By Leonardo Micua IT is widely understood that flood control projects relating to major rivers draining into the sea fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Despite this public knowledge, critics of Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez have been unfairly targeting her, attempting to…
By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo THE poem below was written ten years ago, on 21 July 2015. Time has a way of blurring memories, sometimes deleting, sometimes overlaying events with more recent interpretations, depending on newer experiences, depth of understanding and compassion. Looking back now that the feeling is gone…
Edith-ing
By Farah G. Decano PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. recently took a firm public stance against allegedly anomalous flood control projects – a move interpreted as a calculated maneuver. This action has raised questions about whether it is a strategic attempt to divert public attention from the failed impeachment…
These Flood Control Projects
By Eva C. Visperas WHEN I was a child — several decades back — I used to look forward to the carnival, or as we called it then, the karnabal. The sights, the sounds, and the thrill of saving a few coins from our baon just to enter the…
Side Show and Us

By Rex Catubig I was raised on Caton, that handy vernacular alphabet primer that looked like a thin prayer book. While we had the primer on hand, the teacher wrote the alphabet with chalk on the blackboard, said them one by one, and we would repeat after her. It…
The Anatomy of My Education
By Gonzalo Duque THE theatrics going on in both chambers of Congress are amusing me no end. In the House of Representatives, the Committee on Accounts and its sub-committee, chaired by Rep. Terry Lidon is leading investigations relative to the use of flood control funds. I presume that Senator…
Investigations and blame games
By Leonardo Micua BUSINESS tycoon Ramon Ang, chairman of the board and CEO of San Miguel Corporation, has once again made headlines with a dual proposal for Metro Manila. In addition to offering a flood control solution at no cost to local governments, he intends to build a waste-to-energy…
The wasted opportunity for a WTE in Dagupan
By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo I’M in Pozorrubio with the sound of the crickets. Or is it just the ringing in my ears? I think of you, inside a car, driving to the north, cellphone in hand. I also see my sister Lydia in a yellow flowing dress, with a…
The persistence of memory
By Farah G. Decano THE collision between a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship and a Chinese Coast Guard vessel—while they were busy chasing a “puny” Philippine skipper—was a global spectacle. Unfortunately for China, the impact was more than a fender-bender at sea; it was a full-blown face-plant heard ’round…
Mangled Mianzi
By Eva C. Visperas AT a time when the West Philippine Sea is often a theater of intimidation, coercion, and calculated aggression, rare moments of tactical brilliance remind us of the courage and skill of our defenders. These are moments that not only lift the nation’s spirits but also…