BINALONAN - He was not totally forgotten after all. Better late than never.

Finally, a long-overdue and a well-deserved recognition were bestowed on writer and poet Carlos Bulosan, a great son of this town and the Philippines’ pride, 50years after his death.

According to Vice Mayor Myrna Bell Uy, presiding officer of the Sangguniang Bayan the town council recently passed ordinance number 2006-01 declaring September 11 as Carlos S. Bulosan Day in the municipality of Binalonan.

The ordinance, sponsored by Councilor Francis Melvile Tinio, chairman of the Committee on Education and Culture and Committee on Ordinances and Legal Matters, expressed the town’s pride for having Bulosan as its son who was born in barangay Sto. Niño.

An eight-foot marker was erected   in his honor in Sto. Niño. Read more

DAGUPAN CITY– Another day to remember in Dagupan City.

Almost 16 years after this city was hit by a devastating earthquake, the city council passed a resolution declaring July 16 every year as Dagupan City Disaster Preparedness Day.

Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, Sanggunaing Panlungsod presiding officer, announced the significance of the date during the city’s Agew na Dagupan (Dagupan Day) celebration last Tuesday at the city plaza.

The resolution, authored by Councilors Alex de Venecia, Jose Netu Tamayo and Farah Marie Decano, emphasized the citizenry’s awareness and preparedness in times of calamities as Dagupan had its own share of the devastating July 16, 1990 earthquake.

It will be recalled that at 4:30 p.m. on July 16, 1990, an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck northern and central Luzon Island.

The sponsors cited Philippines being considered one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and rated as the country with the most number of natural disasters. Read more

URBIZTONDO- Espino manifested his sentiments favoring a Charter change in his speech Tuesday during the inauguration of the newly-built municipal hall and public market of Urbiztondo.

“We need Charter change in order to accelerate the economic development of the country, obtain a lasting peace and put an end to daily rallies by our countrymen,” Espino said.

Espino explained that he is backing up the shift from presidential to parliamentary form of government and the creation of a unicameral legislature in order to put an end to gridlocks that is now happening and resulting into paralysis between the Senate and the House.

He said that legislation process would be a lot faster with only a unicameral legislature, unlike in the present system where the Senate virtually sat down most of the approved bills coming from the House of Representatives.

He cited his own house bill seeking the conversion of the Urbiztondo-Basista highway from provincial to national road which he filed during his first term of office in 2001 but it was never calendared for review by the Upper House.   

“If we will have only one chamber, it is easy to pass laws that are urgently needed in the countryside and uplift the conditions of our people,” Espino said. - APE

BINMALEY - The police here have strengthened their campaign against violators of forestry laws with the interception in barangay Baay Pulong last Tuesday of an elf truck loaded with 500 board feet of sawed off lumber.

Supt. Rodolfo Dimas, chief of police here, said the lumber of “bitaog” and mango trees were loaded on the truck driven by one Rogelio Diaz, 62, of San Carlos City.

The truck from San Carlos City managed to elude checkpoints until it reached Baay Pulong where the lumber cargo was intended to be unloaded.

Dimas said the driver of the truck could not produce any document issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources authorizing such shipment.

The logs were impounded at the local police station and will not be released unless the owners come forward to present their documents.

Charges are now being prepared against the elf truck driver who has refused to identify the owner of the timber. -  APE

MS. MAGIC CHARITY – San Fabian’s Nouvel Ann Sheener C. Dalton, Miss Magic 2006, is joined by Mayor Benjamin Lim, chief executive officer of the Magic Group of Companies, and officers of the seniors association after the appointed Charity Day for the town’s elder citizens.

PHILHEALTH CARDS FOR 4TH DISTRICT - House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (right) turns over a check worth P2.5 million to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Regional Vice President Ernesto Beltran as his contribution to pay for the premiums of indigent families in the fourth district of Pangasinan Witnessing the turn-over check are (from left) Mayors Napoleon Sales of Manaoag, Mojamito Libunao of San Fabian, Rolando Columbres of San Jacinto, Herminio Romero of Mangaldan, Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez of Dagupan and Board Member Agerico John Rosario. - CSR