Pangasinan News June 2013

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Pangasinan Province - Archived News
Interactive Google Satellite Map of Pangasinan Province, Philippines
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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

Pryce Gases sees P6.5-B sales in 2014

By Roderick L. Abad

PRYCE Gases Inc. (PGI), the lone subsidiary of Pryce Corp., expects to increase its revenues to P6.5 billion in 2014 after the opening of its import terminal in Pangasinan.

With the new terminal, the company now has the capacity to service its distribution business for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), industrial gases and other fuels in Luzon.

“In 2013 the Pryce Gases business will probably be P4.5 billion. But in 2014 that will grow substantially by 50 percent, or P6.5 billion, because we are entering Luzon [with the new Pangasinan import terminal],” Pryce Corp. Chairman Salvador P. Escaño told the BusinessMirror at the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting over the weekend.

PGI produces and sells industrial gases and is engaged in the importation and distribution of LPG under the PryceGas brand name in the Visayas and Mindanao. It’s subsidiary, Oro Oxygen Corp. (OOC), is involved in essentially the same business as PGI, but concentrates its operations in Luzon.

“The real substantial part of our business now is PGI, which is 99-percent owned by Pryce Corp. That’s a dynamic and exciting business [for us],” Escaño said.

On June 24 PGI inaugurated its first import terminal in Luzon, which is in San Fabian, Pangasinan. The establishment of the new port facility and distribution system cost P700 million. Currently, the firm, through OOC, has eight refilling plants serving all parts of the region. “You cannot be a meaningful player in the industry if you’re only in Visayas-Mindanao. It’s only 20 percent of the market. So if you want to be a factor in the industry or if you want to have an influence, you have to be in Luzon,” Escaño said.

At present, the total industry demand for LPG nationwide is 1.1 million tons—880,000 tons, or 80 percent, comes from Luzon, while 220,000 tons, or 20 percent, comes from Visayas-Mindanao. With the new terminal, PGI aims to tap at least 10 percent or serve 88,000 tons of the LPG market in Luzon. This is in addition to its current 26-percent share of the Visayas-Mindanao market at 57,200 tons. The company supplies 90 percent, or 990,000 tons, of LPG to household customers while 10 percent, or 110,000 tons, goes to the corporate clients nationwide.

Of the projected P4.5-billion income this year, PGI expects its Luzon operations to contribute at least 25 percent, or P1.13 billion. In 2014 the company sees the business to account for P2.92 billion, or 45 percent, of the projected P6.5-billion profit.

“Around 80 percent of the [national LPG] demand is from Luzon. By 2015 I expect Visayas-Mindanao to be around 40 percent, and 60 percent will be coming from Luzon,” Escaño said. “So there will be very rapid growth for Pryce Gases in the next two to three years.”

Bullish on its business in the coming years, PGI plans to expand its Luzon operations to add 22 more refilling stations in 2014. It will retain, however, the seven import terminals and 11 refilling stations in Visayas and Mindanao.

“We already have sufficient facilities in Visayas and Mindanao. So whatever resources we’ll have, we will invest them in our operations in Luzon,” Escaño said.

BFAR says no to more fish cages at Sual Bay in Pangasinan

By Leonardo Micua [(PNA), HBC/LVM/1900/RMA]

DAGUPAN CITY, June 29 (PNA) -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources advised the local government of Sual, Pangasinan to review its policy of allowing some 600 more fish cages to operate in Sual Bay.

Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the BFAR's National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Authority, said letting 600 fish cages more to operate in Sual Bay where there are already 600 existing would be extra-dangerous to the aquaculture industry.

He said there was already a partial fish kill that happened in Sual last week timed in with the occurrence of neap tide and adding more fish pens there could bring fish kill in massive proportion.

Fish kill could not really be avoided last week, said Rosario, based on low dissolved oxygen reading obtained by NIFTDC in its water last week.

NIFTDC found the D.O. level in the surface of the water at 2 parts per million (ppm) and one half ppm down below at from 10 to 15 deep.

Rosario said the normal D.O. level for fist to live and grow is 5 ppm.

This may have been aggravated by too many nutrients that accumulated in the bottom of the water that are now toxic, recalling that it has been more than five years now that the fish cages are there at Sual Bay.

Rosario thought the arrangement of fish cages in Sual Bay could be adopted as a model in all the coastal areas of Pangasinan because they are well-spaced till the partial fish kill was felt last week.

Perhaps, Sual LGU may now consider a moratorium in fish caging at Sual Bay for two years to clear the bottom of the bay with rotting fish feed nutrients, Rosario said.

Dagupan's respected humanitarian is Inner Wheel Club's new nat'l president

(PNA), LAM/LVM/LMMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 28 (PNA) -- Respected humanitarian and civic leader Nene Villaflor of Dagupan City will take her oath as the new national president of the Inner Wheel Clubs of the Philippines, Inc. on Sunday, June 30, at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino in Malate, Manila.

Villaflor, who has been an active member of the Inner Wheel Club of Dagupan for almost four decades made a name in her home province of Pangasinan for her various philanthropic works, particularly in the area of healthcare.

As an astute entrepreneur, she is also credited by many for the continued success of the family-owned Dagupan Doctors-Villaflor Memorial Hospital.

Villaflor is the 48th national president of the Inner Wheel Clubs of the Philippines, which is composed mostly of the spouses of Rotarians.

While an auxiliary of the Rotary, the Inner Wheel Club, through the years, has evolved as an independent organization that renders humanitarian services, mostly to marginalized women, the elderly, and the youth sector.

According to Villaflor, her term will be defined by the Inner Wheel’s core values --- Friendship, Integrity, Responsible Volunteerism, Compassion, Commitment and Dedication and Relevance.

This year’s Inner Wheel theme is “We, for Women—Gracefully Empowered” with Dr. Corazon Ngelangel, president of Philippine Cancer Society as guest speaker.

A holy mass, to be officiated by Father Raffy Cruz precedes the induction rites, at 8:00 a.m.

Downtown renewal program set in Dagupan

(PNA), PDS/LVM/LVMICUA/RMAE 27

DAGUPAN CITY, June 27 (PNA)--A downtown renewal program is all set to be launched in Dagupan as soon as the ongoing rehabilitation and upgrading of A.B. Fernandez Avenue, the city's main thoroughfare, is completed.

