Watching Pangasinan bloom

By Beatrice Marie Basi  

“Our destiny as a province and our future as a people depend not upon one single person, much less the governor, even with all the powers in his hands.” — Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. 

I HAVE lived near Pangasinan’s Capitol all my life. I remember when I was little, my parents would always take me there and go swimming in the Lingayen beach. My cousins and me would fly our kites and play badminton or volleyball at the Capitol grounds. During my high school days, my friends and I would practice our school plays or dance steps, or if our dismissal time was early, we would just hang out there and exchange stories while sitting on the grass. Now that I am in college living away from home on weekdays, every time I spend my weekends here in Pangasinan, I make sure that I find time to stroll or ride my bike around the Capitol.

And growing up, I have seen the changes that the provincial Capitol has undergone. Today, I could say that the Capitol is at its finest state. All the buildings are neatly painted. There is no garbage strewn around the premises. There are also security guards who keep watch to make sure that the people who visit the place are safe. The Capitol building is very beautiful. Plus, everyone is allowed to enter it and go all the way to the rooftop. The Veteran’s Park has also improved. The wartime airplane and tanks have been restored for display. And my personal favourite: the speakers, designed (or disguised) as rocks, from which music pipes out all day.

The changes at the Capitol reflect the developments in our province itself – changes that characterize what the provincial government touts as the “Golden Age of Pangasinan”.

Last February 13, Gov. Espino delivered his fifth State of the Province Address (SOPA). In his report, he specified all the achievements under his administration.

One of the things he stressed was that “good governance leads to good health, and good governance is good health.” With this, 14 provincial hospitals that were poorly managed in the past now have facilities that are capable of providing quality health care. Guv acknowledged that the changes were achieved through the financial support of partner agencies like the Department of Health, USAID, and the European Commission.

Moreover, the Governor also stated in his SOPA that Pangasinan maintained its position as the biggest rice producer in Region I, contributing at least 60% of the regional production. Next to Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan is the second biggest rice producer in the country. Agricultural stations in the province are now very functional and clean.

Looking forward, Pangasinan is now on its way to opening more doors for the global market with the ongoing construction of the Sual seaport and the Alaminos City airport. These projects will definitely boost not just trading activities but the province’s tourism sector as well.

Clearly, “genuine progress and transformation” is what the governor is aiming for – the vision of “Making Pangasinan the best place to raise a family, work, live, and invest”.

The transformation does not only involve physical improvements but also the re-awakening of Pangasinenses’ love for their province and deeper cultural appreciation.

I hope that this “change” would continue. Let’s all hope that many, many more developments would be pursued.

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