The Pangasinan Star ONLINE

By Sunshine D. Robles

THE book launch of Nandaragupan: The Story of a Coastal City and Dagupan Bangus at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last Thursday turned out a resounding success.

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim led city officials in thanking dignitaries and guests at the event for being “one with our aim and desire in establishing Dagupan City as a progressive, peaceful and orderly city.”

Lim said the Nandaragupan book is a comprehensive description of the city designed to make Dagupeños and those with kinship to the city, especially Dagupeños now based abroad, acquire a vivid information and picture of Dagupan.

“Many Dagupeños living in foreign lands are able to say they are from Dagupan, but they have difficulties in actually describing their home, their city,” the mayor said.

Lim said that Nandaragupan doesn’t only show the history and culture of the city, but also the problems it surmounted particularly the devastating July 16, 1990 earthquake.

He credited the renaissance of the city to the enthusiastic Dagupeños under the leadership of then Mayor Liberato Reyna Sr. and Vice Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr.

Speaker Jose de Venecia, for his part, honored not only the writers and photographers of the Nandaragupan book, but also the rich history, culture and legends found in the book.

“We will endorse the book to our friends in California, East Coast, Midwest and London where we will try to sell at least 5,000 to 10,000 copies of the book,” de Venecia said even as he sought the provision of a global airline ticket for Carmen Prieto, author and editor of the book, “so that she can start marketing the book all over the Philippines.”

Preito said that only a simple book signing in a bookstore was initially planned to launch the book, but with the help of some people, the CCP big affair happened.

Another highlight of the book launch is the presentation of a resolution by the Sangguniang Panlungsod to Philippine National Railways (PNR) Director Felipe Siapno.

Earlier, PNR formally turned-over the temporary custody of the vintage Manila to Dagupan locomotive to the city government to form part of its museum pieces.

Lim also presented an enlarged marriage certificate of Leonor Rivera and Engr. Henry Kipping, an English national and first railroad supervisor, to British Ambassador Peter Beckingham and descendants of Rivera and Kipping.

The Barangay Poblacion Oeste dancers, two-time champion of the Gilon!Gilon! street dancing contest in the city, and a photo exhibit on the contents of the book greeted the guests at the launching.

Dagupan-based restaurants Bangus Fiesta, Café du Marc, Jam Sweet Jam, Dagupeña and Plato Wraps served samplings of their specialties which highlighted the 101 Ways to Cook Bangus.