Varsitarian: A Dance Legacy Lives On

Varsitarian: A Dance Legacy Lives On

For many Bayambangueños, the name Varsitarian brings back memories of a time when a group of young dancers could command a stage and become part of the town’s biggest celebrations.

Rising to prominence in 1989 onwards, the Varsitarian Dance Group became a familiar presence in major events around Bayambang, including Pista'y Baley, Miss Bayambang, Miss Gay Bayambang, and Wawa's barrio fiesta, etc.

Its dancers were not merely performers; they were among the town’s young cultural personalities, remembered for the energy, discipline, and flair they brought wherever they danced.

They were their own choreographers too. As members turned older and changed priorities, the group changed membership until it reached having a fourth batch.

Decades later, the legacy is being revived.

On July 5, 2026, local dancers auditioned for a new generation of Varsitarian at the LGU Dance Studio.

Watching over the selection were some of the group’s original founders and members, including its president Donnie de Vera, who was the star dancer, along with Lyra Pamela Duque, Snooky Odon Cuison, Mharla Asuncion, and Arnel Pon Serran. Though not present at the time, other original members were vice-president Maria Fe Sendaydiego Odon, Apollo Cayabyab, Rogel Reves, and Bong Galsim.

Former members Annie Cuison Arenas and Vladimir Bautista also joined the screening committee, alongside Municipal Administrator, Atty. Rodelynn Rajini Sagarino-Vidad and dance instructor John Jeremy Ong.

Some Varsitarian members have since built lives abroad, including vice-president Maria Fe and Leizel Odon Maneclang, now based in the United States. Yet distance and time have not erased the name.

The passing new auditionees have undergone training to prepare to become the next members of Varsitarian—a new generation stepping into a legacy that once enlivened Bayambang’s grandest occasions.

The faces may change, the choreography may evolve, and the stages may be different. But in Bayambang, Varsitarian continues to dance its way from one generation to the next.

(photo: Varsitarian dance group)

Monday Report – October 5, 2026

Monday Report – October 5, 2026

 Newscasters:

Jason King Malicdem

Daniela Estrella

 

[INTRO]

 

[Observe proper pacing/speed, pronunciation, volume, and don’t forget to SMILE!]

 

NEWSCASTER 1: Magandang Monday morning, Bayambang! Ako po si ____________.

 

NEWSCASTER 2: At ako naman po si __________, at kami po ay mula sa Municipal Treasury Office.

 

NEWSCASTER 1: Narito na ang buong puwersa ng LGU-Bayambang...

 

NEWSCASTER 2: Maghahatid sa inyo ng mga maiinit at napapanahong balita...

 

SABAY KAYO: Ito ang…. BayambangueNews!

 

***

 

[SALITAN NA KAYO RITO]

 

 

1.      LGU Basketball Team, Kampeon sa Inter-Agency Tournament!

 

Noong Lunes, kinilala ni Mayor Niña at ng buong LGU ang koponan ng LGU-Bayambang sa kanilang pagiging kampeyon sa Coach A Inter-Agency Basketball Tournament 2026 na ginanap sa lungsod ng San Carlos noong September 26. Itinanghal na Most Valuable Player (MVP) si Rex Chico at Best Forward si Christian Sabangan mula sa Office of the Mayor, at Best Center si Eric Esteban ng BPSO.

 

2.      Rabies Awareness Lecture, Isinagawa

Ang Agriculture Office at Bayambang Animal Shelter ay nagsagawa ng Rabies Awareness Lecture sa Hermoza Elementary School noong September 28, bilang bahagi ng paggunita sa World Rabies Day. Tinalakay sa mga mag-aaral ang tungkol sa rabies, paraan ng pag-iwas sa kagat at kalmot ng hayop, at mga dapat gawin kapag nakagat o nakalmot, kasabay ng libreng anti-rabies vaccination para sa mga alagang aso at pusa sa barangay.

