Author: pixelpgsnadmin

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN — Gov. Ramon Guico III wants the province as “destination of choice” with the Tourism-Related Attraction project he eyes in partnership with several government agencies and an entity.

Guico’s vision is to establish a park, with a lagoon, with boardwalk and native trees in a yet to be identified location.

The Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) is eyeing a partnership with the Provincial Engineering Office, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and SMM Construction Corporation for the said project, said PTCAO head Maria Luisa A. Elduayan.
She said that a team composed of representatives from said offices will identify the location soon.

The proposed location, however, was used for the traditional venue for the annual Christmas and New Year events of the provincial government.

The PTCAO chief recommended for the postponement of the construction until the early part of this year.

With the establishment of the TRA project and the construction of the Reflective Pool and Interactive Fountain, the Capitol Complex will soon become a site of weekend family rendezvous, a meet-up place for friends, regular venue for photo and video shoots, and the destination of choice among local and international visitors.
“We intensified our efforts to make Pangasinan as the province of choice for local tourists and foreign visitors,” the governor earlier said .
He added that the provincial government is now an aggressive catalyst to permeate every nook and corner of the province to strengthen the tourism industry.
It can be recalled that the Pangasinan Banaan Provincial Museum which is housed at the historic Casa Real has penetrated not just the local scene but the global market since its inauguration on September 8, 2023 with some 9,178 registered visitors from the period September 11, 2023 to December 29 that year. A total of 8,320 visitors, on the other hand, was served by the museum for the entire year of 2024.
Aside from these projects, the PTCAO chief reported that the expressed full support for numerous tourism endeavors such as enhancement and development of farm tourism and products which can be traced back several years ago when local farmers willingly opened their farms for travelers seeking authentic rural experience.
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia- Frasco during a visit here said: “I am in full appreciation of the journey that Pangasinan has taken, that has left an imprint in history…Under the leadership of our visionary governor, Pangasinan’s direction is forward, always forward, and we’re here to manifest our full support for your plans for your province.”
Under the Guico administration, a conference among tourism stakeholders and the province which was dubbed ‘Tongtongan” was conducted.

It’s emphasis was for community involvement and responsible tourism. conference. It was coined from the Pangasinan word “tongtongan” which means to engage in conversation, aimed to bring together the key players in the province’s tourism industry mainly to plan, create and harmonize strategies and initiatives that will collectively contribute to the overall growth of the tourism sector in the province.

These strategies, Elduayan said, will further enhance and promote long-term success and sustainability not only for the province but for the region as well.

(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN— Governor Ramon V. Guico III seeks to blend traditional farming practices with lucrative methods to transform the agri-business sector into a market-driven sector.

The Provincial Agriculture Office’s Agri-business division has conducted various skills training on crops and fishery production, food processing, package and technologies, institutional and entrepreneurial training to equip Pangasinan farmers.

Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya said the activities were meant to provide local farmers and their families with modern and appropriate technology for better yield.  They were also provided trainings in management and marketing skills that will prepare them to eventually become successful agri-entrepreneurs in the future.

In 2024, the agriculture office simultaneously conducted  trainings on food processing to 155 members of women associations from the 45 municipalities of the province.

Then the office held 18 trainings on food processing which were participated in by some 390 women from different rural-based organizations in the province.

“These trainings paved a way and become their source of livelihood and will help starting would-be entrepreneurs develop more of their products,” Moya disclosed.

Meanwhile, the province’s “Kadiwa na Kapitolyo’ project is providing regular marketing support to  various agricultural products of local farmer-entrepreneurs.

Introduced by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the Department of Agriculture, the KADIWA On-Wheels project has become one of the national government’s market assistance to farmers.

The KADIWA On-Wheels na Kapitolyo, on the other hand, is a collaborative project with the DA along with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the National Food Authority (NFA).

From January to November 2024, the KADIWA On-Wheels na Kapitolyo has generated a total sales of P10,657,543.00 with  some 1,375 farmer producers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) actively trading their products.

Based on records, the KADIWA On-Wheels na Kapitolyo has served 26,657 consumers from the months of January to November last year.

(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO, photo/OPAG)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—The Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum, a legacy project of Governor Ramon Guico III, is attracting not just local but more foreign audience, the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) said this week.

PTCAO head Maria Luisa A. Elduayan said the museum recorded a total of 9,178 visitors since its launching on September 11, 2023 up to December 29 last year.

In addition the museum has served some 8,320 guests to include foreign visitors from the United States of America, followed by Denmark, Korea and Indonesia.

