Category: Events

Dagupan City has paid tribute anew to the memory and greatness of Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the 79th Luzon Landing Anniversary of the famed United States commander and his men at Bonuan Tondaligan Blue Beach, the site believed to be the actual location where they landed to pursue their mission in liberating the Philippines from Japanese colonization.

Mayor Belen Fernandez led the early morning event on January 9 at the refurbished MacArthur Park as she underscored the significance of emulating the good deeds of MacArthur and other war heroes and building a culture of integrity and accountability in public office.

“Gen. Douglas MacArthur had said his famous line ‘I shall return.’ For me I say, I have returned to help the people of Dagupan,” the local chief executive stated.

Highlight of the affair was a reenactment of the Luzon Landing with MacArthur, U.S. soldiers and Bonuan villagers which was followed by floral offerings at the memorial site by the different offices, government agencies, barangay councils, civil society groups, non-government organizations and other stakeholders.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 1 in coordination with the city government of Dagupan has conducted a Basic Incident Command System (BICS) Training for members  and representatives of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), line government agencies, civil society groups and volunteers from November 8-10 at the E-Library in barangay Poblacion Oeste.

A flagship progam of the OCD, the ICS is a standard, on-scene and all-hazard incident management concept introduced by the United States Forest Service and is being utilized by DRRMCs in the country to  manage and coordinate actions of all response groups.

Mayor Belen Fernandez underscored the need for the BICS training to capacitate the CDRRMC in times of disasters and calamities even as she is hopeful for the local government unit of Dagupan to integrate the system in the grassroots level to involve residents and the community.

Moreover, OCD Regional Director Gregory Cayetano highlighted the principles and functions of the ICS that will guide participants and stakeholders in establishing efficient actions during various incidents.

Among the topics dicussed during a November 10 meeting between the  local chief execuitve and the regional director were programs for Disaster Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness and Family Disaster Preparedness.

The three-day seminar/training tackled modules on Introduction to ICS; Organization and Staffing; Facilities; Managing Incidents and Events; Assessment and Management; Organizing and Managing Resources; Incident and Event Planning; and Transfer of Command, Demobilization and Close-out.

It involved interactive lecture discussions, pre-test, post-test, audio-visual presentations, workshops, structured learning exercises and return demonstrations conducted by Ronald de Guzman (CDRRMO-Dagupan), Aries Aquino (MDRRMO-Bautista) and Ysrael Sobredo (Bureau of Fire Protection-La Union).

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Mayor Belen Fernandez deliberated on the city government’s efforts to curb the impact of  climate change during the Regional Climate Change Caravan hosted by the  Department of Education (DEPED) Dagupan City Schools Division Office (SDO) at the Bonuan Buquig National High School (BBNHS) on November 6, 2023.

Anchored on the theme ‘Empowering Humanity in Response to Climate Change for Sustainable Communities’, the event featured engaging activities for students to address climate change.

“In our own little way, as long as we are united in creating solutions, we can help address the critical problem of climate change and understand our own roles to minimize its effects in our community,” the mayor stated.

Thru the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and other line government agencies, Dagupan has launched its flood mitigation programs that include road and drainage construction and dredging; El Niño Phenomenon awareness campaign; river and creek clean-up and rehabilitation thru Task Force Bantay Ilog; waste segregation and management, among other projects to adapt to climate change, according to the local chief executive.

Similarly, a bayanihan-style ‘operation sitio’ has started where residents make use of dredging materials and mixed gravel for backfilling of sidewalks or pavements in sitios with the assistance of the City Engineering Office.

Featured activities during the climate change caravan included a mangrove tree-planting tour; search for the best booth exhibit on practices in adopting to climate change; video infomercial contest; three-dimensional art trash contest; search for investigatory project proposal on climate change and quiz bee; spoken word poetry and poster-making contest; booth exhibit; and environmental forum.

Mayor Fernandez, meanwhile, commended the BBNHS for serving as a climate change advocate thru its award-winning Ilog Ko, Aroen Ko program on mangrove propagule planting which was hailed as the Top Prize Winner in the T4 World’s Best School Environmental Action category on October 19, 2022.

DEPED Assistant Regional Director Dr. Rhoda Razon, Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) Dr. Rowena Banzon, Assistant SDS Dr. Marciano Soriano Jr., BBNHS Principal Markconi Taroma, regional SDO officials, program supervisors, teachers and students participated in the caravan.

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Mayor Belen Fernandez has expressed hope for Dagupan’s famous milkfish (bangus) products to acquire its long-awaited registration thru Geographical Indication to the Intellectual Property Office, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), to protect the identity and brand of the city’s bangus manufacturing industry.

This developed during a Collective Mark Mapping/Meeting of bangus industry stakeholders last October 24 at Lenox Hotel spearheaded by DTI Provincial Director Natalia Dalaten to consult and discuss concrete platforms for a more robust agri-fishery economy in Dagupan.

The local chief executive assured her support to the undertaking as she identified other projects to boost the city’s fishery economy such as the comeback of Dagupan’s Product Center which is a one-stop-shop for local products of micro-small and medium entrepreneurs, as well as the production of oyster to promote it as another famous Dagupan bestseller.

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Some 2,500 flood-stricken tricycle drivers in the city who had to forego their usual operations received cash assistance from Senator Imee Marcos thru the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) last August 5.

The senator visited the city to personally extend assistance to the group and distribute enhanced Nutribuns and toys to children at the CSI Stadia together with Mayor Belen Fernandez who had requested the aid for tricycle drivers.

The mayor had considered the drivers’ plight in the midst of a week-long flooding that submerged Dagupan due to typhoon Egay.

Sen. Marcos had made several visits to Dagupan to lead several events such as the mounting of Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores, Nutribun program, AICS for Solo Parents as well as the ceremonial Christmas Tree Lighting and the annual Bangus Festival.

(Dagupan CIO News)

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Umulan man o umaraw, tuloy ang #AlagangHealthyDagupeño hatid ni Mayor Belen Fernandez.

Kasama ang City Nutrition at City Health Office, sabayan ang pagsasagawa ng medical & dental check-up, consultation, libreng gamot, multivitamins at feeding program ngayong araw sa city plaza.

Nagpamahagi rin ang siyudad ng gatas at nutri-food packs (monggo, egg, banana, orange, RIMO rice+monggo cereal) para sa 200 bata, kasama ng nutrition education para sa mga magulang upang mabantayan ang wastong timbang at nutrisyon ng mga bata.

Ang aktibidad ay naaayon sa taunang selebrasyon ng #NationalNurtitionMonth na may layuning palawakin ang kamalayan ng mga Pilipino hinggil sa wastong nutrisyon at kalusugan.

Hinihikayat din ni Mayor Belen ang pagtatanim ng gulay sa komunidad sa tulong ng mga Barangay Nutrition Scholars para sa sustainable food source sa layuning ang “Healthy diet, gawing affordable for all!”

Sa tala ng CHO, 121 patients ang na-cater sa medical at 20 patients sa dental services tulad ng dental consultation, tooth extraction, at fluoride application.

(Dagupan CIO News)

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