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 IKE SENERES

WE have been through this before. We have seen the mobs of EDSA III, we recognized them as the faces of poverty, and then we vowed to combat poverty no matter what. We are shocked by scenes that awaken our nation. Will we wake up one day to see the nightmare gone?

Now we are shocked by stories of people committing suicide because of poverty. Just like EDSA III, we are now vowing to do something about it, but will we ever get around to it? As I see it, “ningas cogon” is a terrible tandem to a short national memory. Read more

Dear Editor:

One has to be an incurable optimist or a totally clueless Simon, to ever think that the brouhaha over the National Broadband Network (NBM) ZTE issue is something that will die down soon.

The battle lines have been drawn between the Palace and Speaker Jose de Venecia. You’ll know it by the way a propaganda machinery has started to demonize the Speaker on his alleged “cornering’ of contracts and lobbying for his son’s company, Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. The next few days should find a plethora of more damning issues being suddenly unearthed by administration-type special agents against the very man who has stood by and for the Arroyo administration all these years.

Even Joey de Venecia’s past drug use in his young yearshas been dug up as cannon fodder in the emerging battle that could probably culminate in either party/parties being annihilated or, at the very least, shamed to obsolescence.
Read more

By ORPHEUS M. VELASCO

RICH in cultural heritage, agricultural lands, marine life, trade and commerce, beautiful beaches, islands and caves, gastronomic food products, musical talents, spiritual wonders, exciting festivals and hardworking and talented people – Pangasinan has been doing a Rip Van Winkle for many years, relegating the province as simply one of the 81 provinces in the country. Time was when Pangasinan was at par with Cebu, both surging to economic boom.

But as Cebu zooms ahead, Pangasinan slowed down, gasped for breath, and faltered from the race track of progress. In the meantime, other provinces like Davao, Batangas, Tarlac, Palawan and many others sprinted. Pangasinan then seemingly “eats the dust.” Read more

IT isn’t really a sacrifice because in the first place, it’s their job – keeping an eagle eye out for criminals and assorted vermins on the streets and responding with reasonable force and determination when an offense is being committed. Still we must commend the policemen and policewomen , the Blue-Greys, pounding the beat in Dagupan’s main streets at all hours of the day, in hot weather or mid afternoon downpour, for just being there.

You must have seen them, the uniformed ones walking in pairs down Perez Boulevard or A.B. Fernandez, making themselves very visible. Their roving presence gives added secure feeling to pedestrians and storeowners with whom some of the fresh-looking young cops on foot patrol take time to greet and do some idle talk every now and then before moving on. It helps that the cops chosen for the beat patrol by City Cop Chief Ed Basbas and Provincial Police Director Alan Purisima are generally of the smiling faces and happy gait types – not the brash, pot-bellied, slow, unfriendly looking old hands who instill an uneasy, if suspicious feeling in the ordinary downtown walker even without their meaning to. Read more

ONE THING was clear, and made even clearer, in the Charter change forum last Monday in Pozorrubio: Sigaw ng Bayan coalition of lawyer Raul Lambino is only after an immediate shift to the parliamentary system from the present presidential system thru the so-called people’s initiative, preferring to leave other possible changes in the Constitution to the discretion of the interim Parliament, should one eventually be formed.

We wonder however if changing the system of government can be done thru a simple amendment to the Constitution that can be achieved thru people’s initiative as Lambino’s group seems to project to the 400 or so who attended that Cha-cha info campaign in Raul’s hometown. Others interpret that Charter provision on effecting changes to the fundamental law of the land differently.
Read more

OUR congratulations to the bowling team of the Women Lawyers Association of the Philippines (WLAP)-Pangasinan chapter led by Judge Genoveva Maramba for ruling the All Women’s Bowling Tournament held last Saturday afternoon at the CSI the City Mall Bowlodrome.
The bowling tournament was a joint project of the Kiwanis Club of Dagupeña, Metro Dagupan (headed by fellow media practitioner Minnie Caburnay) and the office of Dagupan City Councilor Farah Marie G. Decano.
The project was still in connection with the Women’s Month Celebration. Councilor Decano chairs the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on women.
First runner-up was PATRIMA (Pangasinan Tri-Media Association) ladies team led by Buenafe Aquino and this writer. Second runner-up was the Girl Scout bowling team Dagupan City National High School.
Read more

