Two Pangasinan towns placed under red tide alert

Art Dumlao — April 12, 2025

Two Pangasinan towns placed under red tide alert

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 1 cautioned villagers along the coastal waters Bolinao and Anda against red tide toxins or saxitoxin.


BFAR Region 1 Director Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan officially informing Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III said that as of April 10, 2025, the latest laboratory analysis from the shellfish meat samples collected from the sea waters of Bolinao and Anda were found to be positive of red tide toxins.


Gaerlan requested the help of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan in the intensive dissemination to keep the public informed on the situation, prompting the Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) issuance of a red tide alert informing the people of the saxitoxin-affected waters of the two towns.


BFAR further strongly advised people to refrain from gathering, selling and eating all types of fishes and acetes sibugae or "alamang" or hipon from the coastal waters of Bolinao and Anda. It stressed that this is a precautionary measure to safeguard lives while waiting for the issuance of a national shellfish bulletin or advisory.


BFAR though said that fish, crabs and shrimps are safe to eat provided that they are fresh, all their entrails are removed and washed thoroughly before cooking.


Gaerlan also advised concerned local government units to require their market inspectors, quarantine officers and administrators to demand from the traders necessary papers and documents issued by the BFAR for all fish and fishery products including seashells. This, to ensure, it reiterated, that that they did not come from the areas affected by Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).

Cagayan lawmaker, family face plunder over P10-B alleged DPWH contract haul

By Artemio A. Dumlao • October 19, 2026
Billions of pesos in public infrastructure contracts os central in the plunder probe against Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lasam Lara and his family, with investigators examining alleged financial ties to construction firms doing business with the government.

Ombudsman dismisses Urdaneta mayor, vice mayor, 6 councilors

By Artemio A. Dumlao • October 16, 2026
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Mayor Julio Fernandez Parayno III, Vice Mayor Jimmy Dereje Parayno, and six city councilors over consolidated administrative complaints involving their alleged defiance of a presidential suspension order.

Cordillera autonomy bill still fails to draw support from original self-rule campaigners

By Artemio A. Dumlao • October 16, 2026
A proposed law creating the Cordillera Autonomous Region drew calls for rejection this Tuesday, with ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) chair Windel Bolinget warning it could undermine Indigenous self-determination and local control over natural resources.