Waste-to-Energy Plant: I Thought It was All Lip Service

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

My early disappointment with the Waste to Work Project of the Sure Global of the Philippines, Inc. since its introduction in Dagupan City by its Chief Executive Officer Julia Courts Boughton to then mayor Belen T. Fernandez in 2014, I thought it was all lip service.
In the last one year of her administration, I did not hear from either Fernandez or Boughton how the project fared.
I was passionate writing and broadcasting glowing encomium and peroration about its advantages like conversion of plastic wastes into diesel and food wastes into compressed gas to solve our perennial gargantuan garbage problem.

Dagupan City prepares rollout of $15 million waste-to-energy plant first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Photo and Texts Credit: Philippine Star

In the last year of Mayor Fernandez, every time I mentioned about it I was rebuffed, over cup of coffee by fellow media men, who were pro Lim, that the Michigan, USA based proponent had that hao-shiao or farce project.
They told me the program was only drawing on the board exploited by the May 2019 reelectionist Mayor Fernandez for brownie points to win votes in a tough election she faced with the popular then Vice Mayor Brian Lim.
How could I argue with them since its inception in 2014 through that Memorandum of Agreement and the eventual resolution cum proposed contract passed by the Sangguniang Panglungsod (City Council) and signed on the proverbial dotted lines of the final contract by Fernandez and Boughton, the Fernandez Administration failed to tell all and sundry that it was a long daunting task before Sure Global starts it construction at the 28, 062 square meters land in Barangay Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City.

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 A group of government licensed teachers who are media men have been assisting if not ghost writing countless news articles already for public school mentors and executives on their promotional requirement for more than a decade offer their services.

The charge is P500 each only or a total package of P1,000 if it will be published in a provincial weekly newspaper in Pangasinan.

If the teachers wanted to pay for the publication fee only, he or she pays P500 to any of the 10 weekly newspapers our group have contact that tailor the need of the client any time he or she needs it.

 

We write with expertise on any topic being taught at any in Kindergarten and Grades 12.

We are not only writers of teachers’ articles; many of us are seasoned newspaper columnists that towered to those wannabe writers who made sloppy news items for many sorry mentors.

YOU CAN CONTACT US BY PERSONALLY MESSAGING THE TOPIC YOU WANT AT THIS FACE BOOK’S ACCOUNT or at THE E-MAIL'S totomortz@yahoo.com.

Mayor spends P20-M to aid VM

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A reelective mayor spent twenty million pesos not to ensure his victory but to give succor to his vice mayoralty tandem beleaguered by the vote buying resorted by her rival in the recent poll.

“Iyong taga kabila namimili ng P250 per voter noong pakurong. Iyong vice mayor ko P250 kada botante ang kaya kaya binigyan ko ng P250 para P500 kontra sa P250 ng kalaban,” the mayor in Central Pangasinan told this writer.

He did it because his cash strapped mayoral opponent did not resort to use money to win the hearts of the vulnerable voters.

“I spent twenty million pesos because I gave two hundred pesos to sell myself to the voters and aided my vice mayor with another sum”.

Both candidates for the mayoralty and vice mayoralty are into big contracting business building infrastructure for the government.

Speaker GMA's Nephew Guico Opens to Refile New PSA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINALONAN, Pangasinan – The nephew of a former president and House Speaker was receptive to the call to refile her bill that will open the country for more business competition and employment.

Pangasinan Fifth District Congressman- Elect Ramon “Monmon” V. Guico III said that as long as the bill will be pro - Filipinos he will support it.

 His pronouncement ensued after this newspaper exhorted him that he refiles the amendment of the Public Service Act filed in 2017 by Pampanga Representative Gloria M. Arroyo when he joined the 18^th Congress on July 1 this year.

CONG-ELECT – Then Pangasinan Fifth District congressional candidate Ramon “Monmon” V. Guico, III (second from left) is flanked by the district bet for the Provincial Board Louie Sison (extreme left), quintessential actress Susan Roces, and Guico’s father and namesake then mayoralty bet of Binalonan Ramon, Jr. Photo was taken while they wait for the motorcade of Senator Grace Poe, prolific actor Coco Martin, Abono Party-List Chair Rosendo So, and political figures in Pangasinan in a mammoth political rally held at the Guicos’ owned WCC Aeronautical and Technological College in the town six days before the May 13 poll. Photo by Mortz C. Ortigoza

"Ya, anything that will help the people to include the district for more development. But as long as it is not at the expense of the environment of the taong maliit na masasagasaan we will be supportive of this bill,” stressed by Guico.
 The solon’s father and namesake the mayor elect of this Eastern Pangasinan burgeoning town is a cousin of the former Philippines president.

