CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES COMPETITIVENESS INDEX 2016 - Pangasinan Rankings

Provinces - 70 Entries  

Rank  Rank     Score Town Classification Province
2016       2015

 1            6 35.67                                            Rizal
 2            9 31.80 Cavite
 3            4 30.86 S. Cotabato
 4  16 29.77 Laguna
 5 11 29.50 N. Cotabato
 6          21 29.32 Sultan Kudarat
 7          13 28.31 Bataan
 8           -   27.89 Aklan
 9          20 27.84 Batangas
 10        12 27.42 La Union
 11        36 27.32 Ilocos Sur
 12        14 26.98 Ilocos Norte
 13        46 26.82 Misamis Oc.
 14         2 26.61 Misamis Or.
 15        22 26.59 Davao del Norte
 16        32 26.54 Bukidnon
 17        68 26.41 Samar
 18        25 26.13 Camarines Sur
 19        30 26.10 Albay
 20        33 26.07 Marinduque
 28        34 25.26 Pangasinan


(Independent) Component Cities - 110 Entries  
Rank  Rank     Score City Classification Province
2016       2015 

1           1 55.18 Naga       ICC Camarines Sur
2           2 48.33 San Fernando CC Pampanga
3          15 47.77 Legazpi CC Albay
4           5 46.37 Bacoor CC        Cavite
5           4 45.83 Cotabato ICC        Cotabato
6           6 45.50 Antipolo CC       Rizal
7          51 45.28 Ilagan CC       Isabela
8           3 44.93 Imus CC        Cavite
9           8 44.19 Tagum CC       Davao del Norte
10        48 42.73 San Pedro CC        Laguna
11        12 41.86 Koronadal CC S. Cotabato
12        10 41.69 Batangas CC       Batangas
13        11 41.41 Calamba CC       Laguna
14        42 41.27 Cabuyao CC       Laguna
15        19 41.20 Dagupan ICC Pangasinan
16        14 41.02 Kidapawan CC N. Cotabato
17         9 40.97 San Fernando      CC La Union
18        61 40.77 Santiago ICC       Isabela
19        13 40.49 Lipa CC       Batangas
20        47 40.48 Sorsogon CC       Sorsogon
43        31 34.34 Urdaneta CC       Pangasinan
55        45 32.59 Alaminos             CC       Pangasinan
104      96 25.60 San Carlos          CC       Pangasinan


1st and 2nd Class Municipalities - 490 Entries

 Rank      Rank     Score    City        Classification    Province
2016       2015
 
1 19 45.03 Cainta First Class Rizal
2 3 43.06 Taytay       First Class Rizal
3 1 41.79 Gen. Trias First Class Cavite
4 15 40.58 Malay First Class Aklan
5 9 38.08 Midsayap First Class N. Cotabato
6 6 37.63 Angono First Class Rizal
7 2 36.82 Sta. Maria      First Class Bulacan
8 10 36.51 Polomolok First Class S. Cotabato
9 102 36.07 Rodriguez First Class Rizal
10 12 36.04 Isulan First Class Sultan Kudarat
11         45 35.72 Binangonan First Class Rizal
12         28 34.04 San Mateo     First Class Rizal
13         11 33.45 Carmona First Class Cavite
14         26 33.43 La Trinidad First Class Benguet
15         83 33.30 Marilao First Class Bulacan
16         34 33.01 Silang First Class Cavite
17         14 32.91 Daet First Class Cam. Norte
18         57 32.75 Candelaria      First Class Quezon
19         36 32.34 Tanay First Class Rizal
20         24 32.33 Agoo First Class La Union
26         48 31.42 Calasiao First Class Pangasinan
38         35 30.22 Mangaldan First Class Pangasinan
44       109 29.70 Rosales First Class Pangasinan
61       110 28.87 Binalonan First Class Pangasinan
71       367 28.46 Lingayen First Class Pangasinan
102     154 27.19 Villasis First Class Pangasinan
116     239 26.80 Pozorrubio First Class Pangasinan
124     395 26.59 Bayambang First Class Pangasinan
141     200 26.26 San Fabian First Class Pangasinan
156     172 25.82 San Nicolas     First Class Pangasinan
168     155 25.49 Santa Barbara   First Class Pangasinan
183     121 25.13 Umingan First Class Pangasinan
234     347 23.81 Bani Second Class Pangasinan
291     201 22.36 Binmaley First Class Pangasinan
325     312 21.40 Malasiqui First Class Pangasinan
329     361 21.31 Mangatarem First Class Pangasinan
373     266 19.76 Bugallon Second Class Pangasinan
374     288 19.75 Bolinao First Class Pangasinan
375 -   19.45 Asingan Second Class Pangasinan
395     360 18.72 San Manuel   First Class Pangasinan
398     353 18.61 Sual First Class Pangasinan
405     410 18.38 Manaoag First Class Pangasinan


