Truth at its Most Brilliant
CABUGAO, Ilocos Sur – An economic boom is foreseen here as gleaned from the town’s high investment potentials, alongside with the much-awaited operation soon of the Salomague Free Port Zone.
Mayor Dioceasar S. Suero said balikbayans who attended the 4th Global Reunion of Cabugenians were very much interested in the various investment potential of the town, that is now being dubbed as “Boracay of the North” because of its fine beaches facing the South China sea.
SAN JACINTO – Even pawnshops in out-of-the-way town are not safe anymore from the notorious acetylene gang.
Monday night, the gang victimized a pawnshop in this town owned by a provincial board member and carted away more than P1 million worth of jewelry and cash.
Sr. Inspector Ferdinand de Asis, police chief of San Jacinto, said the heist was discovered the following day by employees of the Tres Hermanas Pawnshop owned by Board Member Emmanuel Carancho along a road in barangay Capaoay, San Jacinto.
SAN JUAN, Ilocos Sur – This town’s vice mayor was shot and killed by his own son inside their home last Friday night following al heated discussion.
Vice Mayor Richard Virilla, 48, was shot from behind by his son Bander, 24, at 6:30 p.m. inside their home in barangay Immayos Norte.
PO3 Romar Renon, police officer on case, said a heated discussion between the father and son ensued before the shooting.
BANGUS Festival organizers took exception to a claim by a local weekly that the festivity is just “a small street party.”
Festival chair Councilor Nick Aquino was ready to deliver a privilege speech last Monday to belie the allegation but he failed to do so due to lack of quorum.
He told mediamen around instead that the festival, now on its fifth year, could never be a minor street party, being a world record holder of the longest barbecue.
THE Western Pangasinan branch of the National Food Authority has started distributing Iron Fortified Rice (IFR) to NFA – accredited rice outlets such as Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke and accredited retailers inside markets. IFR is also being distributed to pre-identified schools under the Food For School Program benefiting 3,004 pupils in coordination with the Department of Education.
NFA Manager Arturo Figueroa said his agency is intensifying its advocacy campaign and the sales activity of the IFR in support of Republic Act 8976 or the Food Fortification law. RA 8976 calls for the mandatory fortification of rice, flour, sugar and cooking oil.
Ms. Magic tilt set May 13
By Venus May H. Sarmiento
TWENTY lovely ladies coming from various municipalities and cities of Pangasinan will vie for the title Ms. Magic 2006 plus 24 other minor awards. The Magic 20 were chosen from among 89 contestants-the biggest number to audition for the beauty pageant in all its previous stagings.
This is the first time the contest is giving out an award for 3rd runner-up and 4th runner-up for a total of five major winners including the top three, Dela Fuente said.
Ms. Magic 2006 will receive P75,000 in cash and P50,000 and P25,000 for the first runner-up and 2nd runner-up respectively, plus P60,000 worth of minor awards. Mediamen had the chance to interview the contestants and vote for the ‘Darling of the Press’ awardee during the press presentation Monday.
Linis Dayat winners announced
LINGAYEN – The coastal towns of Anda, Burgos and Labrador emerged as this year’s winners for Linis Dayat: Search for the Cleanest Coastal Municipalities. The three local government units bested other coastal municipalities in Pangasinan under Cluster I – CRM Pioneering cluster, Cluster II – CRM Expansion and Cluster III – CRM Developing Cluster, respectively.
Other special awards went to the following: Alaminos City – Best Coastal LGU in Mangrove Development Initiative; LGU Infanta – Best Coastal Municipality in Upland Reforestation Management; Brgy. Equia, Dasol –Model Coastal Barangay in Solid Waste Managemnent and Samahan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Balingasay (SAMMABAL) of barangay Balingasay, Bolinao – model Barangay Fisherfolk Association in Coastal Habitat Management. The awarding ceremony was the main highlight of this year’s Pistay Dayat formal opening program last Thursday at the Capitol Plaza here. (Ruby R. Bernardino)
SAYAN INDIO
Mario F. Karateka
NATAN siguro apurga kila na pestibal, awa?
Lorey ka tay nambabansag a liket tan gayaga ed kalye so agawa! Piyestay baley parad Bangus ed Dagupan, manga tan kawayan ed San Carlos tan bangus, karne tan pisi-pising ed baley na Alcala.—huuuu, makapa-elew, Balong!
Pati saray taga-Medya, agdala amta no iner so laen da (balet walaniran siansia kono so apanbabansag day akar da ed sarayan pasen na pestibal, bilib ak met a talaga ed inka-taloray kamarerwa da.)
EDITORIAL
BUT IT was really a street party – and meant to be.
Bangus Festival impressario Nick Aquino need not be mad or apologetic about how tonight’s event may not have measured up to some people’s grand – or low –expectation. After several stagings of the festival, there’s bound to be some revelry fatigue, hopefully not donor fatigue though. A little thinning of the crowd maybe, but a big crowd nevertheless.
We are writing this as the street crowd is growing outside, the bands starting to tune up their instruments and the scent of grilled food filling the air.
AFTER ALL
Behn Fer. Hortaleza
WE couldn’t believe what we were hearing from Patrima prima and fellow blogger Yolanda “Yolly” Fuertes last week when she, almost too vehemently; claimed she did not give the Pangasinan Star desk any feature article of hers for publication – and yet that very article published in the pages of this newspaper, won for her a coveted award for Outstanding Story on Children from the UNICEF last week.
We must have raised our voice a bit at the effrontery, ( sorry there, YSF), but certainly it is not everyday (make that every decade) that a supposed author of an article denies ever submitting an article to our newspaper, the original copy of which clearly bore her byline, and which as a matter of course, we also included in the story.
The Pen Speaks
Danny O. Sagun
BECAUSE of politics, this year’s Bangus Festival may be staged minus top officials from this great province. At presstime, there’s no word that President Arroyo is coming. Nor is House Speaker Joe de Venecia who is said to be in Spain. Many feel sad that JDV won’t be around this time when for the last four editions he saw to it that he was part of that revelry.
For adding his voice to the call for GMA to resign last year, Mayor Benjie Lim not only distanced himself from her but also from her allies including the Speaker. Eventually, the mayor severed ties with JDV, apparently fueled by suspicions that de Venecia torpedoed the mayor’s pet fish processing plant project thru a disclosure by the President herself.
During a private visit sometime late last year, you see, the President said she had personally directed JDV to work for the realization of that project. As it turned out no funds came after the P10 million advanced by the national government. GMA, it is recalled, pledged some P50 million when she addressed the Bangus Congress during the first edition of the Bangus festival.
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