Editorial

If you’re discerning enough, you can’t miss the contrast in the approach to the holding of grand extravaganzas for the longest grill world record quest of Dagupan City and Alcala town here in Pangasinan.

While one, Dagupan, makes such a fuss about the event being tourism-driven festival, the other, Alcala, makes no bones about describing its project as a “fund-raising activity” involving its moneyed overseas native sons and daughters who have all but bought the 1,000 grills (and in dollars, that) the town prepared for the mass barbecue party.

Dagupan’s now traditional Bangus Festival featuring a lot of street grilling and merry-making never makes mention of raising any such money from the event, not before, not now, not ever, which, in all respects, therefore makes it nothing more than a spending binge to satisfy the bacchanalian urge of officials and citizens alike. Let’s face it, if tourism is at all served, it becomes only peripheral to the greater concern for ego-tripping among many Dagupenos, not the least of them those at the City Hall.

In simple contrast, the Alcalenians, going by their avowed intentions noted in news reports and interviews with Mayor Manuel Collado, want their event to work for them, finance-wise, not them working for it, as is sadly evident in Daguipan’s Bangusfest. It might even be that Alcala would be able to show how to properly account for the income earned from the whole exercise while Dagupan, thru its four or five years of staging the summer street show, especially in the past two years, has failed to submit for public scrutiny the money derived from the big-time advertisers, if any, this, to dispel a growing notion among cityfolk that something’s rotten, and it’s not in Denmark.

And with the Wowowee tragedy in hindsight, we hope this year’s event would have workable crowd control plans besides. We can even probably take Bangus Festival as a losing (spending) proposition each time but probably not if it becomes a tragedy of the highest proportions.

AFTER ALL
Behn fer. Hortaleza

THE furor over sodium benzoate as a food preservative used in toyo, ketchup and even some skin care products we believe is another one of those black propaganda among competing manufacturers and their products.

Datu Puti products particularly have been the latest “victim” of verbal, written and online canards that claim the alternative preservative, sodium benzoate, in these is harmful to health.

Come to think of it, if that were an iota true, many would have died by now, considering that the DP vinegar goes well with the “pulutan” and most other food on the table.The fact is no less than the Bureau of Food and Drugs allows use of sodium benzoate as “alternative preservative for food” when used in proper amount.

Datu Puti reps have said all that goes into their product is “katas ng tubo at tubig” and swear they follow the guidelines set by BFAD, which agency itself says the ingredient is safe “so long as it is within standard levels.”

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The Pen Speaks
Danny o. Sagun

REPORTS that some local government officials themselves are drug pushers provide a chilling indictment on the state of governance in the communities.

These officials are sworn to protect us and work for our welfare yet there they are doing the exact opposite! They should suffer the full consequences of their act.

Two barangay officials from Dagupan City and a barangay captain from Binalonan were reportedly nabbed recently for drug possession. No wonder Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim fumed and minced no words in his reaction as to possible sanctions against the erring officials. Makapabaing!

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Smorgasbord
Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre

In full swing is the campaign for the shift from the current presidential form of government to parliamentary unicameral form.

Interviewed last Saturday, House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia announced that starting March 25, there will be a simultaneous action nationwide to present the People’s Initiative.

There will be signature mobilization goal throughout the Philippines, he said, and the goal is to gather 10 to 17 million signatures.

“It’s going to be forceful tide of public opinion,” de Venecia remarked.

There are three ways to amend the constitution: 1) through constitutional convention, 2) ¾ vote of the members of the House and the Senate, and 3) people’s initiative.

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Windows
Gabriel L. Cardinoza

I had a chance to see former Gov. Oscar Orbos when he came to Dagupan City last week as guest of a business forum organized by a Christian group. It was one of those rare meetings we had since 1998. When he finished his term that year as Pangasinan governor, he had stayed in Manila most of the time, especially when he decided to pursue his television hosting of “Debate” over GMA 7. He would call me once in a blue moon but our conversations did not go beyond exchanging of hellos and how-are-yous. Then, he would hang up with his signature remark, “Anusan yo labat, a (Just be patient, okay)?”

I had only known of Manong Oca’s presence in the city that Monday morning when a friend, who happened to be one of the event’s organizers, called me. Mondays are usually busy days in the office and I had initially decided not to see him anymore. But I decided the last minute to run to the astrodome shortly before the lunch break just to take a short glimpse of him and maybe to shake his hands.

Manong Oca has hogged the headlines in the immediate the past days because of what Malacanang called a coup attempt and the take over of a transition council, where he was supposed to be one of the members who had asked AFP Chief of Staff Generoso Senga to withdraw his support from President Arroyo. Weeks before, Manong Oca was also in that protest march to Malacanang where he, former Vice President Tito Guingona, Sen. Jamby Madrigal and other political leaders in the country were hosed by firemen to disperse them.

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