LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—For the longest time, the mountain village of Malico in San Nicolas town has been a recipient of various projects funded by the Provincial Government of Pangasinan.
The support for the mountain villagers manifests deep concern over the welfare of the people who trace their roots to Pangasinan being their bailiwick.
Tracing back, the province, under the stewardship of then-Governor Victor E. Agbayani, has implemented a shallow tube well program to address the scarcity of irrigation water in the area.
In January 2003, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was entered into and signed by former Gov. Agbayani and the Barangay Council of Malico, represented by then Punong Barangay Joseph Tindaan.
As stipulated in the MOA, the provincial government distributed pump and engine sets through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg). This has greatly benefited the farmers.
Malico National High School and Malico Elementary School were established and have been under the jurisdiction of the Pangasinan II Schools Division of the Department of Education.
Meanwhile, in his most recent visit to the mountain village this month, Governor Ramon V. Guico III stated that Malico is part of Pangasinan.
Gov. Guico said he would answer the claim of Governor Jose V. Gambito that the mountain village belongs to Nueva Vizcaya in the proper forum.
More than the ownership, the provincial government, under the stewardship of Gov. Guico, has prioritized the well-being of the mountain villagers by extending various social services.
In a meeting at the Governor’s Office in 2022 under the present administration, Malico barangay captain Jaime Segundo vehemently said that Pangasinan was the only province to which his village belonged. Segundo shared during the meeting that he was born and raised in that mountain village and has always been proud of San Nicolas as his natal landscape.
Gov. Guico’s first trip to Malico as the provincial chief executive dates back to October 19, 2022. That time, he was able to listen to the pleas of village residents regarding their urgent need for social services and vowed to address their needs.
The governor returned to the village on March 20, 2023, and led the inauguration of the Barangay Disaster Operations Center.
To enhance the preparedness of the villagers during times of calamity, training on ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation—Disaster Risk Reduction and Basic Life Support was conducted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in December 2023. This was attended by some 40 barangay officials and health workers.
Aside from the barangay disaster operations center, a tourism office will soon be established along with a Philippine National Police (PNP) barracks to ensure peace and order in the community.
In his recent visit to Malico, when he brought ‘LINGAP ed Barangay or Local Initiatives: Guidance and Assistance Program last July 4, Gov. Guico pledged to earmark P200 million for the village to be utilized for various projects, including social and medical services for the residents.
The governor further stated that he welcomes development projects that will be accorded by the other province, as he emphasized that what truly matters is the improvement of the lives of fellow Pangasinenses residing in Malico.
(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)
