MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo brought cheers to some 10,000 people of the third district of Pangasinan, including Dagupan City, when she brought here bundles of services from various government agencies.

Arriving here at 12:00 noon enroute to Baguio City, President Arroyo – accompanied by Governor Amado Espino, Jr. and Pangasinan third district Rep. Rachel Arenas – launched the Day Care Food-For School Program that would soon be adopted nationwide.

She was accompanied by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Trade Secretary Peter Favila. Read more

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – There will be no rice shortage in the Ilocos Region this year, an official of the Department of Agriculture field regional office said.

DA Field Regional Director Cipriano Santiago said weather permitting, the region will be able to harvest its target of 1.7 million metric tons of rice in the coming wet season.

He said the 1.7 million metric tons will be the region’s contribution to the nation that could help boost the country’s rice stockpile.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap earlier mobilized the DA field office to motivate farmers to expand their production areas and to plant the hybrid rice varieties. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY – The present city administration aims to bring back Dagupan to its old first class status, according to a list of programs released by the office of City Administrator Alvin Fernandez.

Fernandez, speaking for his father, Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr., said local revenues here must meet the requirements of a first class city.

At present, Dagupan is a second class city just like San Carlos, Urdaneta, Alaminos and the other Ilocos Region cities. Read more

SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – A newly enacted ordinance by the city council enforces a strict no smoking ban inside public utility vehicles.

Ordinance No. 07-08 authored by Councilor Samuel Millora slapped a fine of P200 to the violator and in place of fine, the offender will be forced to render community service for three days of eight hours each.

Approved on February 26, 2008, the ordinance was sought by City Health Officer Dr. Pablo Mondok III.

The ordinance was aimed at protecting citizens who inhale the second hand smoke coming from the smoker inside public utility vehicles.

Records showed that all over the world, many non-smokers are dying by inhaling smokers’ smoke. (PNA)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The provincial government is not seeking any loan at this time.

This was clarified by Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan as he branded as disinformation talks insisting that the provincial government is set to secure a P950 million letter of credit with the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Baraan said the P950 million letter of credit is being offered not only by Land Bank but also the Philippine National Bank, Postal Savings Bank and Philippine Veterans Bank.

But the province is not taking any loan at this time because it has enough funds yet to be spent for its various development projects. Read more

ROSALES, Pangasinan – Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap told newsmen here recently that the National Food Authority (NFA) has no choice but to buy rice from farmers for the short term.

This is in view of the impending precarious rice situation not only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world due to grains underproduction last year.

“NFA will have to continue buying rice. Walang choice ang NFA, if any one sells palay, this needs to be bought,” said Yap, in an interview after opening the 2008 Agricultural Exposition here.

He said in view of the precarious rice situation even in the world market where many of the rice exporters are no longer selling, there is a need to police the way the government injects rice into market.

Yap admitted that the prolonged drought as a result of El Niño that set in during the middle part of last year affected rice production in some areas. Read more

Pangasinan governor bares state of provincial government

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The present state of the provincial government was outlined on Monday by Governor Amado Espino, Jr., possibly in order to justify the seeking of P950M letter of credit for the province with Land Bank of the Philippines.

In his speech before the provincial board, read by Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan, Espino mentioned some of the mega projects he intend to build for the next two years which, he added, “will enable Pangasinan to move forward.”

These include a commercial airport in Lingayen, a commercial seaport in Sual, fish landing facilities, fish processing plants, mango processing plants, food terminals, storage facilities and silos/warehouses for rice, onion and corn and others.

Espino’s speech was apart from his State of the Province Address (SOPA) which he earlier delivered in front of the provincial capitol sometime in January this year.

In his speech, Espino presented photographs of infrastructures owned by the provincial government now in advanced state of deterioration and urgently needing renovation and rehabilitation.

These include some of the existing buildings in the provincial capitol complex, the provincial nursery, different agri-demo centers, district hospitals and others which are now all in state of deterioration.

The provincial capitol, the Finance Building as well as the Lingayen Resort Hotel are now all undergoing total rehabilitation since Espino took over the helm of the province.

Although Espino did not categorically state on where the funding of these will come from, Bince suspects this might have something to do with a draft resolution filed before the provincial board seeking to give the governor the authority to negotiate a letter of credit of P950 million with the Land Bank of the Philippines. Read more

ROSALES, Pangasinan – Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has tagged Pangasinan as one big sleeping giant in agriculture.

Yap, speaking during the opening of an eighth day Agricultural Exposition 2008 in barangay Carmen East, Rosales, said although Pangasinan is the biggest province in Region I, it lags far behind in the production of rice, corn and vegetables over the years.

Pangasinan is not only the biggest province in the Ilocos region but is also the biggest in the entire country and yet it is not producing much in rice, corn and vegetables unlike other provinces, Yap noted.

Yap said in the drive for food security, the province of Pangasinan must help produce the rice, corn and vegetables needed by the whole country in view of the looming food crisis all over the world spurred by high cost of oil, fertilizer and transportation and climate change.

At the outset, Yap clarified that agriculture is the responsibility of the local government with the national government merely providing the support and direction. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY -  The Philippine eyes to bring down its high maternal mortality by 2015 as it is one of the nations in Southeast Asia which still ranks high in maternal mortality rate.

This was revealed during the day long observance of the 5^th National Pregnant Women Day held at the CSI Stadia and Jimmy L. Fernandez Center in Dagupan City on March 10.

The national statistics shows there are 200 women dying for every 100,000 births, said Dr. Ellen Manzano, regional director of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) in the Ilocos-Pangasinan region.

She said the statistics also showed that out of 10 deliveries, eight are being delivered outside medical facilities or hospitals.

The observance of the National Pregnant Women Day, in conjunction with the International Women’s Month, was provided for in Proclamation No. 569 issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on March 9, 2004. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY – Transport operators in Dagupan and Pangasinan did not participate in the strike launched by their counterparts in Metro Manila on Tuesday.

This was revealed by Bennie Aquino, president of the Alliance of United Transport Organization Province-wide (AutoPro) in a talk to newsmen.

AutoPro, the biggest transport organization in Pangasinan, has about 3,000 members whose units are all entering Dagupan City even if these are from other towns in Pangasinan.

Aquino said they did not discuss to join the strike whatsoever nor held a meeting for tha purpose because they understood that the strike was only for Metro Manila.

However, he said, they will participate if there is going to be a nationwide strike soon for them to air their concern, foremost of which is the rising cost of fuel.

He said the ticketing system implemented in the city are hurting most jeepney drivers.

The transport strike in Metro Manila on Monday was called off before noon following talks by the leaders of the strikers and officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication. (PNA)