What's Up Dagupan?

Gilon gilon ed pukok (Bangus harvest in a fishpond in Dagupan City)  During bangus harvest, water in the fishpond is slowly and partially drained by opening the pond gate. This usually happens during low tide. Schools of milkfish are pushed to the harvest net through kalukor (seine fishing) where nets tied to bamboo poles are held by men from end to end as they slowly walk from the far end of the fishpond towards the harvest net. It is important that the schools of milkfish are slowly sent to the harvest net to weaken them in order to avoid injuring them otherwise we would get bloodied and limp bangus. The bangus in the harvest nest is then scooped with the use of a ringed net and transferred to a motorboat filled with crushed ice to ensure that the milkfish remains fresh as they are brought to the fish market.  ...

With the practice of physical distancing expected to be prolonged, Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital (DDVMH) , a leading healthcare provider in the Metro Dagupan area, actively offers contactless payment options , so patients would not have to carry cash, lessening the chances of being infected by or being carriers of the new coronavirus. Patients availing of the hospital’s Villaflor On Demand and Hello Dok services can now pay via GCash and PayMaya. They may download and register on their e-wallet app of choice, then call DDVMH to avail of their needed services. The hospital’s call center agent will then request the needed details and provide the instructions and payment link for an efficient transaction. Villaflor On Demand is the hospital’s mobile medical service offering laboratory extraction services in patients’ homes -- the first in the Metro Dagupan area -- as well as home delivery of medicines . Meanwhile, Hello Dok is an online consult ...

I was invited and whisked away to a 21 hectares serene verdant foliage resort and wellness sanctuary in Brgy. Niñoy, Aguilar, Pangasinan - Hiraya Wellness Resort and Ecopark (formerly Goldkrist). But since it's not yet open to the public, I'll reserve the resort details for another post in the future. Let's talk about their food instead. Inside the resort is its organic farm to table restaurant: Tio Berto's Filipino Grill . It is named after Don Alberto, the patriarch of Hiraya founders. But because of the Covid crisis, health standards precautions and to sustain the employment of the resort staff, they decided to go with pizza, chicken, coolers and desserts sans the full restaurant.  Tio Berto's Pizzeria Premium Pizza Tio Berto's pizza is thick, crispy, and chewy crust made from freshly tossed dough topped with pure mozzarella cheese, high-quality EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), handpicked herbs and tomatoes...

Experts in the Philippines and other countries have been warning us: along with the wave of COVID-19 infections would be a wave of mental illness. There’s no avoiding that: people are anxious, afraid, and many have lost jobs and face an uncertain future. Add to that our collective isolation, loneliness, and dread. Overseas Filipinos (OFs) are particularly vulnerable. Actor Piolo Pascual is among those calling for more support for OFs during the pandemic. He said that overseas Filipinos are already under a great amount of pressure as they face tough emotional, physical, and financial challenges. It’s not surprising then that some of them would have mental health issues. “For decades, our economy benefited from billions of dollars in remittances. At this time, it’s our turn to give back and support OFs now that they are going through both a pandemic and an economic downturn,” said Piolo. OF roles in movies, TVCs  Piolo has played several OF characters in various dramatic films...

Dagupan City scenes and places as painted by Dagupeńo painter Manuel Ticsay circa 1980's: The historic Dagupan church with people coming from the church after a Sunday mass (Manuel Ticsay, 1985) City Hall of Dagupan City (Manuel Ticsay, 1985) A fisherman casting a net in Pantal river (Manuel Ticsay, 1988)

Dagupan Kaleskes is a dish made out of cow or carabao meat and its internal organs in a hot, delicious, orange colored broth. The dish got its name from ' Kaleskes ' which is a Pangasinan word for intestines .  It is the annatto or achuete that gives the soup its distinct orange color and slightly nutty, earthy and delicately sweet flavor. But most of the yummy flavor comes from the beef and innards (some prefer to use carabeef as it is said to be more flavorful and cheaper than beef).  The meat is slow cooked in a big aluminum basin or casserole usually with charcoal in a brazier or kalan de uling/ ulingan (clay stove). This adds a different scent and flavor to the food. The coup de grace for a delectable Dagupan Kaleskes are the free sebo tan dala (fat and blood)! By the way, the broth is unlimited so you can ask for endless refill.   Kaleskes , a Pangasinan dish is similar to the Ilocano’s Sinanglao and Pinapaitan . It however does not ha...

Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital (DDVMH) has launched a new home laboratory extraction service -- the first in the Metro Dagupan area. The hospital's newest offering as Pangasinan eases through the new normal . Patients are now able to have laboratory extraction services done in the comfort of their homes given the risk of infection from COVID-19 and by the limited mobility due to the community quarantine. Thanks to DDVMH's Villaflor On Demand ’ s lab extraction services! Laboratory extraction services include blood extraction, urine analysis, and fecal analysis. All services will be facilitated by a phlebotomist or medical technologists for proper handling and quality results. Why the need for Villafor On Demand ? DDVMH’s new offering aims to ease the fears of Metro Dagupan residents, especially senior citizens (Seniors are among those most vulnerable to the disease because of their weakened immune system), over leaving their homes and eventua...