 520 Entries -  3rd to 6th Class Municipalities

Rank      Rank     Score    City             Classification    Province
2016       2015

 1           3 36.97 Infanta       Third Class Quezon
 2           2 35.98 Baler Third Class Aurora
 3         48 35.94 Calamba         Fourth Class Misamis Oc.
 4           7 35.11 Pagsanjan Third Class Laguna
 5           6 35.04 Jimenez Third Class Misamis Oc.
 6           1 34.47 Mambajao Third Class Camiguin
 7         58 34.42 Tayug Third Class Pangasinan
 8         12 33.85 Cabatuan        Third Class Isabela
 9         31 33.76 Bacarra Third Class Ilocos Norte
 10       13 33.61 Cordova Third Class Cebu
 11       10 33.30 Tigaon Third Class Cam. Sur
 12        5 33.17 Abucay Third Class Bataan
 13       30 33.16 San Simon Third Class       Pampanga
 14       23 32.62 Kolambugan Fourth Class Lanao D. N.
 15       20 32.44 Pasuquin Third Class Ilocos Norte
 16       90 32.28 Sinait Third Class Ilocos Sur
 17      388 32.24 Alaminos Third Class Laguna
 18        14         32.21 Paoay Fourth Class Ilocos Norte
 19      329 32.20 Calape Third Class Bohol
 20        95 32.05 Tublay Fifth Class Benguet
 43        38 29.40 Dasol Third Class Pangasinan
 55        79 28.99 Sta. Maria       Fourth Class Pangasinan
 60        42 28.75 Laoac Fourth Class Pangasinan
 195    180 25.60 Basista Fourth Class Pangasinan
 204    130 25.43 Natividad Fourth Class Pangasinan
 281 -   23.95 Santo Tomas    Fourth Class Pangasinan
 306    395 23.52 Bautista Fourth Class Pangasinan
 417      -   21.39 Aguilar Third Class Pangasinan
 429 -   21.07 Sison               Third Class Pangasinan

Source:    http://www.competitive.org.ph/cmcindex/pages/rankings/index.php

Chris Cornell at the End of the Highway

Christopher John Boyle, July 20, 1964 - May 17, 2017

Chris Cornell (born Christopher John Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 17, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Seattle rock band Soundgarden and as lead vocalist and songwriter for the group Audioslave. He was also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1991, and as founder and frontman for Temple of the Dog, the one-off tribute band dedicated to his late friend Andrew Wood.

Cornell was known for his role as one of the architects of the 1990s grunge movement, for his extensive catalog as a songwriter and for his near four octave vocal range as well as his powerful vocal belting technique. He released four solo studio albums, Euphoria Morning (1999), Carry On (2007), Scream (2009), Higher Truth (2015) and the live album Songbook (2011). Cornell received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his song "The Keeper" which appeared in the film Machine Gun Preacher and co-wrote and performed the theme song to the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), "You Know My Name". The last solo release prior to his death was the charity single "The Promise", written for the ending credits for the film of the same name. He was voted "Rock's Greatest Singer" by readers of Guitar World, ranked 4th in the list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" by Hit Parader, 9th in the list of "Best Lead Singers of All Time" by Rolling Stone, and 12th in MTV's "22 Greatest Voices in Music".