By ISABELITA N. DAROYA
Dagupan City

PUPILS’ poor comprehension is one of the causes of pupils’ poor performance. Many pupils achieve accuracy recognition and pronunciation, but few succeed in comprehension. To comprehend means to understand the meanings not only of single words and sentences but also in the interrelationship among sentences in a discourse. It implies the ability to summarize, outline, and organize concepts. It also involves a full grasp of the author’s style and purpose and features of the local setting against which a story unfolds.

A very appropriate test of comprehension is the pupils’ ability to recognize and integrate concepts through the use of semantic webbing.

According to Feedman and Reynolds (1980), semantic webbing is a process of Organizing and integrating information that underlies many theories of conceptual thinking. It elicits from the pupils’ concepts of meaning which they themselves organize and integrate with the teacher’s help.

Read more

By ALEJANDRA M. PALAGANAS
Dagupan City

SEVERAL years ago, in an effort to develop a national language, Public Schools stopped using English as a medium of instruction. The result has been disastrous both for English proficiency and the promotion of national language. In many non-Tagalog speaking regions, local dialects are being used as a medium of instruction rather than Filipino, the national language that is largely based on Tagalog.

Compounding the problem is the widespread use of ‘Taglish’ broadcasting and entertainment. The result is a population with no proficiency in either English or Fiipino. The result is a slide in the nation’s global competitiveness. The development cannot come at a worse time, when English has become the LINGUA FRANCA of international business and the information age.

Read more

Name: P. Layson | E-mail: eromreven@hotmail.com | URI: http://www.happyhoroscope.blogspot.com | IP: 212.76.247.166

Greetings and glad tidings!

What a mixed feeling of nostalgia and homesickness when I found by chance your publication online! I was born in Calasiao but grew up in Manila before I left for Europe on a French Government scholarship grant in the fall of 1967. Please log on to www.happyhoroscope.blogspot.com for more information. More power and success to you all! Kind and warm regards.

Yours very cordially,

P. Layson - Brussels, Belgium

Posted Mar 3, 5:07 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “EDITORIAL: Living is loving” | View Post

Name: Sonny | E-mail: sonny@eac.edu.ph | URI: http://www.dalityapi.com/ | IP: 203.167.99.196

[off topic]

tepeten ko pa labat no panon kon na-contact si Behn F. Hortaleza, Jr.?

Labay ko komun ya onkerew na kopia na article da ya oala’y titulon “What Makes a Pangasinense a Pangasinense” tan i-repost iya ed website ko.

Salamat

Posted Mar 1, 12:38 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Say sebel sikato ingey anap-anapen” | View Post

Name: Bernard J. Lucero | E-mail: bclucero@aol.com | IP: 195.93.60.82

About The North Rail Project:
Im so excited hearing upon this project coz its an efficient transport service for the Filipino people. As i observed here
in Germany its Environment friendly, faster and affordable.
I guess it would be paid off in 20 years as long as its in good management.
Im praying that it would push thru, more power to you guys.
We will come to the Philippines next year and inviting more tourist to come to the Philippines… at sana that time is the North rail trains runs to Subic Naval Base, where i came from.
Thx for this wonderful page! Im your avid fan.
Take care…

Posted Feb 25, 11:34 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Northrail project goes full blast next month” | View Post

Name: concerned citizen | E-mail: concern_citizen2005@yahoo.com | IP: 202.91.161.192

I just want to share this to everybody.

This is an essay written by a Korean student we want
to share with you.

My Short Essay about the Philippines[/b]

Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the
Philippines . Do you
really think the corruption is the problem of the
Philippines ? I do not
think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the
lack of love for the
Philippines .

