Vicky Nepomuceno Carrera
30 Sept 2006

Mr. Darius Rayos:

How long have you been away from Dagupan? Here is my observation on some of the places that I visited recently. Since you mentioned the plaza and the markets, I’ll describe the current condition based on my experiences and observations.

The so called “Malimgas Market” which means “Clean or Tidy Market” does not reflect its name at all. Here are some of the things you expected to see when you visit the market. Meats are exposed from insects, uncovered dressed chickens and variety of fishes are stored on the floor under the vendors sink that is muddy and by the market drainage and insects are crawling on the fruits and vegetables.

Dagupan City has some shopping malls that offer fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. It is more convenient and you have less to worry about contamination. Unfortunately, not so many of our kababayans can afford shopping mall prices. When you buy at the open market, it is like buying at your own risk. Don’t misunderstand me, I also visit Malimgas Market once in a while to buy fresh and live fish. However, I am cautious in buying meat that is openly exposed to contamination or fish that is covered with ice for days.

The plaza seems clean in its appearance but is infested with mosquitoes due to overgrown trees.

Mr. Rayos, when you visit Dagupan, try to go to the “Malimgas Market” and the park and see for yourself. Like the saying goes “To see is to believe”.

Eya Escanan
30 Sept 2006

I would like to send my opinion regarding the overpopulation in the Philippines.

The problem with our population growth is not that it increases too fast – the problem is that thousands of children are getting born into families that can’t even support them, that those same children aren’t given the chance to a good education and that many are left unemployed, either by having a small chance in the competition with other applicants for employment because of the lack of proper schooling.

One thing leads to another. It’s a cycle - a continuous cycle of poverty and ignorance that we can’t seem to break. We shouldn’t be too humble or nice about saying it, the problem is the poor, and our (not just the government and Church, but all the other Filipinos’) inefficiency and ineffectiveness to reach out and help them. If we want to improve the lives of those who are suffering from poverty and to break this cycle that has been plaguing our country for decades, we need more than just promoting family planning methods and proposing population control policies from time to time.

We need to first realize for ourselves what the root of the problem truly is – people are not going hungry because of this so-called overpopulation crisis, people are going hungry because of poverty. We have to have a united stand on what we want to do about it.

A lot of couples, especially the ones in the lower class, fail to manage the growth of their families because they are confused on who they should follow - the government, media and the church are telling them different things on how to accomplish family planning. We need to cross the economic, political and religious barriers that deny the poor of the knowledge of responsible parenthood and how to live a better life.

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE AIE-C Eagles crawled its way to the semis by surviving a scary rubber match last Thursday clawing archrival PIMSAT Mariners, 95-88, held at Dagupan People’s Astrodome.

            The Eagles, relying a ‘twice to beat advantage’ format of the league dubbed this year as the PRISAA Pangasinan-Dagupan City Inter-Collegiate Invitational Basketball Tournament, suffered a devastating defeat last Monday, 101-86, that boosted the morale of their opponents.

The refueled Eagles learning a big lesson on that September 18 debacle, did not let the lightning strike twice on the same spot, and thanks to the 37-point out put of their play maker Rustan de Guzman, his career high, which made the outcome different.
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A BOOK WRITER, TOO—Director General Augusto Syjuco of the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) autographs a book he has written to inspire the youth to pursue a technical-vocational education shortly after presiding at a news conference in connection with TESDA’s Career Caravan. (Punchphoto by Butch Uka)

LITTLE OLYMPICS FOR THE FUTURE — Secondary school students from Regions I, II, III and the Cordillera’s compete in the 200-meters hurdles in the 9th edition of the Milo Little Olympics at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen. Also competing in the yearly sports events are the elementary school pupils from the same regions. - (Punchphoto by Willie Lomibao)

MILO LITTLE OLYMPICS WINNERS - Mother Goose Special School Inc. students Jed Castillo, Tanya Hufano, coach Santiago Corpuz, Alyana Garcia and Patricia Hufano, all members of Dagupan Bangus Swimming Club, Inc. wrested a silver medal during the 4×50 Free Style Kilig (Elem-level) Milo Little Olympics 2006 held last September 23, 2006 at Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center.

CHACHA CAMPAIGN IN CANADA – House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. (standing) cites gains in the campaign for the Philippine’s Charter Change before the leaders of the Filipino community at the Philippine Consul General’s Office - Toronto in Ontario, Canada last September 2. He was accompanied by his wife, Gina, Ambassador Jose Brillantes, and Consul General Alejandro Mosquera. In the audience include former Pangasinan Gov. Cipriano Primicias Jr. Judge Delano Europa, and Ben Arcalas. - (Photo by Jojo Taduran)

Our 2006 Nurses’ examinees were had by politics

pity the 2006 nursing examinees whose future as professionals continues to hang in the balance. They are the latest victims of the populist policy of Malacañang.

The recent announcement of President Gloria Arroyo reversing her own earlier decision to uphold the Professional Regulations Commission not to direct a retake of the nurses licensure examination, is enough to make both the successful examinee and his/parents to cry in anguish and in disgust for a long time.

Sadly, it was evident from the very beginning that the President was not keenly interested in the plight of the young nursing graduates but only on how the test leakage issue could be exploited to win brownie points for herself. When the news of the leakage first broke out, the Palace made it clear that it did not want to interfere in resolving the issue. But sensing that something could be made out of it, she directed Sec. Dante Ang a week later to study the issue and submit his recommendations. And submit, he did but his recommendation was clearly not a very popular move - to make the successful examinees retake the two tests that were tainted by the leak. Even Health Sec. Francisco Duque III found the recommendation sound and supported it.
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Salute that marine!

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

Next time you meet a Philippine marine, take a moment to look into the eyes of the marine who has dedicated his or her life to protect yours. Chances are you will find the inspiration to do more and be prouder to be a Filipino.

Those steely marine eyes have seen bloodied Filipinos and comrades-in-arms die in battlefields to protect your right to a secure, decent and comfortable life. They face the enemies bravely in order that politicians will learn to serve the communities well.

And when they and other brothers and sisters in the military service lay dying, you can be certain they believe they are not dying in vain.

But in exchange for what, you might ask? For a paltry sum of P240 a month as combat pay to supplement an already death-defying monthly salary, subsisting on an P8 meal budget.
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A revealing night of classical music

By Gerry Garcia

A RARE “evening of classical music” jointly sponsored by the city’s Center for Performing Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines made our day last Saturday but left us still wondering what the Pandaragupan Youth Orchestra (PYO) looks like . . . altho we admit we began to have a inkling of what the youth group is made up of . . . when a cute ensemble  of kid-violinists played a lilting minuet  with piano accompaniment shortly before the LNU Mixed Chorus belted out the ending number in the concert.

The kids played exceptionally well, even if they numbered less than a dozen only. They, we presumed, are part of the PYO’s string section.

If so, we’re still left wondering if the PYO, supposed to be a symphony orchestra in the making, has more members in its string section, like violists who play the viola and cellists who play the cello.
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