Limlingan: Mike Tapang and the Megadike

OVER the weekend, Porac Councilor Mike Tapang said that he is bent on putting into reality his dream of making the 16-kilometer west lateral portion of the FVR Megadike (named after former President Fidel Valdez Ramos) a toll road.

Sangil: The Liberal Party, Yesterday and Today

THE comments we commonly hear regarding the rematch between former Governor Among Ed Panlilio and incumbent Governor Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda is that it is some kind of a "sleeper". In the boxing parlance, it is a mismatch.

True or not, I can't, at this stage, say it is so. Not much was heard of the former priest-turned-politician, until I heard him over a local radio station. He is now conducting a regular program and maybe this is an attempt on his part to make known to all and sundry that he is in the game.

Tantingco: (H)imno ning Kapampangan

HIMNO ning Kapampangan (Pampanga Hymn), I just found out, was originally Imno ning Kapampangan, minus the H, which is as it should be, since the Kapampangan language has neither the letter 'h' nor the sound /h/.

I also found out that three poets had written it, instead of just one, as originally thought.

Pangan: Vital Component

IN ANY viable organization, the human resource complement, the people manning the offices, are as important, if not more vital, as the firm's building, machinery, equipment and other physical facilities.

Paras: Les Miz a Must See

TODAY, I am buying a new copy of Les Miserables, that whopper of a book by Victor Hugo that, my Google search told me, was 1,500 pages long in the unabridged English version, and 1,900 pages in the original French edition.

Mercado: Bishop's move

THE impossible dream of restoring the natural wonder of a historic waterway in Angeles City is taking shape.

Clearing up the Sapang Balen creek has been the objective of past city administrations and their support NGO groups. The previous efforts were long on promise but short on results.

Sapnu: Resuffle ng mga PDs/CDs sa CL

ISA na naman ang na-relieve na Provincial Director noong Enero 15, bilang parte ng patuloy na isinasagawang pag-resuffle ng Police Regional Office-3 (PRO3) dahil sa nalalapit na eleksyon.

Si Senior Superintendent Crisaldo Nieves ang bagong upong Provincial Director ng Nueva Ecija police, at pinalitan nito si Senior Superintendent Walter Castillejos.

Gueco: World-Class Mayor

PROFILING the Top 10 best mayors in the world, Mayor Ed Pamintuan stood as no. 8 amidst the ranks of the world-class executive leaders for 2012.

Limlingan: Teachers’ sacrifices

CONGRESSMAN Antonio Tinio has amplified the call of some 240,000 teachers who will be tapped to serve on the elections this May, for an increase in their election day allowance from P4,000 to P6,000.

Pangan: Business one stop shop

AT THIS time of the year, taxpayers line up to pay their dues on property holdings and others, on their personal income for the past year.

For this purpose, every local government unit (LGU) sets up tables corresponding to the different departments where the taxpayers go, step-by-step. Applications for business permits in hand, and wait for them to be looked into, scrutinized and assessed.

Peña: Smog in the City

THESE past few days, Beijing in China has been blanketed by smog. News reports say that the level of pollutants has reached dangerous levels. Tiny particles called PM 2.5 are way above the limits set by the World Health Organization. These very fine dusts can go deeply into the respiratory tract and into the lungs.

China’s booming economy has resulted in more factories and more cars on the road. These are the major sources of air emissions which if left unchecked will affect air quality. The smog in China was said to be worsened by windless days and the cold weather.

Cortez: Overcoming Temptations in the Wilderness

LAST week’s gospel narrated the all-time favorite story on the baptism of Jesus on the River Jordan. While being baptized, heaven was opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove and the voice of the Father was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Sangil: Why the Birds Left Candaba Swamp

ONCE upon a political season in the 4th Congressional District of Pampanga, the protagonists were Mars Pineda vs. Emigdio Bondoc. After the dust of the heated election campaign settled, and the last ballot was called, the poll body proclaimed Pineda as the duly elected congressman of the district.

It didn't stop there. Bondoc didn't raise his arms in surrender and didn't congratulate the proclaimed winner. Instead he filed a protest.

Sapnu: Comelec Resolution 9608

MATATANDAAN na ipinahayag ni Chief Supt. Edgardo Ladao, Police Regional Office-3 (PRO3), na hindi pinapayagan na magkaroon ng Philippine National Police (PNP)/Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel security ang gobernador, kongresita at alkalde.

Sinabi ni Ladao na ang mga senador, bise-presidente at presidente lamang ang maaaring payagan na magkaroon ng security personnel mula sa PNP/AFP.

Mercado: Miniang willing to help the ailing Chito Bacani

IN THE last two Congressional elections, Rep. Tarzan Lazatin won over his rivals by enormous margins.

Limlingan: Guns and checkpoints

LAST Sunday, Resolution No. 9385 in pursuance to Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code took effect. It’s the official start of the election season. More familiar is the gun ban that signals the start of yet another election fad.

Sangil: Serving the People?

THE official date of the start of campaigning for local candidates is March 29, says the Commission on Elections.

Is it being followed? Ask anybody if it is being observed, the answer will definitely be a big NO.