It was also visited by guests from the small Pacific country of Samoa, France, Japan, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Britain, Thailand, Malaysia, and Germany since its opening.

Through online visitor registration, the Banaan Museum which is housed at the historic Casa Real in Lingayen, has attracted visitors to come in droves.

Elduayan reported that most of the guests in 2024 are females numbering to 5,337, while male visitors numbered to 2,983.

The age bracket, on the other hand, showed that majority of the visitors belong to the 11-20, mostly students, and 21-30 years old or the working adults age brackets.

Visitors, who came from Cebu, Zamboanga del Norte, Negros Occidental, Iloilo,Baguio City, Masbate Province, neighboring La Union Province, Tarlac, Zambalaes, Laguna, Quirino Province, Tuguegarao City, Laguna, Paranaque, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Aurora Province, Quezon City, Cavite, Kalinga, and Pasay City, also personally experienced Pangasinan culture through the visuals presented in the 11 fascinating museum galleries.

The 11 galleries showcase a wide range of artifacts, artworks, installations, and interactive displays.

It can be recalled that during the museum’s first year anniversary, Governor Ramon V. Guico III emphasized the relevance of having local museums. Guico said that the structure symbolizes the identity of Pangasinan as it likewise serve as doorway to understanding the province’s culture, history, and arts.

“If there is no museum, a person wouldn’t know who they are. You would have a lost identity, with no knowledge of your culture or history. This is why museums are so important, “ the governor earlier said.

Meanwhile, visitors may also patronize the Museum Shop where local products such as blade-crafts and eco-crafts made of bamboo, buri and rattan bags, and upcycled wood and artworks can be bought.

In addition, 24 active concessionaires from different localities in Pangasinan are also available to offer refreshment.

For the period January to December 2024, the Banaan Museum Entrance Collections amounted to P616,370.00. On the same period, the Museum Shop net income was P94,137.00

Museum entrance rates are P200 for Adults/Tourists; P160 for Senior Citizens and Persons With Disability; P100 for Children/Students. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Governor Ramon V. Guico III allocated more than P698 million last year for the construction, maintenance, and improvement of provincial and barangay roads and bridges.

The Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) in its 2024 accomplishment report said the amount went to engineering works for 233 provincial roads and bridges; 57 barangay roads and bridges; 978 infrastructure projects like flood control, drainage canals, and dikes; general services projects; agricultural facilities; 12 school buildings; and 15 public buildings, provincial, municipal, or barangay.

The PEO said that some PhP84.94 million was used for the improvement of provincial roads and bridges, while P256.67 million was utilized for barangay roads and bridge projects.

The PEO, meanwhile, had allocated some PhP139.52 million to infra projects like agricultural and flood control facilities, drainage canals, and dikes.

In addition, the province had implemented a total of 31 projects that improved district and community hospitals operated by the provincial government.

The PEO also undertook projects that improved public utilities and water resources, wherein 199 pump line projects were implemented; 57 maintenance or improvement of sewerage systems; 13 installation of water systems and motor pumps; and four construction of artesian/deep well/water systems and well sources.

For public buildings that include provincial, municipal, and barangay facilities as well as provincial hospitals, the province allotted a total of P177.46 million.

While the majority of the accomplished projects were funded by the provincial government, some 12 projects were sourced from the excise tax fund, amounting to P35.25 million.

An excise tax is an indirect tax charged by the government on the sale of a particular good or service.

The huge transformation of Salaan Bridge at Barangay Salaan, Mangaldan Pangasinan.

(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Gov. Ramon V. Guico III’s innovative program, the Pangasinan Corporate Farming Program, has made significant strides in expanding the agricultural productivity of local farmers since its introduction in 2022.

Since it was started in 2022, the project now covers a total area of 1,272.47 hectares from the initial area of about 418 hectares, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) reported.

Provincial agriculturist Dalisay Moya reported that yield has increased since the dry season from 2022–2023. About 66.03 hectares were planted, which resulted in a yield of 4.93 metric tons per hectare.

The total yield in the next dry season, 2023 – 2024, which covered 418.44 hectares, went up to 5.10 metric tons per hectare.

On the other hand, during the wet season in 2024, a total of 633.40 hectares was planted and yields are expected to be robust and potentially increase in production, the OPAg said.

The OPAg said that 54 farmer-cooperative associations, which have a total of 1,448 individual farmer members, benefited from the program.