Cornell was born on July 20, 1964 and raised in Seattle, Washington, and attended Christ the King Catholic elementary school, and Shorewood High School. His parents are Ed Boyle (a pharmacist) and Karen Cornell (an accountant). He has five siblings: older brothers Peter and Patrick, and younger sisters Katy, Suzy, and Maggie. Peter, Katy and Suzy all performed in the band Inflatable Soule in the 1990s. Peter was the lead vocalist for the New York-based rock band Black Market Radio and released a new solo album, Champion, in 2014. Katy performs as lead vocalist for the Seattle band Into the Cold.

Cornell spent a two-year period between the ages of nine and eleven solidly listening to The Beatles after finding a large collection of Beatles records abandoned in the basement of a neighbor's house. Cornell was a loner; however, he was able to deal with his anxiety around other people through rock music. During his teenage years, Chris spiralled into severe depression, dropped out of school and almost never left the house during his state of depression. Before becoming a successful musician, he worked at a seafood wholesaler and was a sous-chef at a restaurant named Ray's Boathouse.

In the early 1980s, Cornell was a member of a cover band called The Shemps that performed around Seattle. The Shemps also featured bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Following Yamamoto's departure from The Shemps, the band recruited guitarist Kim Thayil as its new guitarist. Cornell and Yamamoto stayed in contact, and after The Shemps broke up, Cornell and Yamamoto started jamming together, eventually bringing in Thayil to join them.

Cornell's songwriting often features non-standard chord progressions and melodies that do not conform with one diatonic scale. A prominent example is "Black Hole Sun", which not only involves many kinds of open chords and several key changes in short sequences, but also unique melody phrases with large-interval jumps.

A recurrent characteristic is the usage of major-only chord sequences (Sweet Euphoria, Pretty Noose), which also leads to more subtle key changes.

While a most intensive concentration of Cornell's songwriting style can still be found on the Euphoria Morning album, later works, with Audioslave or on the later solo albums, tend to be more conventional, only sometimes containing short but inventive interlude parts (e.g. Like a Stone, Disappearing Act, No Such Thing).

Cornell had a multi-octave range. He was a baritone with an ability to sing extremely high in the tenor range, as well as in the lower register of a baritone voice. He showcased this in various songs, most notably the studio and the demo versions of "Beyond the Wheel", where he can be heard spanning three octaves. He also experimented with various different vocal styles, ranging from light falsetto to brutal screams and chants. In addition to singing rock and metal mainly with Soundgarden and Audioslave, Cornell sang the blues, neo soul and stripped-down acoustic numbers.

Cornell released five solo albums. Soundgarden produced six albums, five EPs and two greatest hits compilations. He released three albums with Audioslave and one album with Temple of the Dog. Despite this large discography he only released one retrospective compilation which was given a limited release. Cornell also produced an album for Screaming Trees and had his music featured on one mixtape.

Cornell was first married to Susan Silver, the manager of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. They had a daughter, Lillian Jean, born in June 2000. He and Silver divorced in 2004. In December 2008, Cornell reported via his official website that he had finally won back his collection of 15 guitars after a four-year court battle with Silver.

His second marriage was to Vicky Karayiannis, a Paris-based American publicist of Greek heritage. The couple had a daughter together, Toni, born in September 2004, and a son, Christopher Nicholas, born in December 2005. Cornell converted to the Greek Orthodox Church through her influence.

When asked how Cornell beat all his addictions he stated, "It was a long period of coming to the realization that this way (sober) is better. Going through rehab, honestly, did help ... it got me away from just the daily drudgery of depression and either trying to not drink or do drugs or doing them and you know, they give you such a simple message that any idiot can get and it's just over and over, but the bottom line is really, and this is the part that is scary for everyone, the individual kinda has to want it ... not kinda, you have to want it and to not do that crap anymore or you will never stop and it will just kill you."

