Vice-Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas and the members of the provincial board, distinguished guests, fellow public servants, my dear province mates:

Good Morning. Thank you all for being here to share with us this very special moment.

This is the third time over the last two and a half years that I am rendering a report on the state of the Province of Pangasinan.

This will also serve as my first term report as Governor of this great province.

Today, I realize more than ever, that we need to continue the work we have started to pursue our collective vision of Pangasinan as the best place to invest, work, live, and raise a family.

Soon after taking over the helm of this province, I convened on separate occasions the Pangasinan Development Council, and the Regional Directors of Region I.

Those present during the meeting of the Pangasinan Development Council last August 2007 will remember how most of the mayors and the sectoral leaders were surprised and alarmed upon realizing that, contrary to the common belief, Pangasinan was actually lagging behind other less-endowed provinces in so many aspects.

During a separate briefing for all Regional Directors of Region I, NEDA Regional Director Leonardo Quitos commented, with dismay and a great sense of loss, that “…the Province of Pangasinan is a long-running sad story of missed opportunities. Instead of moving steadily forward because of its rich reservoir of human and natural resources, it has consistently deteriorated over the years.”

Indeed, Pangasinan has more inherent resources and potentials than most other provinces.

The facts and figures we gathered in June 2007 can attest to this statement.

But the other set of facts and figures from NEDA Region I for CY 2006 were even more revealing:

In the past, we were living under the illusion that Pangasinan was doing great, that it was doing better than most other provinces.

That’s precisely why those mayors and sectoral leaders, when confronted with the hard facts for the first time during that Pangasinan Development Council meeting last August 2007, got the surprise of their life, and could not believe what they were hearing.

It had become obvious.

While other less endowed provinces, aware of their predicament, have moved forward because they toiled to maximize their limited potentials and resources, we on the other hand stagnated because we took our own sweet time, and our inherent resources for granted.

Thus, instead of leading the pack as the most advanced province in Region I, instead of reigning as one of the most developed provinces in the whole country, we were actually lagging behind other less-endowed provinces.

And so we were led to ask: How come? What’s wrong with us?

As we began to find the answers, the sad picture of the provincial government, like a long nightmare, began to unfold slowly before our eyes.

Inside the provincial capitol, there was chaos, mismanagement, indifference, ignorance.

Provincial departments were operating without a clear understanding of their basic roles and functions.

Provincial employees were aimless, had low morale, and lacked proper grooming, discipline and direction.

There was wholesale deterioration and disrepair in the entire capitol complex, and in all provincial hospitals and agricultural extension facilities.

There was an overall failure of leadership to set examples and to provide strategic direction.

In short, the entire provincial government machinery was out-of-order, and there was no way the provincial government could operate properly to implement any development agenda.

It is, therefore, no wonder that Pangasinan had continually deteriorated over the years.

And having realized the unfortunate situation, we had no choice but to work frantically through extended hours for the first one and a half years to reverse the situation.

We do not need to enumerate what we did because you can see for yourselves the fruits of our labor.

I am proud to claim that today, we have a cohesive, well-motivated team of provincial government officials and employees who have set for themselves high standards of excellence and good governance, and raring to contribute their best in the overall effort to make Pangasinan truly number one.

Those among you who have been going around must have seen the drastic improvements that have taken place, and the pervading atmosphere of order, decency, and professional discipline among our employees at the capitol, in all hospitals operated by the province, and in our agricultural, veterinary, and fishery extension facilities located in strategic places around the province.

For the first time, the provincial HRMO has designed in-house training programs, where many provincial employees are being re-trained and equipped with new or additional skills such as computer operation, caregiving, housekeeping, Philhealth insurance processing, and other technical and administrative skills intended to upgrade their qualifications and performance.

For the first time, our HRMO went beyond simple recruitment, and personnel records-keeping, and has launched a series of job enhancement activities and employee development courses designed to improve work attitudes and skills.

This is coupled by the streamlining of management systems and procedures, installation of productivity programs, and provision of conducive working conditions in all provincial offices, hospitals, and other extension and service facilities of the province.

