Thursday, July 16, 2009

GATE holds dialogue with Abono Partylist and Irrigators

Lingayen- - - Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. has conferred yesterday, July 9, with the Irrigators’ Association of the 4th, 5th and 6th Districts of Pangasinan at the Agricultural Training Institute in Sta. Barbara town to personally hear their grievances thru a consultative dialogue.
The governor said that during the first two years of his term he has concentrated the ground works on the rehabilitation or improvement of the agricultural facilities of the province first to basically position the needs of the marginalized farmers.
According to him, after the improvement of the six agricultural facilities, the province can now proceed to the next step which is irrigation.
“I can relate to your problems because I am also a farmer” he said, as he expressed full support to all the endeavors of the different irrigators associations throughout Pangasinan.
Governor Espino stated that ‘pragmatic approach’ must be done to transform Pangasinan into a premier agricultural province.in the next two to three decades.
To achieve this, the province must first increase its yield, be self-sufficient and rice importation must be minimized, if not stop. To do this, irrigation must be given priority in the coming days, he stressed.
Meanwhile, Engr. Roberto Aboli from the NIA Regional Office disclosed that the implementation of various irrigation projects will be fast-tracked until next year.
“Nakakuha po tayo dito sa Pangasinan ng P243 million na pondo para sa 27 communal irrigation at 4 national irrigation’” he bared as he added that to date, NIA has accomplished 50% of the target from which 4,700 hectares are rehabilitated and 1,616 are restored.
Aboli, however, encouraged the farmers to follow the cropping calendar to avoid problems on irrigation.
On the other hand, Engr.Rosendo So, ABONO Party-list’s chairman, told the members of the irrigators’ associations that for the past years his group has been fighting for irrigation, and only now that the province has displayed a pragmatic approach to solve the irrigation problems of the province.
“We are lucky that the governor is concern with the welfare of the farmers,” he said as he bared that the national government has allotted P2 billion additional budget for irrigation program.Said funds, however, has not reached the local government units yet because of bidding problems.

Earthquake drill set July 17

Lingayen- - -An earthquake drill will be held on July 17, 9 o’clock in the morning at the St. Columban’s College (SCC) here as part of the simultaneous drill nationwide.
Engr. Ruben Aquino, PDCC representative, said that the drill is the main highlight of the National Disaster Consciousness Month with the theme, “Pag Alerto, Malayo sa Peligro.”
In a conference conducted on July 7 among line agencies, Aquino briefed the participants such as the PNP, Fire Brigade, Phil. National Red Cross (Pangasinan Chapter), DepEd representatives, SCC officials and other representatives of different entities regarding the conduct of the actual drill slated one day after the powerful quake that occurred in 1990.
The group is divided into several team committees such as the scenario team, evaluators, first aid, security, fire safety, communication and evacuation.
The scenario team is composed of the actual drill participants who serves as the first responders during the onset of a specific disaster while the first aid is consists of medical and health workers like doctors and nurses who will take care of the injured responders.
The fire safety team takes charge when there is fire during the earthquake, communication team will require quick action on disseminating the occurrence of the disaster thru handheld radio, phones or other means of communication.
Meanwhile,PC 1 Hilario Toledo, Lingayen PNP Deputy Chief of Police said that the drill is beneficial because it will orient people on earthquake preparedness.
“The most important”, he cited, “during actual disaster is for everyone to remain calm and be alert.”
The earthquake drill is spearheaded by the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC). (PIO/Ruby R. Bernardino)


LINGAYEN--- Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr hailed the chess champion kids from the recently concluded 10th Asean Age Group Chess Championship held from June 6 to 16 at Hue, Vietnam when they paid courtesy call on the governor here last Monday.

Gold Medalist Cherry Ann P. Mejia, a 14-year old 3rd year high school student of Colegio de San Juan de Letran who hails from Poblacion, San Jacinto Pangasinan together with Samantha Glo C. Revita, 9-year old and Dennis Guttierez, Jr, 8-year old, a silver and bronze medalist, respectively received commendation from the provincial officials.

Gov. Espino has even made proud of the kids’ talents when he learned that they are just “trained at home” by their guardians and parents since they started their enthusiasm for chess sports.

With already 50 medals in her cap, Mejia, who started playing chess at the age of nine, has snatched gold medal in the 9-round standard crosstable chess in the 14 years of age and below category defeating other participating countries including Vietnam, the host country.

