AFTER steering the successful Dagupan Bangus Festival, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez is off to another public service event.

This time, Fernandez is set to launch another big project, ‘Operation Smile’, on May 15 to 16, to help children suffering from cleft palate since birth.

Operation Smile,  another project of the Dagupan City government headed by Mayor Al Fernandez, supported by Vice Mayor Fernandez’ CSI Group of Companies and the Inner Wheel Club headed by Mrs. Elmina Fernandez, in cooperation with the Operation Smile Foundation (OSF), was already on deck even before the planning stage of the 2008 Dagupan Bangus Festival.
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CO-workers in the city government and friends gathered on Monday night to pay their last respects for Dagupan’s waste management division chief Reggie Ubando who died on May 4 due to cardiac arrest.

UBANDO

Peers described Ubando, 40, as “an outspoken, intelligent, caring and tireless leader dedicated to his work and fellow workers.”

In his eulogy, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. said Ubando was a cut above the rest” in serving the city and fellow Dagupeños.
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ASINGAN–Long is in.

Inspired by the previous longest grill record of Dagupan City’s Bangus Festival and the recent attempt of Sto. Tomas to establish its own during its Corn Festival, the people of a small barangay in Asingan held their own ‘longest breakfast’ Thursday as the highlight of their community fiesta celebration.

Gem Sapigao, chairman of barangay Carusocan Sur, his barangay is now planning to bid for a Guinness World Record next year following the enthusiastic participation of the residents in this year’s celebration.
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STRENGTHENING NORTHERN KAPAMILYA TIES—Stanley Palisada (left), news head of ABS-CBN Regional network Group, stresses a point during the ABS-CBN North Central Luzon re-launching last May 5 at the Star Plaza Hotel. Others in photo are news anchors Cris Zuñiga and Jing Vallejos, and Maricar Datuin-Maquinto, news manager of ABS-CBN North Central Luzon. (Punchphoto by Cesar S. Ramirez)

LINGAYEN—Pangasinan may not know it yet but it could very well be the “Orchestra Capital” of the country.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. said the success of the recent Orchestra Festival held during the celebration of the Pista’y Dayat shows that the province could very well be the country’s ‘orchestra capital’.

Espino noted the finest orchestras in Luzon are based in Pangasinan, with eight actually settled in a small community in Basista town.
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Local government officials, architects, and engineers participated recently in a forum on the Architecture Act of 2004 held at the STADIA in Lucao in Dagupan City.

The event was aimed at promoting the spirit of professional alliance and good governance in line with the full implementation of Republic Act 9266, or the Architecture Act of 2004, said Architect Gerardo Gonzales, immediate past president of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Pangasinan-Dagupan chapter.

RA 9266, approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 17, 2004, lays down a more responsive and comprehensive regulation for registration, licensing and practice of architecture.
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MUD WRESTLING—Two boys past their teens mix it up in mud wrestling before an appreciative crowd that gathered at Tondaligan Park on May 1, during the Pista ng Dagat celebration this year. (Photo by Willy Lomibao)

THE arts is celebrated in this year’s Bangus Festival through the Tupada Revolt featuring 18 international and Manila-based visual artists on April 28 to 30.

Ed Sevilleja, one of the founding members of the Dagupan Artists Circle (DAC), said this is a new treat in the annual fiesta as it will give the audience a free taste of a different genre using action, time and space-based live art.

Sevilleja said Tupada Revolt, which is also dubbed as the TAMA ’08 Fifth International Action Art Event, will be brought by the Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA).
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Three talented and determined Mother Goose Special Science High School (MGSSHS) alumni successfully hurdled the recent 2008 Bar Licensure Exam.

The jubilant new lawyers are are Atty. Gladys Pinky P. Tolete, Atty. Karla T. Cabel, and Atty. Dennis D. Ferrer.
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STA. BARBARA–Construction of the Gawad Kalinga housing project in barangay Leet here is now going full blast.

Tony Meloto, GK national president, true to his promise, immediately started the construction as soon as the model housing unit was built by the municipal government.

Municipal Administrator Albertini de Guzman said GK is initially constructing10 of the 88 housing units at the project site provided by the Sta. Barbara municipal government.
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