The new Team Pangasinan has survived hard and trying times.

Even the numerous typhoons and calamities that devastated various communities and vital parts of the province have failed to cripple our collective spirit.

We have moved forward and achieved outstanding results because your governor enjoyed the full backing of the entire Sangguniang Panlalawigan, under the able and dedicated leadership of Vice-Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.

Our dynamic partnership will surely go down as one of the most productive in the history of provincial governance in Pangasinan.

And the record of our solid performance speaks for itself.

 Today, we see a renewed sense of pride in the bright faces of ordinary Pangasinenses, especially our own balikbayans, as they speak with awe and genuine admiration about the renewed beauty and grandeur of our provincial capitol and its immediate surroundings, including the newly refurbished capitol beach front, which has become a favorite family hang-out.

Visitors from other provinces, who have traveled around, have been unanimous in rating our capitol as the best in the entire country. Even foreigners are invariably captivated by its undeniable beauty.

In other fronts, the provincial government has been creating positive results.

Our province mates, especially the poor and the needy, have been enjoying the upgraded services and facilities in our 14 hospitals, which have undergone continuing physical rehabilitation, and are now equipped with air-conditioning in all wards, stand-by generating sets, better diagnostic capabilities, and re-conditioned, and some new, ambulance units.

The improved reputation of our provincial hospitals has led to steady increases in their individual occupancies ranging from 57% to 123% in 2007, to 127% to 168% as of December 2009.

In other words, as of December 2009, not one among them is operating below 100% capacity utilization. They are all invariably jampacked and operating way beyond their authorized bed capacities.

We are also the only province in the whole country that operates its own 14-station dialysis center, thanks to the City of San Carlos, thru Mayor Julier Resuello and the Sangguniang Panglungsod, for donating the building, and Da Vita Corporation, USA for donating and installing the dialysis machines and support facilities, and providing free technical assistance, and training our nurses and technicians.

The dialysis center, which became fully operational last July 2009, has been providing specialized renal care mostly for indigent patients with Philhealth insurance coverage at an average of 20 patients per day.

Over and above hospital care, our Provincial Health Office has been re-organized to engage more actively in disease prevention and health promotion, which are major thrusts of the province.

Today, our public health indicators look bright and comforting.

Because of our massive information campaign, and aggressive lobbying with the LGUs, the number of fully immunized children in Pangasinan has increased from 85% in 2007, to 93% in 2009.

The number of mothers now giving birth in accredited medical facilities, instead of giving birth at home, has increased from 19.25% in 2007 to 26% in 2008, and the number of pregnant women getting at least two doses of tetanus toxoid immunization has gone up from 57.5% in 2007 to 61.8% in 2008.

Confirmed cholera cases have gone down from 229 in 2008 to only 15 as of December 30, 2009. Similarly, diarrhea cases have decreased from 12,777 cases in 2008 to 10,346 cases in 2009.

As to nutritional status, the provincial malnutrition rate went down from 6.55% in 2007 to 5.66% in 2009.

The cure rate of confirmed TB cases has increased from 83.2 in 2007 to 91.7% in 2009.

These accomplishments have come with accompanying recognition and awards.

The province received a P300,000 cash reward as 2009 Garantisadong Pambata national champion for outstanding achievements in nutrition and child survival programs.

We also received a P7.4million bonus tranche from the European Commission for our good performance in the EC-sponsored Fourmula One for Health Program, and another prize grant of P4.9million from DOH for exemplary performance in Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programs.

In addition, our Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU) is a nominee in the on-going search for the best PESU in Region I.

Our performance in Philhealth sponsorship for indigents has been phenomenal.

In 2008, we overtook the Province of Bukidnon and emerged on top of all provinces in the entire country for having enrolled 185,000 indigent families for Philhealth insurance, a big leap from our original enrollment level of only 26,000 indigent families in 2007.

