Steve Simbillo, 64

By Jun Velasco

LAST night, we received a call from General Art Lomibao, who was with balikbayan friends in Boracay Island.

The “tourist guide” gave his guests A-l hospitality. His guests  were his gracious hosts in the US  last month, Dr. Fernando Estrada, a native of Calasiao town, and vivacious wife, the former Nancy Cornista of  Hotel Boulevard, Dagupan City, who owns a hospital in Pennsylvania. Also in Boracay were General Dante Ferrer and his pretty wife, the former Lily Estrada (Fer’s sister and former nutrition student of Cathy Velasco), and close friends. They had great fun, says Nancy in another phone call to Cathy.

Why did Art call? Well, he thought we did not take his word that he was running for congressman in Speaker Joe de V’s district.

Earlier, the Mangaldan whiz kid was on collision course with his long-time partner in the military, Congressman Amado “Spines” Espino and the other gubernatorial wannabes Dr. Jamie Agbayani and Vice Governor Oscar Lambino.
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Lomibao: New kid on the (political) block

By Gonzalo Duque

THE Sunday Punch series on the illegal “occupants” of the Dagupan City beach property should be a jewel in local journalism.

On record, it was this column that first made the expose. Former Tondaligan management head Ani Lagao picked up the subject later. But The Punch came up with this shining piece in community journalism - the expose of the illegal occupants. Okay, maybe, they, most of them, have not literally occupied those parcels of government property, but they have tax declarations on those choice lots. So how else would you interpret that?
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Ramon Macaranas
26 Feb 2007

Pangasinenses unite and say NO TO POLITICAL DYNASTIES!

Ben Landingin
25 Feb 2007

 

This May election is a referendum on the Arroyo administration. Voters who see the economy improving and their future better with Pres. Arroyo in the helm up to 2010 may vote for more of the Team Unity candidates because more opposition senators may lead to the impeachment process succeeding.

Likewise congressional candidates who will be perceived as in favor of impeaching the president may lose the support of equally minded voters. Business leaders with the same perception may also give their support to the administration candidates.

PAL Interclub: A habit I can’t kick

By Al S. Mendoza

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—I wrote this piece in this jewel city of Mindanao called fondly as the city of golden friendship for the warmth and bright smile people here love to exude. Buttressing that reputation is the fact that this is traditionally the only city in the south that terrorists supposedly love to spare from their brutalities.

No long faces.

No snarling.

No hot heads.

I could be the only Mr. Grouch here right now?

Just kidding.

“They do their R & R here that’s why,” said Tom Garcia, my town mate in Mangatarem who made good here with his now-giant security agency business called Valiant and, most recently, the Global Empire Security Services Inc. based in Manila.  “Must really be the huge smile and warm heart that people in this city are noted for that’s why this city is the most peaceful place in Mindanao.”
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Watch out for weedy rice

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Rice farmers would do well to watch for the invasion of weedy rice in their farms, as this weed poses great competition for soil nutrients with the rice plants and could cause reductions in yield.

Research reports indicate that if 35 percent of a rice crop is composed of weedy rice plants, grain yield losses can reach 50 to 60 percent.  What’s more, greater weedy rice infestation can result in total crop loss because of competition and crop lodging.

If weedy rice grains are mixed with the crop harvest, the milled rice becomes contaminated with red to cream weedy rice grains, resulting in a great reduction of its market value. 

Dr. Madonna C. Casimero, acting deputy executive director for research of PhilRice [Philippine Rice Research Institute], said that since weedy rice is closely related to cultivated rice it is difficult to differentiate the two during the vegetative stage, most especially in direct-seeded rice.

“It could be a serious threat in direct-seeded rice, as it would be quite difficult to distinguish it during early vegetative growth,” according to the lady weed control expert.
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Remember: “Hello Garci”

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

The “Hello Garci” issue refuses to die. It was denied to rest with the adamant rejection of the impeachment process no less than twice filed in the House of Representatives. The avid pro-administration allies themselves resolutely denied the incumbent national leadership to have its side heard.

