Alcala town in the beautiful province of Pangasinan greets the world anew when it bids for two Guinness Book of World Records titles for the longest grill and the longest barbeque grill.

Actually, I have written a separate story on this in my column in Sunday Punch (http://sundaypunch.prepys.com under Business Log) in its Feb.26,2006 issue.

Just this afternoon, we (members of the local media) had a talk with Mayor Manuel Collado who told us more about the event.

Alcala will have its 3,000 meters long barbeque grill. That's three kilometers. That means it is hoping to dislodge Dagupan City's 2005 attempt on the same category with its 2.2-kilometer long barbeque grill.

While Dagupeños grilled their famous Bonuan bangus, Alcalenians will grill pork and bangus (milkfish) for the documentation. Later during the party, people can grill anything from chicken, hotdogs, vegetables, talaba (oysters) or what-have-you.

For the longest grill, it will have its 150-meter long grill. The current record holder had only a 30-meter long grill, based on an information provided by Collado.
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DAGUPAN CITY–Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said a strong peso with a weak purchasing power is a big bad joke.

Cruz said in a statement that time and again the administration and its technocrats sing the ever increasing strength of the peso.

"Yet people who not live in Malacañang, big mansions
nor high rise condominiums but in simple houses if not under the bridges have been asking long since a simple question: if the peso is going strong, why does it buy less and less? If the peso is becoming valuable, why does it take so much of it to buy so little in the market," Cruz, former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, asked.

He said in the day to day living of the ordinary Filipino-and these are millions-the so called “strong peso” is in fact irrelevant. For all intents and purposes, let it be a “weak peso” provided it buys enough food and clothing, he said.

"A strong peso with a weak purchasing power is a big bad joke," he added.

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DAGUPAN CITY—Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Arturo Lomibao has called on all police chiefs in the country to be always on their toes as the Pasig City shabu tiangge (flea market) recently raided by the police might be also operating right in their very noses in their areas.

Lomibao told local newsmen here Sunday afternoon at the Bonuan Binloc residence of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. here that,” It’s possible it also happens in other parts of the country”.

He described the incident where shabu was sold in tiangges very, very close to the police community precinct and government offices where addicts bought and consumed the illegal drugs in shanties as “incomprehensible, it’s unimaginable, it’s unthinkable to a have that kind of tiangge to exist in the neighborhood or in the heart of the city”.
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DAGUPAN CITY–As if the numerous gamblings the country has are not yet enough, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) will launch another numbers' game called "Keno"

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a staunch anti-gambling advocate, said yesterday that "just like any gambling form, it promises excitement plus huge winnings—but as usual, the gamblers are ultimately the losers".

When asked by this reporter how Keno is played, Cruz said in a text message ," Numbers din-hi and low brakets. Tama na ito. Baka ma-arouse ko pa magsugal ang iba".

As he had been emphasizing, Cruz, also chairman of Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng (Crusade for Jueteng-Free Philippines), said that like in other gamblings the country already had too much of, the gambling operators are the final winners.

"And watch out for other legalized forms of gambling. They are “under study”," Cruz said.

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DAGUPAN CITY—About 4,000 delegates of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games will experience the fun and excitement of the Kalutan ed Dagupan (Grill in Dagupan) that made this city a world record holder when they themselves will grill bangus (milkfish) in a repeat of the world famous grill tonight (Wednesday, Feb. at the city plaza.

Lawyer Gonzalo Duque, president of PRISAA and regional president of said sports organization in region 1 who spearheads this week-long sports competition in Pangasinan, said this will be a once-in-a-lifetime treat for the athletes and the first time that a national event staged in this premier province will themselves take part of the bangus grill.

“I am really happy that God has been guiding us and letting us have a lot of experience in terms of how we prepared the games and the hosting,” Duque, also the president of Lyceum Northwestern University based here, said.

Pangasinan is lucky to host the event after PRISAA’s 53 years in existence. President Gloria Arroyo graced the opening ceremonies Monday at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in the capital town of Lingayen.

“It (the hosting) will project us as a gracious host,” Duque added

The bangus grill will be courtesy of Dagupan City government with each delegate provided free with one-half bangus, one hotdog and one barbeque.

