Month: February 2025

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN – -Barely one year old and the Pangasinan Polytechnic College (PPC), the first-ever tertiary institution run by the provincial government, is continuously gaining international partnerships.

The PPC strengthened its international tie-up with the Globarx Philippines to reinforce education, internship programs and job placements for its students in Japan when it signed a memorandum of agreement with the firm through its founder and CEO, Kenta Morinaga.
Globarx Philippines, in its Facebook page says it is to “support foreign professionals who want to find a job or switch careers in Japan.”

In signing the MOA, PPC President Prof. Raymundo D. Rovillos said the partnership focuses on industry-academia programs to include Japan-government-funded donation courses which are offered through PPC in partnership with Japanese government agencies and companies.

Rovillos, formerly the University of the Philippines Baguio chancellor, said those initiatives are basically aimed to equip PPC students with pivotal technical skills and help them explore career opportunities with Japanese firms, both in the Philippines and Japan.

Aside from specializing in recruiting foreign talent, Globarx also supports employment of international students, provides online Japanese language training, and offers consulting services related to foreign recruitment as well.

Earlier, PPC had gathered support from international foundations such as the Lotte Scholarship Foundation which awarded scholarships to some 80 Pangasinense students including 20 PPC scholars.

PPC has likewise strengthened international collaboration by participating in the 2024 Indigeneity and Landscape Analysis Workshop held in Taiwan last December. The event was organized by National Chengchi University (NCCU) in collaboration with the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and the Nanzhuang Saisiat PalaSan Cooperative.

Said workshop was participated in by delegates from higher education institutions (HEIs) and organizations in the Philippines and international instittutions such as the Hongkong Polytechnic University, the Toyama University (Japan), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the United States.

It is also set to sign a MOA with NCCU to strengthen the partnership.
The PPC is more than just a campaign promise, but a legacy project of Governor Ramon V. Guico III intended to fulfill the dream of every poor Pangasinense family to have at least one college graduate/professional in their household (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO, Photo PPC)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN – Gov. Ramon V. Guico III led provincial officials here Thursday in the groundbreaking ceremony to start construction of two iconic projects- within the Capitol Complex.

Gov Guico, Vice Governor Mark Lambino, some members of the provincial board, and department heads officially now look forward to the start of construction of the 1,500-seater Convention Center and the 11-storey Government Center and Tower.

“We have to give credit to the people who also played a big role in making all of these happen. To our department heads and employees of our Provincial Capitol, thank you very much,” he said with FADZ Construction, Inc. President and CEO Nathaniel Mariano as witness.

The two projects are part of the Capitol Redevelopment Project, a legacy project of the Guico administration aimed to spur economic and tourism development in Pangasinan.

With the battle cry ‘Pangasinan, Ang Galing!, Guico added: ‘We are laying the foundation and planting the seeds for the near future and for the far future. So, I think this administration will make it smart as the builder of the excellent and new Pangasinan. That’s what we want to happen.”

“When Team FADZ designed this building (Government Center/Tower), we started with the conventional foundation. Then, as we progressed, when we conducted soil testing and soil analysis, we realized that we need to change the design…the so-called spread footing or mat footing. But the structural engineers said they consulted a lot because we have to ensure the integrity and the safety of the structure,” said Gov. Guico, who wants to see Pangasinan “starting from Lingayen, the Singapore of the North.”

The provincial government in 2023 entered into a P6 billion Omnibus term loan from the Land Bank Philippines to fund priority development projects.

Of said amount,  PhP4.3 billion was earmarked for projects within the Capitol grounds.

Some PhP1.8 billion of which is earmarked for the construction of the government center that will house provincial government and national government agencies offices.

Another  PhP500 million has been allocated for additional improvements at the Provincial Capitol Complex. The province will also establish a PhP500 million corporate center to house businesses and commercial spaces aimed to stimulate local economic activity.

Gov. Guico said that  PhP758 million will be utilized for health projects and other big-ticket undertakings for the province. The remaining PhP700 million will be used for land acquisition and construction of other support facilities.

With the redevelopment of the Capitol Complex, the governor assured that the historic Capitol building will remain untouched and will remain as Pangasinan’s main heritage site. (Ruby F. Rayat/Photo by Gian Carlo Milanes/PIMRO)

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN — The provincial government on Thursday paved the way of bringing in sustainable tourism projects with the groundbreaking and signing of a memorandum of agreement for the construction of the Pangasinan Tourism Rest Area at the Capitol grounds here with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

Gov. Ramon V. Guico III, DoT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, and TIEZA Assistant Chief Operations Officer Gregory A. Oller signed the MOA after the groundbreaking ceremony of the tourism facility that will serve as a convergence point where foreign and local visitors could get information on tourism sites, attractions, how to get to those places and accommodations in Pangasinan.

