DAGUPAN CITY—Dagupan City and most towns in central and eastern Pangasinan were spared from disastrous floods this time, thanks to the completed construction of flood dams in Sison and Mangaldan.

And no one was more elated by the report than Speaker Jose de Venecia who secured the funding for the construction of the two flood dams.

Speaking over a local radio station, Friday, de Venecia happily 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 while the flood control dike in

Mangaldan prevented the water from the Cayanga River from spilling over to Mangaldan and Dagupan City.
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NEW PMS BUILDING - House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. leads in the cutting of the inaugural ribbon for the newly renovated two-story Pangasinan Medical Society (PMS) which was damaged by the 1990 earthquake. With De Venecia are City Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, Dr. Nene Villaflor, Dr. Francisco de Guzman and Dr. Marlon Rebosa, incumbent PMS president. De Venecia helped fund the building’s renovation.

EARTHQUAKE DRILL- Two students are being given first aid by health workers after they fainted during the conduct of earthquake drill by students of the Dagupan City National High School last week. The drill was in compliance with a memorandum of the National Disaster Coordinating Council. –Punchphoto by Butch Uka

GREEN PHILIPPINES - Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes and DENR Regional Executive Director Victor Ancheta share a light moment before the start of a press conference in Urdaneta City for the launching of the Green Philippines Program. Punchphoto by Butch Uka.

Hiring to be based on qualifications

The cash-strapped Dagupan City government appears bent on pushing through with its planned reorganization that will result in the lay-off of some 500 employees.

This was indicated by City Administrator Rafael Baraan when he appeared before the committee on reorganization in the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Councilor Teofilo Guadiz III.

Baraan said the plan is to declare 500 of the 646 permanent positions in the city government vacant, to be filled up by qualified applicants who will pass the screening process.     . 

He defended the reorganization, saying this is meant to improve the delivery of services of the city government and to make its employees more responsive and efficient as the right people would be put at the right place.

Baraan’s statement caused apprehension among department heads for employees who may lose their jobs once the reorganization is implemented.
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But hospitals teem with dengue patients

PRIVATE and government hospitals in Dagupan are now crowded with patients suspected to be  suffering from dengue but the Provincial Health Office still insists that there is no outbreak of dengue in Pangasinan. 

Acting Provincial Health Officer Jackson Soriano refuted the declaration made by Dr. George Calugay, representative of the Department of Health in Pangasinan, that there is already an outbreak of dengue in the province.

A report before deadline showed that the patients are packing Region I Medical Center, the Villaflor Memorial Medical Center as well as other hospitals in the city.

Calugay based his confirmation on the reported 211 cases of dengue, including one death, which was registered in Pangasinan from January to July this year.
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THE head of the city’s budget office expressed serious doubts that the planned reorganization of the city government can be implemented this year.

City Budget Officer Ildelfonso Calimlim told the PUNCH that to date, the city has only P50 million left in the city coffer allocated for other purposes and not for reorganization.

The P50 million, programmed for the City’s Development Fund to finance  planned projects of the city this year, is apparently all that is left to date out of the P357 million budget approved by the city council with still five months more to go before the year ends.

Calimlim said that even assuming that the P50 million cash on hand can be spent for the reorganization, it’s not enough to cover the costs of retirement estimated at P120 million.

Calimlim said the estimate was provided by the mayor’s executive assistant Ely Bamba, chair of the committee on restructuring.
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MANGALDAN - Will Citizen Arturo Lomibao run for governor in 2007 elections?

This rumored scenario suddenly became a distinct possibility after the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General discussed his future with members of local media.

What he quickly denied was the rumor that he is being groomed to be the next chief of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“That (position) was never offered to me,” said the retired chief of the PNP.

He said the speculation was rife simply because there is no permanent director at the NBI although he confessed having received offers to join government service.
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Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim may face administrative sanctions from the Department of Interior and Local Government for failing to perform his mandated duties as city mayor as provided in the Local Government Code.  

Mayor Lim has failed to submit his legislative agenda at the beginning of each year, the opening of the Sanggunian session as prescribed by the Code.

Item 1, Section 455, Chapter 3 of Local Government Unit prescribes that the city mayor “presents the program of government and propose policies and projects for the consideration of the sangguniang panglungsod at the opening of the regular session of the sangguniang panglungsod every calendar year.”

The occasion is usually referred to as the State of the City Address.
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URDANETA CITY - The first phase of “Oplan Green Philippine Highways” of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been launched.

For region 1, the program launched last Thursday will seek to green the sides of about 411 kilometers of paved roads passing through the four provinces in the region.

DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes, Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez and other Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and La Union officials led the project launching at the jam packed Urdaneta City Cultural Center.

Reyes said he is confident over the success of the program because of the enthusiasm and support of the region’s officials and populace, and exhorted the other regional executive directors of the agency to emulate the Ilocos example.
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