Mayor-elect Belen Fernandez, acting-mayor in place of ailing Mayor Benjamin Lim, ordered City Planning and Development Coordinator Romeo Rosario to draw the plan which aims to restore the old grandeur of Dagupan's downtown area.

The downtown area of Dagupan, that used to be crowded by shoppers from various parts of Pangasinan and Region 1, seemed to have lost its magnet during the last two decades soon after the area was devastated by the July 16, 1990 earthquake.

Many said that after the earthquake, A,B. Fernandez Avenue was never the same again because although restored, it became susceptible to flooding and is underwater every rise of tidal water from the adjacent Pantal River.

"We need to restore our downtown area because it is here where all of us businessmen of Dagupan started," said Fernandez whose family owns several stores on A.B. Fernandez Avenue, including the CSI Market Square.

Upgrading of A.B. Fernandez Avenue includes the reconstruction of its old drainage systems and sidewalks and the rearrangement of its existing lamp posts.

The whole project was funded by some P50 million released by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) following the representation made by Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia.

Phase 1 of the project is now about 90 percent complete and Phase 2 is now about 50 percent finished.

Fernandez said owners of business establishments along the city's main thoroughfares welcomed the program and agreed to renovate the facades of their buildings, Fernandez said.

To date, some of these establishments are now also upgrading their floor level to ensure that it would be as high as the road to also avoid the flood.

This, they said, will definitely usher in the golden era of Dagupan as the glory days of A.B. Fernandez Avenue will be back.

Fernandez called on the people of Dagupan to be a little patient as the rehabilitation of A.B. Fernandez Avenue will soon be finished.

The only problem is that reconstruction of the sidewalk is being delayed because Dagupan City Water District (DCWD) is very slow in laying its water pipes.

"But overall it is a beautiful and much wider highway and really free from the floods, Fernandez said.

OWWA offers college scholarship to OFW dependents

By April Montes (MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY, June 26 (PIA) -- Dependents of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) can pursue college education under the scholarship program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Labor Communications Officer Amapola Villar said applications of incoming college freshmen (or, graduating high school students) are now being accepted at the OWWA regional office in San Fernando City, La Union and in satellite offices in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan.

Qualified applicants for the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) are children of married OFWs and siblings of unmarried OFWs who want to take any four to five year baccalaureate course from any accredited schools of the Commission on Higher Education in the country.

“The applicant must be 21 years old or below and has never taken up any technical-vocational or baccalaureate course,” said Villar.

An applicant should pass the qualifying exam to be administered by the Department of Science and Technology and must make it to the top 100 qualifiers nationwide.

Deadline for submission of application is on August 13.

The applicant should accomplish application forms (to be secured from OWWA regional office and satellite offices or downloadable through OWWA La Union’s Facebook account) and must submit therewith a certificate of good moral character issued by the principal of the school where the applicant is a student and a statement of good moral character by the applicant (attached in the application form).

The applicant should also present the OFW's passport pages (front page, latest stamp of arrival and departure); proof of OWWA membership (OWWA official receipt or certification from OWWA membership processing center); two copies of 1x1 picture; proof of relationship to the OFW (birth certificate for children of OFWs and certificate of no marriage record for siblings of OFWs duly authenticated by the National Statistics Office or the local civil registrar); and copy of third year high school grades or first grading report card in fourth year high school.

A financial assistance of P60,000 per year will be given to the qualified scholar.

“The scholarship shall continue until completion of the course regardless of the status of OFW membership and as long as the scholar complied with the EDSP scholarship agreement,” Villar said.

Applicants may visit the OWWA regional office at 2nd Floor Kenny Plaza, Quezon Avenue, San Fernando City, La Union or contact 0927-620-7300 / 0908-863-4250.

Queries may be sent through e-mail address owwalaunion@yahoo.com. "EDSP application" should be written as the email subject.

They can also search OWWA on Facebook by typing OWWA La Union or OWWA Region I or call (072) 700-0330.

The satellite offices’ schedule and venue where applicants can submit their applications or inquire about the scholarship program are as follows: Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office in Barangay Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City every Wednesdays (9:00 am-3:00 pm); DOLE office in Barangay Carmay, Rosales, Pangasinan every Fridays (9:00 am-3:00 pm); DOLE office at 2/F Ranoy Arcade, Ungson Street, Poblacion, Alaminos City, Pangasinan every Fridays (9:00 am-3:00 pm); third floor of CB Mall at Mc Arthur Highway, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan every Fridays (10:00 am-3:00 pm); DOLE office at Rizal Street corner Escribano Street, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur every Fridays of the month; and at the Provincial Capitol Building of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte every second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Luzon watershed offers home to Philippine eagle

By Gabriel Cardinoza (Inquirer Northern Luzon)

SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan—Hopes among conservationists are soaring that with the recent discovery of 11 raptors or birds of prey in the San Roque Dam watershed, the critically endangered Philippine eagle can also survive in the area.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) found the 11 raptors when it surveyed the area, but the Philippine eagle was not among the species, according to Tom Valdez, vice president for corporate social responsibility of the San Roque Power Corp. (SRPC).

Sighted were the Philippine hawk eagle, osprey, brahminy kite, crested serpent eagle, white-bellied sea eagle, rufous-bellied eagle, black-shouldered kite, oriental honey buzzard, barred honey buzzard, Philippine falconet and falcon.

If these species can survive in the San Roque (watershed), it could be “an indication that the (Philippine) eagle can also be transferred here,” said Valdez.

“To further validate (this possibility), researchers are now assessing the watershed area,” he said, adding that if food for the eagle were found, a pair of these birds could be transferred here soon.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources website, the Philippine eagle feeds on flying lemurs, squirrels, snakes, monitor lizards, bats and owls.

The assessment of food availability will be completed by the end of July, Valdez said.

The San Roque watershed covers at least 1,000 hectares of forest in the Cordillera mountains in the provinces of Benguet and Pangasinan.

The Cordillera was previously thought to be an unsuitable habitat for the Philippine eagle because of its elevation and vegetation. But Valdez said the raptors and other birds of prey seen and documented in the area in the course of the PEF study suggested a considerable population of eagles.

