URDANETA CITY – It will cost government only P300 to have a child fully immunized while the cost of saving a sick child’s life from a vaccine-preventable disease is infinitely greater.

This was emphasized by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III when he launched the “Garantisadong Pambata” (GP) program on Monday at the Urdaneta City and Sports
Center.

GP is a package of services for children from 0-11 months old, consisting of Vitamin A supplementation, immunization, breastfeeding and de-worming—all cost-effective interventions to ensure child survival. Read more

THIRTY-TWO election officers in Pangasinan are being reshuffled, mostly because they had been staying in their present areas of assignment for more than four years already.

Provincial Election Supervisor Reddy Balarbar said 28 of these election officers have stayed in their present areas of assignment for more than four years and therefore due for re-assignment even for a temporary period.

The reshuffle already started after the Holy Week and is continuing, he said. Read more

THE Philippine Coast Guard and the PNP Maritime Group are investigating the collision between a passenger banca and a fishing boat along the Pantal river here last April 15 where one person was killed and five others were injured.

A belated police report identified the lone fatality as Orlando Bruan, 45, a businessman, of barangay Canaoaloan, Binmaley. Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA Dagupan Infocenter

FORMER Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr. is fit and strong to wage full-scale election campaign contrary to persistent rumors that he is ailing, his son Vice-Mayor Alvin Fernandez assured Thursday.

The young Fernandez, who in time is widely rumored set to substitute for his father, said that his father has been doing his campaign just like in the past elections – waking up early and staying late at night.

The resigned immigration commissioner, according to persistent reports, was not fit to withstand the rigors of campaign and was due for substitution by the incumbent vice-mayor, who surprisingly is a non-candidate now although he is eligible to run for re-election or seek the mayorship. Read more

By: Venus May H. Sarmiento
PIA Dagupan Infocenter

URDANETA CITY – The Department of Health led by Secretary Francisco Duque III strongly urged all local government units and health care workers to find ways to eliminate childhood diseases that are vaccine preventable.

Duque made the call to action during the launching of the Garantisadong Pambata (GP) program in Pangasinan attended by representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, DOH- Center for Health Development and health workers.

Graantisadong Pambata is a package of services for children 0-11 months old consisting of the ‘FOURmula for Health’ – Vitamin A supplementation, immunization, breastfeeding and deworming. Read more

By: Venus May H. Sarmiento
PIA Pangasinan Infocenter

ELECTRIC cooperatives, power utilities and representatives of the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and the media sector attended a ‘power meeting’ Tuesday in Dagupan City called by the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) to present their contingency plans to ensure the steady flow of electricity on election day.

“Pinaka-critical ang ilaw sa eleksyon.” TransCo department manager Jose Arellano said, ”Namatay lang ang ilaw sandali, people will think and argue that cheating has occurred.” Read more

POVERTY alleviation, quality education and livelihood programs.

Dagupan City mayoralty candidate Brian S. Lim said that these are the three major issues in the city that team New-Po (New Politics) will address as part of its platform of government during the Patrima (Pangasinan Tri-Media Association, Inc.) Kapihan on April 19 at Masarap grill, Magiclub.

“Aside from fostering clean and honest governance, team New-Po will focus on these three issues (that) need immediate attention,” the young Lim said. Read more

THIRTY-TWO election officers in Pangasinan are being reshuffled, mostly because they had been staying in their present areas of assignment for more than four years already.

Provincial Election Supervisor Reddy Balarbar said 28 of these election officers have stayed in their present areas of assignment for more than four years and therefore due for re-assignment even for a temporary period.

The reshuffle already started after the Holy Week and is continuing, he said. Read more

NOTED Pangasinan nutritionist and Israel scholar Catherine B. Velasco, wife of journalist Jun Velasco, graduated last Friday with a doctorate degree in philosophy, major in education management, during the commencement rites of the Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet.

A professor and International Practicum Training program coordinator of the HRM program of the University of Pangasinan, former dean of Lyceum Northwestern University College of Tourism, and former manager of the Pangasinan State University HRM Training Center, Velasco is at present with the wellness program of Nestle Philippines. Read more

TWENTY-ONE year old Vernon Estrada Bugayong of Mangaldan, Pangasinan recently passed the Licensure Examination given by the Board of Electronics and Communications Engineering last April 11 and 12, 2007.

He is among the 889 who hurdled the difficult test that registered only a 35% passing average for the total 2,534 examinees who took it.

Vernon, son of Mr. Joselito Bugayong, Jr a, barangay kagawad of Mangaldan and the former Marietta Estrada, a former bank executive of United Coconut Planters Bank, was a consistent Read more