Fiesta (March 2023) Editorial: Women Shining Through

 

 

Pistay Baley 2023: Women Shining Through

 

This year’s celebration – Pistay Baley 2023, its 109^th – is historic for one reason: it is the first full-scale fiesta celebration after the doom-and-gloom of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Like “revenge travel” among those cooped up at home while in quarantine, it can be described as “revenge festivities,” as though we are rising up from the ashes of destruction (health, economic, psychological) to avenge our three years of drought and deprivation, three long years of reducing traditional activities to mere online gatherings and slim body counts in indoor and even outdoor events.

This year, 2023, we indeed bounce back with a vengeance, as this is also the first fiesta celebration under the leadership of Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao and Vice-Mayor Ian Camille Sabangan, the town’s first female Mayor and Vice-Mayor and quite possibly the youngest ever.

With such infusion of young blood into Team Qiambao-Sabangan 2.0, there is a sense of renewed energy in keeping up the fight against poverty at all fronts through the Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan. But this time, the fight hits different, as our two top women leaders infuse their new, that is to say, feminine, sensibility in their governance.

This historic first did not come about abruptly: it is, in fact, born of many precedents that came in increments in the annals of the town. According to local informants, the 1940s saw Sofia Martinez Ferrer attempting to run as municipal councilor, followed possibly by Teting Roldan in the 1950s, although the very first one who actually won was Priscila de Vera in 1970 – the number one councilor to boot at the young age of 27, ending the era of “Dons” as exclusive rulers. Informants further recount that, on that very same year, Norma Lomibao Cancino of Brgy. Alinggan became the first barangay captain when she was all of 19. Later on, the first appointed female department head of the municipal government is Susan Menor of Local Civil Registry Office in the 1990s, while the first female Municipal Administrator is none other than the feisty Atty. Rodelynn Rajini A. Sagarino (and a former beauty queen too) in July 2016.

Furthermore, from Bayambang had sprung such daughters as Sr. Mary John Mananzan, the founder of Gabriela, among other things, Carmen Velasquez, the distinguished national  scientist, and Luzviminda Camacho, the first female Commodore of the Philippine Navy.  

But it is only now that feminine leadership reaches its peak, that is, in the two highest ranks of local office, so it is a breath of fresh air. We now live in exciting times, as we await TQS 2.0 to fully unravel its platform of “Health for All, Education for All, Jobs for All,” which is really an reinvigoration of Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan, with their brand of nurturing leadership “as ilaw ng tahanan at puso ng bayan” shining through, truly befitting them as women of both beauty and substance.

The foregoing thus explains this year’s theme of “Isulong and Ninanais na Kaunlaran,” a most apt one as the town endeavors to keep the fire burning, to keep the onward march to progress in all aspects going, in the age of post-pandemic new normal, viral memes and social media, and such technology-induced sociocultural upheavals.

Greeting all our beloved Bayambangueños a Happy 409^th Town Fiesta!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial for February 2023: "Pag-asa sa Pagbabasa"

 

EDITORIAL

 

“Pag-asa sa Pagbabasa”

Ang pagbasa at pagsulat ay isa sa mga pinakamahalagang bagay na kailangang matutunan ng isang bata. Ito ay isang problema ng Pilipinas bago pa ang pandemya. Ngunit lumala ang sitwasyon noong panahon ng pandemya dahil nagsara ang mga paaralan at kinailangang mag-klase sa pamamagitan ng distance learning, tulad ng online classes at modular-based learning, kung saan hindi lamang ang mga guro ang kailangang asahan ng mga estudyante kundi pati na rin ang kanilang mga magulang upang turuan sila.

Ayon sa resulta ng “The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update” ng World Bank, ang learning poverty ng Pilipinas ay isa sa pinakamataas sa East Asia at Pacific region, kung saan 90.9% ng mga bata ang nagdurusa sa learning poverty. Ang learning poverty ay tumutukoy sa mga batang hindi marunong magbasa at umunawa ng simpleng mga teksto o kwento bago ang edad na sampung taon. Sa Bayambang, nakaka-alarma ang ulat ng ating mga guro at dalawang Public Schools Division Supervisor ng Department of Education: nang dahil sa pandemya, may mga Grade 3 learners ngayon ang hindi pa rin makabasa.

