For having brought the police system closer to the community it is serving, the Dagupan City Police Station was adjudged Best City Station in Police Community Relations (PCR) this year.

Police Superintendent Edgar O. Basbas, city police chief, received a plaque of merit embodying the award from Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor during the awarding ceremony at Camp Crame on July 31 in the presence of the Police Director General Oscar Calderon, Chief, PNP.

Basbas said the major thrust of the Philippine National Police is better community relations, or “satisfying the security needs of the residents.”

“We should not only apprehend criminals but we should make the city residents feel safe and secure,” Basbas said.

Towards this end, the city police have been implementing several projects such as the “Beat Patrol System” or the deployment of police personnel along busy city streets and crime-prone areas.

“Police visibility is a deterrent to crime,” Basbas noted.

The police is also readily accessible through number 166, a hotline that can be reached by both subscribers of PLDT and Digitel telephone companies.

Monitoring teams

The city police likewise practice community-oriented policing system or getting the support of barangay officials, non-government and civic organizations in watching over the communities against illegal activities.

“We have mobilized the barangay tanods to monitor against unlawful actions in the villages,” Basbas said.

Complementing the tanods’ efforts are multi-sectoral monitoring teams such as Task Force Bantay Dagupan, the Public Order and Safety Office, different civic and communications groups (Action, Kabayan, Delta and Spectrum), army reservists, Guardians, and Phabi,

Basbas commended the groups for “actively cooperating with the police in crime monitoring, reporting, prevention and control.”

The police chief added that random checkpoints are set up to implement the No Plate, No Travel policy and the Pass Card System in the major chokepoints in the city.
The city police also intensified its operations against syndicates of illegal drugs, carnapping, street crimes and bank robbery, and against terrorism and kidnapping.

Basbas said that on deck are the following projects: The organization of the Community Police Action Centers (Compact) in coordination with barangay leaders and the city government; and the setting up of “Bantay Bangko” and “Dragnet” to address bank robbery/hold up and hostage taking situations.

Women and children friendly

The city police maintain a Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) and Family Juvenile Gender Awareness Desk manned by three personnel who are responsible for the programs on women and children’s welfare.

The desk is responsible for upholding the rights of women and children who may be victims or are in conflict with the law.

“The desk personnel have been attending seminars and dialogues on women and children laws, and have in turn been resource speakers during seminars on the issues in some schools and barangays,” Basbas pointed out.

Among the activities, plans and programs of the WCPD are campaign against prostitution, vagrancy and street children’s welfare; rehabilitation of victims of abuse and violence and seminars on children and women consciousness and awareness.

Basbas said that a partnership between the police and the community is the best system to fight criminality in the city.

“We are continuously reaching out to the community, and we are happy that the community has been cooperating with us in our battles against unlawful activities,” he concluded.

Most city disaster coordinating councils (CDCCs) in the country convene only during hydrological and meteorological disasters.

In Dagupan City, the CDCC is set to handle not just natural calamities but also man-made disasters.

Civil defense coordinator-designate Robert Erfe-Mejia said that CDCC members will undergo training on handling bomb threats, fire, hostage taking and other man-made disasters.

The two-day training is tentatively set on August 10-11 at the city museum for the seminar-workshop and at the city plaza for the simulation of man-made disasters.

Aside from the CDCC members, the training will also have the participation of hotel, restaurant and shopping mall managers, bank managers, school heads, department heads, barangay chairmen and chief tanods.

Organized by the CDCC, the training will be conducted by the Dagupan City Police Station, Dagupan City Fire Station, and the Philippine Red Cross.

Because of its expanded scope, the CDCC is looking for a permanent office where it can set up modern monitoring and communication facilities attuned on a day-to-day basis and available venue during emergency meetings and coordination.

Meanwhile, the CDCC formed quick reaction teams (QRTs) for close monitoring and possible evacuation of flood victims in some inundated areas of Lasip Chico, Lasip Grande, Poso Grande, Mayombo, Bacayao Sur and Bacayao Norte.

In a meeting on July 31, acting Mayor Alvin Fernandez told the CDCC to start buying gadgets to be given to the QRTs for rescue operations. (CIO)

“This year’s Dagupan City fiesta promises to be one of the most celebrated and best organized ever, “ announced councilor Librada Fe “Dada” Reyna, the 2006 city fiesta hermana mayor.

Designated by Mayor Lim on June 14 to be this year’s fiesta executive committee chairman, Reyna is tasked to oversee the celebration of the 2006 Dagupan City Fiesta and ensure the smooth flow of various activities.

“I highly appreciate the trust and confidence given to me by the mayor. This inspires me to do my best and maintain the tradition of excellence contributed by the past fiesta hermano mayors,” Reyna said.

Reyna said that compared to the previous city fiestas, this year’s festivities will highlight worthwhile activities for Dagupeño children and their families since the city fiesta coincides with the Christmas season.

