AFTER SEVERE FLOODING IN CITY MAYOR Belen Fernandez is set to ask the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s seven majority councilors again to pass the long overdue 2023 annual budget of the city. “It’s about time that they (seven majority councilors) approve the annual budget. Wala nang rason para muling i-delay ito. Nakita nila…

WITH SINOCALAN RIVER DOWN TO 6.1MASL BARRING more big rains upstream of the Sinocalan watershed, flood in Dagupan’s 31 barangays is finally expected to ease this week. The city is the catchment basin of rainwater from the Cordilleras originating from its fountain head in Tuba, Benguet. In an interview over…

PARTIAL REPORT PROVINCEWIDE VICE Governor Mark Lambino said initial damage report in agriculture left by super Typhoon ‘Egay’ in Pangasinan was placed at P34-million affecting mostly corn due for harvest. Lambino, who was acting governor, in an interview, reported that based on reports received from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction…

“TAX DECLARATION NOT PROOF OF OWNERSHIP” THE owners of houses and restaurants built on foreshore lands along the baywalks in San Fabian, Binmaley and Lingayen stand to be demolished and their owners sued by the provincial government. Gov. Ramon Guico III declared his intent adding that he will file complaints…

A ‘SWEETHEART DEAL’ IT’S official. San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC) will build the P34-billion Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) that will connect Binalonan to Lingayen town at no cost to the provincial government. Gov. Ramon Guico III, who spoke before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) regular session on Monday, July 10, announced…

LGC SECTION 323 REJECTED THE members of the majority at the Sanggunian Panlungsod (SP), again used their number to exclude the resubmitted 2023 annual budget of the city government in July 4, 2023 agenda. At the start of the session, Councilor and Majority Floor Leader Librada Reyna-Macalanda moved for the…

MAJORITY WITHDREW DILATORY TACTIC THE Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod finally passed the resolution adopting the Supplemental Investment Program (AIP) 1 of P148.98 million submitted by Mayor Belen Fernandez but after the majority attempted to suspend anew by insisting on introducing an amendment to adding P100,000 or more to the P500,000 budget…

SECOND ROUND BATTLE MAYOR Belen Fernandez convened the Local Development Council (LDC) to a meeting last Wednesday, June 21, and passed two resolutions approving the resubmission of the 2023 Annual Budget of P1.3 billion and the submission of the P148.9 million Supplemental Annual Investment Plan No. 1 to the Sangguniang…

FULL ALERT VS GUNS-FOR-HIRE THE Pangasinan Police Provincial Police has started preparing for the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections by closely monitoring movements of all suspected guns-for-hire in the province. P/Col. Jeff Fanged, PPPO director, told The PUNCH, that identifying all possible and suspected guns-for-hire in Pangasinan was…

FORMATION OF PSB SNAGGED ANEW IT’S been nine months since the resolution creating the Personnel Selection Board (PSB) was submitted and certified urgent by Mayor Belen Fernandez, and the seven-man majority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod continues to block its adoption. The committee on civil service and government reorganization, chaired by…