OUR Christmas wish is that our call for Moral Revolution, which is now gaining ground, would advance and spread like a forest fire so that each and every Filipino will be stricken, to include politicians like me.

And since we are all sinners, we would be stricken like St. Paul on the road to Damascus…stricken by a blinding shaft of life and unseated from our horse, fall into the ground and be transformed.

The cleansing of Philippine society, the cleansing of our citizenry is a burning need of the hour. We, all of us, need cleansing. We need to cleanse the executive, the legislative, the judiciary, the local government units, even the business and media community.

This is my prayer and my hope for Christmas that our moral revolution will gain ground next year and in the coming years.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!

Speaker JOSE C. DE VENECIA JR.

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO
PIA Dagupan Infocenter

MORE than 40 priests of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese will refrain from officiating wedding ceremonies in all churches until after they have complied with a state law covering such priestly functions

This was disclosed by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz who issued a circular letter read by priests of his diocese during the Saturday and Sunday masses last week
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WE’VE never said our thoughts for the Yuletide season so well, we believe, than in this editorial we did for last year, 2006. And so, allow us, indulge us, our reprinted reminiscence:

“ A hand extended in succor, a tear shed for the unfortunate, a prayer uttered for the lonely and helpless, a wish for peace and prosperity for others.

“These are the gestures that matter most on Christmas – and throughout the new year. Read more

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

HE has put his life on the line, that’s for sure – and he knows it.

Still, the man they call ‘1-O-1” or more fondly, Bebot — that’s Undersecretary Antonio Villar, Jr. of the Presidential Antri-Smuggling Group (PASG) under the Office of the President – dares to take on all comers. Like threats were ordinary peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast for him.

He’s, to be trite about it, the right man for the job.
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By DANNY O. SAGUN

THE governor, we learned, has called on the local media to unite and help him achieve his vision for a progressive Pangasinan.
Gov. Amado T. Espino issued the call during the Media Night at the Capitol grounds last Thursday where he addressed some 200 or so media personnel. We failed to honor the invitation because of an earlier commitment.

Perhaps, what the governor meant was for the two major clubs in Pangasinan to unite, fuse into one and carry a single name as before when there was only one media organization, the Pangasinan Press and Radio Club.
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By BARBARA M. FERNANDEZDagupan City National High School

WHAT does it take to be considered a Child-Friendly School?
One would think that this program started by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) under the Fifth Century Programme for Children back in 1999, simply means “caring’ for the child, keeping him or her safe from harm and providing him social and educational assistance” as mandated by law.

That may well be so – but it’s really more than that.
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Nen MARIO F. KARATEKA

NO tuan masulsulok ya duanlasus so dinmagup ya managpalapag o “media” dimad agawan panliliket ed arap na Kapitolyo sanen Huwebes na labi, ay baleg a kantidad so binusbus sirin nen mapagalang tin Gobernador Amado Espino.
Aliwan gakgalaw itay nawalan kay lasus lasus a bisita ya, onong ed sakey a kaarok ya wadman, say aso tan pusa ed abong labat so ag inawit.
Anggaponi so balita mi no naimasmasan lay inadaron gobernador ed karakul na linmusob ed imbitasyon to. Tongtongey tua, Read more

By DANNY O.SAGUN

OTHER big cities experience worse traffic conditions than Dagupan Cty during the holiday season, the head of the public order and safety office claimed Thursday.

The closure of two major streets – Galvan and Zamora – to traffic to pave the way for the popular “Tiangge” - contributed largely to the clogging of traffic on A. B. Fernandez Avenue, the city’s major thoroughfare, Robert Erfe-Mejia admitted in a radio interview.
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By Venus May H. Sarmiento

LINGAYEN - The daughter of a Pangasinan Congressman bagged the presidency of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of the province.

Fifteen year old Kazel C. Celeste is the eldest daughter of First District Congressman Arthur Celeste and the former Chloue Caasi..

Celeste, a 2nd year high school student of Miriam College is the youngest and most petite in the federation. She ran unopposed Read more

THE University of Pangasinan is fully committed to the untrammeled exercise of press and academic freedom citing the constitutional provision about it.

UPANG chairman Cesar T. Duque said the university “practices responsible press freedom” adding that “the university also fully supports academic freedom being the bullwark of man’s pursuit of truth and his intellectual development.”
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