Belen’s Sacrifice

By Eva C. Visperas

In life, we have to learn to sacrifice sometimes for a greater good.

Take the case of Belen Fernandez, better known in Dagupan City and elsewhere in Pangasinan as the CSI driving force. The mall magnate.

After she quit politics many years ago, she concentrated on her business. The result was very good. CSI had an unprecedented boom and many other branches were built in other parts of the province and outside neighboring areas. In fact, while CSI’s competitors were in near shutdown, Belen’s ventures enjoyed its top post. Pangasinenses need not go to the metropolis to shop as CSI is their next best alternative.

So what’s the sacrifice? It’s like this.
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Baby A:  I’m just a caring Pinoy Big Mother

By Eva C. Visperas

Socialite and philanthropist Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas, who is again hogging the limelight in Pangasinan politics because of the congressional bid of her daughter, said she just wants peace among political leaders in the province.

“I’m the Pinoy Big Mother here who is only concerned and caring,” Arenas told this corner.

Arenas’ daughter, Harvard-educated Rachel Arenas, is eyeing the province’s third district congressional seat this coming May polls.

Although the young Arenas had taken her oath as LAKAS party member more than a year ago, the swearing in of her rival, lawyer Gallant Soriano, recently into the same party has caused uncertainties among local party leaders.

“We want peace here because when the mayors relayed to me their problems, I was alarmed,” Mrs. Arenas said.
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Are they really running?

By Eva C. Visperas

I tried to get the answers directly from the horses’ mouths, as they say.

I saw Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim and his young and simpatico son Brian at the Archbishop’s Palace last Tuesday. I requested a short interview separately with the father and son. Request granted.

From what I noted, the two are bent on running, the father for congressman of Pangasinan fourth district and his son Brian Lim for city mayor.

But the duo’s political fight has to pass through the proverbial   needle’s eye as they will be clashing against political giants. Mayor Lim has to slug it out with re-electionist House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.  who will defend his title as Pangasinan fourth  district congressman while the 28-year old Brian,  Boston College educated, will likely face Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr., a former  three-term city mayor here.
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Sunset Valentine’s Day wedding

By Eva C. Visperas

The world-famous Hundred Islands here has been proven once more as the most romantic place in Pangasinan as 160 couples exchanged their sweet “I do’s” and made their own version of Lovapalooza on Valentine’s Day.

The brides wore white gowns while the grooms were clad in barong tagalog and together they marched slowly down the aisle while the song “Ikaw” of popular singer Martin Nievera was being played.

The beautiful sunset at the Lucap Wharf, the jump off point to the Hundred Islands, provided a romantic ambience for the wedding solemnized by Mayor Hernani Braganza.

The wedding ceremony, however, was interrupted for an hour, not because someone came forward to object but because of a “brown-out” in the area caused by the overloading of the transformer.
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A big celebration with a noble mission

By Eva C. Visperas

Alumni, parents, students, faculty and the staff of EDNAS School are celebrating the school’s 40th year anniversary. And they will go out from the comforts of their homes to do service for the community as they join hands in fund-raising projects to build three houses initially for Gawad Kalinga (GK) in Bonuan Gueset here known as the BangusVil.

Maria Edna Soledad Gonzales-Blancaflor, director for academic affairs of EDNAS School, said they want to make this year outstanding as they hope to raise enough funds for the construction of three housing units.

Asked why they chose GK as their beneficiary, Blancaflor nicknamed Candy, daughter of the school owner, said, “We believe in what they do. It’s building community (and it’s) something very practical, something structured.”

She said she hopes this link up with GK will be for the long term. This year is just their springboard, she said.
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The supot from Urduja

By Eva C. Visperas

we Filipinos are known for our hospitality. We serve food to our visitors. We offer them anything we think is best to please them. Some even borrow money from other people just so they can offer their guests some hospitality.

Yes, gracious hospitality is what this item is all about.

A few hours before I started to write this, Mader Helen, Violy Ferrer and I had a late evening chat with a public official and the story she narrated made me feel depressed. I asked Mader and Violy if I should write about it. Go ahead, the governor should know, they said. So here are the details.

The event: Governor Victor Agbayani’s traditional courtesy call. Place and date: Urduja House, Lingayen last Jan. 26.
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SOPA observations

By Eva C. Visperas 

I arrived early because the invitation said the State of the Province Address (SOPA) of Governor Victor Agbayani will be at 8:00 a.m. Friday.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan session, where the governor reads his SOPA, actually started at 8:58 a.m. First came several minutes of discussion. Then the governor, for the first in his entire nine years as head of the province, was escorted not just by one or two board members but by the entire members of the board.

Maybe that was part of giving honors to a graduating governor, I suppose.

I told my seatmates that as I have observed in the past, there will only be a few, or a maximum of 10 out of 48 Pangasinan mayors, who would attend.

My guess was right. Only Mangaldan Mayor Herminio Romero, Manaoag Mayor Napoleon Sales and Pozorrubio Mayor Artemio Chan were there to listen to the governor’s address. Oh, well, maybe the others were very busy with their own schedules or were not expecting anything that would benefit them or their constituents. Nonetheless, I checked whether they were invited. Yes, they received their invitations.
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Manay Gina for senator?

By Eva C. Visperas

      I’ve heard that clamor in 2004. It did not prosper. Reason was the husband did not give his green light. This May mid-term elections, talks and clamor are growing again for Manay Gina de Venecia to run for senator under the administration ticket, of course.

      I last saw Manay Gina, together with her loyal friend, Gypsy, during the wake of Margarita Ocampo, dear mom of Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan Mayor Vivien Ocampo-Villar, in Parañaque City Tuesday night.

      At the lobby, Gypsy and I initially reminisced our happy days as reporters in Pangasinan, then turned to rumors about Manay running for senator in May. “Many really want her to run,” Gypsy said. (If Manay decides so, that means Gypsy’s beauty will also be seen all over the country to campaign).

      But it was only last Thursday morning when I finally caught up with Manay on the phone and talked about her possible candidacy.
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Ready for the Talong Festival

By Eva C. Visperas

This agricultural town, Villasis, known as the “Vegetable Bowl of Pangasinan”, is ready to stage its second Talong Festival on January 19 in time for the town’s 200th year foundation and town fiesta celebration.

Mayor Nonato Abrenica told this corner and fellow media colleagues Ding Micua, Cesar Ramirez and Orlan de Vera that the occasion will be marked with various activities that will feature their top and most popular product, talong (eggplant).

There will be the Talong Cookfest where people from various barangays will show their skills in cooking talong 101 ways to be held at the town gymnasium around 10:00 a.m. January 19. Ten out of 21 barangays of this second class municipality are into eggplant planting.

In the afternoon, students clad in different indigenous costumes will fill the main streets for the “street dancing” highlighting the eggplant product as they sway to samba music. Guest performers from the showbiz world will also join the street dancing to add color to the event.
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Investments in Pangasinan up by 96.15%
By Eva C. Visperas

The New Year started with a good report as far as investment in Pangasinan is concerned.

I talked to Daria Mingaracal, provincial caretaker of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the province. Her title sounds like she’s a caregiver (and she laughs at it whenever I comment on it) but in reality she is the acting provincial head. Our friend Jimmy Lucas had retired many years ago as DTI provincial director.

Anyway, from what I gathered, Pangasinan amassed a total of P7,662,190,806 investment in 2006. In 2005, it was only P3,906,240,816.

Wow! That’s certainly something we should be happy about.
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