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Punchline
 Protect
barangays vs. political vandals
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
The race is on for the national posts
but it’s not as if it has not started as early as November for
candidates, even for local candidates.
The surprise reversal of the rule on
pre-campaigning by the Supreme Court last year opened the floodgates
for early vote-buying and political circus in all quarters. All too
sudden, the barangay kapitans became kings, and the candidates
became suckers for all comers. |
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Think about It
 A
wake up call on Dagupan's Finest
By Jun Velasco
LOCAL broadcaster Harold Barcelona complains that
Dagupan City’s law enforcers “are sleeping on the job.”
His heart was bruised by a
heart-wrenching event last Monday. His l9-year old son,
Erwin, was inside a Bonuan-bound jeep when attacked by
four thugs from notorious Sitio Aling just across the
imposing University of Pangasinan-PHINMA complex.
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 Politics
of vindictiveness
By Gonzalo Duque
WE were
— or possibly, we still are — for Noynoy
Aquino being the son of principled
parents, Ninoy and Cory.
But at the rate he is sounding like
an unforgiving if not vindictive leader
of the land, we tend to agree with the
pollsters that his declining popularity
could be blamed partly on this.
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 Why
the Lims keep on running
By Al S. Mendoza
DEMOCRACY is what makes us going.
But who was it who said freedom must have
limits to individuals but not to nations.
Quite profound.
But let me expound.
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 "Do
not panic!"
By +Oscar V. Cruz,
JCD
THE often cited valiant yet actually disturbing,
fearless but precisely distressing yell, is in fact
three-tiered: “Do not panic! Relax lang! Kayang-kaya
ito!” Given the saddening recent past, the now
gloomy existing present and the forthcoming uncertain
days of the socio-economic situation and political
scenery of the Philippines, the quoted extra-optimistic
cheer can be considered as a false bravado or a big
joke. Ever since such historical shout was made by an
energy Czar and quoted by tri-media, both the importers
and consumers of fuel are precisely in continuous panic
and hysteria, not to mention suspicion and ire on the
part of the general public.
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Sports Eye
 Exasperated
cyclist Bitbit speaks out
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
CYCLIST Marites Bitbit, born in Baguio City and raised in Pangasinan and Cebu,
still feels exasperated over her controversial stint during the Vientiane, Laos
Southeast Asia Games (SEAG) held last December.
The Malasiqui-raised Marites
deplores the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), headed by its president Jose
“Peping” Cojunagco, for pulling her out of competitions in the name of
“solidarity” with her teammates. Marites, the defending champion in the women’s
road race and a contender to win a gold medal in two other events, had a world
license to race from the international cycling federation (UCI). |
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 Mango
season
By
Marifi Jara
QUELIMANE, Mozambique—I hear from my family back in San
Fabian that the markets are now bursting with mangoes.
Yum yum!
That is such a pleasant surprise as I
had thought that much of the expected harvest would have
been spoiled by typhoon “Pepeng” in October last year.
It bids well for the coming 12th National Mango Congress
on February 24-26, which will be held for the first time
in Pangasinan. I don’t know why it took this long, but
it’s about time the province plays host to this event;
it is, after all, the biggest mango producer in the
country. (Can read more about the event from The Sunday
Punch online archives, Business section.-- http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/2010/01/17/12th-national-mango-congress-set-feb-24-26/#STS=g50rg9aq.1h28)
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Ina ng Sison
By
Emmanuelle
She: I am not ready for
this moment. Me: I believe you are.
She: I have not prepared for this moment.
Me: I believe you had.
She: What shall I tell them? Me: What
is in you heart.
She: How shall I talk to them? Me:
Straight from your heart.
She: I know that, silly. I mean, what
language? Me: Definitely not German. I suggest the
language of your heart. And theirs, too.
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Young Roots
When nature strikes
back
By
Kristopher Pariño
WE have not been kind to
nature.
Our list of abuses is long. We are
now living in an environment that is drastically
changing. And it’s changing for the worse, not for the
better. We have not been using our natural resources
well. Nature is deteriorating.
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