Mejia was named as Most Valuable Player during the 2007 World Asean Age Group Chess Championship held at Danang, Vietnam, and now a member of the Federation of Chess Champions.

Meanwhile, Revita, who hails from Rosales town, has received a special commendation from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through a provincial resolution, by winning multiple medals in the same chess competition. She started playing chess at the age of three.

A consistent honor student from Rosales North Central School, Revita who already hauled 18 medals in various chess tournaments, placed second and third in the 7-round crosstable rapid chess and 7-round standard crosstable chess games respectively.

Both Mejia and Revita are consistent medalist in the chess event during the 2008 Palarong Pambansa, Inter-Regional Athletic Association (IRAA) and Milo Little Olympics.

The province’s youngest chess wizard Dennis Gutierrez, Jr., a grade two pupil of the Stella Maris Academy, who hails from Nibaliw in San Fabian town, also won games that made him 7th placer in the 9-rounds standard crosstable and 7-rounds rapid chess.

By bringing home the bacon for the province, Gov. Espino has pledged his continuous support to the talented kids especially in the field of sports even as he added that the youth and development program of the province would always be assisting the Pangasinan youth in honing their skills and talents.

The kids have received cash incentive from the province aside from the P25,000 each as financial assistance provided to them prior to their flight to Vietnam. (Merly R. Tibalao/PIO)

GATE pushes Pangasinan as home to healthiest Filipinos

Lingayen- - -Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. urged all Pangasinenses to do their share in making the province the home of healthiest and happiest people in the country.
He made his appeal during the regular flag raising ceremony on July 6 at the Capitol plaza here coinciding with the 35th Nutrition Month Celebration kick-off spearheaded by the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The governor said that the province has gained significant accomplishments in the field of health for the past two years starting off with the massive renovation or rehabilitation of all 14 government hospitals aside from the establishment of a Dialysis Center in San Carlos City and the universal enrolment of some 185,000 indigent families to PhilHealth.
Pangasinan occupies the top post in the most number of enrollees in the entire country, to date.
This, according to him, will not be realized, however, without the support of the Pangasinense people who are seeking for transformation and reform after suffering from years of neglect and stagnation not just in health care but in other aspects of development.
He likewise thanked the provincial employees for their cooperation and unity.
Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan, on the other hand, said that the provincial government is doing its best to provide direct medical health care to the ‘poorest of the poor.’
According to him, the establishment of a Dialysis Center within the compound of the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City equipped with 15 dialysis machines and slated to dry run this Thursday, July 9, with initial four patients to be treated, is a manifestation of the present administration’s earnest effort to improve health services in Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jackson Soriano, PHO Officer-in- Charge identified various events in line with the month-long Nutrition Celebration that includes nutrition forum, toothbrushing and handwashing activities in all barangays province-wide, deworming and feeding projects for malnourished public elementary school pupils.
He further mentioned seven tips to a healthy lifestyle as follows: 1) no smoking, 2) don’t drink alcohol, 3) no to illegal drugs, 4) eat low fat, low salt, high fiber diet, 5) prevent hypertension, 6) do physical activities, 7) manage stress.
This year’s theme is “Wastong Nutrisyon Kailangan, Lifestyle Diseases Iwasan.” (PIO/Ruby R. Bernardino)

Prov’l Gov’t Launches Productivity Programs



To deliver quality public service, the Pangasinan Provincial Government is complementing its physical infrastructure development with human resource programs and empowerment when it launched its Productivity and Quality Programs today during its regular flag-raising ceremony at the Capitol Plaza.

“The provincial productivity and quality programs will surely give our offices another facelift, enhance individual commitments at work and further develop teamwork and camaraderie among employees within offices,” Vice-governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas said during the program.

Included in the program are office practices such as the 5 S or Sweep, Sanitize, Sort, Systematize and Self-Discipline; ISTIV or Industriousness, Systematic, Time Conscious, Innovativeness and Value for Work; and the JIT or Just in Time.

Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan led the reading of the pledge of commitment for the launching of the provincial programs on productivity and quality.

Simultaneous with the launching is the declaration of Pangasinan as Red Cross emblem misuse free.

