Stumped by revelation, BM Manoy junks authorship

LINGAYEN – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) admitted that the Small Town Lottery (STL) is still in the conceptual stage and that the agency has not accredited anybody or any group to implement the same.

This was disclosed by Earneli Dancel, operating officer of the PCSO in Urdaneta City, who was surprised to learn that a private company is already seeking to operate STL to be known as “Loterya ng Bayan” in the entire province of Pangasinan.

The Numbers Numbers Co. Inc. (NNCI) based in Makati City wrote the provincial board here September 26 this year seeking the passage of a resolution to authorize it to operate LNB in Pangasinan on experimental basis yet.

Dancel spoke during a public hearing conducted by the committees on Monetary and Economic Affairs and Public Services, and Rules, Laws, Ordinances and Privileges of the Provincial board on the proposed resolution sought by NNCI.

“The STL is still non-existent yet, sic being only imaginary,” Dancel said, as she questioned the alleged misrepresentation by NNCI, through its provincial coordinator Rolando Dee, a business man from Mangaldan, Pangasinan.

She denied NNCI’s claim that it was already granted accreditation by the PCSO but she bluntly told members of the provincial board that “only if you pas a resolution authorizing the operation of Loterya ng Bayan by Numbers Numbers Co. Inc. can we grant such accreditation.”

Moreover, Dancel declared that there is no truth to the claim of Dee that NNCI is already operating LNB in Makati City or in any part of the country, simply because STL, is still a concept being studied thoroughly by PCSO.

Based on Dancel’s admission, Provincial Board Member Emmanuel Carancho withdrew his resolution seeking to authorize the company to operate the LNB in Pangasinan. His withdrawal finally booted out an attempt to introduce another numbers game in Pangasinan that would likely take the place of the illegal “jueteng” which already grounded to a halt in most parts of the country.

Carancho cited newspaper reports that even Gov. Victor Agbayani is against the move to make Pangasinan as the experimental base for a new numbers game.

Even the lawyer of NNCI, Cesar Cariño, failed to answer questions raised by board members as to what kind of business NNCI is into.

Board Member Angel Baniqued brought out a copy of the articles of incorporation of the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that stated it is into technology provider services and not into numbers game.

Observers hailed the action of the provincial board on the matter because even Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese is opposed to the operation of LNB, which he believed is “a clone” of jueteng. (PNA)

PANGASINAN safe from infected migratory birds? Think again.

The province may yet be a potential place for a breakout of the deadly avian flu due to droves of migratory birds landing in middle of fishponds here in order to forage for food.

Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries and Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), confirmed that droves of migratory birds such as egret and heron are foraging for food in shallow fishponds in Dagupan City and Pangasinan most often.

With their white color, these thin, long-legged and long-beaked birds, can be readily seen from afar as they feed on fish from almost drying fishponds at this time of the year.

Some of these are in fact seen in fishponds along the Lingayen-Dagupan-Binmaley road, especially in tracks of fishpond lands a few meters from the town proper of Binmaley.

In the past, people hunted these birds for food but since reports of the avian flu came out, people have been told to stay away from these birds.

Pangasinan and Dagupan City may yet be another sanctuary for migratory birds in the country because the fish being raised in fishponds serve as food for them.

The egrets and herons used to fly in flocks to the Philippines from the northern region of the world at this time of the year to escape the winter cold and temporarily migrate to tropical areas.

Officials said if only one or two of these migratory birds carry the dreaded avian flu, they could already spark a full-blown epidemic.

A report said there is also a bird sanctuary in the Hundred Islands, not only for local birds but also for migratory birds.

LINGAYEN – Two provincial jail guards of Pangasinan are now in hot water in connection with the escape from their custody of a notorious drug dealer, with both local and international connections, whom they escorted to attend the trial of his case at the Regional Trial Court in Dagupan City last Wednesday.

