Pangasinan News March 2015

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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

Pangasinan gov't to release P2.6-M fund for livelihood projects of village folks

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, March 31 (PNA) -- Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. awarded checks amounting to P2.65 million to 17 associations and five micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from the different towns of Pangasinan on March 30 for them to put up their respective income-generating projects that will benefit their members.

This is part of the provincial government’s livelihood assistance program implemented under the Provincial Population Office (PPO) that already benefited a number of associations throughout Pangasinan in the past.

These were the second batch of recipients for the first quarter of the year 2015, according to Luzviminda Muego, livelihood program consultant of the provincial government.

The amount will finance project activities like commodity trading, farm and agricultural inputs, cooperative re-lending, salt production, duck raising and salted eggs production, t-shirt printing, tailoring, egg retailing and balut trading.

Espino urged all Pangasinenses especially housewives to continue whatever is awarded to them in a productive manner and become self-sufficient

Ellsworth G. Gonzales, PPO officer-in-charge, said that since the program was launched in 2008, the provincial government has already awarded a total of P53 million to some 152 women associations and cooperatives.

Gonzales said that since its launching, the program was able to reach out not just to housewives but has also included families of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as well in cooperation with the Provincial Employment and Services Office (PESO).

The recipients associations are Santodia Transport Service Cooperative (Anda), Farmer’s Agricultural Development Association (Bolinao), Dasol Market Vendors’ Association, Patar Maculi Mothers’ Association (Mabini), Buenlag Rural Improvement Club (Binmaley), Ataynan Farmers’ Association (Bayambang), Dusoc Women’s Association (Bayambang), Torres KALIPI Association (Mapandan), Inmalog Sur KALIPI Women’s Association (San Fabian), San Felipe Central Women’s Assocaition (BInalonan), Eastern Binalonan Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Palacpalac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Pozzorubio), Capitan Tomas MPC (Rosales), Holy Seed MPC (Balungao), Mount Zion Evangelical Mission, Inc. (Balungao), and San Quintin OFW Family Association.

The MSME recipients are CBB Salt Producer (Infanta), Aslan Trading and Remittance Center (Basista), Greenfarm Agricultural and Poultry Products (Asingan), Mary Grace Egg Retailer (Binalonan), and Cluie’s Needlecraft (Umingan).

Civil society groups aid DSWD programs in Pangasinan

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

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan, Mar. 30 (PIA) - The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Ilocos region has found allies in civil society groups in implementing government programs.

Iryn Cubangbang, information officer of DSWD-Regional Office I, said at least 187 civil society organizations (CSO) in the region help in the implementation and monitoring of the Department’s programs.

“These CSOs help DSWD in monitoring how far the government has gone in helping the people in terms of education, employment, micro-enterprise and capability building as well as in empowering them,” Cubangbang told the Philippine Information Agency.

One such CSO called the Responsible Citizens Empowered Communities in Solidarity for Social Change (RECITE), led a forum dubbed the ‘Voice of the People’ on Tuesday in Mangaldan town in Pangasinan to update DSWD on its monitoring findings.

Esther Alconga, president of RECITE, said her group is strongly advocating for social responsibility among people and the fora serves as a constructive engagement between citizens and the government.

“It is important to affirm and recognize the new hope for our beneficiaries and get their reactions on how the programs benefitted them,” Alconga said.

Regional Director Marcelo Castillo of DSWD said the partnership with CSOs and the program beneficiaries of the Department will help the government in responding to and addressing the issues that are raised along the implementation of DSWD programs.

Feature: Pilgrimage sites in Pangasinan, destination for relaxation and reflection

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

DAGUPAN CITY, March 29 (PIA) – It may seem strange to combine religion with summer vacation, but to many Filipinos, Holy Week is a chance to catch up on much needed rest and a time for reflection and prayer.

Catholic devotees and tourists who are hoping to make a spiritual vacation during the Holy Week need not go too far as notable pilgrimage sites abound in the province of Pangasinan.

On top of the list is a road trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in Manaoag town which was recently elevated to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Francis.

Even before it became a minor basilica, Manaoag Church had been a popular Visita Iglesia destination for people from all walks of life.

The blog site of Pangasinan Tour also recommends popular pilgrimage sites in the province where everyone can visit and spend their Holy Week.

One of these is the Sky Plaza of Natividad town, a park built on top of a hill beside the Caraballo Mountains in Barangay Batchelor East.

A chapel and a 287-step concrete stairway leads to a grotto of the Virgin Mary in the upper side of the hill, and a little higher behind it, to a 30-foot Holy Cross.

From the cross is a winding trail leading to the mountaintop, where a 40-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer, called “Ayat ni Apo Jesus” (God’s Love) stands.

Jesus Christ’s fiberglass statue, which was erected in June 2013, is 1,108 meters above sea level, overlooking the town.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Bani town especially during the Lenten Season is their version of Calvary Hill. The place has a 1,000-step “Via Crusis” that leads to a gigantic cross.

The cross is perched on a plateau overlooking the West Philippine Sea. Bani’s Calvary Hill also has other structures to be used for other religious activities on the site.

Located in Barangay Laguit Padilla in Bugallon town is the Mt. Zion Pilgrimage Mountain, a 52-hectare religious site that holds structures for pilgrims to perform their Lenten traditions.

Aside from the retreat house and the chapel, the pilgrimage site’s life-size statues portraying the Passion and Death of Christ are the reason why it is one of the most visited sites in the province during the Lenten season.

The Our Lady of Rosales Grotto, which is located at Station District in Rosales town, is also regularly visited by tourists for spiritual atonement and guidance.

The grotto, where the Virgin Mary was reported seen several times between 1987 and 1994, is in the middle of a rice field and has since served as a pilgrimage site for local Catholics.

Holy Week needs not be boring so visit some of these pilgrimage sites in Pangasinan and enjoy the sights without sacrificing your devotion and penance.

Negosyo Centers to rise in Pangasinan

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

DAGUPAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) – Entrepreneurs and would-be businessmen will now enjoy access to financing and other assistance with the opening of three Negosyo Centers in Pangasinan.

Provincial Director Peter Mangabat of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the Negosyo Centers will be put up in the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan and Urdaneta next month.

“The establishment of Negosyo Centers is mandated by Republic Act 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act authored by Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino to bring government services closer to small businesses,” Mangabat said.

