MANAOAG – A P6 million Tourism Youth Center, the first of its kind in the Philippines, will rise within the year in this pilgrimage town as proposed by Vice Mayor Kim Amador and as approved by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) under General manager Robert Dean Barbers.

The building that will function as a tourism information and youth development facility will be called Manaoag Tourism Youth Center, according to Amador.

It will be constructed on the site of the municipal library in the town plaza. Read more

CALASIAO – Former Pangasinan Governor Oscar M Orbos is seeking to retake his old post but he’s in for an uphill battle because he is running alone and without any political party to ride on.

This was disclosed by Orbos’ closest political ally and in-law, former Governor Rafael M. Colet who told newsmen at a press conference here that Orbos “will have no running mate, no board members and no candidates for mayors”.

Orbos will have to content himself with running alone unless some major occurrences happen between now and March 28 (eve of the deadline for filing of certificate of candidacy for local candidates), Colet said. Read more

HOUSE Speaker Jose de Vencecia Jr. has given the green light for the recently formed Fernandez-Fernandez tandem in Dagupan City under the administration party to do battle with any ticket to be put up by Mayor Benjamin S. Lim.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. and business magnate Belen Fernandez, a former city councilor and president and general manager of the retail giant CSI Group of Companies, will spearhead the city’s administration lineup as mayoralty and vice mayoralty candidates.

The two Fernandezes are not related.
Read more

DOLORES, Abra – A barangay captain was killed and his wife and son seriously hurt when six unidentified gunmen opened fire on them at the terrace of their house in barangay Isit, this town Sunday night.

A belated report of Senior Superintendent Alexander Pumecha, Abra police director, identified the fatality as Barangay Captain Rogelio Reyes, 56, a political ally of incumbent Dolores Mayor Albert “Pacquing” Guzman. Read more

CAMP BRIG GEN OSCAR FLORENDO, La Union – A Panamanian ship sank at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday along the territorial waters of Ilocos Norte, about 80 nautical miles off Currimao town.

A flash report received before noon last Wednesday from Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil identified the distressed vessel as MV Unicom.

Bataoil relayed a sketchy report sent to him by the commander of the Naval Forces North stating that so far, 11 persons were rescued from MV Unicom while eight others are still missing. Read more

LINGAYEN – Who will be this year’s winner of the prestigious and most covered Miss Limgas na Dayat 2007?

This will be known on April 30 when the Limgas na Dayat beauty pageant unfolds here at the Capitol grounds.

The winner will succeed and accept the crown from Ms. Jamille Ann N. Aggabao of Sta. Maria town, last year’s Limgas. Read more

LINGAYEN – The police in Pangasinan expects that not town or city will be added even till election time to the three places in the province already listed as “areas of immediate concern (AICs)” in the coming May political exercise.

Police Provincial Director Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez said he is optimistic that even with the heightened excitement of the people on the local election, the province will be peaceful and orderly.

So far, only the towns of Tayug, Natividad and San Carlos City have been listed as AICs in Pangasinan. Read more

MANGALDAN – Retired Police Director General Arturo Lomibao has backed out of the congressional race in the fourth district of Pangasinan after initial posturings in the media.

His withdrawal came only about 10 days after he announced at a news conference in Dagupan that he was already 99.999 percent of running for congressman in the province’s fourth district.

In a news conference he called in his hometown of Mangaldan on Wednesday morning, Lomibao announced he is finally withdrawing from the congressional race for the sake of unity in Pangasinan.
Read more

THE Commission on Elections has approved a new resolution that seeks to provide solution to the indiscriminate distribution of electoral propaganda gadgets, including athletic goods or material, by candidates during the campaign period.

Dagupan City Election Officer Remarque Ravanzo said Resolution No. 7838 promulgated by the poll body provides additional guidelines for the implementation of Republic Act No. 9006, otherwise known as the Fair Election Act. Read more

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

SOMEBODY, actually a media colleague now semi-retired from the hustle and bustle of newsgathering, once told us a long time ago –and perhaps rather exaggeratedly – that eastern Pangasinan politicians are “friendly on the outside but deadly on the inside.”

Eastern Pangasinan of course means that territorial jurisdiction starting from and beyond Urdaneta City in the north and from Alcala and beyond in the south.

At the time, we were still establishing our initial contacts and friendship with some of the earlier officials (a dwindling number of them are still around) in that part of the province as a neophyte newsman and was naturally wide-eyed and gushing at the local leaders’ generous nature and warm camaraderie to the Press in general. Read more