Pangasinan News July 2017

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Pangasinan Province - Archived News
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Map Locator of Pangasinan Province
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The Capitol Building of Pangasinan in the municipality of Lingayen

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

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Pangasinan State University, Asingan Campus
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Church in Aguilar Pangasinan

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
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Tondol Beach, Anda

Dagupan City to participate in the ASEAN 50th anniversary celeb

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JNPD/VHS/PIA-1,Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) - As the Philippines prepares for the 50th grand anniversary celebration of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), several local government units are also gearing up to participate in the golden event.

“As part of the grand celebration of ASEAN’s 50th Anniversary, the participating LGUs will be staging their own landmark activities aside from the main event at the Cultural Center of the Philippines,” said Usec. Noel George Puyat of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and Chair of the ASEAN 2017 Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications.

The City Government of Dagupan is one of the LGUs that will participate in the simultaneous Landmark Lighting Activity on August 8.

Mayor Belen Fernandez of Dagupan City has convened a committee to stage a memorable and meaningful ASEAN anniversary celebration for Dagupeños and Pangasinenses.

“Six lanterns bearing the ASEAN emblem will be lit up for the event with the main lantern at the City Plaza. The signature Dagupan product, bangus, will also be mounted alongside the lantern and the seal of Balon Dagupan,” Fernandez said.

The Dagupan City Schools Division of the Department of Education, which was tasked to co-chair the activity, has enjoined all public and private schools in the city to participate in the historic event.

A parade will commence at 4 p.m. of August 8 at Burgos Street with students of each instructional districts carrying flaglets of the ASEAN countries assigned to them. Selected teachers will also be dressed in traditional costumes of the ASEAN member-countries.

The parade will end at the City Plaza in time for the program and the simultaneous lighting of the ASEAN lanterns at 7 p.m. The Dagupan City event will be aired by PTV-4 as part of the national celebration with the main event in Metro Manila.

The ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967 with the end view of pursuing lasting peace and development in the entire region to provide a better quality of life for people in South East Asia.

Aside from the Philippines, other member-countries of ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Pangasinense volunteers run for Red Cross humanitarian challenge

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO

URDANETA CITY, July 28 (PIA) - Some 4,000 youth and adult volunteers raced their way to help save lives in the latest Red Cross humanitarian challenge staged here.

Florame Magalong, chapter administrator of the Philippine Red Cross-Pangasinan Chapter, said the nationwide Million Volunteer Run (MVR) is now on its fourth year with a concept of “Shades of Red” with the tagline I Choose to Run to Save Lives.

“The MVR serves as a driving force in advancing the spirit of volunteerism to address today’s humanitarian challenges,” Magalong told the Philippine Information Agency.

Magalong said PRC strives to empower the nation against the dangers of disasters by developing the youth and the volunteers as humanitarian soldiers.

The humanitarian run also hopes to raise funds for PRC youth and volunteers who will undergo trainings on disaster management to equip every community with life-saving skills.

As early as 4 a.m., the runners assembled at the CB Mall in Urdaneta City and were given shirts to use in the 3K and 5k route.

FEATURE: Youth forum, fashion show: raising awareness on ASEAN to Pangasinenses

By Elsha Marie B. Soriano (JNPD/EMBS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, July 27 (PIA) – A people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN; peace and stability in the region; maritime security and cooperation; inclusive and innovation-led growth; resiliency; a model of regionalism, and a global player- these are the thematic priorities and vision of ASEAN and its member countries.

On August 8 this year, ASEAN will mark its 50th anniversary here in the Philippines.

To promote awareness and understanding of ASEAN to Pangasinenses, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) conducted a youth forum and staged fashion show at the Convention Hall of PSU-Lingayen Campus.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary and PIA Director General Harold Clavite graced the event which was attended by more than 800 students and teachers from Pangasinan National High School (PNHS), Pangasinan State University (PSU), and STI-College Dagupan.

The conduct of an ASEAN youth forum and the repeat of the ASEAN fashion show is one of the information dissemination initiatives of PIA that raises awareness about ASEAN opportunities that the public can utilize.

Jennilyne Role, regional director of PIA-Region 1, said “the PIA is conducting various advocacy activities to inform the people of what ASEAN is and its underlying advantages to our country and to the Filipino community as a whole.”

On the other hand, costumes of the 10 member countries of ASEAN were presented and modelled by students of STI-College who are members of HCA Productions headed by Harvie Aquino.

“PIA conducted a fashion show to promote appreciation and recognition of the 10 member-states in South East Asia which include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam,” said Role.

In the fashion show, the model for Brunei Darussalam used a traditional Malay costume called “Baju Kurung”, which is loosely translated as “enclosed dress."

Model for Cambodia worn a traditional costume called “Sampot”, a woman’s long skirt with a fold or pleat in the front.

