CITY COUNCILOR Jesus Canto vowed to sponsor an ordinance setting and identifying permanent firecracker zones in every barangay of the city.

Canto, chair of the committee on health, said with the hastily put up firecracker zones in the city on New Year’s eve, firecracker explosion in many barangays was minimized.

Canto thanked the police, barangay officials, Public and Order Safety Office and the Dagupan Fire Station for the vastly reduced firecracker explosions and injuries in the city.

“Next year will be better as we will see to it that firecracker explosion areas are in place in the city’s 31 barangays and those who will explode firecrackers outside the areas would be arrested,” he said.

He said that with the firecracker zones, the city aims to have zero injury every year.

ALAMINOS CITY—The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has agreed to help prepare the feasibility study for the ferry system envisioned to serve the tri-points of Alaminos-Dagupan City-San Fernando City in La Union, according to Mayor Hernani Braganza of Alaminos.

Braganza said this January, units of the boats that will be used for the ferry system will be brought to Alaminos to test their seaworthiness. The boats are twin engines and can be designed either as 50, 60 and 100-seater, he said.
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THE country’s national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was a Pangasinense by his mother side, according to City Administrator Alvin Fernandez, who was guest of honor and speaker during the 111th Rizal Day in Dagupan City.

The Rizal Day celebration, organized by the Department of Education, was attended by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, climaxing the Dagupan City fiesta that started December 16.
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A PROPOSED ordinance prescribing strict sanitary regulations for all water refilling stations and those from the outside selling their bottled water here is set to be approved by the Dagupan City council this year.

Councilor Jesus Canto, chairman of the committee on health of the city council, sees easy approval of the proposed law. It seeks to compel all water refilling stations here to first secure a certificate of compliance to sanitation regulations from the City Health Office before they can sell their products. Read the rest of this entry »

Violation of Animal Welfare Act cited

By DANNY O. SAGUN

SAN FABIAN - The town police here has confiscated dog meat including 15 live dogs which were about to be transported to Baguio City early dawn of Thursday.

Chief Insp. Chito Esmenda, town police chief, said that necessary charges have been filed against the suspects who are natives of Rosario, La Union and using this town as their place of operation. The group led by one Rosa Liceria ha long been under surveillance by the town police.
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NEARLY 200,000 assorted firecrackers were exploded in barangay Pogo Grande in a festivity associated with New Year’s Day at noon today in observance of a nearly 10-year old “tradition”.

Barangay Chairman George Galvan, said 78,000 firecrackers were exploded in the center of the village and 50,000 more in the village’s western part.

The event serves as a happy gathering of families and barangayfolk for them to witness the explosion meant “to drive away evil spirit.” Read the rest of this entry »

URDANETA CITY—The scholarship grants offered by Ordizia, a sister city of Urdaneta in Spain, will formally start at the beginning of the school year in June.

Mayor Amadeo R. Perez Jr. said this will utilize the equivalent of P9.5 million donated to the city of Urdaneta by Ordizia through its city mayor, Jose Sta. Maria.

The scholarships will benefit poor but deserving high school graduates so that they can enroll next school year in any four-year course in any university in Urdaneta.
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AN ADDITIONAL bonus was never too late for officials and employees of the city government even if the bonanza was received by them late Friday, after Christmas.

The bonanza was in the form of P5,000 additional bonus for regular employees, P2,000 for emergency workers and P1,000 as incentive for volunteer workers, among them barangay health workers.
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SANTIAGO, Ilocos Sur—President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appealed to the Ilocanos to give their full support to her development programs seeking to improve the socio-economic life of every Filipino.

“The Ilocanos are known to have a strong solid north group in the country, thus, I am appealing for you to support my programs,” she said.
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SAN CARLOS CITY—A woman money changer was held up of $80,000 U.S and 90,000 Japanese yen by three men armed with hand guns in Barangay Ano here on December 27 while on board a pick-up.

Mercy Garcia, 30, of barangay Tarece this city was aboard her vehicle driven by her nephew, Joven Garcia, 17, when they were stopped at gunpoint by the suspects riding on a motorcycle.
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