The Negosyo Center is a one-stop-shop that promotes ease of doing business and facilitates access to services for the development of Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the province and for creation of jobs and inclusive growth, he said.

“The Negosyo Centers, as its core functions, will facilitate business registration, perform business advisory services, business information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation,” he added.

Aside from facilitating business registration, Mangabat added that the centers shall provide assistance to MSMEs in the availment of technology transfer, production and management training programs, and marketing assistance from concerned government agencies.

The DTI, in partnership with the local government units and members of the Pangasinan Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises and Development (PMSMED) Council, will man the centers.

Tourism perks up in Manaoag town

By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (MCA/VHS/PIA1-Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY, Mar 27 (PIA) - Tourist arrivals in Manaoag town have ballooned by up to 50 percent following the declaration of Manaoag Church as a minor basilica last month.

Manaoag police chief Edison Revita said tourism entry used to spike only during Sundays but it had since increased on a daily basis after the church's declaration.

“Everyday is Sunday,” Revita said during the KBP Forum held at the Philippine Information Agency office on Thursday.

Revita said based on last year’s data, people going to Manaoag town averages 7,000-10,000 on a daily basis. During the Chinese New Year, the crowd ballooned to about 25,000. In the recent Region I Athletic Association (R1AA), which Manaoag hosted including the shrine's proclamation, police estimated the crowd at 50,000-60,000.

With the approaching observance of the Holy Week, the police force have beefed up security measures to ensure safety of church goers through a regular coordinating conference with stakeholders and force multipliers.

With the expected influx of people, traffic and parking space pose a big challenge to the police force. Revita said coordination with military personnel in Camp Tito Abat and owners of spacious vacant lots have been done to augment the necessary parking spaces during the Holy Week.

DILG holds ‘Operation Listo’ workshop for Pangasinan LGUs

BY VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO (MCA/VHS/PIA-1/Pangasinan)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Mar 26 (PIA) – Disaster councils in every local government unit will now implement their emergency plans based on typhoon tracks on top of storm signal forecasts.

The Department of Interior and Local Government spearheaded on Monday a provincial convergence action planning workshop which aimed to scale up the preparations of local government units (LGUs) during emergencies and disasters to save lives and properties.

Reggie Colisao, DILG provincial director, said the action planning is one of the components of ‘Operation Listo’ adding that ‘Iisto’ is a higher degree of preparedness.

“Hindi lang tayo dapat handa, dapat listo tayo,”(We must not only be prepared, we must be alert and be always on our feet)," said Colisao.

Even with an existing Disaster Preparedness Manual, the DILG came up with a Version 2 of the manual to input the new first-hand experiences of DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and members of front line national government agencies in responding to calamities.

Colisao said the difference is the shift in the dimension or mindset of LGUs in preparing for disasters. Preparations used to be based on storm signals announced by PAGASA. Now, using the new manual, preparation is based on “hotdog” or the typhoon track which also determines what LGUs will be affected by the typhoon.

LGUs will immediately know if they are under category Charlie with color code red which means the LGU will be hit by the eye of the typhoon; Bravo with color code orange or those 50 kilometers away from Charlie and; Alpha with color code yellow or those 100 kilometers away from Charlie.

The manual shows the actions to be undertaken by the LGU if these are under code Charlie, Bravo or Alpha, explained Colisao.

“If LGUs prepare only when there is a storm signal, there will be little time to prepare. But if preparations are already being done based on the typhoon trajectory, there will be ample time,” Colisao added.

Meanwhile, P/Supt Ferdinand De Asis, chief of the Police Community Relatons office in the provincial police command, said the disaster preparedness plan will focus on LGUs and the specific role or tasks of the mayors, chiefs of police, fire marshalls, local government officers and local disaster management council officers of every town and city.

“Once PAGASA announces the coming of a typhoon in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, disaster committees are already alerted and they will have to do their tasks before, during and after the disaster,” De Asis told the Philippine information Agency.

2015 Bangus Festival Fever on

(PNA), FFC/LVM/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 25 (PNA) -- The 2015 Bangus Festival fever is on as the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution on Tuesday authorizing Mayor Belen Fernandez to temporarily close parts of Galvan and Zamora streets from April 1 to May 31 this year in connection with the festival's celebration.

The resolution authored by Councilor Marvin Fabia and co-authored by Councilors Jose Netu Tamayo and Alfie Fernandez seeks to provide venue for ambulant vendors and small eateries to set up stalls during the Bangus Festival scheduled from April 6 to May 1 this year to promote the city's number one agricultural product, bangus (milkfish).

Councilor Fabia said the move will enable the executive committee of the festival to generate revenues and not to depend on funds from the city government, which is prohibited by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Mayor Belen Fernandez earlier said that the Bangus Festival and the other city fiestas under her administration were not provided with funds coming from the city coffer but everything come from sponsors and fund raising.

Mayor Fernandez said in the 2015 Bangus Festival, only the big events and certified crowd drawers will be held like the " Gilon-Gilon Ed Baley" that will select the city's best street dancing contingents that will compete during the "Festivals of the North", a competition for all dancing festival champions north of Manila; the Bangus Cuisine, Bangus Rodeo, various sports competition and the "Pista ng Dagat" on May 1.

Fernandez said the "Festivals of the North" will be participated in by 15 street dancing champions. The mayor also said that during the Bangus Festival, seven top bands from Manila were already invited to come and provide music to thousands of people attending the Bangus Street Party set April 30 along Jose R. De Venecia highway where 4,000 kilos of fresh bangus to be harvested from the fishponds will be simultaneously grilled.

Art exhibit on women, by women opens in Dagupan City

(PNA), LAP/JOHANNE MARGARETTE R. MACOB/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 24 (PNA) -- An art exhibit showcasing the works of 16 young female artists in Pangasinan is now open at the Liongoren Gallery, Tapuac District in this city.

"Sarag Mi" (We can) art exhibit, which opened last March 21 in celebration of the Women’s Month, bares paintings which centered on women.

One of the paintings was a portrait of Fang-od (Whang-od), the last tribal tattoo artist of Kalinga.

According to the artist, Geraldine Niña Llaneza, she chose Fang-od as her subject as the tattoo artist fits the art exhibit theme.

"It is Fang-od whom I chose as subject because she fits the theme "Sarag Mi" (We can). She is inspiring. Though she is now old, her enthusiasm can be seen in her work," she said.

She added she was inspired by Fang-od's humility and generosity to share what she can do to everyone.

