ALAMINOS CITY—Come to Hundred Islands National Park but strictly no eating of its giant clams.

A Taiwanese national who came here learned a hard lesson when he was apprehended by Bantay Dagat personnel for killing a giant clam (Tridacna gigas) at the Quezon Island apparently as an aphrodisiac food.

Mayor Hernani Braganza told this writer in a phone interview that Tsoa Kuang-Chih, temporarily residing at Baguio City, was arrested for violating Section 97 of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550) and the National Integrated Protected Area System Act (RA7586).

Perhaps amazed by the presence of several giant clams in the park, Tsoa could not resist harvesting one and cooked it kilawen style ( its meat sliced and mixed with vinegar, ginger, onions, pepper and salt).

Braganza said Tsoa was with a group of visitors and they had a tourist guide who warned them that such act of getting giant clams is prohibited. But when the guide left, Tsoa followed his instinct and got one giant clam. A boatman saw him and reported the incident to the authorities.

Tsoa apologized for his act and claimed he didn’t know about Philippine laws governing giant clams. But he was nonetheless fined with P40,000 or less than a thousand US dollars.

The penalty was based on the gravity of his offense along with the number of years of the giant clam multiplied with its current value appraised by city’s fish examiner and Tanggol Kalikasan, Public Interest Environment Law Office based in the city headed by Atty. Nhelie Lagura.

Braganza said the city government allows tourists to take pictures, snorkel and hold the giant clams. “But we let them (tourists) know that they just cannot poach or hunt giant clams, collect corrals and gather bonsais at our city’s protected treasure,” he said.

In mid 1990s, then President Fidel Ramos, Braganza’s uncle, initiated the giant clam seeding at the Hundred Islands.

Braganza has taken huge strides in realizing his vision of making the park the Giant Clam Garden of Asia and conservation of the city’s protein bowl.

The Giant Clam and Corral Garden near the Quezon Island is one of the main tourist attractions today at the national park.

No less than 7,000 giant clams at the Hundred Islands are currently being protected by the city government’s Bantay Dagat and the local police.

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Very soon, Pangasinan will carve a new name as the Festival Capital of the country with its array of festivals in many towns and cities in the province.
In Metro Manila, May 1 is a day of street protest among workers pressing for wage increase and other benefits.

But not in Pangasinan where May 1 is a day of swimming and family picnic along the province’s long stretch of beautiful beaches. Not only Pangasinenses have made it a tradition to troop to the beaches, enjoy the summer heat by swimming all day long and partaking of home-cooked food for a day of picnic at the sea during the first of May.

What used to be a simple thanksgiving for the bounties of the sea has evolved into a week-long event of trade and food fair, singing and dancing, selection of Pangasinan’s most beautiful lady. And then came the parade of Pangasinan’s festivals which draws more and more tourists.
“

Each town has its own characteristics and traditions. In a sense, we unite everybody here by putting what we have,” said Governor Victor Agbayani.

Those who had established their own festival were invited to join the parade held in front of the Capitol Building here on May 1. On that day, thousands of Pangasinenses and those living in nearby provinces came and enjoyed the merriment as they watched street dancers gaily dance to the beat of the drums under the scorching summer heat, clad in colorful costumes and depict through their dance steps how their own festival came into existence.

Pandan Festival

Through the initiative of Mapandan Mayor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Pandan Festival highlights the unique product of the town, pandan (screw pine) from which its town’s name was derived from.

The first Pandan Festival in 2003 showcased the town’s agricultural wealth, a celebration of its people’s industry and diligence as well as a commemoration of the town history.
In 2004, Pandan Festival traced legends highlighting the origin and various uses of the pandan plant. Last year, the celebration focused on the status of the town as a community and the origin of its barangays.

This year, it featured its traditions and cultures as well as a one-of-a kind cookfest that exotic ingredients like frogs, bats, monitor lizard, among others.
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DAGUPAN CITY—House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr said he is fully supporting the action taken by President Gloria Arroyo and the Cabinet to reduce the tariff on imported oil.

De Venecia told local newsmen here that the rising cost of fuel is a global calamity.

He said he also hopes the Senate will now pass the Ethanol Law approved by the House of Representatives principally authored by Congressman Miguel Zubiri which the Lower House had passed several months ago but still pending in the Senate.

De Venecia who was in Romania last week said he discussed with the foreign president the possibility of large- scale importation by the Philippines of passenger trucks to be used in the metropolitan areas that are fueled by compressed natural gas.

He said this is advantageous for two reasons: one, it’s much cheaper and secondly, it’s much cleaner and there will be no pollution.

“I hope we can have as many as 5,000 buses all over the Philippines,” he said.

He said he has also invited the president of Romania to drill for oil and gas in the Philippines. As a result, the Romanian president directed his foreign ministry to draw up a framework agreement with the Philippines on the various proposals de Venecia made to him including the drilling for oil and gas.

De Venecia noted that almost a hundred years ago, Romania was ahead of the Arabs and has successful oil drilling among the European powers.

At the same time, de Venecia stressed the need to expand the country’s commercial ties with the Russian Far East which has major oil production in Sakhalin and nearer than the Middle East by tanker.

If this pushes through, he said tankers can go straight from Manila Bay to Sakhalin which is just off Japan and off Korea.

DAGUPAN CITY—House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr said “the people’s initiative is now far advanced”.

