LINGAYEN, Pangasinan-The provincial agriculturist fears that “if the coal spill (in Agno town) will not be controlled immediately it will result in the continuing damage in the already established coral reef in the area”.

Jose Almendares told local reporters that the provincial government has been into protecting areas that have been identified by the municipalities because of the Coastal Resources Management enforcement of fishery laws.

“Rehabilitating the same is something that would require us time, millions of investment also for the government and private sector as well,” he said.

Lawyer Virgilio Solis, provincial administrator, sent Friday a
demand letter to the owner of the barge LCT Eisner based in Dagat-dagatan, Malabon, giving him 10 days to remove the vessel and pay damages or face legal action. The decision was arrived at after an emergency meeting held at the Urduja House upon the order of Gov. Victor Agbayani.
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URDANETA CITY, Pangasinan—The police chief here was sacked after elements of Anti- Illegal Gambling Task Force based in Camp Crame confiscated one illegal video machine locally known as “tiwtiw” here.

Police Superintendent Johnny Bacbac told this writer that he
was “saddened by his relief but as a good soldier I will abide by my superiors' order”.

Bacbac was sacked allegedly due to the one-strike policy of the
police department on illegal gambling.

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SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan- As thousands of students will march this month for their graduation in school, here’s a message from a visually-impaired woman, a Magna Cum Laude graduate, for hundred others who take their studies for granted.

Minnie Aveline Juan of this city, 21, the first Filipino Braille International awardee last year, advised students who have complete senses, not to waste the opportunity given them to be educated.

“Kung ako nga bulag nakaya ko po. Dapat mag-aral din silang mabuti (I am blind but I made it. They should also study hard),” she told this writer.

Juan graduated last year at the Trinity College in Quezon City where she took up Bachelor of Arts in English and was named the batch valedictorian after getting the highest average among the three magna cum laude graduates the time they graduated last March.

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I find the following worth pondering in reaction to the latest pronouncement of President Gloria Arroyo that the people should not lose hope because it was God's plan that she would run the country. This is not actually the first time that Mrs. Arroyo used God in her statements. Some sectors, including Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese, would like to remind Mrs. Arroyo that she should not use God's name in vain.

Here, posted yesterday in the Archbishop's blog.

personal opinion

One’s opinion about self is personal. One has all the right to believe, express and even defend it. It has to be respected in deference to the person thinking about self, looking at self and making a self-rating. This is the premise of the saying that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

This is relevant to the present Malacañang occupant with no less than a triple heavenly claim. God told her to run for the office although god before said too not to do so. A Pope, a man of God, endorsed her candidacy although he has gone to a better life then. God’s plan is the basis of her tenure of office. No wonder that there is rather loud claim that she is the best person to lead the country.

One’s personal opinion however no matter how strongly convinced the person sounds, is not immune to a contrary opinion of other persons. This is the nature of personal opinions. They are open to the contrary personal perceptions of others as well as to contrary objective realities.

That is why while there can be many who concur with the personal opinion of the holder of the presidential office, there is also a good number of people who vehemently disagree usually on the basis of the pitiful situation and circumstances obtaining in the country.

Not few painful brandings have been appended to the Philippines during her watch. The nation is said to be number one in corruption. It is said that it is second in ranking in the exploitation of women and children. Lately, it is claimed as the haven of illegal drugs.

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MAPANDAN, Pangasinan-This town wants to establish its name in Philippine map from the plant that gave its identity which is pandan (screw pine).

And it does so by holding the Pandan Festival, now on its fourth
year, on April 8.

Mayor Ferdinand Calimlim said this year becomes more exciting as
they will showcase a different kind of cooking exotic foods lice field mice, crickets, grasshoppers, snake, frogs, bats, or what-have-you-depending on their availability, using pandan leaves.

Intertwined with songs and dances to reminisce the rich arts and
culture of the town, Calimlim said people will be reminded about traditions, beliefs, and practices of the old folks which are still being followed like in courtship, marriages, birth, baptism, among others.

This town will turn 104 years old when it celebrates its town fiesta from April 3 to 9 and Calimlim said every year they present new concept using pandan. “We’re trying to remind people of how things were before,” he said.

With the theme” Baley Kon Mapandan, Inar arok Anggad Kapigan (My town Mapandan, I will love forever),” Calimlim said the food festival dubbed as “Hapag Pandan” will use pandan through a cooking competition for main dish like pork, beef, chicken, secondary food group like frogs, field mice, grasshoppers, etc., desserts and drinks.
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Whenever I watch Oscar Awards, I normally am not so interested about who won and what film was adjudged the best of them all.

