Association of Government Information Officers (PAGIO Inc.last Friday at the Dagupan Business Center conference hall at City Astrodome. Merlita Tibalo of the Provincial Information Office assumed the presidency after the elected president, Supt Ricardo Tamayo of the PNP, was reassigned out of the province. Tibalao is vice president of the group. Jessie Fernandez of GSIS was elected vice president in place of Tibalao. Supervising the meeting are PIA Infocenter Manager Behn Fer. Hortaleza, Jr. and former DTI Director Jaime P. Lucas, now the DBC officer-in-charge. (PIA Photo by Venus May H Sarmiento)

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO

SIX lovely Dagupenas who have shown true worth as women achievers in their own work and hobbies were honored in lavish rites at the Leisure Coast Resort Water Park in Bonuan Binloc, this city, Thursday evening.

The recognition of the six ladies was sponsored by the Lady’s Choice to coincide with the Bangus Festival of Dagupan City.

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LABRADOR – Two barangays from Pangasinan have been named “friendliest barangay” in North Luzon by the National Transmission Corporation (Transco).

Barangay Bolo of this small town in central Pangasinan and Abot Molina of Umingan town in eastern Pangasinan were the latest to join the ranks of transmission line’s “friendliest barangays” along with barangay Umangan of Aliaga town in Nueva Ecija, according to the Transco District III office based in San Manuel town.

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By Ruby Bernardino

LINGAYEN – This year’s celebration of Pista’y Dayat in this scenic capital town promises to be a marvelous adventure by the beach with various activities that anyone can join to win prizes.

Aside from the regular features that include the grand parade of Pangasinan festivals, variety shows, trade, tourism, food and garden fair, beach sports and the Limgas na Dayat beauty pageant, there is also for the first time swimming competitions and the “Hawaii Centennial Photo and Philatelic Exhibits.”

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THE Hawaii Centennial Photo and Philatelic Exhibit unveiled at the Provincial Capitol Building in Lingayen beginning last Wednesday The exhibit is sponsored by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Philippine Postal Corporation, in cooperation with the Provincial Government of Pangasinan.

Features of the exhibit include the history of Filipino migration to Hawaii since the ship SS Doric docked at Honolulu on December 20, 1906, carrying 15 Filipinos along with a handful of Chinese, Japanese and Sikhs.

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POZORRUBIO – An Austrialian citizen died when he was bumped by a speeding passenger bus along the national highway in barangay Cablong here last Tuesday.

The fatality was identified as Russel James Suttler, 43, of 19 Andrews St., Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, and living in Parang, Marikina City.

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FISH farming in Dagupan City, which produces the tasty bangus, is under serious threat from coliform bacteria coming out from homes, factories and even from poultry and piggery farms along or near local rivers.

This was contained in the latest Fish Health Diagnostic and Microbiology Laboratory Report released by the government-owned National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) here.

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HALE, the hottest boy band in mega-Manila, will perform in DagupanCity on April 30 during the streetparty that highlights the annual ‘Bangus Festival’. The band is slated to perform on Stage 6 along A. B. Fernandez Avenue.

HALE’s performance is solely sponsored by House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia, Jr. as a gift to Dagupenos particularly the young people.In 2003, during the Festival’s initial stagings, de Venecia also donated P1 million to help jumpstart the festival that has now become a byword among merrymakers.

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SAYAN INDIO
Mario F. Karateka

ANTOEY, asabila lamet so Pista’y Bangus ed Dagupan. Baleg a kwarta so bubusbusen parad sayan tinaon ya pamaliket na Siti Hol ed saray ombaley. Et no akin singa masyadon pabongga natan amo yay Meyor Lim kuanyo, kaibaladtan si Konsehal Niknok ya agla akaalagar tan tinawag tolay dili to bilang “Aksyon Man” kono ditan ed saray angkab;li ran “plugs” ed radio tan telebisyon – on, telebisyon ya libo pesos so patak na metro kada paway na komersiyal – nonot yolan saya so tsansa nen BSL ya paletan so ngaran tod saray botantes na kuatro distrito. Kanian todo pakulo, todo imbitasyon so gagaween daray totoo to ya ondagup iray taga distrito ed dagupan diad sayan simba pian miliket ed Bangus Pestebal.

No agyoni nabelasan so ibabagak, paasensiyaan yoak no ibagak ya waweng kila.

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E D I T O R I A L

NEXT TIME, WILL THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) please just keep its traps shut about coastal waters in Pangasinan being free from the aquatic phenomenon called “red tide” during a certain period?

We believe it would be more sensible if the agency just quickly issues bulletins when red tide sets in and not when it is absent in the waters. Why? Issuing public announcements about safety of marine products from toxins brought by RT tends to lull shellfish eaters into a sense of complacency. They would be buying the viand (generally considered a budget food fare) in abandon, forgetting their better senses that such a state of safety of shellfish products could change drastically overnight. Before they learn of a revised public alert, it could be too late

Take last week’s monitoring of the Bani-Bolinao coastal area by the same BFAR. The Philippine News Agency came out with an item on April 17 about a BFAR bulletin saying that the “coastal waters of Pangasinan remain free from red tide toxin (PSP toxins) based on latest analyses x x x”

Barely four days later, BFAR was alerting the public that the same coastal waters “are now positive for the deadly red tide toxin” under its Shellfish Bulletin No.07 dated –quite strangely enough – April 13, 2006. The bulletins have apparently overlapped or the PNA story on the all-clear signal earlier was issued quite belatedly to the news outlets at about the time red tide was already blooming in the waters of Bolinao and Bani.

See why we are suggesting that only alert bulletins on red tide (when it is monitored to be actually present already) be issued by authorities and not when the waters are clear of it?

By the way, other than shellfish, those tiny shrimps, “alamang,” from red tide affected areas are also declared unsafe for human consumption, according to the BFAR Bulletin issued by Director Malcolm Sarmiento. Fish, squid, shrimps and crabs are safe for eating provided that these are fresh, washed thoroughly and their internal organs such as gills and intestines removed before cooking.