As of December 31, 2009, we have remained on top, with a record high of 228,552 indigent families enrolled in Philhealth. The Province of Cebu came in second, with 195,000 indigent families, and Bukidnon now only third with 165,000 indigent families, sponsored by their respective provincial governments.

As a result, our hospitals are attending to a growing number of Philhealth patients ranging from 914 to 4,706 patients per hospital recorded for 2009.

Our earnest efforts to market Pangasinan, starting with improvements in the entire capitol complex and beach front, re-fitting our tourism office to coordinate province-wide tourism promotion efforts, and the accompanying positive response from various local government units and private entities in developing their own tourism potentials, have slowly paid off.

From being poor third in terms of officially recorded tourist arrivals, we are now the top tourist destination in Region I, with 205,093 tourists and visitors recorded in December 2008, to 316,850 tourists and visitors in December 2009.

The Pangasinan Capitol alone, with 14 DOT-accredited tour guides, has been receiving an increasing number of visitors from an average of 76 visitors a day in 2008 to 205 visitors a day in 2009. This is on top of official callers and guests that visit our offices every day.

Over the period, the provincial capitol complex, including the newly renovated Narciso Ramos Sports and Cultural Center (NRSCC), has gained a growing prominence among convention and event organizers as an alternative venue for regional and national activities.

Over the period, the NRSCC has served as venue for the PATAFA National Open Invitational Athletics Championships, attended by athletes from various Asian countries, last January 2009; the 12 th Special Olympic National Games last March 2008; the United Architects of the Philippines Area Assembly last November 6-8, 2009; the Luzon-wide convention of Local Budget Officers last October 20-22, 2008; the Luzon Assembly for the simultaneous worldwide celebration of the 95 th Anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo last July 27, 2009; the regional IRAA meet last February 24-29, 2008; the Luzon area Milo Little Olympics last September; the Regional sports competition of the PRISAA last November 27-30, 2009; and many other national and regional events and conventions.

Next month, on February 24-26, the 12 th National Mango Congress will take place at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Cultural Center, and is expected to draw some 500 delegates from all over the country.

Although it has modest arrangements, the Capitol Resort Hotel has done its own share in accommodating visitors, and hosting the activities and participants of national and regional events at the capitol.

Last December, the staff of the Governor’s office of La Union stayed at the Hotel for a 3-day team building workshop.

The provincial Library is another facility that enhances the functional value of the Pangasinan Capitol Complex.

The Library has been reconstructed and now has a sitting capacity for 150 readers, and 20 internet users. Thanks to the friends and donors of the library, including overseas Pangasinenses like Mr. and Mrs. Rufino and Fe Olay, our provincial library has been receiving an increasing stock of more and up-to-date reading and reference materials.

As a result, it is steadily attracting more users, starting from an average daily number of only 35 users in 2007 to 175 daily users in December 2009.

Very soon, the newly refurbished Sison Auditorium, with its intricately handcrafted interiors, modern lighting and sound system, and an overall ambience meticulously designed to compete with the best cultural centers of the land, will soon become the biggest attraction in the capitol.

This facility which embodies the culture and the historic past of our province will soon pave the way for the provincial government to spearhead an aggressive effort to revive, promote, and preserve genuine Pangasinan theatre arts and culture.

Other provincial facilities, such as the Provincial Mangrove Information Center and Marine Farm in Arnedo, Bolinao, have also helped enhance the built-in attraction of some tour circuits in the province.

Our program to have our native products developed, properly packaged, and promoted received another big boost with the opening last year of the Pangasinan Pasalubong Center in Carmen, Rosales and the Pangasinan Products Display at the Provincial Tourism Office.

We will endeavor to establish more such products display and tourist information centers in other locations around the province.

As a result of our earnest efforts to develop and promote our province, we are now being noticed not just in Region I, but across the entire country.

In the last two and a half years, we have received numerous awards and recognition.

In 2008, we were adjudged by the Regional Development Council as Best Provincial LGU supporting the Millennium Development Goals, Region I Best PESO Manager, Region I Top PESO Performer , Region I Best Province and Best Activity for National Statistics Month, and Region I Most Outstanding Coastal Resources Management Project Implementer;

In the same year, our provincial assessor, who was named Best Assessor in the entire country, went on to become National President of the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors (Phaltra).