In addition, the program provided input support to farmer-beneficiaries in which 5,057 bags of organic fertilizer were distributed. Also, some 9,668 bags of inorganic fertilizer were given to enhance yield and soil health.

During the dry cropping season of 2023-2024, palay harvest posted an increase of about 13.59 percent, which translates to 12 cavans per hectare increase from the previous dry season of 2022-2023.

The OPAg said that farmer cooperators can now enjoy an increased average yield per hectare of 4.49 metric tons or 90 cavans. This would translate to more income which the OPAg pegs an average increase of 101.33 percent for each farmer or an additional P35,030.00 net income per hectare.

On corn production, a total of 740 metric tons were produced under the program in 2024 up by 18.88 percent to 32.56 percent or 6.23 metric tons to 9.177 metric tons from the previous year.

On top of that, production cost has been reduced by as much as P9,722.00 per hectare.

Meanwhile, Moya said under the corporate program, farmer members undergo class and technical training on the control and management of pests, specifically army worms.

Farmers are also trained on the latest pest and disease management methods, she said.

“The simple story about corporate farming is that because it is more cost-efficient, higher yield per hectare is achieved with lower cost of production,” said Gov. Guico in an earlier interview.

He further said that he is setting his sights on transforming agriculture into a sustainable economic enterprise through the so-called convergence approach among farmer cooperatives and associations, local government units (LGUs), national agencies and other line entities, the private sector, and financial institutions.

Major projects under the program outlined by the governor are rice production, corn production, high-value crop production, and fishery production.

(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN — The increase in revenues from quarrying pushed the province’s total revenue collection for the year 2024 to an unprecedented P6.6 billion plus whichalso meant increased incentives to all provincial employees.

The Capitol reported an overwhelming gross tax collection on sand, gravel, and other quarry products amounting to PhP235,575,494.26. The increase in collection will support vital priorities like improved education, infrastructure, public health, and public safety.

It also supported the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) forpermanent and non-permanent employees of the provincial government.

As a result, all employees, received PhP20,000 in additional incentives, twice the amount they received from last year due to the availability of funds.

It can be recalled that in December 2022, Governor Ramon V. Guico III asked the provincial board to amend the province’s 11-year-old Revenue Code wherein mineral extraction fees increased to PhP50 per cubic meter (cu, m) from PhP16.

The governor noted that previous administrations had been remiss in amending the Revenue Code which the Local Government Code requires to be done every five years.

Implemented in February 2023, the amended ordinance also imposed administrative fees ranging from PhP50 to PhP250 per cu. m., depending on the volume of minerals loaded on a truck.

Despite negative claims of his detractors, the governor stood firm that the increase in quarrying activity fees is worth it further stating that not all money goes to the province. He explained that the host barangay and the town will also benefit from the extraction fees.

Under the ordinance, 40 percent of the taxes collected will go to the host barangay, while 30 percent will go to the town or city, and the remaining 30 percent to the province.

The ordinance likewise said that illegal quarry sites and mineoperators will be charged with theft of minerals, which is punishable under the provisions of Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

The ordinance also required quarry operators, after mining operations, to rehabilitate the excavated area to “a condition suitable for agricultural or other economic activities.”

Aside from this, operators are required to pay a cash bond of PhP100,000 before a permit is issued to ensure that they will comply with all the obligations the ordinance stipulated.

Otherwise, the bond will be forfeited and they will not be issued a quarry permit in the future.

“Previously, our projected income from river quarrying was only PhP12 million a year. That’s small for a province as large as Pangasinan,” Gov. Guico said. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN— Patients with kidney problems can now avail themselves of treatments for free at the newly opened dialysis center at the Western Pangasinan District Hospital (WPDH) in Alaminos City, which opened last January 13.

Equipped with 15 dialysis machines, the facility will treat its patients for free, said hospital chief Dr. Ma. Teresa Sanchez.

She said that in cases where payment cannot be addressed by the patient’s health insurance, the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patient (MAIFIP) can be availed of to shoulder the cost of treatment.

Earlier, Provincial Hospital Management Services Office Dr. Raquel S. Ogoy said the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) issued Circular No. 2024-0014 on July 1 last year for the institutionalization of 156 hemodialysis (HD) sessions and coverage expansion (Revision 1) to establish the rules for availing the adjusted rates of the 156 HD sessions benefits package.

The circular shall apply to “beneficiaries diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) who are registered in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database (PDD).”

Patients with HD package will enjoy free drugs and medicines; laboratory tests; supplies (either of the following types of dialyzers: low-flux or high-flux); and administrative and other fees.

