RHODORA M. PALINAR

Time and Tide, People’s Digest Newsweekly February 19-25, 2008

STREET protesters may rally down the streets of Makati and Metro Manila; Jun Lozada may be grilled at the Senate on a daily basis before the whole country on national television; former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos may be singing his tune “off key” as he pathetically struggles to get off the hook from the national broadband network scandal – and yet, here in the province of Pangasinan and in most other provinces – life goes on.

I can tell, I can feel. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is going to finish her term in 2010. The current issue that implicates her husband is not enough to sustain a nationwide uprising. Not that she is involved in corruption of lesser degree from that of former President Joseph Estrada. In fact, in Arroyo’s case, the bribe money involved is more staggering than that of Erap’s. And what hurts more is that – with Arroyo, the money involved directly comes from the people’s money – their bloodied taxes.

But why the seeming “indifference” of still a majority of Filipinos on this controversy? And if and when the allegations of Jun Lozada are proved and should consequently merit impeachment proceedings against the president, will the Filipino once more show collective force to bring her down from power? I so doubt it. Read more

Photo above - Joey de Venecia III takes a moment for this PDN snapshot before walking up the stage to address some 10,000 protesters who marched to Makati’s financial district on February 15. The crowd voiced out their outrage over the alleged overpricing and briberies in the now defunct ZTE national broadband network contract.

Photo below -  This poster showing a photo of Jun Lozada — wiping his tears during his testimony at the Senate in which he exposed the anomalous transactions of the Arroyo government involving the NBN issue — was bannerd by rallyists who expressed belief on Lozada’s truthfulness. (PDN photos by Eric Isaac)

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Rep. Rachel Arenas of the third district of Pangasinan admitted it pained her so much when she registered a “yes” vote on a House resolution seeking the ouster of Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.

She said in an interview last Friday that, being treated like a daughter by De Venecia and his wife Gina, she could have voted the other way around.

But Arenas revealed she could not do otherwise because she followed the dictate of their party.

The other Pangasinan congressmen who voted for the resolution were Reps. Arthur Celeste of the first district, Conrado Estrella III of the sixth district and the latter’s brother, partylist congressman Robert Estrella, Jr. of Abono. Read more

Pangasinan athletes doing their best to train and get fit for the competitions (PIO photo for PDN)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Some 6,000 athletes, coaches and technical officials from 13 delegations in Region I will flock here from February 24 to 29 for the Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA) meet to be held at the Don Narciso Ramos Sports Civic Complex (NRSCC) in Lingayen.

Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. will lead the opening ceremony that will welcome the school delegations from La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan I and III and the cities of Vigan, Candon, Laoag, San Fernando, Dagupan, Urdaneta, San Carlos and Alaminos. Read more

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan – The tri-cities ferry service to be put up by the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan and San Fernando is all systems go this year.

“It is all systems go as far as all of us three mayors are concerned,” said City Mayor Hernani Braganza of Alaminos.

Braganza announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the project by the first week of March in a meeting among all city mayors involved.

Signing the MOA are Braganza, and Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr. of Dagupan City and Pablo Ortega of San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega. Read more

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan – The Department of Tourism commended the people of Sto. Tomas for their utmost display of unity and cooperation so that their beloved town would be placed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The commendation was extended by DOT Regional Director Martin Valera when he graced Sto. Tomas’ Corn Festival on Sunday, top feature of which was the holding of a close to five-kilometer Corn Barbecue intended to break the existing two-kilometer record won by Hermocillo, Mexico last year.

Valera said the Corn Festival was a very good occasion for the people of Sto. Tomas to show their stride and expertise in agriculture, particularly in growing corn, incidentally the top product of the town after rice.

Congratulating the people of Sto. Tomas led by Mayor Vivien Villar for their outstanding feat, Valera said DOT is encouraging such festival to show the people of the world what really the Philippines is, especially Sto. Tomas.

He hailed the organizers of the Corn Festival for highlighting corn as number one product of the town, which is also a big promotional activity for the whole town of Sto. Tomas.

“Although this was only the first one, I hope this can be continued in the succeeding years so it can be established as an event to watch,” Valera said.

He told newsmen there are lots of towns in Pangasinan and in the region are holding festivals just to promote their native products, examples of which are Dagupan which has its Bangus Festival; Villasis is Talong Festival; Alaminos City, its Festival of the Hundred Islands; Anda its Binongey Festival; and Calasiao, its Puto Festival.

He admitted that all these festivals are putting the towns, cities and province in the map. (PNA)

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan – The Department of Tourism commended the people of Sto. Tomas for their utmost display of unity and cooperation so that their beloved town would be placed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The commendation was extended by DOT Regional Director Martin Valera when he graced Sto. Tomas’ Corn Festival on Sunday, top feature of which was the holding of a close to five-kilometer Corn Barbecue intended to break the existing two-kilometer record won by Hermocillo, Mexico last year.

Valera said the Corn Festival was a very good occasion for the people of Sto. Tomas to show their stride and expertise in agriculture, particularly in growing corn, incidentally the top product of the town after rice. Read more

LINGAYEN – The P100 million pledge of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the establishment of an international shipping port in Sual has bolster the provincial government’s goal to become the premier province in the country, according to Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan.

The announcement was done in yesterday’s (February 18) flag-raising ceremony at the Capitol grounds with the presence of Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas and some members of the board. He said that the pledge was made during the recent visit of the president to Pangasinan. Read more

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan - Twenty eight persons engaged in illegal fishing were apprehended within the city’s coastal waters here yesterday.At around 6 AM, twelve crew members of a fishing boat that bore a marking “FERRY” and owned by a certain Robert Castro were arrested for using active fishing gear known as “boli-boli” with fine mesh net.

Public Order Safety Office (POSO) Chief Mar Rabaja identified the crew members as Jerry Sulayao, (boat captain), Jonathan Tagas, Sifriano Estabillo , Freddie Agimbag, Wing Tabines, Algie Encio, Iniego Tonido, Marvin Inocenio, Diosdado Colon, Macmac La Torres, Manuel Gutierrez, Raffy Inaya - all resident of Poblacion, Sual, Pangasinan.

Rabaja said joint elements of POSO-Bantay Dagat, Alaminos City Police Office (ACPO), 106th PMG and PNP provincial intelligence branch were conducting a routine seaborne patrol when they spotted the fishing boat off barangay Victoria at around 6 AM.

Confiscated from the boat were a set of active gear with fine mesh net and twelve styrofoam containing assorted fish worth around P14, 000 and then brought to the ACPO for proper disposition. Read more