The public land located few meters away from the sea and fronting the GK-Bangusville area is now clear of illegally built structures and cottages following the operation of a dismantling team yesterday (June 1) and after more than three weeks of extension given to the owners.
The dismantling team initially went to the area last May 8 to dismantle the illegal structures, but the owners requested for a 2-week extension. The team went back last May 23 but another 1-week extension was sought by the owners.
“We do not tolerate the existence of illegal structures and illegal occupants in the city. If we do, it will mean encouraging others to squat on government lands,” said Mayor Benjamin S. Lim.
According to OIC city engineer Marcelo Prado, one of the four structures was already voluntarily cleared while the owners of another cottage were just dismantling their structure when the demolition team arrived.
“When we arrived, we saw the residents tearing off the remnants of the remaining two cottages which were partially dismantled by the owners so we just helped in totally clearing the area,” said Prado even as he noted that all of the structures were newly built as vacation houses of some owners who live in Baguio City.
Prado bared that another illegal structure, which was constructed only last Saturday, was also dismantled by the team.

The demolition and enforcement team is composed of Public Order and Safety Office, City Engineer’s Office and the PNP-Dagupan. (CIO)

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Dagupan-Iawata sisterhood celebration Tsunemi Hirano, chairman of Chuen Overseas Training Center, Iwata City discusses with Mayor Benjamin S. Lim in their meeting last May 24 at the city mayor's office the planned celebration of the 30th anniversary of Iwata-Dagupan sisterhood pact in Iwata City, Japan. (CIO photo by Gryson de Venecia)

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What should be the fist attitude of our citizenry towards the proposed changing of our Constitution and form of government?
       Of the many views we heard, most seem so biased and self-serving as to confuse rather than enlighten the public. Sheer propaganda appears to dominate the discussion of bought the pros and coons.
      So far, not enough people of consequence have spoken about the issue as dispassionate and objectively as Mayor Benjie Lim.
      During the current forum sponsored by the Parish Postal Council, he said:
      “I am not lawyer, nor am I well verse with the intricacies of the law. But I am knowledgeable enough to know that the constitution is the must fundamental and basic law of the land. It is the manifestation of nothing less than the collective will of the Filipino people.
    “If we are to fallow this line this means that only the Filipino people who are empower to craft the changes they want to see in our Constitution.
     “In other words, ladies and gentlemen, we have to be realistic enough to realize that we must move forward with the times and be courageous enough to make those changes. But at the same time, we must zealously guard against those unseen and abusive powers seeking change the Constitution to benefit their own personal agenda.


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PPCRV holds Cha-Cha forum in Pangasinan

The issue on charter change took another twist in Dagupan and Pangasinan as an open forum and public consultation on cha-cha was staged by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in cooperation with the city government of Dagupan on May 25 at the People’s Astrodome.

Cavite congressman Jesus Crispin Remulla, Philippine ambassador to Vatican Henrietta de Villa and incoming president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Feliciano Bautista served as resource persons along with different lay leaders and government officials.

Dubbed “Understanding Charter Change,” Congressman Remulla explained issues on the proposed revisions and amendments of the constitution, including the advantages and disadvantages of changing the form of government into a parliamentary or federal system.

“Cha-cha needs thorough discussion with the people and it is important to inform them on what we are going to adopt,” said Remulla as he read aloud to the participants the preamble of the constitution stating that the power emanates from the people.

“It is not the government that will make or break this country but it is the will of the people,” Remulla stressed as he encouraged everyone to campaign for people empowerment after hearing reports that some ill-minded parties are fast-tracking up the process.

He cited that people’s initiative, constitutional convention and constituent assembly are among the most prominent issues on charter change.

In his welcome address, Mayor Lim said that charter change is inevitable even as he noted that it is important for people to take part and be part of the change.

“I believe that charter change is our destination but there is no express train towards it. It cannot be rushed nor manipulated. We must do it, surely, and with total disregard for the political agenda of those in power,” Lim asserted.

“We must allow cha-cha only if it serves the country’s best interest because a new government system with the same corrupt and self-serving leaders is tantamount to no change at all,” he noted.

Mrs. de Villa, also the national chairman of PPCRV, expressed gratitude to the people of Pangasinan and Dagupan for their warm welcome and active participation during the discussion.

Those who attended include representatives from the youth, mediamen, government officials, lay leaders, Muslim sector and members of different LGUs and NGOs. CIO/Leziel T. Cayabyab



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8 pilot barangays hold disaster management workshop



Mitigation, planning and preparedness.

These were the three factors highlighted during the Barangay Disaster Risk Management Workshop staged at the 8 pilot barangays for the implementation of the Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE).

