Jeremias Andrade Carrera
28 Nov 2006

To the Honorable Mayor Simplicio Rosario:

If only the Governor and all the mayors of towns and cities abutting rivers are also honorable like you and follow your example, there will be abundant fish in Pangasinan and there will be less frequent occurrence of red tide. I always thought before that Pangasinan is lucky to have a Governor who is a civil engineer, but I was dead wrong. His performance in protecting the environment is the same as “OORONG-ORONG” OSCAR ORBOS.

A friend told me that the reason why most of the mayors and the Governor can not stop fish pens like jueteng is because of money and politics. Mayor Benjie Lim did some dismantling before but it did not go far enough or maybe something happened. I noticed that if an activity generates a lot of money, like jueteng, illegal drugs, fish pens, politicians and the police or those in power appears to be powerless to stop it. Like GMA is powerless to stop corruption so she always makes the pronouncements to stop corruption over and over. Para may naririnig naman ang Pinoy na medyo magandang pakinggan.

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(This space will be reserved for literary contributions from readers. The PUNCH encourages readers to write and email to us their thoughts about their impressions and ideas about life in and outside of Pangasinan, whether social or economic or cultural. No politics, please. Thank you. - Publisher).

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Where the Modern Times are linked with the Living Past

by Jose Sison Luzadas, Delray Beach, Florida

Before joining a holiday packaged tour to get a good look at those tumbled temples, pillars, façades, columns of Ionic, Corinthian or Doric designs or before taking a hands-on lesson deciphering eroded hardly readable inscriptions among the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome, here is a quick introduction that makes history interesting.

One good look at the picture will show how the ancient Greeks left a lasting impact in architecture. Not only did the Romans borrow and imitate the Greeks, they applied and introduced wherever they go to all the civilized world they conquered and governed in their vast empire that lasted centuries with one ruler, one common jurisprudence, one religion, one currency and one common language. A close scrutiny of the roof design, the façade and the massive Doric columns are typically Hellenic, the three sculpted aquila (eagles) and shields are popular military emblems of imperial Rome. Well, not the inscription which speaks of American republican theme found in most federal and state government buildings in the US and its acquired territories. It is not surprising to “discover” this Greco-roman-american influence in Lingayen, the seat of government the Americans chose during the early Occupation period.

The capitol building is a monumental RELIC, a historic reminder when the Philippines was then an American colony.

With the aid of a magnifying glass, the inscription reads:

PROVINCE OF PANGASINAN
ERECTED CAPITOL BVILDING AD MCMVIII
BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR ADMINISTRATION OF A CIVIL STATE
PROMOTING LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Could this be the “Appian Way” to the AMREICAN DREAM? Not so with the die-hard Filipino nationalists. It’s more of a NIGHTMARE, a grim reminder to them decades of American Imperialism.

For comments, email Jose Sison Luzadas: luzadas@bellsouth.net

Jess Delfin
28 Nov 2006

“A picture is worth a thousand words”.

Your editors maybe sleeping on their jobs because the picture does not even come close to reflecting your caption “Finally, Domalandan Bridge Is Ready”.

Your staff could use some training from you, Mr. Ermin Garcia, Jr.?