The result is disastrous for the incumbent itself. It now continues to be haunted with the by-word shameful triad of lying, cheating and stealing. It thus also continues to be strongly distrusted and disrespected. It could be at times telling the truth. Yet, it is met with disbelief. It could be having good intentions every now and then. Still, it continues to be ridiculed.

That is why no less than three years after, the “Hello Garci” debacle continues to haunt many people. They still talk about it. They continue to crack big jokes about it. But more than all these, there is both the reservation and apprehension that the May 2007 Elections could again be tarnished with the same shameful chaos.
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Kudos

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

It was one unique and exceptional basketball event that was played last February 13 at the University of Pangasinan (UPang) gymnasium. The UPang players in the 70’s to 90’s, then popularly known as the Greyhounds, battled the current squad named the Webczars.

         The project, dubbed as the “All Time Battle of Champions, a Reunion of UPang’s Basketball Dynasty,” in conjunction with the celebration of the school’s 82nd founding anniversary. It was conceptualized and organized by Webczars head coach Angel Gumarang, the former main steersman of our PRISAA Region 1 quintet that landed fourth in the 2005 national games, our best so far in the annual tourney.

         Gumarang was assisted by ex-Greyhounds slotman Jack Padilla to make the unique occasion exemplary, particularly after the court skirmishes that ended at Silverio’s restaurant.

         I was there and saw how the 80’s quintet edged the 70’s five, 68-64. Their faces are so familiar to me because they are my sports contemporaries. I perennially watched their battles here and against the big guns in the region and how they used to dominate the annual Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA) games with Ruben Urbano and the late Amadeo Bautista at the helm. It’s a sad thing their chief tactician “Papa” George Monje expired early. They said they missed the guy who steered them to bag multiple diadems for their school, the city and the province.
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The Old and the New

By Emmanuelle

This week’s article was written while waiting for the Cebu Pacific flight to Mindanao, the fabled land of promises.

You see, before this writer plans to lay her head down to a sleep where there is no awakening, there is this standing promise to herself to see with her own eyes, to hear with her own ears, to smell with her own senses, to taste with her own buds - in short  to feel with her own senses - the fable that is Mindanao, the land of promises, promises seldom kept, promises never kept, promises held on hold pending fulfillment of conditions stated or unstated within the context of the agreement, and so on and so forth.

Meanwhile, our Muslim brothers and sisters uproot themselves from the oldest to the youngest and migrate almost en masse to the extreme northern cities and towns of Luzon. They scuttle away from Mindanao as far as they possibly can, insisting to integrate themselves into communities in Baguio and Dagupan and in the most unlikely places in-between, hoping to ultimately blend in, preferably unnoticed. A difficult task to do, seeing how colorful their garbs are, how tangy their accents sound. Tempers, too.

So great a distance deaden the echo of bullet fires. Silence at last.
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PROMISING FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Al for Dagupan mayor,

Rachel for Congress

THE often garrulous former Manila Congressman Mark Jimenez, speaking for more than one hour before political leaders and members of the media with his loose pants threatening to drop thrice, endorsed Undersecretary Antonio “Bebot” Villar for governor of Pangasinan, Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. for mayor of Dagupan City, and Rachel Arenas for representative of the third district of the province.

He not only endorsed the three in his speech before the general assembly of members of the “Biskeg na Pangasinan” political party on Thursday night but also warned their possible opponents and their backers that he would see to it that the three get all the support that they need from him in their coming battle.

Jimenez is a billionaire who claims he earned his fortune overseas, particular in Latin America where he established his businesses.

Jimenez openly endorsed Villar though he was aware of the presence of Vice Governor Oscar Lambino who had already declared his intention to run even under the opposition if given a “raw deal” by his own party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.
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