Lingayen – The 9th Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) led by its presiding officer, third-termer Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr. vowed support to the new provincial administration led by Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ Espino, III in aid of provincial legislation.

 

Vice Gov. Calimlim, on behalf of the SP members, assured support to Gov. Pogi’s leadership in his inaugural address during the first session of the 9^th SP held at the session hall at the Capitol building, here, on July 11.

 

Gov. Pogi Espino, a former member of the SP being the Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial President, attended the first session of the 9^th SP to show support to his former colleagues and new SP members.

 

As highlight of the 1^st SP session, the internal rules of procedure of the 9^th SP for the period 2016-2019 were approved to jumpstart the provincial board’s transactions during sessions and committee hearings pursuant to the provision of section 50 of the local government code of 1991.

 

Members of the provincial board, who won in the May 9 local elections are: Napoleon Fontelera, Jr. and Antonio Sison (1^st district); Raul Sison and Nestor Reyes (2^nd dist.); Angel Baniqued, Jr. and Generoso Tulagan, Jr. (3^rd dist.); Jeremy Agerico Rosario and Liberato Villegas (4^th dist.); Rosary Chinky Perez-Tababa and Clemente Arboleda, Jr. (5^th dist.) and Salvador Perez, Jr. and Noel Bince (6^th dist).

 

Other SP members are: Sheila Marie Perez-Galicia, Provincial Federation President of Pangasinan Councilors League; and Jeane Jinky Zaplan, Interim Provincial Federation President of Liga ng mga Barangay.

 

Officers of the 19 SP standing committees have also been approved, following the election of officers previously held.

 

Board members elected as committee chairpersons include: Reyes (committee on rules, privileges and ethics); Bince (committee on laws and ordinances); Bince (committee on good government and accountability of public officers, justice and human rights); Baniqued (committee on appropriations, economic affairs and ways and means); Villegas (committee on agriculture and agrarian reform); Salvador Perez (committee on cooperative, small business and entrepreneurship development); Villegas (committee on environment, natural resources and energy); Rosario (committee on education); Perez-Tababa (committee on youth and sports); Zaplan (committee on barangay, rural development, public order and safety); Arboleda (committee on housing and land utilization); Vice Gov. Calimlim (committee on tourism, arts and culture); Reyes (committee on foreign affairs and OFW concerns); Raul Sison (committee on children, women, senior citizens, family affairs and social welfare); Fontelera (committee on infrastructure, public services and utilities); Tulagan (committee on human resources and development, labor and employment concerns); Rosario (committee on health); Perez-Galicia (committee on inter-local government and people’s and non-governmental organizations relations); and Antonio Sison (committee on information and communication technology).