Reason Behind Rody’s Rape Jokes at the PMA

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I was at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City a day after the graduation of the 261 members of the Mabalasik Class of 2019.

My sources there told me that except to President Rodrigo Duterte, the political and military brass, and the parents of the graduating class at the covered grandstand, the Cadet Corp Armed Forces of the Philippines (CCAFP) who formed the Long Gray Line at the Borromeo Field and the thousands of spectators outside of it were soaked with the untimely downpour.

Here what my sources told me that did not appear on the media as far as I’m concerned:

·         President Duterte and party arrived at the Summer Capital a day before the commencement exercise at Fort Del Pilar.

RELISH - Cadets of the elite Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City relish the rape joke of President Rodrigo Duterte during their commencement exercise last May 26. (Photo grab from the internet)

·         He and his party checked in at the plush Manor Hotel in Camp John Hay because some officials of the Presidential Security Group told my source that the president is afraid to the ghosts that lurk at some nook and cranny of the historic presidential summer palace’s Mansion House located at ‎Leonard Wood Road.

·          On President Duterte giving the diploma to two graduating cadets and was replaced by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to finish their distribution to the Mabalasik Class, my source said the president, who was seated and drowsy, was enmeshed the night before entertaining at his guest room in the Manor those electoral candidates who won the May 13   election.

Docs are easy to tax than lawyers, moteliers

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – Medical doctors are easy to check if they paid their taxes correctly compared to lawyers, motel owners, fishpond owners, and other businessmen , the regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue cited.

Director Thelma S. Milabao explained that hospitals’ staff have been reporting to the BIR these doctors’ professional fees they billed to their patients.

A motel in the Philippines.

“Medyo madali kasi. Puwede mo bantayan ang professional fee niya. Itong mga hospitals nag sa-submit sila sa BIR na kung magkano ang naibayad nilang professional fee sa doctors na nag eengaged doon sa kanila,” she stressed.

Milabao said that the agency’s personnel have a hard time implementing the tax compliance verification drive (TCVD) with the lawyers because they directly transacted with the clients without somebody like the hospital staff to report how much they received from those they gave their services.

The same dilemma, according to Milabao, the BIR faces with hotel and motel owners.

“Iyan nga pero babantayan namin at least 10 days para ma established namin kung magkano ba iyong average daily sales o ADS”.

Cash - Awash Voters Wiped Out Resto Stocks

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 A voter in one of the cities in Pangasinan province could not believe that during election day and the day after fast food chains like those internationally franchised Jollibee and McDonald and appliance centers had been flooded with enthusiastic customers.

“First time ganito ka dami pila ng tao na mukhang madami galing sa squatter areas.
P5,500 richers itong mga siste. Madami sila pera today,” cited by Butch Tolentino to those high spirited folks who queued in those franchised stores.

Pakurong is Pangasinan term for dole outs in cash or in kind that candidates give to voters surreptitiously in the eve of election day.
Each of the rivals for the mayorship derby gave P2,500 and P3,000 each to the delighted voters who were seen at the streets in late night of May 12 and wee hours before the May 13 election day waiting for the signal to claim their thousands of pesos through a security featured stub given by the bagmen of the candidate who wielded an ultra violet light (UVL) that checked their authenticity.

Sen. Poe: Power ng TV Ads, Pagpasa ng PSA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Sabi ng mga political experts, ang vote buying para lang sa mga tumatakbong congressmen kasi napakaliit ng isang district na pinaglalabanan nila. Dito nga lamang sa province namin may isang district dito na composed ng isang city at apat na bayan at meron dito na walong bayan at malabong magka city dahil kapos sa visions ang mga mayors dahil karamihan mahina ang kukoti.

Ang pagtakbo sa pagiging senator ay imposibling gamitan ng vote buying kasi meron tayong almost 64 million voters unlike sa average na 324 thousand voters sa isang distrito ng vote-rich province Pangasinan.

