Lessons of Myanmar
By Gonzalo Duque
IT’S shocking that a very young man known for his amiability, industry and “workaholism” would die at a tender age.
Reggie Ubando, 40, who until lately, was in charge of the city’s waste management, succumbed to cardiac arrest while Dagupan was in the midst of merry-making at the world renown kalutan of which he was very much a part of, whether under Mayor Al Fernandez or former Mayor Benjie Lim.
Reggie’s passing is symbolic marking a passage from joy to sorrow, which could strike in seconds or minutes.
Who would ever imagine that such a young, brilliant (he was a top graduate of Lyceum Northwestern University), well-meaning guy would leave this world too soon!
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Origin of Pista’y Dayat
By Gonzalo Duque
THESE festivals we are having these days — from Lingayen to Dagupan and all the coastal towns of San Fabian, Binmaley, Labrador and Sual including Alaminos City — have their stories of origin. Read on.
Manong Resty Basa, well-known local historian and awardee for his work, wrote a recent article for the local papers, and we are taking the liberty to reprint it here:
“Pista’y Dayat is Governor Francisco Q. Duque’s legacy to the people of Pangasinan. It was his brainchild.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
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.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Dr. Lucio Tan Day in Dagupan
By Gonzalo Duque
LT (not Lorna Tolentino but the business tycoon Dr. Lucio Tan) took Pangasinan, especially Dagupan City by storm, so to speak, last Wednesday.
He came to receive a doctorate honoris causa in business management and entrepreneurship from our school, Lyceum Northwestern University, which was long overdue, a first he received in North Luzon, which delighted no end his lovely and self-effacing wife Carmen and 80 members of his staff and personal friends from Manila, that made LNU’s graduation rites a China Day of sorts.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Dr. Lucio Tan in town
By Gonzalo Duque
ZAMBOANGA CITY — This lovely city reminds us of our grade school song.
‘Don’t you go, don’t you go to far Zamboanga…” but we went, and here we are.
But we were not here for fun. We were here to co-preside over the PRISSA games.
We can’t forget the one we sponsored in Pangasinan two years ago, which was more successful especially in media mileage, organization and tripartite involvement of all sectors.
We wish to felicitate Mayor Jesse Robredo and his whole city council who were all very cooperative. We offered to host again, but Mayor Lobredo of Naga City has been okayed to be the host next year.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Derogatory
By Gonzalo Duque
WELCOME to Dagupan and Pangasinan, Dr. Lucio Tan.
The famous Chinese business mogul and philanthropist is in town, thanks to the collective efforts of Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, our old friend George Cham and other personal friends for helping us to extend our invitation to a humble but superlatively successful man. The business titan will be conferred a doctorate degree in honoris causa in humanities by the Lyceum Northwestern University on April l9, the first, we believe, he will receive outside Metro Manila.
It’s really about time we honor such a man, don’t you think so? Mabuhay ka, Dr. Lucio Tan. And thank you for honoring our invitation.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Let’s restore sanity in our country, please!
By Gonzalo Duque
IT’S great to be back!
Yes, after one long month vacation in the U.S.
To Sammy and Mita Sta. Maria, our gracious hosts, thanks for the warm reception and the memories!
Some of the good Fil-Ams we stayed with there want to donate to our unfortunate folk here. We shall tackle this in future issues.
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In US of A, our fellow Dagupenos are worried about us, back home here, because of the worsening recession in the US, and the rice shortage crisis here.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Appeals for sobriety
By Gonzalo Duque
THE country seems not to learn its lessons. Or is Philippines Circa 2008 bound for some more chaos and divisions?
What’s happening to our country ate Au?
Surely, it’s premature if not preposterous to blame the worsening chaos on Jun Lozada’s playing-hero antics. The guy was only afraid for his life. So many impressions and “disinformation” has marred the public consciousness.
It’s now our duty to get the ship of state moving for the sake of us all.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Sayang!
By Gonzalo Duque
RECENT events, political ones principally, caught everyone, especially, us Pangasinenses by surprise.
Our two highest national officials, PGMA and SJDV, were shown to be at loggerheads.
One of them, SJDV, was toppled from his powerful post, the Speakership.
We are saddened by this development. The incident gives truism to the old cliché, “you can’t fight City Hall.”
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
Bataoil’s troops best nationwide
By Gonzalo Duque
CONGRATULATIONS to our regional police force headed by Gen. Leopoldo “Pol” Bataoil, regional director, for the Grand Slam they got nationwide from the national evaluation committee.
Our chiefs in Pangasinan, Col. Isagani Nerez, provincial director, and Dagupan City Chief, Col. Dionicio Borromeo, were also tops nationwide.
Talagang OK tayo ha?
Applause, applause.
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Filed under Opinion, Playing with Fire by Sunday Punch.
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