One of the biggest of the country's 81 provinces, Pangasinan has vast tracts of agricultural land. For so many years it had been known as the food basket not only of the region, but the whole of Luzon.

It has one of the longest coastlines in the country. Its sea and inland water bodies are rich with marine life. It is a land of great natural wonders, with a diverse array of geographic attractions: gorgeous, white sandy beaches, verdant hills and scenic terrains, caves and waterfalls.

Pangasinan is also teeming with man-made attractions, like miraculous and pilgrimage centers, historical churches, shopping malls and many more.

LAND OF MANY GREAT LEADERS

Pangasinan also takes pride in its highly literate populace, hard-working people, creative, genteel and possessed with splendid leadership qualities.

Pangasinan, in fact, has produced two presidents: former President Fidel V. Ramos, and the incumbent President, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose mother hailed from Binalonan town, two Speakers of the House of Representatives, the late Eugenio Perez, and now the longest reigning Speaker in Philippine history, House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.

It has produced many other illustrious sons and daughters -- in the legislature, judiciary, Cabinet, police and military, arts, business and civic leadership.

When I took over as Governor on July 1, 2007, I started to discover enormous problems that have to be swiftly addressed.

We came upon 3,063 provincial government workers, 1,097 or one-third of whom were casual and contractual employes. The bloated workforce whose salaries had used up 58.6 percent of the annual budget, was way above the 45 percent ceiling on personal services set by the Local Government Code. A violation of the law, it has eaten up funds that otherwise could have been used for beneficial programs and projects.

We inherited a P650 million loan secured by the past administration and we have no option but to pay over P13 million in monthly amortizations and interests until the year 2011.

There were irregularities in financial and fiscal management of provincial funds, such as: Late submission of monthly trial balances; Non-submission of monthly Bank Reconciliation Statements (BRS); Non-payment of monthly amortization of the loan under the "One Town, One Product" programs under the Office of the President; Over-remittance of taxes from the BIR and others.

Various departments did not function according to given responsibilities. Field offices were dilapidated and unkempt, almost non-functional. Facilities were not properly maintained.

DETERIORATING PEACE & ORDER/HEALTH

Outside the Capitol, Pangasinan has been saddled by unsolved high-profile killings, like the assassination of the mayor of San Carlos City, Jolly Resuello; frequent cattle-rustling cases; proliferation of illegal drugs, illegal gambling and growing threats of insurgency.

The people of Pangasinan are exposed to health hazards, many are not enjoying basic health services like sanitary toilets (40%) and potable water (30%). There were no comprehensive programs on preventive health care like anti-dengue, anti-cholera and anti-rabbies. Many households had no health insurance or Philhealth cards. Public hospitals were poorly maintained, equipped with antiquated gadgets and facilities, yet imposed high cost of medicine and treatment. In fact, Pangasinan has the lowest percentage with access to health facilities in Region 1.

The most recent census reveals that Pangasinan has the highest population growth rate in the whole of Region 1.

DEFICIENT EDUCATION/YOUTH PROGRAMS

Our public schools lack basic facilities and needs like chairs, tables and teaching aids. Students are packed in small rooms with not enough ventilation. Most schools don't have computers.

Despite the existence of the Narciso Ramos Sports Complex, the biggest in Region 1, Pangasinan has never won the overall championship in the Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA).

And, despite producing the biggest number of college graduates annually outside Metro Manila, Pangasinan could hardly employ its large skilled workforce, many moving elsewhere for jobs.

Lack of industries/poor productivity

Despite having two large power plants, there are no big industries and manufacturing plants. For instance, despite producing 50 percent of the total supply of onions in the country, Pangasinan has no storage facilities for onions. While Pangasinan is the number one producer of mangoes in the land, it has no mango processing and storage facilities.

Although Lingayen Gulf is part of the China Sea, which has abundant large fish species, bigtime fishermen from other areas are the ones who get the big catch because of our lack of deep sea fishing vessels. We have so many inland waterways and bodies, but we buy the bulk of our freshwater fish supply like tilapia from Pampanga and Bulacan.

Despite owning the largest tracts of arable land in the whole region, Pangasinan buys most of its certified palay and corn seeds from Nueva Ecija and other smaller provinces. We are way behind our neighbors in livestock and poultry production. Seventy percent of our supply of table eggs, for instance, comes from nearby provinces.

Except in two areas in Urdaneta City and Villasis, we lack food terminals and sufficient marketing for our large quantity of fruit, vegetable, fish and other cash crops.

THIRD LOWEST IN TOURIST ARRIVALS

Despite having Hundred Islands and many other natural attractions that can rival those of Boracay, Bohol and Cebu, Pangasinan is the third lowest in tourist arrivals among four Ilocos provinces.

Many describe Pangasinan as a land of miracles, but our many spiritual landmarks failed to attract regular pilgrimages because of the lack of accomodations and other tourism subsidiary service facilities.

We have in Lingayen one of the first airports in the country, but it is largely inoperational, used more as a grazing area for cows, goats and sheep. More progressive provinces with commercial airports enjoy a continuing boom in tourism and travel.

