By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

OUR friend and hibernating columnist Bald Dragon was crying foul in his morning radio program late last week after learning of some PNP officers supposedly engaged in the highly patriotic task of “monitoring” his commentaries and assiduously making transcripts of everything he spews forth over the airlanes the past several weeks (months?).

But isn’t that flattering for you, BD?

How he got wind of the habit of the local PNP boys, we do not know. But he sounded so sure of it anyhow, stopping short of naming the PNP “officer” he harangued on air. Read the rest of this entry »

Nen MARIO F. KARATEKA

NO AGMO amta itay ebola virus tan no panoy sibeg tonia nen pinalanit toray taga kontinenten Aprika ya abak-baktar ira nen imbebeneg iran dekada, anggapon balot so pagam ed satay balitan nalmoan ya walaan na sakey a klasen ebola iray baboy dimad sakey a pigeri ed Manaoag.

Ompan agka ingen man-ngilin ed pananagan moy karney baboy.
Ta say kuanda lanti, say sakey bengatlan agmo amta, agtokaya nasakitan (What you don’t know, won’t hurt you) Read the rest of this entry »

By RESTITUTO C. BASA.

ROMAN Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on December 25.
The Greek Orthodox Church does it on January 6.

Some minor Christian sects mark Christmas in September.

Why the variance? When was Jesus actually born?

Source of info: The best source of information should be the four Gospels in the New Testament, to wit: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Read the rest of this entry »

By DANNY O. SAGUN

THE Philippine Health Insurance regional office is not moving to another place as reported earlier but it will remain in Dagupan City.

Lawyer Gonzalo Duque made this assurance last week before mediamen, quoting his younger brother Francisco III, who is health secretary. The health secretary was formerly Philhealth president himself before assuming his Cabinet position.

Gonzalo, a former vice-governor and now president of the family’s
Lyceum-Northwestern University, said the size and the population of Pangasinan were considered in the decision of the Philhealth board to retain their regional office here, which is located on M.H. del Pilar street. Read the rest of this entry »

HORSEBACK riding is no longer a monopoly of Wright Park in Baguio or Boracay.

Without fanfare, an about 5,000 square meter semi-circular area lying idle just beside Dagupan Medical Centrum in barangay Tambac here was cleaned and upgraded and opened as the city’s haven for horseback riding.

Horseback riding can be had in that property from 4 p.m. till midnight daily, said Dennis Muyalde, president of the Dagupan City Calesa Association that put up what is hoped to be a fresh, indigenous tourist treat in the city. Read the rest of this entry »

LINGAYEN—Merry Christmas was written all over the faces of some provincial government employees , regular and casual, when they received an extra cash gift of P10,000 on Tuesday (December 16).

Provincial Budget Officer Hilaria J. Claveria said the amount is on top of their 13th month pay plus P5,000 cash gift as provided for in Republic Act 8481, Both incentives have already been released earlier.

Contractual workers however did not get the extra cash gift. Read the rest of this entry »

A PRIVATE company has built wind masts in several towns of western Pangasinan in connection with its desire to build wind farms that could harness wind as a source of energy.

The UPC Asia has built wind masts in the towns of Mangatarem, Infanta, Labrador and Mabini in order to record wind velocity as part of its two-year research on whether or not it is feasible to build wind farms in these towns. Read the rest of this entry »

CAMP BGEN OSCAR M. FLORENDO—Chief Superintendent Luizo C. Ticman, Police Regional Director I, has ordered all uniformed PNP personnel in the Region I to refrain from indiscriminate firing so that the region can attain zero casualty during the yuletide season.

He issued the order as he announced that during the Christmas season, the PNP in Region 1 is implementing “Oplan Iwas Paputok” to the letter to ensure people’s safety. Read the rest of this entry »

HUNDREDS of overseas Dagupenos, including those from other places in the country have arrived here to join in the city’s major tourist come-on. “Pawil Dagupan” slated on December 30 as one of the culminating activities of the month-long city fiesta.

Lawyer Manny Aoanan, event chair person, said all of the arrivals are now spending their Christmas with their respective loved ones and relatives in the city or elsewhere in Pangasinan.
Read the rest of this entry »

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is expected in Dagupan on Tuesday afternoon to attend the wake of her foster father, Don Pedro Balingit who passed away on Saturday at their home in barangay Bonuan Binloc.
He was 99.

Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. told newsmen that the President will come to Dagupan straight from her visit in Qatar to be with Don Pedro whose remains are in state in a chapel of the Eternal Gardens here. Read the rest of this entry »