Rather, my eyes are first glued on what kind of dress was worn by whom and if the actress or actor was dressed up well (that’s quite ambiguous) as what is nice and beautiful to me may not be exactly the same as anybody’s judgment .

I’m sure you made your own choices on whose styles soared and whose, well, sputtered.

So okay, the winners are all in the newspapers. But I’m sure, ladies out there were more interested about the fashion scene.

This reminds me of my visits to the Congress of the Philippines whenever there is a State of the Nation Address delivered by the President of the Philippines.

Modesty aside, I, together with some local friends, am lucky to have been part of this event with the invitation coming from no less than Speaker of the House, Jose de Venecia Jr. and his lovely wife, Gina.

In those times (I lost count already), our group scouts who among the congressional spouses was best dressed.

Gina de Venecia and Imee Marcos always top the list.

But behind their nice ternos or gowns is a question of how much of Juan dela Cruz’ money was spent for that?

Think of poor people having no food on their table, the sick who die for their inability to buy medicines, the old people and the young souls who have to sleep on the pavement in front of a store having only a piece of carton to protect their back against the cold cemented road shoulder or walkway.

See their flashing jewelry, the diamonds every woman loves. Their bags more expensive than my old yet reliable car.

These are the two sides of life in the Philippines.

DAGUPAN CITY—Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Arturo Lomibao said he doesn’t mind being tagged as “Editor Art” or a villain by media practitioners when the police did an aggressive role when Proclamation 1017 was declared by President Arroyo on Feb 24.

Lomibao was barraged with media criticisms when The Daily Tribune was raided by the police for its frequent jabs at the Arroyo administration.

He said they were constrained to temporarily take over The Tribune although they didn’t censor the publication. He said they zeroed in on The Tribune as it was “the one propagating disinformation which may contribute or exacerbate the atmosphere of instability”.

Asked by this reporter he felt being tagged as the kontrabida (villain) in the performance of newsmen’s job, Lomibao said,” That’s what you call hazards of the trade”.
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DAGUPAN CITY-Almost a year has passed after he made a brave expose on the evils of jueteng, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz still feels the heat of his crusade, aggravated when he headed the Silent Majority Prayer Movement after he was reportedly included in the order of battle of the government.

Cruz told newsmen Sunday that he will willingly go with arresting officers if they arrest him.

He said he got the information that he was included in the order of battle list “from a written intelligence report obtained by media and directly read to me by a media practitioner I know”.

But Philippine National Police Chief Director General Arturo Lomibao denied that Cruz was included in the list.

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SAN JACINTO, Pangasinan-House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr is like the famous Pinoy Big Brother in taking care of his six Housemates who are charged with rebellion.

De Venecia told this writer when he came here Friday to distribute Philhealth cards to indigent people that “for the first time in Philippine history, we were able to achieve something dramatic and the same time peaceful” regarding the plight of five members of the House who are staying at his ante room in his office until the preliminary investigation of their case is completed.

Accused of conspiring with Magdalo renegade military officers and the New People’s Army (NPA) to oust Mrs. Arroyo were Party-List Reps. Crispin Beltran, Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Teodoro Casiño, Joel Virador and Rafael Mariano.

De Venecia said “we were able to ensure dignified and humane treatment for the congressmen and congresswomen and at the same time prove the majesty of the law.

"I have to take care of my Housemates, not inmates”
de Venecia said.

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More insights on the lifting of Presidential Proclamation 1017 based on this writer’s interviews.

DAGUPAN CITY—Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the bomb explosion
in Metro Manila Friday was a Marcosian tactic to impose Martial Law.

He said this is very possible as the bombing could have been done
deliberately.

“One thing is so easy for people now to do: That is to accuse the
administration of anything and everything,” Cruz told this writer in a phone
interview.

He said this is bad because it means the administration has lost its
credibility.

The last thing that one would repose on the administration is his or
her trust and confidence, Cruz said.

She said that since President Gloria Arroyo has already made thrice
the declaration of emergency, it’s no longer surprising if she will make her
fourth.

“She’s used to it,” the prelate said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Gonzalo Duque, president of Lyceum Northwestern
University in Dagupan City said Mrs. Arroyo has already contained the
problem in last week’s foiled attempt to oust her.

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