PROMISE is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project implemented in 5 Asian cities.

“The workshop enabled the participants to understand disaster and disaster risk management, and at the same time, learn the importance of planning ahead before a disaster strikes,” public order and safety office (POSO) chief Robert Erfe-Mejia said.

The workshop kicked off with barangays Bacayao Norte and Lasip Chico on May 10 to 12. Two weeks after, the same workshop was simultaneously staged at barangays Mangin, Lasip Grande and Salisay from May 22 to 24 followed by Pogo Grande, Bacayao Sur and Tebeng from May 29 to 31. Each barangay had some 20 participants who completed the training.

There were three teams composed of facilitators, speakers and documentors from the city government, who were earlier trained by the Center for Disaster Preparedness, which engaged participants in various discussions and workshops to assess the vulnerability and capacity of each barangay in terms of disaster management, and determine what they usually do before, during and after a disaster.

The workshops included: timeline, hazard mapping, nature hazard assessment, behavior and hazard assessment, social Venn diagram, and problem tree, among others.

The workshop involved five significant components namely: understanding disaster and disaster risk management, disaster risk management and governance, barangay hazard vulnerability-capacity assessment, risk reduction measures and disaster risk management planning.

Each group in the respective barangays conducted a community walk to the sitios to identify each sitio’s capacity (strengths) and vulnerability (weaknesses) in relation to calamities.

The last day of training evolved into barangay risk reduction planning which included the significance of having various measures of preparedness, such as the hazard monitoring, establishing early warning system, communication protocols, public awareness, organizational strengthening, training and indigenous and appropriate technologies.

The workshop emphasized the significance for each pilot barangay to have prepared action plans before, during and after a disaster.

“This way, we can greatly minimize the risks of disasters to lives and properties,” Erfe-Mejia said. Sunshine D. Robles

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12 Dagupan exchange studes enjoying U.S. stay

Twelve young individuals from various secondary schools in the city are experiencing the best time of their lives as they take part in the study exchange program between sister cities, Dagupan and Milpitas.
The twelve high school students chosen to represent the youth sector are on a study tour in Milpitas City, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Franciso, all in the state of California, U.S.A., to share information and culture with American students. They also have the chance to visit various museums and tourist attractions in the US.
The students, together with some city officials, left for San Francisco airport on May 17 and they will be staying in the U.S. until June 8.
All going senior students this coming June, the first student exchange delegates are: Lieddy Evinna Antonio, Ross Anne Cantago, Kristan Leana Valencia (Dagupan City National High School); Justine Marie Layug Arenas, Stacey Kaye M. Manuel (Dominican School); Ma. Christina Mae Galang, Miguel Valenzuela (Mother Goose Special Schools System Inc.; Paul Teng Mejia, Gemnaika Montemayor Palinar, Carla Marnessa Lee Pua (Pangasinan Universal Institute); Karen Joy Manaois (Escuela Nuestra Seniora de la Salette School); and Ranjyliana Manaois (University of Pangasinan).
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MBSL earns Rizal Award for Excellence

MBSL earns Rizal Award for Excellence
Another feather in the cap awaits Mayor Lim – the “Dr. Jose Rizal Award for Excellence.”
The mayor received recently a letter from Dante Francis Ang II, president and CEO of The Manila Times, confirming the selection of Lim as one of the country’s outstanding Chinese-Filipinos in the field of Public Service.
“This year we are honoring outstanding Chinese Filipinos who have contributed to the country’s economic growth, social progress and political stability,” Ang said.
The Manila Times, through the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence, seeks to recognize and honor outstanding Chinese-Filipinos who have excelled in various fields of discipline and made great contributions to the Filipino society. It is for this reason that The Manila Times decided to institutionalize an annual system of recognizing distinguished Chinese-Filipinos.
The Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence awards ceremony, now on its fifth year, will be held at 7 p.m. on June 19, 2006, at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center on Anda and Cabildo streets, Intramuros, Manila.
Because of his outstanding achievements, Mayor Lim received other various recognitions namely: 2003 League of Cities Best Practices Award; 2003 outstanding city mayor; 2003 national research and development paper award for the fishery ordinance; and 2005 most competitive small city of the Philippines, among others. Sunshine D. Robles

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City intensifies cleanliness program

Mayor Lim urged all households, business establishments and institutions in Dagupan City to equip themselves with brooms, dust pans, waste bags and litter cans and maintain the cleanliness of the sidewalks and street gutters fronting their structures at all times.

The mayor’s appeal is in line with the anti-littering and Paligid ko, Linis ko campaign of the city government. The campaign, which was launched on February this year, aims to make Dagupan clean and orderly, at the same time instill discipline to the public.

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