For Indonesia, the costume presented was Kebaya, a traditional blouse-dress combination while for Lao PDR a traditional garment called “Sinh."

Model for Malaysia dressed up with a “Punjabi suit” while Myanmar used a national dress called “Longyi.”

Philippines’ model is dressed with a terno, a traditional dress for Filipina that is worn on formal occasions.

For Singapore, the clothing used Cheongsam or long dress, while Thailand and Vietnam used “Chut Thai” and “Ao Dai” respectively.

During the event, PIA also installed a mobile information kiosk that featured information materials about ASEAN and other government programs.

Pangasinan youth groups join ASEAN info caravan

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JNPD/VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan (PIA) - More than 800 senior high school students in Pangasinan participated in a special youth forum spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency to help promote awareness on the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Undersecretary Harold E. Clavite, director-general of the PIA which under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), expounded on the primary objective of the ASEAN community which is to pursue lasting peace and development in the entire region so as to provide a better quality of life for people in South East Asia.

Clavite said the chairmanship of the Philippines of the ASEAN Summit this year coincided with the golden anniversary of the ASEAN which was formally formed on August 8, 1967.

Some 118 meetings ranging from technical, ministerial, high level and with heads of states are being chaired by the country and these have brought many opportunities for Filipinos, he added.

“Para sa mga estudyanteng katulad niyo, maraming scholarships na priority ang mga students na naninirahan sa mga ASEAN member-countries. Take advantage of these,” Clavite told the jam-packed Pangasinan State University (PSU) in Lingayen town.

Clavite also encouraged the youth to be responsible in using the social media as it is the fastest tool to spread information, whether true or untrue.

“Be careful of what you post on social media especially on Facebook and Twitter. Whatever you put there will be seen by the world,” he said.

Dr. Dexter Buted, president of PSU, said he has always believed that the responsibility of the education sector is to make the lives of as many people as possible better and ensure that no one gets left behind.

“The youth will be guaranteed of the benefits they may reap from ASEAN integration that includes employability, which is the reason why the PSU community has taken the direction towards becoming integrated and amalgamated with the educational institutions of other members of the ASEAN,” Buted said during the forum.

The decision to integrate with ASEAN, he said, necessitates the adoption of standards of quality imposed by neighboring institutions without compromising the PSU’s uniqueness and ability to decide for itself, he added.

The ASEAN forum was also graced by Mayor Ramon Guico III of Binalonan as his town signified interest to join the ASEAN 50 celebration in August. The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Pillar was discussed by Anniely Ferrer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) while the Economic Pillar was presented by Juanito Reyes of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

An additional attraction to the youth forum is the staging of a fashion show where models donned costumes of the ASEAN member-countries namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Pangasinan high school marks Nutrition Month

By Cyril John Barlongo

The Rosales National HighSchool in Rosales, Pangasinan, held the annual celebration of Nutrition Month by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) with the focal theme, “Healthy Diet Growing Habit for Life”.

Several students participated in the event. Among the activities on the first day, July 20, were Malunggay Tree Planting, Cook Fest, Nutri-Quiz, Nutri-Essay and Poster-Making and Tarpaulin-Making contests. On the second day, July 21, activities, such as Zumba Fitness, Nutri-Jingle and Seminar on Healthy Diet, were attended by at least 4,000 students and more than 100 teachers in junior and senior high school.

As one of the city’s popular products, tinapa, or smoked fish, was used by the students as the main ingredient in the Cook Fest. Tinapa is a popular delicacy in the Philippines cooked through smoking. Several ways of cooking tinapa were presented during the program.

Meanwhile, Nutri-Essay was also participated in by the school’s future writers who wrote essays with 300 to 500 words in accordance with this year’s theme. Entries were judged based on relevance, structure, creativity and originality. As young writers, the students played an active role in promoting healthy diet in their institution or community.

Teachers also participated in the Malunggay Tree Planting within the school. Usually found in backyards, the malunggay tree provides nutritious leaves in meals.

Conrado Areola, the subject group head in Technical-Vocational Livelihood said, “If we plant malunggay in our backyards, why not plant it in our school, as well? We can plant malunggay everywhere and it is easy to propagate. Besides, Ilocanos love pinakbet or dinengdeng with malunggay. It is popular for its high nutritional value as well as its use as an herbal medicine.”

Teachers also joined the Zumba Fitness conducted by the school. All students were encouraged to join the Zumba to complement their heathy diet with an exercise to contribute to the reduction of overweight, obesity and noncommunicable diseases.

Nutrition Month is an annual celebration initiated by the NNC and is based on Presidential Decree 491, the Nutrition Act of the Philippines, signed on June 25, 1974.