New habitat, new hope

Last week, PEF researchers announced the discovery of an eagle’s nest in Calanasan, Apayao, the first to be found in the region.

The sighting indicated more than the regular estimate of 400 adult eagles surviving in the wild today, according to a statement by Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for research and conservation.

Valdez said SRPC president Ryukichi Kawaguchi was impressed by the results of the foundation’s study, and remained optimistic about the future of research on, and conservation of, the Philippine eagle in Luzon.

The SRPC, he said, invested in the study to explore the possibility of reintroducing the eagle to the Cordillera and Caraballo mountains, including the San Roque watershed.

“Let us wait for the eagles to be transferred here. These will be our icons in enhancing biodiversity and protecting the watershed areas,” Valdez said.

Groundbreaking for planned 11-storey hospital building in Dagupan set Tuesday

(PNA), LAP/PTR/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 24 (PNA) -- Health Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan will preside over the groundbreaking rites for the construction of an 11-storey building of Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) here on Tuesday.

The groundbreaking rites, held simultaneously in six other medical facilities operated by the Department of Health (DOH) in other parts of the country, will coincide with the 115th anniversary of the DOH.

Also attending the groundbreaking rites are Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia, Mayor-elect Belen Fernandez of Dagupan City and other officials of Pangasinan.

Costing P1.5 billion, the 11-storey building will be able to accommodate some 1,500 beds, making R1MC the biggest and most modern government hospital north of Manila.

Set to be completed in two years and a half within the term of President Benigno Aquino III, the project will be a big boon to Dagupan City where R1MC is located.

Other medical facilities also lined up for the groundbreaking on Tuesday include the construction of new buildings of the Dr. Jose Fabella Medical Center, Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Bicol Medical Center, Cotabato Regional Medical Center and Jose Lingad Memorial Hospital in Pampanga and blessing of the PET CT scan with Cyclotron at the National Kidney Transplant Institute.

Pangasinan solons set up ready medical funds for needy constituents

(PNA), PDS/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 23 (PNA)-- Several congressmen of Pangasinan have allocated parts of their Priority Development Assistance (PDAF) to bankroll the hospital expenses of their constituents not covered by the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) program.

This was revealed by Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia, director of Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC), who said these congressmen deposited parts of their PDAFs to the hospital to answer for the medical needs of their needy constituents in case they get sick and hospitalized.

Mejia hailed Rep. Gina de Venecia (Fourth District, Pangasinan) who is allocating P500,000 quarterly or P2 million yearly, which will answer for the medical expenses, including medicines for her needy constituents in case they are admitted at R1MC.

The other congressmen are Rachel Arenas (Third District), Marlyn Primicias Agabas (Sixth District), Jesus Celeste (First District), and Leopoldo Bataoil (Second District).

Rep. Kimi Cojuangco (Fifth District) may be using her PDAF funds for medical expenses of her constituents at the Urdaneta District Hospital or even at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carwlos City, Mejia said.

Mejia clarified that as a rule, indigents are supposed to be treated for free at R1MC but the congressmen still deemed that they have some ready funds from where to draw money in case their constituents who are poor get sick.

At the same time, Mejia admitted that Dagupan is not contributing even a single centavo for medical expenses of city residents but the incoming Mayor Belen Fernandez, told him that she will make available funds from the city government coffer to shoulder the expenses of her needy constituents who cannot afford to pay their hospital bills.

R1MC is located in Dagupan City

In the opinion of incoming Mayor Fernandez putting up a trust fund to R1MC to be used for medical expenses of families not covered by PhilHealth and non-recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a lot cheaper than for the city to build its own Maternal Child Care and Lying-in Hospital that will cost P70 million in building alone.

Fernandez already scrapped the Maternal Child Care and Lying-in Hospital planned by her predecessor Benjamin Lim not only because it is costly but because it will be built at the present site occupied by the Guadiz Elementary School on Poblacion Oeste in Dagupan.

Pangasinan top cop relieved but turnover postponed at last minute

By Gabriel Cardinoza (Inquirer Northern Luzon)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines—As early as 8 a.m. Saturday, the stage fronting the parade ground of the provincial police office here had been occupied by the police chiefs from the province’s 48 towns and cities.

After an official announcement Friday night, tarpaulins announcing the turnover of command of the Pangasinan police office from Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan to Senior Superintendent Manuel Velasco adorned the gate and the façade of the provincial police office’s main building.

A radio reporter asked a policewoman for a copy of that morning’s program. But she was politely told that she could not have it because her superior had not given her the clearance to distribute it.

At 8:30 a.m., Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo, Pangasinan police spokesperson, gathered reporters to a corner near the stage and announced that the turnover ceremony had been postponed.

“We received a call from higher headquarters to tell us that our activity today had been postponed,” Manongdo said.

And that was all he could say.

On Friday night, Manongdo sent text messages to reporters here informing them of the turnover ceremony, which was perceived as an end to the feud between Chan and provincial officials.

Chan, a former Ilocos Norte police director, was designated acting police director of Pangasinan in December. He was appointed regular provincial police chief on May 10.

However, on May 24, Governor Amado Espino Jr. filed a petition for temporary restraining order against Chan’s appointment, saying it violated the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which grants the right to the governor to choose from among three eligible officers recommended to the position by the police regional director.

The case is pending before a regional trial court here.

On June 3, the provincial board passed a resolution urging Chan to step down. A week later, the provincial board declared Chan “persona non grata.”

Chan had been accused of partiality and bias in dealing with election-related issues during the campaign period for the May 13 balloting, among others. Chan, however, denied the accusations.

Manongdo said the postponement of the turnover rites was “something expected” in the Philippine National Police.

“Any time of the day, an order can be issued. Uniformed personnel, by virtue of command, just follow, especially legal orders,” Manongdo said. “This is not the first time that this happened.”

In April last year, a scheduled turnover ceremony at which the then provincial police director, Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte, was supposed to be replaced, was reset three times within the day but still did not push through.

Free medical operations set in Pangasinan on June 26-28

(PNA), PDS/LVM/LMMICUA/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 21 (PNA)--A three-day medical mission is set at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City on June 26-28 to provide major and minor operations to Pangasinan residents, especially the indigents.

