By DANNY O. SAGUN

RAINS spoiled what could have been a grand street party last Wednesday night, the Kalutan or Bangusan as this year’s organizers called it, at Dagupan’s main thoroughfare. There was no record to break unlike in the time of former hizzoner Benjie Lim so that there was less worry whether rains would spoil the event or not but it could have been merrier and drew more people considering that big names in the local rock/pop industry were invited.

Whether Lim grinned or not when heavy downpour played KJ (kill joy) to the fun and disappointed the city administration, the people, and the visitors no end, we nevetheless congratulate Read more

By DANNY O SAGUN

PANGASINAN is at its merriest mood these days with all the scheduled festivities in almost every corner of the province.

The people of amputi layag in San Carlos City have their Mango and Bamboo festival. Mapandan has its Pandan festival and Calasiao its Puto festival. Dagupan City, nothwithstanding the change in administration, is living up to its claim as the ‘Bangus Capital of the World’ by having a three-week long Bangus Festival that started in April 16 and will culminate on May 4.

The provincial administration too continued the long tradition of holding Pistay Dayat (sea festival) not only on May 1 but for a good 10 days starting April 24.
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

NOW we understand why environmental pollution problems cannot be addressed or acted upon expeditiously: Provincial offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) cannot act on their own.

As a matter of course, they still have to bring public complaints on pollution problems to the regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau, a line bureau under the DENR, for proper action..
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

FOR seven years now, the country has been importing rice to augment the local produce.

Now, that’s a sad reality considering that the Philippines is mainly a rice-producing country with a research facility exclusively devoted for rice production. Foreign students and researchers came here to gain knowledge. Now those Thais and Vietnamese students who had trained here might be laughing at us. These countries are producing more than what their people need and therefore can afford to sell their excess to us.
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

IT’s now clear to us why the third district representative in the House of Representatives voted in favor of a motion to declare the Speaker position vacant that eventually led to the ouster of Congressman Joe de Venecia as House leader. That GMA visit in Malasiqui last Tuesday noon said it all.

The President acknowledged that support given her by Rachel Arenas during that crucial period when ties, relationships, loyalties, etc. were put to the test.
Read more

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 more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

THIS corner for quite a time has not written anything about his humble town San Jacinto.

In fact, the municipality has not been in the news, print or radio, for the past several months, except for its being mentioned as the possible site for the planned landfill dumpsite project of Dagupan City. Or when a project there was inaugurated by Congressman Joe de Venecia. Apart from these, no significant issue or event has been reported out from that small town.
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

AS WE were in the process of finalizing our school research on local media practices, our attention was struck by a tabloid article which listed media people allegedly receiving jueteng payola ranging from P20k to P60k a month. True or not, that expose, if it qualifies to be one, tells that something is wrong with the Pangasinan media, or at the very least, a section of it.

We were really surprised at the boldness of the writer (though it is apparent, there’s no one going by that name in local media circles) to name known media men and women as recipients of dirty money, which we think she could not do just like that if, or unless, she got no proof?
Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

OUR attention shifted to a group of several men in black T-shirts with the word ‘MARSHALL’ boldly printed at the back who showed up suddenly at the People’s Astrodome in barangay Tapuac at the start of a medical mission last month. Those people became visible anew just last week for another medical mission.

‘Where did these people come from?’ was everyone’s query. There were no such Marshalls during the time of former hizzoner Benjie Lim. A regular security guard was stationed at the Astrodome during those days. Where indeed did they come from? Are they regular employees of City Hall? Are they contractuals or casuals? Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

FOR the very first time, former Speaker Jose de Venecia was absent when President Macapagal-Arroyo visited her homeprovince to lead the inauguration of the Guico-owned airfield last Saturday in Binalonan. We could not recall of an instance that JDV was not around during all those GMA’s visits in the past.

Well, the fourth district congressman was not invited to that affair. Host Mayor Monching Guico, who is second cousin of the President, could not do so what with the severing of ties of the Arroyos and the De Venecias as a result of the ZTE controversy.
Read more