In 2009, we were again voted as Region I Best Province and Best Activity for National Statistics Month, First Runner-up Region I Best LGU Poverty Reduction Program Implementer, Region I Top Grosser Real Property Tax Collection, National Most outstanding Provincial Accounting Office.

Pangasinan is the first and the only LGU in the whole country granted by the MWSS (Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System) with a P6.5 million containerized Mobile Water Treatment Plant capable of converting polluted water, sea water, or brackish water into high quality drinking water at the rate of 4,000 liters per hour.

the plant will enable the province to provide potable water to affected families in isolated locations, especially during calamities.

Pangasinan is the first, and the only province in the whole country with shuttle buses cruising 6 different destinations and bringing provincial government employees from home to work and back as an added benefit and incentive.

This is in addition to our six tour buses and one shuttle bus conducting our province mates to the different tourist spots and historical sites around Pangasinan almost daily.

We are the first, and so far the only, province in Region I undertaking foreshore area delineation, to pave the way for the protection and better management /utilization of foreshores areas around the province.

The Pangasinan PESO is the only PESO in Region I accredited by the Philippine Psychological Corporation and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to administer written tests for job applicants.

It is heartwarming to note that our unemployment rate has already gone down from 13% in 2006 to 8.2% in 2009.

In spite of the strong typhoons and floods that devastated our province and destroyed our crops, and consequently reduced our actual production levels, Pangasinan has maintained its position as the food basket of Region I.

In 2009, we produced 51% of the region’s rice, 80% corn, 80% fish, 84% mangoes, 86%eggplants, to name a few of our major agricultural products.

This is an indication that our agricultural extension program is working.

As if to affirm our leading position in agriculture, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), jointly with the Department of Agriculture, has chosen the Province of Pangasinan, along with Davao del Sur, over other provincial contenders, to receive a grant of P196.36 million for the establishment of a modern rice processing center at the provincial nursery in Sta. Barbara.

The construction of this vital facility, which has the capacity to process 500,000M.T. of rice, is now on-going.

The capability of the provincial government to respond to disasters was put to the test during the series of calamities that visited the province in 2008 and 2009, namely Typhoons Cosme, Frank, Emong, and Pepeng.

Unlike in the past, when the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council would be activated only during the actual occurrence of typhoons and calamities, the present PDCC has a permanent secretariat and tactical operations center capable of forward planning and implementing pro-active measures to prevent disasters, and sustained efforts to organize, train, and equip local communities to prepare for calamities.

The PDCC Tactical Operations Center is equipped for emergency response, forward deployment, and relief operations.

Just recently, we turned over wireless phones and radio communications units to our barangay captains as part of the overall effort to connect our people in all areas to their local police stations, to our provincial hospitals, and to the PDCC for any kind of emergency.

It is therefore no wonder that your Governor, supported by the PDCC Tactical operations group, has always managed to reach the most affected areas ahead of everyone, to personally manage clearing works, evacuation efforts, or rescue and relief operations, at the critical period when timely response would be the most crucial factor in preventing casualties, and the situation from getting worse.

The PDCC tactical operations center has established a functional working relationship with the municipal, regional, and national disaster coordinating councils, and has established the proper protocols for disaster preparedness.

Let me, therefore, assure you that your province is now more organized and better equipped than at any time in the past to confront disasters, and to respond to calamities.

The provincial government has always been in the forefront of typhoon relief and rehabilitation efforts in Pangasinan, using its own calamity funds to reconstruct or repair typhoon-damaged public infrastructures.

On top of whatever national funds have been spent for national infrastructures, the province has spent at least P160million over the last two and a half years for the repair and rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged schools and other public infrastructures.

However, the wholesale devastation caused by Tyhoon Pepeng was just too much for us to handle.