Provincial Health Office (PHO)chief Dr. Ana De Guzman said the two-day medical mission will be spearheaded by the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network in coordination with the PHO and the provincial hospital.

A medical team from Manila will be on hand to perform major and minor operations such as thyroidectomy with the assistance of the Operating Nurses Association of the Philippines.

Patients afflicted with myoma, hernia, and cyst can also avail of free health services.

PHO nurse Cristina Alcantara said the mission has already listed some 60 beneficiaries who had already been pre-screened before undergoing surgery.

Simultaneous with this medical mission is another free medical service to be offered to residents of island barangays of Bolinao on June 27.

Dubbed the “Kilatis Kutis” program, this will consist of a free skin disease consultation by the PHO.

De Guzman said the activities are in line with the advocacies of Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. who recognizes the value, health and life of Pangasinenses especially the poor with the resolve to make Pangasinan as home of the healthiest Filipinos.


Gale warning up in Pangasinan due to approaching tropical depression 'Fabian'

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 20 (PNA) -- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has called on barangay officials in the coastal areas of Pangasinan to restrict fishermen from going out to sea when they are using small crafts because of the gale warning spurred by the coming tropical disturbance named "Fabian" from the western seaboard of the country.

OCD Regional Director Melchito Castro, speaking during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas (KBP) forum here, was sad to note, however, that despite the gale warning, three small crafts still managed to leave shore in order to fish within the territorial jurisdiction of Bolinao.

He said the gale warning was issued as the sea water is expected to rise from three to five meters. He said this was for fishermen in the western board of Luzon who may again go out to sea and will be at risk.

It is an additional three to five meters of water that the fishermen will encounter whenever they insist on continuing with their fishing expedition today, June 20, Castro said.

The western board of Luzon, he said, comprises the coastal areas of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, Zambales and Bataan.

Asked on what sanction the government can give to fishermen who defy the gale warning, Castro said it is a sad thing that there is no law that imposes fine or imprisonment to violators although when fishermen get lost in the sea, the government is spending so much resources and man-hours in finding them.

"I think this is the job of the local government units. It is to them which we are passing the gale warning for them to advise their fishermen who are their own people not to go out to sea in the event of an approaching typhoon," he said.

He said OCD knows that many fishermen often risk their lives even on windy days in order to find food for their families.

This, he said, is the area where the LGUs can come in by providing food or alternative source of income to the families of fishermen at least for a few days while the gale warning is up.

Groundbreaking for R1MC's 11-story hospital bldg construction set June 25

(PNA), HBC/LVM/1545/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 19 (PNA) -- The groundbreaking rites for the construction of the proposed 11-story hospital building of Region 1 Medical Center here is set on June 25'

Asst. Secretary Elmer Punzalan of the Dept. of Health will lead the groundbreaking rites along with R1MC Director Roland Mejia and officials of Dagupan City and Pangasinan.

Costing P1.2 billion and will be constructed over a period of two years, the building can accommodate 1,500 beds.

Presently, R1MC is 600-bed capacity through a bill filed by Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia approved early this year by both houses of Congress.

Mejia said this is part of the nationwide hospitalization modernization program approved by President Benigno Aquino III and Health Secretary Enrique Ona to be launched simultaneously in four other places in the country.

Once the project is completed, it will make R1MC the biggest and most modern government hospital in Northern Luzon.

The new building which has a helipad on its rooftop will soon the tallest building in Northern Luzon when completed, he said.

Now an organ transplant hospital, R1MC has modern operating room complexes, the most modern of its kind in the area, inaugurated by Presicdent Aquino sometime in March.

Pangasinan gov't to set up provident fund for employees

(PNA), PDS/LVM/JOHANNE MARGARETTE R. MACOB/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 18 (PNA)--The putting up of a provident fund that will benefit provincial employees and their families is now on the drawing board here, Provincial Administrator Rafael Howard Baraan said Monday.

He said once in place, the fund would bail out provincial employees from their financial problems aside from guaranteeing livelihood for them.

The said fund will be managed by a capitol cooperative that will give loans at the lowest interest rates possible, Baraan added.

Furthermore, the fund will cater also to the the needs of spouses of member-employees especially those who are unemployed, he said.

"This is to augment the limited income of the employees," he said.

The livelihood activities will include food processing, recycling, crafting of pasalubong (gift)items, and livestock raising, Baraan disclosed.

A brainchild of Governor Amado Espino Jr. the provident fund once operational will provide the needs of about 4,000 regular and casual employees of the provincial government and at the provincial government-owned hospitals and agricultural stations.

It could be likewise taken as a benchmark of other provinces in the country, he added.

"The governor wants to leave a lasting legacy to the province which includes the workforce especially on his last term. Once this thing materializes, this will benefit even the family of the employees from spouse to children," Baraan said.

134 rookie cops in Region 1 undergo scout training

(PNA), LAP/LVM/EUSEBIO G. AGUINALDO/RMA

CAMP BGEN. OSCAR M. FLORENDO, Pangasinan, June 17 (PNA) -- A total of 154 police non-commissioned officers (PNCO) are set to undergo a Special Counter-Insurgency Operation Unit Training (SCOUT) course to enhance their tactical skills to combat potential threats in Region 1.

This was learned after a simple opening ceremony and reception rites held here June 17.

The trainees with the ranks of Police Officer 1 (PO1) and PO2 are composed of 151 members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion 1 (RPSB1) and three are from the National Support Unit (NSU) who shall embark in a 45-day training, to be conducted at San Roque, San Manuel, Pangasinan.

The trainees include 32 females.

Police Chief Superintendent Ricardo Marquez, PRO1 director, said the training aims to enhance the combat readiness and capability of PNP personnel in counter-insurgency, making them well-prepared whenever the situation warrants.

PNP Modified SCOUT is a course which deals with field training exercise focusing more on counter strategies and operations that include Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and Immediate Action Drills (IAD).

Marquez urged the police officers attending the training course to accept and embrace the training not just in the physical aspect but most of all in the mental aspect because the experiences and learning gained from the course can be applied by the PNCOs in carrying out their tasks.

