WAS the passage of the Dagupan City’s 2024 annual budget after more than two months delay, indeed, a reason to celebrate? Hardly. From time immemorial, a budget, whether for home, education, vacation or for governance, technically speaks of money  that makes things happen. Families and corporations save for it, so…

THERE’S much to tell about our women today but on such a topic, nothing beats hearing it all from the women themselves beyond an occasion “to spotlight women’s accomplishments and address ongoing and emerging issues related to women’s empowerment and gender equality,” or “empowering your girls around the nation with…

THE PUNCH’s news story this week about the status of National Food Authority (NFA)-Pangasinan’s rice buffer stock in the province reveals both the agency’s standard operating policy and the magnitude of the anomaly behind the sale of 75,000 bags of buffer stock by the NFA central office to two favored…

THE indictment of the three councilors, Redford Erfe-Mejia, Alfie Fernandez and Irene Lim-Acosta by the City Prosecution Service of Dagupan in connection with the affidavit-complaint for illegal detention, slander and disrupting a meeting filed last year by Vice Mayor Dean Bryan Kua and five councilors of the minority bloc, did…

AFTER 12 months since Gov. Ramon Guico III assumed office, the province is finally feeling a wind of change in governance, from unleashing a list of infrastructure programs to establishing people-oriented programs. His administration started its parade with announcements that it will seek to build a new highway from Binalonan…

LOST in the din and public discussion in reaction to the inconveniences brought about by the ongoing disruptive construction activities in Dagupan City’s main avenues is the reality that Climate Change is here. It is a change that irrefutably affects human lifestyles, compelling major adjustments to the serious challenges of…

IMAGINE what could be the Philippine economy like without the influence of Chinese culture and the emergence of the Chinese-Filipino (Chinoy to you) entrepreneurs?  That should not be difficult to discern. Out of the country’s top 10 commercial banks alone today, 9 are owned by distinguished Chinoys.  The most popular…

POLITICAL turmoil has always been the mark of Philippine politics. So, the recent signature outburst of former president Rody Duterte in the direction of President Bongbong Marcos did not really surprise most everyone.  That it happened between two back-to-back presidents was unprecedented and disconcerting. It was evidently triggered by illegal…

THE protesting owners of the traditional jeepneys being phased out by the modernization plan of the national government have reason to celebrate the totally unexpected decision of President Marcos Jr, to extend the deadline for their consolidation to April 30, after rejecting appeals last month to extend the deadline. Of…

DAGUPEÑOS who felt the earth move in 1990 and are still alive today do not need be reminded how to survive a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. But they should be asked to recall how unprepared they were when the deadly earthquake shook them out of their wits, and looking back, what…