Let me first talk about my country, Korea . It might
help you understand my
point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of
the poorest countries
in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch
because entire country was
destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural
resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for
Filipinos were very rich in
Asia . We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to
be well off like
Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father’s
brother also died
because of famine. Korean government was very
corrupt and is still very
corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able
to develop dramatically
because Koreans really did their best for the common
good with their heart
burning with patriotism. Koreans did not work just
for themselves but also
for their neighborhood and country. Education
inspired young men with the
spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government
to reform Korea . He
tried to borrow money from other countries, but it
was not possible to get
a loan and attract a foreign investment because the
economy situation of
South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three
factories. So, President
Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so
that they could send
money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go
through a horrible
experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow
money. Hundred of
Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him
and cried there as
they saw the President Park . They asked to him,
“President, when can we be
well off?” That was the only question everyone
asked to him. President
Park cried with them and promised them that Korea
would be well off if
everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of
Germany got the strong
impression on them and lent money to Korea . So,
President Park was able to
build many factories in Korea . He always asked
Koreans to love their
country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and
engineers in the USA
came back to Korea to help developing country because
they wanted their
country to be well off. Though they received very
small salary, they did
their best for Korea . They always hoped that their
children would live in
well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor
and physically
handicapped people live. They wanted me to
understand their life and help
them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was
in the army. The only
thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have
to love our
neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood.

Have you cried for the Philippines ? I have cried
for my country several
times. I also cried for the Philippines because of
so many poor people. I
have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me
sad in the prison were
the prisoners who do not have any love for their
country. They go to mass
and work for Church. They pray everyday. However,
they do not love the
Philippines . I talked to two prisoners at the
maximum-security compound,
and both of them said that they would leave the
Philippines right after
they are released from the prison. They said that
they would start a new
life in other countries and never come back to the
Philippines .

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we
were able to share our
wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory
and company were
distributed their profit to their employees fairly so
that employees could
buy what they needed and saved money for the future
and their children.

When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith and
wanted to be a priest.
However, when I came to the Philippines , I
completely lost my faith.

I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable
situations in the
Philippines . Street kids always make me sad, and I
see them everyday. The
Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia ,
but there are too many
poor people here. People go to church every Sunday
to pray, but nothing
has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw
this situation. They
told me that Korea was much poorer than the present
Philippines when they
were young. They are so sorry that there are so many
beggars and street
kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents
to take a boat
because it would fun. However, they were not happy
after taking a boat.
They said that they would not take the boat again
because they were
sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very
poor and had a small
frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed
it. But, my parents
did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church
since I was very young
told me that if we just go to mass without changing
ourselves, we are not
Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She
added that I have to
love Filipinos and do good things for them because
all of us are same and
have received a great love from God. I want
Filipinos to love their
neighborhood and country as much as they love God so
that the Philippines
will be well off. I am sure that love is the
keyword, which Filipinos
should remember. We cannot change the sinful
structure at once. It should
start from person. Love must start in everybody, in
a small scale and have
to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to
love. Let’s put away our
prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.
I discover that
every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love,
because it makes
changes possible. Love changes you and me. It
changes people, contexts
and relationships.

It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood
and country. Jesus
Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to
Him. In the
Philippines , there is God for people who are abused
and abandoned. There
is God who is crying for love. If you have a child,
teach them how to love
the Philippines . Teach them why they have to love
their neighborhood and
country. You already know that God also will be very
happy if you love
others.

That’s all I really want to ask you Filipinos

Posted Feb 24, 9:41 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “GMA does a greet ‘n go at Binalonan town fiesta” | View Post

Name: ALWIN REX BARADILLO | E-mail: alwin_baradillo@yahoo.com | URI: http://yahoo.com | IP: 58.71.68.145

look at what happened to Mrs. apalla….she was dying for that unreasonable situation……it is brutal…hindi naman mababalik ang buhay ng tao kahit bigyan mo pa cya…kung ginawa nyo lang ng tama. kahit hindi cya mananlao at least sa ngayun kapiling pa rin niya ang kanyang family. di nyo kac alam kung gaano kasakit ang mawalan ng buhay…masakit nga yung nakita mo siyang namatay…..ano pa kaya ang yung sa ULTRA STAMPEDE……dapat may puso kayo na dapat pangalagaan ang kpakanan nang bawat filipino….

i think ABS-CBN, BAWAT PINOY GALIT SA INYO……ako nag sympathy lang ako sa nasasaktan…..