BUWAN - Reelectionist Senator Grace Poe, prolific actor Coco Martin and his Vendetta group belt Juan Carlos’ “Buwan” at the grand rally of the Nationalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Abono Party List at the tarmac of the WCC Aviation School in Binalonan, Pangasinan where a sea of wide eyed humanity attended. PHOTO BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Nadinig ko na rin ito sa ibang pulitiko, pero ito ang post sa Facebook ng isang tumatakbong senator using a different name:

“Alam ninyo ba na ang halaga na ngayon ng 30-second  (television) ad ay nasa P500,000 to P800,000 per slot depende kung sa primetime o hindi ipapalabas? So, kapag may 10 slots sa isang araw, tumataginting na P8 MILYON kaagad! Aba! Bakit ba gagastos ng ganyan kalaki ang mga kandidato araw-araw samantalang P117,000 lang ang sweldo ng isang senador kada buwan?”

Whopping na P240 million sa isang buwan pa lang iyan, anak ng bakang dalaga!, ika ng isang media man.

Abono, OFW Family Party Lists Assured of Cong Seat

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Farmers’ group Abono and OFW Family Club have been assured of one seat each for the incoming 18^th Congress of the Philippines, according to the May 3-6, 2019 survey of Pulse Asia.

According to the Constitution selection or election of Partylists come from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector.

There were 134 partylist groups according to the Commission on Election in the May 13, 2019 election when, according to Pulse Asia, only nine (9) party list get the support of the 2.0 percent Filipino voters.

Based on the procedures for the allocation of the maximum numbers of 59 seat representatives described in the resolution issued by the Supreme Court in February 17, 2017, these groups’ Anti-Crime & Terrorism Community Involvment and Support, Inc. (ACT-CIS), Ako Bicol Political Party (Ako Bicol), and Ang Bayan Muna  would succeed in winning three seats each in the House of Representatives, the maximum number of seats that any partylist can obtain in the election.

OFW FAMILY CLUB –  Roy Señeres Jr. (4^th from left), nominee of the OFW Family Club Party list, answers questions by media men when he and partymates barnstorm the vote rich province of Pangasinan. Dr. Phine Dulay-Marin (2^nd from right), provincial coordinator, and some of the brass listen. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

If the number of sectoral representatives does not reach 20% of the total number of representatives in the House, parties that have not won seats but garnered enough votes to place them among the top sectoral parties are given a seat each until the 57 seats are filled, according to Wikipidea.

Hired Killer Betrays His Patron

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I dropped by recently at the ritzy mansion of a first class town mayor in Northern Luzon since I did not break bread with him for a long time.

I met there too some of his seasoned political leaders that spiked up and spiced up our conversation about politics.

When I told them about the audacity of assassins murdering this year politicians like former La Union Congressman Eufranio Eriguel, Sudipen, La Union Mayor Alexander Buquing,Balaoan, La Union former mayor and incumbent Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion, and former Bayambang, Pangasinan Councilor Levin N. Uy, the mayor told me about the aborted murder hatched against him.

He narrated that a year ago somebody called him that his perennial bitter rival, who supports a relative for the mayorship, wanted to assassinate him.

He immediately contacted his police brass’ friends at the regional command and sought their help to unmask the perpetrator of the threat.

“They have technological marvel that could trace the location of the owner of the mobile phone whenever it rings,” he enthused.

“Ya, I know that StingRay liked gadget. When my cellphone was surreptitiously taken by a theft from my opened shoulder bag in Mangaldan seven years ago, I told the incident to the then chief of police of Dagupan City where the device traced the location of my phone in Barangay Caranglaan of the city,” I cited.

Mayor Spent P6M To Solicitors In A Month Alone

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A first class town mayor spent six million pesos to well wishers and solicitors who go to his house last Yuletide season.

“I did not hide from my constituents who want some Christmas’ dole outs. I stayed in my house thus I spent six million pesos last December alone,” the successful contractor and mayor, who asked for anonymity, in central Pangasinan told this writer in Tagalog.

He said his vice mayor who is running for the May 13, 2019 election has been absconding his constituents who seek financial aid even before and after the Christmas season.

“Ano lang naman ang pera niya hindi stable iyong pagiging contractor niya sa ibang tao,” the seasoned politician cited.

The mayor said that his post is a thankless job because he spent hundred of millions of pesos for his personal saving to help the town’s folks since he joined politics two decades ago.