Gov. Guico, in thanking the DOT and the TIEZA for the project, said that the province has already lined up several game-changing tourism projects for Pangasinan.

Gov. Guico said tourism projects are on deck, including the ongoing redevelopment of the Capitol Complex, which includes a more than 200-meter reflective pool and interactive fountain located at the back of the Capitol building.

“This will also complement the projects of our honorable congressman Mark Cojuangco, him prioritizing flooding, accessibility, and issues in this area. And the Capitol is making plans that will boost the tourism and make it more convenient for our visitors to visit the Capitol Complex,” Gov. Guico said.

Gov. Guico said that other projects in the Capitol area are the construction of the 11-storey provincial capitol plaza that will house local and national government offices, a 300-room hotel, and a convention center that had already started (Phase 1); the establishment of ferry boat rides from the Limahong Channel here to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City; and improved parking in the vicinity of the Minor Basilica of Manaoag, which is visited by around five to eight million pilgrims annually, among others.

The MOA states that TIEZA will fund the construction, the DOT will monitor and evaluate the project, and it will turn over the same to the province once construction is finished (Ruby F. Rayat, JP De Vera/PIMRO).

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN — Pangasinan was named a ‘national health champion’ for its exemplary accomplishments in maintaining and promoting efficient, safe and healthy communities.

The province was one of the three local government units named by the Department of Health as “Kampeon ng Kalusugan sa mga Komunidad”. The other ‘Kampeons’ are Davao de Oro and Pasay City.

Gov. Ramon Guico III received the award in a simple ceremony last Monday, February 10, at the Urduja House from Dir. Dominic Maddumba, OlC-Director ll of the Health Promotion Bureau, and DOH Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco.

The Healthy Communities award 2024 (Kampeon ng Kalusugan sa Komunidad) aimed to recognize outstanding community-led efforts that improve public health and wellness.

It highlights LGUs that successfully implement sustainable programs promoting health and well-being while also improving the quality of life in their communities as it rests on two main pillars—health promoting environment [physical, social, political and economic qualities], and responsive local health system.

“Our responsibility as public servants is to pursue the balance of hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure which includes education, healthcare, social services, and moral infrastructure. That is what we are doing in Pangasinan. That is why our vision is “Pangasinan, Ang Galing!” This [award] is already an affirmation that in less than three years, we have done so much,” Gov. Guico said.

Expressing elation over the award, the governor said that public service is his main agenda in running into public office. “Alam nyo itong ginagawa po natin, somehow is a summary and culmination of my almost 18 years in public office,” he stated.

Putting emphasis on genuine public service as his priority, Gov. Guico said the most valuable things in implementing a project is not just hard infrastructure [roads and bridges] but social, moral, health and educational infrastructures as well.

“There’s also what you call social infrastructure, the moral infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and educational infrastructure,” he added.

It can be recalled that health remains on top of the present administration’s program thrust. Since assuming office in July 2022, Gov. Guico spearheaded the modernization of the 14 government hospitals in the province and the launching of Guiconsulta, a pro-poor project.

“Hindi lang puro waiting shed, hindi lang puro semento. Hindi lang yan puro monoblocks. Alam nyo pag naramdaman nyo at magkasakit kayo, how you wish, meron tayong gobyernong sasalo sa atin pagdating sa ating medical needs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DoH lauded the province for its achievements in prioritizing health.

“Nakita ko po sa best practices ng Pangasinan, meron pong nabanggit na Capitol Redevelopment Project. Nakita ko na dito naka-focus sa open spaces, active transport, at road safety,” Maddumba said.

RD Sydiongco, on the other hand, commended the provincial government to include the provincial board as well as the municipal counterparts for passing local ordinances that support behavioral change for better health outcomes. Pangasinan bagged the award based on the following criteria: Potable Water and Food Security; Open Spaces, Active Transport Road Safety; Housing and Shelter; Efficient and quality essential health services; Accessible and Quality Education; Clean and Sustainable Environments; Income and Support; Health services accessible to all members of the community; Cultural Heritage; Tobacco- and Vape-, Alcohol-, Drug-Free Safe; Violence free and Inclusive; and, Equitable health financing.

Witnessing the ceremony were Vice Governor and Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) chair Mark Ronald DG. Lambino, SP Member Shiela F. Baniqued, various department heads and chiefs of hospitals. (Ruby F. Rayat, JP De Vera/PIMRO)

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)