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.
Read more

THAT monstrous traffic jam along the national road in Binmaley last Friday afternoon courtesy of construction crews of a contractor laying asphalt on the road practically caught everyone unawares – drivers, passengers, pedestrians, policemen.

It did not help the image of our authorities any that all throughout the nearly two-hour standstill of vehicular flow in that area, a billboard announcing the project as being under the road-building program of the administration, and with names of top officials emblazoned on it, stood by the roadside as though greeting the exasperated commuters who had no choice but to go down their buses and jeepneys and walk the rest of the way t the Dagupan boundary, most of them cursing under their breath.
Read more

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

WHILE in the midst of a reunion with some 700 members of the De Venecia clan last Saturday at the City Astrodome here, House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia’s thoughts wandered off to Rome and Lebanon after receiving a most welcome news from Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.

The news: No less than the highest Catholic official of the world, Pope Benedict XVI, had approved his earlier request for sanctuary in different monasteries of the Maronite Catholic church in that country for some 30,000 Filipinos now trapped in war-torn Lebanon.

The news came at a most crucial time as Israel had already warned friendly embassies all over the world to pull out their trapped nationals at once because it was already preparing to make a ground assault on Lebanon to finish off Hezbollah guerillas hiding in that harsh land.
Read more

NO kanayon moy Ispiker Dyo de Benesya. Parongtalka, ipabirbir mo.

Kanian diad samay agawan impanduroypo daray ambabangil a boleg dia ya awalaay pikanayon ed si JoeDV, wadman a pinano day Astrodom pian mankakabat iray nayarin agni sankakabat ya taga-suporta nen Ispiker. Siapnos, Rabagos, Ramos, Claveria tan piga-pigaraniran apelyidos so mabatabatar ed saray istrimers ya imbabanderadman ed loob na Astrodom.
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

IT’S good District Engineer Rodolfo Dion defined the scope of work of the road maintenance crew along the national roads during the media briefing on road users’ tax last Tuesday at the De Luxe restaurant in Tapuac last Tuesday.

He said the men are not paid just to cut or pull grasses by the roadsides but they have other things to do like clearing the drainage system and leveling road shoulders and fixing ruts.

We raised the issue during the media forum because of the usual scene along the national roads – men in blue T-shirts pulling grasses day in, day out. Yet there are many things to fix along Read more

By LIWAYC. 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.
Read more

SAN MANUEL – Three years after its construction, the 330-megawatt San Roque Hydro-electric Power Dam in Pangasinan can now be harnessed to its full capacity.

This was seen with the completion of the multi-million peso 230-Kilovolt transmission line in the area by Marubeni Corporation for the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo).

TransCo President, Dr. Alan Ortiz, switched on the power line in a ceremony here Tuesday that dispatched all the 330 megawatt produced by San Roque to the Luzon grid.
Read more

AMID reports that some local government units are imposing taxes, fees and charges on transporting goods carried into or out of, or passing through their respective localities, the
Department of the Interior and Local Government enjoined all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors and punong barangays to stop enforcing such ordinances.

In a memorandum circular issued to local chief executives, DILG Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno said such imposition is beyond the scope of the taxing powers of local government units under the Local Government Code of 1991.
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA Pangasinan Infocenter

NO MONEY has been paid yet to the contractors of the asphalt overlaying in barangays Mayombo, Bolosan and Lucao in Dagupan City, public works and highways officials said in separate fora over the week.

District Engineer Rodolfo Dion told the road users’ tax media briefing Tuesday at the De Luxe restaurant in Tapuac that his office has not released any money yet for the payment of the some P29-million asphalt overlay of the national road in the three barangays.

Dion was reacting to a question about the propriety of laying asphalt over concrete roads which are said to be still in good condition. With a warranty of at least five years, he said that any defect would have to be corrected by the contractor. Read more

ALAMINOS – Four suspected illegal recruiters were caught by the police in an entrapment operations inside a restaurant here Wednesday after receiving marked money from their supposed victims.

The suspects were identified as Romeo Cabradilla, 47, his wife Conchita, 46, their son Ronie, 21, all of barangay Nangalisan, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur, and Rodelito Suyat, 52, of barangay Carrot, Anda. Read more