8 fishermen from Pangasinan rescued off Candon, Ilocos Sur

(PNA), PDS/LVM/LMMICUA/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 16 (PNA)-- The eight fishermen from Bolinao town who were reported missing since Wednesday and were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) past noon of Saturday off Candon City in Ilocos Sur refused the offer of the Bolinao government to be picked up and insisted to use their own boat to go back home.

This was reported by Wilfredo Castelo, municipal administrator of Bolinao, who said the eight who were on board a 40-ton fishing boat marked "Jomar Hurvey" are all in good health condition.

The eight are Arnel Gohilde, the boat captain, with his crewmen Eddie Oribia, Ryan Lebios, Jerick Puda, Albin Puda, Norman Calicdan, Gringo Gagarao and Rene Lebios, all residents of Barangay Balingasay, Bolinao.

Castelo said the municipal government of Bolinao is sending money so that the fishermen could buy the needed spare parts for their disabled fishing boat.

A coast guard team led by Capt. Pablo Gonzales rescued the fishermen after receiving a flash alarm relayed by the regional office of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) through the Pangasinan police.

Castelo said the fishermen's boat is intact and is set for repair after being towed to shore.

The fishermen, under the custody of the Coast Guard of Ilocos Sur, turned down the offer of Mayor Alfonso Celeste of Bolinao to have them picked up from Candon as they expressed hope to return home to Bolinao on board their fishing boat as soon once it is repaired.

Castelo said when the engine of the fishing boat broke down, it merely drifted in the open sea till rescue came after three days.

He said the fishermen left the port of Bolinao at 7:00 a.m. of June 12 under a fine weather but radioed at 10:00 a.m. the same day that the engine of their boat conked out while they were still within the territorial jurisdiction of Bolinao.

Due to high waves, fanned by strong wind that developed later during the night, the disabled fishing boat continued to drift northward till it reached the territorial water of Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

Pangasinan mosaic: Fiesta, food, churches and beaches

By Amadís Ma. Guerrero (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

A whistle-stop, three-day tour of Pangasinan brought with it some surprises, as in agrotourism (animal farms) and potential medical tourism (the improved Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City, which is planning to build a swimming pool in its backyard).

There were tours to the attractions in Balungao (to the east), San Carlos (the capital of Lingayen), Binmaley, Calasiao, the island town of Anda, and Bolinao up north.

Pangasinan is noted for its seafood. You can feast on all kinds of fish, like the famous Dagupan bangus (milkfish), hito (catfish), dalag (mudfish), fried rugso (which looks like tilapia but is really from the sea), and the smaller species like dilis and danggit. Add to that squid, shrimps, prawns, seaweeds, crabs, lobsters and fresh, mouth-watering oysters (talaba). Check out Bangsal Restaurant in Binmaley and El Pescador Hotel in Bolinao.

At the Balungao Goat Farm, the mayor’s wife, known to all and sundry simply as “Mayora,” showed us around and we watched as a gaggle of goats fed on corn stalks and leaves incessantly and nibbled at bottled minerals for their supplements. The goats are being raised for dairy purposes and for meat in surrounding towns.

Sports haven

Dome-shaped Mt. Balungao stands out in a generally flat terrain. It is the home of the Balungao Hot & Cold Springs Resort, which offers hiking trails, attractive swimming pools, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-driving, a bungee trampoline, and a zipline.

SANTO Tomas is corn capital. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

We were in town for the Agew ng Pangasinan (Pangasinan Day), one of the major festivals of the province, held at the Capitol Plaza in Lingayen, with its stately Capitol Building (circa 1918), Governor’s Palace, Veterans Park (where a downed Japanese World War II plane remains on display), and photo exhibit commemorating WWII battles in the area.

Each town went all-out in creating the floats that would showcase their produce or their attractions. Binmaley exhibited marine species, while Infanta zeroed in on a giant starfish. Santo Tomas focused on being the corn capital, while Mabini billed itself as “the caving capital” of the province. The Pangasinan float, of course, bore a big replica of the Capitol. And Urdaneta City highlighted a historical pageant.

RETABLO (altar piece of the Calasiao church). Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

Cultural treasure

The Saints Peter and Paul Church in Calasiao is a national cultural treasure. I first visited in 1998 in the company of two dear friends of happy memory: Odette Alcantara (who was from Lingayen) and her brother-in-law SV Epistola. The parish priest at the time was Odette’s cousin, Msgr. Luis Ungson.

The style of the majestic parish is baroque, made of brick and adobe, like the convent house. The church has been much improved since the earthquake of 1990, with restoration supervised by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

TILAPIA is one of the products of Pangasinan. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

The present parish priest, Fr. Fideles Layug, showed us around. As we entered the priest’s quarters, with a warning that no one was allowed inside, Fr. Layug intoned, with a hint of humor: “Dito dumadaan ang mga Padre Damaso noong araw (here entered the wicked friars of olden days).” And he pointed to a smaller door on the left: “The servants could not enter there, but they could check on the ilustrados who visited the priest.”

Cory Island

Check out Tondol Beach in the island town of Anda, with its clear, shallow waters, white sand; and nearby Tandoyong Island where you can just wade to in low or high tide. A bit farther away is a smaller island, named Cory Island because it materialized (“lumitaw,” as the locals put it) during the time of President Corazon Aquino.

BOUNTY from he sea. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

Meet people like Manoling Carolino, 39, father of 5, who earns P250 a day by selling cooked sea urchins by the bag (P20 per). And there was this boy who was selling didila (small shells). There are two resorts in Tondol, 828 Gems Beach Resort (0928-3077999) and JCT Beach Resort. Fully airconditioned rooms at Gems cost P2,000. The resort is owned by engineer Felix Chiong, who was Anda councilor for 12 years.

Tandoyong Island, on the other hand, is owned by the Galsim family. There is a caretaker, Boyet, who will allow you to stay on the island for several hours, for a token P20. But what if you want to stay overnight? “Probably you will pay more or maybe just the same if you give him a drink,” said Chiong. “Mahilig uminom yan (he loves to drink).”

The media was in Pangasinan at the invitation of the provincial information office (0917-5087500) and the provincial tourism office (075-542-8007).

13-foot PHL map top sensation at SM City Rosales

(PNA), HBC/LVM/LMM/1435/RMA

ROSALES, Pangasinan, June 13 (PNA)-- A 13-foot Philippine map made from oyster shells is now a top sensation at SM City Rosales here after it was unveiled Wednesday during the 115th Independence Day celebration .