Posted Feb 24, 9:22 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Ultra stampede: Pangasinense among the dead now home” | View Post

Name: ALWIN REX BARADILLO | E-mail: alwin_baradillo@yahoo.com | URI: http://yahoo.com | IP: 58.71.68.145

for those who react for my comment….pls be realize the truth of consequences….i think it is right because if we see to the deep why it was happened….dapat and woweee knows about this reality that a lot of filipinos wanted to won….so, they must put som strategies so that it is easier to get the ticket. unfortnately, did not. they treat like an animals….thats very sad as a human…..

Posted Feb 24, 9:14 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Scores dead, hundreds injured in Wowowee stampede” | View Post

Name: ALWIN REX BARADILLO | E-mail: alwin_baradillo@yahoo.com | URI: http://yahoo.com | IP: 58.71.68.145

i think ABS-CBN is a big culpability in terms of blaming of why it was happened because if we based on the stories behind the scene of contestants……it has an anomalies regarding the distribution of the tickets….well, ABS-CBN must faced their consequences because they are not caring the emotion of others…..

Posted Feb 24, 9:07 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Scores dead, hundreds injured in Wowowee stampede” | View Post

Name: cherryliza galope | E-mail: cliche_peja@yahoo.com | IP: 58.69.62.6

true but I think it is also important to use bilingualism in order to understand better.

Posted Feb 20, 4:47 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Bilingualism behind poor English skills of Pinoys” | View Post

Name: alex | E-mail: taekwondo_isidro_23@yahoo.com | IP: 203.213.201.119

the region 1 deligates and the officials of taekwondo in the prisaa national games at pangasinan are bayas. we observed that they are doing bayas in the courts.

Posted Feb 16, 4:52 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Pangasinan hosts PRISAA Meet on February 5 to 11” | View Post

Name: jun | E-mail: hilario1831@yahoo.com.ph | IP: 210.5.113.61

taga-villasis ako na nag-aaral sa baguio. sayang nga at di ako nakapanood ng festival. na-cover yun sa maraming istasyon ng telebisyon. iba na talaga kasi ang villasis, pang world record na.
nanood ako ng parade last january 14. ask ko lang kung bakit walang sumaling drum & lyre from DRECS and SAAA?
grabe ung nalikom nilang pers, more or less 19M. hoping na magagamit siya sa magandang paraan na lalong ika-uunlad pa ng ating bayan. GO VILLASSINIANS!!!!!!!

Posted Feb 15, 4:13 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Villasis ‘Talong’ Festival on Jan. 11” | View Post

Name: sonny | E-mail: sonny@eac.edu.ph | URI: http://www.dalityapi.com | IP: 203.167.99.196

kuya mario, marakep so kanonotan yon bisnis ya para ditan datin lugar na Dagupena. Balet “Drive-In Movie”?… hmmm… ay dumogen itan na totoo. ompano panlapuan ni na istampid (hehehe lurey labat!)

Say oala’d kanonotan kon bisnis balet niduma tan nayarin anggapo ni so akagawa ditan ed Dagupan. Say Poetry Cafe ya kuan. Amayamay so onpapaway a poetry cafes ono venues dia ed Manilatan QC. Singa la’ra oong

Midyo “class” ya bisnis balet nonot yo la’y baleg a tulong to ed ibulaslas na culture tan arts tayo. Say ibabagak ya cafe aliwan singa saratan so bars o clubs ditan natan ed Dagupan ya ayaman da’ra’y prosti. Sakey iyan venue na literati, writers tan artists.

Anto so nibaga yo ey?