Provincial Jail Guard II David Motas, 60, and Provincial Jail Guard I Renato Mendejar, 59, are now undergoing rigid questioning from joint investigators of the police and the National Bureau of Investigation following the escape of Jimmy Daru Lumna, alias “Larry Lumna” and “Jimmy Daru”, 56, a native of Marawi City but residing in Bonuan, Dagupan City. Provincial Administrator Virgilio Solis, Jr. said the two guards are likely to be charged with infidelity in the custody of a prisoner, separate from administrative charge that will be slapped on them.

It was the second time Lumna, a high profile prisoner of the Provincial Jail in Lingayen, escaped from his jail guards. The first was on Nov. 5, 2002, also after coming from the RTC branch in Dagupan City where he also attended the trial of his case.

Lumna, a former sergeant of the defunct Philippine Constabulary and with strings of cases of illegal drugs in Dagupan City, Lingayen and Manila, and also carnapping cases, was captured march 8, 2003 during a raid in a house in Quiapo, Manila by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Initial investigation showed that Lumna reportedly asked Motas and Mendejar to remove his handcuff in one hand to enable him to piss. And once they did, he ran away towards the adjacent Muslim community where he vanished.

The incident happened at 10 a.m. but the two guards only reported the matter to the Police Community Precinct in Bonuan at 11:40 a.m. and to their superior, Acting Provincial Jail Warden Rogelio Paglingayen at 1:30 p.m. that day.

Paglingayen took to task the two guards because it appears they were only three meters away from Lumna and apparently did not shoot him in the legs when they saw him already running away.

Motas was armed with a Cal. 9mm. pistol. Mendejar had his Cal. 38 service pistol.
The two guards brought Lumna to Dagupan City hours before by commuter bus because the only vehicle of the provincial jail was towed days before to the repair shop. Two teams were formed by Paglingayen, seven men to each time, to track down Lumna from where he is known to seek refuge, and to bring him back to prison within 15 days. (PNA)

LINGAYEN – Governor Victor E. Agbayani stressed the need to continue innovations and reforms, strengthen existing programs, and forge new partnerships with the private sector to eventually win the war against poverty in the province.

“We shall continue to build further on our achievements in agriculture, infrastructure, human resources development, population and health care, education, tourism, investment, trade and other areas of development,” Agbayani said in his budget message to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The governor expressed optimism that the province will be able to “kick-start new engines of growth” with the proposed annual budget for fiscal year 2006 amounting to P1,084,333,320.00 or P83.70 million higher than this year’s budget.

He said more programs and projects will be pursued in agriculture, infrastructure, environment conservation, population management, health and nutrition, trade and tourism, low-cost housing and livelihood projects for marginal families.

“It is also imperative for us to put in place more realistic and sustainable programs to make our people more economically productive and self-sufficient,” Agbayani said.

This means, he said, that the province will further strengthen and expand its Provincial Livelihood Assistance Program, Gender and Development Program, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Program, and the Goat Breeding and Trading Program.

Next year’s budget shall be derived from P49.23 million projected tax revenues and P1.03 billion from general income accounts.

Out of the total budget, the amount of P474,486,545.00 is allocated for personal services such as salaries and wages, clothing allowance, insurances, year-end bonus, cash gifts and other benefits.

The proposed budget for maintenance and other operating expenses totals P607,479,275.00, while P2,367,500.00 has been set aside for capital outlay.

The rest of the 2006 budget has been earmarked as development fund, P322,795,000.00; calamity fund, P54,216,665.00; and other non-office accounts, P164,012,120.00. (Jennifer Domantay/PIO)

LINGAYEN – The church is not the government.

This was how Vice Governor Oscar Lambino reacted to the strong opposition of Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese to the application of a Makati-based company to operate a “Loterya ng Bayan” in Pangasinan on experimental basis.

Lambino said the application of the Numbers Numbers Co., Inc. was referred to three committees in the provincial board which are to conduct a provincewide consultation to determine the pulse of the people on the issue.

Despite the objection of the archbishop, the provincial board will seek the opinion of as many people as possible before forming a decision on the issue, Lambino declared.