Ano nga ba ang kahalagahan ng pagbasa? Ang pagbasa ay nagpapahusay ng mga kasanayan na ginagamit natin sa ating pang-araw-araw na buhay, tulad ng komunikasyon at pag-unawa. Ito ang pinakamagandang paraan para sa mga bata na madagdagan ang kanilang kaalaman hindi lamang sa eskwela kundi sa buong buhay nila. Habang lumalaki ang bata, lumuluwag din ang mundo nito dahil binubuksan ng pagbabasa ang puso’t isipan sa iba’t-ibang bagay sa buhay. Ang pagbabasa ay nagbibigay daan sa tagumpay ng kinabukasan ng isang bata.

Hindi lamang para sa mga bata ang pagbabasa. Habang tayo ay tumatanda, ito ay nagbibigay ng pagkakataong patuloy na umunlad at matuto.  Nakakatulong din ito sa pagpapalakas ng ating brain activity.

Dahil batid niya ang lalim ng kahalagahan ng pagbabasa, ang ating mahal na Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao ay nagsasagawa ng weekly reading activity tuwing Miyerkules upang enganyuhin ang mga mag-aaral na magbasa. Personal siyang naglilibot sa iba't ibang public schools para magbasa ng story books para sa mga bata nang mapukaw ang kanilang imahenasyon at matuto balang araw na magbasa sa kanilang sariling inisyatibo. Tulad ng sabi niya, "Ang pag-asa ay nasa pagbabasa."

 

A Local History of House Plants

 

(Local home gardening -- or keeping house plants, in particular -- is just like the world of fashion: taste and preferences come and go.)

In the '70s, you could easily tell which house plants local residents preferred to take care of, because most households had them. There was the usual 'pampasuerte' or ‘lucky charm' plants called palmera and la suerte, often neatly lined up in clay planters, evergreen and low-maintenance, which was perfect for busy housewives.

 

Competing for the lady's attention while puttering around were the so-called San Francisco shrubs lined up to flaunt their multicolor beauty. There were also creepers called 'manaog ka sa ilog,' water plant, and cadena de amor. Each plant was beautiful in its own right, adding a spark of life in an otherwise lackluster corner.

 

One's neighbors, of course, had the same, plus maybe an impressive variety of gumamelas and santans. There were red, yellow, orange, and sometimes, pink and white varieties of gumamela, plus single or double-petaled ones besides, while there were red, crimson, yellow, orange, and sometimes, pink santans.

 

In the latter part of the decade, parading and preening at the front yard of townsfolk were zinnias, bachelor’s button, bandera hispaniolas, marigold, chichirica, miniature Chinese bamboo…

 

An aside: Come March, during school graduations, imported botanicals would arrive in town, although only as disembodied flowers and leaves. The preferred flower tucked on shirt lapels was dahlia on a bed of baby’s breath or fragrant cypress leaves. Others would wear a garland of everlasting flowers. I know at least one neighbor who successfully grew one lone dahlia plant, but in general, this flower and the others came all the way from Baguio City.

 

Then as now, Valentine’s Day was the same affair of red roses. Roses are difficult to grow, but there were those with the proverbial green thumb, who managed to have a collection right on their front lawn -- red, pink, white, miniature varieties. I've always wondered what their secret was.

 

Since we're at it, the preferred flowers for the dead were the kalachuchi and palong-palong, which one could pick from somebody's yard.

 

In the public plaza, there were cypress trees and clumps of flowering kantutay, locally called bangbangsit (Ilocano word for stinky), but whose florets come in various colors per head.

 

Going back to the home front... Here and there, in someone's yard, stood alibangbang trees (bauhinia) for ornamental purposes, with their pink orchid-like blooms, but this variety is said to be an introduced species. (Note that the town's name most likely came from balangabang, which is the local term for another species of bauhinia, the one with white flowers and whose shoots were used as souring agent for soups. Bayambang, though, used to be called Malunguey or Balunguey, but its etymology (moringa?) remains a mystery.) Fire trees and yellow candle trees gave sprays of bold colors, making even the dullest corners bright and look special.

 

Towards the '80s, there came a time when everyone seemed to be into Vietnam rose, to the detriment of old favorites, as though they turned ugly in the eyes of their masters overnight.

 

Then there was a time when Doña Aurora plants were all the rage.

 

The moneyed ones also had stuff brought in from Baguio: yellow candle and other species.

 

In the '90s, one wondered why, but suddenly there were tinik ni Kristo everywhere one looked.

 

There were already other succulents then: little cactus varieties and giant cacti with pricks so big they were covered with whole eggshells maybe as décor or maybe to prevent injury. Katakataka (kalanchoe) was also popular. But no one bothered about the scientific names of these species yet, except perhaps the biology students.

