MANGATAREM ASSOCIATION HOLD
ITS 33rd ANNIVERSARY & INDUCTION

Danny P. Tejada, will be formally sworn-in as president of Association of Mangatarem Overseas Residents (AMOR) of Southern California at the Holiday Inn-La Mirada on Sept. 24 coinciding with its 33rd anniversary celebration , grand reunion and coronation of  Miss AMOR of Southern California, Alyssa Lauren Veloria Soto. Miss Soto is also the current Miss Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA.
The festivities will take place from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight.
Tejada, a registered nurse with the Los Angeles County Jail will succeed Carlos Sebastian who was the president from Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014.
AMOR was established on Jan. 29, 1983 in the City of Cerritos with Dan E. Nino as its founding president. Other presidents who followed him include Tommy Cruz, Aurora Sadorra, Camilo M. Escano, Gil B. Mislang, Minda E. Papilla, Caesar S. Natividad, Esq., Mel Oxciano, Esq., Leoncio D. Dumlao and Carlos Sebastian.
In his inaugural theme and address which will be reprised during this event, Nino exhorted his kabaleyans (townmates) then, “Let’s not forget our roots. We cannot just uproot to roots that bind us together no matter how well-off or comfortable we are in our adopted country that welcomed, embraced and nurtured us.”
Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA Lino F. Caringal, Jr. will be the inducting officer while past President Eddie C. Ferrer will be the guest speaker.
Proceeds of this gala night are earmarked for the organization’s scholarship fund and other projects benefiting the town of Mangatarem. Its current scholar in partnership with Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA is Noemi V. Balleser, a daughter of a farmer and plain housewife, is now pursuing Electronic Communications Engineering degree at the University of Pangasinan. Other projects that were implemented by AMOR of Southern California were the construction of a male and female restrooms at the town’s plaza auditorium, putting up of a children’s playground, rehabilitation of a crumbling classroom ceiling of the town’s central school, supplementary scholarship grants to college-bound students from both Mangatarem National High School and Mangatarem Catholic School.
Officers to be sworn-in include Mercury E. Dela Fuente (executive vice president), Milton Seril (vice president-Los Angeles County); Benjie Gamboa (vice president, Orange County), Roger Santos (vice president, Ventura County), Nora Tejada (secretary), Martina C. Lindl (assistant secretary), Nanie  D. Martinez (treasurer), Benny E. Aquino (assistant treasurer), Araceli F. Gamboa and Mila H. Seril (auditors), Prudencio Cagampan and Flor Zordilla (marshalls), Uranos M. Estrada

Lingayen – Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ Espino, III has approved additional 150 slots to the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) project implemented in the provincial government, from the150 existing slots to a total of 300 grants next year.

This was bared by Governor Espino during the distribution of 60 percent wage counterpart of the provincial government to the second batch of SPES workers (75 beneficiaries) this year held at the Pangasinan – Provincial Employment Services Office (PESO) here on August 5.

Earlier, 75 members of the first batch of SPES grantees have received their wage counterpart from the province.

The Pangasinan PESO has released a total of Php730,000 for the 60 percent counterpart of the province for the 150 SPES workers. Each SPES grantee underwent a 20-day work experience with the daily wage rate of 409.09.

Separate distribution will be held for the 40 percent counterpart from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

During the awarding of wages to the Capitol SPES workers, Governor Espino has asked the beneficiaries to strive more in life and value the sacrifices of their parents for their schooling.

“I hope that with your SPES experience, you now have learned to value the essence of nurturing ‘sacrifice’ for the betterment of yourselves and your families,” the said.

“Be responsible enough and do not take for granted the sacrifices of your parents,” the governor told the SPES grantees as he urged them to use their wage for schooling requirements or for the good of their families.

Meanwhile, PESO Manger Alex Ferrer noted that the SPES program of the DOLE implemented in the provincial government under the term of former Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., now 5^th district Representative, started wtih 100 grantees and later on accommodated 50 additional slots.

“The SPES program specifically helps students who come from less-privileged families, but are competitive and deserving,” Ferrer pointed out.

The SPES workers were deployed in offices and hospitals run by the province.

Expressing gratitude for the support of the provincial government to the SPES program, Vanessa Rosana, on behalf of the grantees, cited the gains she got from the SPES entitlement.

“The SPES opportunity molded me to become a productive student and citizen,” said Rosana, a 2^nd year elementary education student at the PSU Urdaneta campus.

Rina May Visperas, a fisheries student of PSU Binmaley, on the other hand, lauded the SPES grant as a chance for them to help their parents ease the finances in sustaining their college schooling.

DOLE representative, Labor Employment Officer III Rhodora Dingle from Western Pangasinan field office was present during the distribution.

PH’s 1^st TECH4ED PROVINCEWIDE LAUNCH. Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III (3^rd from right, left photo)  spearheads the ribbon-cutting ceremony for all cyber education hubs in Pangasinan at the Provincial Library within the Capitol Compound in Lingayen last July 28 as joined by (from left) Provincial Librarian Ma. Cynthia Encarnita Vila, Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr., Department of Information and Technology representative Nimer Calupitan, National Public Library division chief Blesila Velasco and Tech4ED focal person for Luzon Engr. Mario Antonio Aya-ay. The event is the first provincewide launching of Tech4ED program.

