JDV, the best speaker RP has produced yet

By Gonzalo Duque

AFTER his stirring speech before the Lyceum Northwestern University graduates last Tuesday, I could now say, without fear of contradiction, that this man who beat me in two congressional races in the past is a national leader destined.

Yes, Speaker Joe is not perfect; he has his lapses in judgment, he promises a lot, he is a demagogue at times; but  no he never badmouths his political foes (which bespeaks of fine breeding), and he speaks as though his plans could be done at the click of a finger.

But the negative view is not how one evaluates or estimates a man; we must view him from a larger perspective. What are his thoughts about the world, about the nation, about man, about things?
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No way for Pacquiao to lose to Solis

By Al S. Mendoza

I HOPE that by the time you read this (this was written in advance last Wednesday, April 11, for deadline purposes), the Pacquiao-Solis fight isn’t over yet. But if it is, I bet you, Pacquiao had won by knockout. That had been my prediction from the day the bout was inked.

I could be wrong. Solis (Jorge) was unbeaten when he climbed the ring today.

In 34 fights before he met Pacquiao (Manny) today in San Antonio, Texas, Solis had strung up 32 wins; the remaining 2 ended in draws. Of those 32 wins, 23 were by knockout.

At 27, Solis was the youngest of the last seven fighters Pacquiao, 28, met the last four years.  Pacquiao lost just once—to Erik Morales in their first meeting in 2005.
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A letter to fellow Binmaleynians

By Eva C. Visperas

Three years ago, I wished and prayed hard for development to come to my beloved hometown of Binmaley. It seemed it was hopeless then. It looked like I was wishing for the moon and the stars. But I held on to my dreams.

Money was overflowing then. Many people were vulnerable too. Fellow mediamen also thought our efforts would be just futile. But deep in our hearts, we knew we were on the right direction. Little by little, we proved that money was not everything.

So a new leader was installed. Mayor Simplicio “Sammy” Rosario proved to all that he was our right choice for change. From darkness, we saw light in the form of projects he tremendously and unceasingly did.
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Earwigs for low cost insect control and insecticide-free foods

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

An insect that used to be thought of as a harmful organism may very well pave a revolutionary method of controlling insects in rice and vegetables at a very low cost without endangering the health of farmers and consumers.

Some people used to believe that this insect, called earwig, transmits diseases and harms people as well as animals. Europeans even believed that it can penetrate into the head through the ears.

However, Dante Sabacan, an agriculture technologist in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, has proven to farmers in this town that indeed the use of earwigs could drastically cut down their cost of production, as they no longer need to apply insecticides.
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Voters and Counters

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

Recent Philippines history is the standing witness that there have been certain elections which were anything but honest and credible. Such is especially true in conjunction with the 2004 national elections.

Their eventual and lasting results have become rather predictable. There is division among the people. Public disgust and distrust continue to haunt the citizens. There is persistent socio-political instability productive of poverty and underemployment. Such public adversities adamantly refuse to disappear notwithstanding all glorious and repeated claims to the contrary by the present administration.
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New Mangaldan pride

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

CYCLING fans all over the country know that my town Mangaldan is a well-known producer of luminaries of the sport.

It started during my era and I’m humbled by those who say I spearhead the celebrities. The others are national Tour champions like the Cariño brothers, Samson and Ruben, Cesar Catambay, Southeast Asia Games medalists Alex Lopez and Emeterio Natavio and 2005 Tour Pilipinas “Rookie of the Year” recipient Renato Sembrano, a former RP national team member and a veteran of  Tour of Taiwan.

The latest addition to the ranks is Ariel Flores, an amateur and young rider from barangay Guesang of my town. It was in November 2005 when he emerged, surprising all by capturing the three-day Tarlac-Alaminos-Dagupan-Baguio Run. He won it convincingly by conquering the strenuous Baguio climb via Marcos Highway and humiliating his arch rivals from Manila and our neighboring provinces.
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Changing face of the fiesta

By Marifi Jara

Fiesta celebrations are rooted in the Spanish legacy of commemorating Catholic saints, with each town or locality being assigned one who stands as the patron of the community. But beginning in the last decade or so, we have seen and are seeing a character change in these celebrations with a shift in focus towards the other facets of our culture.

From a mainly religious festivity, the face of the fiesta is evolving into something that exemplifies the spirit of the people, their history and their way of life apart from their religion.

Pangasinan is actually a forerunner in celebrating a non-religious-based fiesta with it’s Pistay Dayat (the festival of the sea), which has long been observed every 1^st of May, particularly in towns lying on the lovely Lingayen Gulf along the western coast.
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Dream on!
By Emmanuelle

 It was in a dream that she saw them all. Not the souls nor the elementals. 

Them.

In the dream, she entered a room where she was made to grasp in her emptied hands a pen and an official form. She sat on a chair facing three miniature walls where names and pictures were posted. “All you have to do is write the names! Then and only then will you be free.” she was told.

Fearing for her life and whatever breath is left of her future, she willed herself to write. And there was no name to write.
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ANOTHER TALE OF MISSING CONTRACT

Building permit on hold

It’s the same story all over again. There is another contract signed by the city government that nobody has seen.

Metrostate Realty Corporation is forging ahead with the construction of a P84-million tourism park development project at the former Magsaysay Market, giving the impression that it has a contract signed by Mayor Benjamin Lim.

But nobody has seen a copy of the contract.

Even Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, now the acting mayor as Lim is running for the congressional seat in the fourth district, has confirmed that Lim already signed the contract but admitted he has yet to see it.
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LINGAYEN–The Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial office here will meet with various groups on Wednesday to map out the security plan for the May 14 election.

Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, provincial police director, told members of the Pangasinan PNP Press Corps that the meeting is aimed at ensuring the protection of the ballots.

Expected to attend the meeting are representatives from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Department of Education, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other concerned groups.

Nerez said among the important issues to be addressed is the deployment of police personnel as well as anticipated concerns prior to and during elections.
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