By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Arthur Yap has just hurled a challenge in the direction of Governor Amado T. Espino and the rest of our provincial officials and employees: Do your part in helping the Philippines stave off a looming world food crisis.

Yap, who traces some roots or affinity to Dagupan City (and sounds proud of it each time he mixes with local folks), said the food crisis in the world stage is real. And he ticks off figures showing that grains production in the country has been steadily declining even as consumption is growing.

Of course, Yap said, this is largely due to several inter-related factors bearing down on the farmers’ capacity to produce as much as they used to: increasing prices of oil, fertilizer and transportation, all serving to make life and production difficult for the farmer.
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BY DANNY O. SAGUN

PANGASINAN - a sleeping giant?

Gov. Amado T. Espino must be hurting when agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap during his visit last week in Rosales referred to the province in such a negative light as far as agricultural production is concerned.

If we recall, political enemies of former Gov. Victor E. Agbayani were lambasting him and his father, the late Aguedo, for their alleged failure to turn this big populous province into a giant (minus the modifier “sleeping” of course) economically and politically. Read the rest of this entry »

CONGRESSMAN Jose de Venecia Jr., of the fourth district of Pangasinan, has defended the Joint Seismic Marine Undertaking (JSMU) on the Spratlys among the Philippines, China and Vietnam signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the Philippines.

“The agreement was very good and I could praise President Arroyo for that, ”De Venecia said in a talk to newsmen shortly after groundbreaking rites on the proposed Capilla San Juan de Evangelista here.
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LINGAYEN – There are now 11 school districts benefiting from the “Food for School” program, according to the Pangasinan I schools division.

The recipient schools/districts are Malasiqui I and II districts, Bayambang I, Bugallon I and II, Aguilar, Mangatarem I, Mabini, Burgos, Dasol and Infanta, according to assistant schools Superintendent Oscar C. Tadeo.
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PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo steps up her rounds of the provinces anew Tuesday with a visit to Malasiqui, Pangasinan where she will launch a Day Care Food-for School program at the Malasiqui Central School and distribute various livelihood items and agricultural implements as part of the government’s anti-poverty program.

Upon arrival by helicopter before noontime, she will lead groundbreaking ceremonies at the school grounds for a two-storey, four-classroom building annex funded at P4 million.
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LINGAYEN—The present state of the provincial government was outlined on Monday by Governor Amado Espino Jr., possibly in order to justify the seeking of P950 letter of credit for the province with Landbank of the Philippines.

In his prepared speech before the provincial board read for him by Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan because he had a hoarse voice, Espino mentioned some of the mega projects he intends to build for the next two years which, he added will enable Pangasinan to move forward.

These include a commercial airport in Lingayen, a commercial seaport in Sual, fish landing facilities, fish processing plants, mango processing plants, food terminals, storage facilities and silos/warehouse for rice, onion and corn and others.
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By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

A DAGUPAN City policeman and at least two barangay security officers were injured in a homemade bomb blast early Saturday morning right at the police main headquarters at Perez Marketsite while the police desk was investigating a troublemaker arrested hours earlier in barangay Calmay, this city.

The blast, believed to have been from a pillbox, tore at least three middle fingers of the arresting officer, PO3 Alfonso Villamil and wounded him in other parts of the body. An unidentified barangay tanod who helped bring in the suspect, Albert Alvarez, for investigation and custody was also slightly injured as he stood nearby.
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TAYUG – This eastern Pangasinan town celebrates its annual town fiesta in an atmosphere of uneasy peace brought about largely by the brewing tension between its two political ruling families.

Vice Mayor Janet Zaragosa, in media interviews, said she is fully aware that her townmates deserve to enjoy the thrills of a fiesta that they used to have but now admits the annual festivity is subdued because of a fear among most residents that violence could erupt anytime.
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SAN CARLOS CITY—The family of the late Mayor Julian Resuello is extremely disappointed over the still unresolved slaying of the Resuello patriarch almost 11 months ago.

The late mayor’s family and relatives end their traditional Christian mourning period —“bakas” in the dialect — for the departed city executive this month.

Julier Resuello, who succeeded his father as mayor of San Carlos City, said the gunman, identified as Cesar de Guzman, alias “Cabesa”, including the mastermind, are still at-large despite the efforts of the Philippine National Police.
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A JOINT police and naval team arrested recently eight persons engaged in illegal salvaging of sunken vessels in the seawater of barangay Tambobong, Dasol in the South China Sea.

The suspects were arrested while in the shoreline of barangay Tambobong by elements of the Dasol Police, Naval Intelligence Branch, Police Provincial Office and the Regional Mobile Group 1, a belated police report said.
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