Cultural rebirth highlights Pangasinan day
Pangasinan’s founding anniversary last April 5 was about enriching the province’s heritage and cultural history.
Governor Amado Espino, Jr. said that Pangasinenses have become more conscious of their roots because of the arts and cultural preservation projects introduced by the present administration.
Governor Amado Espino, Jr. said that Pangasinenses have become more conscious of their roots because of the arts and cultural preservation projects introduced by the present administration.
One of these projects is the “Kurit Panlunggaring” (literary contest) which attracted many Pangasinense writers to create literary works such as essays, poems and short stories written using the native language. Ma. Luisa Elduayan, chief of the Tourism Operations Division, said the event intends to develop Pangasinan language and for Pangasinenses to appreciate their mother tongue in the written form.
The contest is in line with present administration’s advocacy to teach every Pangasinense the Pangasinan language and to let those in the Ilocano-speaking areas in the province learn how to speak the language. Winners in the 3rd “Kurit Panlunggaring” were awarded during the commemorative program of the “Agew na Pangasinan” held at the Capitol Plaza in Lingayen town.
Alex Romeo Fernandez, former information writer of PIA-Pangasinan, was a multi-awarded winner in the literary contest. He won first place in poetry writing and short story writing categories under adult category and bagged the second prize in the children’s story writing category.
During the commemorative program, the provincial government also presented Pangasinan’s history through an audio-visual presentation which depicted important eras from the pre-historic up to the Golden Age of Pangasinan where remarkable transformation took place and still occurs. After the program, a float parade and street dancing dubbed “Parada na Dayew” (Parade of Praise) featured the unique culture, history, best products, festival and development of the cities and municipalities of the province.
The town of Mangaldan garnered the top award in the float-design competition. Its float-design was inspired by the town’s leading carabao meat industry called “pindang.” The Mangaldan float bested more than 30 floats which won for the local government unit a cash of P100, 000 for winning the grand prize. To cap the event, seven outstanding Pangasinenses were honored in the ASNA Awards Night at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen town.
Honorees this year are: Ronald Costales (Organic Agriculture Development); J. Prospero de Vera III (Education); Gonzalo Duque (Public Service – Promotion of History, Culture and the Arts); Marrietta Primicias-Goco (Community Development); Pocholo Mallilin (Performing Arts); and Cesar Quiambao (Business); and Antonio Villar (Public Service).
“We acknowledge men and women of substance and character who are guided by various ideals of self-giving and service,” Espino said, as he thanked the fifth set of ASNA awardees “for giving Pangasinan works of excellence and for making us all a proud Pangasinense.”
“Asna” is an old form of the Pangasinan word asin (salt) that describes the good quality of a man’s character or his demeanor. The ASNA awardees are likened to an invaluable grain of salt connoting selfless and committed service to their fellow Pangasinenses. Aside from the impressive line-up of this year’s ASNA awardees, special recognitions were also given to Sixth District Board Member Alfonso Bince, Jr. and Mario Panoringan.
Bince, the longest-serving Provincial Board Member had passed various monumental resolutions in his 30 long years of service as provincial legislator while Panoringan was cited in civic leadership. (Source: MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan) FOCUS
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