Marian pilgrimage to old churches set

(Sunstar Bacolod)

Marian devotees joining the pilgrimage of Green Faith Travels in Pangasinan on Oct. 21 will pray at four of the country’s oldest stone churches, including the Co-Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Lord in Lingayen, founded 430 years ago or 14 years after San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila was built.

The Augustinians also founded the co-cathedral, popularly known as Lingayen Church, in the capital town before they turned over the church to the Dominicans.

Founded in 1587, the co-cathedral and Saint Dominic De Guzman Parish Church in San Carlos are the oldest churches in Pangasinan.

Also on the itinerary are the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag (1605), and Our Lady of the Purification Parish Church in Binmaley (1627).

Devotees will also pray at the old Dagupan Cathedral (1614), now called Sanctuario de San Juan Evangelista, and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, the seat of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

A pilgrimage fee of P3,500 per person covers round-trip transport via an air-conditioned tourist bus, meals, a pilgrim’s kit and church donations.

Dagupan City Hall, a heritage site — AUP chapter

By Leonardo Micua (Sunday Punch)

THE Dagupan City Hall has since been declared a heritage site along with the Gabaldon building of the West Central 1 Elementary School and the remnants of the Franklin Bridge in Barangay Poblacion Oeste.

This was revealed by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), Pangasinan chapter when it called on Mayor Belen T. Fernandez last week.

The UAP members recalled that Ms. Gemma Cruz Araneta, then as president of the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines, came to Dagupan to see then Mayor Benjamin Lim, to inform him that the three were already declared historical sites.

Araneta said the process of verifying the status of the four started in 2003.

In a press conference that followed the courtesy call, Mayor Fernandez said the city hall as ‘heritage site’, cannot be demolished and instead be restored to its old pre-war condition and can be transformed into a museum as her administration intends to do.

Built in 1925, the present city hall of Dagupan is now the oldest city hall throughout the country at 92 years old and needed to be retired, protected and conserved to remind the city of its past, Fernandez told newsmen.

Fernandez said when the city hall was built, the population of Dagupan was only 23,000 – 25,000, yet the same building is still being used to serve the city’s population that has since ballooned to 300,000.

Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, who joined the press conference, pointed out that the land on which the city hall and the city plaza are situated were donated by the Meneses and Llamas families.

The motivation behind the past donations, he said, is the same motivation behind the donation of Kerwin Fernandez, younger brother of Mayor Fernandez, of 1.2-hectare property to the city as the prospective site for a new city hall.

So far only the Fernandez family has offered to donate land for the planned transfer of the city hall.

Tamayo said Mr. Fernandez wanted to give back to Dagupan (and its people) what it had done for the growth of the family business over the past decades.

Mayor Fernandez said she will sit down shortly with the UAP chapter who volunteered to help restore the original design of the present city hall and other buildings and historical sites in Dagupan in its bid to become a smart city.

The UAP’s revelation, the mayor said, was one of the reasons why then Mayor Lim insisted on buying the idle MC Adore building from the government-owned Assets Privatization Corporation as he intended to give Dagupan a new city hall.

Noting that the Dagupan City hall is now a heritage site, Fernandez asked Councilor Tamayo to propose an ordinance in the city council making it unlawful for future administrations to demolish the present city hall and city plaza for purposes of selling the land.

She said the ordinance is imperative since she recalled that her predecessor had planned on selling the city plaza area to a mall owner from Cebu who wanted to invest in the city.

The mayor pledged she will also work closely with the Department of Education for the preservation of the Gabaldon building and with the Dagupan City Historical Commission for the preservation of the remnants of the Franklin Bridge, the city’s only surviving structure from big flood in the 1930s that washed away the St. Albertus Magnus College, the first sectarian school in Dagupan.

Explaining this, she said, this is because Dagupan City is for service and not into a buy and sell business which was what the past city administration exactly did when it sold MC Adore.

ASEAN fora to roll in Pangasinan schools, barangays

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JNPD/VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) - In pursuit of informing more Pangasinenses about the goals and benefits of being a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the information arm of the government, is conducting nationwide fora for various sectors of the community.

In Pangasinan, a youth forum will take place in the morning of July 21 at the Pangasinan State University for the university students and senior high school students of the Pangasinan National High School in Lingayen town.

In the afternoon of the same day, a barangay forum for farmers, fisherfolks, and barangay officials is scheduled at the Farmers Pavilion of the Provincial Nursery in Sta. Barbara town.

Undersecretary Harold E. Clavite, director general of the PIA, said the agency under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has been tapped to be one of the offices to help advocate the importance of the ASEAN.

“To cater to more people, PIA has embarked on the installation of information kiosks in various commercial areas and rolled out multi-sectoral fora in the country. We want to inform the people about the importance of ASEAN and what this government is doing for them,” Clavite said.

Clavite said the primary objective of the ASEAN community is to pursue lasting peace and development in the entire region to provide a better quality of life for people in South East Asia.

