ANTICIPATED MASS—Catholics, mostly provincial government officials, employees, and residents, attend the first Anticipated Simbang Gabi officiated by Most Rev. Napoleon Sipalay, Jr., bishop of the Diocese of Alaminos, late afternoon of December 15 in front of the Provincial Capitol Building in Lingayen. (PUNCHphoto by Cesar Ramirez)
“OPLAN IWAS PAPUTOK”—Staff of Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City installs an "Oplan Iwas Paputok” poster at the entrance of the Emergency Room of the hospital to remind the public about the dangers of exploding firecrackers and pyrotechnics. R1MC will be placed on white alert from December 22, 2025…
Opinions
Editorial
Christmas, truth, and the call for compassion
AS we celebrate the joy and quiet wonder of the Yuletide season, The Sunday Punch extends its heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to its readers, partners, and the communities we serve. Christmas comes each year wrapped in familiar settings—lights, songs, greetings, and gatherings—but beneath…
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Punchline
Political Statesmanship
By Ermin Garcia Jr I don’t blame the new majority at the Sangguniang Panlungsod led by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua and Majority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez, for gloating over the “powerless” position that Councilor Dada Reyna, the only survivor of the 2025 massacre of the epaLiFe in the…
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Out of the fire
The Punch’s Christmas without Ermin
By Gonzalo Duque MERRY Christmas to all our readers. We have been writing for The Sunday Punch for quite a long time. Each Christmas party of The Punch, our Publisher Ermin Garcia Jr. would invite us to attend. I have never hesitated to grace the occasion, especially when asked…
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Random Thoughts
Playing cat and mouse with cops?
By Leonardo Micua WISHING everyone a joyful Christmas! As the angel proclaimed to the shepherds the birth of Jesus Christ, we also say: “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All!” This holiday season, have you noticed a significant reduction in fireworks compared to previous years? We notice this nightly…
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G Spot
The “Cabal” on Cabral
By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo THE death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral involves no foul play, according to Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). This very quick assessment was tempered by the statement of Jose Melencio…
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Andromeda’s Vortex
The Disregarded Middle Class
By Farah G. Decano IT is a common observation that those who hold the reins of government often grant special privileges to the wealthy—whether in exchange for private favors or to avoid conflict with the influential. Conversely, policymakers provide subsidies and social safety nets to the marginalized, often securing…
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Newsy News
When words hurt more than politics
By Eva C. Visperas IT looked like an ordinary Monday morning at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan—the last regular session of the year. The usual faces were there. The usual routine unfolded. Media practitioners quietly settled into their familiar corners of the session hall and the Vice Governor’s lounge, ears tuned…
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Entre’acte
Christmas it’s not
By Rex Catubig POPPING up like a repressed traumatic memory, amid the heartbreaking stories in the wake of Typhoon Odette some years back, is the brave birth of a baby on a sidewalk lashed by rampaging wind and rain. It harks back to similar stories, in different locales, but under…
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Life with my lens
A PHOTO ALBUM OF “PROMDI” LANDSCAPES
Photos and short narrative by Art G. Valenzuela I would consider myself as one lucky guy as I am both a city boy and a “promdi” who has access to both city life (as in Dagupan City and Metro Manila) and rural-provincial life. Every week – coming from either Dagupan…
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Punch Forum
Greetings Mayor Belen Fernandez – My name is Victor Reyno Junio, a resident and a registered voter of Sitio West America, Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City. I have now returned to Canada after my 5 months stay in our City. I am blessed and privileged to have 2 countries I call…
To further improve on the online security of our readers, recent changes have been made to the “x-frame-Options”; for the website https://punch.dagupan.com/ , that runs on the popular WordPress platform. (The “x-frame-options” HTTP header is used to control whether or not a browser should be allowed to render a page…
WEAKENED WAWA BRIDGE - A part of the Wawa Bridge, renamed Romulo Bridge, collapsed when two loaded dump trucks, one loaded with aggregates and the other fertilizer- crossed at the same time 3:17 p.m. last Thursday, halting vehicular traffic between Bayambang, Pangasinan and Camiling, Tarlac. (Punchphoto by Butch UKa)
Magandang araw po! Ako po si Christian Mark V. Rico, isang mag-aaral sa pampublikong paaralan sa Dagupan. Sumulat po ako upang ipaalam ang aking saloobin tungkol sa mga kaso ng COVID-19 dito sa ating bayan. Nakita ko po na mas dumadami ang gumagaling sa COVID kesa sa pagdami ng kaso.…
Dear Mr. Garcia; I visited your office Sunday Punch and got interested in your column (Punchline) about garbage of Dagupan City. There is a solution to solve this perennial problem of the city I had proposed this to the newly elected young Lim. Now, clearly my proposal will not…
UNLISERBISYO Mayor Belen T. Fernandez extended full support to the Kagawaran ng Filipino Pamaskong Pinoy 2025 gift-giving activity of Dagupan City National High School (DCNHS), led by Principal Willy Guieb, for the school’s indigent students. The mayor reiterated her constant reminder in delivering social services—“Don’t forget to share”—as she lauded…
CALESAS ARE BACK IN DAGUPAN—Residents and visitors of Dagupan City take joyrides on board white colored calesas that pass through the brightly colored tunnel of lights at Quintos Bridge. For many decades, calesas were the “Kings of the Road” in Dagupan until the jeepneys and tricycles displaced them as primary…
MARISSA Manipud Marquez, a Ms Dagupan title holder who worked her way up to become a Lieutenant Colonel at the United States Air Force (USAF) Reserves, is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding International Humanitarian Award given by the Cyber Excellence Awards. The ceremonies will be held on November 8th at…
THE Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod has adopted a resolution commending and congratulating Ms. Agatha Wong, whose roots trace back to Dagupan City, for her remarkable achievements at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, where she secured two gold medals in the women’s wushu events of Taijijian and Taijiquan. Sponsored by…
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