Editorial July 12, 2020
Your SUNDAY PUNCH is 64 years old
WHEN our founder-editor Ermin Erfe Garcia, started to publish the news in July 5, 1956 as these happened in Pangasinan for the next ten years, little did he know that his original pocket-sized newspaper then would be the only news publication in Pangasinan in the 21st century, replete with dramatic socio-economic and political developments spanning 64 years without interruption!
After he was killed in our editorial office in May 20, 1966, The PUNCH continued to hit the streets and survived series of natural calamities that included flooding in Pangasinan, the devastation caused by the Mt. Pinatubo explosion, the destructive earthquake in 1990. These were amply recorded by your PUNCH.
Then, The PUNCH witnessed the shaping of the province’s political landscape under the watch of several political families, i.e., Estrellas, Duques, Agbayanis and Espinos in the provincial level; the administration of Liberato Reyna, Cipriano Manaois, Al Fernandez, Jr., Benjamin Lim and Belen Fernandez in Dagupan City; Amadito Perez in Urdaneta city, the Celestes in Alaminos, the Sorianos and Resuellos in San Carlos City; Congressmen and women who made their mark in the national front like Joe de Venecia and her wife Gina, Leopoldo Bataoil, Rachel Arenas, etc.
The PUNCH saw how Pangasinan’s economy evolved and rose to become the key and primary economic booster in the region, as a primary tourist destination and a major trading center in both northern and central Luzon.
The PUNCH has a complete journal of how Pangasinan coped with martial law and today’s impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In sum, future generations will have the opportunity to study, scrutinize, trace, the development of Pangasinenses as a people since the 1950s.
For this privilege, The PUNCH owes it to all the indefatigable editors, reporters, columnists, correspondents, administrative staff over the past six decades who made it their mission to make The PUNCH as the formidable Pangasinan’s News Leader; to the thousands of readers who kept faith with our reports and opinions, and to our loyal advertisers who helped keep the paper running whatever the odds.
From this proud senior citizen in the field of community journalism in region and in the province, salamat ya balbaleg ed sikayo, agyamanak unay!
Couples together
IT is now allowed for couples to ride a motorcycle together. One major reason for allowing this is, many partners go to work usually from Monday to Friday. More often than not, the male drives his partner to her place of work before proceeding either to his own office or to an appointment. It’s the most natural thing to do. Or the hubby would simply bring his wife/partner to her office, come home and fetch her in the afternoon when she knocks off from work. But amid the pandemic scare, the bike must have a divider between the driver and his partner in obedience to the rule on social distancing. That makes sense, too. They must wear face masks at all times. But what is a couple again? Married partners and live-in pairs. Other family members and relatives are not qualified as back-riders (angkas). In short, the new rule covers couples as lovers only. Strictly.
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