City hall acted belatedly By Leonardo Micua   AS of 7 p.m. on April 2, the city of Dagupan appears to be leading in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pangasinan with four, (confirmed by the colored map of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) that showed the locations of…

Life in COVID-19 era By Leonardo Micua   FOR the past two weeks of observance of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in our little corner in Bonuan, we didn’t dare to go out in faithful compliance with the order, except on Fridays when we had to put the final copy of The PUNCH for the week to bed, so to speak. Like many others, I’ve been on a work-from-home arrangement but…

How will they survive? By Leonardo Micua A MAN in his 40s, in shabby polo shirt and looked as if he has not shaven for months, knocked on our gate and begged for food or money. He motioned to me as if he knew me when I approached him.  I recognized him as one of those who owns a tri-bike I used to ride whenever I left the house in the morning. He was accompanied by…

Brian-Red in US amid COVID-19 crisis By Leonardo Micua   AS we are writing this column Friday morning we have yet to read a post in the social media from the Dagupan City Hall if it is proceeding with the Dagupan Bangus Festival slated this April amid the order of President Duterte for…

Don’t shoot the messenger By Leonardo Micua   THE manager of radio station Aksyon Radyo Dagupan, Violy Valdez, is in rage over the alleged bad-mouthing of one of her staff, Dante Cera, by the town mayor of Mangaldan, Marilyn Lambino. Dante got the goat of her honor when he read…

Stop constructive dismissal   By Leonardo Micua   IN this issue is an article about an employee holding a second-level position in the Dagupan City government who resisted his reassignment to the Waste Management Division and got the justice that he deserves from the Civil Service Commission. This should encourage…

Legal troubles ahead for Dagupan   By Leonardo Micua  BEFORE our deadline, we heard that Mayor Brian Lim is facing an investigation before the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) for sitting on the request of Sure Global Waste to Worth Innovation Ltd for a statement of support for too long… yes…

Guv Pogi goes full blast for R1AA By Leonardo Micua   THOUGH the Region I Athletic Association (R1AA) meet to be hosted by the Pangasinan 1 School Division was postponed to March 31 till April 7 and about to be postponed anew to a still undetermined date on account of…

Is a POGO unit operating in Pangasinan? By Leonardo Micua THE statement of Pangasinan health officials that there is no person under investigation for 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease or nCov for short, in the province is truly reassuring if not comforting. Although there are PUIs put in quarantine in…

Beware, Novel Coronavirus is here By Leonardo Micua AS of January 30, the Philippines registered its first case of the Novel Coronavirus, joining the league of more than 20 other countries across the globe earlier hit by this kind of virus that originated from Wuhan, City, in Hubei province in China…