 

3.      Pagdiriwang ng Tourism Month, Matagumpay

 

A.     Bilang tampok na bahagi ng culminating activity ng Tourism Month 2026 noong September 28, opisyal na inilunsad ang coffee table book na “Million Reasons Why Bayambang Is the Place Where the Best Things Happen,” kung saan tampok ang mga kuwento, tanawin, kultura, tradisyon, pagkain, personalidad, at mga natatanging tagumpay na bumubuo sa pagkakakilanlan ng Bayambang.

B.     Kasabay nito, tinanggap ng MTICAO ang Certificate of Compliance mula sa National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) para sa compliant at acceptable Local Cultural Inventory ng Bayambang para sa taong 2025.

 

C.     Kinilala naman ang mga nagwagi sa iba’t ibang paligsahan bilang bahagi ng nasabing pagdiriwang, kabilang ang Pangasinan Poetry Contest, Quiz Bee Contest, at Painting Contest.

 

4.      Healthiest Department Winners, Kinilala

Kinilala noong September 28 ang mga nagwagi sa Healthiest Department Assessment ng LGU na inilunsad bilang bahagi ng Nutrition Month. Itinanghal na kampeon sa Small Department category ang Nutrition Action Office; nag-tie naman sa Medium category ang Accounting Office at Barangay Accounting Office; at ang Large category ay napanalunan ng Municipal Agriculture Office. Sila ay tumanggap ng ₱5,000, ₱10,000, at ₱15,000 cash incentives.

 

5.      Bagong Municipal Trial Court Bldg., Pinasinayaan!

Pormal na pinasinayaan noong September 28 ang bagong Municipal Trial Court (MTC) Building sa Bayambang sa pangunguna ni Mayor Niña. Naging posible ang proyekto sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-ugnayan niya DPWH at tanggapan ni Senator Joel Villanueva. Bukod pa rito, nagsagawa ang LGU ng improvement works sa gusali, upang higit na maging maayos ang paglalapit ng mga serbisyong legal sa mga Bayambangueño.

 

6.      Orientation on ARTA Compliance, Isinagawa

Isinagawa noong September 29 ang Mandatory Online General Orientation sa pamamagitan ng Zoom video, upang higit na mapalakas ang pagsunod ng LGU sa mga pamantayan ng Anti-Red Tape Authority o ARTA. Tinalakay dito ang Republic Act No. 11032 o Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, kabilang ang Citizen’s Charter, Client Satisfaction Measurement, tungkulin ng Committee on Anti-Red Tape, Three Signatories Rule, Zero Backlog Program, Annual Regulatory Plan, at Electronic Business One-Stop Shop.

 

7.      LYDO, Lumahok sa Monitoring and Coaching Session

Lumahok ang Local Youth Development Officer (LYDO) ng Bayambang sa 2026 Local Monitoring and Coaching Session for LYDOs noong September 29 sa PDRRMO-Lingayen. Isinagawa ito ng National Youth Commission upang talakayin ang mga tungkulin ng LYDO, Local Youth Development Plan, Local Youth Development Council operations, SK Web Portal, compliance monitoring, at iba pang requirements para sa pagpapatupad ng mga programa at polisiya para sa kabataan.

 

8.      KSB Year 9, Sunod na Nagpatuloy sa Balaybuaya

 

Iba’t ibang serbisyo ng pamahalaan ang inilapit sa mga residente ng Brgy. Balaybuaya, Beleng, at Batangcaoa sa isinagawang Komprehensibong Serbisyo sa Bayan (KSB) Year 9 noong September 30 sa Balaybuaya Elementary School. Nanguna rito sina Mayor Niña at Vice Mayor IC at mga konsehal, sa pag-oorganisa ng LCRO. Kabilang sa mga serbisyong inilaan ang libreng medical at dental services, late registration of birth, pagbabakuna sa mga alagang hayop, employment services, pag-renew ng business permit, libreng buto at punla, legal consultation, aplikasyon para sa upgraded GCash Community Service Card, financial assistance, at iba pang freebies.