Sarag Mi, a Pangasinense phrase which mean “we can,” is the artists' way to show their contribution, as women artists, to the society.

Llaneza, a native of Lingayen town, is an advertising graduate of the University of Santo Tomas.

Other paintings were the different artists' representations of a woman.

Meanwhile, Michelle Alegre, who is also a beauty queen from Bautista town, said their group wants to set an example and show to the world that women are strong and can equally do what men can.

Alegre was the Philippine representative in South Korea to the Miss First Beauty World Pageant last year.

The participating women visual artists are all members of BISKEG-Pangasinan Artist Collective, an association of homegrown artists based in Pangasinan.

Apart from Llaneza and Alegre, the other women artists who shared their masterpieces were Kat Abenoja, Aileen Alcantara, Ana Theresa Bolos, Ma. Grace Carpizo, Aileen Espejo Dres, Kimberly Jane Golen, Rachel Anne Lacaba, Rosemarie Martinez, Rhen Najera, Lyantra Kryzelle Pasion, Kathrina Ragadi, Arvine Reyes, Vanessa Saclole, and Mariam Tumulto.

The art exhibit, which is considered as one of the best avenues for women who have artistic inclination to build a culture of literary development in what seemed to be an "art-hungry local scenery," will run until April 16 this year.

TESDA, DepEd hold vegetable cook-off contest in Pangasinan

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

VILLASIS, Pangasinan, March 23 (PIA) – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) held the “Oh my gulay!” cook-off contest here to encourage more children to eat healthy snacks made from vegetables.

TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva said the contest also intends to showcase the culinary expertise of cookery course graduates in creating cheap and healthy snack recipes using vegetable as a main ingredient.

“In partnership with the Department of Education (DepED), the contest was conceptualized as we want our young people to ‘glow, grow and go’,” he said during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Forum Special Edition on March 12.

Cookery course graduates from various technical-vocational (tech-voc) schools in the region prepared nutritious vegetable dishes, with elementary students from Villasis town acting as judges.

“Judges were given play money to buy the dish of their choice and whoever earned the most votes from students will be the region’s representative in the national competition slated on May this year,” Villanueva said.

Recipes derived from the contest will soon be included in the menu of public school canteens so school children could eat healthy snacks and avail of the nutritional benefits of vegetables, he added.

Dagupan fishpond operators to build own hatchery

(PNA), SCS/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 22 (PNA) -- A newly-organized group of fishpond operators in Dagupan City is seeking to build its own fish nursery to produce fry and sell these to its members, particularly to small operators, at affordable prices.

This was bared by Alfredo T. Caguioa, president of the Dagupan Bangus Fishpond Operators and Growers Association Inc. (DBFOGAI) composed of 30 members, now the biggest group of fishpond operators growing the Dagupan bangus (milkfish).

"We will produce fry and grow these in 30 to 45 days. We will sell these to our members who are still sourcing out their fry from other provinces" Caguioa said.

He noted that fishpond operators in Dagupan are buying fingerlings at from PhP 2.50 to PhP 3.00 per piece.

Caguioa said his group, which obtained its Security Exchange Commission (SEC) registration last Feb. 20, will also work with the local government for the revival of fishponds that are not being utilized anymore to ensure milkfish sufficiency in the city.

There are 910 hectares of fishponds in Dagupan and just 90 percent of these are being utilized.

"We want the 10 percent fishponds not being utilized to be harnessed back to ensure our milkfish sufficiency," he added.

Other officials of the association are James Fernandez and Dong Fernandez, vice presidents; Feliciano Daroy, secretary; Marge Villanueva, sub-secretary; and Danilo Desola, auditor.

Members of the Board of Directors are Julie Perez, Lino Fernandez, David Raguindin, Romulo Edades, Oscar Martinez, Eleodoro de Vera and Ely Mejia.

DOLE to hold job fairs for new graduates in Pangasinan

(MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY, March 21 (PIA) – With the graduation season nearing, thousands are expected to join the region’s labor force.

In line with this, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the Ilocos Region, in coordination with Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), employers, academe and other agencies, has doubled the holding of job fairs to bring employment opportunities closer to jobseekers.

DOLE Director for Region 1 Grace Ursua said job fairs bring together different employers and pre-employment services under one roof, making it faster and less expensive for jobseekers to do their job hunting.

She encouraged jobseekers to check the tentative schedule of job fairs and take advantage of landing in jobs in the most cost- efficient way.

“Job fair schedules for March and April are already posted in the phil-jobnet, the official job portal, and the DOLE-1 website,” Ursua said.

In Pangasinan, job fairs for local and overseas employment are slated on March 19 (Bani); March 20 (San Carlos City); March 23 (PESO office in Bayambang); March 26 (Bolinao); March 27-28 (Metro Plaza Grounds in Dagupan City); and April 29 (Urbiztondo).

The conduct of job fairs and their announcement in advance have been the DOLE’s employment facilitation strategy to bring jobs closer to jobseekers, especially in the regions.

Pangasinan to observe Earth Hour

(PNA), LAP/HILDA AUSTRIA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 20 (PNA) -— Earth Hour will be observed in Dagupan City and Pangasinan with an appeal from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) to the public to switch off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 in the evening on March 28 as part of the annual observance.

PENRO chief Leduina Co reiterated the benefit of conducting Earth Hour, which is to give rest to the Mother Earth from the heat emitted by the lights and appliances that the people are using, causing global warming.

"Our one earth needs this and we need it too because we are already experiencing the effects of global warming,” Co said.

She said aside from this, the activity also helps in saving wattage of electricity.

“This will also help in the supply of electricity in the country especially because we are anticipating a power crisis the following months,” said Co.

PENRO will again partner with Jollibee Group of Companies in conducting a walk for a cause during the Earth Hour observance.

Co explained the members and crews of Jollibee and all those who will participate in the walk will carry placards promoting the protection and preservation of the environment.

“Let us be aware of our individual action, little as it may seem, if we all join together then it will have a big impact,” said Co.

Pangasinan among top rice producers in 2014

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

DAGUPAN CITY, March 19 (PIA) – Pangasinan bagged its third Agri-Pinoy Rice Achiever Award from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as one of the country’s top rice-producing provinces in 2014.

The annual contest recognizes the country’s rice farmers and their respective provincial and municipal officials and farm workers for their continuing efforts and contributions to increased rice production.

Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla said that Pangasinan and other top rice-producing provinces, municipalities and cities, farmers and irrigators’ associations, and agricultural workers will be honored in appropriate ceremonies in Metro Manila on March 25.

“We have been notified that the province is one of the country’s top three rice producers last year,” Batalla said.

The province will receive a trophy and check worth P4 million for rice-related projects during the awarding ceremonies, he added.

“In gunning for the award, the provincial government has banked its claim on a rice productivity enhancement program launched in 2012 when the provincial government decided to plow in funds, extend outreach technology services and provide support infrastructure to rice farmers in the province” the Provincial Information Office reported.

As a result of the program, about 150,000 rice farmers in Pangasinan harvested 1.099 metric tons of rice last year which was 34,166 tons higher than total harvests the previous year, data collected by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics had shown.

As part of the rice program, the provincial government extended partly subsidized and interest-free loans in the form of fertilizer and certified seeds to 2,130 farmers in 14 rice producing towns.

It also put on the ground P275 million in support infrastructure projects that included small irrigation systems, farm-to-market roads, multi-purpose pavements used for sun drying, and bridges.

And in tandem with DA and a non-government organization, the province expanded its seed production and distribution project that resulted in 75 percent of the province’s rice farmers shifting to the full use of certified and hybrid palay seeds.

These resulted in higher harvest for each farmer that redounded to an over-all growth in total harvests by about four percent, much higher than the national average of less than two percent.

Good farm gate prices of palay also resulted in higher earnings for each of the individual rice farmers last year.

Dagupan's Bangus Festival set April 16 to May 1

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 18 (PNA) -- The 2015 Bangus Festival will reel off April 16 to May 1 this year, which will be made just as simple as possible, compared to other past celebrations that were usually held for a month or over.

This was bared by Mayor Belen Fernandez who said that in this year's Bangus Festival, only the big events that were the certified crowd drawers in past festivities will be held as part of the celebration.

These include the Festivals of the North that will gather all the festivals' street dancing champions from Central Luzon up to the north for them to showcase their talents in one big competition that will award as much as P200,000 to the winners.

There will also be the 'Gilon-gilon' street dancing to be participated in by groups from all parts of the city whose champion dancers will represent the city in the bigger Festivals of the North.

Barangay (Village) Lucao in Dagupan was last year's 'Gilon-gilon' champion and also the champion of the Festivals of the North.

Fernandez said another crowd drawer is the Bangusan Street Party set again along the more than three-kilometer stretch of the Jose R. De Venecia Expressway Extension that is expected to be mobbed again by thousands of Dagupenos and their visitors.

In the Bangusan Street Party, up to 4,000 kilos of milkfish will be grilled in 800 connected grills, each grill of which is allotted five kilos of milkfish.

City Agriculture Officer Emma Molina said the 4,000 kilos of bangus will all come from the city's fishponds to give the Dagupenos and their visitors a taste of the real Dagupan bangus.

Other activities include the international cookfest using the local milkfish, sports events and the Pista'y Dayat set on May 1 at Tondaligan beach in Bonuan.

German doctors conduct free surgeries in Pangasinan

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, March 17 (PNA) -- A non-profit medical organization, Interplast Germany, recently conducted a medical mission that offered free-of-charge surgical operation to 63 patients at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) in Bolingit, San Carlos City.

The surgical mission, which served indigent patients from various towns and cities of the province, was held in partnership with the provincial government through the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Screening of the patients was done a week prior to the 11-day surgical mission.

Dr. Med Christian Loehlein, head of the Interplast Germany, said surgeries conducted at the PPH surgical room included palatoplasty (cleft lip and cleft palate surgery), hernioplasty, throidectomy, tonsillectomy and hemithroidectomy. Other types of surgical cases were also performed, said Loehle.

Operations were performed by surgeons Tomas Mueller, Lei Li, Eva Godewehr and anesthesiologists Sven Berges and Loehlein.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. expressed the gratitude of the province to the German medical group, which has been providing surgical services to Pangasinenses for almost 20 years now.

Marie Ambat, a 48-year-old mother of two from Cabilaoan, Laoac who underwent cholecystectomy (removal of gallstone) thanked Interplast Germany for giving her free surgery.

The teary-eyed Ambat admitted that if not for the surgical mission, she would still be suffering from cholelithiasis (presence of gall stone in gall bladder). “

She also thanked Gov. Espino for the medical mission that helped poor Pangasinenses.

Meanwhile, Cristina Palaganas Bustillo, a resident of Tebeng, Dagupan City, thanked the German doctors and hospital personnel of PPH for carefully attending to the medical needs of her daughter, Criscila, a 10-year-old who underwent palatoplasty (surgical procedure to correct or reconstruct the palate).

The patients of the recent surgical mission may avail of free follow-up check up, consultation and medicines at the hospitals that are owned and managed by the provincial government.

A series of medical missions by various local and international medical organizations in partnership with the provincial government has been set by the Provincial Health Office (PHO) on the first quarter of the year to cater to the medical needs of indigent Pangasinenses.

Feature: TESDA tech-voc grad now runs own business

BY APRIL M. MONTES (MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY, March 16 (PIA) – A Pangasinense entrepreneur shows the way that self-employment could also spell success for technical vocational (tech-voc) graduates.

Cristina “Tina” Gonzales-Reyes, 39, from Sta. Barbara town was a returning overseas Filipino worker who turned to tech-voc courses, honed her skills and created an employment for herself and her fellow Pangasinenses.

“After my unpleasant experience as an OFW, I returned to the country in 2004 and worked as an operation manager of spas in Dagupan City,” she told the Philippine Information Agency.

Reyes worked at night, so she could take short tech-voc courses at Greenmont Systems International during the day. Greenmont later on took her in as training director as she completed programs in Massage Therapy and Basic Reflexology in 2009.

With her new-found skills, Reyes and five other fellow therapists ventured into a home service massage business, which got them many loyal customers.

“I had a goal that five years after I have completed my tech-voc courses, I should have put-up my own massage service business,” she said.

Her goal had materialized in 2013 as she decided to establish her own massage service business in Dagupan City, which she called “The Massage Habitat Spa.” The spa now has three other branches in Pangasinan and employs 30 masseurs and reflexologists.

“I named my spa as ‘habitat’ because it serves as a home and shelter for those who want to earn an additional income,” Reyes said, adding that it is part of their spa’s vision and mission to create more livelihood training so others could also earn an employment.