Now on display at the entrance of SM City Rosales, the three-dimensional map is made from shells of oysters produced in western Pangasinan.

With its vast coastal areas, Pangasinan produces oysters from its rivers and estuaries.

Roselle Gale, public relations officer of SM City Rosales, said over 6, 800 oyster shells were assembled to make the 13-foot high by 4.5-foot wide Philippine map.

The map, with a dove on top of it, was painted red, white and blue, adopting the colors of the Philippine flag.

“The dove which seems to hold the map of the Philippines symbolizes the freedom of our country”, Jersey Mendoza, SM City Rosales Mall manager, said.

Meanwhile, Gale said that during the Independence Day celebration last Wednesday, Wenceslao Eugenio, who is Tata Binsing to his family and friends, a 90 year-old World War II veteran from Alcala town, shared his experience in fighting for the country's freedom.

As early as 16 years old, Eugenio ran away from from his parents in order to join the guerrillas for him to help defend the country from the colonizers.

“After the war, walang nang mas mahirap pa (nothing was more difficult to hurdle anymore)", he said.

In a related development, Romeo Madriaga, head of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Region 3, said that the sacrifice of the veterans will not be forgotten.

Pangasinan observes Philippine Independence Day early

(PNA), PDS/LVM/ JOHANNE MARGARETTE R. MACOB/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 11 (PNA)-- The provincial government of Pangasinan along with other provincial government agencies celebrated Philippines Independence Day on Monday with emphasis on the goal of freeing the people from the clutches of poverty.

Celebrated two days earlier at the Capitol Plaza, the province's 115th Independence Day observance coincided with the weekly flag-raising ceremony attended by the capitol employees.

"Independence as we define it is our continuing struggle against poverty," remarked Provincial Administrator Rafael Howard Baraan as he cited the government's thrust on further reducing the poverty rate of the province and make all Pangasinenses "self-reliant."

"Here in the province of Pangasinan, we are happy to say that we all made the impossible, possible, under the administration of our "ama" (father), Governor Amado Espino Jr.," said Acting Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr. even as he encouraged everyone to continue working "further and harder."

As previously reported, the province- according to the recent report of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) has decreased its poverty incidence rate from 26.5 percent in 2006 to 17 percent in 2012.

In the same event, guest of honor and speaker Assistant Secretary Lila Ramos-Shahani, who is also the head of Communications Group-Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster at the Office of the President, lauded Pangsinan for being one of the provinces in the country that recorded a 9.5 percent sharp drop in its poverty rate.

"Governor Espino did a remarkable job and no one can question that," she remarked.

She added that despite the Philippines being "the fastest growing economy in Asia", the effect of this to poverty reduction is minimal as can be taken from the same report of the NCSB.

From year 2006 to 2012, the country as a whole, unlike Pangasinan, registered only 1.1 percent improvement in the poverty incidence rate.

Still, Shahani assured that the national government continues to fight poverty with the Aquino administration even allocating an unprecedented 34 percent of the total national budget to social services alone to cater to such problem.


Earthquake, flood drills evacuate some 1,000 residents near San Roque Dam in less than 30 minutes

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan, June 10 (PNA) -- In the event of a high-magnitude earthquake which may endanger the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam Project, it would take just less than 30 minutes -- with proper coordination -- to evacuate some 1,000 residents to safer grounds.

This was found out during part of a national simultaneous earthquake and flood drills held Monday in Barangay San Vicente, some three kilometers east of San Manuel town proper and six kilometers south of the San Roque Dam, the highest rock-fill dam all over Southeast Asia and the second highest in Asia.

Coordinated by the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NRRDMC), the earthquake and flood drills were executed with timely precision by members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) headed by Governor Amado Espino Jr. through its Executive Director Fernando de Guzman, and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council headed by San Manuel Mayor Alain Jericho Perez.

The activity was attended by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin who was represented by Undersecretaries Eduardo Batac and Eduardo del Rosario, director-general of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

It was also attended by mayors of towns and cities downstream of the Agno River as far as Dagupan City in the central part of Pangasinan.

With the alarm sounded at exactly 9:00 a.m., pupils and residents executed the usual drop, cover and hold when they felt sign of high-magnitude quake, then slowly headed to a vacant lot where they await their evacuation.

Motorized tricycles and hand tractors customized as vehicles for transport all brought pupils and the residents to a safer area a few kilometers away from their place.

The responders were from the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Public Works and Highways, Provincial Health Office, Philippine Red Cross and concerned local government units.

"In a real scenario, it is to a high ground that the evacuees are really going," said Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum, who was among those who observed the earthquake and flood drill.

He said although the feasibility of a dam break is very remote, there is a need to be prepared all the time for any natural disaster, Solidum said.

The drills and exercises were part of the government's continuing efforts in enhancing disaster preparedness and awareness through participative Disaster Risk Reduction Management Advocacy.

Solidum said the activity consisted of an earthquake drill and flood evacuation drill and explained that the village of San Vicente was specifically pinpointed as location of the activity because of the presence of the San Roque Dam as well as of the San Manuel Fault which was believed to have moved on Nov. 5, 1796 that toppled down nine churches in Pangasinan.

Tom Valdez, vice president of the San Roque Power Corporation, the company that harnesses hydro-electric energy from the dam, said the possibility of dam break in case of high-intensity quake is very, very remote.

He assured residents of San Manuel that the dam is made of clay that is resilient, apart from being impermeable and therefore will not crack in case of a high-magnitude quick.

The probability of the dam cracking up in case of a high0magnitude quake is .00007, he said.

100 Pangasinan scholars receive financial assistance

(PNA), PDS/LVM/LMMICUA/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 9 (PNA)-- A total of 100 incoming first year college students received their scholarship assistance of P8,000 each for the first semester of the academic year from Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim also the current acting governor of Pangasinan.

Calimlim said Friday the scholars passed the qualifying examination given in May this year under the Provincial School Fund Board (PSFB) Scholarship Program.

The scholars will get another P8,000 financial assistance for the second semester of the academic year during the latter part of 2013.