 

9.      DHSUD at LGU, Tinututukan ang PNP Housing Site Project

 

Noong September 30, pinangunahan ng MPDO ang isang pulong upang talakayin ang pagpapatuloy ng PNP Housing Site Project sa Zone VI. Tinalakay sa pulong ang mga concerns at issues kaugnay ng mga lote para sa nasabing proyekto, kabilang ang mga kinakailangang proseso, dokumentasyon, at iba pang usaping kailangang matugunan, pati na rin ang mga susunod na hakbang. Isinasagawa ang proyekto alinsunod sa Presidential Proclamation No. 262, series of 2011, para sa mga kwalipikadong benepisyaryo.

 

10.  GAD Training on Goat-Raising, Isinagawa

 

Isang Gender and Development training sa goat production ang isinagawa ng Agriculture Office noong September 29-30 sa Brgy. Amanperez at Malimpec, na dinaluhan ng 25 na kababaihan at 12 na kalalakihan. Dito ay itinuro ni Municipal Veterinarian at Livestock Coordinator and Inspector, Dr. Joselito Rosario, ang tamang feeding management, goat pen construction, husbandry practices, at ang potensyal ng goat-raising o goat production bilang isang industriya.

 

 

11.  Social Protection Support para sa 4Ps Members, Patuloy

May kabuuang 3,785 na pamilyang Bayambangueño ang kasalukuyang aktibong benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), na patuloy na nagsisilbing social protection support para sa mga pamilyang nangangailangan. Gamit ang detalyadong datos kaugnay ng bilang na ito, nag-update ang DSWD at lahat ng miyembro ng Municipal Advisory Council ukol sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng nasabing programa sa ginanap na pulong noong September 30. Kabilang sa mga tinalakay ang 3rd quarter accomplishments, compliance turnout, rehistrasyon ng mga bagong beneficiaries, Sustainable Livelihood Program, at iba pang concerns.

(Check proper pronunciation of benefi-CEE-AH-ries.)

 

12.  Municipal Treasury at Assessor’s Office, Dumalo sa REGATA Conference

Dumalo ang Acting Municipal Treasurer, OIC Municipal Assessor, at piling kawani sa 3rd Quarter Regional Conference of Provincial, City, and Municipal Treasurers and Assessors of Region I na ginanap noong Setyembre 29 hanggang Oktubre 2 sa Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Ang kumperensya ay isinagawa ng Department of Finance - Bureau of Local Government Finance Regional Office I (DOF-BLGF RO I) sa pakikipagtulungan ng Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors of Region I (REGATA) upang mapalawak ang kaalaman at kakayahan ng mga local treasurers at assessors sa pananalapi, pamamahala ng ari-arian, at pangongolekta ng lokal na kita, alinsunod sa temang “Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Local Treasury and Assessment Operations.”

(pronounce Assessor as ah-SEH’-sor not ASS’-se-sor.)

 

13.  S.E.E. Staff, Nag-intensive Training sa Cold Storage Operation

 

Noong September 28–29, ang mga kawani ng Special Economic Enterprise Office ay sumailalim sa isang Intensive Training on the Operation and Maintenance of Cold Storage Facility sa E-Agro Training Hall, Brgy. Amancosoling Sur. Sa pagsasanay, napalawak ang kaalaman at kasanayan ng mga kalahok sa wastong operation, maintenance, monitoring, at management ng isang cold storage facility upang makatulong sa maayos at episyenteng pagpapatakbo nito.

