The day Karina died By Ermin Garcia Jr.   ON November 1, 1963, our youngest sister, Karina died – she drowned at the then Blue Beach in Dagupan City. She was turning 12 on November 7.  Her death had a deep impact on my father. Allow me to honor their…

My Facebook challenge By Ermin Garcia Jr.   IN case, you haven’t noticed, there is one common reaction to uniformed personnel at border and quarantine checkpoints in Pangasinan – Masyadong relaxed and tamad! Why is that so? You can’t blame them if the sight of government personnel at checkpoints does…

Our ‘New Normal’ is 20 years late By Ermin Garcia Jr.   IS there, indeed, a ‘New Normal’ in the horizon even after a vaccine is found to protect one’s self against COVID-19 infection?  Nope. Life will actually be back to the ‘Old Normal’ that brought us to the 21st…

Protection racket for ‘alien’ bangus By Ermin Garcia Jr.   PER Dagupan Mayor Brian Lim, cargo trucks carrying thousands of kilos of bangus weekly imported from outside Pangasinan are again welcome in the city, after only a week’s suspension on account of findings that the unregulated crew and handlers of…

Failed distance learning because of internet By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THE dreaded opening of public schools on October 5 is leaving many families anxious. Some families still don’t have tablets, and even if they do, they don’t know how long their prepaid internet cards can last their children. Imagine…

Tricycles, motorcycle riders on the highway By Ermin Garcia Jr.   IT’S heartening to see that some police stations in the province have started an information campaign about traffic rules in the highway, particularly on the memorandum circular of DILG Sec. Eduardo Año on the use of highways by tricycles,…

Time to punish protocol violators By Ermin Garcia Jr.   ALLOW me to expound further on our first editorial this week, “Establish health, security protocols as an ordinance” that segues to our second editorial. Our recommendation is no different from initiatives of the provincial and city/town governments to pass ordinances…

Dagupeños, be warned By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THE Lim administration in Dagupan City denies that the drug problem in the city has worsened but the continuous successful raids and buy-bust operations in the city are making our city officials big liars and confirmed protectors of illegal drugs in the…

Time to update ordinances By Ermin Garcia Jr.     IT is time our legislative bodies in Pangasinan do an honest to goodness review and overhaul of ordinances passed over the past two decades. I am certain that if only they considered invoking their oversight functions over implementation of policies…

Technology will win fight vs. COVID-19 By Ermin Garcia Jr.   It’s about time our national IATF start considering using free apps to augment contact-tracing efforts to beat the COVID-19 contagion. The apps have been there since May but nobody gave it a thought then! Using technology to combat a…