VIGAN CITY – The province of Ilocos Sur was adjudged best implementor of anti-poverty programs under the Provincial Poverty Reduction Program (PPRP) of the Regional Development Council (RDC) throughout the Ilocos region.

Dr. Erni Mendoza, presidential assistant for Northern Luzon, said Ilocos Sur earned the plum for its various livelihood projects that have greatly eased the plight of its 768 barangays.

Ilocos Sur bested all other provinces in the Ilocos region, namely Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos Norte in the implementation of the PPRP.

Mendoza said the program Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Kalahi) of the National Poverty Commission (NAPC) sponsored the PPRP.

Region 1 has been the only region in the entire country so far to have fully implemented the poverty reduction program.

In order to ensure the success of the PPRP, Gov. Luis Chavit Singson named all mayors of 32 towns and two cities as action officers with the specific duty to monitor projects and file weekly progress reports.

He said he will also appoint an action officer in every barangay to pinpoint priority areas and concerns.

These action officers will report continuously to the provincial government updates on the needs and demands of the people in the barangays, Singson said. (PNA)

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III has announced here that the dengue fever has waned down throughout the Philippines although cases of the disease in other countries are still rising.

“We are lucky that dengue in our country is now going down, whereas the dengue count in other countries is still rising, “Duque said in a talk to newsmen shortly after the inauguration of several facilities including a dialysis center for the poor at the Region 1 Medical Center here last Sunday.

Duque, a member of a family that owns the Lyceum-Northwestern University and also the University of Pangasinan, both in Dagupan City, said as of Oct. 2, there were 22,000 cases of dengue registered.

He said this was 25 percent higher than the number of cases registered throughout the country last year.

Records showed that from this number, there was a 1.4 percent case-fatality rate for dengue this year. Most of the cases of dengue were registered in the months of July and August.

At the same time, Duque announced that the cholera outbreak in Catanduanes and Camarines Sur which downed a number of people a few weeks ago is now under control.

He asked the public there and in other parts of the country to take precautionary measures because this is really the reason for gastro-intestinal disease, such as cholera and diarrhea, including flu, he said.

Pointing out that personal hygiene is very important, Duque said that health is wealth, and that the latter is useless without the former.

Another mosquito-borne disease, the Japanese encephalitis, is not widespread and still not considered a threat in the Philippines, Duque assured.

OFFICIALS of the Commission on Higher Education and members of the academic community in the northern Luzon met in Dagupan City Monday for the investiture rites of the president and chancellor of one of the oldest educational institutions of higher learning in Pangasinan and the Ilocos region.

Installed as only the second president of the University of Luzon was Dr. Mac Arthur Samson, Sr., who took over from his father, Dr. Luis Samson, Sr., who was also installed in parallel ceremonies as the first university chancellor.

Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., guest of honor and speaker during the investiture rites, said: “I am proud of the University of Luzon as I am proud of all the other universities in Pangasinan, Dagupan City and San Carlos. Dagupan City has become a city of great universities, (recalling) the days of ancient Athens.”

Atty. Liberato Reyna, Jr, chairman of the Board of Trustees of UL, presented and read the younger Samson’s appointment as new president of the university which was founded on the name Luzon Colleges of Business and Arts (LCBA). It was later renamed Luzon Colleges.

The school was founded in 1947 by Dr. Luis Samson Sr. and Atty. Liberato Reyna, Sr., a former three-time mayor of Dagupan City.

The new UL president took his oath of office before Atty. Julito Vitriolo, CHED Deputy Executive Director IV while Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese did the honor of blessing him and the new chancellor.

In his acceptance speech, Samson outlined his plans to transform UL, now 58 years old, towards being a 21st century university or a new millennium university.

An engineer by profession, Samson worked for sometime in the United States till he returned to assume a responsible position in their family-owned school. He is a holder of a doctorate degree in humanities, honoris causa, from the Lyceum Northwestern University in March 2003.

