IN Church liturgy, the Sunday (which was to be his last) when Jesus entered Jerusalem is called Palm Sunday.

The term was coined from the fact that the people who welcomed Him into the city spread their clothes on the street as others cut branches of trees which they waved to welcome Him.

A close look at the Gospel narrative (Matthew 21:1-17) indicates that the reaction of the people was mixed.

The common people (mostly pilgrims from other lands who came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover) were jubilant. They shouted “Hosana to the Son of David”.

On the other hand, the reaction of the clergy of the temple, was negative. They were incensed by the warm reception of the common tao. Read more

THIS month (March) is women’s month. In keeping with the significance of the season, I would like to focus our attention on a woman leader of Pangasinan who has been overlooked by local historians.

I am referring to Binari Kabontatala.

This probably is the first time you will come across the word binari. I, myself, coined this word. Literally, it means biin ari, which I would like to mean princesa. (Kabontatala was the daughter of the anak banwa of Domalandan).

Princesa, however, is Spanish. So it is incumbent upon us to coin a new word which would sound native. Binari in English means woman ruler.

Who is Binari Kabontatala, and what was her role in Pangasinan history? Read more

by Restituto C. Basa

OUR National Assembly was created in 1907, one hundred years ago this year.

In the span of one century, Dagupan has produced seven solons.  These seven are Deogracias Reyes (1907-1909); Rodrigo D. Perez (1912-1916); Lamberto Siguion Reyna (1922-1925); Isidoro Siapno (1925-1928); Angel B. Fernandez (1957-1961; 1961-1965) Jose C. De Venecia, Jr. (1967-1971; 1971 – overtaken by Martial Law, he came back in 1991); Benjamin S. Lim (1987-1991).

De Venecia came back to power in 1991 and has been re-elected four times and risen to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Of the five who deserved to be immortalized because they have gone to the other life, three have been honored by naming streets after them.

Two have been forgotten. Read more

From the Saltbeds by Retituto C. Basa

WE are told by Bible scholars that the critical events that happened in the Old Testament, more particularly those that occured during the Exodus, were foreshadows of things to come in the New Testament era.

The exodus was the 40-year trek of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised and, their native country, Canaan, or modern day Israel.

It took them 40 years to complete the journey because they took a very circuitous route. There was a short-cut route, but the way was occupied by people who were predisposed to ambush and obliterate them, the Caananites. (Just like today; the Arabs want to drive the Israelites to the sea and grab their land). Read more

From the Saltbeds by Restituto C. Basa

THE election campaign is on; the start of the filing of candidacy is on January 15.

Among the first to announce his candidacy for senator is Health Secretary Francisco Tiongson Duque III. He will be an administration candidate.

I hope the Pangasinan electorate will cross party lines to vote for him. As presently constituted, there is not a single Pangasinense in this senate.

We need at least one kaluyagan in the Upper House. If we could have two, so much the better.

I am endorsing the candidacy of Pincoy Duque for senator, not just because he is a kaluyagan. I have a deep attachment to the Duques. Read more

From the Saltbeds by Restituto C. Basa 

THIS year, circa 2006, Lingayen bids to become a city. Rep. Amado Tutaan Espino, Jr. will sponsor the city charter in Congress. If there is any Lingayen leader who deserved to become first city mayor, it is Ernesto ‘Jonas’ Castaneda, Jr.

He and his wife, Josefina, has been ruling Lingayen from 1992 to the present (2006). Josefina was mayor from 2001-2004.

What have the husband and wife team done to deserve their continuous hold of power? Read more

From the Saltbeds by Restituto C. Basa

LIMAHONG, who was dubbed by his enemies, the Spanish authorities, as a “blood-thirsty pirate”, built his fortress in Domalandan.

Here he tarried for over seven months from December 8, 1574 up to August 4, 1575.

In 1989, Professor Cesar V. Callanta, a native of Dagupan, wrote a book - “The Limahong Invasion”. In this book, Professor Callanta wrote:

“Limahong carried enough treasures to buy an empire.”

What happened to this treasure? Read more

IT is said that Helen’s beauty sparked the Trojan war.

In the case of Anda, a maiden’s beauty moved the poblacion from Segat, now Namagbagan to Araub, the present townsite.

This narrative was based on two sources: One is the written history of Anda; two is a love tale narrated to me by Pastor Jose Q. Raguindin, a Methodist minister and a native of Anda.

Pastor Raguindin, at time I interviewed him, was 80 years old. He probably is the oldest citizen of Anda at this time (circa 2006).

From the written history of Anda, we gather that the town was founded as public in 1849. It started as a barrio (barangay) of Bolinao. This is the reason why the residents of Anda speak the Bolinao dialect. Read more

From the Saltbeds by Restituto C. Basa 

DAGUPAN lies along the Lingayen gulf coastline. It occupies the central section of the gulf.

Technically, Dagupan is situated at 120* 20′ longitude and 16* 2.50′ latitude.

At the center of its coastline, from Salapingao in the west up to Bonuan Binloc in the northeast, is the delta of the Agno river.

Dagupan is a river delta community. it grew on the delta of the Agno river. It is for this reason that Dagupan grew to become the primus inter paris among the 45 towns and cities of Pangasinan.

Dagupan is the cradle of the Pangasinan culture. It is the commercial center of the province and something more. The top universities and colleges of the Agno valley are here. The best equipped hospitals and the leading medical practitioners are here. Read more

by Restituto C. Basa - From the Saltbeds

The town of Mabini, Pangasinan has produced two prominent leaders: Cirilo Braganza, Assemblyman in 1909-1912 of the Second National Assembly and Juan de G. Rodriguez, congressman of the first district from 1946-1949; governor from 1950-1954; and Secretary of Agriculture in the Ramon Magsaysay presidency.

As Secretary of Agriculture, Rodriguez established the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna.

A guerrila fighter during the Japanese occupation, he refused to receive his back pay after the war.

Mabini is a flood-prone town. Through the years, the town has been inundated by three devastating floods. The first flood was in 1832, followed by the flood in 1851. There were no records of the extent of the destruction of the two early floods. Read more