Aside from that, she added that crowd-drawing activities are also included in this year’s calendar of activities.

She further said that Dagupeños and guests will expect a different celebration as this year’s activities are designed to draw the interest and attention of visitors from neighboring towns as well as from the international community.

The hermana mayor stressed that the support and cooperation of her colleagues in the sangguniang panlungsod and the chairmen of various committees will ensure the success of the city fiesta.

She also encouraged all Dagupeños to work together and unite to make this year’s fiesta celebration meaningful and memorable.

Apart from its religious significance, the city fiesta is one of Dagupan’s major tourist-drawing activities where thousands of guests and visitors flock to the city to witness the almost month-long celebration held every December.

The celebration of the annual fiesta is in honor of St. John the Evangelist, the city’s patron saint whose feast day is December 26. (CIO/Leziel T. Cayabyab)

The YMCA-based Dagupan City karate team displayed sports supremacy having won a total of four bronze medals in the Milo Super Karate Kids Championship held at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila on July 30.

The winners are John Meverick Edralin (Creative Montessori-Lyceum Northwestern), Gian Mark Tamayo (West Central Elem. Sch.), John Enrico Vasquez (Mother Goose) and Kurt Vidal (EDNAS Schoool).

According to Enrico Vasquez, Philippine Wado Ryu Karate-Do Federation president and Region 1 director, the Milo Super Karate Kids is the biggest karate tournament in Metro Manila organized by MILO and the Association for the Advancement of Karate-Do.

“The participation of Team Dagupan in the prestigious karate tournament exposed our young athletes to the Kobe Osaka international rules, which is being adopted in the World Karate Cup, and it helped them develop their character against the best of Manila players,” Vasquez said.

Pocholo Veguillas, MILO national organizer and president of the Association for the Advancement of Karate-Do, said that the Dagupan Team has the potential to succeed in higher karate competitions.

The event was participated in by teams from AAK Megamall, AAK SM North, AAK Mall of Asia, AAK Las Piñas, AAK Batangas, Japan Karate Association-Lipa, Batangas chapter, Association of Shotokan Karate-do in Cavite, St. Paul College, Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle-Zobel, Wado Ryu Karate-Do Institute in San Carlos City and San Lorenzo Ruiz College. (CIO/Leziel T. Cayabyab)

Twenty-two additional housing units will be officially awarded by the city government and the Couples for Christ to the family beneficiaries of the Gawad Kalinga-Bangusville housing project on August 18.

Mayor Lim, along with wife Celia, will lead the awarding ceremony as well as the turn over of the symbolic key to the indigent beneficiaries at the Gawad Kalinga site in barangay Bonuan Gueset.

According to Ricky Castillo, GK project coordinator, the housing project has given priority to the homeless and less privileged citizens of the city, especially the poorest of the poor who were displaced because of the construction of the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao diversion road.

He added that most of the family beneficiaries come from Brgy. Pantal and Arellano.

“This is another manifestation of our sincere commitment to uplift the lives of the poor by providing them livable settlements that will encourage them to make a positive contribution in building the community,” said Lim.

Castillo bared that aside from the 22 housing units, 10 more houses will soon be awarded to another batch of beneficiaries as its construction will be completed after two weeks.

Castillo also announced that the GK-Bangusville site already has its own learning center for GK children and a multi-purpose hall donated by the Rotary Club of Dagupan East.

At present, the Gawad Kalinga housing project of the city has already provided 74 housing units for the homeless and less privileged citizens. (CIO/Leziel T. Cayabyab)

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, together with five high school students in the city, left for Japan on July 27 for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the sisterhood pact between the cities of Dagupan and Iwata.

The Iwata City government prepared a program of activities for the celebration slated from July 27 to 30.

“Our visit to Iwata opened new doors for economic and cultural exchange between Iwata and Dagupan,” Mayor Lim said.

He said that the Iwata government has plans to visit Dagupan to further strengthen the ties between the two cities, and at the same time seek opportunities for investments here.

“We will also talk about the proposal to stage a student exchange program between the two cities like what took place between Dagupan and Milpitas,” Lim stated.

On July 28, Iwata City Mayor Nozomu Suzuki welcomed the Dagupan delegates in his office. Later, the delegates explored the beauty of Iwata during a city tour. The 30th anniversary ceremony followed in the evening.

The mayor said that a video presentation on Dagupan in Japanese translation was shown to the Iwata City officials. A nanDAraGUPAN book was also presented to the Iwata people.

The next day, a students’ forum was staged. The activity was a venue for the students of Dagupan and Iwata to exchange viewpoints about their respective cultures and the sisterhood program.

Because of the sister cities relationship, he said, around 100 Dagupeño-trainees on carpentry and welding are now in Japan. He noted that more Dagupeño-trainees will be sent to the country.

The sister city covenant between Dagupan and Iwata was formalized by then Dagupan City Mayor Cipriano Manaois and then Iwata Mayor Katsumi Yamauchi on February 19, 1975.