Posted Feb 15, 3:44 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Manbabayar met kasi buis ed bisnis iray opisyales tayo?” | View Post

Name: erwin kabigting | E-mail: erwinkabigting@gmail.com | IP: 66.234.139.66

congratulation!!!! keep up the good work

Posted Feb 14, 2:51 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Rang-ay Bank celebrates 50th anniversary” | View Post

Name: catchingup2life.net » Blog Archive » TFC 24/7 | Wowowee Fan | Good-Spirited Shows. | URI: http://catchingup2life.net/?p=14 | IP: 72.29.74.83

[…] Speaking of Wowowee, it’s disappointing what has happened since the so called “stampede” incident. For those not in the know, click here. I had originally hoped that the government would be more sympathetic to ABS-CBN; unofortunately, it’s the total opposite. […]

Posted Feb 13, 12:37 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Scores dead, hundreds injured in Wowowee stampede” | View Post

Name: Josie | E-mail: josieparchamento@hotmail.com | IP: 198.137.244.141

I hope this is the wake up call to our Goverment and the politician…Subra and daming naghihirap na sa philippines.
Magising na kayo and stop the corruption…Maawa naman kayo sa MAHIHIRAP !!!!!

CONDOLENCE To all the Family lost their loveones.

God bless you all.

Posted Feb 7, 2:33 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “PHOTO: Wowowee in Dagupan” | View Post

Name: ric zabala | E-mail: ricnz@yahoo.com | IP: 24.86.28.225

So many improvement in Brgy IV.that I was once a residence there,If for the good of the city,why not,continue what your doing for the next generation to come even though we only read in rhe newspapaer via internet here in Canada were very please for the project.Onward DAgupan!

Posted Feb 7, 1:04 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “First butterfly garden to rise in Dagupan” | View Post

Name: Anacleto Toliao Arciaga | E-mail: Etong3@AOL.COM | IP: 152.132.10.197

We are very thankful to the WEBMASTER for initiating PANGASINAN.ORG. We have better information system for our province and lots of pouring help to every town initiated by balikbayans from around the world. The provincial government should create a WEBSITE for the whole province of Pangasinan and each town should have a representative. Missions for medical, farming improvement, fishing improvement, river cleanup, tourist spot improvement and advertisement & etc.. I noticed that bigger and more progressive towns have more projects from balikbayans and smaller towns are left out. If we can create this WEBSITE, we can make projects as a group and will be easier to the pocket. We can advertise to PANGASINENSES to be the primary tourist as well as from the entire country and the world. Our province is very beautiful and with the help of the balikbayans to the provincial government, we can create a very positive step to help our province as a whole. Thank you and MABUHAY PANGASINAN!!!

Posted Feb 7, 12:27 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “PHOTO: Wowowee in Dagupan” | View Post

Name: Bernard J. Lucero | E-mail: bclucero@aol.com | IP: 195.93.60.82

I watch here in Germany what happend to Wowowee sa Ultra, grabe!!! Just want to say CONDOLENCE to those people who lost their LOVEONES.
“ETERNAL PEACE GRANT UNTO THEM OH LORD
AND MAY PERPETUAL SHINES UPON THEM
MAY THEY REST IN PEACE”

Amen

Posted Feb 6, 2:49 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “PHOTO: Wowowee in Dagupan” | View Post

Name: Bernard J. Lucero | E-mail: bclucero@aol.com | IP: 195.93.60.82

GREENHOUSE for Dagupan City is great!!!
THe BUTTERFLY GARDEN too!!!
Its one of a kind, and would probably TOURIST Attraction
and would generate income to the people there.
Great Idea, more power to you guys.

Bernard J. Lucero
a native of San Carlos City Pangasinan

Posted Feb 6, 2:33 AM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “First butterfly garden to rise in Dagupan” | View Post

Name: Pangasinan Star | E-mail: gcardinoza@gmail.com | URI: http://pangasinanstar.prepys.com | IP: 203.213.201.36

Thank you for dropping by our site. Honestly, we do not know yet if he is playing in the PRISAA. But we’ll find out tomorrow.

Posted Feb 5, 8:14 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Pangasinan to showcase native products in PRISAA national meet” | View Post

Name: angus walters | E-mail: walters@agc.ph | IP: 60.240.200.93

g’day mate!

do australian sensation Melchor Gile of UST will be playing at PRISAA? thank you

Angus

Posted Feb 5, 7:34 PM | Edit Comment | Delete Comment — Edit Post “Pangasinan to showcase native products in PRISAA national meet” | View Post