VEGETABLE SEEDLINGS DISTRIBUTION. Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. (2nd from left) and ABONO Partylist Chairman Rosendo So (4th from right), assisted by DEPED officials from Pangasinan Division I, distribute vegetable seedlings to the school officials of Paitan Elementary School in Sual highlighting the launching of the provincewide Search for Outstanding Gulayan and Maisan sa Eskwelehan Project on September 19. (PIO Photo by Emil Mari)

Series of shotgun distribution concludes with 99% total recipients

The series of distribution of shotguns concluded on a high note last Friday (September 19, 2008) at the Pangasinan PNP Target Range with about 99 percent of the total number of barangay chairpersons received their long arms intended to maintain peace and order in their respective communities.

Gov. Amado T. Espino, who just arrived few days ago from official travel from the United States, led the culminating activity of Pump Shotgun Markmanship and Familiarization Training, together with First District Representative Arthur Celeste, Board Members Tyrone Agabas, Von Mark Mendoza, Liberato Villegas, Jeremy Rosario, Amadeo Espino, Raul Sison, and Mayors Jonas Castaneda (Lingayen), Ernesto Acain (Labrador), and Domingo Doctor (Burgos).

The last batch of recipients came from the towns of Alaminos, Sual and Bani.

Gov. Espino said that it took them more than a year to study the shotgun program before it was implemented.

“Pwede naman natin bilhin agad yan dahil nag-set aside na kami ng budget na P30M, pero sa akin tinimbang muna namin yan, pinag-aralan at dumaan sa maraming consultations,” Gov. Espino said.

In his remarks, First District Cong. Arthur Celeste pointed out that the shotguns given to the barangay captains should be handled with great responsibility. He urged them to use it only to maintain peace and order in their area.

For his part, Board Member Agabas said that the barangay captains in his district were very happy to receive their shotguns which will serve as their shield against the intruders at night.

“Masaya ako ngayong araw na ito because this is a realization of so many dreams of the commitment na masasabi kong partly undertook during the election in the 6th District when we were campaigning together with the good Governor,” said 6th District Board Member Tyrone Agabas during the Pump Shotgun Markmanship, Familiarization Training and Turn-over Ceremony held at Pangansinan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) on September 19, 2008.

“What is being armed here is not specifically the punong barangay. What is being armed here is peace and security. How can we effectively uplift economic lives of our people if there’s no sense of security. That is the number one primordial agenda of the Governor, “ BM Agabas stressed.

Gov. Espino also said that after the shotgun, he will also equip every barangay with communication radios.

“Kung papayag ulit ang mga board members natin at kung may pondo tayo, ang susunod na kasama diyan ay mga radio para sa lahat ng barangays,” Gov. Espino announced.

“Ang purpose niyan ay magtu-tulungan kayong mga barangay at matutulungan kayo agad ng mga kapulisan natin. Pati mga ambulansiya at ospital natin matawagan niyo sila para kunin ang mga pasyente sa barangay niyo,” the Governor explained.

In the meantime, Mayor Doctor also expressed his support to the shotgun program. He belied reports that he was against shotgun distribution. “My statements were taken out of context by the media,” he told the governor. (PIO/Ninia F. Nicolas)

Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. (2nd from left), and First District Cong. Arthur Celeste (left) lead the ceremonial turn-over of shotguns to barangay captains from Sual (3rd from left), Alaminos (2nd from left) and Bani (right) during the culminating ceremony on Pump Shotgun Markmanship & Familiarization Training at the Pangasinan Provincial Police firing range on September 19. The governor who just arrived few days ago from official business trip in the United States concluded the shotgun distribution with 99% total recipients among all barangay heads in the entire province. (PIO Photo by Emilio R. Mari)

The Civil Service Commission Lingayen Field Office is calling on all provincial government employees to join the Quiz Bee contest in line with the 108th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary this September.

Slated on September 23 at the Pangasinan State University Audio-Visual Room in Lingayen, the Quiz Bee will measure the employees’ knowledge on personnel administration and/or human resource management from various government agencies in the province.

The competition is open to team category composed of two government employees. They will be challenged on topics about civil service laws, rules, policies, regulations and programs of the Commission with the following type of questions: filling in the blanks, multiple choice and true or false. The mechanics will be revealed before the quiz proper.