Out of the 100 scholars, 50 are automatic qualifiers having graduated as high school valedictorians and salutatorians for school-year 2012-2013 while the other half hurdled the qualifying examination administered by the province.

11 towns, cities in Pangasinan under dengue watch list

(PNA), LAM/LVM/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 8 (PNA) -- The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has placed nine towns and two cities of Pangasinan under the dengue watch list right at the onset of the rainy season.

Provincial Health Officer Anna de Guzman said these places are considered high-risk areas already recording double-digit number of dengue cases, although still lower than last year.

Placed on the watch list are the towns of Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Mangaldan, Bayambang, Lingayen, Manaoag, San Fabian, Bani and Sta. Maria and the cities of San Carlos and Alaminos.

Dagupan, considered as the most densely populated area in Pangasinan where dengue cases are also anticipated to be high, is not under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.

The government will focus its attention on the high-risk areas in a bid to keep dengue cases at minimum level, De Guzman said.

The PHO already registered 363 cases of dengue from January to June 3 this year, which was lower by about 50 percent than the 666 cases recorded for the same period last year.

There were three fatalities recorded for the same period last year but only one this year.

Stressing that the best prevention against dengue is still cleanliness, De Guzman said her office has intensified community health education campaign to urge households to clean their homes and neighborhood at all times.

For the high-risk areas, the conduct of misting operations is advised, she said.

At the same time, De Guzman directed sanitary inspectors to conduct inspection of all schools and its canteens to safeguard the health of pupils and students.

She also advised local health authorities to undertake vermin control and check if mosquito curtains that were installed needed re-treatment.

Pangasinan to hold advanced Independence Day celebration

(PNA), HBC/LVM/LMMICUA/1540/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, June 7 (PNA)-- The Provincial government of Pangasinan will hold advanced celebration of the 115th Independence Day on start at 7:45 a.m at the Capitol Plaza, coinciding with the regular flag-raising ceremony.

The Provincial Information Office (PIO) said this is in lieu of June 12 which is a non-working public holiday in the entire country.

Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim (currently the Acting Governor of Pangasinan) will lead the celebration.

He will be assisted by Provincial Administrator Rafael Howard F. Baraan.

Guest of honor and speaker is Assistant Secretary Lila Ramos Shahani of the Office of the President.

The PIO invited the public to join the occasion marking the declaration of Philippine Independence from Spain during that fateful day of June 12, 1898 at Kawit, Cavite.

Dagupan project completed before rainy days

By Lilia Micua (HBC/LVM/LMM/1540/RMA)

Dagupan City, June 6 (PNA)--The second highway engineering district has given assurances the elevation of A.B. Fernandez Avenue, main thoroughfare in Dagupan, will be completed before the rainy season sets in.

Noting that Phase 1 of the project was already completed and Phase II has just been started, Rodolfo Dion expressed high hopes that Dagupan's main thoroughfare will not be flooded anymore comes next rainy days.

Corollary to this, acting Mayor Belen Fernandez asked the contractor of the project as well as the Dagupan Water District and Philippine Long Distance Company to coordinate with each other due to reports that work on the road is often being hampered by parallel projects on the sidewalks by public utility companies.

Raising A.B. Fernandez Avenue by more than one foot is being funded by p25 million from the department of public works and highways worked out by Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Gina De Venecia.

The project also includes elevation of commecting side streets, elevation and clearing of drainage canals and paving of sidewalks. Dion said also elevated earlier are the roads in barangays Mayombo, Lucao, Tapuac, Bonuan Gueset, Arellano Street and Jose De Venecia Highway from Lucao to Calasiao.

Fish farmers asked to raise high-value fish species to complement bangus

(PNA), FFC/LVM/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 5 (PNA) -- Fish farmers in Pangasinan, particularly in Dagupan, were asked to diversify their products to boost their traditional harvests of milkfish (bangus) and tilapia.

The call was made by Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the government-owned National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) here, who said there are other high-value species of fish that can be raised in fishponds other than milkfish and tilapia for better profits.

One of them, he said, is seabass which sells at P250 and up per kilo, costlier than milkfish and tilapia.

Found adaptable in brackish waters of Dagupan and Pangasinan, this kind of fish already caught the fancy of many local fish farmers.

However, they are hesitant to raise this kind of fish as they do not know where to source out the fingerlings that they will stock in their fishponds.

Rosario said NIFTDC had been successful in breeding seabass and is now selling fingerlings at the nominal price of P5 per piece.

Although admitting that seabass is carnivorous, Rosario said there is a culture technique where the fish farmers need not feed his fish with the costlier trash fish anymore.

He said the fishpond can be stocked with native tilapia and in one month, this will already lay eggs, at which time the seabass fingerlings must now be released into the farm.

The eggs and offspring of the native tilapia will serve as food of the seabass till they grow to marketable sizes.

Shrimp, Rosario said is also with about the same marketing potential as seabass.

He added that raising shrimps of the vannamae specie, also called white shrimp, is more lucrative than growing tilapia.

Rosario said that there is now a technology where a fish farmer can harvest from six to 10 tons of vannamae even if the pond is just 2,500 square meter area.

Using an aerator, which can be operated during balmy weather when dissolved oxygen in the water is thin, fish farmers can stock more juvenile shrimps in their farm than the usual load.

Now that almost all shrimp exporting countries are affected by a deadly disease called Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), it is about time the Philippines will be more serious in raising shrimp called vannamae and aim to go to export too.

At the same time, siganid (locally called malaga) promises better profit than milkfish and is easier to culture.

Siganid is being raised in moderate scale in Dagupan, Binmaley, Sual and Alaminos.

At the same time, Rosario urged fish farmers to also embark on oyster and mussel farming as these mollusks are much in demand in the market.

They too can help in cleaning the marine waters from pollution.

All these products--particularly shrimps--can be processed at the Seafood Processing Plant here for export abroad.

"Butanding" visit to Lingayen Gulf associated to increased anchovy population

(PNA), HBC/LVM/1825/RMA.

DAGUPAN CITY, June 4 (PNA)--The frequent visit of the friendly whale sharks called "butanding" in the Lingayen Gulf has been attributed to the reduced blast fishing activities in the area.

Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries and Technology Development Center, said that unlike before, fish mammals from the deep now often go near the shore in Pangasinan to feast on young anchovies that are now teeming in the area.