Last year, Reyes was named as one of the two national winners at the annual “Idols ng TESDA” Award for Self-Employed Category.

The Idols ng TESDA Award fetes tech-voc graduates who have shown tenacity and dedication in pursuing self-improvement and excellence using their skills.

“Continue learning new skills because this will arm you to improve your quality of life,” the TESDA Idol advised.

A TESDA-certified trainer, Reyes does community service by conducting free livelihood seminars on wellness and massage therapy.

This year, Reyes was appointed as TESDA Ambassador for Region I and is often asked to speak in seminars and livelihood training to share her experiences so others would also be inspired by her success story.

Onions rotting in Pangasinan due to low price

(PNA), SCS/LVM/JOHANNE R. MACOB/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, March 15 (PNA) - Onions are now practically rotting in the fields in the towns of Bayambang and Bautista, two of the biggest onion-producing towns of Pangasinan, as the price of the commodity has significantly dropped from PhP10 to PhP12 per kilogram.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr., whose family is into onion farming in Bautista town, lamented the drastic drop in the price of the commodity, hinting the decrease in price might be due to ample production and the presence of imported onions in the market

Although the farmgate price of onions is up to PhP12 per kilo, the commodity is being sold at PhP20 per kilo by market vendors in Dagupan City and any other market in Pangasinan. At PhP20 per kilo, it is still quite low to allow farmers a little margin of profit considering their high production cost.

Espino said that another reason for the low prices of onions is the alleged manipulation of middlemen who buy this commodity in bulk.

It was learned that onions are now rotting in Bayambang and Bautista towns as farmers have no storage facilities for their crop.

Espino conceded that there is no possible intervention that he can do at the moment to help onion farmers minimize their losses.

Meanwhile, Espino announced that the province of Pangasinan is set to receive its Hall of Fame Award from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for being adjudged for the third time in a row as Agri-Pinoy National Rice Achiever on March 25, 2015.

"We are very happy as all our efforts in agriculture has paid off," Espino said of the award.

He credited the expansion of the land area for farming, provision of irrigation, and introduction of modern technologies and organic fertilizer for the increased yields both of rice and corn.

Pangasinan was the third top rice-producing province in the county, next only to Isabela and Nueva Ecija in 2013.

Espino noted that if Phase 2 of the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project is already completed, Pangasinan can compete for the top spot.

Along with a trophy, the province is set to receive a cash prize of PhP4 million which, according to the governor, will be used for programs to further improve rice production.

"Hopefully, we will also get our third National Quality Corn Achiever's award too," he said.

Veggie hub Pangasinan gets tech-voc scholarships

(PNA), JBP/TESDA-PR/PJN

MANILA, March 14 (PNA) -- Known for its bountiful harvest of varieties of vegetables, Pangasinan is being envisioned to produce a crop of quality graduates, too, by making free technical-vocational education or tech-voc available.

In his recent visit to the province, Director General Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) made sure that deserving youth get a chance at tech-voc by distributing scholarship vouchers.

Villanueva did this during the half-time break of a basketball match between TESDA Uno Specialistas, composed of tech-voc students and local officials, and team Trabaho, where he belongs together with several former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players.

"The exhibition game is called Shoot for your Dreams, and it could not be a more apt description of what we desire for the youth of this province," he said.

"To land in their dream job, the youth has to invest in the right skills," he added.

For Pangasinan, TESDA has allotted P109.382 million for a total of 12,832 scholarship slots for this year.

There are various courses to choose from, but TESDA has mapped out those that will result in higher employability for the graduates based on the industries present in a particular area.

The third biggest province in the country, Pangasinan is known as among the top producers of vegetables.

During his visit on March 12, Villanueva's first stop was at the popular vegetables trading post (Bagsakan) in Villasis town, where the "Ooh My Gulay" cook fest took place.

Moving to Urdaneta City, he played in the exhibition match and then faced the media in a news conference to promote the tech-voc programs.

To help bridge the graduates with potential employers, a job fair was also organized by TESDA in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Professional Regulation Commission and the Public Employment Service Office of the city.

Senior citizens urged to take good care of their health

(MCA/EMBS/PIA-1, Pangasinan/ with reports from PIO)

LINGAYEN, Pangaainan, March 13 (PNA) -- Senior citizens were urged to take good care of their health for them to continue to become the pillars of strength of the present youths and assets for growth of their communities.

The call was made by Board Member Amado Espino III, in his message during the ‘Pasyar Pangasinan’ program of the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office for the elderly of Burgos town at the Sison auditorium here.

Espino pleaded to the elderly to put their health as a priority as this is one of the priority concerns of the administration of his father, Gov. Amado Espino Jr.

“Keep up your good health. We need you in our province,” the younger Espino said.

In the same occasion, Board Member Espino expressed his gratitude to the senior citizens for molding the minds of the younger generation by using their experience, knowledge and wisdom.

Furthermore, he said that it was important for the elderly to go on a tour as they had a vital role to play in imparting onto younger generation what they should take care of, what they need to protect, and what they need to value.

Earlier that day, the 230 senior citizens of Burgos town, who participated in the event, visited the famous Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine which is now a minor papal basilica. After that, the elderly visited the provincial Capitol Building.

Senior citizens visibly enjoyed the tour with their positive responses about the Espino administration, saying that the progress of Pangasinan is truly evident with the massive transformation of the province.

Kristina Romana, adviser of the Senior Citizens Association of Burgos who is a retired teacher, expressed her support to all the projects and projects of the Governor, on behalf of the senior citizens.

“If you want something from us in the future, we are always ready for you,” Romana said.

She also commended Gov. Espino for his exemplary governance.

Started in 2011, the ‘Pasyar Pangasinan’ program of the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office is set to familiarize the people in the province about the tourist destinations in their own province.

New CT scan machine in Pangasinan hospital

(MCA/EMBS/PIA-1, Pangasinan/ with reports from PIO)

DAGUPAN CITY, March 12 (PIA) – A new computed tomography (CT) scan machine is now installed at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) to provide patients access to lower cost of scan procedures.

The Hitachi Supria 16-slices CT scan machine, which was under a Private-Public-Partnership scheme agreement with the provincial government and HIMEX Corporation, was inaugurated by Governor Amado Espino, Jr. on March 10 at the PPH Emergency Room/Laboratory Complex in San Carlos City.