Said circular noted that “all PhilHealth beneficiaries with CKD5 undergoing hemodialysis shall have no payment or out-of-pocket for the covered services or minimum standards listed.”

Those who want to avail of hemodialysis treatment at the WPDH dialysis center must bring the following: a copy of the recent laboratory tests on Hepa Rofile: HBSAG, Anti HCV; CBC, Creatinine, BUN Na, K, Ca, PHOs, Albumin; Medical Abstract and Dialysis Prescription from attending nephrologist.

The other documents are: record of the last three dialysis treatments; vaccination record if available; PhilHealth certification of remaining dialysis treatment, PhilHealth Membership Data Form; patient dialysis database; confinement record if any for the same year; PCR test result (swab test) within five (5) days; updated chest X-ray result; and, check-up with Dr. Angielyn C. Asuncion, Fellow Phil Society of Nephrology, prior to treatment with new patient/transferee patient.

Clinic days of Dr. Asuncion are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8AM onwards at ADVH Door #6, 2nd floor, Dialysis building.

To date, the WPDH dialysis center has 29 listed patients, 11 of them are regular patients undergoing treatment.

Before the January 13 opening, about 50 medical and allied professionals from the 14 government hospitals underwent rigid training on Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) to prepare them for the operation of the dialysis center.

It can be recalled that the establishment of dialysis centers in all district and community hospitals in Pangasinan is part of the hospital modernization thrust of the provincial government under Governor Ramon V. Guico III. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

Lingayen, Pangasinan—The first batch of 141 students have graduated from the Pangasinan Polytechnic College (PPC) recently and are now armed with the knowledge and skill that will make them competitive enough to be employed.

The school founded through Gov. Ramon Guico III aims to provide free education where students are armed with skills, making them competent enough for in-demand jobs.

By establishing the school, the governor hopes to inspire and empower the youth by providing opportunities for self-discovery.

Gov. Guico firmly believes that PPC is not just an idle dream but an attainable reality for professional as well as personal growth.

With the governor’s strong support for PPC and the strengthened partnership with TESDA, Pangasinan now has a pool of skilled graduates who have undergone the Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) NC II program.

More opportunities await Pangasinenses since PPC-CeLL is a TESDA-registered technical-vocational institution that provides free training.

Meanwhile, trainees who wish to pursue employment in the provincial government offices are being helped by the said institution for their applications.

Apart from these, there are plans to expand courses offered by PPC-CeLL through TESDA (automotive servicing) this year.

With the collaboration of the provincial government and the PPC-CeLL, more trainees will be trained and eventually find jobs for a brighter future.

As of this writing, one of the graduates, Cesar Arcelona, has been hired by the Provincial General Services Office (PGSO), and more are expected to apply.

(Chona Cuaresma / Danna Laureano- PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Christmas was a season of awards for the province under the stewardship of Gov. Ramon V. Guico III.

Recently, Pangasinan received numerous significant awards for its efforts and accomplishments of Provincial/Municipal Project Management and Implementing Unit (P/MPMIU’s) in the implementation and compliance to guidelines and processes of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) sub-projects.

The more notable awards received include the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) as Most Active PPMI – 1 – BUILD Component; as the well as the Most Active PPMIU.

The province also has the highest number and cost of 1-BUILD approved subprojects under the Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up.

The province’s sub-project titled “Construction of Pangasinan Bangus Breeding and Hatchery” as the first highest cost of approved Value Chain Rural Infrastructure sub-project under the PRDP Scale-Up.

Pangasinan also obtained a “Pass/Outstanding” rating for the 3rd Operation and Maintenance Audit System (OMAS) from the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 1 for the sub-project “Production and Marketing or Processed Bangus in Binmaley, Pangasinan.

The province received a similar “Pass/Satisfactory” rating for the OMAS from the DA – RFO 1 for its “Salad Tomato Contract Farming and Support Service Facility Enterprise in Bani, Pangasinan.

Other awards include: the highest number of Non-PRDP Funded Intervention in the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan; the highest number of approved 1 – BUILD subproject from the PRDP Original Loan up to the Scale-Up; its 10 years of partnership with Philippine Rural Development Project; and, a “Pass/Satisfactory” rating for the 5th Operation and Maintenance Audit System (OMAS) of the DA-RFO 1 for the sub-project Rehabilitation of Gonzales – San Juan Farm to Market Road” in Umingan, Pangasinan.

