LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Gov. Victor E. Agbayani is pushing for the inclusion of another flood control project covering the Sinocalan and Cayanga River Systems in the implementation of the North Luzon Agri-business Super Region.

In his letter to Presidential Management Staff Director General Arthur Yap, Gov. Agbayani pointed out that the absence of said flood control project is the primary cause of flooding in central and northern Pangasinan traversed by the two river systems.

“Non-inclusion of said flood control will negate gain made in agriculture,” he said. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY - Officials of La Union, particularly San Fernando City are seeking greater involvement in the management of the territory vacated by the former U.S. Wallace Air Base at Poro Point, La Union, now under the administration of the Bases Conversin Development Authority (BCDA).

Gov. Joaquin Ortega and San Fernando City Mayor Maryjane Ortega lamented that not even one of them or their representative sits as members of the board of the BCDA even in ex-officio capacity to ensure that the plans  of the latter conform to local laws.

The Ortegas told newsmen in Dagupan City that BCDA and its subsidiary company, the Poro Point Management Corporation had been ignoring their invitations to coordinate with them, as this is urgently necessary as the two are operating within their territory jurisdiction. Read more

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Provincial Administrator Atty. Virgilio Q. Solis, through a directive from Gov. Victor Agbayani, met recently with all department heads and chief of offices to map out fresh strategies for the effective implementation of garbage segregation in the capitol area as part of the province’s Solid Waster Management Program.

Solis directed the department heads to strictly monitor the implementation of waste segregation in their respective offices to ease the collection of recyclable and non-biodegradable wastes.

Gov. Agbayani has constructed a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) near the Capitol which he provided with garbage collection vehicle and full-time staff. Read more

by RHEE Fer HORTALEZA

ROSALES, Pangasinan - Pangasinenses hard-hit by calamities are at least assured of sufficient rice due to the approval of a resolution authored by sixth district Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members Robert ‘Eskimo’ M. Estrella, Jr. and Marilyn Primicias Agabas recently.

The Estrella-Agabas-authored resolution authorizes Governor Victor E. Agbayani to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the National Food Authority’s various branches in Pangasinan for the prompt release of rice in the event that unexpected calamities hit the province.

The calamities, according to Estrella, include floods and other natural calamities or emergencies that affect the populace, especially poverty-stricken folk. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY - The Dagupan City government is moving towards creating highly clean and organized offices in the City Hall in order to improve workflows and public service.

The City Hall will soon implement the 5S,  popular method that originated in Japan which is now a common tool for improving workplace productivity and safety.

The 5S system stands for sanitize, sort, sweep, systematize and self-discipline.

“The undertaking aims to make discipline and orderliness a habit for every city hall employee,” City Administrator Rafael Baraan said even as he pointed out that 5S serves as the basis for eliminting waste, boosting productivity, and doing quality work. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY - A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said here that lands that were formed by means of accretion are generally for sale.

DENR Undersecretary for Public Concern Manuel Gerochi told newsmen that any qualified individual can apply to buy accreted lands, pointing out that there are specific rules to follow regarding this matter.

Gerochi represented Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes as guest of honor and speaker during a program at the city plaza here commemorating the Disaster Preparedness and Consciousness Month.

Gerochi’s opinion could either be to the advantage or disadvantage of local government units that are now trying to recover accreted lands for illegal claimants and occupants, some of whom even succeeded in securing questionable tax declarations. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY - Most city disaster coordinating councils (CDCC’s) in the country is convene only during hydrological and meteorological disasters.

In Dagupan City, the CDCC is set to also handle not just natural calamities but also man-made disasters.

Civil Defense-designate coordinator Robert Erfe-Mejia said that CDCC members will undergo training on handling bomb threats fire, hostage and other man-made disaters.

The two-day training is tentatively set on August 10-11 at the city museum for the seminar-workshop and a the city plaza for the simulation of man-made disasters. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY - House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. said two flood control dikes he helped build spared Dagupan City and most towns in central and eastern Pangasinan from another disastrous floods.

Speaking over a local radio station, de Venecia said the flood control dams in Sison and Mangaldan held on despite heavy rains spawned by typhoons ‘Florita’ and ‘Glenda’.

He said the flood control dam in Sison prevented the floodwaters of the Bued river from spilling over to northern and central Pangasinan.

On the other hand, the flood control dike in Mangaldan prevented the water from the Cayanga river from splitting over to Mangaldan and Dagupan City.

De Venecia said he helped fund a three-kilometer dike along the Bued river in Sison, even it is outside his fourth district of Pangasinan, because that will prevent the flood in San Fabian, Manaoag and San Jacinto towns.

Sison is within the fifth district of Pangasinan whose congressman is Rep. Mark Cojuangco de Venecia and Cojuangco jointly pushed the project to become the first line of defense from floods.

This project, De Venecia said, benefited also the towns of Sison, Pozorrubio, Binalonan and Urdaneta City, all in the fifth district of Pangasinan. Read more

URDANETA CITY, Pangasinan - The Philippines is expected to barge into the Guinness Book of World Records with the holding of simultaneous tree planting on both sides of the entire stretch of the Pan Philippine Highway from Ilocos Norte to Zamboanga on Aug. 25 at 10:00 a.m.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes revealed that the program Green Philippines Highways aim to rally the people in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to plant trees along their highways and to unite for the cause of the environment.

Speaking Thursday during the formal launching in the Ilocos Region of the Green Philippinines Highways at the Urdaneta City Gymnasium, Reyes said the activity seeks to form probably the world’s longest human green chain in terms of planning at one moment in time. Read more

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan - A Japanese-owned firm in the Philippines has donated thousands of mangrove propagules that would be planted in a five-hectare areas in the Hundred Islands here which it adopted to be made into a unique mangrove park.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation headed by Yushifuma Komura turned over the donation to the city government led by Mayor Hernani Braganza as the main highlight of his company’s 9th founding anniversary.

Komura said his company made the donation as part of its commitment to protect the environment being also a corporate citizen in the Philippines which has a share of social responsibilties to the environment. Read more