To stop schoolchildren from indulging in gambling like “video karera,” “cara y cruz,” and jueteng, the regional and provincial police and the Kiwanis Club launched the advocacy on culture of savings at the Dagupan West Central Elementary School in Dagupan City.
Regional Police Director Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil said the project aims to reverse the gambling of culture which is deeply embedded in the lives of Filipinos by inculcating in children a culture of savings.
He said the culture can be reversed but the help of all sectors will be needed, such as the school officials and teachers.
“A child who goes to school with P5 or P10 ‘baon’ will either spend all of for food or other school needs, or he or she will take a chance and gamble on video-karera or cara cruz. But you should remember that that P5 or P10 are five drops or 10 drops of sweat of your parents,” Bataoil told the schoolchildren.
The project “Advocacy on Culture of Savings – Antidote to Culture of Gambling” was launched during the Talakayan Sa Isyung Police (Tsip) during which 100 schoolchildren received piggy banks with some coins inside to start their savings.
The Kiwanis will return to the school to bring more piggy banks to the other schoolchildren, Susan Yadao, a Kiwanis member, said.
Ray Bangsal, Lt. Governor of Kiwanis International Division I urged the schoolchildren to walk to school or spend less on text messaging for them to save. Some of the schoolchildren were seen with mobile phones.
Most of you live very near the schools anyway, so if you will walk, you will save some money. And if you spend less on text messaging, you can save more,” he said.
Bataoil said the women and children’s desk of the town and city police were tasked to conduct lectures in elementary schools and render periodic reports to their superiors. The regional police will provide outline of lecture such as value of savings, evils of gambling and others.
“This project highlights the police’s resolve to address the problem thru demand reduction drive by focusing on lowering urge to gamble. We want to help create a generation that values savings than gambling,” Bataoil said.
He admitted that this may take a long time but “hopefully, it will make a difference” and that “it will complement our continuing operation of raids, arrests and filing of cases against those engaged in illegal gambling.”
Kaya Restaurant’s P99 Rice Toppings Meal
If you happen to pass by Kaya, Korean Restaurant and decided not to dine there because you think it might be too expensive. Well, yeah Kaya’s prices for its regular menu items are pretty stiff indeed. But thank goodness for the addition of a meal-type menu item. Now for P99 you can experience some of the best Korean dishes and side dishes topping a korean (or probably Jasmine) rice. And the meal even comes with a free soup, free beef stew soup (minus the beef). The side dishes include some kimchi, crispy, sweet and spicy fried mini shrimps, bean sprouts, and a fried veges which I don’t know what its called.
The rice meals comes in various types. There’s the spicy chicken, spicy pork strips, spicy squid, and beef stew.
And after enjoying that hearty Kaya rice meal toppings, spare a few bucks more and order their yummylicious Gelatto scoops. It comes in three flavors, and everybody’s favority local chocolate - choknut is best tasting of all the flavors.
I know of only two Kaya Restaurants, both in the Ortigas area (Megamall and Podium). Better check it out now.
Tea and Therapy at Serendra
If you have been to Serendra in Bonifacio High Street at the Fort, chances are you might have missed this neat little place called Tea and Therapy. Tea and Therapy is located at the end (near Market Market side) of the long stretch of post restaurants and signature shops lining up the Serendra Place. The place is a sultry little place that serves, well of course Tea. Tea and Therapy’s menu of tea concotion varies from the most common green tea to the more elaborately named wild lover pure passion tea. There were around 30 tea variations which you could choose from. Whether you’re ito fat burning, calming, senses inducing kind of tea, you’d surely find something in their menu that would suit your current mood.
Aside from tea, they also serve dimsums and other fanfare but more importantly for the guilty driven cake eating customers, Tea and Therapy also offers a variety of cakes. There are several kinds of cake in the menu, but I highly recommend “Wild Lover Flourless” ultra moist chocolate cake! I won’t describe the taste so as not to spoil the fun. Just make sure to order the cake the next time you drop by Tea and Therapy. And once you’ve tasted it, don’t tell me I didn’t recommend it to you.