Espino said the installation of the new equipment will serve as highly beneficial to all sick and indigent Pangasinan people because the cost of treatment to be collected on regular paying patients will be much lower than the cost offered by private hospitals in the province.

He added that indigent patients covered with the No Balance Billing and Point of Care program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) may avail of the CT scan procedure free of charge including reader’s fee.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jeremy Rosario, chief assistant of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), said that the CT scan procedures offered by the provincial hospital were guaranteed much lower compared with other hospitals in the Ilocos Region.

The machine was provided to the provincial hospital by the Himex Corporation with no cash out from the provincial government under a five-year contract, Rosario said before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members on Monday adding that “the HIMEX Hitachi CT Scan machine costs P35 million.”

Rosario said the provincial hospital will be collecting payments for the corporation to recover its investments on the machine.

“In the first two consecutive years of the five-year agreement, the first three patients of everyday CT scan machine service will be directly remitted to the corporation in a monthly basis, while the remaining patients’ payment will go to the province,” he said adding that the process will be reversed for the last three years of the agreement.

Under the ordinance providing the policies and fees of the newly installed machine, the number of procedures to be done per day was limited into ten cases to avoid overuse of the equipment, however the CT scanner will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

DPWH allots P85 M for Dagupan river protection project

By Leonardo V. Micua (PNA), CTB/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, Mar. 11 (PNA)--Some P85 million was allotted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) this year for the extension of the Pantal River Protection Project from Barangay Lasip Chico to Malued and also to Barangay Pantal here.

This was reported by Second Pangasinan Engineering District chief Rodolfo Dion to Mayor Belen Fernandez during her executive meeting with her department heads last March 9.

Dion said P50 million was allotted for Phase II of the river protection dike from Barangay Lasip Chico to Barangay Malued. The bidding for this project is now ongoing.

Phase I of the project in Barangay Lasip is now complete and was funded at a cost of P35 million.

The project, when completed, will prevent flooding in Barangays Lasip Chico and Malued as the water flowing along the upper stream of the Pantal River from adjacent Calasiao will no longer spill over down to residential areas.

Meanwhile, Dion said another P35 million was allotted by DPWH for the improvement of the dike in Barangay Pantal, which is different from the Gabion type of river revetment built last year by the Agno River Flood Control Office (ARFCO).

Pantal Barangay Captain Julie Perez noted that the Gabion revetment is now being slowly destroyed by vandals who are removing rocks loosely piled up over wire casement and might eventually render the whole structures useless.

Dion said he will coordinate shortly with ARFCO as he believes the project built by a contractor has a warranty period and has not yet expired.

He asked Barangay Captain Perez and the city government to help in hastening the relocation of informal settlers along the bank of the Pantal River who will be affected by river protection project.

As to the barangay road from Tebeng, Dion said that the P11 million worked out by Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia with the Department of Agriculture for the rehabilitation of the roadway has not yet been released.

Dion admitted that the Tebeng road is under the jurisdiction of the city government but Rep. De Venecia asked the DA to bankroll its rehabilitation using its infra fund.

Dion also announced that the widening of A.B. Fernandez Avenue East from the junction of Arellano and M.H. del Pilar streets to Barangay Tambac or a distance of more than one kilometer is set to start before the end of March.

Mayor Fernandez hailed the project as this consists not only of road widening but also provision of sidewalks for pedestrians and new drainage system that will drain its water to the Tambac River.

This project costing P20 million is another initiative of Rep. De Venecia who was also responsible for the upgrading of A.B. Fernandez Avenue from the eastern junction to the junction of Burgos Street, which was completed in the third quarter of 2014. .

This is a continuation of the upgrading of A.B. Fernandez Avenue up to the downtown area which was completed sometime in the middle of 2013.

Christopher Flores, an engineer representing the contractor of the project, assured that work on this project will not hamper the celebration of the Bangus Festival 2015 which is due to start on April 16 as they will begin the project on the Tambac side.

Not much traffic bottleneck is expected as the drainage system will be done first, said Flores.


DA’s school-on air program produces 1,113 graduates in Pangasinan

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

STA. BARBARA,Pangasinan, Mar 10 (PIA) – At least 1,113 agricultural workers and farmers received their certificates as graduates in the School -On-Air (SOA) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The graduates, who came from the 25 participating municipalities of Pangasinan, were trained on sustainable mango production.

Rogelio Evangelista, center director of the Agricultural Training Institute in Region I, said the program aims to provide and update farmers with the knowledge and skills on sustainable mango production farming system and help them achieve and sustain productivity, profitability, and environment- safety mango farming technologies.

Antonieta Arceo, officer-in-charge of the Information Services Division of ATI Central Office, represented Director Asterio Saliot and talked about three C’s: choice, chance and change.

“You have to make a choice to take a chance and your life will change,” Arceo said during the graduation ceremonies in Sta. Barbara town on Wednesday.

Of the 1,113 graduates, 745 are males and 367 are females. The municipalities with the highest number of participants were awarded with cash prizes. These are: Sta. Maria with 132 participants (P10,000); Bautista with 123 (P7,000) and Binalonan with 105 (P5,000).

Top achievers in the SOA program were awarded with certificates of recognition, medals and cash prizes. They are Remedios Dingle of Manaoag (First Honor); Kenneth Lavarias of San Carlos CIty (Second Honor); and Norwen Ian Cervera of Anda (Third Honor). Nineteen other graduates were given distinctions.

Cash prizes were given by the provincial government through Gov. Amado Espino, Jr.

The school-on-air program started airing on November 4, 2014 until March 4, 2015 over DZRD Sonshine Radio – 981 KHz in Dagupan City.

Women’s Month celeb up in Pangasinan

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

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Mar. 9 (PIA) – The Pangasinan State University (PSU) has lined up several activities in celebration of the Women’s Month this March.

Dr. Dexter Buted ,PSU president, said the university has started conducting the activities in its nine campuses. These include contests on poster-making, slogan-making, skit, dance and the song composition and rendition based on the theme “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!”

A unity walk, medical and dental mission and zumba dance were also part of the campus-wide celebrations.

“Forums on anti- bullying, anti violence against women, magna carta for women and breast cancer and cervical cancer awareness were also conducted in the campuses,” said Buted.

Dr. Merlita Santos, focal director for the Gender and Development Division of PSU, said the provincial or university-wide activities will commence on March 11 until March 13.