The awarding was held during the PRDP – Regional Project Coordination Office 1 Year End Assessment held on December 16 to 18 last year at the Kabaleyan Cove Resort in San Carlos City.

Project Development Officer IV Bernard Barrozo received the awards on behalf of the province. (Chona C. Bugayong/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Governor Ramon V. Guico III has introduced a brand new leadership that veered away from traditional that is expected to break new grounds for Pangasinan’s economic development.

Since his first day in office in July 2022, Gov. Guico, an entrepreneur, has shifted the brand of leadership from the traditional to corporate function, which his detractors failed or refused to understand.

Before he even ran for governor, Gov. Guico ushered in the rise of the province’s first economic zone in Pangasinan. Established before the pandemic in his hometown of Binalonan, where he was the mayor and then Congressman, the Sumitomo Corporation, the largest Sumitomo manufacturing plant in the country, assembles wiring harnesses for Japanese electric vehicles.

He said phase one of the project operated with 3,000 employees, while phases two and three of the project will create an additional 10,000 job opportunities in Pangasinan.

A licensed pilot, the governor also owns the WCC Aeronautical School and WCC Aviation Company Inc. is driven to succeed in his goals and aspirations.

Likewise, his family owns a private hospital in Manila as well as a supermarket and mall.

The best practices he learned from all his business ventures were carried out in his career as a public official, first as a town mayor of Binalonan, then as a congressman of the province’s 5th congressional district, and now as the governor of Pangasinan.

In most of his speeches, the governor has reiterated his plan in clear directions for investors and instituted policies that will be beneficial for them and, in the end, the province. His goal, he said, is to see Pangasinan transform into an investment hub.

Equipped with entrepreneurial skills and honed by experience, he introduced a deep-rooted sense of idealism that will improve, if not eliminate, entrenched government bureaucratic processes.

Among his early achievements include the establishment of the 42.76-kilometer Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) which was done in partnership with San Miguel Corporation, owned by business tycoon Ramon Ang.

Now in its technical works for Phase 1, the project will link Binalonan town to the provincial capital town of Lingayen, cutting travel time from one and half hour to just about 25 to 30 minutes. The project will also strengthen Pangasinan’s connectivity to Manila and the rest of Luzon.

Healthcare

Gov. Guico also aims to provide the best healthcare for the more than 3.1 million Pangasinenses. The governor sets his sights on modernizing all 14 government-run hospitals in the province by building more facilities and equip all with state-of-the-art equipment that past administrations failed to provide.

At present, the provincial government is also actively pushing for the Guiconsulta, or the Government Unified Incentives for Medical Consultations program.

This was launched to target the registration of some two million Pangasinenses. With said number, it is expected that the province will receive about P3 to P4 billion, of which 20 percent will be distributed to the province’s 44 municipalities.

More Revenues

Under his watch, the province’s gross revenue collections tremendously soared. For instance, through a new quarrying ordinance, tax collections on river quarrying operations alone skyrocketed from P12 to P15 million net collections in the previous administration to the P235,575,494.26 net collection last year.

While it is true that there was an increase in quarry tax, the governor said it is an honest-to-goodness fair collection that goes directly to the provincial treasury with transparent records on hand.

Good fiscal management, he added, resulted in a record-high increase in collections; thus the province in 2024 earned various citations and awards.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan has also approved the 7.1 billion budget of the province for 2025.

Governor Ramon V. Guico III expressed deep appreciation to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, headed by Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino, as well as the department heads for their all-out support.

“Let me just highlight that this annual budget, aside from being the first time that we have reached this amount, is mostly the result of the professional management of our provincial government,” Governor Guico said.

The approved 2025 Annual Budget amounting to PhP 7,100,312,215.00 showed a significant increase compared to the P5,729,765,891.00 budget of 2024 with a remarkable difference of P1,370,546,324.00.

 Historic Firsts

With the governor at the helm, he steered the province to exceptionally greater heights of progress. Historic firsts were also recorded, such as the establishment of the Pangasinan Polytechnic College (PPC), which is the first of its kind in the entire region.

Currently, the province takes pride in producing the first batch of 141 graduates under the PPC Center for Lifelong Learning (CeLL), a TESDA-registered technical-vocational institution that provides free training to out-of-school youth. The graduates have undergone the Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) NC II program.

The PPC will open a school of medicine in addition to the present curriculum being offered for free for deserving scholars. This is on top of the baccalaureate courses earlier opened to its initial 700 scholars in August 2024.

