Sound the tsunami alert By Ermin Garcia Jr. WHILE the provincial and other municipal governments are gearing to avoid a repeat of the Pepeng disaster in 2009 when the rains and floods come, they ought to be reminded that Pangasinan’s coastline communities are very vulnerable as well to deadly tsunami…

P1.2 B pork barrel for Pangasinan By Ermin Garcia Jr. LAST week, this corner explained what the province can expect from our set of newly elected representatives in Congress given their annual pork barrel, known today as Priority Development Assistance Fund (PADAF). Since the advent of Countrywide Development Fund, the…

Transparency from our Congress Reps By Ermin Garcia Jr. AS our editorial points out, the province is entitled yearly to some P420 M in pork barrel funds courtesy of our congressmen! The pork barrel is meant to fund appointed ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ projects endorsed by congressmen for their districts. (It…

Unsolicited advice By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE brouhaha over the management of the Dagupan seafood processing plant was to be expected. There are vested interests and there are vested interests in enterprise projects funded by government. Personally, I’ve always maintained that government should never run a business venture – not…

The Green dream A big example is being set by the small town of Bani. By tapping the participation and resources of the private sector, this second-class municipality with a population of only about 48,000 is now looking at a future where its household and commercial power supply could possibly…

The Noynoy Oath By Ermin Garcia Jr. PRESIDENT-apparent Noynoy Aquino will soon take his oath, he who was elected on the strength of his “Hindi ako magnanakaw” pledge during the campaign period. Did he mean it? Or did he pick it up all because it was a good sound bite…

Remember Ondoy-San Roque Dam flood By Ermin Garcia Jr. NOW that the victory celebrations all over the place are quieting down, it’s time for both the re-elected and outgoing local executives to buckle down to some serious work to fend off another potential calamity coming their way. I’m talking about…

Gutter level By Ermin Garcia Jr. FINALLY, it can be said that Garci-Cheating templates have seen their last days. Automation buried it well and deep, at least for now.  The votes this year have been cleanly and quickly counted, that’s the good news. Now the bad news.  How the votes…

Voting for political dynasties By Ermin Garcia Jr. POLITICAL dynasties, with or without the provision in the Constitution prohibiting it, will likely remain with us for a long time, and that’s because it’s they who decide what’s good for them. Unknown to many, Sen. Ping Lacson filed a bill in…

“Wild” and wise By Ermin Garcia Jr. ANOTHER bright icon of Dagupan City passed away while the city was celebrating Bangus Festival. A dear friend and a distinguished gentleman, Salvador “Ado” Duque, eldest of the illustrious Duque siblings finally succumbed to a lingering illness.