URDANETA CITY—The city government has taken steps to protect local consumers in the face of looming food crisis, particularly on rice, Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. said on Tuesday.

Perez met with farmer leaders early Tuesday and appealed to them not to sell all their rice produce so that they have something to eat during the coming lean months from June to September.

He made the appeal knowing the practice of farmers of selling all their produce after the rice harvest season for them to able to but their needs. Read more

By Venus May H. Sarmiento

WITH a brand new vacuum packing machine and sealers, expect a cleaner, mess-free packed Dagupan bangus to come your way with its freshness guaranteed up to a month.

Members of the Pangasinan Dagupan Bangus Association, Inc., recently received a vacuum packing machine, a chest freezer and two sealers worth P86,000, from the Department of Trade and Industry as the agency’s donation to the province’s One Town, One Product (OTOP) model
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By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA Dagupan Infocenter

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has stopped issuing certifications of alienability of foreshore areas amid controversies involving occupancy of such prime public lands.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Leduina Co said the agency’s move was in response to the request of the provincial government thru the municipality of Lingayen for the DENR to stop the issuance of such certifications.

The capital town along with other coastal towns are facing squatting problem in their beach areas. Read more

ANDA —The municipal mayor of this coastal town has defended the erection of statues of elephants near the municipal building.

Mayor Nestor Pulido denied that the statues are a waste of money as insinuated by members of the town council because he said the elephants remind of Anda’s and Pangasinan’s humble beginning.
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FILIPINO-Chinese business tycoon Lucio Tan impressed students and faculty members with his humility when he received an honorary degree from the Lyceum-Northwestern University during its commencement exercises at CSI Stadia here on Monday.

The chief executive officer of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies, composed of 18 big corporations in the Philippines and abroad, received the degree of Doctor of Humanities in Business Entrepreneurship, honoris causa.

“This rite, just like the previous rites that granted me an honoris causa, humbles me again,” Tan said, speaking before the students, their parents and faculty members. Read more

ROSALES—This crossroad eastern Pangasinan town anticipates an economic boom soon after the opening of a big shopping mall of Shoe Mart Inc.(SM) in barangay Carmen East here before the end of the year.

Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita believes the SM shopping mall will serve as a magnet for other business and interest groups to come into his town.

SM is now building its shopping mall on a 10-hectare land it bought in barangay Carmen, Rosales. Read more

PNP claims insurgents not based in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN—Forty-three barangays of Pangasinan are still threatened by communist insurgency to dat — but not to worry, they’re just passing by, according to the Philippine National Police.

Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez, police provincial director, announced the New People’s Army incursions in border villages in a briefing Monday for the strategic planning conference of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) chaired by governor Amado Espino Jr.

He however said that it is not a problem because these barangays are “just a few” and are located near provincial boundaries. Read more

THE town of Sta. Barbara is not giving up a bit on its bid to host an international airport to be built hopefully either by the government or by private initiative.

This was indicated by Mayor Renaldo Velasco when he presented his programs and projects during a meeting and strategic planning session of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) headed by Governor Amado Espino Jr. in Lingayen.

Velasco said development efforts of the Sta. Barbara municipal government are geared towards the realization of the two “As”, which are Agriculture and Airport.
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THEY all gave their best but certainly only one stood out as the “best among the best” in Wednesday’s street dancing competition called “Gilon-Gilon ed Baley”, the curtain-raiser for the 19-day Dagupan Bangus Festival 2008.

Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the executive committee for this year’s festival, handed the first prize trophy to barangay Mangin for its dancers’ perfect execution of the interpretation of “Gilon-Gilon”, a primitive but still most effective method of harvesting bangus.
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STA. BARBARA –The new Maramba bridge, a vital link between the poblacion here and Calasiao town, is set for completion by early December this year although work has just resumed.

Municipal Administrator Albertini De Guazman revealed that work was suspended for a month to allow the Japanese-owned Toyo Construction to revise the design of the project, from the former four-column footing to only two-column footing.
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