Was Jacinto Paclibar mayor of Kidapawan?

(ARTICLE TAKEN FROM KIDAPAWAN OF THE PAST)

Here are the facts to one of North Cotabato's pioneer settlers:

Jacinto Aguilar Paclibar was born in 26 March, 1909 in Passi, Iloilo to Venancio Paclibar and Dionesia Aguilar, farmers. After finishing high school in Iloilo, Jacinto found himself employed as a train conductor in the Capiz-Iloilo line. After fourteen years in this job he also worked as a 'kapatas' in the Sugar Central in Iloilo.

After hearing of the abundant land in Mindanao, Paclibar brought his family to Upi (now in Maguindanao province) in 1930. By 1937, the Paclibars had moved to M'lang, then part of the Municipal District of Buluan. M'lang counts him as one of its first settlers.

Jacinto acquired vast tracks of land in M'lang, including portions of today's poblacion and the land on which the Notre Dame of M'lang stands. He became prosperous as a farmer, setting up rice and corn mills.

During the Second World War, Paclibar was appointed Chairman of the Civil Emergency Administration under the 118th Infantry Regiment of Wendell Fertig's 10th Military Division, which at the time was stationed in M'lang. Sources also say he was appointed Comptroller of Supplies by Udtog Matalam, one of the leaders of the regiment. The exact dates of his tenure are not known.

During this time, Alfonso Angeles Sr was also known to have been appointed 'Mayor of the Upper Cotabato Sector,' while sources name Filomeno Blanco as the civilian mayor of Kidapawan appointed by the Japanese.

M'lang, where Paclibar was based and where he held office, would only be part of Kidapawan by 1947, and Executive Order No. 82 of 1947 (which creates the Municipality of Kidapawan) actually says it was still part of Buluan prior to Kidapawan's creation as a municipality.

Paclibar held office in M'lang at a time when M'lang was still not part of Kidapawan. So it may not be being accurate to say that he was mayor of Kidapawan, .

But he was much more than mayor: after the War, Paclibar was appointed Deputy Governor of the unidivided Cotabato Province, a post he held until 1949 (two years shy of M'lang's separation as a Municipality). During this time he still held office in M'lang, perhaps contributing to the impression that he was mayor (he would be the highest official in Kidapawan at the time, as Cotabato City was still the provincial capital and seat of the provincial governor).

Paclibar never pursued a political career after his term as deputy governor ended. He focused on managing his land. In the troubles of the late 60s and early 70s he acquired property in Loreto, Agusan, and he spent his last years alternating between M'lang and Agusan.

Jacinto Paclibar died in M'lang in 1985, survived by ten children and his widow, Rufina Bornasal

READ MY OTHER COLUMN:

How Mayor, Guv, Solon Steal to Fund Their Election

ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN SAN CARLOS CITY ISO CERTIFIED

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

First Feat in the Philippines

SAN CARLOS CITY -  Why Pangasinan should be proud of the City Division Office (CDO) of the Department of Education here? It is the only International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified school in the entire country.

“All schools! Buong Pilipinas kami lahat lang ang ISO nag undergo kami ng process, we started in September 10 last year,” this CDO Superintendent Sheila Marie Primicias crowed recently to this writer the 75 primary and secondary public schools under her watch that were given world class status by the Geneva, Switzerland based entity.

Aside from this feat,  she and her staff processed expeditiously the division office to be an ISO 9001 certified in just 90 days.

VISIONARY – Superintendent Sheila Marie Primicias of San Carlos City, Pangasinan's City Division Office (CDO) of the Department of Education lectures officials of one of the division offices in the country who visited the CDO in the city for bench-marking. They want to learn  how Primicias and staff breezed the twin International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certificates given to the CDO and the 75 government primary and secondary schools in the central Pangasinan city.

“Inuna namin muna ang division 90 days. Kami ang record holder na pinaka mabilis sa process sa buong Pilipinas ng DepEd,” she continued.

Because of their exploits many school officials from other parts of the country visited the SDO here to benchmark.

She cited the officials of the division offices of the provinces of Benguet, Abra, Pampanga, Malolos City in Bulacan, and others visited the division dubbed as the “prettiest” and swankiest edifice among the six SDOs in the gargantuan province of Pangasinan if not in the four provinces in Region 1. The sprucing up of the building ensued under the administration of Primicias.