Prices at Tea Therapy are reasonable enough, a pot of tea would normally cost around Php150.00. But of course hot water is free and you can refill your tea pot for as long as you want.
photographs and memories of dagupan
Faded photographs rekindled memories of this city’s birth and early years when it was recovering from the ravages of war and those days when beautiful ladies whose faces were untouched by cosmetic surgeries, reigned as the city muses during fiestas.
The photo and memorabilla exhibit titled “It was 60 years ago today: A Glimpse of Dagupan” was put up at the City Hall lobby by the Dagupan City Heritage Commission as a part of the city’s 60th founding anniversary on June 20. Mayor Benjamin Lim opened the exhibit on June 20.
Dagupan was born on June 20, 1947 , barely two years after World War II had ended that left it in ruins. But it was one of the first towns to be rehabilitated and its conversion into a city was a part of its rehabilitation.
A panel at the exhibit shows a photo of President Manuel Roxas and a copy of Republic Act 170 declaring the town of Dagupan into a city on June 20, 1947 and pronouncing its inauguration on January 1, 1948 . The Republic Act was authored by Speaker Eugenio Perez, the last speaker of the Commonwealth and the first of the Republic.
The town mayor then was Alipio Fernandez who “fought back all overtures” to have the city renamed. Historians say that the city was supposed to include the neighbor town Calasiao but the residents of that town refused to join the new city .
The first mayor of Dagupan as a city was Angel Fernandez, a law graduate of the University of the Philippines , who was “appointed leader of rolling up sleeves to rebuild the city” laid in ruins by the war.
In another panel is a long shot of a parade during a city fiesta, with beauties riding in flower-decked, horse-drawn calesas. Photographs in sepia show the different years’ reigning beauties as they posed in their lovely gowns and charming smiles.
“They are really pretty. And to think that there are no cosmetic procedures that altered their natural beauty,” said Marivic Melecio, a Dagupeña.
Viewers try to locate landmarks that still exist these days. “This is the city plaza,” quipped one, pointing to an open area with a ferris wheel at the middle. The plaza, of course, looks very much different today, with the city museum, a large stage, and other structures inside.
The water tank is another landmark that still exists today. And so are the Archbishop’s Palace and the St. John’s Cathedral, albeit they have undergone reconstruction after they were reduced to rubble by the 1990 earthquake, through efforts of Archbishop Oscar Cruz.
“I remember this place,” Carmen Ulpindo, 58, said, pointing to a street beside the plaza. “We used to walk this road when we go to school ( West Central School ). We used to walk from Arellano Street (about two kms. Away) where we resided. But sometimes we would hang at the back of passing calesas. We would be sweaty when we get to school, but we did not mind.”
Then there’s the photo of the archbishop of the time, Maraino Madriaga, who designed the city seal which first appeared on the cover of the 1948 city fiesta and fair souvenir program.
The seal included a railroad and a highway “to emphasize the city’s geographic location, being the major crossroad in the north.”
Another group of photos showed the opening of the city public library in the afternoon of May 22, 1948 . One of the speakers were the late Ermin Garcia, the publisher of the Sunday Punch who was gunned down because of his exposes.
The musical piece of the hymn ‘Dagupan” composed by Freedie Gagasa with lyrics by Rex Catubig, is in another panel. The song is about the love for the city by the residents who may leave the place but will eventually return.
“Ah, Dagupan, agbalot nalingwanan. Ngaran moy magnayon, angad andi angaan. No bilang sika’y taynan Ag ombayag, pawilen ka lan lamang (We will never forget you, Dagupan./Your name will go on forever/ If we ever leave you/ it will not be for long/ We will soon return,” the first stanza of the song goes.
The photo exhibit, put up by committee chairs Carmen Prieto and Architect Alex Villaflor, “will be semi-permanent,” Michelle Lioanag, a member of the Heritage Commission, said.