MORE THAN 800,000 REVELERS FLOCK TO BANGUSAN STREET PARTY THIS YEAR

By Leziel Cayabyab

DAGUPAN CITY- More than 800,000 people from various places in the country and even abroad joined this year’s Bangusan Street Party last April 30 at the Jose R. De Venecia Expressway Extension.

This was the report of the Dagupan City Police Station headed by Supt. Christopher Abrahano that secured the event, deploying more than 300 policemen at the site to ensure peace and order up to the end of the celebration.

As a result, no untoward incident happened whatsoever.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez said she was overwhelmed by the big turnout of revelers who outnumbered last year’s attendance estimated at 600,000.

BANGUS FESTIVAL WINS FESTIVALS OF THE NORTH TWICE IN A ROW

By Leziel C. Aquino

DAGUPAN CITY -Street dancers from Barangay Pantal who represented Dagupan Bangus Festival is the overall champion in the Festivals of the North Street Dancing Competition held April 26 at the City Plaza.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez congratulated the Dagupan contingent for winning the competition twice in a row besting 11 other festival champions from Northern Luzon.

“I am so proud of our street dancers because this is the second time that Barangay Pantal won the coveted award,” Fernandez said.

She also lauded the efforts of Pantal Punong Barangay Julie Perez for her all-out support to the street dancers which greatly contributed to her barangay’s success as back-toback winner in the Gilon! Gilon! and Festivals of the North street dancing competitions.

Alaminos Diocese plans to plant 200,000 trees

ALAMINOS CITY – The Diocese of Alaminos will launch on Saturday (April 25) the “IPlant Movement” at the St. Joseph Parish hall, a project aimed at planting 200,000 trees in the areas covered by the diocese in western Pangasinan.

In a statement, Msgr. Rey Jose Ragudos, head of the diocese, said the environmental activity will involve 20 parishes and a seminary, and will initially plant acacia mangium in identified locations of more than 20 hectares in the diocese.

MAGANES: Again, Bayambang mayor is in hot water

The problem of Bayambang I Central School where the children and teachers were transferred to a new site in Bical village is not yet through.

Bayambang Mayor Ricardo Camacho and businessman Willy Chua are still facing investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman because of the complaint filed against them by the Parents Teachers Association of the school. The PTA claimed Camacho and Chua violated Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Barely four months after the case was filed, Camacho is again facing two complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman. One is a case filed by the members of the Sangguniang Bayan headed by Vice Mayor Mylvin Junio for the illegal purchase of Toyota Granvia van in the amount of P380,000. The said officials said Camacho made them believe that the vehicle is owned by him.

The transaction did not pass through the Sangguniang Pangbayan which has to give him the authority to purchase the van. There was also no conduct of bidding. The worst was that the purchase was undertaken in 2013 and they have only known about it only on March 15, 2015.

There are three violations they filed against Camacho: violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, violation of Section 7(a) of Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and the Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code.

Another complaint was filed at the Office of the Ombudsman by businessman Cesar T. Quiambao. This is in connection with the grills used during the staging of the Malangsi Festival in 2014 when Bayambang town landed in the Guinness Book of Records for the 8-kilometer longest grill. Quiambao, from his personal funds, donated 8,000 pieces of barbecue grills in the amount of P4,640,000 to the municipal government of Bayambang. However, Mayor Camacho reported to the Commission on Audit (COA) that the municipal government spent P1,877,301.35 for the purchase of 3,000 barbecue grills and 2,000 kilos of tilapia based on the Annual Gender and Development Accomplishment Report of 2014.

Based on these complaints, the members of the Sangguniang Bayan members of Bayambang said Camacho has betrayed his own people. They joined businessman Quiambao in the quest for a clean governance.

Abrenica conducts ‘Isangguni Kay Mayor’

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

VILLASIS- Bringing the government closer to the people is paramount in good governance.

With this in mind, the municipal government led by Mayor Libradita Go-Abrenica of this town continuously conduct village consultations through its ” Isangguni Kay Mayor” – a program designed to have closer interactions with village people, to know their problems and effect immediate solutions.

“This activity has been conducted for years in our town. It was started by then Mayor Nato (Abrenica) to feel the pulse of our governance from the people and at the same time to gather first hand information on the villagers’ problems and concerns,” Mayor Abrenica said.

Jobs, livelihood fair held at SM City Rosales

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

ROSALES- Job hunting was made easier by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Regional Office 1 when it partnered with SM Hypermarket and the Department of Trade and Industry for the conduct of livelihood and job fairs last May 1, a Labor Day.

The fairs were held at the Atrium and second floor of SM City Rosales here, where, as early as 9:00 o’clock in the morning, countless jobseekers queued at the gates in business attires with requirements at hand.

At 10:00 o’clock in the morning, the jobseekers entered the job fair areas and painlessly took efforts to scan the vacancies posted for both local and overseas employment.