Tantingco: The Music of Kapampangans

LIKE the characters in Les Miserables, Kapampangans break into song at the drop of a hat.

Every season in Pampanga has its own soundtrack: our Halloween has gosu, our Christmas has pastorela, our Lent has pasyun, and our river festivals in May and June have kuraldal and batalla.

Pangan: A New Round of Activities

PROGRAMS, projects and activities. On the priority lists of offices for 2013 are activities which were left unfinished  in the past year; other new activities are lined up for accomplishment.

This is true for Peso Mabalacat which has, for its first program the conduct of a Cosmetology short-term course composed of, ideally, Mabalacat residents. The first batch will have mostly Camachiles residents in its roster and the course is intended to give the successful trainees a source of livelihood. Besides, starter kits are prepared for the graduates to start them off on their own.

Paras: The Torture of the Blank Page

IT’S a lot like a new year. Or a new beginning. You’ve decided you want to turn over a new leaf, and promise, ‘this year I’m going to lose ten pounds, be fit enough to jog ten times around the Parade Grounds of Clark, to lift the luggage on that jaunt around Europe, to built the house of my dreams, and finally write that book’… And you haven’t the faintest idea of the first step, the right step, the best route to take.

Person: Tennessee Waltz

AN IMPORTANT singer of the ‘50s died January 1. She is Patti Page of “Tennessee Waltz” fame. It is one of my most memorable songs. Whether at work, in leisure, or just plain loafing by, the song never fails to move me to sweet distraction.

It has a poignant quality of sweet betrayal like “my friend stole my sweetheart from me.” Stealing someone’s loved one was true yesterday, so it is true today.

Sapnu: No PNP/AFP para Security ng mga Politiko

SIMULA kahapon, lahat ng mga Philippine National Police (PNP) at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel ay ni-recall na ng kinauukulan at ibinalik na sa kanilang mother units.

Ito ang ipinahayag noong Biyernes ni Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao, Police Regional Office-3 (PRO3) director, sa naganap na press conference ukol sa kanilang paghahanda sa nalalapit na May elections.

Garcia: Piragling Kauran (Rainy Season in a Haste)

E pa man menapnap ing makapal a palak ning milabas a mapangligalig a kauran at ing bayat ding melakwang bakas na e la pa man tinabili karing disingan nang dalig;

Gueco: Code of Patience

BZZZZING cellphone rings from your demanding boss... b-r-r-r bristling family member is shouting to grab your attention... bursting knocks on your door from the bill collector.

Whew! Backbreaking stressors can hit us from different directions.  Onrushing from Pampanga up to Peru, Angeles City to Los Angeles, California, they blow away our peaceful hearts.

Tulabut: The Awards, A Reckoning

FROM the title itself, one could easily surmise what this piece is all about.

Pangan: World-Class

THE recent inclusion of Angeles City Mayor Edgardo "Edpam" D. Pamintuan in the top 10 list of the World Mayors for 2012 should make not only Angeleños very proud, but the entire Philippines as well. There were about 910 mayors selected from around the world but only 10 of them made it to the final list. The rankings and the countries they represent are: 1) Inaki Azkuna Bilbao of Spain; 2) Lisa Scaffidi, Perth, Australia; 3) Joko Widodo, Surakarta, Indonesia; 4) Regis Labeaunne, Quebec City, Canada; 5) John F. Cook, El Paso, Texas, USA; 6) Park Wonsu, Chongwan City, Soth Korea; 7) Len Brown, Auckland, New Zealand; 8) Edgardo Pamintuan, Angeles City, Philippines; 9) Mouhib Khatir, Zeralda, Algeria and 10) Alfonso Sanchez Garza of Matamoros, Mexico. EdPam belongs to the world class of mayors and that fact is undisputed.

Peña: Saving Manila Bay -- Again

THE Manila Bay has not fully recovered from the damages caused by careless human activities, yet it is under threat again. There’s a proposed reclamation project which will be used for a mixed residential-commercial development which poses a new threat to Manila bay.

It will be recalled that in December of 2008, the Supreme Court rendered a final decision ordering agencies of Government namely, DENR, MMDA, DepEd, DOH, DA, DPWH, DBM, Coast Guard, PNP-Maritime Group, DILG, to clean up, rehabilitate, preserve and make Manila Bay fit for swimming and skin-diving.

Sangil: The Breakdown in Peace and Order

THE decks are stacked against the Philippine National Police. With all these crimes happening almost on a daily basis, they should be on their toes. The newly installed PNP Chief Alan Purisima must be having sleepless nights, with his phone ringing, getting orders from both President Noynoy Aquino and the Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas. The public is very much disturbed because of the resurgence of crimes perpetuated in such a brazen manner.

Cortez: All Things New

BECAUSE we are still within the first few days of the year, many of us are still in the upbeat mood concerning our fresh start. Some, on the other hand, have already failed with their resolutions three or four days after they had made the, while others remain indifferent, resigned to their fate and believing that nothing can ever pull them out from their deadly vicious cycle of everyday life.

Tulabut: Old and New

SO, ANOTHER year is here. We always say and hope that may the old become new each time a year ends. Although not all old things and habits need replacements. Some of them are preferred to stay.

What is old and what is new? Let me enumerate some.