STOPPING GRIDLOCKS. A broadcaster believes that the installation of digital traffic lights in major street corners of the city would be the ultimate solution to the daily traffic gridlocks in Dagupan especially during rush hour. He cited the case of Urdaneta City which, he said, solved its once monstrous traffic problem by installing digital traffic lights at the corner of Manila North Road and the Urdaneta-Dagupan road.

To us, it is not the absence of traffic lights that is causing the gridlock in Dagupan’s major thoroughfares but it is the narrow highways and really big number of vehicles using those highways at any time of the day.

We have traffic lights that are no longer functioning at the corners of A.B. Fernandez Avenue and M.H. del Pilar Street, A.B.. Fernandez and Arellano Street and at a street corner on Perez Boulevard. But the city government from the time of Mayor Al and Benjie Lim never had these traffic lights restored not for absence of funds to repair these but because the traffic lights never helped minimize the daily traffic jams.

We told the broadcaster that Dagupan City needs more than traffic lights but wider roads, reduction of the number of vehicles plying the highways by eliminating the colorums, more discipline on the part of pedestrians and motorists and a lot more.

However, I doubt if the property owners in Dagupan would be willing to set back their buildings to make way for wider highways, which was the bitter pill the people of Urdaneta took to make their city more attractive.

I recall that when an earthquake devastated A.B. Fernandez Avenue in 1990, the property owners were asked by then Congressman Joe to set back their buildings as a condition for restoring the road. They never did. – Leonardo Micua

 

TOO LATE FOR HOSPITALIZATION–Recently, a six-year old died of dengue in a hospital and the nurse heard the father apologize to the son for his failure to bring him earlier to the hospital. He didn’t have the money then. Prior to this incident, a man died of leptospirosis because instead of bringing the sick to the hospital, he was brought to a faith healer where relatives only needed to give any amount as donation.

Despite the reports of improved hospital facilities in the province and the increased coverage of PhilHealth even with the point of care program by the provincial government, cases like these still happen, people are still reluctant to bring their sick for medical attention out of fear of high charges in the hospitals.

This should be a wake- up call to our health authorities, to be more vigilant in information dissemination campaign not only about the risks involved in forgoing hospital medical care for curable diseases but on the availability and affordability of health facilities especially for the poor. – Hilda Austria

 

QUEEN OF LIBEL SUITS. Will they be cowed? Will they stop hitting the top man of the province?

These were the two questions uppermost in broadcasters’ minds after a lady broadcaster with balls, the hard-hitting Lina Cervantes of dwPR Power Radyo, was sued for libel by Gov. Amado Espino Jr.

Four counts, we were told. For that, she was jokingly called by her colleagues as “The Queen of Libel Suits”.

But Ms. Cervantes remained composed, unperturbed and vowed to do better in her job to tell what she feels is worth-telling Pangasinenses for the sake of truth.

Her colleagues in dwPR were not a bit shaken. It’s as if saying, “Go ahead, Gov, make our day!”

Place your jueteng bet for Lina: 15-24, masibeg ya bii. I- blow out yo ak nu manalo kayo!

Or it could also be 16-37 for manpapasnok ya masiken as the top boss is reportedly fuming mad with her daily morning tirades in her radio program directed against Mr. Governor.

In my several decades practice of journalism, it’s only now that I see a broadcaster sued for libel for being a critical of the governor.

Another question cropped up: Who’s next to be sued?

Is this the way to muzzle the truth, or the Gov’s way to teach his critics a bitter lesson? In politics, we often hear, do not be onion-skinned dahil ang pikon ay talo.  –Tita Roces

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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