By Behn Fer. Hortaleza, Jr.
PIA Pangasinan Infocenter

GOVERNMENT and the academe in Dagupan City are joining hands to take a closer and more critical look at the sanitation and quality of water being supplied by the various water refilling stations for improved safeguards on public health.

The joint undertaking was sealed thru a memorandum of understanding signed last Wednesday between the city government thru Mayor Benjamin S. Lim and the Lyceum-Northwestern University thru its president, Atty.Gonzalo T. Duque.

Witnessing the agreement that calls for an intensive research on the potability of water processed and sold by the refill stations were Dr. Leonardo Carbonell, city health officer and Director Eugene Reyes, head of the LNU Research and Development Management Offfice.

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Ailing inmates of the Dagupan City Jail will soon get medical attention without leaving the facility at Bonuan Gueset.

Thanks to non-government organizations, who raised funds to start the construction of an infirmary, and to Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, who will provide funds to finance the uncompleted part of the project, which consists of about 40 percent.

Senior Insp. Roque Constantino Sison III, jail warden, said that the infirmary, once completed, will be the first in any jail facility in the Ilocos Region, if not in the country.

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(Reprinted with editing from Agung Magazine Oct. 2005 issue)

ARCHAEOLOGICAL resources in the Philippines have been extensively studied and generated information on the earliest foundation of the Filipino nation.

The data gathered from these studies have contributed to the insights on the rich cultural heritage of the country. In this, archaeology is considered primarily as a source of general knowledge. The role of archaeology beyond knowledge generation has not been properly realized.

Thus, the Philippine government launched a development project in one of the most significant archaeological sites in the country, the Tabon Cave Complex in Quezon, Palawan where the earliest human remains were found by National Museum (NM) archeologists.

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THE Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. has helped rehabilitate some 10,000 battered and abused women and children from all over the country for the past 10 years.

This was reported by Mrs. Gina de Venecia, wife of Speaker Jose de Venecia and president of the CSFI, an organization of spouses of members of the House of Representatives.

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IT WAS an easy, natural shift, by his own account, from being banker to being businessman. And just as easily as shifting his weight from one leg to the other, he has been managing allied interests, the latest of which is a gasoline station at the AVJET Trans-Care Center, seat of the family’s local business, in Guiguilonen, Mangaldan, Pangasinan.

Alberto V. Jimenez, at 58, is sprightly for his age. His secret probably lies in his unending diverse interests, from cars to golf and guns to banking and real estate where he invests more than just money but real time and real effort.to polish his skills and acumen.

Married to the former Eleanor M. Gorrez, his college sweetheart, when she was studying nursing in the University of the Philippines, they have two son. Jet, the youngest is taking up Computer Science at De la Salle University while Ian is enrolled at the City University of Hongkong for his master’s degree, majoring in Digital Fine Arts.

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If plans do not miscarry, a butterfly garden – Dagupan’s first – will be built right in the heart of the city’s business district.

This was disclosed by Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez during a luncheon meeting with Barangay Captain Teody Macasieb of Barangay IV, where the butterfly garden will be put up as part of the barangay’s material recovery facility (MRF).

“Why not?” Fernandez said, adding that the butterfly garden will not only serve as an added city attraction but as another source of income for the barangay.

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THE new year is known as the Year of the Dog.

Although highly regarded in the Orient or East, the dog gets unkind words and insults from the Westerners who say the dog is man’s best friend.

The English language has colorful but cruel words and thoughts for the dog – the 11th of the 12 animal in the Chinese lunar sign.

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MRS. ELLA CRUZ (not her real name) of Barangay Olympia, Makati City, has been a longtime cable subscriber. Recently, however, she has been feeling shortchanged. Not once has she missed paying her bills, she says, but cable services seemed better years ago when the signal was crystal clear. These days, Ella laments that her cable TV reception seems to have deteriorated.

Aling Ella may not know it, but legitimate subscribers like her are the real victims of the growing cable piracy problem in the country. If left unchecked, cable theft will divest more consumers like Aling Ella of quality cable service.

“Cable companies may have been bleeding financially, but it is the subscribers who are at the losing end in the cable piracy crisis,” said Elpidio Paras, vice-chairman and one-time president of the Philippine Cable Television Association (PCTA).

Paras said illegal cable connections cause a 30-to-40-percent degradation in cable signals. This means ghost images, static lines, blurred pictures, hissing noises, sudden flickers on screen and surges of static noise that can damage the TV set. Thus, legitimate subscribers are not just robed of cable signals; they are incurring other potential losses as well.

“The worst thing is, many subscribers out there don’t know they’ve been had,” Paras pointed out. “They are virtually paying for other people’s illegal cable connection and they only complain when the signal has become so bad.”

Paras added cable theft in Metro Manila have become so rampant that the number of illegal connections have surpassed the total number of subscribers of all the cable companies combined.

“Legitimate subscribers are paying for these illegal connections and they get nothing in return,” Paras said.

That is why cable companies are urging their subscribers to report incidents of cable theft as well as bogus linemen offering free cable in their neighborhood.

Paras said it’s very easy to spot an illegal cable connection.

“One tell-tale sign is the presence of multi-channel splitters in the electric splitters. We keep our cable connections seamless, so all you can see is one cable wire connecting the subscriber to the main cable line. We don’t do octopus connections.”

