IF the basic terms for the planned construction of Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) by the San Miguel Holdings Corporation as revealed by Gov. Ramon Guico III is true, no one can argue that it is, indeed, “a sweetheart deal” for Pangasinan. For starters, the governor assured us that his P34-billion…

THE recent brouhaha over the missteps in launching the “Love the Philippines” theme and slogan as the country’s tourism campaign may have dismayed local governments particularly by those that believe that only a catchy slogan national campaign will lure foreign tourists to our land. It is particularly that view that…

THE prices of rice, garlic and onions, three basic commodities produced in Pangasinan, have been increasing for over a year but consumers and households have not heard of plans and strategy from the Guico administration that can assure them of efforts to stabilize prices. Nothing has been heard from Governor…

IT is noteworthy to see Mangaldan, a neighboring town of Dagupan City, was quick to nip the sprouting of illegal fish pens and cages along its Angalacan River in the bud before their presence, could worsen the situation, and corruption becomes widespread. When Mangaldan Mayor Bona Parayno ordered the immediate…

MODERN science and technology still cannot predict where and when earthquakes will happen and how strong. The only thing that can be predicted is how the emergency response should be. So far, Northern Luzon has been spared from the strong tremors that hit Mindanao and the Visayas of late, and…

ONLY the Department of Agriculture’s National Irrigation Administration has so far provided the most practical antidote to the worst El Niño phenomenon expected to hit the country next month to last until the first quarter of 2024. NIA distributed solar-powered irrigation pumps to farmers’ cooperatives in Pangasinan. It is practical…

IT has been an uphill battle for the Belen Fernandez administration since she assumed her post, just to plan how to deliver on its Unliserbisyo promise to Dagupeños. And there is nothing to indicate that the situation will normalize soon and get her back on track. Not with the seven…

AS of last Friday, newly appointed Chief PNP Benjamin Acorda Jr. reported there are 400 barangay chairmen suspected to be engaged in or protecting illegal drug trade in their communities. Going by that number out of 42,029 barangays in the country, one easily surmises that more than a thousand town/police…

THERE is no doubt in anyone’s mind that illegal drug trading in Pangasinan continues to thrive. News reports of arrests of shabu and marijuana street dealers in the province by PDEA local police operatives persist and are welcome because it says a lot about the active campaign being pursued by…

OVER the past weeks, PAGASA, the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Agriculture (DA) have been issuing warnings about the worst scenario that can be expected from the impact of El Niño phenomenon already given the adverse effects of climate change. The DOH has warned of diseases related to…