Stressing that there is a separation of the church and the state, Lambino said: “We (in the provincial board) make decisions based on facts that we see and hear.”

He said the opinion of Archbishop Cruz, including the pastoral letter that he issued which was read in the pulpits of churches and chapels of the archdiocese last Saturday and Sunday, will also be considered by the provincial board.

“I think the committees will invite personalities, including Archbishop Cruz, to shed light on the Loterya ng Bayan,” Lambino said, adding that in his opinion, the Loterya is not jueteng, contrary to the claim of the prelate.

Lambino said that in Cruz’ various media pronouncements and in his pastoral letter, he called the ‘Loterya Ng Bayan’ the same as jueteng, which has already grounded to a halt in many parts of the country.

“It (Loterya ng Bayan) is not jueteng. It is a small town lottery. It is sanctioned by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and therefore is not illegal,” Lambino stressed.

The vice governor, however, did not dispute the archbishop’s assertion that all kinds of gambling are not moral and that not all legal games are moral.

Lambino sees ‘Loterya ng Bayan’ as the possible means by which those displaced by the stoppage of jueteng could have a chance to be given livelihood again. (PNA)

By Venus May H. Sarmiento

BUYERS and consumers are advised to be vigilant in choosing meat and to vigorously monitor sanitation safeguards for meat and meat products.

The National Meat Inspection Service (formerly National Meat Inspection Commission as amended in RA 9296) has advised the public to be selective in buying pork, beef and chicken meat.

Buyers should always look for the “NMIS” mark or check the meat inspection certificate to be sure these are safe to eat and properly handled, it said. Meat products with the seal indicate these were taken out from slaughterhouses where ante-mortem inspection allows the animals to be inspected while still alive for any sign of disease or harmful health condition.

NMIS meat control officer II, Dr. Cherry Ann Teano-Javier said, another way of detecting meat safe for consumption is through ‘organoleptic examinatin’. This means the use of sight, touch, smell and eventually, taste, to determine a good meat. A good meat is somewhat reddish (‘mamula-mula’), its surface not slimy and generally has no bad odor.

Without these indicators, the produce may fall under the ‘hot meat’ category.

Contrary to what many people think, a refrigerated or chilled meat is still fit for consumption. The chilling process prevents microbes and bacteria from forming, Javier said.

‘Double-dead meat’, those which are darkened or purplish in color, are considered unfit because bacteria thrives in the blood of so-called ‘double-dead’ animals. Vendors found to be selling un-inspected meat (meat without seal) may have to face confiscation of products.

These confiscated products, once examined and found to be still fit for consumption, may be donated to charitable institutions, Javier said.

As for barangayfolk who wish to sell meat products in their barangay, they are advised to secure permits from their barangay captains who would in turn, call on local meat inspectors to check on and guarantee the safety of the meat.

Javier was guest in Thursday’s Pantontongan Tayo radio program jointly sponsored by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Consumernet group of the Department of Trade Industry aired live over station DZRH Dagupan every Thursday. (VMHS-PIA)

NOW, it’s out, partially at least, from the BFAD’s mouth.

An official of the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFD) of the Department of Health tagged some government doctors as the ones patronizing fake and or counterfeit medicines coming from dubious sources.

Reynaldo Jacinto, chief of the regulations and enforcement division of the BFAD in Region I, said the government physicians source out, prescribe and dispense the fake and or counterfeit medicines to their patients.

Jacinto said these doctors are currently employed in government hospitals not only in Pangasinan but also in the entire Ilocos Region.

He stopped short of naming the doctors concerned.

Some of the hospitals where these erring doctors are allegedly working are the Region I Medical Center in Dagupan, Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City, Western Pangasinan District Hospital in Alaminos City and the Don Amadeo Perez Memorial District Hospital in Urdaneta City.

The BFAD had been actively operating in the province of Pangasinan for months due to reports that the province is a dumping ground for fake and counterfeit medicines coming from other regions, including Metro Manila.

