Pangasinan's Official Facebook Page is up, Website to follow

The Official Facebook Page of the Province of Pangasinan is now up. 

Pangasinan's Official Website will follow suit and will be up and online on April 5, 2011 during the Agew na Pangasinan 2011 Celebration. 

As 2010 ASNA Awardee for Literature, Santiago Villafania would say: Maas-asna! 

Urbiztondo Goat Farm

Goat raising in the Philippines is on the rise as there is an increase demand in goat meat and goat milk. It is also a way to provide a profitable livelihood for farmers as it requires minimum capital, it is low risk and easier to manage.

To maximize profit, farm owners have looked into Boer and Anglo Nubian breeds for sale as well as to upgrade the breed of local goats. Boers are known for their meat. A mature Boer bucks weigh between 110–135 kg (240-300 lb), and mature does between 90–100 kg (200-220 lb). A local goat costs a maximum of a thousand pesos only while an upgrade may cost more than P5,000 depending on its live weight. Anglo Nubians or Nubian does are known to for its milk which has a high butterfat content. 

The government has realized the economic potential of goat raising. In 2007, the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agrcultural Research has launched a Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) Goat Agribusiness Development Project wherein farmer-beneficiaries were given upgraded bucks (Boer and Anglo Nubian breeds) to farmer-recipients who meet the requirements on housing, ownership of five heads of doe, and pasture areas for grazing and forage. Upgrading the breed of goats is necessary to also upgrade the farmers' income, which means that they can now sell their goats at a relatively higher price.

There's a goat farm in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan that aims not only to produce elegant and productive lactating Nubians but also to help improve lives of people in the community by providing a source of income and educating farmers in sustainable goat raising technologies, self sufficiency, accountability, responsibility and other human values. Aptly named after the town where it is situated, Urbiztondo Goat Farm (UGF) is a family owned farm that aims to positively impact local community development. The farm is known for producing good looking and productive Nubians known as Urbiztondo Nubians.

Former Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol, one of the pioneers/experts of Boer and Anglo Nubian farming and owner of Brave Heart Farms has lauded Urbiztondo Goat Farm and it's  owner,  Camilo Velasco, Jr. He said in an email: "If there is anybody who understands goat pedigrees better, it is Milo. he is who I would call an "idealist" on goat bloodlines. I shared with him some of the best lines that I have including the only offspring of a black Anglo Nubian buck, jagged edge, the spotted goats from Oklahoma and the California line from Kastdemur's, Lakeshore and Elkhorn. He has two daughters of 70 Rocky, the best Boer buck of NGSCP 2007.

UGF's successful operation is hinged on proper farm management constituted by herd management, forage management and farm hand management- with a heart.

Here are pictures taken at the Urbiztondo Goat Farm:

You may contact Urbiztondo Goat Farm at the following numbers:

Magic Jack (424) 249 8685

Smart          (0063) 9189447131

Globe           (0063) 9175972554

Urbiztondo Goat Farm is located at Dalanguiring, Urbiztondo. 

How To Get to Urbiztondo Goat Farm:

From Manila take the road to Camiling from Tarlac City. For those coming from Manila or the SCTEX, this means having to go though the Tarlac City proper. At the Camiling junction take the left turn through the Camiling Town Proper. This is the Carlos P. Romulo Highway or the Tarlac Pagasinan Road, that takes you to the Hundred Islands and Bolinao. But you do not have to go that far. At the Mangatarem Town Proper, take a right turn at the Mabini Street. This road takes you to Urbiztondo. Dalanguiring is about 1.5 kilometers from the Urbiztondo Town Proper.

Visit UGF's website at http://urbiztondogoats.webs.com/

Pangasinan is Region 1's Best in Development Programs

Pangasinan is adjudged as the best province in Region 1 in development efforts, ahead of the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union. The province received seven out of eight awards for its various development programs in 2010. The awards were given recently by the Regional Development Councils (RDC).  

The awards that Pangasinan bagged were the Hall of Fame Award, National Statistics Month celebration 2008-2010; Hall of Fame Award, Most Outstanding Coastal Resource Management Implementer 2009-2010; Best Provincial LGU Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Project Implementer for 2010; Best Project Implementer 2010; Best Poverty Reduction Program Implementer; Champion, 2009 Search for the Best LGU Province based on Local Government Performance Management System; and Champion, 2010 Search for the LGU Best Practice. 

The lone award which Pangasinan did not get the best award was the 2010 Search for the Cleanest, Greenest and Safest Province. Pangasinan copped the first runner-up honors in that category.

Congratulations to Pangasinan! Mabuhay ang mga Pangasinenses! 

The Pangasinan Provincial Capitol in Pictures

The beauty of the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol as captured in pictures:

Ana "Hurricane" Julaton successfully defends WBO Super Bantamweight title

Ana "Hurricane" Julaton successfully defended her WBO Super Bantamweight title against  Franchesca "The Chosen One" Alcanter at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, California via an unanimous decision. The bout which was dubbed "The Return of the Hurricane" is indeed the successful return of "The Hurricane." 

Ana Bonifacio Julaton was born in San Francisco California but traces her roots from Pozorrubio, Pangasinan. She now resides at Berkeley, California.

Mabuhay ang Pangasinan! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!    

