RP’s first line of defense against climate change

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

THE ESTABLISHMENT of a Research Institute through an executive order of President Gloria Arroyo as the country’s first line of defense against drought and climate change is now being proposed by two noted scientists from the Ilocos provinces - Dr. William D. Dar, director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Dr. Santiago R. Obien, retired executive director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
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“Moral Revolution”

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

There is a formal and standing call for a “Moral Revolution” made by no less than a then high ranking official in government in direct response to the pronouncement of an also highly placed Churchman at the helm of the CBCP openly saying that the present administration is “Morally Bankrupt”. The said call affirms the truth of the pronouncement, and the cited pronouncement validates the urgency of the call. The call and the pronouncement constitute a strong, relevant and urgent moral whole.
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Bold move

  By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

Two weeks ago, we printed here a petition letter handed to me by one of our national cycling team members, accusing their head coach, Jommel Lorenzo, of serious irregularities.

The letter was addressed to Bert Lina, the president of PhilCycling, the national governing body of cycling.

No need to elaborate because I believe you read that issue and is aware of the whole content.
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Think MDGs, act LGUs

By Marifi Jara

The Millennium Development Goals, or the MDGs, has for a while now been a buzzword among the development sector. Non-government organizations and civil society groups have been keeping watch on the numbers as reported by the national government, particularly by NEDA and the NSO.

But media coverage has been sparse and as a consequence, awareness of the public, who stand to benefit from the achievement of the MDG targets, has also been, well, practically nil.
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Beware: Children Crosssing!

By Emmanuelle

CONNECT me if I were wronged, but did we witness the lower housing stand united for one glorious or inglorious (no Gloria pun intended, please don’t Amparo me) moment in music history? Or did we just see it give birth again to yet another faction - that of the utterly disgusted - with members coming from those who AB-dominally-STAINED or voted NO or were too weak to NO better? I guest one’s sight defends on the Claridad of one’s eyes. Or on the way one perceives all things great and small God made them all.
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A POST-MORTEM

Usec Villar comes to her rescue

MALASIQUI–Third District Rep. Rachel Arenas expressed her personal pain even as she belied malicious insinuations that money changed hands when congressmen voted on a House resolution declaring the position of House Speaker vacant on Monday.

“There was no money involved,” said Arenas, who voted for there solution that ousted former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

She said she has been affected by accusations that she turned her back on a province mate and her political mentor who welcomed her to the fold of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.
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EVERYONE agrees the province lost and can lose a lot more following the ouster of 4th District Rep. Jose De Venecia Jr. as House Speaker.

Even the Pangasinan congressmen who unexpectedly voted “yes” to the ouster of De Venecia expressed fears that his ouster will affect the delivery of projects and benefits intended for the province.

Third District Rep. Rachel Arenas, a close friend of the De Venecias but who voted “yes” along with Reps. Arthur Celeste of the 1st District, Conrad Estrella III of the 6th District and his brother ABONO partylist Rep. Robert Estrella, said, “It’s really a big loss for the province and it will take time to heal the wounds.”
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DAGUPAN City’s hope to recover its 30-hectare land in barangay Awai, San Jacinto, which it lost to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in 2004, appears to be getting dimmer.

The city government admitted it cannot meet the deadline set by the Department of Agrarian Reform to submit a topographical map of the 30-hectare property.

But City Legal Officer George Mejia said the city government has asked for another extension this time to lapse on March 30. This will be the second extension it sought from the DAR.
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THE construction of the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao road and its bridge component in the middle spanning across the Pantal River will be completed on March 15, six months ahead of its September target.

Ruperto Daoana, a representative of the contracting firm Toyo/Tobishima Construction, confirmed on Thursday that “we are 37 days away from finishing the bridge”.

The road component, which is being undertaken by another contractor, is now about 99% complete.
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MANGATAREM–Cacaoiten, a remote barangay located in the mountainous area near the boundary of Pangasinan and Tarlac, has been given a $33,516 grant by the Japanese government for the development of a water supply system.

The project willprovide 90 households or a population of 500 with access to potable water supply, thus lessening the incidence of water borne diseases.

Minister Akira Sugiyama, who came here Wednesday for the turn-over of the  project  to the local officials, said he feels  proud that his government is able to help the barangay.
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