In a 2011 interview, Cornell said the major change with the reformed Soundgarden is a lack of alcohol: "The biggest difference I noticed ... and we haven't even really talked about it: There are no bottles of Jack Daniel's around or beers. And we never talked about ... it's just not there."

On May 17, 2017, Cornell was found dead in his room at the MGM Grand in Detroit after performing at a show with Soundgarden at the Fox Theatre. The death was determined to be a suicide by hanging. He was 52 years old. Footage of his final concert was posted to YouTube.

Copied from:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cornell

Dagupan City Bangus Festival

                                                                       

                                                                                

BANGUS FESTIVAL

Bangus Festival is an annual festivity in Dagupan City, Pangasinan that kicks off every month of April. It celebrates the province's Bonuan bangus, which is renowned for its unique taste.

Bangus Festival, first celebrated in 2002, was the brainchild of former mayor Benjamin S. Lim, who wished to emphasize the local bangus industry and promote Dagupan as the Bangus Capital of the World. Initially a part of the thanksgiving festival Pista'y Dayat, Bangus Festival developed into a two-week socio-economic program of activities that highlights the city's top produce.

The festival commences with the lighting of 1,000 barbecue grills lined up to cook thousands of bangus, which stretches up to two kilometers. This also serves as a competition for hundreds of cooks, whose dishes are not only judged by the grilling but through whipping up the tastiest and most creative way of serving bangus. The contest was eventually called “'101 Ways to Cook Bangus” and won for the city a recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest barbecue in 2003.

Aside from the grilling challenge, the festivity showcases a bangus eating contest, a search for the biggest and heaviest bangus, the Gilon-gilon dancing festival, the Pigar-pigar festival, the Halo-halo festival, and the Bangusan street party, where several local and Manila-based bands perform along Jose R. De Venecia Expressway Extension.

Copied from: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Bangus_Festival

Proposed Tax Schedule from the Department of Finance, Philippines

Simplifying the tax system in the Philippines to increase the net home pay of individuals.

The Biggest Street Party in the Philippines!

Dagupan City's Bangus Festival 2017 was a big success! Bangusan Street Party was held on April 30, 2017 at the De Venecia Extension Highway.

Photo Credit: Dagupan City Tourism Office

Windmills in Pililla, Rizal

PILILLA WIND FARM

The "Pililla, Rizal" Wind Energy Service Contract granted to Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (APHC) covers an area of 4,515 hectares under Department of Energy WESC NO. 2009-09-018. This Wind Energy Service Contract (WESC) has two phases, Pililla Wind Power Project under WESC NO. 2009-09-018-AF1 and the Mt. Sembrano Wind Power Project under WESC NO. 2009-09-018-AP2.

In December 2008, Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (APHC) was awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE) the exclusive right to develop wind power projects in 3 locations: Pililla in Rizal, Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro, and Kalayaan, Laguna. These locations were among those identified under the Philippine Wind Atlas as potential sites for wind farms due to good to excellent wind resources. APHC was subsequently awarded additional wind energy service contracts in 3 other locations in 2009. APHC is committed to implement the wind projects if the wind measurements and site specific studies demonstrate that the power plants are commercially viable.

Phase 1 of this project is a wind farm in Barangay Halayhayin in Pililla, Rizal, Philippines. The wind farm is being undertaken by Alternergy Wind One Corporation.[4] The total cost for the construction of the wind farm is US$177.9 million.

The project consists of 27 wind turbine generators grouped into three clusters with aggregate capacity of 54 megawatts (MW). The said project, after completion will interconnect to Meralco’s Malaya-Teresa 115 kilovolts (kV) transmission line located just 10 kilometers from the project site.