Talking to local newsmen in his Bonuan Binloc residence the other night, de Venecia said when Congress reconvenes on May 15, “Maybe by that time, the people’s initiative would have gone even much farther”.

But he added he believes that maybe by May 15, there will be a challenge in the Supreme Court.

At the same time, he said at that time, they will finalize their signature gathering in the House.

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DAGUPAN CITY–Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the response of the government to all those who dare go to the streets to protest doubtful government economic plans, programs and projects during the Labor Day celebration on May 1 is disturbing

Cruz said the government wants the workers to "be still, to keep quiet, to go home. Otherwise, have the 1017 once more!"

"There must be something very strong in a country when precisely during Labor Day, the laborers lambast the government instead of allow it to honor them," he said.
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URDANETA CITY—The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) based here and the local government unit in this city launched the other day “Sagipin ang Puno, Mag Ipon ng Diaryo” that aims to establish socialized fuel plantations that will provide alternative livelihood source for charcoal makers while saving public forests from proceeds of selling old newspapers.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under Leduina Co, CENRO head in this city, for this “very worthy project”.

Co admitted that they now have zero budget for reforestation since 2003, or if at all there is fund available, it can only reforest 10 hectares every year compared to the 49,000 hectares of forest lands under her jurisdiction that covers 15 towns and this city in eastern Pangasinan.

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DAGUPAN CITY—About half a million people are expected to converge here for the staging of the world- renowned Kalutan ed Dagupan (Grill in Dagupan) that has made this city a Guinness World Record holder for longest barbeque
on April 30 at 5:30 p.m.

This is the culminating activity of the Bangus Festival, now on its fifth year, according to Councilor Nick Aquino, this year’s Bangus Festival chairman. Aquino said the Kalutan promises to be the ultimate party where people from all walks of life can watch various well known performers along A.B. Fernandez Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare while they grill the tastiest bangus (milkfish) in the world.

There will be 12 concert stages to be set up to accommodate a host of celebrities and popular bands to perform during the affair.

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This is an article from the Office of Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez of Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines

Bangus fest to feature Dagupan’s Best

If you think you have the tastiest recipe for tocino, longganisa, boneless bangus and other Dagupan-made food products, then you can join Dagupan’s Best.

Dagupan’s Best, which will be held on April 27, 2006 at the New Malimgas Market, will be launched as part of this year’s Bangus Festival as a competition of original recipes for locally-made tocino, longganisa, tapa, lumpiang bangus, burong mangga, atsara, tinapang bangus, boneless bangus, ube, pastilyas and bocayo.

“This is our way of promoting special recipes for the different products,” said Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, chairman of the Dagupan’s Best project.
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ROSALES, Pangasinan—His world revolves around works on engineering but his passion is into cycling.

Public Works Ilocos regional director Engr. Fidel Ginez of this town has been celebrating his birthday with the cyclists for already 13 years.

On April 30, Ginez will sponsor again the Engr. Fidel Ginez 13th Cycling Classic which brings together some 130 professional riders all over the country for a competition.

The 165-kilometer race starts from Asingan, San Manuel, Tayug, San Nicolas, Natividad, San Quintin, Umingan, Balungao, Rosales, Villasis and back to Asingan, Binalonan and San Manuel.

Ginez said since he became chief of Agno Flood Control Office in 1994, he started this project to help cyclists after the famous Tour of Luzon stopped. He said his family is very supportive of his intention and a yearly allocation from their budget is segregated for this purpose.

He said it’s worth his effort and resources as the race had produced cycling champs like Arnel Quirimit.

Ginez shoulders all the expenses for the holding of the race and politely shuns offers from interested sponsors, including politicians.

It was his father, the late Santiago Ginez who influenced him to develop fondness of cycling. During his childhood years, his father would tag him along during the Tour of Luzon to watch the cyclists on the road somewhere along Urdaneta City and Binalonan.

The young Ginez said he too tried his luck in local cycling race but was not lucky to win.

His cycling race was originally in Asingan only until no less than Tour of Luzon champion, Jess Garcia from Mangaldan town urged him to expand the coverage of the race. Garcia is helping him with his cycling project.

Since the race is held during his birthday, Ginez prepares five to six pigs to feed his visitors and well- wishers composed mostly of cyclists.

For this year, P12,000 awaits the champion and 10 major prizes.

Ginez said for as long as he is living, he will continue with his passion for cycling and in his mission to help the cyclists. –

DAGUPAN CITY—Unknown to many Ilocanos in Santa and Cauayan, Ilocos Sur, and in Abra, a fish named “pigek” or “bulidao” is as precious as gold that promises to give them fortune if properly conserved and preserved.

In fact, Dr. Westly Rosario, executive director of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) who is also the center chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bonuan Binloc here, said BFAR is offering “double the price” of live pigek turned over to them in a bid to conserve the fish which is now in danger of becoming extinct in Cotabato area because of uncontrolled and unregulated fishing.

Pigek is a highly priced fish in southern Philippines and caught in commercial volume in Rio Grande de Mindanao, Tamontaka River and Polangi River, Cotabato. It has an excellent taste comparable to other priced fish like grouper “lapu-lapu” and blue marlin. Latest information on its market price is about P1,000 per kilogram in the area and it is presented as a gift to some high ranking government officials in Manila.

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