A film showing of ‘Boses,’ a film endorsed by the Philippine Women’s Commission, will be shown at the Sison Auditorium on March 11 followed by a Literary-Musical contest on March 12 where the first place winners in the campuses will compete for the provincial level.

On March 13, prominent women leaders will share their best practices and experiences to promote gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness. Guests will include Regional Director Teoticia Taguibao of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the four Congresswomen of Pangasinan and two lady mayors of the province.

Ilang-ilang plantation eyed in 2 Pangasinan towns

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

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, March 9 (PNA) -- Two towns in Pangasinan are being eyed to become ilang-ilang (cananga odorata) commercial plantation sites where an oil extraction facility will also be built.

In an interview with second district Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, he said that a people's organization in Bugallon town may be a possible partner for the project.

He said the people's organization already signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Environment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

"In line with the National Greening Program, the DENR will provide funds to the organization for the purpose of planting trees, and then we can have a private-public partnership (for the ilang-ilang project)," Bataoil said.

He said that last December, his high school classmate Fred Reyes of the Chemworld Fragrance Factory visited Sitio Mapita, Barangay Laoag in Aguilar, the other identified ilang-ilang plantation site.

The sitio is home to more or less 800 tribal people from three tribes -- Ibaloi, Kankana-ey and Bag-o.

Reyes said there is a big demand for ilang-ilang oil in and outside the country.

If the project is realized, Pangasinan will produce ilang-ilang oil for fragrance manufacturing companies in the Philippines and abroad, like France.

Reyes stressed that the community will spearhead the plantation and extraction, and their company will only assist in terms of technology and other resources.

Bataoil has met up with the DENR for the proposal in connection with the establishment of the sustainable livelihood program by means of ilang-ilang plantation.

He also said the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will be tapped to provide small water impounding systems since the "very hot" climate, according to the DENR, may decrease ilang-ilang's survival rate.

A meeting with the people's organization and concerned local government units is also now being organized.

Ilang-ilang, on an average, takes five years to bear flowers.

The plant originated in the Philippines but the top ilang-ilang producer in the world at present is the Comoros Island.

Dagupan LGU, GMA 7 sign partnership for 2015 Bangus Festival

(PNA), LAM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 7 (PNA) -- Preparations for the 2015 Bangus Festival have started when Mayor Belen Fernandez signed a partnership agreement with GMA Network, Inc. (GMA 7) aiming to bring the festival to the hearts of millions of viewers not just from Dagupan and Pangasinan but also from other key cities nationwide and across the world.

The signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) was held March 6 at the CSI the City Mall Big Atrium.

Mayor Fernandez said this year's theme of the month-long Bangus Festival that will run from April to first week of May is "Happiest Fish Fest Ever!"

Various events and activities lined up in this festival include the 'Gilon-Gilon ed Baley' street dance competition on April 17, Tri-Bangus Triathlon Race on April 19, Festivals of the North on April 26, " Bangus International Cuisine Showcase April 27, and the Bangusan Street Party on April 30.

“Our partnership with GMA Network will provide the Bangus Festival a national and global stage for us to present our famous bangus, further solidifying Dagupan's place as the Bangus Capital of the World,” said Fernandez.

Present during the MOA signing were GMA TV Central Luzon Station Manager Jojo Balingit; AVP and Head for Integrated Marketing Services Division of GMA Regional TV Oliver Amoroso; and City Administrator Farah Decano.

Also in attendance were Dagupan City department heads, barangay leaders, and GMA actor Steven Silva.

Film appreciation workshop held for Pangasinense film enthusiasts

By Venus May H. Sarmiento (MCA/VHS/PIA-1/Pangasinan)

ROSALES, Pangasinan, Mar. 6 (PIA) - Acclaimed film director Brillante Mendoza led on Wednesday a film appreciation workshop for Pangasinense film enthusiasts to boost film as an art.

More than 500 high school and college students, professionals and members of photographer and videographer clubs got first-hand insights on directing, acting, production design, cinematography and musical scoring from Mendoza during the workshop held at the theater of SM City in Rosales town.

The film in review was Mendoza’s 2012 film ‘Captive’ topbilled by European actress Isabelle Huppert as Therese Bourgoine, one of the captives in the 2001 kidnapping incident in Palawan where Muslim terrorist group Abu Sayyaf took numerous people hostage from the Dos Palmas resort.

“Even if the material is a fusion of 75 percent real incidents and 25 percent fiction, I still treated the whole film as an actual event,” Mendoza said about ‘Captive.’

Roselle Gale, public relations officer of SM City-Rosales said the mall chain is helping promote Mendoza’s film showing festival to advocate awareness and appreciation among the youth about film and how a film is done.

“The advocacy promotes the use of film as a form of expression, communication and as a form of art. Mendoza is also into promoting the alternative art movement or independent film,” Gale explained.

A film showing and an exhibit of Mendoza’s works was launched on Tuesday at SM Rosales. The same activity will also be conducted at the SM mall in Baguio City.

BSP official confirms counterfeit money comes out before every election

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 5 (PNA) -- An official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has confirmed reports that counterfeit money usually comes out months before the election.

Luzviminda Soriano, BSP assistant director in Dagupan City, said this during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas (KBP) forum in Dagupan City on Thursday.

Thus, there is a need for people to scrutinize the paper bills they are receiving, she said, even as she hinted that some politicians or their supporters may have something to do with the fake money in circulation prior to every election.

This had, in fact started as there has been a report by the police that a woman identified only as Bernadette Mangaliag, a resident of Barangay Agdao, San Carlos City, was arrested at the public market in Agno town when she bought grocery items from one store at past noon of March 4 using a counterfeit P1,000 bill.

Soriano said that the BSP has intensified its information-education drive to teach the people how to detect counterfeit money, although she also said that the New Generation Currency (NGC) which is now in circulation since last year has special features that are hard to fake.

She said it is usually in areas which cannot be reached by BSP's information-education drive where the fake money syndicate is circulating the counterfeit bills.

In her talk before KBP members, Soriano admitted that there was a number of persons already arrested by the police in the past for passing counterfeit bills and some, she added, were monitored to have already been convicted in court.

She said in cases filed against counterfeiters, it is their central office that usually authenticates whether a paper bill is genuine or fake, which usually takes time.

Ma. Lourdes Manaois, BSP research specialist, said the legal tender paper money is made up of 20 percent Philippine abaca and 80 percent cotton, which makes it hard to counterfeit.