SPEAKER Jose de Venecia, Jr. sees a possible cooperation between the government, church and civil society for the total eradication of jueteng and other forms of gambling throughout the country.

In snatches of conversation with Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese last Monday, the two agreed on a formula of cooperation among the government, church and civil society that would finally end “jueteng” and all kinds of gambling throughout the country.

Cruz and Speaker de Venecia were together at the Dagupan City Astrodome for the investiture and installation rites of Dr. Mac Arthur Samson as second president of the University of Luzon. De Venecia was the guest of honor and speaker.

In his speech during the investiture rites, de Venecia challenged civil society leaders to contribute to the herculean effort of the archbishop to end jueteng in order to finally put an end to the evils of unauthorized gambling throughout the country.

“I proposed and his response was very constructive, to create a conceptual framework—a legal framework—that will lead to the development of projects that will do away with jueteng and similar schemes in Pangasinan and throughout the Philippines, de Venecia said, referring to the church leader.

He emphasized that together, they should work out a scheme where the bishops, archbishops and local government units are involved in a program a stop all forms of illegal gambling.

“I think, let’s now work out a formula using a collective scholarship—the formula of Archbishop Cruz—whom we admire and whom we respect so that we can finally put an end to the evils of jueteng in Pangasinan and throughout the Philippines.
De Venecia however asked to be given “ a few more weeks” to hammer out a more detailed plan on it.

By GLAMORFE CALICDAN

BARANGAY Mamalingling in Dagupan City became the venue for a showcase of development communication activities last October 8 as mass communication students and faculty of a local university launched their “Serbisyon Mapangaro” (Love-filled Service) program in a community setting.

The day-long program that started at 8 a.m. unloaded several public services like a medical mission, discussion on livelihood, family planning and feeding programs, a Give-A-Gift and a stage play for children.

Ogie Manzano, mass communication instructor of the college of liberal arts, University of Pangasinan, said the field activity sought to give a face to development communication, defined as “organized efforts to use communication processes and media channels to bring (about) social and economic improvements.”

Lending support to the Mamalingling information outreach were Vice Mayor and acting Mayor Alvin Fernandez, the sangguniang panlungsod, Region 1 Medical Center thru Dr. Jesus D. Canto, city health office, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation thru president Charisse Perez, Dagupan Jaycees, Inc., Department of Trade and Industry and the Dagupan Business Center.

ROSALES – Authorities here believe a drugs war may have just erupted here with the gunslaying of a known drug pusher and user on General Luna st. in Poblacion last Oct. 9
Dead o n the spot where he was shot by armed men on an Enduro motorcycle was Jose Minia III, 25, of baranagy Station District here.

Police intelligenc e sources pointed to the killing as a liquidation job by Minia’s comrades in the drugs trade possibly due to non-remittance of proceeds from illegal sale
of the banned substances.

Police officials predict Minia’s death may have just sparked a drugs war among those involved in drug trafficking here. Rosales has often been reported as a transshipment point of illegal drugs, being located at the crossroad between east and west and north and south.

Several drug personalities have already been arrested by the police in the past but the illicit trade appears to persist.

Mayor Ricardo Revita, himself an awarded former police officials in the province, has launched a cleanup of police characters in this town and put some order in the once chaotic traffic terminal at barangay Carmen, the crossroad barangay, of the town where many petty crimes were recorded in the past.

SAN CARLOS CITY – For a 77 square-meter-lot, an interested buyer needs only P57,750 cash or pay P372.08 in monthly amortization to own it.

The National Housing Authority said the lots for sale are located in barangay Tarectec in San Carlos City. Lots are also available in 96 sq.m. at P76,320 or P491.73 monthly amortization, and 84 sq.m. at P63,000 or P405.91 monthly.

A house and lot measuring 84 sq.m. (floor area, 42 sq.m) can be owned at P323,000 or P2,935.10 monthly payments, the NHA said.