To spice up the events, models donning traditional costumes of ASEAN member-countries will take center stage after the discussions.

Aside from the July 21 event, another barangay forum will be held in Mangaldan town and in Urdaneta City with irrigators as participants slated this August.

Meanwhile, two Pangasinan local government units, Dagupan City and Binalonan town, expressed their interest to join the simultaneous lantern lighting ceremony on August 8.

The ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967. The Philippines hosts this year’s events which coincided with ASEAN’s 50th founding anniversary.

Aside from the Philippines, other member-countries of ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

'Greening' of Dagupan road to be next Mt. Makiling ongoing

(lvmicua/PNA)

DAGUPAN CITY, July 18 -- The Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) has vowed to "green" both sides of the Judge Jose de Venecia Expressway in Dagupan City like the vegetation in Mt. Makiling, using indigenous tree species.

"We would like to convert both sides of the De Venecia Expressway to look like it is as green as Mt. Makiling, said Los Banos, Laguna-born Celso Salazar, the CENRO of central Pangasinan based in Dagupan City.

The Jose de Venecia Expressway Extension is a four-kilometer new highway in Dagupan passing through various fishpond lands raising milkfish.

He said he already brought the idea to Mayor Belen Fernandez who agreed to mobilize employees of the city government to join in the tree-planting program.

Under the program agreed by both parties, CENRO will provide all the tree saplings for planting while the city government will mobilize employees, students and members of non-government organizations to do the planting, as well as provide tree guards.

The coastal De Venecia Expressway Extension stretch is the traditional venue for street party of the Bangus Festival every end of April, Salazar said.

"It is my duty as a citizen and a public servant to provide shade to visitors joining the festivities," he told newsmen here. Salazar now lives with his family in Dagupan.

Planting has started in one part of the road stretch with golden shower while the Rotary Club of which Salazar is a member, as well as the Philippine Dental Association, planted mangroves, locally called "paakar".

The locations needed "greening" are the easement area of the concrete highway, beyond the 15-meter center line on both sides.

To be planted are saplings of bakawan, ipil-ipil, bitaoy, bignay, pugo, banaba and other indigenous tree species, including mangroves, and fruit-bearing trees, Salazar said.

He said they would select a spot in that stretch where the growing trees would not obstruct the power lines.

"In fact, I proposed to Mayor Fernandez to create an arboretum or nursery for indigenous tree species in Dagupan and she promised to look for an area where this will be located," Salazar said.

Pangasinan sustains disaster preparedness with new rescue vehicles

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JNPD/VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, July 17 (PIA) - The Pangasinan provincial government affirmed its objective of being a highly responsive local government unit to disasters as it provided more rescue vehicles for Pangasinenses.

Gov. Amado Espino III turned-over two multi-purpose trucks, couple of rubber boats, one Falcon 650 big boat, and other equipment for disaster response to the Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

“Ingatan niyong mabuti ang mga kagamitang ito para sa kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan,” Espino said during the kick-off ceremonies of the National Disaster Resilience Month held at the PDRRMO grounds at the Narciso Ramos Complex.

Aside from the vehicles and equipment, the new Search and Rescue Office (SARO) was inaugurated in the vicinity.

“Magpapatayo din tayo ng mga district offices ng PDRRMO sa eastern, western, at central Pangasinan to house the equipment para sa easy deployment pagdating ng kalamidad,” Espino added.

Col. Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro, chief of the PDDRMO, said the activities aim to show the PDRRMO’s motivation that in the face of any disaster, there is always safety and unity.

“Looking at a disaster is like managing an orchestra. Lahat ng member agencies tulong-tulong para sabay-sabay ang pagkumpas ng PDRRMC chair para sa pagkakaisa at kaligtasan ng lahat,” Oro said.

Other activities of PDRRMO lined-up for the NDRM include a weekly tree-planting/growing and disaster management seminar for media people.

215 centenarians in Pangasinan get P100,000 each

By Tita Roces (Sunday Punch)

SOME 215 centenarians in Region 1 have been identified and to receive P100,000 cash each as mandated by R.A. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.

Data gathered at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 1 office showed that beneficiaries in other provinces were 136 in Ilocos Sur, 133 in Ilocos Norte and 100 in La Union.

So far, 98 centenarians in the region had received their centenarian gifts while 104 are set to received theirs this week while the rest are being still being documented and validated, Iryn Cubangbang, information officer of DSWD Region 1, said.

As part of the annual Elderly Filipino Week, October 1 to 7, the first Sunday of October is hereby declared as National Respect for Centenarians Day during which, all Filipinos who have turned centenarian in the current fiscal year shall be awarded a plaque of recognition and a cash incentive by their respective city or municipal governments in appropriate ceremonies in addition to the Letter of Felicitation and Centenarian Gift.

