LINGAYEN–Governor Amado Espino Jr.’s dream is to make Pangasinan, the third most populated province in the country with the second largest number of voters, the top-ranked province in economic and social development.

Going into his second year as a second-term governor, Espino will present his strategy to support his goal when he delivers his State of the Province Address (SOPA) on February 7 at the Capitol Plaza in Lingayen.

Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan told newsmen last week that Espino will present his development agenda in greater detail that would make Pangasinan the most progressive province in the country.

“But we recognize that the most important mission to make Pangasinan really number one is to address poverty eradication. We believe that we will never become successful if there are many families in the province languishing in poverty,” Baraan said.

One of the strategic objectives of the governor is to generate more income in terms of taxes and increase employment opportunities by promoting the province as a haven for investors and tourists.

Pangasinan registered the most number of visitors in the region last year.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry cited Pangasinan last year as the most business-friendly province throughout the country.

At the same time, the provincial government has been on a roll winning national and regional awards which serve as a benchmark for exemplary performance.

These awards include citations by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Pangasinan, Baraan said, is hoping to score a grand slam by bagging the 2010 award for the DILG’s search for the best local government unit based on performance in the implementation of national government programs.

Pangasinan was already proclaimed as a hall of fame awardee in the Ilocos Region in coastal resources management and statistics management.

The province is also the region’s number one implementor of projects supporting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with its program on poverty alleviation.

Espino’s administration also initiated the renovation of all 14 provincial government-owned hospitals, which has been cited as a “best local government practice”.

Pangasinan is currently top in terms of universal coverage under the Philippine Health Insurance Program by enrolling the most number of indigent families among all Philippine provinces.

The Citizens’ Charter of Pangasinan, a manual that details procedures for the public when availing of government services, was declared an outstanding publication nationwide and is now being used as a model throughout the country.—LM

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