Editorial
Going big time
IN the midst of all the revelry in the ongoing Bangus Festival in Dagupan City, there was some serious business talk among the stakeholders of the aquaculture industry. Necessarily so. For while the annual event, now on its 13th year, serves as a grand promotional campaign and major tourism income-earner, the local bangus industry itself which it celebrates remains far from its full potentials.
It is sad to note that Dagupan, a city synonymous with its tasty milkfish and supposedly the Bangus Capital of the World, trails behind, or just at par with, other parts of the country and its Asian neighbors in terms of production. At the Regional Bangus Summit last week, local leaders and other government officials rallied the private sector to go big time by investing in more hatcheries to make the local industry more self-sufficient and set their sights on the foreign export market. Facilities such as the Philippine-Korea Seafood Processing Plant in Dagupan and assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are in place to give the industry the needed thrust towards that sizeable clientele hungry for fish.
Meanwhile, as Pangasinan likewise aims to be a big player in the tourism industry with its beaches among its top attractions, security should be a main priority for local governments, police authorities, and the communities.
In the coming Pista’y Dayat on May 1, everyone, including the visitors themselves, must not let enjoyment get too much of them that they completely drop their guards against crimes, drowning incidents, and other untoward episodes. One drowning, one shooting, one car break-in incident are one too many in the campaign to promote Pangasinan as a major tourism destination in the country.
Going big time entails a lot of risks and challenges, but the economic rewards are also vast.
* * * * * *
State witness
JANET Napoles doesn’t have to be a state witness to divulge what she knows about the P10-billion scam on public funds that she had allegedly masterminded and gone mostly to the pockets of individuals, who allegedly included Senators Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla.
In the first place, didn’t Napoles already tell everything that she knew about the scandal of the century to Justice Secretary De Lima? So, what is there to be “state witness” about if Napoles had already revealed her darkest secrets to De Lima? And, in the second place, didn’t De Lima herself say she would “study, deliberate and evaluate well” Napoles’ recorded testimony before making appropriate recommendations? Amid all this, we like what Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said: “With this new development, it is imperative that the Senate re-opens the probe on the P10-billion fund scam.”
State witness or not, Napoles, if she is true to her word to De Lima that she will “tell all”, ought to sing her new tune in the Senate. Let the public judge if it should be a hit, a chart-topper, or not.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
