LINGAYEN – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) builders to stick to the original alignment of TPLEX and speed up its completion at the earliest time possible.

This was expressed by the province’s legislative body in a resolution it approved during its regular session on Monday, November 2.

The resolution authored by Board Member Generoso D.Tulagan, Jr. has expressed its sentiment and support to the original alignment of TPLEX which has already received all the necessary approvals and endorsements.

The SP likewise deemed the TPLEX as an important project which would further strengthen the transportation and infrastructure support not only to the people of Pangasinan but also its neighboring areas.

Towards this end, the body said it is the collective sense of the Province of Pangasinan and its people that TPLEX be fast-tracked at the soonest possible time.

The TPLEX is an 88-kilometer expressway currently  under construction north of Manila passing through Tarlac, Pangasinan up to Rosario, La Union.

The SP said it has served as the safe route for motorists going to and from Pangasinan including the rescue staff.

In another resolution, the SP extended its sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Ret. Vice Admiral Virgilio Q. Marcelo of the Philippine Navy.

Authored by BM Ranjit R. Shahani and co-authored by all SP members, the resolution expressed the provincial government’s sympathy by joining the whole province in sending off a good man to eternity.

Marcelo had held high-ranking positions of authority in public and private sectors.

He was Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy after his retirement in 1994, assumed as Undersecretary for Field Operations of DENR, Director of National Power Corporation and Vice President for Community Relations of San Roque Power Corporation.

He has also founded the Narra Multi-Purpose Cooperative which has served as a vehicle to uplift the living conditions of his townmates in San Manuel, Pangasinan.

As the SP pays tribute to the achievements of Marcelo, it lauded his great, if not excellent contributions to the society, and his meritorious accomplishments that made him earn respect and pride.

LINGAYEN – “If there is one sector we would really like to help, these are the Overseas Filipino Workers and their families. We care a lot about you.”

This was stressed by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. during the awarding of start-up assistance to each of the 10 remaining Overseas Filipino Workers Family Associations in the province at the Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO) on October 30 following a financial management seminar conducted by PESO in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The 10 beneficiaries who received P10,000 each from the provincial government are the last batch of the DOLE-registered OFW Family associations of the 44 municipalities and three cities of the province.

The recipients include those from the towns of Agno, Dasol, Mabini, Mangatarem, Bautista, Sison, Villasis, Balungao, San Nicolas and the City of Urdaneta.

PESO Manager Alex Ferrer said the assistance will be used to defray the fees they will incur in the registration of the organizations with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, printing of receipts, printing of identification cards, opening of a bank account and other miscellaneous expenses.

The project primarily aims to assist the OFWs and their families in availing livelihood opportunities so that they will not leave their families anymore to look for jobs in other countries.

The other batch of recipients earlier received their start-up assistance on September 22, 2014, December 15, 2014, February 24, 2015 and the latest on October 30, 2015.

Governor Espino thanked the OFW families for cooperating with the program of the provincial government as he stressed the giving of importance to the sacrifices of the OFWs just to provide the needs of their families.

The governor, who is considered by members as the “Father of the OFW Families” congratulated the association members as he urged everyone to be present during the OFW Family congress which the province plans to hold soon to gather all the association members together and undergo team building.

Meanwhile, the OFW Family associations have expressed their heartfelt thanks to Gov. Espino for the province’s continued support to the plight of the OFWs.

Margelyn Cabreros, president of the Binalonan OFW Family Association thanked the province for taking care of the interest and well-being of the OFWs, their families and their communities especially in addressing the problem of illegal recruitment and human trafficking and giving them the opportunity to avail of livelihood opportunities.

Gov. Espino Awards P3.6M livelihood assistance.  Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. and the beneficiaries of Livelihood Assistance Program of the provincial government flash the number one sign after the distribution of soft loan assistance worth P3.6-million to 23 cooperatives and four micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) groups last October 27 at the Capitol Building in Lingayen.  The governor was assisted by Provincial Population Office (PPO)-OIC Ellsworth Gonzales, PPO Consultant Luzviminda Muego and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Emil Samson. /TQuimson

Lingayen- – -Pangasinan Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO) has been elevated to the much-coveted Hall of Fame after being adjudged as the National Best PESO Award for first class Provincial Category for three consecutive years (2012, 2013, 2014) under the category of 1st class province during the Best PESO Awards Night of the 15th National PESO Congress held on October 28 at the Phil. International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The search, an annual activity organized by the Department of Labor and Employment, aims to recognize the significant contributions and outstanding accomplishments of PESOs in the implementation of DOLE employment facilitation programs.
President Benigno S. Aquino, III was the keynote speaker during the opening of the National PESO Congress on October 26.

Pangasinan PESO chief Alex F. Ferrer said that the award came as a vivid evidence of the provincial government’s hard work and dedication under the leadership of Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. whose main objective is to provide every Pangasinense household secured employment to include livelihood projects as pipeline of empowering the women as well as providing source of income for OFW families.

It can be recalled that from July 2007 to June 2015, Pangasinan PESO was able to place more than 11,000 job applicants both for local-including Pangasinan– and overseas employment.

Aside from job fairs facilitation and special recruitments, the Pangasinan PESO has a wide range of programs and projects which are geared towards uplifting the lives of the people.

Career coaching as well as employment seminars are offered to aid more tertiary and secondary students. This is made possible in coordination with the DOLE.

Labor market information is likewise available to provide clients with information regarding labor market situation in the area.

In addition, the Pangasinan PESO has partnered with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DF) to launch a pro-active migration and development programs.

Through this, the province has earlier facilitated the repatriation of some 20 OFWs from the Middle East.

