MAGANES: Give credit where due

It seemed that Pangasinan’s Espino administration has not lost track of its political strategy in preparation for the 2016 elections when Provincial Liga ng Mga Barangay president and Provincial Board Member Amado “Pogi” Espino III would run for governor.

The governor’s namesake will be pitted against former 5th District Rep. Mark O. Cojuangco, who has earlier manifested his desire to run for the post. Cojuangco’s announcement did not sit well with some party members allied with Espino, resulting in their bolting the party, including Espino and his family members.

To be closer to the Pangasinenses, Cojuangco has been conducting consultative meetings among municipal officials, congressmen and village heads. He has been attending to which he is invited such as school programs and seminars. This early, Cojuangco is mustering overwhelming support from the said groups, debunking Espino’s claims that he has the support of village heads.

The Espino camp has seemingly devised a strategy to get the mass support by launching barangay-based programs. These programs, however, are offshoots of the Agbayani Administration and are being replicated, albeit with another name.

The first to be launched was the ” Bantay-Barangay, Tulong Hanapbuhay” of Pangasinan OFW Family Association in Pangasinan at the Provincial Employment and Services Office (PESO) in Lingayen last August 20. The program aims to protect Pangasinan Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) against illegal recruiters and human traffickers and empower their families to become entrepreneurs.
PESO was created during the administration of the late Governor Aguedo F. Agbayani to answer the problems on unemployment and deployment of overseas Pangasinan workers (OPW). Livelihood component was already a part of the Agbayani program during his watch and continued until the terms of Governor Oscar Orbos, then Governor Victor E. Agbayani. Under Espino administration, the program is not new but included former OPWs.

Another program Governor Agbayani that was replicated by Espino is the Livelihood Assistance Program for women’s organizations and cooperatives. This program was scorned by the Espino’s administration at first and stopped it. But maybe due to its novelty and as vehicle for political support, the livelihood program was resuscitated.

Women’s associations have been organized during the previous administrations. Livelihood projects were funded by the provincial government. The women’s groups were trained on micro-enterprises as well as on leadership. Similar project was implemented in support to cooperatives, farmers’ organizations and small-medium enterprises to boost the economy at the countryside. I still recall that before Agbayani’s term ended, repayment rate was 98%.

Being launched by the Espino Administration in Binmaley town lately was the “Buntis Congress” for pregnant women. It was aimed at supporting pregnant women to have zero birth rate. Again, this program was already undertaken during the Agbayani Administration that is why he created the Provincial Population Office and institutionalized the Barangay Service Point Officers (BSPOs) and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs). Sadly, BSPOs were dismantled by the present administration, thinking that it was the political arm of the Agbayanis.

Mark: I am a true Pangasinense

by Virgilio Sar. Maganes

CALASIAO- Former 5th District Rep. Mark O. Cojuangco has finally broken his silence debunking the claims of his critics that he is not a Pangasinense and has no right to lead the Pangasinan province.

Before a group of media men, he said since 1967, his family has already established its residence in Sison town. In1990, after returning home from a long stay abroad, the first thing he did was to register himself as a voter in Sison particularly at Labayug village, where their family house was located.

” While I was not born in Pangasinan but in Manila, it does not mean that I am not a Pangasinense. I am a Pangasinense not by accident, but I have chosen to live in Pangasinan,” Cojuangco said.

He further said that being not able to speak the Pangasinan dialect does not also make him less of a Pangasinense.

” Here in Pangasinan, majority of the people speak Ilocano who could not even speak the Pangasinan dialect. That is why we have the Filipino language as the ‘lingua franca’ in order for the two groups to understand each other, ” he said.

He also said his wife Kimi ( 5th District representative) was a scion of a Pangasinan family. Her grandfather ( of the Gonzales clan of Dagupan City) was the owner of the defunct Pangasinan Transportation Company ( Pantranco).

EDITORIAL : Local journalists face dangers to their lives

It is the journalists’ duty is to tell news stories and to keep the people informed. In telling stories, many put their lives on the line every day. It is a risk most journalists take.
We have heard of gory stories about the risks being faced by journalists. Who could forget the massacre of 27 journalists in Maguindanao known as the “Ampatuan massacre”. Until now, justice seems elusive for them and their families. Lately in Syria, James Foley, a freelance journalist, was beheaded by the extremists group to the dismay of the international community particularly the United States of America.
Journalists, whether in print, radio and television, are the conveyors of truth. They go to where the action is like wars, demonstrations, rallies, special events and other areas where events taking place have to be covered. They oftentimes expose the evils of the society. Most of the times they are in conflict with politicians or the “powers that be”, heads of government agencies, criminal elements, public officials and many more.
Journalists all over the world, including the Philippines, are prone to harassments and are lucky enough if they are not silenced forever. Many have been wounded and others maimed forever.
In Pangasinan, local journalists are facing the same dangers and risks.