The revival of the salt industry in Pangasinan is another brainchild of Gov. Guico. After years of non-operation, the salt farm located in barangay Zaragoza in Bolinao, the country’s largest, has started producing salt anew. It has partnered with the Philippine Coconut Authority and now supplies some areas in Regions I and III.

Based on records, the salt farm has produced 6,400 metric tons of salt and generated total sales of P10 million for 2024.

 Infra-tourism

Infra-tourism projects are among the governor’s priorities. He said the Redevelopment Project for the Capitol Complex is a result of scrupulous planning with the experts. It is expected that in a few months, locals will enjoy the largest reflective fountain and interactive pool in the country.

The redevelopment project will also widen the roads within the complex and improve parking space as well as the drainage system that will help mitigate the perennial flooding in the area.

Likewise, the Veterans Park will have a new aesthetic to give rightful respect to history and to the World War II heroes. The park will serve as one of the sites to behold in the Capitol Complex Redevelopment project that is expected to finish soon.

“Whatever I do is (will) always (be) a collective decision. If there is something about me, I always listen,” the governor reiterated during meetings with department heads, hospital chiefs, and employees.

He added that every decision he makes is intended for the welfare of the over 3.1 million Pangasinenses who need genuine care from leaders and the government. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—A PhP200 million, 55-bed capacity community hospital in barangay Gonzales in Umingan town to benefit Pangasinenses from the eastern part of the province is expected to open soon.

Gov. Ramon V. Guico III said the hospital found in a four-hectare property in said barangay will also have modern equipment like CT (computed tomography) scan, X-ray, and diagnostic devices.

Gov. Guico said that patients from neighboring towns of Natividad, San Nicolas, Rosales and even the neighboring province of Nueva Ecija will be served as well.

Started in January 18 last year, the project is now 80 percent complete, the governor reported.

Once completed, the building will have 50,000 square meters of floor plan. The road leading to and out of the hospital has been completed.

Governor Guico said the construction of the facility is the first township project of his administration and a realization of the provincial government’s vision to fully modernize the 14 government hospitals.

The township project shall include the construction of a transport terminal, a commercial area with modern stalls, a housing component, a daycare center, a part, and a social hall, the governer further said.

The project is in line with Gov. Guico’s main thrust to provide a mass-based health care program which will greatly help the sick less-fortunate residents of the 6th congressional district of Pangasinan.

The influx of patients is expected once the modern community hospital opens.

The existing Umingan Community Hospital near the municipal hall in barangay Poblacion is a 15-bed capacity facility that caters to about 50 patients only.(Ruby F. Rayat/ Joey Olimpo-PIMRO)

Lingayen, Pangasinan – Governor Ramon V. Guico III’s brand of leadership was again best displayed in the sound financial management of the 14 provincial government-run hospitals.

As of May 31, 2024, the province recorded a decrease in the PhilHealth Return-to-Hospital (RTH) and denied claims.

Data shows a decline in the 14 provincial hospitals Philhealth RTH and Denied Claims as follows: P109,785,115 (Total RTH) and P73,952,094 (Denied Claims) in 2021; P45,480,994 (RTH) and P59,409,670 (Denied Claims) in 2022; P49,544,505 (RTH) and P36,292,974 (Denied Claims) in 2023; P77,060,483 (RTH) and P14,928,409 (Denied Claims) in 2024, respectively.

“If we are going to compare 2021 sa 2022 and 2023, dramatically, malaki po yung binaba ng RTH and Denied Claims,” Dra. Racquel S. Ogoy, Medical Officer III of the Provincial Hospital Management Services Office, said.

This only means there was a huge improvement in the processing of PhilHealth claims under the leadership of Governor Ramon V. Guico III.

Dr. Ogoy further disclosed that the 14 provincial hospitals saw a significant increase in profit or revenue in 2024.

“Sa administrasyon po ni Gov. Guico, meron po tayong tinatawag na Medical Assistance for the Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patient (MAIFIP). Pag sinabi nating RTH, pwede pa nating ere-file or ere-submit kung may mga deficiencies. So may chance pa po na mabayaran ito. Pag denied, hindi na po natin masisingil pero, ang ginagawa nating actions sa 14 government hospitals natin, pina-file po natin siya sa MAIFIP para masingil pa rin po natin siya. Technically, hindi na po siya makokonsider na losses po ng province natin kasi mababayran po siya through the MAIFIP program ng DOH,” Dr. Ogoy explained.

(Chona Rich Majin, Edel Eira Gorospe/PIMRO)