Cubangbang said the following are towns and cities in Pangasinan with centenarians who have received or will receive P100,000 as of last count and validation process: Agno, Alaminos City, Alcala, Anda, Asingan, Bani, Balungao, Bayambang, Binalonan, Bolinao, Bugallon, Calasiao, Dagupan City, Dasol, Labrador, Lingayen, Mabini, Malasiqui, Manaoag, Mangaldan, Mangatarem, Natividad, Pozorrubio, Rosales, San Carlos, San Fabian, San Manuel, San Nicolas, Sison, Sta. Barbara, Umingan, Urbiztondo and Villasis.

The oldest centenarian in Region 1 is identified only by his first name as Filomeno who is now 114 years old from Sison town.

In Ilocos Norte, their oldest centenarian is a 113-year old woman from Piddig.

In Ilocos Sur, there are two oldest centenarians both aged 109 years old from Magsingal, a woman, and in Quirino, a man.

In La Union, the oldest centenarian is a 113-year-old male from Naguilian.

DSWD learns about centenarians through lists submitted by local government units.

Urdaneta leg kicks off Milo 42k series

By ROMINA S. AUSTRIA (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Ilocos region will host the first two legs of the 41st National Milo Marathon (NMM) series, starting with the inaugural race in Urdaneta City this Sunday.

The Laoag leg follows on July 23—the second of 16 qualifying races.

Dagupan City has hosted the opening legs of the NMM the past two years. Organizers expect the Urdaneta race to lure more than the 9,300 runners who answered the opening gun of the 40th season.

All qualifiers, except the National Capital Region leg on July 30 at Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay, will be 21-kilometer races. The NCR edition is a full marathon elimination.

The Cebu finals on Dec. 3 will award P300,000 each to the Open category winners.

41st Milo Marathon season opens in Pangasinan, concludes in Cebu

By Camille B. Naredo (ABS-CBN News)

MANILA, Philippines – The 41st season of the National Milo Marathon officially opens on July 16 in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, with around 200,000 runners expected to participate in 16 races in five different distance categories.

This year's Milo Marathon will feature 3 km, 5 km, 10 km, 21 km, and 42 km distance categories, and will be centered on the theme "Magsama-sama, Tumakbo, Matuto."

"It is our commitment to extend the race experience to even more Filipinos across the nation," Milo Philippines Sports Executive Robbie de Vera declared Thursday during the season's official launch at I'M Hotel in Makati.

"We have 16 legs, compared to 14 last year. This is comprised of 15 qualifying races, and the national Finals race in Cebu City," he revealed.

The Milo Marathon also heads to three new areas this season, starting with the very first race in Urdaneta City on July 16. For the first time, the marathon will also head to Laoag on July 23, and to Roxas City on October 1.

The season concludes on December 3, with Cebu City hosting the National Finals for the very first time.

"We're very excited for this season," De Vera said. "[Participants] can expect that the execution of the Milo Marathon will be world-class. We are aligned with AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races), so they can expect water stations at appropriate places, accurate timing for the upper distance categories."

"They can expect free-flowing Milo and an activity area near the finish line. Those are some of the things that they look forward to," he added.

This season, Milo is also debuting the Age Group Category in the National Finals for the 21 km and 42 km distance races, wherein participants track and compare and their performance with other runners in their age group.

This new feature hopes to motivate runners to reach their personal goals and attract more contenders to higher categories.

"We aim to encourage even more runners, so they can check how well they are doing compared to their peers," De Vera further explained.

The series will start in Urdaneta on July 16, with some 10,000 runners expected to participate.

Following the pilot race, the National Milo Marathon continues in Laoag on July 23, Metro Manila on July 30, Angeles City on August 6, Tarlac on August 13, Naga City on August 27, Lucena on September 3, Lipa on September 10, Tagbilaran on September 24, Roxas on October 1, Iloilo on October 8, General Santos on October 15, Davao on October 22, Butuan on November 12, and Cagayan de Oro on November 19.

The National Finals, which features the top qualifiers in each leg, will be held on December 3 in Cebu City.

This is the second time that the Milo Marathon's culminating event will be held in the Visayas, following the successful staging of the finale in Iloilo last year. It is also the third time that the finals will be held outside of Metro Manila.

"The Cebuanos are very excited, and I'm very happy that the local government of Cebu has been supporting us," said Ricky Ballesteros, the organizer of the National Finals. "We are very excited to welcome you all to Cebu."

6 fish breeding sites in Lingayen Gulf installed

(lv/micua/PNA)

DAGUPAN CITY,July 12 -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 1 and the local government of Dagupan installed at least six fish aggregating devices called "payaos" in the Lingayen Gulf, particularly along the area of Barangay Pugaro on Wednesday in a bid to help small fisher folks increase their catch and income.

