A first for Dagupan: No SGLG

By Leonardo Micua

THE list of 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees released by the Department of the Interior and Local Government sadly did not include perennial winners Dagupan and Urdaneta cities. Why?

Only Alaminos and San Carlos cities were in the list. What’s the problem, Mayors Brian and Julio Parayno III? 

In the case of Dagupan, many already knew it could not make it because Mayor Brian already said early on that he’s not interested in awards.    

In his 100-day accomplishments Brian enumerated the clearing of major roads of obstruction as one of his major accomplishments, which he did with the prodding and a stern warning from the DILG that the non-performing will get sanctions if they cannot explain their unsatisfactory performance.

Only three towns in Pangasinan–Mangatarem, Natividad and Tayug—reportedly failed to score a passing grade in the road clearing operations. But lo and behold! These were nevertheless included in the list of 21 Pangasinan municipalities as among the SGLG awardees, which meant, they excelled in governance.

Failure of Dagupan to land in the list of SGLG awardees this year is incomprehensible to many Dagupeños. For the past three years in a row, Dagupeños were regaled by a series of SGLG awards during the administration of Mayor Belen Fernandez. and even before when the award was known as Seal of Good Governance and Housekeeping.

In his first 100 Days Report, pardon me, but in my book, Brian has not accomplished specific projects funded by the city coffers. Even the tensile roofing of the city plaza, as well as the ongoing elevation of a barangay road in Bonuan Gueset are still Belen’s.  

Anyway, Brian has more than two years more to catch up. For the good of the city and people, let’s pray for his success. 

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The appeal of farmers from eastern Pangasinan for the National Food Authority to relax its cumbersome requirements before they can sell their palay to the agency is legitimate and needs an immediate positive response, while many of them are still harvesting their palay.

Our kumpadre, Abraham Belena, formerly from Dolores, Abra and is now farming in San Quintin, confirmed that NFA established a buying station in San Quintin but NFA is requiring the submission of several documents, many of them do not know where to source these out.

In a situation like this when farmers badly need cash to buy food and pay tuition fees of their kids in college, they have no other recourse but to go to rice traders who buy palay with no question asked at a much lower price at from P9 to P11 per kilo.

When all farmers are griping about the negative impact of the Rice Tariffication Law, why is NFA sticking by its book, rejecting offers to sell by those who cannot comply with the requirements. Isn’t this unfair? 

We must remind NFA that when Secretary William Dar came to Pangasinan, he exhorted the provincial government to buy palay from local farmers without citing any specific rule to follow. They should take that as a cue.

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The Bulacan bangus will still continue to enter Dagupan in two specific days of the week, 200 banyeras per day! 

This, according to an ordinance set to be passed by the Sangguniang Panglungsod rejecting a previous call for a total ban on Bulacan bangus, described by Councilor Teresa Coquia as inferior in quality, and tastes like mud as they are being fed with chicken dung.

With this warning about Bulacan bangus, I wonder what changed the minds of some of the councilors to allow it to be sold in the markets of Dagupan.

Although aware of the principle of free trade, bangus growers in Dagupan are vehemently opposed to the entry of Bulacan bangus to the city, warning that it will be disastrous to indigenous Dagupan bangus, losing its advantage in the market and eventually impact on the demand for Dagupan bangus since it will be mixed with Bulacan bangus.

Wonder of all wonders, why are traders of Bulacan bangus insisting on bringing it to Dagupan when they are just a few kilometers from Navotas, considered as the country’s biggest fish market.

Many said that probably, they want their native bangus to get a piece of the popularity of the Dagupan bangus, which is known as the tastiest of its kind all over the world. But this is tantamount to outright cheating, a deception punishable by the law.  

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