By Gonzalo Duque

 

I received a planner for 2022 from Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino III.  At the back of this planner is the official seal of the province of Pangasinan, that stated the province was founded in 1580.

I am happy to see that in the seal. Note that our old official seal did not indicate when we were founded as a province. Remember the old saying that if a person is unaware of his roots, he’ll go nowhere and derided as “bugkalot”?

During the administration of then Governor Amado Espino Jr., he wanted to leave a legacy by solving the puzzle that kept us guessing as to the exact date Pangasinan was really founded. He created an ad hoc committee whom he tasked to conduct a comprehensive research and studies to determine the exact date.

We were honored when he named us to head that committee, as then president of LNU. Members of the committee were academicians, scholars, historians and one was a member of the clergy. It was a difficult task as we had to do research in libraries in the country and Spain.

Some scholars suggested several dates.  Still other committee members suggested that Pangasinan was founded sometime in 1411 because it was the year when the trade between Pangasinan (then a kingdom) with China, through the port of Bolinao, was chronicled to be flourishing.

But we finally came to the conclusion that it was on April 5, 1580 because it  was somewhere around this date when Pangasinan was made as an encomienda by a royal decree from King Phillip II of Spain.

But we conceded then that if there are more convincing documentary evidence later that proves otherwise, the date can still be changed. But we can say with pride that because of our work, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed an ordinance that officially set April 5,1580 as the founding day of Pangasinan, and we have been celebrating the Pangasinan Day every April 5 since.

The provincial employees are very happy because they now receive anniversary bonus every April 5, in accordance with a law enacted during the FVR administration.

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The battle in the Second District between Congressman Jumel Espino and former Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangco is getting to be an expensive contest. Cojuangco is reportedly distributing a lot of ayudas in the district. 

Of course, the Espinos are not taking this matter sitting down. They also have the means and machinery to match what Cojuangco has. Besides, Cojuangco is new to the place. 

Meanwhile, the group of Mon Guico, Mark Lambino, Cezar Quiambao, the Estrellas, Rosendo So, and the Celestes and Cojuangcos are making the rounds in their bid to topple the Espinos.

On the side of the Espinos, they have Oscar Orbos, Pol Bataoil, Ninio Arboleda Jr., the Resuellos of San Carlos City, the Paraynos of Urdaneta City, former Congresswoman Marlyn Primicias Agabas, and of course, the veteran Nick Reyes as close allies. We still don’t know whose side Rachel Arenas and Toff de Venecia will support in the gubernatorial fight. 

The gubernatorial fight is going to be interesting because we heard that Cezar Quiambao is betting his money on Guico’s group to win in this election.

In the party list contest, it will be between the Estrellas that have the homegrown Abono party list and the Espinos that have the newly formed Abante Pangasinan-Ilocano or API. But we still don’t know which  presidential candidate they will support although the Espinos will support whoever President Duterte will endorse.

Meanwhile, the campaign of the Catholic clergy for Leni Robredo appears to be gaining ground. In the past, the Catholic hierarchy merely gave guidelines on who to vote for. Today, many Catholics are actively campaigning for Leni Robredo. There’s nothing wrong with that.  Other religious sects are also campaigning for their own candidates. There is the Iglesia ni Cristo, and now the church of Apollo Quibuloy, supporting their own candidates.

Which reminds me… when I was in Japan, somebody told me this: “There are 7 million Catholics a decade ago in Japan and all of them were practicing their religion.” In the Philippines, there are 70 million Catholics and only seven million are practicing their religion. Tama?

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Here is my brother, Secretary Francisco T. Duque III’s response to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee accusing him of plunder and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act in connection with the Pharmally deal.

“It is unfortunate that the Panel turned a blind eye that was revealed during the Senate hearing that all procurements for the country’s COVID-19 response were made through the PS-DBM, the agency purposely tasked to such activities. We at the DOH were not part of the activity as we were focused on the medical side of the pandemic response.”

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