Goodbye

By Eva C. Visperas

It has always been music to my ears every time I heard people say they always looked forward to reading this paper, including this section. That gave me so much encouragement to always do better, write better in succeeding columns.

        I felt good each time readers said what was written in this column was true, especially if it involved exposing anomalies, or if readers were happy to read something amusing, or when they were moved.

        To them, I say thank you very much.
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The first “fetus within fetus” case

By Eva C. Visperas

It was the first case of a fetus within a fetus in the country and it happened to someone from Pangasinan.

That report was enough to make this corner follow up on the story, and locate the “twins” and their parents.

It was in the very remote barangay of Catuday in Bolinao town, more than 10 kilometers of rough road from the national highway, where a baby boy who underwent surgical operation for having a baby girl fetus in his abdomen, was interred around 10:a.m. Wednesday in a small barangay cemetery.
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Watch your back, Dr. Estira

By Eva C. Visperas

PANGASINAN State University, the only government-run higher education institution in the province, is celebrating its 28 glorious and fruitful years on July 20.

Naturally, this is a big day for PSU which has a strong network of eight   campuses in the towns of Bayambang, Binmaley, Infanta, Lingayen, Sta. Maria, Asingan and in the cities of San Carlos and Urdaneta.

As PSU observes its 14th Biennial celebration, it also welcomes “officially” its fifth president in the person of Dr. Victoriano Estira.

As I write this piece, the turn-over of the mantle of responsibility will be made by outgoing President, Dr. Rodolfo Asanion to the new PSU president.
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Fireworks in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan

By Eva C. Visperas

Will it be a better Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) this time? This is the question newsmen covering the session at the provincial board have been asking the past two weeks. (From Friday afternoon, the schedule for their regular session was moved to Monday afternoon).

In the previous set of SP officials, I noticed a “harmonious” relationship among the board members. Once at the session hall for their deliberations hardly was there a heated argument or discussion. Maybe they were good at ironing out kinks.

Veteran Board Member Alfie Bince is back. He said he will be a real minority leader in the SP. We hope he will be up to it to the very end. We all know he is a brilliant lawyer, an articulate legislator. Sana huwag niyang ipikit ang mga mata niya sa katotohanan, a friend whispered.
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Covering Dagupan council sessions again

By Eva C. Visperas

WHILE listening to Bombo Radyo Friday morning, I heard local journalist Edmund Abubo saying that Dagupan City Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez has just beat his record for being the early bird in the city hall for many years now since he’s been covering the city hall beat.

Yes, for many days since she assumed as vice mayor, sources said Madam Belen reports to the office very early. Yes, as early as 6:00 a.m. Wow! Many, including me, just wake up around that time.

Does she really work that way? I asked a media friend close to Vice Mayor Belen. Yes, she’s a workaholic. For her, time is gold and her work habit in her own business that has led to its tremendous growth would most likely be adopted in the Sangguniang Panlungsod where she is the presiding officer.
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Political will is the key

By Eva C. Visperas

How do you stop the operation of fish pens?

Re-elected Mayor Sammy Rosario of Binmaley, whose town used to have hundreds of illegal fish pens and cages when he assumed his post, said it was not an easy task demolishing these fishing apparatus.

First, one has to be ready to face the consequences to one’s political career. The wealthy operators will likely campaign against you but the lowly fishermen will vote for you as they will benefit from this move.
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Who’s next?

By Eva C. Visperas

I can’t help but cry whenever I interview families of slain Pangasinan officials.

I still recall when tears flowed down my cheeks when I interviewed a relative of slain Mayor Jose Peralta Sr.  of Balungao who was shot inside a church, when  I rushed to Tayug to interview a daughter of Tayug Mayor Guerrero Zaragosa  after he was killed inside a cockpit arena.

I cried when I interviewed a son of slain former San Nicolas Mayor Conrado Rodrigo who was killed inside the town multi-purpose, and when I talked to the wife of slain Mapandan Vice Mayor Podong Aquino who was shot in front of the town hall. Then recently when I interviewed Acting Mayor Julier Resuello after his father, San Carlos City Mayor Julian Resuello was shot dead inside the city auditorium late April.
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Wake up call for fishpen operators

By Eva C. Visperas

Anda Mayor Nestor Pulido issued a memorandum circular Friday to bangus producers in his town calling for a moratorium on the operation of their fish pens and fishcages for at least one month following a  massive fishkill affecting their produce since Wednesday with an estimated P100 million in losses.

Pulido, in a phone interview with this corner, said he also reiterated in his memorandum, previous guidelines that must be strictly observed by the operators “otherwise their permits to operate shall be cancelled”.
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A big blow to business in San Carlos City

By Eva C. Visperas

ONE month after the mayor here was gunned down, business in San Carlos City suffered a big setback as income tremendously dropped by as much as 50 percent, according to Acting Mayor Julier Resuello.

Resuello, son of the slain mayor who was elected mayor in the May polls, said that fear still grips people and businessmen here, resulting in big losses to the business sector, especially the fast food establishments.

The 28-year old mayor said that people usually enjoyed roaming around the city even up to 10 p.m. and fast food chains enjoyed brisk sales. But after the elder Resuello was gunned down inside the city auditorium last April 28, city folks now prefer to stay home before sunset for fear of their lives.
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“Prayer Power” for Arenas mother and daughter

By Eva C. Visperas

In life’s most difficult moments, hold on to “prayer power” through the rosary.

For Catholics and devotees of the Blessed Virgin  Mary like socialite and philanthropist Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas, this was their secret and strongest weapon for winning the difficult political battle against seemingly three Goliaths (a son of an outgoing three-term congressman, a former deputy Customs commissioner and a graduating mayor of a vote-rich town) in Pangasinan’s third congressional district. Others, she said, relied heavily on guns, goons and gold.
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