By LIWAY C. MANANTAN-YPARRAGUIRRE

THE gargantuan task of coming up with a beautiful fiesta in Dagupan City rests on the fair shoulders of petite city councilor Ma. Librada Fe “Dada” Manaois Reyna.

Had a chat with her last week at her office at her office and this was what she had to say about the job. “Hindi natin papasukin basta-basta ang isang bagay na hindi natin pinaghandaan, Dada said matter-of-factly.

“For the past four years, i’ve been observing and studying how the city fiesta is being run. I’ve been actively participating in the events to prepare me to this eventuality,” she said.

Definitely, the training and exposure of this young lady president of JCI Dagupan Inc. in the Jaycees will be very helpful to her

With her at the helm of the city fiesta, definitely her relatives in both the Manaois and Reyna clan will not let her fail. Same goes with her Jaycees family.

I’m not a Catholic, but I commend Dada for including religious activities.

There’s a mass christening; a feast for Dagupan’s patron saint John the Baptist which will start with a grand libot from the different barangays. Abet-abet from different directions, then they will all proceed to the city plaza where a mass will be heard, hopefully to be celebrated, she said, by Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

There is also the a grand reunion of sort called the Pankakasakey na Sangkakanayon. It will be a reunion of families, may it be blood relations or a group of friends and neighbors in a barangay which considers themselves one family. This will be held at the city plaza.

“This is an activity for all Dagupeños irregardless of the size of their family. We want everybody to come and enjoy the party and be one with their fellow Dagupeños,” Dada said

Other events includes the Go Negosyo (a seminar on entrepreneurship), Limmewawa Caravan, Inter-High School Debate, the Dagupan Employees Basketball League (DEAL), and the search for Dagupan’s Little Angels.

Her own annual project “Bantay Bata” which she holds in the month of October will be moved to December.

“Dada” said there are a lot of activities with which Dagupeños, even those living or working abroad, can participate into when they come home this December, or help out if they wish to extend financial support.

Inquiries about the fiesta, she remarked, can be coursed in the meantime through her e-mail address dadapotsky@yahoo.com while they are still constructing the city fiesta website.

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Fifth district Mark O. Cojuanco has officially declared his support to Mayora Emma, wife of Pozorrubio Mayor Art Chan, when the congressman graced the mayor’s 60th birthday last September 25.

Madam Emma will run for mayor next year. Her husband is on his last term.
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Cong. Amado T. Espino was at Dumpay Elementary School in Basista last Friday. He was the guest of honor and speaker during the mass induction of the officers of the different homeroom student organizations and the PTCAs.

(Espino caused the construction/renovation of 10 classrooms here through his Congressional Fund).

He gave a very good reminder to the teachers, which this column agrees.

Espino’s message was, keep out the children from fiesta activities specially those being held in the evening

Really, pity are those children, all dressed-up for their dance number, yet they are made to wait ‘til the wee hour in the morning as coronation nights usually starts at 12 midnight.

Espino also made mention of the “wrong kind hospitality” practiced by Filipinos. Again, he is right.

Is it not that during special occasions, say those being held at the plaza, the presidential table where the VIPs are is filled with sumptuous food, softdrinks and expensive wines.
While the VIPs are enjoying the food and wines in full view of the people, the madla’ng people waiting for the program to start, ogle at the people eating and enjoying the food.

Oh, life.

I remember the experience of a civic organization when they conducted a project at one school in Dagupan City. After the activity, they were served Jollibee hamburgers. All they can say to the school officials was “Sana simpli lang ang inihanda ninyong merienda.”