Each of the 16 regions will be given about three grills which they can use to cook their food.

The party starts at 6:00 p.m. and about 2,000 pieces of delicious bangus, the world-famous product here, will be grilled.

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DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan—The chief of Standards and Regulation Division (SRD) of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) region 1 called on the people to beware of “drug peddlers on wheels” selling medicines on board vans similar to traders doing a house-to-house direct selling.

Dr. Reynaldo Jacinto, SRD chief, told this writer in a phone interview that these drug peddlers are operating illegally in the Ilocos region because they don’t have licensed depot in the area where they are doing their business.

“Drug distributors may be legitimate in their place where they have license to operate. However the moment they carry their stocks in a van, sell it to drugstores in region 1, that’s foul,” Jacinto said.

He added that peddling is illegal because their van becomes extension of their warehouse, say in Pampanga, Cabanatuan or Manila, he said. He added that to be legal, they have to put up a duly registered depot in region 1.

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BINMALEY, Pangasinan–Townsfolk here are all agog as this town, known as the Fish Bowl of Pangasinan, will take the center stage when it stages the first-ever Sugpo and Malaga Festival on Feb. 2 as part of its 416th town fiesta celebration.

Sugpo (prawns) and malaga (siganid) are considered as the “hidden wealth” of this old and quiet town.

It will not just be purely fun and excitement when this big day comes as proceeds for this activity will be used for a noble purpose.

Municipal Administrator Josefina Victorio told this writer who also hails from this municipality that this historic affair also aims to inform Pangasinenses and everyone that the municipality produces the best and the greatest volume of (tiger) prawns in the province.

Municipal Councilor Leo Urmaza chairs the sugpo festival committee and the event is highlighted by a dinner-for-a-cause with sugpo locally known as bingalo as the main course cooked in different ways , as well as malaga (siganid) which is another top product of the town and other side dishes.

Incidentally, it was Urmaza's late father, former Councilor Marciano Urmaza Sr, who started the malaga culture here. This earned for the elder Urmaza to be cited as the Most Outstanding Fishfarmer from the national government then.

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ALAMINOS CITY—The Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) found here ranked third, out of 20 nominees, in the on-line survey conducted by the Asia Pacific Management Forum for the Best Place in Asia.

Mayor Hernani Braganza told local reporters that this good news brings back to the consciousness of tourists that there is this world-famous Hundred Islands, famous for its clear waters sparkling like diamonds as the sun’s golden rays touch the pristine sea, its white fine sand, lush green vegetation, deep blue water, unique rock formation and vast marine resources.

The 100 Islands is the only natural attraction in the Philippines located in Pangasinan province that made it to the paramount line-up all over Asia. It garnered an approval rate of 15.13 per cent or 477 votes out of 3,153 on-line voters besting other popular and beautiful tourist destinations in the country.
Penang, Malaysia was the top favorite followed by Koh Samui Thailand.

The “Best Place” category includes cities, small towns, country areas, event natural attractions or “special places” that for various reasons may have a unique and special attraction.

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DAGUPAN CITY— Do your homework and stop bellyaching!

These are the strong words of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, fed up by the constant “badmouthing” of Mayor Benjamin Lim against him, as he finally released his punches, so to say, against the mayor.

Lim accused de Venecia of blocking the bangus processing plant project and of giving only small projects in the city compared to other towns under de Venecia’s turf in the fourth district of Pangasinan, among others.
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While jueteng, a popular illegal numbers game, has its lull in most parts of the country, this is not enough reason for anti-gambling crusaders to rejoice as there is forthcoming small town lottery (STL) as a gambling salute to the New Year set to take off on Jan. 15.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, chairman of Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, said Friday that,” It (STL) is scheduled to be made operational this 15 January to exploit the poor more and make fools of the unwary—and enrich the already rich and famous”.

Those behind the operation of STL, according to Cruz, are “a known high ranking police official, a big financier, and an identifiable mayor”. They will have their franchise from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for the STL operation whose mechanics are similar to jueteng, he added.

He said the sharing scheme would be 10 percent each for the mayor, collector and PCSO, three percent for the cabo and two percent each for the governor and the Philippine National Police.
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