Nonetheless, the concrete response from generous and well-meaning institutions such as the ABS-CBN Foundation, and other nameless individuals, that provided a steady stream of food items, medicines, and clothing for more than a week to sustain our evacuees and other typhoon victims made the burden of the massive relief operations so much lighter for all of us.

Another concrete, generous response came from the Habitat for Humanity Philippines which provided shelter repair kits such as roofing materials, flexiboards, lumber, and nails worth P2.71million for 393 family beneficiaries in Rosales, Urdaneta, Villasis, Sison, and Bayambang.

Another set of 353 shelter repair kits worth P2.471 million will soon be given for 353 families in Lingayen and Bautista.

Of course, the biggest response came from Pres. GMA herself who, upon our personal representation, approved the allocation of P551.562million for the rehabilitation of provincial and other local roads and vital infrastructures, and a separate allocation of P207.8 million for flood controls, irrigation canals, and laterals.

The funds will go to DPWH. It is also DPWH that will implement the projects.

Given these timely interventions, our rehabilitation efforts in Pangasinan are well on stream, and there is nothing at present that can derail, or adversely affect the pace of, our development efforts.

We will continue to give priority attention to the effective maintenance of peace and order as a continuing measure to protect our people from lawless elements, and to safeguard our visitors, as well as the investments, coming into the province.

That is why we decided to equip our barangay captains with shotguns.

If ordinary citizens, such as CAFGUs, can be issued firearms to secure themselves and to help maintain peace and order, how much more so for our barangay captains who are actually tasked with this principal responsibility in their respective communities, and who are exposed to constant danger, because based on PNP reports, there are still many cases of apprehension and confiscation of loose and unlicensed firearms in our midst?

Our own lawmakers, in Section 389 of RA 7160, have seen it fit to authorize “… the Punong Barangay…to possess and carry the necessary firearm within their territorial jurisdiction…” in the performance of their “peace and order functions”.

In our case, the province entered into a tripartite MOA with the PNP and the barangay captains to provide the necessary safeguards for isolated cases of possible abuse in the use of the shotguns on the part of the barangay captains.

These, and other effective measures of our law enforcement units, have contributed to the overall improvement in the peace and order situation in Pangasinan. Our province was adjudged in 2009 as the Most Peaceful Province in Region I.

The average monthly crime rate went down from 7.28% in 2007 to 5.8% as of December 2009, which is lower than the regional average monthly crime rate. The average crime solution efficiency in Pangasinan during the period is 91%.

Our local law enforcement agencies, most notably the Pangasinan PNP, thru relentless police operations and effective intelligence work, have been successful in neutralizing various organized crime groups that attempted but failed to seek sanctuary and establish their operations here in our province.

These include the Alvin Flores Gang, the Acetylene Gang , the Emuslan Kidnap for Ransom Group, The Bacunes (gun-for-hire) Group. The Colisao Group, the Jessie Aquino Kidnap for Ransom Group, and Oler-Oler Gang, whose members are in jail pending the resolution of the various cases filed against them by the Pangasinan PNP.

These successful operations have sent the clear message to other lawless elements that their criminal intentions will not prosper in Pangasinan for as long as I am Governor of this province.

From July 1, 2007 to December 30, 2009, we have spent P1.027 billion for the construction, repair, rehabilitation, and upgrading of various local roadlines, provincial government buildings and facilities, hospitals, agriculture extension facilities, and schoolbuildings.

Some P102.3million, or 10% of the funds came from the national government thru various agencies such as PAGCOR, the DOH, the DOE and foreign funds such as the European Commission.

During the period, we were able to undertake the concreting, asphalting, asphalt repair, or re-gravelling of 1,225.513 kms. of various provincial and barangay roads, and the construction, improvement, repair, or rehabilitation of some 682.4 linear meters of provincial and barangay bridges.

We spent a total of P238.74m for the construction and upgrading of buildings and facilities within the capitol complex, including the Narciso Ramos Complex, the Sison Auditorium, and the Capitol Resort Hotel; P54.42m for agricultural extension facilities; P159.02m for the 14 provincial hospitals; P128.13m for various school buildings; P403.53m for provincial and other local roads and bridges; and the rest for other support infrastructures and facilities.

