The 2006 Pamulinawen Festival was not a grand fiesta celebration but Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Fariñas said it was successful nonetheless. In declaring the fiesta celebration as successful, Fariñas extended his gratitude to all that took part in the festivities with special mention of the guests of honor, the balikbayan groups, foreign and domestic tourists, and the organizers of the different events that made the 10th edition of the Pamulinawen Festival very exciting and colorful. The mayor also enumerated the gains of the city government as a result of the pledges of assistance made by several guests, including the promise of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Usec. Manuel Bonoan who assured the initial release of P5 million for the Gabu dike rehabilitation project; Sens. Francis Pangilinan and Edgardo Angara’s promises to construct school buildings in the city and the concreting of several streets in the city’s poblacion area, respectively. Department of Agriculture (DA) Usec. Edgar Salacup also pledged to release the budget for the purchase of patrol boats to be detailed at the Gabu, La Paz and Caaoacan shorelines to monitor possible illegal fishing. Fariñas also mentioned the promise of Rep. Mikey Arroyo to donate thoroughbred horses to improve horse breeding quality in the city. This comes on top of the earlier projects of the city government of acquiring quality breeds of hogs and goats for the city’s breeding program. The mayor also thanked the balikbayan groups not only for gracing the fiesta celebration but also for their respective donations to the city government which would be used in programs benefiting the city’s underprivileged residents. Among the donations made by the balikbayan groups include the two boxes of linens for the Laoag City General Hospital and a box of assorted medicines for the Rang-ay Ti Barangay program by the Kalayaan Association of Hawaii; the cash donations of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii—US$500 from the group, US$500 from Mrs. Hawaii Filipina Reyna Rahman, and US$50 from Ms Hawaii Filipina Rutchell; and the US$2,000 donation of the United Laoagueños of Hawaii. According to Fariñas, the cash donations will go to the scholarship program of the city government for poor but deserving students as he also stressed that the cash donations were duly received with official receipts and the list of beneficiaries of the scholarship will also be provided a copy to the balikbayan group who made the donation. But baratillo, carnival operators claim they suffered financial losses As much as Fariñas has declared the success of the fiesta celebrations, the operators of carnival and baratillo under the Gilbert Bridge expressed their disappointment as they claimed they suffered financial losses due to poor sales during the duration of the celebration. Hipolito Ventura, operator of the carnival, said he had already spent P1.3 million just to be given the rights to operate the carnival as a result of the bidding conducted by the city government and although he may have recoup this in his operation, the levying of an amusement tax—which has not been assessed as of press time—on his operation may hamper his financial situation. Though accepting that the amusement tax has been mandated by the law, he cited the high expenses he incurred in inviting carnival groups from as far as Bicol and Manila. Ventura disclosed that last year, he only paid P1,050,000 to be given the rights to operate the carnival and he was not assessed an amusement tax. He added that in his 45 years in this kind of business, this may the first time that he would take a financial hit. As a result, Ventura, along with Marcelo Barcebal, the baratillo operator, plan to meet with the mayor to ask for reconsideration in the cost of acquiring the right to operate their respective businesses. Barcebal also confirmed their “bankruptcy” after they also suffered from poor sales as he pointed out that people prefer to shop at the baratillo located at the Heroes Hall since it has a better surroundings. Reacting to this, Fariñas said the operators should have been prepared to face the risks their kind of businesses may encounter as he added that he is in no position or authority to honor their request and he expressed doubts in whether the city council would listen to the pleas since the bidding conducted for the right to operate the carnival and baratillo were legal and fair. Fariñas also divulged that he has learned that this is again the predicament the two operators were complaining about last year and he was surprised that the two again joined the bidding for this year’s fiesta even if they had stated that they were not making money in their operations. “If they will join the bidding again next year, then it means they are not telling the truth,” Fariñas said. Dominic B. dela Cruz
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