Phase 2 located in Pililla, Rizal and Mabitac, Laguna was not initially included by Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (APHC) in the Technical Assistance (TA) from the Asian Development Bank. A minor change in the ADB TA implementation was approved in February 2013 to prioritize the development of the Pililla, Rizal wind farm site and expand the study to Pililla Stage 2, which covers the southern portion of the area, as initial findings showed certain limitations in wind resource and constructability in the Laguna and Occidental Mindoro sites. Construction of a wind power project in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, in particular, is not feasible until either the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines or the Philippine government has installed a submarine cable connecting Mindoro and Luzon. Based on the initial findings, further studies on the Laguna and Mindoro sites were discontinued; unutilized TA budget for these sites were reallocated instead to fund the study for Pililla Stage 2. The projected cost for Phase 2 is Php 7.056 Billion and its planned output is 72 megawatts (MW).

Copied from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pililla_Wind_Farm

Gumi, Lubao, Pampanga

A beautiful morning at a fish pond.

SAN JOSE GUMI, LUBAO, PAMPANGA

San Jose Gumi is one of the 44 Barangays of Lubao, Pampanga. 

Lubao is a first class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 160,838 people. It is bounded by the municipalities of Guagua on the north, Sasmuan on the east, Floridablanca on the west and Orani, Bataan on the south.

Located at the south-western part of Pampanga, it is noted for rice, sugar cane, fish, and sampaguita.

The name Lubao was derived from the indigenous word “lubo” which means low. “Lubo” is characteristically muddy and flooded; later, the term evolved into “lubao,” which is the town’s present name. The Austronesian word is associated with the low or depressed elevation of the town. Hence, Lubao is synonymous to its ancient name Baba.

The Parish of Saint Augustine celebrated its 440th Founding Anniversary on May 5, 2012 with the launching of the 1st Sampaguita Festival; participated by the six parishes of Lubao. Parish of St. Augustine de Hippo bagged the Over-All Champion trophy.

2nd Sampaguita Festival was held on May 5, 2013 participated by the 10 secondary public schools of Lubao. San Vicente National High School emerged as the Over-All Champion of the festival.

The 3rd Sampaguita Festival was celebrated on May 4, 2014 and participated by the 7 clustered barangays of Lubao. Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Sto. Domingo, San Miguel, Concepcion, San Francisco, San Vicente, San Antonio and San Jose Apunan) was the Over-All Champion of the festival.

The 4th Sampaguita Festival was celebrated on May 4-5, 2015 and participated by the 7 clustered barangays of Lubao. Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Sto. Domingo, San Miguel, Concepcion, San Francisco, San Vicente, San Antonio and San Jose Apunan) emerged again as the Over-All Champion of the festival. Festival King and Queen Pageant and Cong Dadong Awards were launched on the 5th day of May.

For the 5th edition of Sampaguita Festival, Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Sto. Domingo, San Miguel, Concepcion, San Francisco, San Vicente, San Antonio and San Jose Apunan) was declared as the Over-All Champion for 3 consecutive years. The Streetdancing, Float Parade and Free Interpretation were held on May 4, 2016 and the Cong Dadong Awards (Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Awards for Outstanding Lubenians) and the Festival King and Queen were held on May 5, 2016.

The 6th Sampaguita Festival will be held on May 1-5, 2017 with the theme "Lubao, Maslag ka king Bayung Leguan, Gelingan at Kasalpantayanan" featuring the 7 faces of Lubao (Farming, Lubao International Ballon Festival, Fishing, Lubao Bamboo Hub, Holy Cross, Bale Kubu ng Apung Dadong and Matuang Pisamban ning San Agustin)

The 1st ever Philippine International Balloon Festival was held on April 10–13, 2014 in Barangay Prado Siongco, Lubao, Pampanga. It was organized by Pilipinas International Balloon Festival, Inc. (PIBF) in cooperation with the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Pampanga (ACTO) with the theme "It's More Than Just Hot Air"

The 2nd Lubao International Balloon Festival was held on March 26 to 29, 2015 in Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco, Lubao, Pampanga. It was organized by Forthinker Inc. Philippines. It was touted as the biggest annual hot air balloon festival in Southeast Asia that featured more than forty (40) colorful hot air balloons from different countries all over the world, fourteen (14) of which are special shaped balloons like Darth Vader, Yoda, Humpty Dumpty and Frog.