Despite its strategic location, Pangasinan has no commercial seaport like those in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union. The provincial government has moved to take over the Sual fishport complex operated by the Philippine Fisheries Devt. Authority, which subleased it to companies that use it as storage for dressed chicken and ice cream.

Unable to properly exploit our many natural resources, we're left behind by more progressive provinces, and now Pangasinan has the highest incidence of poverty in the whole of Region 1.

To solve these abnormal problems, all we need are practical solutions or doables which we can immediately undertake. For the First 100 Days, the provincial government has established a forward-thinking, more hard-working administration for an effective local governance.

To shore up more funds for doable programs and projects, we reduced the number of casual employees, from 1,097 to only 700 at present. In doing this, we saw to it that only the deserving and qualified workers were retained. We also upgraded the working system, redeploying unutilized and underutilized permanent employees to ensure compatability of skills.

By focusing more on policy-making and technical assistance, we maintained a leaner but effective workforce, doing away with overlapping of functions and strengthened employee performance. We raised workers' salaries by 10 percent, while morale has been boosted by collaborative decision making during weekly meetings with the Governor.

Effective human resource management has led to improved discipline and decorum. Employees are more punctual, wear proper uniforms and observer cleanliness and orderliness.

Change, however, should not only be confined to a new workforce culture and attitude but also in the physical look of our environs. Adding dignity to our labors must be also reflected by the beauty and order of our workplace.

So, for the past three months and seven days, the Capitol grounds and Park underwent massive fact-lifting. including the improvement, renovation and refurbising of the Capitol buildings, facilities and grounds.

A two-storey expansion wing beside the Finance building undergoes repair and improvement. The Finance building is likewise being renovated.

As a result, a more beautiful and elegant Capitol and its grounds are now a major part of our tourism come-on for the province.

For the past three months, the provincial government religiously paid its loans, slowly reducing its indebtedness, at the same time seeking other financial sources to keep the government afloat.

Together with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, we collected tax obligations amounting to some P160 million from the Sual Power Plant. Similar moves are being taken to collect the unpaid taxes of another power plant, the San Roque Multi-Purpose project in San Manuel.

TOUGHEN ANTI-CRIME OPERATIONS

We directed the Philippine National Police to toughen anti-crime operations. Immediately, leaders of cattle rustling syndicates fell in police hands. Since then no cattle-rustling case was reported. Also busted was the notorious Venarao Gang responsible for a series of robberies and holdups in several communities.

As chairman of the Peace and Order Council, I worked out the joining of forces of the the PNP and army in handling insurgency. The PNP will do intelligence work and civil relations, while the military will undertake maneuver operations. There had been no insurgent sightings during the past three months.

We ordered the eradication of jueteng, and PNP campaigns forced gambling lords to resort to "guerilla" operations. We urged the Sangguniang Panlalawigan not to allow STL in the province.The anti-drug campaign drastically cut the supply of drugs and intelligence reports indicate the cost of drugs have become prohibitive due to the resultant scarcity of supply.

HEALTH CARE

We directed administrators of all 14 public hospitals under the provincial government to improve preventive health care and services especially for indigent patients. Dialysis machines will be installed in three strategically located hospitals -- in San Carlos City covering Central Pangasinan, Tayug for Eastern Pangasinan and and Alaminos City for Western Pangasinan. These machines will primarily cater to the poor patients who need them.

We are expanding people's health insurance and by December next year, all heads of families will have Philhealth cards. In the first quarter next year, all heads of families living below poverty line will be given the same.

EDUCATION

We will allocate more funds for the construction and repair of school facilities and maintenance of basic learning facilities, insuring that the limit of 50 students per classroom at any given time will be imposed. Regular sports events and sustained training programs will be undertaken at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center not only to produce future sports champions, but to help in the over-all development of our youth.

For so many years, Pangasinan has not been conducive to investments because it lacked the basic support industries, facilities and services that can adequately protect and promote large industrial operations and other bigtime businesses

So, we focused on how to enhance what we have in the province under the Regional Strategic Framework drawn up by the national leadership. And being mainly agricultural, Pangasinan should pursue an Integrated Agricultural Program that can pave the way for the entry of private investors, foreign and local.

Included in this program are the construction and repair of deep-sea fishing vessels and storage facilities, fish and food processing plants, construction of silos and warehouses to store rice and corn, and increasing goat and cattle raising to utilize the vast grazing land and rolling areas of Pangasinan.

Basic to these program is the construction of an international airport and redesigning or construction of an international seaport in Sual. Having these facilities will be the key to attracting investors to set up big industries like cement, manufacturing plants, mining and exportation of mineral products, call centers, transhipment of goods, and many others.

Negotiations are underway with the president of the Korean Association of the Philippines for the development of a 186-hectare land declared as an eco-tourism area by former President Fidel V. Ramos in Western Lingayen.

The consul of China will lead a trade and investments delegation that will tour Pangasinan areas for four days starting this Friday, Oct. 19 for possible investments.

We are in the process of finishing the construction of the Matalava road to provide shorter and faster route between Central and Western Pangasinan.

To backstop all these plans and projects, we will conduct massive marketing initiatives and programs to promote investments and tourist destinations in Pangasinan and provide adequate jobs and livelihood opportunities to our people.

