court of Appeals where the wise magistrates, recognizing that the name Examiner was “generic,” ruled that Navarro and Hortaleza’s paper can retain use of the brand name “Pangasinan” and Tandoc’s, the name “Regional”, complete with distinct color code for each: green masthead for the first and blue for the latter.

Thus did the Pangasinan Examiner and Regional Examiner came into peaceful co-existence.

The emergence of more newspapers in the province and region using the generic name “Examiner” prompted an editorial reexamination of options, considering that a number of these “Examiners” were giving journalism a bad name. After a careful weighing of the pros and cons, the Pangasinan Examiner was rechristened The Pangasinan Star by Hortaleza, then already wielding much of the blue pencil job in the paper as Navarro became too busy as general manager of the Lingayen Water District, managing to submit only an occasional column when the inspiration hits him. The paper’s new name was registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and re-entered as such at the Postal Office on May, 1992.

Thus began the saga of The Pangasinan Star, getting the right mix of editorial and advertising people on a trial-and- error basis until it achieved a steady keel by 2000, or a little after that year.

TODAY, AUGUST 17, 2005, minus the cheerful company of Navarro who has written 30 and had joined other newspaper buddies like Armando Ravanzo in the Great Beyond, the Pangasinan Star runs a weekly regular course with both old hands like Hortaleza, Estrada and Sagun, old but new hire Gabriel “Ging” Cardinoza, and newbloods like Venus May H. Sarmiento, Sheila H. Aquino, Christopher “Butch” Uka, Ilet Breguera, Esther H. Rivera, Miriam R. Abulencia, Raul M. Hortaleza, Roland Naoe, Jerald Chuson and Rod Saingan pooling talents and resources together to keep the Star shining.

Twenty long years of independent publishing, beholden to no political figure, owing allegiance to no civic or business entity and existing purely on its own creative juices and business acumen, The Pangasinan Star will probably celebrate its Golden Anniversary yet.
After all, come to think of it, that’s just some 30 short years away. Peanuts!

SAYAN INDIO
Mario F. Karateka

DIAD kasampotan, say pankaabigay baley – laotlaray lumulugan tan opereytors na luluganan pampubliko – so naikday lugar ed siyudad na Dagupan.

Say tutukuyen ko et say impangaproba na Konseho Ciudad ed samay ordinansad trapiko ya mangipasompal na samay tatawagen a”Modfied Day Coding System” o mas kabkabat ed tawag a “Odd-Even Traffic Scheme.”

Impireg na konseho so mas lablalaby lawari na saray draybers laotlaray kabiangay Piston (Pinagisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide) ya “Card System” ya sinali met na siyudad nen akaonan parte na taon antis na panlukas na iskuela balet akaani na dakel ya negatibon komento aliwalabatlad saray lumulugan no ag ingen pati diad saray draybers mismo.

Pigaran miting tan pablik hiring met so ginawa ed no antoy sankarakpan ya sistemay trapikod siudad tan angipresenta met so Piston na papel ton onsusunggay ed Modified Day Coding System ed saray konsehales tan say Pablik Order en Septi Opis (POSO). Imbagaran diad say card system maminliman telek ed dawtawan iray dyip da balet diad silong na Day Coding, labindua anggad labinliman telek so dyip paneknek konon mas makakabelat na trapiko so Day Coding.

Inkuandani ya diad card, sakey agew labat iran manpainawa balet duay agew ed day coding labay ton ibaga duay agew iran andiay anap parad pamilya da komparad sanagew labat ya panmeneng da no card. Dakel niray dalatdat dan kakapoyan na “day coding system” nen otit ya impanmiting sanen Hulyo 25 pati say mas pakagasgas kono na bokel o dalig da tan say “change oil”, puwera niy maabak konod gasolina so “day coding” ta maminpigan telek so dyip lanti.

Makapakelaw balet agda kinablit so pakakalmo da.

Onong ed si Mr. Robert Erfe-Mejia, mas baleg so nanaalmoan na draybers ed day coding nen say card system – ta siyempre met, no mas dakel so liber o telek da, mas dakel so nailugan dan pasaheros tan siyempre mas baleg so anap. Akin balet et saray opereytors ibabagaran daiset so intriga na draybers no day-coding ey?

Ah, kinuwenta la nen Mr. Mejia so almo kada telek tan onliligadad P700 anggad sanlibo sanagew manaya ed regular ya napnon dyipni, inekal lay gasolina. No mas melag nen satan so iyiintriga na draybers, nepeg mansukait laray opereytors sirin.

EVERYTIME we are on the verge of giving up, and this due to severe economic difficulty, not the least of which is paying the office rent, power and water, something welcome always comes up. To perk up our sagging spirit, to inspire us to keep faith and wait for the sun shining behind the dark clouds.

In the case of The Pangasinan Star’s 20th anniversary on August 17, the beacon was our breaking into the internet thru the so-called Blog, a free “web log” (that’s how the blog word was derived) service which makes use of a special software that makes writing one’s thoughts, indeed, even news, on the internet simpler And the writer is still assured his penned (or encoded) musings can reach a mass audience in various parts of the world.

This revolutionary means of disseminating information and opinion first created and offered by Pyra Labs, a small San Francisco-based technology company, was recently purchased by Google, the search engine company, further boosting the “art” of blogging in the Net.

Outside of making itself financially viable, a newspaper like the Pangasinan Star has to constantly strive to achieve wider circulation. Most provincial newspapers, sadly, have little of both. With the advent of “blogging”, The Pangasinan Star can look forward to a much wider circulation beyond Philippine shores; the over a hundred visitors to our blogspot so far this week – and growing — is guarantee and proof enough of our
somehow making it in the circulation part. What’s left now for the editors and business staff is to fill up the profit part substantially as we enter our 21st year in the community newspaper business.

This latter challenge of course is a never-ending one, but having survived all of 20 years in this field amid all past economic difficulties, we just feel The Pangasinan Star will overcome.

See you on this page same time next year!