These are a livelihood assistance to the small fisher folks which the residents of Barangay Pugaro, installed themselves in the spirit of “bayanihan” with the help of personnel of the City Agriculture Office and BFAR.

“This is another significant day for our fisher folks in the city as this will help them save more time in looking for fish to catch without going far into the middle of the sea thus spending more money for their gasoline,”said City Agriculture Officer Emma J. Molina.

The "payaos" were submerged in about six to seven feet deep and each is about three to four kilometers away from the shoreline of Pugaro.

“We choose Pugaro because this area will soon be a tourist spot and we would like to show to the people that we are serious in protecting our sea especially against dynamite fishing. Furthermore, we are assured that our fisher folks here will keep the 'payaos' safe from getting lost in the sea,” said Molina.

Pugaro, according to BFAR, is the breeding place of some high-value fish like lapu-lapu and talakitok.

It is expected that the "payao", which will serve as an artificial reef for the fish and made of coconut leaves and ropes, will soon be the breeding area of fish after only about two to three weeks.

Two more of the "payaos" were also placed about eight to 10 kilometers away from the shoreline.

With the "payaos" in place, it is expected that the fisher folks in the area need not hunt fish along San Fabian and Lingayen area or go further into the middle of the sea anymore.

Pugaro Barangay Chairman Nestor Victorio disclosed that about 70 to 80 percent of Pugaro residents depend on the bounties of the sea for livelihood, saying “that is why we are thankful to the city government for all the assistance being shared to our fisher folks here,” he said.

Through the initiative of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, the small fisher folks in the barangay have been provided with “kalokor”, a net tied to a boat pulled by up to 10 people, which up to this date has been a big help to them.

“We have around 50 members here and most of them are happy and satisfied with the income that they are generating from the “kalokor”,” added Victorio.

At present, the fishermen are earning at least 10-20 thousand pesos from their catch using the “kalokor”

Bayambang’s Singkapital now an annual event

(Sunday Punch)

LINGAYEN – The Provincial Board approved the resolution of Bayambang’s Sangguniang Bayan SB Ordinance No. 17, S. of 2017 institutionalizing “SingKapital” as an annual event commemorating an episode in Philippine history when Bayambang became the fifth capital of the Republic of the Philippines on November 12, 1899.

SingKapital” (from singko (5) and capital) will now be observed in Bayambang every November 12.

Mayor Cezar Quiambao directed the first commemoration last year.

It was on November 12, 1899 during the Philippine-American War when General Emilio Aguinaldo and his cabinet arrived in Bayambang in their retreat to the north while being pursued by the American troops.

Bayambang, as the fifth capital of the republic was short-lived, however, as General Aguinaldo and his troops soon marched to Calasiao then to Manaoag until they reached Palanan, Isabela where he was captured by the Americans.

The provincial board also approved the town’s SB Ordinance No. 16, s-2017 adopting “Binasuan” as the official folkdance of the municipality of Bayambang.

“Binasuan” is a folk dance where dancers clad in native costume hold glasses while dancing on top of a bench.

DOST installs Starbooks in 23 schools

By Tita Roces (Sunday Punch)

URDANETA CITY–The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) satellite office here has installed Science and Technology Academic-Research Based Openly Operated Kiosks (Starbooks) in 23 schools in the province.

Arnold Santos of DOST-Pangasinan Satellite Office at the Pangasinan State University Urdaneta campus, said the two latest recipient schools last June 30 were Pangulong Marcos Elementary School and Binday National High School both in San Fabian and San Pedro Apartado National High School in Alcala.

Starbooks a virtual library in a box that contains thousands of digitized science and technology resources that can be accessed without Internet connection aimed at providing information in remote areas.

He said students in the remote areas are known to be more diligent in pursuit of knowledge. “They get excited when innovations are introduced to them,” he said.

Starbooks has a compilation of research materials, scientific journals, educational and livelihood videos from local and foreign resources and students are taught how they can use and secure their own account.

Leah Delig, a Grade 10 student of Binday National High School in San Fabian said, “The computer shop where I can do my research is far from here. Now, with the Starbooks, I can spend my time researching here in school since it is always open for us students.”

The project started in 2014.

Company mulls IT center in Dagupan

By Leonardo Micua

Just a month after Dagupan was included as one of the economic zones of the country, a company has already applied with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to establish an Information Technology Center in Dagupan City.

The AR & Bond Premier Development Corporation, through its president Dr. Armando Bonifacio, wrote the city council requesting endorsement to the PEZA and its registration to the latter.

In a draft resolution proposed by Councilor Redford Erfe Mejia, it identified the company as a group of Dagupeños involved in projects such as real estate buying, selling, renting and leasing.

The corporation proposed to construct an IT Center that will house a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) office to be located along the Dagupan-Binmaley Road in Barangay, Tapuac, Dagupan City.