In the spate of these studies and plans, we have identified doable projects that can be pursued realistically and which could determine both the future and character of our province. To confront the great issues and problems of our land, we must act in a spirit of goodwill and respect for one another--and I promise, I will do my part.

Change, however, should not only be confined to a new workforce culture and attitude but also in the physical look of our environs. Adding dignity to our labors must be also reflected by the beauty and order of our workplace.

So, for the past three months and seven days, the Capitol grounds and Park underwent massive fact-lifting. including the improvement, renovation and refurbising of the Capitol buildings, facilities and grounds.

A two-storey expansion wing beside the Finance building undergoes repair and improvement. The Finance building is likewise being renovated.

As a result, a more beautiful and elegant Capitol and its grounds are now a major part of our tourism come-on for the province.

For the past three months, the provincial government religiously paid its loans, slowly reducing its indebtedness, at the same time seeking other financial sources to keep the government afloat.

Together with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, we collected tax obligations amounting to some P160 million from the Sual Power Plant. Similar moves are being taken to collect the unpaid taxes of another power plant, the San Roque Multi-Purpose project in San Manuel.

TOUGHEN ANTI-CRIME OPERATIONS

We directed the Philippine National Police to toughen anti-crime operations. Immediately, leaders of cattle rustling syndicates fell in police hands. Since then no cattle-rustling case was reported. Also busted was the notorious Venarao Gang responsible for a series of robberies and holdups in several communities.

As chairman of the Peace and Order Council, I worked out the joining of forces of the the PNP and army in handling insurgency. The PNP will do intelligence work and civil relations, while the military will undertake maneuver operations. There had been no insurgent sightings during the past three months.

We ordered the eradication of jueteng, and PNP campaigns forced gambling lords to resort to "guerilla" operations. We urged the Sangguniang Panlalawigan not to allow STL in the province.The anti-drug campaign drastically cut the supply of drugs and intelligence reports indicate the cost of drugs have become prohibitive due to the resultant scarcity of supply.

HEALTH CARE

We directed administrators of all 14 public hospitals under the provincial government to improve preventive health care and services especially for indigent patients. Dialysis machines will be installed in three strategically located hospitals -- in San Carlos City covering Central Pangasinan, Tayug for Eastern Pangasinan and and Alaminos City for Western Pangasinan. These machines will primarily cater to the poor patients who need them.

We are expanding people's health insurance and by December next year, all heads of families will have Philhealth cards. In the first quarter next year, all heads of families living below poverty line will be given the same.

EDUCATION

We will allocate more funds for the construction and repair of school facilities and maintenance of basic learning facilities, insuring that the limit of 50 students per classroom at any given time will be imposed. Regular sports events and sustained training programs will be undertaken at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center not only to produce future sports champions, but to help in the over-all development of our youth.

MORE JOBS

On livelihood and providing jobs to our workforce, the Provincial Employment Services Office has secured the commitment of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Constructiuon, one of the biggest industrial concerns in South Korea, to employ 300 of local engineers and 1,000 skilled welders jobs in its multi-billion-dollar shipbuilding facility in Subic.

Fujitsu Computer Productions Corporation based in Calamba, Laguna is recruiting 700 Pangasinan workers as production operators for its computer parts manufacturing facility.

ENVIRONMENT

We have produced some 20,000 tree seedlings for reforestation. This is a continuation of an environmental project called Green the Mountains Again or GMA, which I implemented as a Congressman, when we produced three million tree seedlings which were distributed to the schools and barangays.

We replaced the Interagency Mineral Products and Aggregates Conservation or IMPACT with the the Natural Resources Regulatory Group NRRG, which is not only more effective in collecting taxes from quarry operations but is now mainly tasked to protect our environment, particularly our mineral resources.

We directed a thorough clean-up of our shorelines of Lingayen Gulf. Again, I have personally started this crusade when we launched "Save Lingayen Gulf Movement" when I was the provincial director of the PNP.

HOUSING

Over 12,000 families squat on government land along shorelines, riverbanks and railroad tracks. So, socialized housing is one of our priorities. A 257-unit housing project is being jointly constructed by the Province and the National Housing Authority at Barangay Maniboc, Lingayen. Beneficiaries are government employes, public school teachers, PNP and AFP personnel.

At the Lingayen Gulf Resettlement Prorect in Pangapisan Norte, Lingayen, we have added another 10 hectares for socialized housing to accomodate informal settlers who will be displaced by government infrastructure projects. The project will be under the provincial government in partnership with the Gawad Kalinga Foundation.

This administration has identified an initial 120 hectares of land that will be the target sites for future socialized housing projects.

By knowing our problems and what do do about them, however, is NOT ENOUGH. We can only do our tasks well if we CARE... CARE for our province ...and genuine CONCERN for our KABALEYANS.

If ENOUGH CARE is shown by the leaders to whom our constituents can turn in their time of NEED.

With a will to do good, and to care... TOGETHER, we will continue to work to make Pangasinan a stronger and safer place to live, work and THRIVE in.

I thank you and once again, Good Day.