THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND THE PEDESTRIANS –  The motorists and pedestrian traffic lights installed at the corner of A. B. Fernandez Avenue, M.H. del Pilar Street and Arellano street no doubt excited many motorists and pedestrians in the city who may not be used to these things before.

Thanks to Mayor Belen for her wisdom in giving the city such a wonder if you can call it that in the form of traffic lights. From the feedback that we have gathered, most motorists and pedestrians were happy to see the traffic lights restored.

Many years back, traffic lights were installed by the administration of then Mayor Alipio Fernandez but these conked out after few days and were never restored.

The next administration that succeeded Alipio’s never thought of restoring the traffic light and not even when Al returned to his old post for another three years at the helm.

With these new traffic lights installed by Mayor Belen, we have yet to see motorists violating. It is the stubborn pedestrians who insist on crossing the road when the red light is still on.

Many believe it is their lack of education that they make them ignore the pedestrian traffic lights. Many would have been fined already for violating the pedestrian traffic lights if the jaywalking law was already strictly enforced.

I recall seeing one vendor crossing A.B. Fernandez Avenue beside Jollibee, while the red was still on. He was embarrassed when he was promptly directed by the POSO enforcer to return to the curbside where he came from even when he was already about to reach the other side.

This incident tells us about the need to conduct a little orientation in schools about the discipline required of pedestrians. The children can be useful in teaching adults.

This has become necessary in the light of Mayor Belen’s plan to install more traffic lights in other strategic areas of the city where gridlock often occurs during rush hours.

Back to the old traffic lights installed in the streets of Dagupan by the administration of Mayor Al, many think the city was short-changed because it quickly malfunctioned.

Millions went down the drain in a matter of days. – Leonardo Micua
REBUILDING ST. CLARE’S HOME IN MALASIQUI.  My heart bleeds for this sad news.

The Poor Clare Monastery of St. James The Apostle in Barangay Nancapian, Malasiqui, was partly burned the other day while nuns in the place were having their morning prayer.

The kitchen, dining and laundry areas of the monastery were heavily damaged by fire on Nov. 30. A nun who is among the residents of the monastery said her colleague was cooking rice as she wont to do daily then proceeded to their prayer area.

But suddenly the kitchen was burning believed to be from a leakage from a liquefied petroleum gas tank. No one was hurt in the fire.

The Poor Clare Monastery is the first and only contemplative monastery of nuns in the Archdiocese of Lingayen -Dagupan. During its inauguration in 2012, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said, “The monastery is the powerhouse of the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and it would be so beyond our lifetime for generations to come.”

The monastery is located inside the sprawling mango farm of the Rep. Rose Marie “Baby” Arenas and her daughter, former Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas.

Many knew that the monastery holds a very special place in my heart.

So when the fire broke, I received a text message. It was from an unknown source who relayed the bad news to me. In that message, the texter said, “I know you are a devotee of St. Clare. Please come and visit the nuns and help them.”

I did and I can’t help but cry while I was talking to a nun.

To the Catholic faithful, especially to those whose lives have been touched by St. Clare through the nuns in the monastery, please come, visit them and lend a helping hand as they try to rebuild what was left by the ashes. – Tita Roces

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