The 3rd edition of Lubao International Balloon Festival was held on April 14–17, 2016 in Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco, Lubao, Pampanga.

April 6 to 9 2017 Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival. For the 4th year in a row, 35 balloons showered the skies of Lubao, Pampanga with their magnificent design and beautiful colors while wonderful music from international artists (Alex Aiono and Redfoo) and local artists (Sponge Cola, Gloc 9, Parokya ni Edgar, Moonstar88, Yeng Constantino and Bamboo) graced the event.

The municipal government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judiciary. The executive branch is composed of the mayor and the barangay captains. The legislative branch is composed of the Sangguniang Bayan (town assembly), Sangguniang Barangay (barangay council), and the Sangguniang Kabataan for the youth sector.

The Lubao Institute is in front of the Diosdado Macapagal Museum and Library which is at the back of his Bahay Kubo birthplace. Some meters from these 2 landmarks is the San Nicolas Lubao residence of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It is the first and oldest private school in Lubao established in 1929.

The Escolastica Romero District Hospital located in San Nicolas 1st, Lubao and St. Joseph Hospital of Remedios located in Brgy. Remedios, Lubao are the prime health institutions of the town.

The parish church of San Agustin (considered one of the oldest in Pampanga - 1572) celebrated its 440th Founding Anniversary last May 5, 2012 with the launching of the 1st Sampaguita Festival; participated by the six parishes of Lubao. And the reception of the relics of St. Augustine & St. Monica. The church was declared by the National Historical Commission as Important Cultural Property last August 28, 2013 (441st Founding Anniversary).

Baybay Ilog (Sagip Ilog) is a project of Department of Tourism and Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In the Baybay Ilog, Bye-bye Basura project, officials and volunteers were gathered at the Banqueruan Port in San Nicolas 1st, Lubao where the kick-off the clean-up drive started. After a brief program, the whole contingent coursed the river, checked the preparation of the communities and conducted the river clean-up. The Lubao-Sasmuan River was one of the ecosystems heavily affected when Mount Pinatubo erupted 20 years ago. And with this project coinciding with the anniversary of the said volcanic eruption and our country's independence day celebration, the people from Lubao and Sasmuan are looking at it as a liberation from the dreaded effects of the said natural disaster which, through tourism, will pave the way for the rise to progress of the said communities. Once again, the river is resuming its role, as a driving factor for the growth of a civilization.

The symbolic river clean-up dubbed as “Baybay-Ilog, Bye-bye Basura”, is the first step in preparing the people in 17 identified Barangays that will benefit from the Pampanga bayou river cruise project spearheaded by the local government units of Sasmuan and Lubao in cooperation with the Provincial government of Pampanga and the second district congressional office of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. River Clean-up held last June 12, 2011. This event mobilized more than 700 volunteers from Sasmuan and Lubao for ground and boat contingents. With the support of the Local Government Units of Sasmuan and Lubao, Community Volunteers and Social Preparation Group of Pampanga Bayou Development Project, this was really an astounding success.

The 700 volunteers camer from 13 coastal barangays boarded participating boats at the Banqueruan banca port at the town of San Nicolas, Lubao to participate in the symbolic river cleanup shortly after the sun rose on an otherwise lazy Sunday morning. Armed with cleaning tools, the residents carefully rid the river of wastes in preparation for the formal launch of the town’s newest tourist attraction – the Pampanga river bayou cruise. Prior to the river cleanup, Christian Narito, project leader of the social preparation phase of the Pampanga Wetlands Development Project, said the identified 17 barangay communities located along the cruise route had earlier been educated about the benefits tourism could bring into the communities. “People within and around the area participated in determining how will they react or be affected by any major development planned within their area of residence. We helped them identify their strengths and how they could contribute to the river cruise project,” Narito said.

Copied from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubao,_Pampanga