Lingayen – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), in its first regular session held in the session hall at the Capitol building, here, on July 11 has confirmed the re-appointment of two co-terminus Provincial Government Department Heads (PGHDs).

 

Atty. Geraldine U. Baniqued was reinstated as Provincial Legal Officer (PLO) while Orpheus M. Velasco was re-appointed as Provincial Information Officer (PIO).

 

The two chiefs of offices were earlier reappointed by the provincial chief executive with the concurrence of the majority of all members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, as stipulated in section 463, par. (d) of Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the local government code of 1991.

 

Witnessing the confirmation of appointments were several PGDHs of the provincial government.

 

           “The SP finds the appointment meritorious after careful examination, scrutiny and review of the qualifications, records and experiences of the recommendees,” SP resolutions no. 9 and 10 – 2016 reads.

 

Atty. Baniqued, who started as PLO in 1998, expressed gratitude for the trust and confidence on her by the provincial governor, stressing that as the chief of the legal office, she shall continue to handle cases on dismissal of erring employees to “inspire all employees of the provincial government to do better their duties and fulfill the tasks assigned to them.”

 

She bared that the highlight of her accomplishments as legal office chief includes all revenue cases of the province have been successfully handled in cognizance with the efforts of the provincial treasury office to boost further revenue collection.

 

Velasco, on the other hand, was appointed PIO in 2008 during the first term of former Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr.

 

Velasco reported to the august body that he maximizes social media as a tool for a wide-ranging dissemination of information on the programs and projects of the provincial government, and the national concerns which include weather updates.

 

As of date, the official facebook fanpage of the province, which is linked to the official website of the provincial government has already reached 253, 282 likes, the highest among all facebook fanpage maintained by local government units in the whole country.

 

The wide lineage of the facebook fanpage of the province is attested by the social media tracker of the University of the Philippines – Diliman, the PIO chief said.