Officials look back on 2013
LINGAYEN—Fresh from a visit in typhoon-ravaged Leyte province, Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr. said one reason to celebrate the year 2013 is that Pangasinan was spared from any major calamity.
Calimlim, also the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said 2013 could also be considered a “fruitful” year and that the greatest accomplishment of the province is the leaders’ united front.
“It’s the people’s loss if there is always misunderstanding or political fight among its leaders,” said Calimlim who is serving his second term in office after winning his re-election bid in the May polls.
The vice governor also brushed aside criticisms that the provincial board has become a mere rubber stamp of Gov. Amado Espino Jr.
“Never did we in the provincial board become a rubber stamp or simply ‘yes men’ of the governor because we also had disagreements and hurt feelings but at the end of the day, we still put the people’s welfare above our personal gains,” he said.
The same sentiment was expressed by the longest serving board member of Pangasinan, 6th District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr.
“When an executive is performing well, I think it becomes also the duty of his partner, the legislative branch, to extend support for him,” said Bince who has been in the board over the last three decades.
“Everything that he (Espino) desires from us, he consults with us first,” he added.
Bince noted that the Espino administration performed well in 2013, citing the various regional and national awards won by the province.
Board Member Ranjit Ramos Shahani, on the other hand, was not too enthusiastic in his evaluation of the SP’s 2013 performance.
Shahani described it as: for first and second quarters, “too late the hero and for third and fourth quarters, speak out please.”
POLICE CHIEF
It was also in 2013 that for the first time, the provincial board passed a resolution declaring the provincial police director, Senior Supt. Marlou Chan, as persona non grata.
Chan, on the other hand, proved his worth as he steered his team at the Pangasinan Police Office and reaping awards from the Philippine National Police regional office.
The Pangasinan police was cited for achievements against loose firearms, criminality, and warrants of arrests issued, among others, in relation to the May 2013 election period.
Chan has been reassigned and vacated his post in Pangasinan last Dec. 17.
ELECTION
The May election was considered peaceful in terms of minimal violence but heavy politicking proved to be the name of the game in Pangasinan.
Espino, who was running for a third and final term against then Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Barganza who was the ruling party’s bet, found himself facing charges for allegedly being one of the masterminds in in the gunslaying of Infanta Mayor Ruperto Martinez.
Espino won by a margin of more than 500,000 votes over Braganza.
The supposed witness against Espino has recently recanted his statement.
In his Christmas message during the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Capitol, Espino said while many challenges were hurled against him during the year, it is time to forgive.
“Let us forgive those who have wronged us, those who have bad and evil motives and those whose happiness is by giving headaches toward other people,” Espino said.
AWARDS
Under Espino’s leadership, Pangasinan has bagged 13 national awards ranging from outstanding performances in rice and corn production, fishery conservation, employment generation, accuracy of financial reports, micro-financing, best practices against squatter syndicates and tourism promotion.
The provincial government received the TOFARM 2012 (The Outstanding Farmers of the Philippines) national award from the Junior Chamber Philippines, Inc. and the Universal Harvester Inc. in recognition of the ‘Ilog Ko, Bilayen Tan Aroen Ko,” project last January.
Other awards in agriculture granted by the Department of Agriculture include: Rice Achiever’s Award on March 15 during the 2nd Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers award at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasig City; “Gawad Pagkilala award for fishery conservation” given by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources during the Gabi ng Parangal sa mga Kabalikat sa Pangisdaan held in Quezon City on Oct.18; and the 2013 National Quality Corn Achievers on Oct. during the 9th Philippine National Corn Congress in Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City.
The aggressive manpower development schemes of the present administration was chosen by the Department of Labor and Employment as the 2012 National Best Public Employment Services Office – 1st class provincial category on Sept. 23.
The province also bagged the Most Outstanding Local Government Unit award in support to the Credit Surety Fund from the Central Bank of the Philippines or Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in July while Pangasinan Provincial Hospital’s Dialysis Training Center was named the country’s 3rd best in Nephrology Nursing in January.
For fiscal management, Pangasinan’s Provincial Accountant Arturo Soriano received the Outstanding Accounting Office award from the Commission on Audit (COA) on Oct.14 in Bacolod City.
The Provincial Accounting Office (PACo) also received a certificate of recognition in the search for government offices with innovations and best practices in internal auditing awarded by the Association of Government Accountants of the Philippines (AGAP), Inc. on October 9 in Aklan.
Another national award was received by the Provincial Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council as Best Practices Against Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicates given by the National Housing Authority (NHA) on Oct. 25 during the Housing Fair celebration at Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
Tourism development in Pangasinan was also recognized in the country as three runners-up places in “The Pearl Awards” was received by the Provincial Tourism Operations Division (PTOD) last Oct.4 at the Oriental Hotel in Legazpi City, Albay.
These included two Best Tourism Events in the arts and culture category provincial level (Balitok a Tawir) 1st runner up and (Agew na Pangasinan) 2nd runner-up; and 2nd runner-up in Best Tourism Practices (Provincial Tourism Month Celebration).–Eva Visperas
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