According to Vice-governor Agabas, “Today, we are catapulting our province into a status attained only by a few local government units as we declare our province to be a territory free from violating the international agreement that the Red Cross emblem shall not be misused in order to protect its sanctity and neutrality.”

Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario informed the audience that Pangasinan is the sixth province in the entire country to declare as such, and said that “the declaration signifies our full commitment and dedication to the Red Cross movement and recognizes the importance of the role of Red Coss as an appellate of the government and as an independent humanitarian organization.”

Meanwhile, Board Member Alfonso Bince said he will request the governor for the provincial government to undertake blood-letting activity to support Red Cross. (PIO/Rafael Manuel)

2009 Nutrition Month Celebration

Lingayen- - - Series of activities for the 2009 Nutrition Month Celebration slated this July has been lined up to increase awareness among Pangasinenses on the importance of good health and proper hygiene as depicted on its theme, “Wastong nutrisyon kailangan, healthy lifestyle diseases iwasan.”
Milagros A. Gutierrez,PHO Nutritionist Dietitian II, said that the month-long event kicked off last June 30 via a four-day Training on LGU Localization Technical Guidelines in Implementing the Asin Law (RA 8172) at the President Hotel here which is participated by the Provincial Task Force and Municipal Task Force of Mangaldan, Dasol and Infanta.
This, she said, aims to educate Pangasinenses especially those at the grassroots on the importance of using iodized salt and its various health benefits.
It will be recalled that the Asin Law was passed in 1995 requiring all producers or manufacturers of food- grade salt to fortify or iodize their products to eliminate micronutrient malnutrition in the country particularly iodine deficiency disorders.
Gutierrez added that micronutrient malnutrition is a disorder resulting from deficiencies in vitamin A, iron, iodine which the body needs everyday while iodine deficiency disorder manifests from lack of iodine in the diet that leads to the reduction of intellectual and physical capacity which can result to goiter, mental retardation or defects and cretinism.
Other activities for the nutrition month include health education class and food assistance program targeting underweight preschoolers, promotion of good oral health especially toothbrushing ,and deworming of all public elementary school pupils throughout the province. (PIO/Ruby R. Bernardino)

Prov’l Gov’t hospitals provides therapeutic surroundings


LINGAYEN – Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. led the blessing of the administrative building of the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) last June 29 in its effort to make public hospitals a healing place not just through medical means but also through therapeutic surroundings.

“Siguro naman pag pumasok ang pasyente dito he will say: ‘I’m gonna get well in this hospital’,” the Governor said.

Espino quipped that the provincial government-owned hospitals which he had seen in June 2007 appeared to discourage a patient to seek medical treatment as they might have said: “I’ll die tomorrow if I stay here.”

“We wish to give them some thing that will soothe their feelings not only due to physical health but also in their state of mind. Let us help them by showing them at least a clean physical infrastructure and fresh air here in your hospital,” the Governor stressed.

According to the governor, seven dilapidated buildings were already demolished inside the PPH and new buildings are being constructed as replacements. This includes the first government-owned dialysis center which will soon be available to the public to offer a much lower medical fee for indigent patients.

The backfilling operation of the provincial hospital renovation alone, has already consumed 976 10-wheeler trucks of sand and gravel, he said.

Aside from the improvement in physical structures and facilities, the governor also commended the renewed mindset and culture of the hospital staff.

“I’m happy to see the nurses are now in uniform and they are wearing their caps,” as he recalled that there was a hospital staff before instigating not to wear uniform.

He also called on the highest chief of the hospital down to the lowest utility workers to uphold professionalism, dignity and self-respect as public servants.

He added that the poorest Filipinos in Pangasinan are the poor who are sick in the province. This is the main reason why health care is one of his top priorities.

Meanwhile, PPH Chief, Dr. Policarpio Manuel, affirmed that it is not only cleanliness that has been changed in the institution but also discipline and work habits even as he stressed that “bawal ang tamad at suplado.”

These great changes according to Manuel caused the increase in the number of patients of the hospital.

He likewise cited various projects of the governor that have been completed and are still being undertaken at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City.

“Magdadalawang taon palang ang ating gobernador pero malaki na po ang naibigay sa atin,” Manuel further commented citing that the Admnistrative building as well as the Dialysis center are a dream come true. (PIO/Ninia F. Nicolas & Chona C. Bugayong).