 

The hard-core gardeners tended orchids.

 

Then in the '00s, the desert rose and the ZZ plant came, and everyone seemed to have followed suit after someone introduced these. Both plants were quite indestructible and required no tender love and care from their owners.

 

How each plant became popular – or how it waned on the radar of home horticulturists – is wrapped in mystery. Today, there are some plants that are altogether missing from the garden, as though they have been discarded like yesterday's outmoded clothing: sampaguita, camia, rosal, dama de noche, ylang ylang, adelfa, bangka-bangkaan, to name just a few.

 

In this day and age of plantitos and plantitas, the most popular appear to be the once-ignored senseverias or snake plant varieties and the pothos varieties because they reportedly clear the air of toxins. Snake plant, of course, used to be called espada, and pothos, simply as waterplant (because it miraculously grows in plain water), but the huge difference is they now come in several varieties. There is, of course, a host of new cactus species and varieties, with eye-popping geometric designs, the aglaonema 'series', the jade plant varieties, and a host of exotics we’ve never seen before, with curious 'accents' and 'accessories' as appendages. There are rubber trees, variegated this and variegated that, fiddleleaf figs, and so on, all changing the current landscape quite literally. Today, the San Francisco shrubs are a rare exception in that they are staging a comeback, but they are coming back with the more fashionable name of...crotons.

 

Oscar Wilde (or a character in his novel) once defined fashion – with his usual overdose of sarcasm – as "a never-ending parade of ugliness," which is hilariously on point on some level. On the other hand, gardening, we could say in all seriousness, is a never-ending parade of pulchritude. In the cloistered times when people find solace in their little pockets of Eden in the middle of the pandemic, there's no telling which bevy of beauties will turn out to be the next flavor of the month, or apple of the eye, of local home gardeners.

 

With the endless variety of 'materials,' color, size, shape, geometry, and 'architecture,' the gardener is constantly bombarded with beauty in all its splendor: original, inventive, creative. As though these attributes are not enough, each plant appears to have a unique 'personality,' with its own quirky requirements.

 

I learned this the hard way as I experimented with being, um, a 'plantito' myself while covid-19 pandemic was raging. I have long been particularly fascinated by the unending variety of forms and structures among cacti (now fashionably called succulents), so it was simply frustrating to find out how certain species die on you if there was too much sun, or to little sun, too much water, or too little water, too much loam or too little sand, etc. The trial-and-error period was quite long and costly, at the expense of too many of them succulents shrivelling or rotting to death.

 

But finding your own green thumb proves to be quite an experience, as the few survivors begin to thrive and even reward you with a battalion of clones.

 

The seemingly trivial gardening hobby, I slowly found out, can become something else other than taking care of non-moving pets and adding newer and newer 'items' to your growing collection. I can now more fully understand why someone in the past perceptively saw gardening as a kind of reclaiming the paradise that we humans have lost since the dawn of time (after we had been banished from it). 

 

Plants appear to communicate to us in their own language, and together, they clearly speak of an unseen director that has a taste for great shows, a keen design and fashion sense, unfailingly dazzling in his surprises, or to steal from the stylish Italian novelist Umberto Eco himself, a marvelous "capacity for invention."

 

Perhaps this is the one aspect of home gardening, here or anywhere, that never changes throughout history.

LGU Awards 2023

LGU-Bayambang Awards 2023



LGU-Bayambang, One of the 20 Outstanding MADACs in Pangasinan

LGU-Bayambang was one of the 20 municipalities with the Most Outstanding City or Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Councils in Pangasinan. Bayambang MADAC achieved a score of 100 or High Functionality Score in the Year 2022 Performance Audit, showcasing the efforts of all MADAC members under the leadership of Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao, including the PNP, MLGOO, SB, RHU, MSWDO, and CSOs including the Kasama Kita sa Barangay Foundation and the religious sector.


Bayambang, Good Financial Housekeeping Passer Once Again

Bayambang town once again made it to the list of those who passed the Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) audit by the DILG for the year 2022.

The Criteria for being a GFH passer include a favorable opinion from the Commission on Audit and the LGU's compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy of the government.


