Capitol News
PHCC chair, members take oath
LINGAYEN–Members of the newly-created Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission (PHCC) took their oath last week as part of the celebration of the 431st Pangasinan Day on April 5.
Governor Amado Espino Jr. officiated the oath taking of Dr. Gonzalo T. Duque, president of the Lyceum-Northwestern University, as chairman with Dr. Perla Legaspi, Arabella Arcinue, Nida Vergara, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Escano, Ms. Virgie Pasalo, and Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim as members.
Duque earlier headed a committee formed by Espino that conducted a research and study which determined in 2010 the most proximate date of the founding of Pangasinan from available records in the National Historical Institute and documents found in the archives of the Spanish government.
The PHCC is mandated to carry out research work and studies related to Pangasinan’s history and to promote the province’s art, culture and heritage.
One of the PHCC’s first activities in line is the Pangasinan Writers’ Congress to promote the Pangasinan language as a medium of literary expression.
This idea was proposed by Santiago Villafania, an accomplished writer who was endorsed by National Artist for Literature Francisco Sionil Jose of Rosales.
Villafania and Jose were among last year’s ASNA awardees with Sionil receiving the Balitok (Golden) award, considered as the ASNA with highest distinction.
Espino earlier noted Pangasinan needs to be continuously promoted to balance what he called the “ilocanization” of the eastern and western parts of the province where Ilocano is the more prevalent tongue.
Espino said the provincial government is looking into the launching of the Pangasinan equivalent of the Palanca awards to give due recognition to outstanding work in literature of Pangasinenses who are writing in the Pangasinan language.
The award was suggested by The Sunday PUNCH columnist Al Mendoza, himself a Palanca awardee from Mangatarem town.
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