By Farah G. Decano FIRST, I would like to extend a belated 90th Happy Birthday to the five-time Speaker of the House and diplomat par excellence, Jose de Venecia Jr. His father, the late Judge Jose R. de Venecia, was my father’s godfather. I truly regret being unable to attend…
By Rex Catubig Note: I am reprising this piece that I wrote four years ago, in the early years of my retirement. Since then, the seasonal activity that was my subject has not really changed much—as if frozen in time, caught in the time capsule of the holiday season….
Padunungan 2026 — Junior and senior high school students from six divisions across Pangasinan compete in the inter-campus group quiz show of UP Subol Society’s Padunungan 2026 at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen. Participants also vie in on-the-spot essay writing in Pangasinan and Ilocano, poetry writing,…
THE 44th edition of Padunungan, the flagship academic and cultural competition of the UP Subol Society, held on January 9, 2026 at the Narciso Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen, brought together students from across Pangasinan who engaged in intellectual, cultural, and social discourse. This year’s event had for its theme “Limata: Dismantling Unfreedoms Through…
LESSER EXPLOSIONS NOW THAN BEFORE THIRTY-four people were injured due to firecracker explosions from December 31, 2025 to January 2, 2026, according to records from the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, as the Philippine National Police reported peaceful celebrations of the New Year across the province, with no untoward…
PATROLLING THE BEACH ON NEW YEAR’S DAY — A staff of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) patrols the beach in Lingayen to ensure the safety of people frolicking during the early morning New Year’s Day last Thursday, January 1, 2026. (PUNCHphoto by Cesar Ramirez)
VICE Mayor John Isaac Kho has secured a reprieve after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division ordered the suspension of the enforcement of a Regional Trial Court (RTC) ruling that nullified his election victory and oath of office. In an order dated December 5, 2025, the Comelec acted on…
THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Dagupan City has responded to resident concerns on Paras Street in Barangay Bonuan Gueset regarding allegations of an overflowing septic tank. The agency firmly denied that the water emanating from its facility is linked to the septic system. In an interview…
THE Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) has destroyed over 11,000 illegal fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices as part of its campaign against illegal fireworks last December 27, 2025, at PPPO Grandstand, Camp Gov. Antonio U. Sison in Lingayen, Pangasinan. According to P/Lt. Colon4l Marcellano Desamito Jr. of the PPPO’s Departmental Positioning and Development Authority, the…
UNLABELED firecrackers have emerged as the leading cause of firework-related injuries (FWRI) in the Ilocos Region as the New Year approaches, according to data from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 1. The DOH reported that as of December 28, a total of 47 firework-related injuries had been recorded in…
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