These priority projects, which are necessary to improve the capability of the provincial government to provide adequate and quality services to our people in terms of health care, infrastructure support, technical and extension services, and administrative support, were the principal reasons why it was very difficult for us to attend to all requests for financial support and assistance emanating from the various barangays, LGUs, and NGOs around the province.

However, some quarters with ill motives have engaged in a continuing disinformation campaign designed to make others believe that the province is not giving importance to our barangay captains, and that we have been ignoring their requests for help.

I think this is most unfair.

the truth is, we have attended to so many requests coming from other barangay captains and other community leaders.

The reason why we had to postpone our response to some of your legitimate concerns is because there are inherent problems and priority concerns of the provincial government, and other essential needs of our people, including health and medical care, that we needed to address first.

In addition, Typhoons Cosme, Frank, Emong, and Pepeng came all in a row over the last two and a half years and gave us hardly enough time to recover.

Given the usually slow response from the national government, we had to divert a sizeable portion of our funds and resources to the urgent need to provide relief for the numerous typhoon victims, and to undertake our own rehabilitation efforts.

In fact, no less than then NDCC chair and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro personally recognized our adequate and timely response to every calamity with minimal support and intervention from the national government.

I guess, it must also be that feeling of guilt for their slow and token response in past calamities that prompted President GMA this time to allocate almost a billion pesos for our rehabilitation program for Typhoon Pepeng.

Let me assure you, however, that next time around, we would be able to allocate more funds to support the projects and activities of our barangays and other community groups.

We are also in the process of upgrading our engineering equipment capability so that we can attend to more requests for the improvement, repair, and rehabilitation of barangay and farm-to-market roads and other community facilities.

In the meantime, we ask for your patience and understanding.

Now that most provincial service and extension facilities are well in place, and our provincial government bureaucracy is adequately primed and organized to serve you, we can divert more attention to the equally important task of implementing some strategic programs and projects designed to attract more investments, create more jobs, and generate more economic activities for our people.

I refer, for example, to the long-awaited construction and establishment of a commercial seaport in Sual.

I am happy to report that last December 1, 2009, PHASE I of the Sual Port Development Project, designed to accommodate international and domestic commercial vessels, was finally bidded at the Philippine Ports Authority Office in Manila, and awarded to Golden Ridge Construction.

Phase I, with a contract amount of P80.65million, includes the construction of a rock causeway including rock bulkhead, fill materials, RC curb, stairlanding, Zocalo wall, retaining wall and drainage system; and the construction of a 12mx12m Ro-Ro Ramp.

It is proposed to be completed within 365 days.

Phase II will involve the construction of an R.C. pier, and Phase III will be devoted to the reclamation of a 12-hectare port zone, and construction of an R.C. wharf.

Once in place, this vital support facility will pave the way for the full-blown development of the mineral and other potential export industries in Pangasinan, and will certainly attract more industries and related activities to locate here in our province.

This early, we have been meeting with three groups of Korean investors willing to establish a retirement village, and eager to invest in mining, agri-business, electric car manufacturing, and other ventures here in Pangasinan.

It is equally important for us to continually push for the development of the 300-hectare eco-tourist zone in northwestern Lingayen and establish Pangasinan as a major investment destination, family vacation and convention center.

While the typhoons and calamities have failed to dampen our resolve to move forward, we will not allow the coming electoral exercise to distract us from the noble task of steering our province towards greater stability and long-range progress.

During the last two and a half years, you have seen that it is possible for our province to regain its lost glory.

I know how proud you must be for the good things that you see now happening in our beloved Pangasinan.

But we have just started. And there is more work left to do.

That is why we cannot stop now. We must continue to dream big and grab those greater opportunities still in store for our people, for our province.

Because Pangasinan deserves nothing less than number one.

By all means, let’s go for it!

Thank you so much to one and all.