LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - The provincial government continues to achieve major breakthroughs in agricultural production as reported by the office of the provincial agriculturist to Gov. Victor E. Agbayani.

In his report to the governor, Provincial Agriculturist Jose M. Almendares said that this year alone, a total of 6,239.66 hectares were planted to hybrid rice in addition to 6,808.00 hectares covered last year.

Almendares said some P1.10 million was released by the province as credit assistance to three core cooperatives for the purchase of the palay and corn produce of their members under the Grains Marketing Assistance Program (GMAP). Read more

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Gov. Victor E. Agbayani urged mayors as well as barangay and school officials to reactivate their respective anti-dengue task forces or brigades as he noted the increasing numbe of dengue patients in the province.

The governor likewise ordered the provincial health office under Dr. Jackson Soriano to intensify its fogging operations and information drive to get as more people as possible actively involved in the anti-dengue campaign. Read more

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - The representative of the Department of Health based in Dagupan City is under fire for issuing a statement claiming there was an  outbreak of dengue fever in Pangasinan.

Dr. George Calugay, head of the Center for Health Development team office based in Dagupan City, claimed in a television interview last July 26 that there was already an outbreak of the disease in the province at the time.

Calugay cited data gathered by his office saying that there were 466 dengue cases in the entire province for the period January-July 15, 2006. Read more

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan - Mayor Hernani A. Braganza distributed Tuesday new (Delecto) weighing scales to select communities as part of the comprehensive nutrition program of the city for pre and grade schoolers.

Along with Dr. Marivic O. Carambas, city health officer, the mayor turned over said medical equipment to chief executives of barangay Quibuar, Magsaysay, Baleyadaan, Macatiw, San Vicente, Cayucay, Bued, Pandan, Balangobong, Mona, Lucap, Dulacac, Telbang, Pangapisan, Tangcarang, Inerangan, Tawin-Tawin, Maawi and Cabatuan.

Dr. Carambas said the procurement of said apparatus is in line with Braganza administration’s efforts in upgrading the equipment of health units in the city. Read more

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan - Vice Mayor Teofilo ‘Bosyong’ Gomez Humilde, Jr. for the nth time, has called on his colleagues in public service to be solid and be united in pushing the programs and projects, all intended for the barangays.

He urged his fellow elected officials of this city, to work in unison with the other departments and agencies of the local and national government in delivering the services for the welfare of the people. Read more

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Governor Victor E. Agbayani continues to address the squatting problem as he opens the third phase of the Lingayen Gulf Resettlement Project located in barangay Pangapisan here.

The governor has awarded 60 additional housing lots, according to Engr. Alvin Bigay, head of the Pangasinan Housing Urban Development Coordinating Office (PHUDCO).

“The governor initially awarded 60 lots out of the 80 parcels that are available under the third phase of the resettlement project,” Bigay said. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY - The city government has created the Philippine Governance System Coalition of Dagupan City through an executive order issued by Mayor Benjamin Lim on July 26.

According to Lim, the order is part of the implementation of the city’s 10-point reform agenda to locate the present status of the city’s accomplishments, as well as unify all its activities towards the city’s vision.

“The city has substantially complied with some of the 10-Point Agenda and continues to pursue the remainder relentlessly,” Lim said. 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

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan - The first of its kind Air Safari will soon be opened as additional service for tourists going to and from the Hundred Islands National Park here, according to Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Braganza said the Air Safari will be offered by AeroFlight Airways based in Pasay City, a flying school that is seeking to provide charter flights as additional service.

He said their company is in the business of training pilots since 1998 but is now set to offer charter service to serve the needs for group tours and help boost tourism. 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