A Japanese team had earlier visited Dagupan to personally invite and inform Mayor Lim about the celebration in addition to the invitation letter sent by Mayor Suzuki.

The team was composed of Tsunemi Hirano, chairman, Chuen Overseas Technical Training Center; Kazuhiko Shimamura, Genkei Automotive Ltd; Kenji Kawasaki, president, Phil-Japan Gijutsu Iten Foundation; and Rosemarie Kawasaki, vice president, PGIF.

The Iwata City government provided free transportation and accommodation for the delegates composed of Mayor Lim, Antonio Uy, Romualdo Patrick Siapno and students Paul Francis Co, Jr., James Dy, Jr., Joanna Mei Hufano, Christa Mariel Lolim and Aldrin Brian Lao. (Sunshine D. Robles)

Mayor Lim addressed Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs and professionals during the regular membership meeting of the Anvil Business Club on July 19 held at Café Carrera Restaurant, PGA cars building in Mandaluyong City.

Lim encouraged the Filipino-Chinese members of Anvil to “keep in mind that the ground we stand on today provided us the opportunity to reach a modicum of success in our respective fields. It is now time to give back to the country that has given us a home.”

He said that today’s generation of Filipino-Chinese is not in the Philippines to seek greener pastures as their forefathers, but they were born here. This is their country, this is their home.

“Thus, the responsibility of today’s Filipino-Chinese is much greater that it was years ago, especially now that our country is facing grave political and economic uncertainties,” he underscored.

Lim urged the Filipino-Chinese to participate in nation building because it is only through it that earns them the right to demand better governance from the politicians.

He, however, stressed that the greatest challenge is for the Filipino-Chinese individuals to become true frontline leaders of the nation, beyond their comfort zones.

“And when I speak of leaders, I speak not only of becoming leaders in the field of business and commerce but becoming leaders in our respective communities, barangays, towns, cities and provinces - leaders in our respective advocacies, such as human rights, crime-prevention, social welfare, and education, among others,” he pointed out.

He emphasized that as Tsinoys, their strengths are not limited to their keen business sense and dynamic entrepreneurial spirit.

Noting that there are Tsinoys now in the government, he pointed out that this is the new generation of leadership that must be fostered. On an individual level, they must go beyond their self-centered concerns, and take a keener and genuine interest in the future of the country.

As parents, he said, it is their duty not only to inculcate upon their children the value of hard work, frugality, and entrepreneurship, which are hallmarks of Chinese culture, but also encourage them to take a greater stake in the country.

Officers and members of Anvil, led by Wilson Lee Flores, president, and George Siy, chairman, congratulated Mayor Lim for winning one of the Dr. Jose Rizal Awards for Public Service conferred by The Manila Times.

The Anvil Business Club is an organization of young Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs and professionals committed to promote entrepreneurial courage, professional excellence, Confucian values and civic consciousness. (Sunshine D. Robles)

Mayor Lim extended his congratulations to the two universities in the city for producing top board passers in the recent Nursing Licensure Examination given in June 2005.

“I commend the University of Pangasinan and Lyceum Northwestern University for upholding the sterling quality of education in their respective institutions as proven in the recent nursing board test results,” Lim said.

He extolled the administration and the faculty staffs of the two universities led by UPang’s chairman Cesar Duque and president Catalino Rivera, and LNU’s president Gonzalo Duque for steering academic excellence in their respective universities.

Lim added that the board result reaffirms the status of Dagupan as the education center of the North with institutions that offer high quality education.

UPang nursing graduate Gringo de Guzman San Diego topped the board exam while his classmate Felipe Sotelo placed 8th in the top ten honor roll. Upang’s total board passers was 162.

LNU’s Razzle Abalos and Benedict Mayo tied for 8th place (with UPang’s Sotelo), while Melody Aquino was 9th placer. The university produced 236 nursing board passers.

The mayor is also happy to note that children of some city hall employees hurdled the licensure examination. They are: Leandro Bagtas, Jr. (UPang), son of Leonardo Bagtas, city assessor’s office and Carolina Bagtas, sangguniang panlungsod; Mark Anthony Serrano (LNU), son of Violeta Serrano, city health office; Juan Carlos Pacheco (Upang), son of Carmencita Pacheco, city health office; Deilhmarc Kennedy Carbonell (Upang), son of city health officer Dr. Leonard Carbonell; Mariano Bito Fulgencio (University of Luzon), son of Ronald Fulgencio, SP; and Ginalyn Venus Ubando Ariola (UPang), daughter of population officer Amado Ariola.

Julienne Carla Cardinoza, daughter of former SP executive now Aksyon Radyo station manager Ging Cardinoza, also passed the board exam.

“All board passers deserve our admiration and commendation as it requires focus and diligence to be successful in such endeavor,” Lim concluded. (Sunshine D. Robles)