LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Pangasinan Governor Amado I. Espino III has bared the multiple accomplishments of the province, most notably in good governance and the fight against drugs, in his State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the capitol complex here on Monday.
In his speech, he stressed the provincial government’s unrelenting support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against drugs.
Espino said that as of June 2018, 28 towns and cities in the province have been declared drug-cleared, with Santo Tomas being unaffected since the beginning.
“As of June 26, 2018, with reports from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, our beloved Pangasinan is the leading province in Region 1 with regards to drug clearing operations. Out of Pangasinan’s 1,364 barangays, 71.99 percent or 1,271 barangays have been cleared,” he said.
Much of the province’s effort in the fight against illegal drugs was attributed to the opening of the Pangasinan Reformation Center (PRC) in Barangay San Vicente Burgos, according to the governor.
The PHP12.9-million multi-purpose facility has been home to numerous drug reformists, persons with disabilities and out-of-school youths conducting their training and personality development programs in the past months, he said.
The governor also bragged about the province’s resilience and preparedness to disaster, with the Pangasinan Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office being the first Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) accredited by the Philippine Coast Guard.
“Around 4,000 students in the entire province were also trained in survival skills, first aid, and basic life support training,” he said.
On infrastructure, Espino proudly said that the provincial roads – with a total of 727.72 kilometers – have been repaired, either with concrete or asphalt.
“From January 2017 to March 2018, 210 kilometers of provincial road have been restored, with PHP155 million in expenses,” Espino said.
In cooperation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the maintenance of 9.97 kilometer of roads worth PHP167 million will be completed soon, he added.
Espino attributed much of the province’s accomplishments to “good governance”, as several offices were awarded with numerous International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Certifications since 2014.
“Aside from the ISO Certifications we have received, I am also proud to say that our province has received three consecutive Seal of Good Local Governance awards from the DILG,” he added.
The province is also preparing its support facilities to improve its culture and tourism industry.
“The year 2017 has given us more opportunities in our tourism with 9.31 million visitors, much higher than 2016’s 8.78 million tourists,” he said.
The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag, Provincial Capitol and Alaminos City Hundred Islands are among the province’s leading tourist destinations.
Espino further said that in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the provincial government’s Center for Pangasinan Studies started its cultural mapping project in Calasiao and Lingayen towns, and an International Conference on Pangasinan Studies will be conducted in October 2018.
He also talked about the improved hospital facilities and million pesos worth of new medical equipment in the province.
He added that seven provincial government-run hospitals are currently undergoing rehabilitation, to be followed by the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital and Western Pangasinan District Hospital.
The upgrading is mainly sponsored by the Department of Health Facility Enhancement Program (DOH-HFEP), he said.
The governor also cited the accomplishments of his administration in terms of agriculture, wherein he said that since 2017, 3.6 million tilapia fingerlings from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were released in the province’s river systems.
Moreover, the Provincial Government turned over 25,000 catfish (hito) fingerlings to fishpond owners, he said.
Eight Communal Irrigation Systems, which would benefit 700 hectares of agriculture land, have been repaired and revamped, while several agriculture equipment and seedlings were also distributed to farmers for better crop yield, Espino added.
“Ang pamahalaang panlalawigan ay lalong magsisikap na maihatid ang mga pangunahin at dekalidad na serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan lalo na sa mga nasa malalayong barangay. Hangad natin na ang paglilingkod at serbisyo ng kapitolyo ay maipaabot, mailapit, at maramdaman sa lahat ng sulok ng ating lalawigan (The provincial government is striving harder in order to deliver basic and quality service to our fellow Pangasinenses, especially those in far-flung barangays. We aim for the services of the provincial government to reach and be felt in all corners of our province),” the governor said. (Ahikam Pasion/PNA)
