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)