 

 

14.  Mga Punong Barangay, Pinulong ukol sa ASF

 

Noong October 1, ang lahat ng 77 na Punong Barangay ay dumalo sa isang pulong upang talakayin ang mahalagang isyung kinakaharap ng mga kabarangay kaugnay ng African swine fever (ASF) at mga naiulat na ilang kaso ng ASF na nakumpirma kamakailan. Pinag-usapan dito ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon, mga kinakailangang hakbang, at mga paraan upang makatulong at maprotektahan ang ating mga kabarangay at kanilang kabuhayan.

 

 

15.  Buklat Aklat, Nagpatuloy sa Malimpec

 

Ang Buklat Aklat Project ni Mayor Niña ay nagpatuloy sa Brgy. Malimpec, upang maghatid ng mga aklat at reading exercises para sa mga mag-aaral doon, sa tulong ng BPRAT, SK Federation, LYDO at mga volunteer. Sa pamamagitan ng nasabing literacy project, nahikayat ang mga mag-aaral na paigtingin ang kanilang interes sa pagbabasa at palawakin ang kanilang kaalaman. Tuwang-tuwa ang mga mag-aaral sa kanilang mga bagong natutunan.

 

 

16.  Bayambang, Sumalang sa Final Judging para sa 2026 Most Business-Friendly LGU!

 

Sumalang ang LGU-Bayambang sa panel interview at final judging para sa 2026 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit - Municipality Level 1 category ng Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry sa Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, noong September 30, sa pangunguna ni Mayor Niña. Siya ay nirepresenta ni Municipal Administrator, Atty. Rodelynn Rajini S. Vidad, kasama si MPD Coordinator Ryan Dizon, at Statistician Sylvester Calderon ng MPDO. Matatandaang napabilang sa Top 5 ang Bayambang sa naturang kategorya ng kumpetisyon sa ikalawang pagkakataon.

 

 

 

Cooperative Month, Ipinagdiwang sa Isang Tiangge Sale

 

Itinayo sa LGU grounds noong October 1 ang isang Agricultural Cooperatives Tiangge bilang bahagi ng Cooperative Month Celebration 2026, na nagtatampok sa ambag ng mga kooperatiba sa kabuhayan at kaunlaran ng Bayambang. Tampok sa tiangge ang mga produktong gawa ng mga kooperatiba at farmers’ associations gaya ng pigmented rice, rice coffee, itlog, fish cracker, lettuce chips, at bagong pitas na gulay, na tinangkilik naman ng mga empleyado ng lokal na pamahalaan bilang suporta sa kanilang mga produkto at pagsisikap.

 

Nahuling Unggoy, Itinurn-Over sa CENRO

 

Ligtas na nahuli at na-turn over sa CENRO-Dagupan ang isang Philippine long-tailed macaque na namataan sa isang tirahan sa Brgy. San Gabriel 1st noong September 30. Nahuli ito ni Barangay Kagawad Rustico Villanueva at itinurn-over nina ESWMO Wildlife Enforcement Officer, Dr. Jegie Malicdem, at SEMS Eduardo Angeles para sa nararapat na pangangalaga at disposisyon. Inaabisuhan ang publiko na agad ipagbigay-alam sa mga kinauukulang tanggapan kapag may namataang wildlife upang mapangalagaan kapwa ang mga hayop at mga residente.

 

9,078 Bata, Nakinabang sa School Dental Drive

 

Umabot na sa 9,078 elementary pupils mula sa 26 na paaralan sa Bayambang ang nabigyan ng preventive oral health services ngayong taon sa tulong ng DepEd at DOH dentists. Kabilang sa kanilang serbisyo ang oral health education, dental check-up at examination, at fluoride application, habang nagdagdag naman ang Municipal Health Office ng fluoride varnishes at oral health packages. Sa tuluy-tuloy na school-based dental activities, mas inilalapit sa mga batang Bayambangueño ang pangangalaga para sa mas malusog na ngiti.