Land development features of the housing site include concrete roads, drainage systems, local water system and power. Interested lot or home-seekers may contact the National Housing Authority regional office at the Capitol compound in San Fernando City (La Union) thru Crescencia O. Loquia, at telefax no.(072) 888 6184, or cell no. 09215533880. (PIA/DOS)

UMINGAN –Twenty-eight pupils of an elementary school in a remote barangay here accompanied by their parents, went to the police station Thursday to denounce their maltreatment in the hands of the school principal inside their classroom the day before.

Chief of police Eddie Granil said the pupils and their parents complained to the police against the terror tactics of Jose Arata, principal, 58, of Bantog Elementary School who allegedly whipped them with a slit of bamboo and slapped some of them with their own books in the presence of their teachers.

The principal, according to them, was enraged at the pupils, boys and girls, from Grades V. IV, III and II when they failed to put clips in their books.

Bantog barangay captain Wilfredo Badua accompanied his complaining barangaymates who wanted to file criminal cases for child abuse and an administrative case before the Department of Education against the school official.

The Parent Teachers Community Association headed by Antonio Biano also stood by the complaints of the pupils and their parents.

All the 28 children were brought to the Umingan Community Hospital where doctors found them suffering hematoma or bruises in their shoulders and faces as a result of beatings.

Some of the maltreated pupils were identified as Hansel Pangangaan, 10; Wilfred Pasamec, 10; Leah Marie Campos, 10; Jovelyn Ebreu, 11; Neal Patrick Valdez, 11; Noemi Abalos, 11; Glen Tuvera, 11; Marie Joy Libantino, Janette Macabio, 11; Jovita Navalta, 10;Jenelyn Casio, 10;Maricel Soriano, 10; Renito Gorospe, 11; Erica Jasmin, 11; Kimberly Repinta, 10; Cheryl Libid, 10; Lyndon Casio, 12; and Gino Sobremonte, all in Grade V.

The Grade II pupils were Natalia Sobremonte, 9; Lolyn Casio, 8, Ryan Justine Campos, 7; and Jonel Ebreu, 10 (PNA)

City Gets $100K aid from USAID

DAGUPAN City has been chosen official partner in the Philippines of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) based in Bangkok for a project called Program for Hydro-Meteorological Risk Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE).

The project funded by the United States Agency for International Development Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) at US $100,000, also provides for a technical and training assistance program to Dagupan City.

Members of the Center for Disaster Preparedness, the local non-government organization partner of Dagupan in the program, held a meeting with the City Disaster Coordinating Council last Monday to discuss the matter.

The CDP was in Dagupan earlier last July to consolidate the requirements and information which were submitted to ADPC. Last October 2, USAID/OFDA approved the selection of Dagupan.

Malu Fellizar Cagay of CDP expressed the organization’s gratitude to the officials of Dagupan for providing the requirement promptly which led to the realization of the project.

In the meeting, Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) chief Robert Erfe-Mejia thanked the technical and training assistance to be given Dagupan and asked the CDP how Dagupan could benefit from the project in terms of other logistics.

City Planning and Development Officer Romeo Rosario, for his part, noted the need to come out with a hydro-meteorological scenario and how disaster weather disturbances worsen so that the city can calibrate its actions accordingly.

Cagay said PROMISE will contribute to a safer Dagupan City, adding that it proposes to increase adoption of private and public sector mechanisms for community preparedness and mitigation of hydro-meteorological disaster risk in urban areas. The main purpose is to “measurably alleviate human suffering, prevent loss of life and reduce the potential for physical and economic change.”

Fe Castro Andaya of CDP stressed that one mayor goal of the project is to incorporate the participation of the barangays and make them proactive to disasters.

Ernie Alcamel of Naga City, the first city in the Philippines that implemented the program, oriented the CDCC members on his city’s experience with the program.

Other countries in the South and South Asia that implement the program are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam (Sunshine D. Robles)