Campus violence

By Jun Velasco

THERE’S an eerie peace in the city’s university belt.

Part of the uneasy atmosphere on the campus is the unnecessary rift (is there?) between Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez and University of Pangasinan students adviser Dominador Rayos  over the existence or activities of rival school fraternities which are being blamed for the reports on campus violence lately.

 We saw yesterday a fuming Boy Rayos, piqued, he said, by VM Alvin’s display of hubris when “he put words into my mouth that I am advocating a ban of the four-letter word groups in Dagupan.” (read last week’s Punch).

Boy said: “Who in his right mind would advocate a ban of fraternities? That’s crazy!”

The young Fernandez’s hubris could be traced all the way to Rayos’ seeking to address  the Sanggunian of which Alvin is presiding officer to denounce the breakdown of law on the campus. Read more

Grow up, Alvin!

By Gonzalo Duque

RECENTLY, I asked Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, who is one of the lawyers at  the city council (the other one being Councilor Jojo Guadiz III), to act on the clamor of residents, civic leaders, educators and parents for  the enactment  of an ordinance regulating the operations of  fraternities in our schools, colleges and universities. I feel that it is not enough that only the media are doing all the work for this very vital measure.

You know how this trapo councilor reacted to my request? He clumsily skirted the subject, as if he did not know me. By the way, is this the same guy who came to the Lyceum Northwestern University one afternoon who begged to be brought around to campaign for his council bid?

Yes, he was the one, and my witness was Jun Velasco who was in my office at the time.

It surprised me a lot that this councilor could easily ignore a pro-people measure, which is to regulate the activities and operations of fraternities  which have gone out of control lately to the detriment of  students and the faculty and the cityfolk generally. Read more

Special Spine

By Al S. Mendoza

I WONDER if the car of Priscilla Ignacio-Espino has been recovered. It was reported stolen a while back.

Who is Priscilla Ignacio-Espino again?

She is the wife of Rep. Amado “Spine” Espino Jr. 

Spine is special to me because he is my congressman, our congressman, in the second district. Although I haven’t seen him since his victory in 2004, I trust our friendship remains. Whether far or near from each other, friends will always be friends.

Speaking of my district, do you know that Dagupan City used to be part of the second district?

For years, Angel B. Fernandez of Dagupan City was our congressman in the second district. We fondly called him “Mama Angel.”  Read more

Biskeg na Pangasinan strengthens its ranks

By Eva C. Visperas

 

 

They met. They chatted. They were all excited to see each other.

They sat down to discuss important matters to reinforce their group’s clout.

Yes, Biskeg na Pangasinan’s board of directors, once again gathered last Saturday night, officially that is, after it was also officially accredited by the Commission on Elections as the first local provincial party in Pangasinan. This means its members who belong to various political parties and eventually get the support of the group, may begin to use Lakas-Biskeg, PC-Biskeg,, LDP-Biskeg, Nacionalista-Biskeg, among others.

Let me count those present as I was there, too. There was Undersecretary for Local Governance Antonio Villar Jr, Vice Governor Oscar Lambino, fifth district board Member Dionisio Villar Jr, Immigrations Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr, and his son, Dagupan City Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, Mabini Mayor Ariel de Guzman, Calasiao Mayor Roy Macanlalay, former Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan, Malasiqui Mayor Alfonso Soriano, Mapandan Mayor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, San Carlos City Mayor Julian Resuello, San Fabian Mayor Mojamito Libunao Jr, Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita. Read more

Alternative IPM methods for rice-onion crops

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Alternative integrated pest management [IPM] practices developed by PhilRice [Philippine Rice Research Institute] researchers can very fit into the current farming practices of onion farmers in Leon, Iloilo and reduce pesticide application.

The researchers have successfully integrated the alternative IPM practices in rice-onion cropping systems at the farm level.

The IPM strategies that can reduce pesticide inputs in onion farms are:

1. Alternative weed management strategies that can reduce herbicide application and lessen handweeding cost by as much as 50 to 60 percent.  These include the stale seedbed technique, rice hull burning, and rice straw mulching combined with one herbicide application and one handweeding.

2. Insect pest management strategies to manage the common cutworm such as the use of sex pheromone traps to monitor insect pest populations, the use of nuclear polyhedrosis virus [NPV] spray based on damage level and non-application of insecticide in the first 20 days after transplanting [DAT] onions. Read more

Woman, P. I.

By Emmanuelle

In-between writing this and writing that is a lot of time spent in . . . more writing. Sleep is a luxury, food is fruit popped into the mouth to stave off hypoglaecemia, drink is canned preferably diet, jogging is juggling the mind for ideas, rest is such a final word, love is Louie the beloved! whose trusting computer monitor for a face waits for me expectantly each time I venture into his den.

Ah. Escape is driving an ancient jeep without brakes, traipsing around with cousins in a nearly deserted island on a hot summer day.

And sometime in this very uneventful life, just for the heck of it, I dabble in P.I. work. Not Philippine Islands, you dimwit. Private Investigations. Or Phhhsssecret Inquiries. Or Possible Impossibilities. Or Probable Improbalities.

Actually, a happily married couple, Ana and Al, dear friends of mine, helpfully initiated me into this line of work. Or I thought they were dear friends of mine, until they helpfully initiated me into this line of work. It was not work. It was stomach trouble right from the very start. Let me tell you the story: Read more

Juliet Almendares
3 June 2006

Hi! I am looking a friend… his name is Cornelio Rabago. He graduated from DCNHS 1979. Plz email me if you have information about him thanks!

Jose Sison Luzadas
Lingayen and Delray Beach, FL
jose-sison@luzadas.net
3 June 2006

 

Re: A Kabaleyan’s Thoughts…

Abayag co lan nangel tan cabat nipaacar ed say yan tepet? manisia ca ya ondadaiset lay totoon say salita da et Pangasinan?

I do not subscribe to this fear of a vanishing Pangasinan language. AS long as I can find people not necessarily from Lingayen who still speak my dialect, there will be the Pangasinan language alive and well, expected as the rising of the sun and so sure as tomorrow.

I have heard about Speaker Joe de Venecia that his office in Dagupan City is committed to an agenda similar to what Mr. Villafania mentioned about “Pansansiay salitay Pangasinan”.

The Speaker is a proud man from the city, even a prouder “speaker” of the “Pangasinan” language. I would like to see him initiate a more vigorous approach to bring out a healthy atmosphere not just for the continuity of our language, but a living ‘tool’ where our history and culture of our people best be preserved. How about a FOUNDATION?

Seeking the advice and financial help from Pangasinan- speaking Overseas Filipinos who still care for their roots to shore up any financial expense in the maintenance of a “foundation type” similar to the cultural endeavors like Palanca Awards is the best safeguard to ward off any fear of losing one day our own lingua franca.

I may not be a rich man but I feel richer to give my share to enrich and nourish the language I grew up and loved that for many unspoken generation was the language of my ancestors before the Spaniards and Americans showed up in Lingayen Gulf.

Lily Castillo
lilycastillo8263@yahoo.com
3 June 2006

Mr. Villafania,

Eons ago, in my undergraduate Linguistics class, I remember doing a paper on the different dialects from the Philippines and I surmised that some of the dialects (i.e. Pangasinan, Ilocano) are, by definition, indeed languages because of the different root origins. I also remember some of the root words originating from either Malay or Mayan civilization. Are these far fetched, or what?