CARSON, Califorinia — Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. lamented what he described as Pangasinan’s  dismal development betraying its old premier status in his addresses before Pangasinenses during his visit here recently.

Addressing twice a large group of Pangasinenses in Lakewood and Carson in Los Angeles country, Espino deplored that tourists would rather go to Boracay, Bohol and other pats of the country rather than luxuriate in the beautiful Hundred Islands and supposedly other undeveloped tourism come-ons in Pangasinan.

He spoke before the associations of Binmaley and Lingayen in Los Angeles  and  San Francisco, San Diego and Las Vegas. He was accompanied by Mayor Jonas Castañeda of Lingayen and Mayor Sam Rosario of Binmaley.

The former PNP colonel cited the economic progress of Ilocos Norte which boasts of an international airport which has been attracting  tourists.

“It’s pathetic,” he lamented, but he revealed plans for the construction of a domestic airport in Barangay Alos in an 86 hectare-spread in Alaminos City.

“The Lingayen Airport which we need to refurbish is only for investors while the future Alaminos International Airport is designed to promote eco-tourism,”   he said.

The congressman-turned governor, however, was upbeat about Manaoag town   with its frequently visited religious shrine, describing it “the pilgrims capital of the North” and springboard for tourists going to Baguio City.

He also pitched in for the Lingayen-Binmaley-Dagupan City triangle for eco-tourism development citing its fine beaches and fishing wealth.

“Pangasinan used to be the breadbasket and rice granary of Luzon if not entire Philippines,” he said, adding “now, we cannot even produce hybrid rice, which is developed in the Visayas.”

Governor Espino was introduced by Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA President Ads Diaz in both occasions attended by Fil-Am Carson City Councilman Lito M. Santarina.

“We must sell Pangasinan first to fellow Pangasinenses in this great country, encourage them to patronize buy its native products, and if possible invest in their own homeland.”

He lashed at the 650- million peso loan by the previous administration for which he said “We are paying P13.7 million a month.”

He also decried that “we don’t even have a food terminal, deep-sea fishing, and yet have 184 kilometers of fine beaches.” He said that as he assumed his seat at the Capitol, the province has sent 1,500 welders and 300 engineers to Hanjin, a shipbuilder based in Subic Bay.

He paid tribute to Pangasinenses abroad for their dollar remittances which have sent our youth to college but deplored that “a large segment of our population live below poverty line and 30 percent don’t even have potable water and sanitary toilet.”

Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA sponsored six college-bound students last June who come from indigent families in various Pangasinan towns but academically endowed  to a four-year college course.

In the open forum presided over by Bing Dela Vega of   San Carlos City , former president of PB-USA, the governor  said  two major road networks -the  Clark to  Subic and Tarlac  to Mangatarem, and the other, Mabalacat to Sison , Pangasinan – are on the drawing board and will surely boost eco-tourism in the province.

The neophyte governor led a Task Force in capturing Kumander Dante, CPP-NDP Chief   Satur  Ocampo and renegade  priest Fr. Ed Dela Torre when he was a Philippine Constabulary officer Dan Nino.