The Lingayen Gulf used to teem with anchovies 30 or so years ago till blast fishing became rampant, with San Fabian town getting the notorious name as the country's "blast fishing" capital.

When blast fishing intensified, the anchovy population in the Lingayen Gulf was virtually wiped out, Rosario said...

He said that this compelled the traditional "bagoong" (fish paste) makers of Lingayen, Dagupan and Binmaley to source out anchovies for their industry as far as Bicol because the Lingayen Gulf already run out of anchovies.

But with the intensified campaign launched by lawmen against blast fishers, the anchovies have finally returned not only to help prop up the "boggoong" industry once more and serve as food for the friendly fish mammals.

The anchovies are growing out in the mouths of rivers that are emptying into the Lingayen, places where the fish mammals like "butandings" often forage for food.

In San Fabian. Pangasinan, "butandings" are now a popular attraction among tourists visiting the town.

Nationwide earthquake drill to pilot in Pangasinan town

By Venus H. Sarmiento (VHS/PIA1-Pangasinan)

SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan, June 3 (PIA) -- The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) will pilot a nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill here on June 10 with an overtopping and seeping San Roque Dam as a scenario.

Regional Director Melchito Castro of the Office of Civil Defense said that the drill aims to see the preparation and abilities of different government agencies and local government units in the worst case scenario.

Castro said that drill also includes dissemination of informative and preventive precautionary measures during man-made and natural disasters and the development of bayanihan spirit among people.

“The Secretary (Voltaire Gazmin of the Department of National Defense) wants to see how prepared Region I is in times of disasters particularly earthquake and flooding. He wants to see the assets of the province and the region and the people who will be responsible during calamities,” Castro said.

Tom Valdez, Vice-President for Corporate Social Responsibility of the San Roque Power Corporation, said that if a powerful earthquake would occur in the worst case scenario and causes the dam to break, at least 32 municipalities in the province would be affected.

Valdez was quick to say, however, that the San Roque dam would not break easily as it was built to withstand strong magnitude of earthquakes.

“We don’t want to misinform people that when a quake happens, the dam would break. Even with a 7.2 or 7.5 magnitude, nothing will happen to the dam. This is just for the purpose of the drill,” Valdez said.

Col. Fernando De Guzman, head of the Pangasinan DRRMC, said that in case of overtopping or seepage in the dam, the first town to be affected is San Manuel where the dam is located.

De Guzman said that this is the reason why the ceremonial venue for the nationwide drill will be in this eastern town.

He said that there are three types of scenarios in case of a dam break caused by a strong quake.

De Guzman said that the first type is the short-term scenario where there is no time to prepare and people are advised to immediately evacuate and seek higher ground. Towns affected here include San Manuel, Asingan, San Nicolas, Rosales, Tayug, Sta. Maria, and Urdaneta City.

He said that the second type is the medium-term scenario with little time to prepare but people could still conduct the “duck cover and hold” practice. Towns affected here include those in the mid-stream areas like Dagupan City, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, and nearby municipalities.

De Guzman said that the long-term scenario involve the towns located downstream and have enough time to prepare. This includes Lingayen, Manaoag, and nearby municipalities.

The nationwide earthquake drill will be conducted in Barangay San Vicente in San Manuel where Secretary Gazmin and other government officials are expected to attend.

Capitol employees have own Health and Wellness Center

By Johanne M. Reyes

LINGAYEN—Employees of the provincial government are making full use of the newly opened Employees Health and Wellness Center located at the second floor of the Alley Building, Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here.

“We are happy that the employees patronize health and wellness,” said Janette Asis, head of the Human Resources Management and Development Office (HRMDO).

Asis said the provincial government also takes pride in having been the first local government in the country to undertake such an initiative, which is funded from the P2 million Health and Wellness Program health program for its workers.

“Actually ang mandatory lang po talaga ay may isang araw na may physical fitness ang mga empleyado, ginawa po natin ‘yon pero patuloy po ang improvement at nalampasan po natin ‘yong requirements. Nagbigay po tayo ng madaming benefits to maintain the health and wellness of our employees,” she added.

The fund also covers employees’ monthly medical check-up and annual executive check-up, and the employee wellness anniversary celebration every February.

The center, which will later be opened for public use with a minimal fee, operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays and from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays to Sundays under the management of the HRMDO in cooperation with the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Mary Help of Christians Theology Seminary opens in Pangasinan

(PNA), LAM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, June 1 (PNA) -- The Mary Help of Christian Theology Seminary, the first of its kind in Pangasinan, situated in Barangay Palapad, San Fabian towns, opened its door to aspiring priests on May 30 for the academic year 2013-2014.

This is consistent with the decree signed on May 24, 2013 by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese, which established the seminary.

The archbishop's decree stated: "In order to foster more priestly vocations so that the needs of the ordained ministry may be met for generations to come (CIC Canon 233) and in response to the collective prayerful discernment of the clergy and the people of God that a theology seminary be opened within our archdiocese, by virtue of the authority granted in me by the Code of Canon Law, we hereby decree the opening of the Mary Help of Christians Theology Seminary in Barangay Palapad in the municipality of San Fabian in the province of Pangasinan".

The theology seminary shall have a Charter of Priestly Formation in the spirit of the Updated Philippine Program for Priestly Formation of 2006, stated Villegas in his decree.

"Our vision in priestly formation is primarily depth in spirituality with Christ-like zeal in pastoral ministry, rooted in academic excellence within a communion of love in priestly brotherhood and incarnated in our Pangasinan history and culture", he said.

With the theology seminary, aspiring priests from Pangasinan need not go to Vigan, Ilocos Sur anymore in order to pursue their dream to serve as ministers of the Church. Vigan is the nearest theology seminary from Pangasinan.

With the prayers of the Blessed Mother of God whom we lovingly invoke as Mary Help of Christians, we invoke the blessings of Jesus the Good Shepherd upon this theology seminary, the decree reads.

The decree was signed by Villegas last May 24, coinciding with the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, and the first year of Pope Francis as Supreme Pontiff.

The decree was attested by Monsignor Rafael Magno, vicar general and chancellor with Monsignor Oliver E. Mendoza, founding rector.

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