By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA-Pangasinan Infocenter

THE DOMALANDAN bridge in Lingayen needs at least P114 million more for its completion hopefully early next year, the regional director of the public works and highways department disclosed Thursday.

Engineer Fidel Ginez told the Patrima ‘Kapihan’ at the Philippine Information Agency provincial office that some P640 million had already been spent for the reconstruction of the flood-damaged 600-meter-long-bridge that links the capital town to western Pangasinan thru a shorter route.

Ginez also bared that Gov. Victor E. Agbayani brought up the bridge project in a recent meeting in Malacañang regarding projects for Mega Regions that include northern Luzon.

He added that due to lack of funds he was instructed to ask the contractor, Ciriaco Corp., to continue with the project construction up to its completion before the town fiesta of Lingayen in January as DPWH looks for funds.
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By LIWAY C. MANANTAN-YPARRAGUIRRE

THE seven-day vacation we spent at my husband’s hometown (Carrascal, Surigao del Sur) was a welcome respite for the body and mind.

Life was relaxed, the environment free from air and noise pollution, no traffic (and no newspaper to read but i didn’t mind).

The three of us (me, Allan and Leila), together with all Allan’s uncles Rolie and Carlito Yparraguirre, travelled back to Manila last July 19.

Thank you very much to Carrascal Mayor Alfred Arreza, our journey from Carrascal to Surigao City (Surigao del Norte) where we took our flight to Manila was far more relaxed and enjoyable as compared to our travel earlier from Surigao City to Carrascal on board a public utility van.
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LABRADOR – The president of the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) underscored the need for the country to build a truly national power grid even as he called for the construction of new capacity plants to ensure that the pesky long daily blackouts of old do not return.

“It is our dream to have our national grid,” said TransCo president Dr. Alan Ortiz, speaking during the ceremonial switch-on of the P11 million newly-built 100 megavolt ampere power transformer for the power substation here that will serve the western and central parts of Pangasinan.

The envisioned national power grid, he said, will link Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with each other through submarine cables and make it possible for one island to come to the aid of the other island or islands that may be deficient in power supply.
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BAYAMBANG – Farmers here are optimistic that the mysterious disease that struck their onion plants last year will not recur in next year’s onion planting season starting after the rainy season.“As long as farmers follow the best farming methods and the kind of seeds and fertilizers recommended to them by experts; I don’t think that the disease has a chance to recur,” said Bayambang Mayor Leocadio de Vera.

De Vera expressed hope that things will go bright this year for local onion farmers after Department of Agriculture and the provincial government conducted a series of meetings with them and taught them what to do to avoid the disease.

De Vera said the disease caused by a still unknown plant virus stunted the growth of onion plants, eventually killing most of them, leaving farmers with virtually nothing to harvest.
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PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to include in her 6th State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) before the joint of Congress Monday, July 24, the country’s economic gains in the past five years.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said the president is expected to tell members of Congress and the people that the country’s economy is “generally positive in spite of the challenges posed by the opposition.”

“President Arroyo is the only president in post-war history to achieve continuous economic growth…every quarter under her administration, the economy grows…now we average at 5.5 percent for the past five years and we are now onwards to 6 percent growth,” Defensor said.
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