She said the NGC bills can be felt by the hands as the numbers and letters are embossed and thus are difficult to duplicate.

But still, people are producing counterfeit money, thinking that it may not be noticed in a fast-paced transaction.

Pangasinan reaps 3rd rice achievers' award

(PNA), RMA/LVM/LVMICUA/1900/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan March 4 (PNA)--It’s final.

The province of Pangasinan has romped off with the coveted National Rice Achievers’ Award title for the third straight year covering two cropping seasons in 2014.

This was relayed Wednesday (Mar. 4) by Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla who said that Pangasinan will receive the award in awarding ceremonies to be held in Metro-Manila on March 25.

Batalla is point man of Governor Amado Espino Jr. in the provincial government’s rice program.

“The exact venue of the awarding ceremonies has not been fixed yet. But we have been notified that the province is one of the country’s top three rice producers last year,” Batalla said.

The province will receive a trophy and a cash prize of Php 4 million during the awarding ceremonies, he said. In all, the province has earned Php 12 million in cash prize from the yearly search since 2012.

“We will convince Gov. Espino to personally receive the trophy and the cash prize since this is already the third time we have been adjudged as one of the top rice producers in the country”, he said.

He added that the board of judges from the Department of Agriculture has not yet revealed if Pangasinan has finally overtaken Isabela in over-all performance. In 2013, it was third behind Isabela and Nueva Ecija in rice production.

In gunning for the award, the provincial government has banked its claim on a rice productivity enhancement program launched in 2012 when the provincial government decided to plow in funds, extend outreach technology services and provide support infrastructure to rice farmers in the province.

As a result of the program, about 150,000 rice farmers in Pangasinan harvested 1.099 metric tons of rice last year which was 34,166 tons higher than total harvests the previous year, data collected by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics had shown.

As part of the rice program, the provincial government extended partly subsidized and interest-free loans in the form of fertilizer and certified seeds to 2,130 farmers in 14 rice producing towns.

It also put on the ground Php 275 million in support infrastructure projects that included small irrigation systems, farm-to-market roads, multi -purpose pavements used for sun drying, and bridges.

In tandem with the Department of Agriculture and a non-government organization, the province expanded its seed production and distribution project that resulted in 75 percent of the province’s rice farmers shifting to the full use of certified and hybrid palay seeds.

These resulted in higher harvest for each farmer that resulted to an over-all growth in total harvests by about four percent, much higher than the national average of less than two percent.

Good farmgate prices of palay also resulted in higher earnings for each of the individual rice farmers last year.

Dagupan to launch Violence Against Women and Children hotline

(PNA), LAP/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

DAGUPAN CITY, March 3 (PNA) -- The City Government of Dagupan is all set to launch on March 6 another hotline - this time to protect women and children against any form of violence.

The Violence Against Women and Children (VACS) hotline will be launched during the Women’s Summit at CSI the City Mall Big Atrium in celebration of the 2015 National Women’s Month.

Mayor Belen Fernandez will lead a summit on the theme “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!”.

The summit will be graced by Akbayan Party Chairperson and Director, Health Care Providers Sector of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Ana Theresia Hontiveros; and Cathryne Jonne T. Licudine-Dalen, Assistant Secretary, Office of the Planning and Public Affairs, Presidential Communications Operations Office.

The city's Gender and Development Focal Person Marrien Mejia said that the hotline will provide access for women who are victims of different forms of abuses including rape.

“With this hotline, we can reach out to women who need counseling, legal advice, a free check-up if there is a need for it. All that they have to do is text or call us, identify their concerns and then we will validate their concerns and give them our assistance,” Mejia said.

The city kicked off its Women’s Month Celebration on March 2 during the flag raising ceremony simultaneous with the observance of Fire Prevention Month.

Pangasinan to mark Earth Day on April 22

(MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

DAGUPAN CITY, March 2 (PIA) – The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) will hold exhibits, clean-up drives and mangrove planting to mark Earth Day on April 22.

PENRO Chief Leduina Co said the activities will remind people to be conscious in protecting and conserving the environment so it can be enjoyed by the future generation.

She said Earth Day will also be showcased as part of this year’s celebration of Pistay Dayat (Sea Festival) and the Bangus Festival in Dagupan City to inculcate environmental protection among locals and tourists.

Previously, the provincial government deferred fireworks display during the entire duration of the Pistay Dayat celebration as its contribution in protecting Mother Earth.

The provincial government also enforced an ordinance banning the use of plastics and styrofoam on food products during the festivity.

President Corazon Aquino issued on April 16, 1990 Proclamation No. 553 making Earth Day officially celebrated in the Philippines every April 22.

Earth Day is considered the single biggest environmental celebration in the world participated in by more than 150 countries, including the Philippines, and over a billion people worldwide.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Earth Day Everyday, Everywhere, for Everyone.”

Bike-the-Dike Challenge in Mangaldan

By Hilda Austria (PNA)

MANGALDAN— The first mountain bike challenge in Pangasinan, “Bike the Dike”, wil be staged in Mangaldan on March 7 here to promote the town’s newly established bike trail as the initial stage for the its planned Eco-Park project.

The 15- kiloment bike trail, traversing six barangays, was carved along the Angalacan River where the planned Eco-Park will be developed.

The promotion of the bike trail ahead of the development of the park is aimed at capitalizing on the Angalacan river’s claim to fame as the cleanest and longest river in the province.

The planned Eco-Park Dike project, to be funded by the national government and the local government, will cover an eight-kilometer stretch, that wil feature the bike trail covering six barangays of the town.

The project, as conceptualized by the Mangaldan police station (MPS) with the local government, will not only help establish a tourist destination in the town but will also help greater awareness for the need to protect and preserve the Angalacan river system.

According to P/Supt. Jackie Candelario, police chief, the construction of a dike along the river presents an opportunity to develop an eco-park.

A bike trail for mountain bikers is already in place in anticipation of the construction of the dike to complete the portion of the addition to the upcoming Eco Park project.

Charles Buenvenida, mountain biking enthusiast said the trail here is a complete package with its uphill, downhill, sand, single track and rough terrains.

“It is friendly for beginners but requires technical and riding skills”, said P/Insp. Rommel Saguilot.

The competition will be in four categories – ladies, newbie, executive and mixed relay.

Registration fee costs P350 with a finisher’s t-shirt, race bib and other items from sponsors.

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