The Search for 2011 Outstanding Pangasinenses is On

Do you know a Pangasinense who excelled in government service, community service, arts and culture, medicine, agriculture and aquaculture, mass communications, business and entrepreneurship, law, education, science and technology, and sports; and contributed to the welfare of the people using their field of specialization? 

Nominate him/her for the 2011 Asna Awards. 

The Agew na Pangasinan Executive Committee has just launched the search for this year's  Outstanding Pangasinenses or the 2011 Asna Awards.

The ASNA Awards is the highest recognition given to outstanding Pangasinenses who have excelled over a lifetime in their respective fields of endeavor, who have established a reputation that cuts them above the others, and for this reason have brought pride and honor to our province.

The ASNA Awards also seeks to give recognition and focus public attention to outstanding Pangasinenses whose selfless dedication to their profession or vocation has resulted in outstanding contributions to the welfare of the people in Pangasinan and to our country at large.

Secretary Francisco Duque III

Santiago Villafania

Last year's ASNA awardees were former Health Secretary and now Civil Service Chair  Francisco Duque III (government service/public health); Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist/writer Rina Jimenez-David (mass communications) COA Commissioner Reynaldo Villar (government service/accounting and auditing); Santiago Villafania (arts and culture); Dr. Westly Rosario, BFAR-National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center (NIFTDC) chief (aquaculture); lawyer Menardo Jimenez of the GMA Television Network (business and entrepreneurship); Police Supterintendent Eric Noble (community service) and Rodolfo Tan-Cardozo, the first international chess master for Pangasinan (sports). 

Former President Fidel V. Ramos with SiRVis 

F. Sionil Jose with SiRVis

Former President Fidel V. Ramos and writer and novelist F. Sionil Jose were conferred the Balitok Award, a special category for the truly outstanding sons of the province. Both in the Ilocano and Pangasinan language, balitok means gold or treasure.

Former DTI director Jaime Pasagoy-Lucas received a special citation for being the founding president of Ulupan na Pansiansia’y Salitan Pangasinan (Association for the Preservation of the Pangasinan Language) which champions the “preservation, development and spread of the Pangasinan language in all sectors of society in Pangasinan and for Pangasinenses anywhere in the world.

Deadline for submission of nominations by any individual or organization is March 15. The award ceremonies will be held during the Agew na Pangasinan celebration commemorating the 431st Foundation Anniversary of the province on April 5.

For inquiries and submission of nominations, contact the 2011 ASNA Awards Secretariat or the Provincial Tourism Office at (075) 542-8007 or tourismpangasinan@yahoo.com.

"ASNA" an old form of the Pangasinan word "asin", also used to describe the good quality of a man's character or his demeanor; Asin a mabli na Pangasinan, Silew ed bilonget, Nabang ed kaluyagan, Antabay na kalangweran.

Agew na Dilan Nianakan 2011

Iimbitaan na Ulupan na Pansiansiya'y Salitan Pangasinan so amin ya midagop ed Agew na Dilan Nianakan no Pibriro 21, 8 na kabuasan ed Pangasinan State University (Lingayen). Nagawad dia so panagbasa na anlong.

Mansalita, manbasa, mankorit ed salitan Pangasinan ed sayan agew!

The Ulupan na Pansiansiya'y Salitan Pangasinan is inviting everyone to attend the celebration of the International Mother Language Day* on February 21, 8 am at the Pangasinan State University (Lingayen). Poems in Pangasinan will be read. 

Speak, read and write in Pangasinan language on this day!

*February 21 is designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as International Mother Language Day. It is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity and multilingual education. The celebration comes as the cold statistics indicate that half of the world’s 6,000 languages are endangered.

Binmaley Sigay Festival 2011

Binmaley celebrated it first-ever Sigay Festival which was held from January 26 to February 2, 2011.  The week-long festival is also a fitting commemoration of the town's 421st founding anniversary. It is also launching pad for the town to be recognized as the "Seafood Capital of the North" as envisioned by Binmaley Mayor Lorenzo M. Cerezo.

The word sigay, in the Pangasinan language, broadly translates to harvest, or a time to gather the rich yields of the farm, the sea, the ponds and the rivers. It also relates to a contraction of the words silew meaning light and gayaga meaning merriment.

Photos by Jojo Riñoza. 

Pangalatok is "Pangasinan na katok"

written by Chago Lim at the Discussion Board of Ulupan na Pansiansiya'y Salitan Pangasinan Facebook Page:

Pangalatok is a combination of the 2 Filipino words "Pangasinan na katok." It was thought to have emanated from the Kapampangans during the Spanish period although it was neither them who invented it nor them to be blamed. Spanish colonizers feared that when unity is established among its colony it could spark an uprising against them. So they devised a lot of internal warfare (physical, mental and psychological) among their colonies here. They instigated hate, people against people among neighboring provinces. Pangasinan was on their cross-hairs as it is the biggest province and the one of the most populous (up to now). Spaniards invented, taught and used this derogatory word to effectively instigate hatred and racism from both neighboring provinces of Tarlac and Pampanga against Pangasinan so as to divide the people. Although this inter-provincial mudslinging didn't last long, eventually the Spaniards were given the boot and the rest, as they say, is history!