To minimize if not eradicate the proliferation of illegal recruiters and human traffickers, the Pangasinan PESO endeavored to offer grassroots service through the launching of the innovative and comprehensive activity like Bantay-Barangay, Tulong Hanapbuhay.

With a developed community program, the community service spirit of volunteerism was revitalized.

Another accomplishment attained by the employment office was the conduct of skills training for OFWs dubbed ‘Kabyutihang Pangkabuhayan’ where 40 undocumented workers and returnees have benefitted.

Manpower and enterprise development is another distinct achievement of the province which was made possible via Tulong Hanapbuhay para sa mga Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) and Negokart projects in which the ambulant vendors and recipients of the 4Ps program of the DSWD are the main beneficiaries.

In a media statement, DOLE-Region 1 Director Grace Ursua lauded the Provincial PESO and the Provincial Government of Pangasinan for the latest feat, saying it just placed the whole region in the annals of milestone achievement on employment.

As a whole, PESO Pangasinan was adjudged by the labor department for its efficiency, capability and better quality of work in terms of facilitating employment of jobseekers, serving as a labor market information, providing recruitment schedules, manpower pooling, job referral and placement, and other programs benefitting the people of the province.
(Ruby R. Bernardino)

Lingayen – The National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration in Pangasinan which focused on the significant role of statistics in the implementation of the provincial government’s health care programs and services will culminate on October 30, Friday, with the staging of NSM Provincial Awarding and Closing Ceremony at the Sison Auditorium, here.

Hundreds of stakeholders, including national government agencies (NGAs), non-government sectors (NGOs), private business sectors (PBSs), local government units (LGUs) and schools in the province from elementary to tertiary levels are expected to participate in the culmination activities.

Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. along with Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr. and Board Member Napoleon Fontelera, Jr, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Health will lead the awarding of trophies and cash prizes to winners of various statistical contests and the search for most statistically-developed city and municipal LGUs.

The provincial NSM celebration kicked off last October 5 during the regular flag-raising ceremony of the provincial government held at the Capitol Complex where Provincial Health Officer Anna Ma. Teresa De Guzman, chairperson of this year’s event, bared that the celebration highlights the province’s commitment to level up health programs through the aid of statistics.

This year’s NSM theme is: “Maximize and Use Statistics Towards Expanding Health Care Opportunities” (Pagyamanin at Gamitin and Estadistika, Kalusugan Para saLahat ay Abot-Kamay Na).

Meanwhile, NSM regional culminating activity will be held on October 29, Thursday at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) regional office in San Fernando City, La Union.

The regional activity enjoining provincial governments of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan will highlight the launching of the declaration of civil registration and vital statistics (CVRS) decade, and the presentation of the results of the 2013 functional literacy, education and mass media survey (FLEMMS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Provincial winners of jingle making contest in secondary and tertiary levels will also vie for the regional title on said day before the awarding program of winners in other regional contests and the search for best NSM province for 2015.

/Mark Gerry Naval Oblanca

TIMELY AID FOR TYPHOON ‘LANDO’ VICTIMS.  Former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Congresswoman Leni Robredo (left photo) are joined by Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. and Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr. in handing over relief goods to typhoon victims in Infanta on October 21, two days after typhoon Lando battered the province. On the same day, Governor Espino briefs Liberal Party Presidential bet Mar Roxas (right photo) on the flow of floodwaters from the mountains to the plains that submerged vast tracts of farmlands and inundated low-lying towns in Central Pangasinan. /Bob Sison

After distributing relief goods to typhoon victims in Mangatarem, ruling party presidential bet Mar Roxas (4^th from right) and vice presidential bet Leni Robredo (4^th from left) pose with local officials led by 2^nd District Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (2^nd from right), Mangatarem Mayor Teodoro Cruz (3^rd from right), Provincial Board Member Amado “Pogi” Espino III (3^rd from left) and former 3^rd District Congresswoman Rachel Arenas (2^nd from left).

MANGATAREM, Pangasinan – Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and vice presidential bet Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo visited vote-rich Pangasinan last October 21 to distribute relief goods to victims of typhoon Lando which started to crawl over the province’s area of responsibility.

The tandem visited the typhoon-hit towns of Infanta and Mangatarem after local officials led by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. and Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr. requested for assistance in behalf of their constituents.

The other Pangasinan leaders who joined Roxas and Robredo in the distribution of relief goods were 2^nd Dist. Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, Board Member Amado “Pogi” Espino, III, Mayor Teddy Cruz of this town, Infanta Mayor Percival Mallare and former Congresswoman Rachel Arenas.

Gov. Espino briefed Roxas on the extent of damages wrought by the typhoon through a flow chart of floodwaters from the mountains that submerged several farmlands and inundated low-lying areas of the province.

When asked by the media if the relief operation is part of the campaign, Roxas said: “You can attest that there were no speeches and we went directly to the distribution (of goods). There was no yellow (object), no campaigns, no votes, no pictures. We really came here for the giving of relief goods.”

Candidates for national posts may only conduct campaigns when the campaign period starts on February 9.

Roxas said he is not worried about what his rivals will say about the relief effort.

“The other side is always going to say whatever it is they are going to say, none of which will be complimentary. So why would I think about what they will say? It is clear to me that we are providing help,” the presidential candidate said.

Roxas also denied the allegation of his political rival Vice President Jejomar Binay that government funds are bankrolling his sorties in typhoon-hit areas.

“We did not use government vehicles when we went to Aurora (province). We delivered relief goods from private donors,” he added.

The administration coalition’s standard bearer also defended Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman from accusations that she was campaigning for LP candidates.

“Maybe we should just ignore such nonsense statements. It is clear that the whole government is doing everything to perform its duty. All departments are focused on providing care to the needy especially those affected by Lando,” Roxas said.