 

OSCA, Nakilahok sa Elderly Filipino Week

 

Nakilahok ang Office of Senior Citizen Affairs ng Bayambang sa pagbubukas ng Elderly Filipino Week Celebration 2026 sa Stadia, Dagupan City, kasama ang mga lider at kinatawan ng mga senior citizens’ organizations mula sa bayan. Pinangunahan ni OSCA Chairman Benigno de Vera ang delegasyon, kasama ang mga lider ng FSCAB at mga pangulo at kinatawan ng iba’t ibang Barangay Senior Citizens Associations. Tampok sa pagdiriwang ang mga mensahe hinggil sa pagkilala, karapatan, dignidad at kapakanan ng mga nakatatanda.

 

 

PBA Legend, Bumisita at may Panukalang Celebrity Matches

 

Bumisita ang dating Philippine Basketball Association player na si Edward Joseph 'EJ' Feihl at mga kasamahan nito sa opisina ni Municipal Administrator, Atty. Rodelynn Rajini S. Vidad noong September 29. Bitbit niya ang panukalang celebrity matches sa pagitan ng mga legend ng PBA tulad nina Marlou Aquino at mga basketball player ng Bayambang. Ipinanukala rin ng grupo ang isang roving basketball clinic sa 77 barangays, kung saan magsisilbing coach ang mga nasabing PBA legends, bukod pa sa ibang upcoming collaborations kasama ang iba't ibang artista.

 

[OUTRO]

 

NEWSCASTER 1: At iyan po ang mga balitang nakatutok sa iba't ibang programa at proyekto ng LGU-Bayambang.

 

NEWSCASTER 2: Mga balitang may tatak Total Quality Service.

 

NEWSCASTER 1: Muli, ako po ang inyong lingkod, _________.

 

NEWSCASTER 2: At ako naman po si _______, at kami ay mula sa Municipal Treasury Office.

 

[SABAYANG BIGKAS]: At ito ang... Bayambangueñews!

 

Pangasinan State University–Bayambang Campus Institute of Nursing: Where Bayambang Sends Its Future Healers

Pangasinan State University–Bayambang Campus Institute of Nursing: Where Bayambang Sends Its Future Healers

There is another reason Bayambang can take pride in its schools: here, education does not end when a student receives a diploma. It travels—with the graduate—to hospitals, clinics, communities and, sometimes, to countries far beyond the town where the journey began.

A shining example is the Institute of Nursing of Pangasinan State University–Bayambang Campus, recognized to be among the country's top five performing institutions.

The history of the PSU Bayambang Institute of Nursing began in 2003, when Dr. Clarita G. Jimenez, then Campus Executive Director, and Dr. Myrna P. Miguel, then Program Dean, initiated the application with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to establish a nursing program. Their vision was to provide poor but deserving students with access to quality nursing education and an opportunity to pursue a profession in healthcare.

In 2017, Dr. Cielo C. Fernandez took over as Program Dean. In 2023, the leadership was passed on to the current dean, Dr. Maria Berenice Glizzle M. Catabay. The institution’s roots are deeply local: the people who helped establish the nursing program were themselves from Bayambang, including Dr. Fernandez and Dr. Macaraeg, who were among its pioneer faculty members.

The campus began offering its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in 2004. Since then, generations of student nurses have learned not only inside classrooms and skills laboratories, but also through actual clinical and community experiences in hospitals and health facilities, including Bayambang District Hospital and other major institutions in the region.

The results are increasingly visible. In the November 2025 Philippine Nurses Licensure Examination, PSU-Bayambang produced its first-ever nursing topnotcher when Royce Mark Cabaccan Ibassan placed 9th nationwide. The Institute also posted a 98.81% passing rate and was recognized among the country's top five performing institutions in its category during the November 2025 PNLE.

Just a few months later, the Institute posted another impressive result. In the February 2026 PNLE, 100% of its first-time examinees passed, while the campus recorded an 80% institutional passing rate—substantially above the 44.24% national passing rate reported for that examination.

