Dagupan is Disneyland

By Jun Velasco

MAYOR Al Fernandez  is under siege.

For crafting Dagupan City into a veritable  Disneyland — what with  the fiesta  galore,  colorful  buntings on every street , the boom-boom sound, the  lilting music  — from  the poblacion to  the outskirts, the  non-stop activities with  the very popular  Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez directing the extravaganza —  it’s likely natives and visitors of Nandarugapan won’t simply allow  this  downpour  of  gaiety and pleasure  to go without an assurance from the  mayor  of  its  comeback,   in all  splendor,  that is, like say, having it institutionalized as an integral part  of the Dagupan milieu and psyche.
Read more

Some senators are changing their tack

By Gonzalo Duque

SOMETHING good is going on in the Senate. They are now coming out of their ivory tower to help PGMA move the nation forward.

Instead of allowing themselves locked in investigative work, which is not their job in the first place, they have opened up to more realistic and positive issues in legislative work.

We are referring to their (many senators) active participation in the Legislative Executive Development Council (LEDAC), a novel feature lately in the national government’s working dynamics.
Read more

Lanz Manipor
28 April 2008

 

Is April 30, 2008 a holiday because of the “kalutan”? Last year was a special holiday for the Dagupenos.

Ed Pontaoe
28 April 2008

 

The old and gullible Bishop Oscar Cruz quipped in mockery the P10,000.00 peso bail bond he needs to avoid the pokey once the “mandamento de arresto” is thrown in his face.

The clincher . . .

Why only P10T peso? With his age, the government figured that amount is the appraised value of his rotten hide.

Isidro Ramos
28 April 2008

 

Here’s is concise text of an article dated April 27, 2008, published by New York Times.I thought it would be of interest to Mr. Gonzalo Duque and the rest of our Philippine educators.

Elite Korean Schools, Forging Ivy League Skills.
How do they do it? Their formula is relatively simple. They take South Korea’s top-scoring middle school students, put those who aspire to an American university in English-language classes, taught by Korean and highly paid American and other foreign teachers, emphasize composition and other skills crucial to success on the SATs and college admissions essays, and — especially this — urge them on to unceasing study.
Is it any wonder why S. Korea plays a big role in the Pacific Rim economy, politics, sports, and science?

You could read more of the whole story by Seokyong Lee for The New York Times

Dick Bolt
28 April 2008

 

I keep reading about the Arenas family of Lingayen. I am wondering if it might be the same family I am looking for.

I have been looking for Pinky Arana who has a sister in Lingayen named Babylyn. It’s possible I have been spelling the name incorrectly and could be same family!

My wife went to school with Pinky that is said to be in US. The family connections in Dagupan seem to over lap, Reyna family for one!

Any help here?

Dick in MD USA

El Nido is Hundred Islands of Palawan

By Al S. Mendoza

I WAS in El Nido, Palawan last week and the place reminded me instantly of Hundred Islands in Lucap, Alaminos City, Pangasinan.

Why, because El Nido’s beach resorts resemble those of our very own Hundred Islands.

Tallish mountains proud as Pangasinan politicians.

Sea shores as white as those at Governor’s Island, Quezon Island and Children’s Island of the Hundred Islands. Schools of fish abound in the area.
Read more

Public investments needed in improving rice productivity: III

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

So what now are the challenges to the “good news”?

Dr. Castillo mentioned that along with investments in improving rice productivity, efforts must be exerted to manage the denominator of the rice-population equation, which is rice consumption of the population.  Rice production is the numerator in calculating self-sufficiency, according to her.

She noted that over a 36-year period from 1970 to 2006, the Philippine population increased from 37 million to 87 million but rice production increased only 2.88 times.  During the same period, average per capita rice consumption also increased by 37 kg per capita or 45 percent from 82 kg to 119 kg.  In contrast, area harvested increased by only 1.34 times.
Read more

Birth of cycling rivalry

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

YEAR 1956 was when the first multi-stage bicycle road race was born. It was then called the “Tour of Luzon”, a one week road battle exclusively for professional cyclists. That was also the birth of professional cycling in the country.

Sta. Rosa, Laguna-born Antonio Arzala won the event while our very own Rufino Gabot from Manaoag town took the first runner-up plum. Our Pangasinan-Ilocos squad topped the team competition and defended the team supremacy thrice from 1957 to 1959.
Read more

Happy 100 Islands thoughts

By Marifi Jara

IT was a good day to visit the Hundred Islands.

The staff manning Quezon Island, the biggest and most popular stop among the developed islands, said Wednesdays are usually the slowest during the week. They, of course, are not too happy about that because it means business is sluggish. But from my tourist’s point of view, I could not have planned a trip at a better time as I am not a big fan of big holiday crowds.

I went there, with my younger brother Francis, to bring our older brother’s teen children, Bryan and Thea, who are spending a week’s holiday here at their lolo and lola’s house.
Read more