By YOLLY Z. SOTELO

WHAT I firmly believe elected officials must address in Pangasinan. As in, now na. We hope that after the meanest black propaganda and mudslinging that can make even a beast of a politician puke, the winners will buckle down to work and address the list.

1. Irrigation systems. Pangasinan is basically an agricultural province but most irrigation systems constructed by the National Irrigation Administration are no longer working. The NIA admitted it does not have enough resources to rehabilitate them, much less construct new ones.. The provincial government has stepped in to rehabilitate some of the systems but it does not have enough resources either, although it had established communal irrigation systems which can irrigate limited areas of land.

2. Tourism facilities. Pangasinan has plenty of tourism potentials but facilities such as hotels are scarce. An airport would also boost tourism in the province as foreigners could fly in directly from other countries. Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLANDA Z. SOTELO

WEDNESDAY morning saw me in a room full of mothers and their babies.

The affair: A program of the Children for Breastfeeding and Nurturers of the Earth aimed at setting a new world record – the most number of mothers simultaneously breastfeeding their young.

It had been a long time since I was in a room full of babies, perhaps the last time was at the hospital nursery where my second baby stayed after I gave birth to him. And that was almost nine years ago. So there was a feeling of nostalgia and Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLLY Z. SOTELO

IT’S still a male-dominated world of politics in Pangasinan, where just about 15 percent of the total number of candidates from governor to councilors are contesting the political seats.

Records of the Commission on Elections showed that there are about 1,254 candidates for the different local positions, with 1,063 comprising the males and only 191 comprising the females.

At least 107 candidates are vying for the 44 town and four city mayor seats in the province. But of the total, only eight are females, with two of them running unopposed — Kimi Cojuangco for Sison and Mayor Vivien Villar for Sto. Tomas. Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLLY Z. SOTELO

ONE dog day afternoon, I talked with Dr. Jesus Canto, the former chief of the Region I Medical Center. He is a friend from way back, and I thought I would call him up and ask how he is doing this campaign period.

Dok, for the benefit of those who are living under the rocks these past days, is gunning for a seat in Dagupan City Council under the team of former Mayor Alipio Fernandez, also former commissioner of immigration.

After the usual hi-hello, Dok was direct to the point. “It’s an eye opener,” he said of his campaign. Read the rest of this entry »

BY YOLLY Z. SOTELO

A WALTZ along the road canopied by giant acacia trees and watched by thousands of residents marked the entry of another Cojuangco into the Pangasinan political arena.

Kimi Cojuango, wife of Rep. Mark Cojuango, announced her foray into the mayoralty race of this town, where the Cojuangco-owned Northern Cement Corporation is located, during her birthday on Monday.

She danced the waltz with Mayor Dionisio Lagmay who “gave way” to her “without any consideration” after she delivered her speech saying she wanted to lead the town, which at present only has “cement and beer houses,” to progress. Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLLY Z. SOTELO

WHAT makes a good governor?

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said he will endorse a gubernatorial candidate “but only in confidence” and it will only be an “advice” to those seeking whom to vote for.

“I will advise those who will ask whom they could vote for. Thousands have been asking priests and sisters whom they could vote for, but we can only give an advisory to them,” he told the Inquirer.
He said the advisory will only be given however after the candidates shall have filed their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections. Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLANDA Z. SOTELO

THE past days found me with school leaders of an elementary and high school and a tertiary school.

Who would not know Ednas School, already an institution as far as elementary and high school is concerned? It’s already 40 years old, and is celebrating its 40 years. They say life starts at forty, so Ednas is just to start its life.

Ednas School has been educating many Pangasinan children, and many of them have made it in their respective fields.
Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLANDA Z. SOTELO

HERE’S good news for couples who want to plan their families the natural way: The TwoDay Method.
The newest natural family planning method uses the woman’s cervical secretions as indicators of fertility and all the woman has to do is check her secretions daily
As its name implies, the TwoDay Method means that the couples planning the number of their children abstain from sexual intercourse for only two days a month, making it more acceptable for most couples.
Read the rest of this entry »

BY YOLANDA Z. SOTELO

LAST week, I went on a “trek” to San Nicolas town – to some barangays I’ve never been before. The trip was on invitation of the Provincial Population Office which is in charge of the provincial government’s livelihood projects and entrepreneurship program.
The “wonders” started when we started on the road to Camangaan, which if I recall rightly, was the barangay where peasant leader Jose Doton was killed last year. It was a dirt road all right. Another “lost” car was in front of us, so dust was flying all over us who were riding in an open vehicle. We told the driver to let the car go by a kilometer or two so we will not eat dust all the way to our destination. Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLANDA Z. SOTELO

FINALLY, Provincial Board Member Danny Uy got his name cleared when the police – from the regional, provincial and city of Urdaneta offices – said he was not, and was never involved in any illegal drug activities.

Uy has been getting sleepless nights after two propaganda papers (no, they are not newspapers) accused him of being the drug lord of Urdaneta City. Who would not be? Everyone knows that he is a legitimate businessman and his being helpful is known far and wide. He may have his faults, like telling things like it is (spade a spade, spoon a spoon), but that’s just about it.

Read the rest of this entry »