Subscribers, Paras added, should call their cable company’s hotline whenever they see a splitter. “Subscribers should take part in the battle against illegal connections because ultimately, they are the ones being robbed, not the cable companies,” he said.

LINGAYEN – Gov. Victor E. Agbayani has forged a multi-sectoral partnership for the establishment of an Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG) in the province to boost efforts for environmental protection and conservation.

Agbayani explained that under the Local Government Code or Republic Act, local government units are given a broader role in enforcing and implementing environment-related laws and projects.

“With increased power comes additional responsibilities,” he said, as he called for a mechanism to provide training and capability building for local executives and local policy makers in order for them to effectively perform their given mandate.

Among the devolved functions are those on pollution control, solid waste management, law enforcement, management of communal forest, control over small scale mining, fisheries management, and environment protection.

The governor has tapped the assistance of several concerned agencies, notably the Pangasinan State University (PSU), DENR and Tanggol Kalikasan in setting up the IEG at the PSU campus in Lingayen town.

Aside from the governor other signatories to the memorandum of agreement were Dr. Rodolfo Asanion, PSU president, Engr. Roberto Verzola, president of Tanggol Kalikasan; Dr. Andre Uycheoco of the Sagip Lingayen Gulf Project; Dean Rolando Cerezo of the PSU College of Fisheries, and Provincial Agriculturist Jose Almendares.

The training design comprises basic environmental science, relevant environmental policies, applicable management models, basic enforcement skills, and integrated area planning. Almendares said the institute will cater to two levels: one level for barangay officials and another for municipal and provincial officials.

The first batch of trainees was composed of 24 participants from Anda, Bani, Bolinao, Alaminos City, and from the PNP Provincial Mobile Group. (Jennifer Domantay/PIO)

By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA-Pangasinan Infocenter

SEVENTEEN claimants to the controversy-laden Pindangan Estate in Alcala town finally got their land titles Tuesday in time for the town’s 130th founding anniversary celebration.

The Pindangan Estate, an agricultural land of some 491 hectares touching four barangays in the town, has been ruled a government property some 82 years of conflict between the original owners and later the government and occupants/claimants.

The property was foreclosed by the defunct Agricultural Bank of the Philippines when the original owner, Don Francisco Gonzales, failed to settle his loan obtained in November 1922 with the then government bank. His daughter Cristina, married to Swiss national, Ernest Schenkel, tried in March 1923 to redeem the property thru repurchase on installment basis.

Pending consideration of her application, she applied for a provisionary permit to occupy and cultivate the land which was granted. On October 8, 1923 she filed a lease application but was not granted because of the fact that she had become a Swiss citizen. On November 28, 1923, the land became a government property when the period of her right for redemption expired. She then formed a corporation, Cristina Gonzales, Inc. and filed another lease application with the Director of Lands.

Meanwhile some 93 families occupied the land for themselves even before government took hold of it. The claimants represented by lawyer Cipriano Primicias, protested against the lease application of the corporation, but the agriculture Secretary on December 23. 1926 dismissed their appeal.

The Director of Lands on August 5, 1932, meanwhile, cancelled the corporation’s deed of repurchase. The agriculture secretary however reversed the director’s order and granted Cristina her second repurchase application for which she paid P5,084,62 as first installment. The move only courted more court litigations between and among the claimants that spanned several decades. A group of 178 claimants emerged as well as another group of 302. The land controversy eventually reached the Supreme Court.

On May 15, 1980, the high court resolved to terminate with finality all judicial litigations and authorized the Director of Lands and the Secretary to determine adjudication and distribution of the estate to legitimate claimants and occupants. A modular survey was conducted four years later. On January 18, 1993, the DENR Secretary Angel Alcala issued Administrative Order No. 3 to judiciously implement the 1980 SC decision.

In May 1996, a field team set guidelines to determine the value or cost of the subdivided residential lots and to subject them to bidding. Also in May 1996, Transfer Certificate of Title No. 151 in the name of Cristina Gonzales was transferred to the government with the director of lands as estate administrator. The controversy did not end though as a local court issued a status quo order. The agrarian reform committee of the House of Representatives also held its own inquiry. An inter-agency task force, which was recommended by the House agrarian committee, met with the opposing groups, the 178 claimants and the 302 group to settle their disputes amicably. Several meetings followed between the DENR, the municipal government, and the affected parties for the final resolution of the controversy.

The sangguniang bayan also passed a resolution asking the DENR to finally distribute the property to legitimate claimants as ordered by the high court. Initially, 20 residential lots were approved fro distribution. A group tried desperately to delay the proceedings as if filed a petition for mandamus before the Villasis regional trial court but Judge Manuel Pastor Jr. dismissed it paving the way for the publication and posting of notices for the sale of government lands.

On August 1, 2005, initial bidding for the 20 lots was conducted at the community environment and natural resources office in Dagupan City. Only 17 were bid out because the three supposed bidders had no money for publication in the newspapers. The DENR meanwhile continues to process applications for the other claimants, it was gathered. DENR Regional Executive Director Victor Ancheta and Mayor Manuel Collado led the awarding ceremony Tuesday at the municipal gym coinciding with Alcala Day, the 130th founding anniversary of the town.