Lingayen – The Province of Pangasinan turned over to the Sta. Barbara municipal government and beneficiary-residents sets of equipment that will propel the town’s bid to modernize business permit and license processing and rural farming last August 3 at the town’s new municipal hall.

 

Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III led the ceremonial turnover of the agricultural equipment and computer hardware and software to Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan.

 

He said that this initiative is his way of continuing the commitment of his father Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr. to support countryside development, urging recipients to take with utmost care the use of the said equipment so it could benefit more townspeople and farmers.

 

Zaplan, in turn, thanked the provincial government for granting these aids that will mobilize the town’s agricultural and economic growth.

 

Both set of equipment were procured by the provincial government through the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) program of the national government, allowing local government units to devise proposals and submit to the provincial government and national agencies for processing and funding.

 

Raymundo Quinto, president of the town’s Bureau of Agricultural Research Community-based Participatory Action Research, received the farming equipment composed of a combine harvester, mini-tractor and 10 water pumps on behalf of the organization.

 

Quinto said that their organization had already scheduled turns for use of the machines and pumps among members in Barangays Leet and Maticmatic in the municipality though non-members could also avail the service.

 

A total of 13 desktop/laptop computers plus their peripheries and an Electronic Business Processing Permit & Licensing System software were given to the municipality to jumpstart its One-Stop Business Center, courtesy of the Department of Trade and Industry.

 

Witnessing the turnover were:  DTI-Pangasinan director Peter Mangabat, Department of Agriculture-BUB focal point officer Marlene Manipon, Provincial Planning and Development Officer Benita Pizarro, Provincial Accountant Arturo Soriano and Provincial Information Officer Orpheus Velasco.