Jacinto was invited by Provincial Board Member Dionisio Villar during the question hour of the provincial board to know from him names of the doctors supposedly directly dealing with manufacturers and distributors of fake and or counterfeit medicines.

Also invited were the chiefs of these government hospitals where the alleged erring doctors work.

Villar said Jacinto should name names because if he does not, all doctors in the four government hospitals in Pangasinan that he mentioned are suspects. “He should name names, otherwise all his revelations are nothing if those who violated the law are not prosecuted,” he said.

Observers said these doctors can also be cited for malpractice if they are found to be prescribing and dispensing fake and or counterfeit medicines.

Jacinto said it is mostly to out-patients that the fake and or counterfeit medicines are being prescribed and dispensed by these doctors for them to earn money and boost their usually meager take-home pay.

He said that under the country’s Generics Law that was passed when Alfredo Bengzon was still secretary of health, doctors can only prescribe medicines and not dispense them.

STA. LUCIA, Ilocos Sur – A farmer who ran amuck was shot dead in barangay Namatikan here Friday, shortly after hacking and stabbing three persons and seriously hurting two others, according to the police.

Senior Inspector Felimon Pacios, police chief of Sta. Lucia, identified the slain amok as Eduardo Habon, 51, of barangay Cabaritan, who was armed with a 14-inch sharp bolo.

The hacking and stabbing spree started at around 5 a.m. that day when Habon went to the house of Onofre Halaman, 44, another farmer, and without any provocation repeatedly stabbed him in different parts of body that caused his instant death.

After killing Halaman, Habon continued his rampage in adjacent barangay Namatikan. Habon crossed a river to go to his brother’s house where he chanced upon his sister-in-law, Olivia Habon, as she was washing clothes.

He stabbed the girl too without any provocation, also killing him instantly.
In his escape, the amok saw Olivia’s 12-year old daughter Mary Jane and stabbed her in the chest, piercing her heart.

When Joseph Habon, 16, tried to come to the rescue of his mother and sister, the amok stabbed him in the breast but not seriously.

Glem Mar Habon, 14, a cousin of Joseph and Mary Jane was also attacked by the suspect, inflicting wounds in Glen’s stomach.

Both the injured are recuperating at the Holy Family Clinic in Candon City. (PNA)

By Venus May H. Aquino

THE National Food Authority, western Pangasinan branch has brought more than 2,000 bags of palay, 188 of these procured under the Farmer’s Option To Buy Back (FOBB).

Under the FOBB program, the NFA procures palay directly from farmers and farmer cooperatives to serve as buffer stock for food security and stabilization purposes but with farmers/cooperatives option to buy-back almost the same volume of stocks they sold to the agency within a specified period.

NFA Manager Arturo Figueroa explained that the program is the agency’s response to individual farmers’ or farmer organizations’ immediate need for cash. This provides farmers the opportunity to buy-back the stocks they had previously sold to NFA, net of shrinkage within six months or one cropping cycle and when palay prices in the market increase significantly above the government support price, thereby maximizing income from their produce.

Figueroa added that by availing of the government support price, the farmers are assured of a reasonable and favorable return for their investment, thus encouraging increased production.

At the same time, the food agency’s western Pangasinan office said it has started its palay-buying this October with a support price of P10/kg as delivery fee, P0.15kg as drying fee and P0.25/kg as cooperative development incentive fee (CDIF).

This makes the NFA’s effective buying price at P10.50/kg for farmer’s organization/cooperative and P10.25/kg for accredited individual farmers.

Figueroa added that for this harvesting season, the branch has prepared its mechanical dryer consisting of a six-ton capacity Shen Heung Dryer, Maruyana dryer and a mobile dryer in its Alaminos City and Mangatarem warehouses to enable farmers to dry their newly harvested palay crops.
Farmers’ cooperatives in Alaminos have already availed of the use of dryer facilities with a total of 250 bags of palay at a minimal fee. Farmers are also given priority access to NFA’s storage, milling, drying, threshing, transporting and weighing facilities at reasonable service rates. (Venus May H. Sarmiento/PIA-Ilocos