Center for Pangasinan Studies' 1st International Conference on Pangasinan Studies

 Shots from a most memorable event from 2018: the Center for Pangasinan Studies' 1st International Conference on Pangasinan Studies, Sison Auditorium, Lingayen, Pangasinan, Oct. 25-26, 2018.

...'Twas memorable because of the following:

There was a general discussion on Prof. Perla Nelmida's landmark work on Pangasinan literature.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones revealed interesting tidbits on provincial history while she talked at length about the "Strategic Directions Towards Quality and Relevant Education." 

A representative of Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque (who did not make it) presented on the current health situation in the province in "Healthcare and the SDGs: The Case of Pangasinan."

A most engaging talk was by Dr. Oscar V. Campomanes, English Department Associate Professor of the Ateneo de Manila University, who wonderfully tackled the enduring legacy of a famous writer from the past in "AFTER Carlos Bulosan, Son of Pangasinan: On the Local, National, and Global." 

UP Biology Associate Professor, Dr. Romeo M. Dizon, detailed his findings on "Coral Reefs of Pangasinan and its Role as a Field Laboratory for Coral Reef Restoration Ecology."

Outside the plenary sessions, we delegates from Bayambang parted ways and went out separately to pursue the following presentations:

PSU-Bayambang's Rosabella Austria Mendez's research on the critically endangered, if not totally vanishing aligando, the unbelievably long Christmas carol of Pangasinenses;

Christopher Gozum's talk about the technicalities of documentary film-making;

Binalonan LGU's Veronica Sison talking on the little-discussed low-intensity conflict between the Ilocano and the Pangasinense residents of Pangasinan;

A religious (whose name I forgot) discussed the cultural realities of the pre-Pangasinanic Igorot tribe called the Ibalois;

Dean Alfred Narra of the University of the Philippines-Baguio listed down Pangasinan's assorted lower mythological figures into categories and came up with the following: alan, palyon; aniani, atros, bambanig, bambao, bantay; baras, bawanen, boroka, bugkalot, dika'y dalin; kantaw, kaybaan, kumaw, manananem, mutya, pasatsat, pugot, silew, talo-talo, ugaw. ...Most of which are familiar to Bayambangueños.

Rona Repancol, a member of UST faclty, revaled her findings about her research on the stones used in Pangasinan's Spanish colonial churches. We ended up consulting her about the history of Bayambang's parish church.

Local mediaman Alfie Tulagan was also a presenter, but we missed his talk.

There were dozens of other equally interesing presentations, but we only have one life each.