CAPITOL TOUR GUIDES. Capitol tour guides led by Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Officer Malu Elduayan (7^th from right) flash the Pangasinan number one sign during their courtesy call on Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ I. Espino, III (center) held on August 1 at the Urduja House. The Capitol tour guides, most of them have been accredited by the Department of Tourism, facilitate tours within Pangasinan to help in the promotion of Pangasinan tourism. /Photo by RPGutierrezIII/MGNO

GUV MEETS MUSLIM LEADERS IN P’SINAN. Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ I. Espino, III (center) listens carefully to the concerns of top officials of the Pangasinan Integrated Muslim Assembly (PIMA) led by Guia Macmod (6th from left, partly hidden) on August 1 at the Urduja House. The Muslim leaders particularly lobbied support from the governor for the development of a Muslim public cemetery to be built in a two-hectare lot in Laguit Padilla Bugallon town, which was donated to them by Philanthropist Oscar Angeles (5^th from right) from Mangaldan. Photo by: ECayago/MGNO

FORMER ANTI-DUTERTE CHEF VISITS GUV POGI. Mr. Eliaquim ‘Chef Jack’ Rabang (4^th from right), owner of Quim’s Bakeshop and Café located in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, along with the bakeshop’s Managing Director Anthony Haber (3^rd from right) and Executive Chef Ruben ‘Jhollo’ Ignacio, Jr. (2^nd from right), who hails from Lingayen presents to Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ Espino, III their best seller ‘choco moist cake’ ON August 1 at the Urduja House. Earlier, the bakeshop’s team distributed 100 cup cakes to indigent Pangasinenses to fulfill Chef’s Jack promise to give out Php5 million worth of cakes if then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte wins the Philippine presidency during the May 2016 polls. /Photo by ECayago/MGNO

STA. BARBARA EQUIPMENT TURNOVER. Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III, (5^th from right) and Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan (6^th from right) are flanked by some national agencies and provincial government executives together with the town’s farmer-beneficiaries during the turnover ceremony of the harvesting machines, water pumps and electronic business permit and licensing computers procured by the Provincial Government of Pangasinan through the Bottom-Up Budgeting program of the national government. The event was held on August 3 at Multi-purpose Hall of the new town hall of Sta. Barbara.

CPS 1^st LECTURE DELVES ON FEDERALISM.  Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ Espino, III (3^rd from right) flashes the Pangasinan number one sign along with other provincial officials, Center for Pangasinan Studies (CPS) Executive Director Perla Legazpi (extreme right) and University of the Philippines Vice President for Public Affairs Prospero De Vera, III (4^th from right) during the inaugural lecture of CPS that delved on ‘Federalism’ held at the Sison Auditorium on July 29. Assisting the governor in recognizing De Vera as guest of honor and speaker of the said lecture are: Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr. (2^nd from right) and Board Members (from left to right) Jeremy Agerico Rosario, Chinky Perez-Tababa, Jinky Zaplan, Noel Bince and Nestor Reyes.  /Photo by RPGutierrez/MGNO

Lingayen – The Province of Pangasinan turned over to the Sta. Barbara municipal government and beneficiary-residents sets of equipment that will propel the town’s bid to modernize business permit and license processing and rural farming last August 3 at the town’s new municipal hall.

Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III led the ceremonial turnover of the agricultural equipment and computer hardware and software to Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan.

He said that this initiative is his way of continuing the commitment of his father Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr. to support countryside development, urging recipients to take with utmost care the use of the said equipment so it could benefit more townspeople and farmers.

Zaplan, in turn, thanked the provincial government for granting these aids that will mobilize the town’s agricultural and economic growth.

Both set of equipment were procured by the provincial government through the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) program of the national government, allowing local government units to devise proposals and submit to the provincial government and national agencies for processing and funding.

Raymundo Quinto, president of the town’s Bureau of Agricultural Research Community-based Participatory Action Research, received the farming equipment composed of a combine harvester, mini-tractor and 10 water pumps on behalf of the organization.

Quinto said that their organization had already scheduled turns for use of the machines and pumps among members in Barangays Leet and Maticmatic in the municipality though non-members could also avail the service.

A total of 13 desktop/laptop computers plus their peripheries and an Electronic Business Processing Permit & Licensing System software were given to the municipality to jumpstart its One-Stop Business Center, courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Witnessing the turnover were:  DTI-Pangasinan director Peter Mangabat, Department of Agriculture-BUB focal point officer Marlene Manipon, Provincial Planning and Development Officer Benita Pizarro, Provincial Accountant Arturo Soriano and Provincial Information Officer Orpheus Velasco.

Lingayen- – –“Ngayon ang umpisa ng magandang buhay (Today is the start of a better life).”

This was stated by Gov. Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III in his speech during the Alternative Learning System (ALS) graduation ceremony held on July 26 at the Sison Auditorium as he stressed that acceptance of failure must have been the reason why the ALS graduates decided to give education another try.

Stating the importance of education, the Governor urged the ALS graduates to keep reaching for their goals as he advised them never to commit the same mistake twice.

He noted that while most of them married young and some opted to help their parents by delaying education and chose to work early to help provide for their family, education, he said is still one of the biggest factors toward success.

The 732 graduates passed the 2015 accreditation and equivalency test from a total of 1,050 takers which was held last April.

Based from the records of the Schools Division Office I, there were 484 ALS test passers in 2013 and 714 in 2014.

ALS is a parallel learning system in the Philippines that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. It includes both the non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.

In addition, the system is an alternate or substitute to those who do not have access to formal education in schools to include the inmates in the BJMP.

Gov. Pogi assured the full support of the provincial government in all programs and projects that are intended to improve the lives of Pangasinense youth especially on education.

The graduation rites was attended by Dr. Alma Ruby C. Torio, Department of Education Regional Director; Dr. Carmina Gutierrez, Chief of Curriculum Implementation Division; Dr. Teodora V. Nabor, OIC- Asst. Schools Division Superintendent; Marilu N. Cardenas, Asst. Schools Division Superintendent; and Dr. Angeline S. Casipit, Chief, School Governance and Operations Division. (Ruby R. Bernardino)