Playing with Fire
Promoting “good morning” tuyo
By Gonzalo Duque
PANG Famas talaga ang pag arte nila Mayor Benjie Lim at Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez noong Dagupan Day na kung saan ay si DOTC Usec Dante Velasco ang guest of honor and speaker.
Ang ganda ng speech ni Dante, it centered on the city’s untapped or improperly tapped resources, especially its marine resources and, of course, human resources – people, the warm blooded Dagupenos, but alas political disunity is hampering our march forward. That was why he called on the unity of political leaders. Maganda ang speech, akmang akma sa pananhon.
He lauded the city leaders for their river clean-up, dredging and no more fishpen program, which he said could have resulted in no fishkill in the city. But he appealed for the leaders’ unity.
Yes, leaders’ unity… we have wished BSL and Belen were not just trifling with the symbolic raising of the hands. Kasi, yong pagtaas ni Mayor Lim ng kamay ni Veem Belen ay sinundan ng masigabong palakpakan. So they want them to unite, but if you ask every person in the city, 8 out of 10 do not believe they were sincere about reconciling.
Super lalim na ang sugat ng hidwaan, sabi ng marami, but if you ask us, we say, why not, a grand reunification is what majority of the people in Dagupan want to happen. Only a few would want the rift to continue, yong mga intriguero, mga professional power brokers who will lose money if they unite. Mawawalan ng hanapbuhay. We are referring to the unscrupulous or scheming political kibitzers whose continued pakikisawsaw is promoting divisive politics in the city.
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Have you tasted San Fabian’s yummy tuyo? That’s your favourite “good morning” salted fish you usually have for breakfast.
We had our awesome experience at Pedritos of the beautiful proprietress Linda Suratos vda de Tordesillas who at past 40 looks every inch a pretty 25-year old princess — or, queen.
It’s in her much sought restaurant that our Pangasinan Press Club holds its regular meeting. The food is good, and so with the ambiance, and most of all, the lady at the helm, Ms. Linda Mujer.
We asked Board Member Jaming Libunao if there is any effort to develop and market nationwide their tuyo the way Dagupan officials like Mayor Lim is promoting bangus. Jaming says nada. Ay, sayang, kayo amigo, it’s about time Mayor Irene rallied the San Fabian tuyo makers to devise a marketing plan. Masarap ang tuyo lalo na kung may champorado, awa Jun V?
So you see, folks, there are many saleable products in our province that should make every Pangasinense prouder. Many don’t notice it because everyone is preoccupied with divisive or sawsaw politics.
Pakinggan natin yong panawagan ni Usec Dante Velasco: Dagupan can achieve much, much more if its leaders are united. Amen!
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Before the oath taking of the new officers of the Pangasinan Press Club last night, we had a symposium on media ethics with attorney de campanilla Allan Paguia as guest speaker. The statuesque charmer Judge Emma Torio administered the oath of the officers.
Many are asking why it took us some time to hold our induction. We said we wanted to demonstrate to the public that we are a club that’s making a difference.
Ok, not only our press club, which is struggling to break free from the impression that many of its members are the AC DC type. Past tense na yon, mga abay. That’s why, and we hope our colleagues understand us, we refuse any cash donation from guest speakers during our Media in Action forum. We shoulder the cost.
Bahala ka pa muna EVP Ashok ha, malapit na ang refund. May nagparating sa atin na medyo umaaray na si Ashok, but don’t worry, friend, malapit ka nang mangoleketa.
We wrote this Friday (Punch deadline), so we couldn’t talk about how the Freedom of Information bill, which was slated to be our main topic in the symposium.
We are extra sensitive on the manner press freedom is observed in our country. For while on the surface requiring full publication or airing of “the other side” to a news story seems normal, we believe the evaluation of whether a news item is fit to print or publish rests not on a legal dictate but on the editors’ evaluation. Right Ermin? We shall elaborate this in future issues.
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