LINGAYEN-Governor Amado Espino Jr. appears bent on pushing for the conversion of the old airfield here at the provincial capital into a domestic airport.

In an interview with newsmen in San Fabian town, Espino said provincial funds have been released for the repair of the Lingayen airfield’s perimeter fence.

The fence repair and improvement   is   being undertaken with help from the Air Transportation Office (ATO).
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LINGAYEN—A seven-man technical team from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) arrived last week and immediately started a technical surve of the development plan of the proposed Sual International Shipping Port.

The PPA team, headed by Leonardo Protacio, met with Governor Amado Espino Jr. at the Urduja House where the latter requested   the group to complete the survey and plans within one month.

PPA Northern Luzon port manager Silverio Mangaoang Jr. said the group started its three-day topographic and hydrographic surveys on March 4.
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WHAT appeared to be a simple case of having a gas station in the community has become a contentious issue not only for the residents but for the city council of Dagupan.

So like the proverbial hot potato, the Dagupan City council decided to throw the application of a business group to construct a gas station along Arellano Street back to the barangay council of Pantal, for the latter to conduct a public hearing and to submit its final decision whether a gas station should be built in the area.

This was decided during a public hearing conducted on Wednesday by the city council’s committee on public utilities on the plan of Rael Kits Corporation to put up a gasoline station in the thickly populated area.
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THE province, with almost 65,000 hectares of untenured forest area, is in desperate need for forest rangers.

At present, there are only 21 forest rangers across the province, practically giving each one 4,500 hectares to look after.

Wendy Co, provincial environment and natural resources officer, said given this situation, it is almost impossible for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to control forest denudation in the mountains.

“That’s actually my concern and I have been telling our main office about it,” Co told The Punch.
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LINGAYEN–Is the position for provincial legal officer (PLO), which has long been vacant now, being reserved for lawyer Geraldine Baniqued, who lost in the May 2007 election as board member for the 4th District?

There have been talks within the provincial capitol that Espino intends to appoint Baniqued to the position and is just waiting for July 1 to do so.

Philippine law bans appointments or hiring of defeated candidates to government positions within one year upon the assumption into office of the winning candidates.

Baniqued was the Dagupan City Legal Officer when Rafael Baraan, now the provincial administrator, was the city administrator under the Lim administration.

Lim is also presently a consultant to the Espino administration.
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LINGAYEN-It’s Christmas in March for Judges in municipal trial court (MTC) and municipal circuit trial court (MCTC).

They are getting a 300% increase in their monthly allowances, from P1,000 to P4,000 each.

The increase is contained in a resolution, authored by 6th District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr., approved by the provincial board on March 3.

In Resolution 332-2008, Bince emphasized that MTC and MCTC judges play important roles in the speedy and judicious disposition of cases all over the province of Pangasinan.
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TWO officials of Dagupan are now in the United States to promote the Bangus Festival among US-based Dagupeños.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and Councilor Alfie Fernandez, chair and vice chairperson, respectively, of the Bangus Festival, will meet various groups of overseas Dagupenos, starting in the Bay Area.

They will take the occasion to present and discuss the development projects in the city under the administration of Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. when they outline this year’s Bangus Festival activities.
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Muhtar Kent, president, chief operating officer and chief executive officer-elect of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), is on a visit to the Philippines for a series of meetings to receive updates about the company’s business operations in the country.

Calasiao Coca Cola Plant Manager August Cuison said Kent is also in town to reinforce the company’s commitment to the Philippines a year after it bought the Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCCBPI) from San Miguel Corporation.

“We will continue to invest in our business and in the local communities. We fully realize that that in order for our business to succeed the local communities need to succeed,” Kent said.
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PROSPECTIVE hobbyists trooped to the 8th National Bonsai Show from Feb. 27 to March 2 at the Atrium of CSI the City Mall in Dagupan.

Activities included film showing and lectures on how to culture and raise bonsai by well-known practitioners.

On display were rare ornamental plants which have previously won in several bonsai competitions.

Majority of those who participated in the event wanted to learn how to culture bonsai as a hobby or as livelihood.

The event, hosted by the Pangasinan Bonsai Society (PBS) headed by Michael Morden of Villasis, was the 8th in a series held in the same venue since 2000.
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LINGAYEN—The pro-vince joins the nationwide Women’s Month celebration this year with the theme, “CEDAW ng Bayan, Yaman ng Kababaihan”.

CEDAW, for Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, aims to raise the consciousness of women on their rights and empower them to become self-sufficient individuals.

The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), the country’s lead agency, has called on all local government units to generate re sources to finance initiatives on gender equality and empowerment of women.
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