Pangasinan Historical Cultural Commission created
LONG OVERDUE
LINGAYEN–The Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission (PHCC) is now established to institutionalize the documentation of the province’s rich history and culture.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed Provincial Ordinance No. 9-2010, authored by Board Members Mojamito Libunao and Ranjit Ramos Shahani, last week creating the PHCC.
“It is history that unites the people, it is what gives them pride in their place, it is what impels them and compels them to make even more commitment to the province,” said Libunao.
Libunao, a lawyer and former three-term mayor of San Fabian, added that having the PHCC will help Pangasinan in regaining its status as a premier province since soliciting support from the people will be easier once they feel pride in their own culture and history.
The PHCC is mandated to preserve the complete and accurate works of historians and writers of the present and past generations and share these information to the public.
The PHCC will be a permanent commission, which would continue beyond the current provincial administration and whose officials will be appointed by the governor.
FIRST CHAIRMAN
Dr. Gonzalo Duque, president of Lyceum-Northwestern University and former vice governor of Pangasinan, will be appointed as the first chairman/executive director of PHCC.
Duque earlier spearheaded a committee created by Governor Amado Espino Jr. that researched and established the actual date of April 5, 1508 when Pangasinan was founded by Spain as a province.
Duque hailed the creation of the PHCC, noting that the idea of putting up the body was originally suggested by PUNCH editor-publisher Ermin Garcia Jr. which he in turn communicated with members of the SP.
Duque said the PHCC will, among others, oversee the documentation of events and historical facts pertaining to Pangasinan as well as the naming of places after heroes and declaration of historical and cultural sites.
The commission will also spearhead the writing of a more detailed history book about Pangasinan and will validate facts that are already in existing books.
Duque also told newsmen that the historical committee that researched on Pangasinan’s founding date is presently looking into the date of the first Catholic Mass held in the Philippines, which could possibly have been celebrated in Bolinao and not in Limasawa Island near Cebu as claimed today.
The committee, he said, is also going to validate the existence of the legendary Princess Urduja who was known to have ruled the Amazon kingdom of Caboloan (the first name given to the province of Pangasinan).
Urduja is the name given to the official residence of Pangasinan governors, a few meters away from the provincial capitol.
Duque said that once the Pangasinan history book is out, it will be integrated into the school curriculum in high school so that every student in the province would know his roots.
Section 3 of the provincial ordinance provides the creation of a Board of Commissioners composed of 10 members representing agencies of government and private sectors with expertise and interest in the areas of history, culture and other allied studies to be appointed by the Provincial Governor with a term of five years.
They will serve without salaries, but may be entitled to honorarium for every session attended.
The Board of Commissioners shall recommend to the Provincial Governor the appointment of an Executive Director who will be the administrator of the Commission with a term of five years with compensation to be determined by the Board of Commissioners.
Section 5 of the ordinance provides that the provincial government shall include in its regular Annual Budget an appropriation of not less than P100,000 for the maintenance, operation and other purposes of the Commission.—LM
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