Behind those numbers are teachers, clinical mentors, parents, and students who spend years preparing for one of the most demanding professions: caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable.

The Institute's pursuit of quality has also been formally recognized. In 2026, PSU-Bayambang's Institute of Nursing earned Level IV re-accreditation from the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) after a comprehensive evaluation covering instruction, students, extension, research and linkages, and planning and development.

Among its latest achievements is receiving the Trailblazer Award from the Philippine Nurses Association - Pangasinan Chapter. Its interns have also won in various national and international nursing conferences.

A town's greatness is not measured only by buildings, awards or famous names, but also by the people it prepares to serve others. As graduates make their own names here and abroad, they carry the Institute’s lessons of competence, compassion, and service.

 

Planning Beyond the Blueprint

 Planning Beyond  the Blueprint

Behind every road widened, classroom built, drainage improved, livelihood program launched, or piece of land put to productive use is a process that is often less visible to the public but just as important: planning.

In Bayambang, planning is not treated merely as a compliance requirement. The municipality has invested in strengthening its long-term development framework, most notably through the preparation of its Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance (CLUP-ZO) with the assistance of Palafox Associates, one of the country’s most internationally recognized urban planning and architecture firms.

Adding further weight to the exercise was the personal participation of Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr., who himself presided over the seminar-workshop for the CLUP-ZO. His involvement gave Bayambang’s planning process the benefit of guidance from one of the Philippines’ most prominent figures in urban and regional planning, known for his work on cities and development projects in the Philippines and abroad.

But the municipality’s planning efforts do not end with the CLUP-ZO. Bayambang has likewise worked on the various development and investment plans required of local governments, including the Annual Investment Program (AIP), Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), Local Development Plan (LDP) and other sectoral, special-purpose, and annual plans that help translate broad development goals into specific programs, projects, and activities.

Taken together, these plans form something bigger than a collection of documents. They provide the municipality with a framework for deciding where Bayambang should grow, what it needs to invest in, which sectors require attention, and how limited public resources can be directed toward identified priorities.

It is the less glamorous side of governance, perhaps, because planning rarely comes with ribbon-cuttings or photo opportunities. Yet it is precisely this behind-the-scenes work that helps ensure that development is not simply a series of disconnected projects, but part of a larger direction for a municipality of 77 barangays and nearly 200,000 residents.

As they say, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” For Bayambang, the message is clear: development is not left to chance. It is meticulously planned. 

Sacdalan Plant Nursery: From Seeds to Legacy

Nursing Seeds into Legacies 

Sometimes, a town's sources of pride are not found in grand buildings or famous landmarks, but in places where something small is patiently grown—one seedling at a time.

In Brgy. Tamaro, one such place is Sacdalan Plant Nursery, a 6-year-old homegrown enterprise that has become part of the town's growing culture of plants, gardening, and environmental stewardship. It is also the first plant nursery in Bayambang to secure a permit, marking its place in the municipality's growing green industry.

The nursery offers a variety of plants, from bedding plants and houseplants to shrubs and trees, while also supplying vegetable seeds and seedlings to the municipal government. It has also supplied molave seedlings for tree-growing activities and donates plants to the municipality for planting around Bayambang—helping green public spaces, reduce heat, and support local environmental efforts.

A nursery is, in many ways, a place of beginnings. A tree that eventually provides shade may begin as a small seedling; a plant that later becomes part of a family's garden begins its life in a nursery. A tree planted today may be enjoyed by people who have not even been born yet.

That makes enterprises like Sacdalan Plant Nursery part of a larger story about how Bayambang grows—not only economically, but physically and environmentally. It also shows young Bayambangueños that meaningful environmental work can begin with something as simple as growing a plant and finding ways to share it with the community.

From a nursery in Tamaro, seedlings can find their way into homes, farms, gardens, public spaces and tree-growing projects. And perhaps that is a fitting metaphor for Bayambang itself: a town that keeps planting, and keeps growing.