Bayambang Once Again Gathers Honors at the Provincial Health Summit 2023

February 10, 2023: In the 12th Provincial Health Summit and LGU Scorecard Awarding and Recognition held on February 10, at the Sison Auditorium, Lingayen, Pangasinan, LGU-Bayambang garnered major awards through its Rural Health Units and Municipal Nutrition Committee:

- Improved LGU on Surpassing National Average on All Health Scorecard Indicators (the sole recipient in the entire Pangasinan)

- Bayambang Municipal Nutrition Committee: Green Banner Award (the sole recipient in the entire province) and Best LGU Implementer in Nutrition Program through MELLPI Pro Bayambang MNAO 

- Venus M. Bueno: 2021 Municipal Nutrition Action Officer of the Year, Brgy. Sancagulis Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Analiza M. Natividad: 2021 Barangay Nutrition Scholar of the Year.



Bayambang, CMCI Awardee Once Again in 2023

February 15, 2023: LGU-Bayambang has once again emerged victorious for the fourth consecutive time at the Regional Awarding for the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index by the Department of Trade and Industry held on February 15.

In the ceremony held at J&V Function Hall, Sevilla, San Fernando City, La Union, Bayambang was recognized as Top 11 nationwide (up from Top 16 last year) in the Resiliency Pillar and Top 16 nationwide (up from Top 39 last year) in the Government Efficiency Pillar in the category of 1st-2nd class municipalities.


Milpitas City CA Council Honors Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao

May 2023: The Milpitas City Council, City of Milpitas, California, USA, honored Niña Jose-Quiambao for being Bayambang's first lady mayor, and the town's Fiesta 2023 Committee for preserving local traditions, in May 2023.



LGU-Bayambang Receives "Unmodified Opinion" from COA for the First Time

June 30, 2023: For the first time in the history of Bayambang, the LGU has obtained an "Unmodified Opinion" from the Annual Audit Report of the Commission on Audit, the highest rating that COA can give to a local government unit.

This also signifies that all financial transactions of the Municipality are in order, and COA did not find any discrepancies in the management of funds and assets of the town.


LGU-Bayambang, Sole Awardee as "Outstanding LGU in Police Community Relations"

July 27, 2023: On July 27, 2023, LGU Bayambang was recognized by the PNP as the only awardee in the "Outstanding LGU in Police Community Relations" category in the entire province, in a ceremony held at the PNP Provincial Office, Lingayen, Pangasinan as part of the PNP's celebration of 28^th Community Relations Month 2023.

Philippine Red Cross Pangasinan Chapter Pinabli Award for 2023 Blood Services

August 2, 2023: Philippine Red Cross Pangasinan Chapter also conferred the Pinabli Award for its 2023 Blood Services (at least 250 units for CY 2022) on August 2 in Calasiao, Pangasinan.


Bayambang, Top 10 in Resiliency Category of CMCI!

Bayambang placed in the Top 10 among 1st to 2nd class municipalities in the Resiliency category in the Department of Trade and Industry's 2022 Cities & Municipalities Competitive Index.

RHU I, Top Performing Newborn Screening Facility

Bayambang's Rural Health Unit 1 was recognized by the Newborn Screening Center of Northern Luzon as one of the top-performing Newborn Screening Facilities in the region in the Primary Care - Government Category, with an Unsatisfactory Rate of 0.00 for the 2nd quarter of 2023, out of 57 newborns screened.



Bayambang MPOC, One of the Functional Peace and Order Councils in Region I

Bayambang is recognized as one of the towns in Region I declared to have a Functional Peace and Order Council, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.



Benebe, Commended by OCD R1

September 19, 2023: Bayambang's LDRRM Officer Genevieve Benebe was awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 1 through the Office of Civil Defense Regional Office 1 for her excellence and dedication to service. The recognition was conferred on September 19 in Bauang, La Union.



Vice Mayor IC, Recognized in the Saludo Excellence Awards

October 8, 2023: LGU-Bayambang extends congratulations to Vice-Mayor Ian Camille Sabangan for the recognition he received from the Saludo Excellence Awards as the National Outstanding Humanitarian and Leadership Service Awardee, in a ceremony held on October 8 at the Manila Hotel. This recognition is said to serve as inspiration for him to further enhance his service to the beloved townspeople.


E-Agro Entry of Bayambang, Champion in Region I Agri Symposium

October 20, 2023: An entry from LGU-Bayambang was selected as the champion in the agricultural symposium in Ilocos Sur from October 19 to 20: the 8th Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Network (RAFEN) 1 Symposium. The winning thesis paper and oral presentation were titled "E-Agro: A Platform that Provides Assistance to All Farming Needs at One's Fingertips." Catherine Quilantang successfully defended the thesis along with other staff from MAO, BPRAT, E-Agro, and MAFC. The thesis was chosen by the judges out of 7 LGUs and won a cash prize of P20,000.