The city council believes the venture will benefit not only the company’s clientele but also the city’s residents for the employment opportunities it presents.

Chinese build ‘giant’ ecozone in Pangasinan

By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat

$360-B investments include IT park in Manila

Xu Liang Dragon Group, owner of China’s biggest economic zone in Xiamen province, is developing a 3,000-hectare area encompassing 10 towns in Pangasinan into a mixed-use special ecozone (economic zone) and an IT Park in Manila with potential whopping investment haul of $360 billion.

This is the latest round of investment commitment by the Chinese in the Philippines in response to President Duterte’s friendly gestures toward China, whose territorial claims over the west Philippine sea triggered political tensions between the two countries during the Aquino administration.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director-General Charito B. Plaza announced this at the Maritime Silk Road China (Dezhou)-Philippines Business Opportunities Matching Conference held at the historic Manila Hotel where about 300 Chinese businessmen attended.

According to Plaza, these huge investments include $360 billion in potential investments for the Pangasinan ecozone and R12 billion for an IT park along Roxas Boulevard.

Plaza said she already met with Xu Liang Chief Executive Y.H. Chen, who was introduced by former House Speaker Joe De Venecia.

The Chinese group from Xiamen Fujian province, however, has not yet formalized the investment and has to register yet with PEZA.

But Plaza was certain of the investment saying a meeting with mayors from 10 municipalities in western Pangasinan has been set to identify the public lands and those private land owners, who will become partners of the Chinese investor.

The first phase of the project to be applied with PEZA is a 300-hectare petrochemical facility with a project cost of $15 billion.

Other big projects inside the ecozone include cement, tourism, agriculture, port facilities and renewable energy, among others.

“They are not just building a city, but a country,” said Plaza.

The project has a three to four year implementation period.

“This will be the biggest ecozone in Asia,” she said noting that Xu Liang is the biggest ecozone developer in China.

Meantime, Plaza said that the Chinese investor has already paid for the land beside Diamond Hotel along Roxas Boulevard for the construction of the P12-billion IT park.

The IT Park is envisioned to be an 85-storey building, similar to Xu Liang’s 85-storey building in Kaohshiung, the second tallest building in Taiwan.

DOH Surgical Caravan now moving around Pangasinan

By Leonardo V. Micua (PNA)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, July 6 -- The Surgical Caravan dubbed: “ToDOHalaga, May Tsekap na, May Operasyon pa" of the Department of Health (DOH) is now going around the province of Pangasinan.

DOH, in partnership with the Provincial Government through the Provincial Health Office, headed by Dr. Anna Maria Theresa de Guzman, launched the DOH surgical caravan on June 30 at the Hotel Consuelo Resort and Chinese Restaurant in Lingayen.

This aims to intensify health service provision for the poorest of the poor to help alleviate their medical woes.

The caravan that offers operations, ranging from minor to major cases for free to indigent constituents in need of surgical procedures is currently underway at the Urdaneta District Hospital (UDH) till July 7.

The Western District Hospital (WDH) in Alaminos City will host the caravan on July 10 to 14 for the first sets of profiled patients cleared to undergo surgical procedures.

Seven hundred seventy beneficiaries from all over Pangasinan were pre-identified and profiled for the surgical caravan during check-ups conducted by the different municipal health units.

OIC Assistant Secretary of Health and DOH Region 1 Director Myrna C. Cabotaje bared that the caravan is an offshoot of the Philippine Health Agenda (PHA) – Checkup program aimed to deliver provision of medical intervention, in line with PHA guarantee of Service Delivery Networks wherein health care providers are organized to ensure the public of an easy access to high quality services regardless of financial capacity to pay.

Representatives from DOH, host hospitals UDH and WDH, and Region 1 Medical Center as well as local government unit officials collaborated for fund/resource sharing, identification and clearance of beneficiaries, and implementation arrangements for the Surgical Caravan during the launching event.

Asec. Cabotaje stressed that all surgical procedures done during the caravan shall be compensable with Philhealth, while laboratory and diagnostic procedures, drugs, medicines, supplies, professional fees may also be covered by DOH and its partner LGUs through the Medical Assistance program, and other funds.

R1MC chief of clinics and point person for the caravan Dr Cesar G.Guico stressed that beneficiaries who are not yet medically cleared to undergo surgical procedures this July will be scheduled for operations until December this year.

Pangasinan libraries’ Tech Ed Centers top ratings

By Tita Roces (Sunday Punch)

PANGASINAN’S three libraries were adjudged top libraries in Luzon Cluster II in the month of May for registering the highest increase in number of registered Tech4ED Platform users.

The Umingan Library/Tech Ed Center Library topped the ratings followed by San Carlos City Tech ED Center and Villasis Tech Ed Center, third.

