BY LEONARDO V. MICUA
A rain check from above
After days of relentless heat in Dagupan City, a light rain finally fell on the evenings of April 28 and 29—just enough to cool the ground and bring relief to a city simmering under the summer sun.
Then came April 30.
As if on cue, the skies cleared and held back what could have been a downpour, allowing the much-anticipated Bangusan Street Party—more popularly known as “Kalutan ed Dalan”—to proceed without interruption.
For the first time in three years, not a single drop of rain fell during the celebration. It was a welcome break from recent memory.
In 2024, even distinguished guests from various embassies in Manila, led by Papal Nuncio Charles Brown, had to be handed souvenir umbrellas to shield themselves from sudden showers.
A year later, in 2025, rain again made its presence felt—this time during media interviews with then-presumptive senator Camille Villar, one of the event’s special guests, shortly after a dinner reception inside a tent.
This year was different.
An estimated one million revelers flocked to the Jose de Venecia Expressway Extension, filling the long stretch of road with music, laughter, and the unmistakable aroma of grilled bangus. Had the rain fallen that night, it could have easily dampened not just the streets but the spirit of one of Dagupan’s grandest traditions.
But it didn’t.
Many would say it was simply good timing. Others would see something more.
Mayor Belen Fernandez had earlier expressed hope that the skies would cooperate—and indeed, they did. Whether by chance or by faith, the rain stayed away, and the celebration went on uninterrupted.
In moments like this, people are reminded of what many call Divine Providence—a quiet alignment of circumstance that allows joy to unfold just when it matters most.
And on that night of April 30, Dagupan was spared, and the people celebrated under clear skies—grateful, relieved, and perhaps a little more believing.
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My good friend Roman “Gypsy” Baldovino could not hide his frustration when the respondent in the cyberlibel and illegal vexation complaints he filed failed to appear at the scheduled hearing last April 29 before the Prosecutor’s Office in Cabanatuan City.
Gypsy, accompanied by his lawyer and witnesses, arrived at 2:03 p.m.—well within the 2:00 p.m. call time set by the prosecutor. They waited patiently until 2:30 p.m., but respondent Jaime Aquino of Mapandan, Pangasinan remained a no-show. With no appearance from Aquino, the prosecutor had no choice but to reset the hearing to May 6.
The absence did not sit well with Gypsy. Taking to social media, he publicly challenged Aquino to muster the courage and face the complaints filed against him.
At the center of the complaints is a vlog allegedly posted by Aquino, which Gypsy described as malicious. In it, the publicist—who also serves as a consultant to Pangasinan 2nd District Representative Manay Gina de Venecia—was accused of being “incompetent” and belittled as someone who was once merely a vendor of banana and camote cues before entering the media profession.
For Gypsy, the issue goes beyond personal affront. Born and raised in Caranglan, Nueva Ecija, he had to file the complaints in his home province, thereby requiring the respondent and his counsel to travel a considerable distance to submit a counter-affidavit.
This situation underscores a crucial lesson for vloggers, bloggers, and even traditional journalists: words carry weight, and the reach of digital platforms comes with responsibility.