LINGAYEN – The police are now tracking down a big dollar counterfeit ring in Metro Manila following the circulation of eight fake 100 dollar bills here by one of their members just before All Saints Day.

Suspect in the fake dollar passing was a certain Marlo Balan, a native of barangay Calabeng in Bani and a resident of Fort Bonifacio in Metro Manila who gifted her relatives with the fake U.S. money when he came for a vacation recently.

Relatives pointed to him as the source the counterfeits which they only discovered to be fake when they tried to change these into Philippine peso at a money changing shop inside Nepo Mart in Alaminos City.
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By LIWAY C. MANANTAN YPARRAGUIRRE

THE road is getting wider. The picture is getting clearer. The short list is getting shorter as 2007 approaches.

In past interviews, NIA Administrator Arturo C. Lomibao gave indirect answers about his political plan. It was different last Friday evening. Here’s an excerpt from the short interview done by some mediamen.

“As I’ve said before I will make the decision at the right time. The right time is sooner or later. But I’m training my sights on the governorship. I am also doing some consultations with various sectors so that when the time comes that I will make the decision, then I will be very confident that I have prepared myself for that eventual activity, which is the May elections,” he said when asked that favorite question.

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IF there’s still any doubt that retail business is the “in” thing in the economy today, the rise of so many commercial malls even in Dagupan’s urban jungle should dispel it. Nepo Mall, Magic, CSI, they’re all here in our neck of the woods. Soon, even the giant SM or even Shopwise which has taken over much of the pioneering Rustan’s Department Store, could be in the city too.
Even St. Joseph Drugstore has become a chain pharmacy company almost overnight, opening several store branches all over the city like there was no tomorrow. No doubt, as corporate and market think-tanks say it, the retail sector in the Philippines today has never been as vibrant.

This trend however, it seems, only validates the common perception of many analysts, both foreign and domestic, that Pinoys may really be only good at retailing but shy away (dread) going into manufacturing. Many trade officials have openly wished the Filipino entrepreneurs would somehow find the nerve—and capital – to venture into the really challenging world of production or manufacturing. Finding our own mark in the market with our own native skills, materials and capital – beyond of course making bathroom soaps and shampoos and our woodcrafts and handicrafts that are now really hitting it well in the exports – would help put us in the First World status that President GMA wants thjs nation to be in 10 years.

Retailing – the selling of other people’s and companies’ products or services — is good and pays well as the current trend with malls and chain stores strongly indicates. But it is time to break out of that shell and mindset and go into manufacturing. Only then will we stop fearing this giant specter of trade liberalization that dumps cheap foreign items on us on the notion that beggars can’t choose and have no right to.

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR

THE question, thrown while the tricycle was in motion amid the road noise, caught us by surprise: “Akin, sir, bankrap lan tua kasi so siyudad?” (Why, sir, is the city now really bankrupt?)

It was the tricycle driver wondering why they have to pay a whooping P1,000 for the renewal of their franchise to the city by next year when it had already been raised from the original P200 to P500 just sometime back.

We hadn’t been prepared for that sudden query and we simply mumbled the city has many obligations and will need funds for it.
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By YOLANDA Z. SOTELO

SINCE it’s raining hard and there’s no inspiration to write a column, please bear with me, Read the story, which I wrote originally as a news story, and get bored in the process.

Seen those mango trees marked with USDA? Don’t fear. It’s not something to be afraid of. It just means there’s a chance that the United States will open its market to Philippine mangoes, specifically Pangasinan mangoes.

Remember that Pangasinan mangoes are of the sweetish kind. And the United States really wants to have a taste of it whenever its mango season, but they are afraid of this teeny-weeny insect called weevils.

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By DANNY O. SAGUN

MANY Pangasinan mediamen trooped to the People’s Astrodome Thursday morning expecting former PNP chief and now NIA administrator Art Lomibao to show up for a meeting with the various irrigators’ associations in the province. They were dismayed to find out though that a basketball game was going on.

We have yet to attend an activity with a retired Lomibao as guest so that we really do not know how he fares PR-wise. But the fact that he can attract so many reporters even without formal invitations tells something about his PR strategies.

We don’t need to mention here the names of politicos who can in an instant “summon” newsmen, and on the other side, those who can hardly get media’s attention. But we have to stress here also that there are principled members of the media who cannot just be blinded by the color of money. A great chasm separates such from the others who are only after envelopes in presscons or coverages.

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By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA-Dagupan Infocenter

RETAILERS who honor credit or debit cards as well as automated teller machines (ATM) cards are disallowed from imposing a surcharge, extra charge or additional charge over and above the price tag on consumer goods and services, it was gathered Thursday.
Department of Trade and Industry administrative order No. 10, which took effect only last November 5, supplemented earlier-issued administrative order No. 9 of 2002 (which provided rules on price tags and labels) in view of the rising number of complaints about imposition of surcharges in credit card transactions.
“When the consumer pays through a credit/ATM/debit card, he shall pay only the price indicated in the price tag,” the order stressed. Prohibited are separate price tags for cash price and regular price, as well as separate tags for cash price and card price. Read more

Nen MARIO F. KARATEKA

BINMANESBES met si bagyon “Queenie” diad luyag karoman tan singa apagaan met iray taga-Dagupan tan arom iran baley ta oran-dagem so awit to laotlad bandad panangogto anggad singa alas-kuwatro. Balet akaingas tilamet nen kalkalnan tinmonday basig na oran tan dagem bandad mansironget. Sakey lamet a nayarin desyang so angiliktaran na Dios a Katawan ed sikatayoran Pangalatok!

Pigara tad sikayo aso akanonot a tinmondan nanpikasi na pasalamat ed tagey? Siguradok saramay wadman ya mankolyaotya kansion laran kansion ed bdyo-oki nenkalabian agdan balot anonotan so ontangay ed tawen pian mangibesngaw anggan melag a pikasi.

Et no sakey kayod saray mangibori odino onkontra ed sayan ibabagak, sakey kayo sirin ed saramay nan-iindyoy ya nankakansion, korek?

Manpataoli kila, oy, ta ompan naalig yoy Willie!