Save the bangus industry

By Jun Velasco

SCENIC Dapalu drive (Dawel-Pantal-Lucao Alternate Road) gives motorists a panorama of the city’s major bangus industry.

Yes, Virginia, the river under the Japanese-funded bridge (Dagupan’s version of the San Francisco Bridge in California) is part of the Bonuan navigational route that raises the world-famous bangus, our main industry and pride of all Dagupenos.

Let’s not forget to thank Congressman Joe de Venecia Jr. for that beautiful piece of infrastructure because it was he who broached the idea, had it funded from his CDF and Japanese funds and constructed by the Public Works and Highways led by Sec. Jun Ebdane, Director Fidel Ginez and District Engr. Rudy Dion

Alas, our bangus industry is not all rosy now, if you ask our local fisher folk. Many of them are hurting pointing to serious neglect that threatens to kill the industry if not saved soon.

In a hastily called meeting last week, local fishermen, assisted by a team of government fisheries officers, reported that not a single centavo has been remitted to the government coffers by the many fishpond operators in the city.

They also complain that due to this neglect, only 60 per cent of our fisheries are “normally” producing no longer enough for local consumption. There is even abuse in fish feeding which could result to fish kill anytime soon, they say.

We suggest an emergency summit for all bangus producers and stakeholders to be presided by Mayor Al Fernandez and City Agriculturist Emma Molina to save the industry – the city’s main source of world-wide fame when it landed in the Guinness Book of Records for staging the longest bangus grill in the world during the mayorship of Benjie Lim.

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A year-long vacation in his fish-rich resort in Sitio Tocok in Barangay Lucao, balikbayan Alfredo Dawana, who is normally based in San Francisco, California, resulted in the construction of a potable water system and the clean up and dredging of the river in the area.

Hailed by Tocok residents as a folk hero, Dawana felt sad that for a while he incurred the ire of Lucao Kapitan Lino Fernandez, now ABC president, for allegedly violating protocol when he directly sought the help of then Speaker de Venecia for Tocok’s new water system

It didn’t take long however for the duo, Dawana, himself a former ABC prexy, and Fernandez, being both steeped in the art of public service, to revive their friendship, with Mayor Fernandez providing the subtle mediation work.

Dawana yesterday revealed that his kin and friends who were in fishing are now into backyard gardening amidst fish depletion in Lucao’s rivers. Their problem now is over abundanceof veggies which they can’t market because their neighbors are also into the business.

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Our heart sank when we learned that an old friend since pre-martial law days, Atty. Romulo Villamil, former consul, Dagupan City councilor and City Board secretary, has died after a lingering illness.

A regular at the Dagupan City Breakfast Club headed by Ruben Rivera, Kuya Mulong was better known as a member of the “De Venecia Boys” that include former Vice Mayor Pepe Siapno, former LandBank Director Rudy Ramos, former DBP director Tony Manas, Engr. Louie de Venecia, former Councilor Naning Aoanan, and the late Danny Fabia.

For the information of local journalists, Kuya Mulong was a former associate editor of the Punch where he used to write an incisive column; and president of the Pangasinan Press and Radio Club.

Dagupenos’ state of mourning is also aggravated by the demise of Dean Aida Regino, wife of Court of Appeals Justice Teddy Regino and mother of our cumpadre Jeremy Regino, chief of staff of LRT in Manila. We knew her as a doting mother, and we thought that motherly love was main ingredient in the proper molding of her children.

We wish both Kuya Mulong and Ate Aida “bon voyage” to God’s Country.

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ACHIEVERS! Three leaders of the Dagupan Jaycees —Ryan Ravanzo, Beep Beep Tan and Red Efe Mejia —won prestigious positions (EVP area l,VP for NL and prexy of the 28th area conference respectively at the recent Jaycees area confab. Congrats… Over in Southern California, another Dagupeno, US coast guard auxiliarist Felix B. Lopez, son of the late Pete Lopez (yeah, a famous Jaycee during his time), a close buddy of Ermin and this columnist, made Daguepnos proud in America when he received prestigious awards from top US coast guard officials in connection with his high performance as a coast guard auxiliarist. Felix is the first Filipino to be cited in that category, we were told. Blow out ka, Dan Nino.

(Readers may reach columnist at junmv@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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