The Tech4ED project has been successful in enticing more people to use the towns’ libraries.

The Villasis library was fourth highest in increase in number of registered Tech4ED Platform users among library partners nationwide.

Among the services availed of under the eGovServe segment included making appointments for the application/renewal of clearance with the National Bureau of Investigation, request copy of birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Office and making individual/group appointment schedule for passport application with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile students and researchers are navigating eEduskills’ Starbooks Online and Rotary eLibrary for other informational needs.

First time users of the services of the Library specifically the use of the Tech4ED platform are assisted by the staff to create their e-mail accounts and register as member of the Tech4ED Center.

Pangasinan board okays corn, cassava road map

(LVM/PNA)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, July 3 -- The provincial board passed a resolution Monday morning endorsing the corn and cassava road map of Pangasinan for the period 2017 to 2022, to serve as guide for the next five years in the production of these two commodities.

Board Member Liberator Villegas said the measure is in line with the priority thrusts of the provincial government to increase and sustain the productivity and quality output and profitability of its corn and cassava farmers to strongly support the food security and self-sufficiency program of the national government.

The road map was jointly formulated by the Department of Agriculture and the provincial government of Pangasinan through the latter's Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) in collaboration with municipal and city agriculture officers, corn and cassava farmers and other stakeholders.

Villegas said the Corn and Cassava Road Map has identified major interventions to be undertaken to sustain the production of these two agricultural commodities.

These include production support, post-harvest facility needs and extension support services in order to enhance the technical capability of corn and cassava farmers for global competitiveness and sustainable development of the corn and cassava industry.

These collective efforts are necessary, he said, in order to orchestrate a comprehensive partnership among corn and cassava program stakeholders of the province, the sharing of human and agricultural resources for an effective and efficient implementation of productivity programs and projects to further develop the province's capacity as one of the leading corn and cassava producers in the country.

Meanwhile, Dalisay Moya, provincial agriculturist, said Pangasinan received the national quality corn achievement award for 2015 and in 2012 and 2113, of which the province was awarded PHP3 million for each award by the Department of Agriculture.

She said many farmers in Pangasinan are planting cassava not only for food but also as chief ingredient for animal feeds.

The Corn and Cassava Road Map, said Moya, not only provides the thrusts of the provincial government in the planting of both corn and cassava for five years but also tells where the province is now as far as these agricultural crops are concerned.

Dagupan's waste to energy facility up soon, says mayor

By Leonardo V. Micua (PNA)

DAGUPAN CITY -- Mayor Belen Fernandez said the upcoming Waste to Energy project here set to convert garbage into diesel fuel and biogas is expected to make Dagupan City one of the cleanest cities in Region 1 soon.

In a press conference at 4:00 p.m. Monday, Fernandez said the selection committee to the waste management facility-joint venture project already published in a local newspaper a notice to private companies interested to build the project at no cost at all to the city.

"Unless we put up the waste to energy facility, we cannot hope to compete for the cleanest local government unit in the region," she said.

Fernandez said she attended a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Cebu, the United Nations in the United States and an international meeting of the Ocean Conservancy in Chile last year to make sure that such project will come to Dagupan City.

The project will be built somewhere in Barangay Binloc.

Assured that the project is coming, the city is now compacting plastic at its plant in Bonuan, all of which will be turned over to the facility for conversion into fuel and biogas.

She said the city government which is expected to deliver garbage of at least 10 tons daily is also buying 10 dump trucks, in support of the project as it will be in charge of collecting wastes from households and public markets.

Feature: PRC thanks partners for ‘Shades of Red’

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (JNPD/VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

URDANETA CITY (PIA) - The words ‘Thank You’ may never be enough to convey to someone who, in one way or another, has been instrumental in making a life better.

These are the words uttered by Florame Magalong, chapter administrator of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) - Pangasinan Chapter which celebrates its 70th year of existence this year for humanitarian services.

Magalong expressed gratitude to her team whom she called ‘warriors’ and all the partners, donors, and supporters of PRC for the overwhelming support the ‘Shades of Red’ has received all throughout its existence.

“With all of you, every Filipino will know that Philippine Red Cross is always first, always ready and always there,” Magalong told the Philippine Information Agency.

The Administrator also bared other on-going projects funded by donors like the German Red Cross projects of school-based disaster risk reduction management in the municipalities of Bautista and Sison.

In partnership with the Department of Health, the reproductive health projects are on-going in 15 barangays of the province.

Very soon, the partnership with San Roque Power Corporation will commence with their funding of school-based hygiene and sanitation projects with the distribution of latrines and washing areas in schools within San Manuel town.

“Aside from our relatively increasing blood collection, we are also evolving in terms of partnerships and we are very very grateful,” she added.

As blood is a major component of the body, Magalong urged the public to help donate blood and convince others to do so simply because blood is life.

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