M.C.D.O., Recognized at the Provincial and Regional Co-op Summit

November 9, 2023: On November 9, Municipal Cooperative Development Officer Albert Lapurga and the Municipal Cooperative Development Office of Bayambang were recognized for their efforts in advancing the development of cooperatives in Bayambang during the Cooperative Summit held at the Provincial Capitol and in Region One as part of the celebration of National Cooperative Month.



RHU I Nurse, 3rd Placer in NSC Poster & Slogan Contest

November 21, 2023: RHU I nurse Mark Darius Gragasin won 3rd Place in the Poster & Slogan-Making Contest for Newborn Screening Facilities in Region 1 and 2, held by the Newborn Screening Center - Northern Luzon on November 21.



RHU, Top 3 in Region I for Most Number of Children Vaccinated

Bayambang's Rural Health Unit was recognized as one of the Top 3 Cities and Municipalities in Region 1 with the Most Number of Children Vaccinated for FIC (Fully Immunized Child).



ESWMO, Compliant in 10 Indicators (RA 9003); 1 in only 6 in the Pangasinan

November 23, 2023: During the meeting of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Board on November 23, 2023 in Lingayen, it was also reported that ESWMO-Bayambang was compliant with all ten indicators based on RA 9003, and Bayambang was among only six compliant LGUs in the province.

LGU-Bayambang, Top 3 in Innovation in Region I and Top 10 in Resiliency Nationwide

November 23, 2023: LGU-Bayambang once again emerged victorious in the regional awarding for the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index by the Department of Trade and Industry on November 23, at the La Union Convention Center, Brgy. Sevilla, City of San Fernando, La Union. The honor was received by OIC-Municipal Planning and Development Officer, Ma-lene Torio, along with Budget Deputy Officer Princess Sabangan, for being in the Top 3 for Innovation in Region I and Top 10 in Resiliency nationwide among 1st to 2nd class municipalities.



Bayambang, 100% Scorer Again in ADAC Awards

November 24, 2023: On November 24, 2023, the DILG once again awarded the town of Bayambang with another Regional Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Award after the town received a 100% assessment score in the 2023 ADAC Audit and Peace and Order Council (POC) Audit by the agency. Municipal Councilor Martin E. Terrado II accepted the honor on behalf of Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao, along with Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Johanna T. Montoya, in San Fernando, La Union.


LGU-Bayambang Passes the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit for 2022

LGU-Bayambang passed the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit in the year 2022, one of the most difficult DILG audits. This was made possible because of the child-friendly policy of Team Quiambao-Sabangan and the efforts of the Local Council for the Protection of Children, led by the MSWDO.


Bayambang MDRRMC Receives Third KALASAG Award

LGU-Bayambang, through the MDRRM Council, once again secured the Gawad Kalasag from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for the third time. Bayambang is one of the only 723 "Fully Compliant LGUs," and this year, only three were honored with the award in the entire province of Pangasinan.



RHUs Win 5 Awards from DOH Gawad Kalusugan

December 15, 2023: Bayambang’s Rural Health Units received 5 awards from Gawad Kalusugan of Department of Health-Ilocos Center for Health Development on December 15, 2023 in San Fernando City, La Union:

- Palbayani Award - Newborn Screening Exemplary Award (RHU I)
- Palbayani Award - Purple Ribbon Award for Family Planning
- Palbayani Award - Top Implementers on Pharmaceutical Management
- Bannuar iti Salun-at Award - 3rd Place, Best Immunization Program Implementer (No. of Vaccinated Children)
- Bannuar iti Salun-at Award - 3rd Place, Best Oral Health Implementer


LGU Social Services Awarded "Level II" Service Delivery Capacity

December 14, 2023: The MSWDO received the Service Delivery Capacity Assessment CY 2023 "Level II" during the State of the DSWD Region 1 Address (SODRA) cum Knowledge Fair 2023 held in Paringao, Bauang, La Union on December 14, 2023.


LCRO, Recognized at PSA Forum

December 21, 2023: The Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO) was recognized at the "Forum on CBMS, Census of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Census of Philippine Business and Industries" by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on December 21, 2023 in Calasiao in recognition of the successful implementation of LCR in PSA's PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance Project.