Nandaragupan book launching

Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez joins Mayor Benjamin Lim, Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr., Speaker Jose De Venecia, Councilor Michael Fernandez and Ms. Carmen Melecio Prieto, chairperson of the Dagupan City Heritage Commission in launching NanDAraGUPAN, a coffee table book on the City of Dagupan, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In attendance were Leonor Rivera’s great grandchildren, who joined Mayor Lim and Vice Mayor Fernandez in presenting a copy of the Marriage Certificate of Leonor Rivera and British Engineer Charles Henry Kipping to British Ambassador Peter Beckingham. River and Kipping were married at the St. John Cathedral in Dagupan City, shortly after the opening of the Dagupan-Manila railroad. The city officials also presented a copy of a Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution to PNR Director Pepe Siapno, thanking the Philippine National Railways for loaning one of the three original locomotive trains that serviced the Manila-Dagupan railway, the first railroad track north of Manila, whose construction Charles Henry Kipping, as engineer, supervised. The resolution was read by Councilor Michael Fernandez. Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr., Mayor Benjamin Lim and National Artist Salvador Bernal then presented the coffee table books to the National Historical Institute, National Commission on Culture and the Arts, National Museum, Museo Pambata, PNR, Cultural Center of the Philippines, CONCEP, Inc., Speaker Jose De Venecia, Ambassador Beckingham and Former Senator Leticia Shahani. Manny Obediencia, Folkloric Dance Troupe and Barangay Poblacion Oeste assisted by the Dagupan City Rondalla Ensemble entertained the guests. The emcees were Arch. Alex Villaflor and Norma Crisologo Liongoren.