by RHEE Fer HORTALEZA

BAGUIO CITY - More than 200 local government legislators from various towns and cities in Pangasinan trooped to the Star Mountain Hotel on Quezon Hill here last week to attend a seminar-workshop that sought to further improve their effectiveness and efficiency as members of legislature councils in their respective territories.

The seminar-workshop, especially designed for lawmakers in the Pangasina chapter of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), was pursued under the theme: ‘Strengthening the Capacity of Sanggunian Quasi-Judicial Functions, Ethics and Parliamentary Skills’. Read more

by Claro Esoen

Solomon wanted a burial in his country of birth.

BAUANG, La Union - Three years ago, at 21, Solomon Bangayan left La Union and his father to join his mother in the United States. Three years later, still a Filipino citizen, he died in Iraq.

The American dream came too late for the young man. For the ultimate sacrifice of dying in combat, he was granted American citizenship. In the small town of Jay, Vermont, he left his mother Helen, a Filipina, stepfather Victor Therrien, and sisters Elma and Hilda. A few weeks before his death in 2004, Solomon instructed his family that if ever he dies in a combat, he should be buried in the land of his birth. Read more

by P. Julian

A new machine makes a money-maker of the famous ‘walis tambo’.

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union - The lowly ‘walis tambo’ is a great equalizer, its soft broom highly-valued for its easy grace in sweeping dirt in bamboo shacks and marble mansions.

The soft broom is so popular that it is a must for visitors in Baguio to buy at least one, not knowing that most if not all the ‘walis tambo’ sold in the summer capital comes from La Union where it costs about P45 each.

Tiger grass is also harvested and made into soft brooms in Marinduque and Romblon but on a smaller scale.

It is a tedious task. ‘Walis tambo’ is made of tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima), its stalks the main material in the production of quality brooms known locally as ‘boiboi’. Each stalks is topped by a single flower.

Removing the pollen grains from the flower at the tip makes the stalk pliant and ideal for a soft broom. This is one of the most important and indispensable parts in making ‘walis tambo’.

Taditionally, the pollen is removed by shaking and brushing the flower stalks against walls, tree trunks, and hard surfaces.

The Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (MMMSU) in San Fernando has designed a machine to take away the tiresome and inefficient way in which it is made, potentially boosting the income of poor farmers. Read more

SAN JUAN, Ilocos Sur - A field commander of the Philippine Army announced on Wednesday his strong support to the pronouncement of President Gloria Arroyo for an all-out war against insurgents throughout the country.

Lt. Colonel Harold N. Cabreros, commander of the army’s 50th Infantry Battalion based in barangay Guimod Sur, San Juan, Ilocos Sur, said he and his battalion is ready for a massive assault on the Communist New People’s Army.

“It is now high time that our government really focus its effort in the elimination of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), Cabreros said. Read more

CAMP PRESIDENT QUIRINO, Bantay, Ilocos Sur - A man was killed and another injured when they were hit by a lightning along the shoreline in Barangay Teppeng, Sinait town last Thursday.

A belated police report said that the victim, Jude Jouie Garcia, 21, a vacationist from Cainta, Rizal, who was talking with another person through his mobile phone when he was hit by the lightning.

PO3 Erwin Ancheta, staff duty officer of the Sinait Police Station, identified the injured as Ranulfo Ibus, 46, a balikbayan from Hawaii and native of barangay Sallacapo, Sinait town. Read more

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union - The Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Region I will hold region-wide public hearings to determine the pulse of the people on the minimum wage issue.

Department of Labor and Employment regional director Guerrero Cirilo, chairman of RTWPB in Region I, said the first of these public hearings will be held in Dagupan City on July 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy audio visual room. Read more

NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur - Elements of the Philippine Army 41st Infantry Battalion captured one of the biggest camps of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the mountainous area of Tubo, Abra, a senior military officer reported last week.

Lt. Colonel Angelito de Leon, commander of the army’s 41st Infantry Battalion based in Langilang, Abra, reported to Col. Manuel E. Mariano, Jr., commander of the Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade based in  Sulvec, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, that a platoon army soldiers led Lt. Guway captured the NPA camp, composed of 25 makeshift huts, capable of accomodating 70 rebels.

The camp was abandoned by the rebels earlier because of continuing massive military operations in the area. Read more

By Freddie G. Lazaro
 CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – The people of Candon broke the Guinness World Record last Tuesday when they baked the world’s biggest rice cake called ‘calamay’ that weighed a little less than three tons.
 

Displayed for three days at the town plaza, the ‘calamay’ eclipsed the existing world record registered by a town in Japan four years ago.
 ‘Calamay’ is a sticky concoction of ground glutinous rice, grated coconut meat and sugar. One of the top indigenous product of Candon, the ‘calamay’ is sold in 24-hour stands in front of the city plaza, catering mostly to residents returning to Manila.
 

At least 10,000 people, including foreign  and local tourists, witnessed and tasted the giant ‘calamay’ (rice cake) weighing 2,547 kilograms.
 This easily surpassed the Guinness Book of World Record registered by Niigita in Japan on March 21, 2002 at 2,097 kilograms of 4,632 pounds.
 

Officials headed by City Mayor Allen G. Singson, in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Tourism, are yet to submit the full documentation of the event to the Guinness Book of World Record, sid Rep. Eric Singson of the second district of Ilocos Sur.
 The world record for the biggest rice cake held by the city of Niigata in Japan was baked by the Kamaura Food Co. Ltd. This was an indigenous Japanese native cake where the sweet sticky rice was merely steamed.
 

But in order to beat Niigata’s world record, at least 45 people, mostly women, baked the giant Candon ‘calamay’ for three days, using 22 vats in six shifts or a total of 132 vats.
 A total of 2,000 coconuts, 200 gantas of glutinous ground rice and 1,200 kilos of brown sugar were put together to bake the ‘calamay’.
 

Last year’s giant ‘calamay’ comprised 270 kilograms of glutinous rice, 1,400 coconuts and 80 kilograms of white and brown sugar.
 There were 80 people who helped each other bake this rice cake.
 

“Now, we want to make our claim official,” said Rep. Eric Singson, as he said the city already contacted the Guinness World Record so that rules would be strictly followed.
The giant ‘calamay’ was made by the people as one of the top features of the city fiesta dedicated to hundreds of balikbayan.
 Mayor Singson said the Candon ‘calamay’ as compared to the same kind of rice cake produced in various parts of the country, is different because it is much harder as the glutinous rice is yet to be grounded and the coconuts grated, said Mayor Singson.
 

“But that was worth it, because we wanted to promote our native food product,” he added.
 A foreign tourist named Rony Shemtov of Toronto, Canada, was so impressed with the giant ‘calamay’ which he called ‘amazing and delicious food delicacy’.
 

The other Candon native product showcased during the city fiesta was the ‘chicharon’ or cornik (made from shelled, deep-fried corn).
  Artists from the major schools in the city unveiled their sculptured cornik products that formed familiar images.
 “We will continue to promote our ‘calamay’ competitively as one of the country’s world class food delicacy,” he said. (PNA)

NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur - An army trooper was killed and five others were slightly wounded in a fierce gunbattle between elements of Philippine Army and the Communist New People’s Army in the mountain areas of Tubo, Abra last March 15.

However, the NPAs were believed to have sustained large number of casualties as evidenced by bloodstains in their position and in their route of withdrawal.

Heavy fires from soldiers, combined by air strikes forced the rebels to withdraw, carrying with them their wounded comrades.

The lone fatality on the government side was identified as certain Private First Class Pedralver of the Bravo Company of the Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion based in Guimod, San Juan, Ilocos Sur. Read more