Prizes also await the three winners. First prize will receive a trophy and P3,000; second prize, trophy and P2,000 and third prize, trophy and P1,000.

Every government agency who wanted to participate should submit two names of their employees at CSC Lingayen Field Office on or before September 22, 2008. (PIO/Ninia F. Nicolas)

PHO trains 1,500 midwives to reduce

LINGAYEN— The provincial health office has been conducting a series of orientation-workshop for more than 1,500 midwives in a bid to organize a network of Women’s Health and Safe Motherhood (WHSM) team in all barangays.

The organization of WSHM in every barangay is envisioned to deliver quality women’s health and “saf `ehood-motherhood” services with midwives as key leaders to prevent maternal deaths in the province of Pangasinan.

The 2007 health statistics shows that the province has 20 maternal deaths per 1,000 live births.

The leading causes of maternal deaths that can be prevented when given a proper maternal health care include ectopic pregnancy, obstructed labor, hypertension due to eclampsia, convulsion, infection and post-partum hemorrhage.

Dr. Jackson Soriano, PHO officer-in-charge, said the WSHM team will be the frontliners of the province in the health service delivery system in the barangay as far as maternal health care is concerned.

“Midwives play a pivotal role in the formation of a proactive WSHM team to safeguard the health of our pregnant women, thus prevent maternal deaths in your jurisdiction ,” he said.

For her part, Dr. Cielo Almoite, family health care cluster head, pointed out that the goal of having an WHSM team in every barangay is “to ensure the safety of pregnant women from her first trimester period up to her post-partum delivery.

“These are considered as high-risk period for pregnant women that needs to be monitored by the WHSM team,” she stressed.

The composition of WSHM team includes the barangay health worker, traditional birth attendants (TBAs) as members together with municipal health officer and public health nurse as team’s supervisor and assistant supervisor respectively.

Eleonor Maramba, PHO’s maternal health care coordinator, has explained to the midwives the various mechanisms in the provision of improving the women’s health and safe motherhood.

These include the coming up with a masterlist of pregnant women and assisting them to accomplish birth plan for they could easily monitor their regular monthly check-up to the health center. (Merly R. Tibalao/PIO)

Gov. Espino commends prov’l gov’t employees

LINGAYEN--- Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr, who just arrived last Saturday from the United States, commended the provincial government officials and employees during a “welcome back party” prepared for him by the provincial officials last Tuesday at the Capitol Resort Hotel.

“I salute you all guys for doing a job well done,” he said. Gov. Espino likewise expressed his gratitude to Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias Agabas who was acting as Governor for almost three weeks and to all provincial department heads for “efficiently managing the affairs of the province.”

He thanked all employees “for giving their best efforts for the province of Pangasinan. “I am very much proud of you and I missed you all,” he said.

For his trip, Espino has proudly noted his accomplishments during his US official trip together with Mayor Ernesto Castaneda of Lingayen where they both convinced the “kabaleyans” to visit to Pangasinan again and see for themselves the transformation of the Capitol and Lingayen.

“Expect more balikbayans coming in as early as November,” Espino said as he stressed that their visit to US is “not to beg” but to bring pride for Pangasinan.

“I don’t believe that Pangasinenses are mendicants, and I won’t allow them to feel they are beggars as long as I am the Governor,” Giving them relief goods for just one meal would only give them a feeling of a “beggar” in their own province.

In her speech to welcome the governor, Vice Gov. Agabas, likewise, thanked Gov. Espino for giving her the “trust and confidence.” to manage the province for the second time around.

“Accepting the job as acting Governor for even a very short period of time gave me mixed emotions. And this is elation and apprehension. Elation because the governor believes in my ability, and apprehension because I might not be able to fill in his big shoes as a hardworking governor as he is. And now, with Gov. Espino around, it’s time for him to take the driver’s seat,” said Agabas.

Members of the provincial board who also welcomed back Gov. Espino include BMs Alfonso Bince, Von Mark Mendoza, Angel Baniqued, Nestor “Nicky Boy” Reyes, Raul Sison, Amadeo Espino and Alicia Pulido.

Former Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim, who was also present during the affair, pointed out that “the province is very much lucky to have Gov. Espino.”

Likewise, the province’s First Lady Prescilla Espino said she was “very happy” that her husband has arrived “safe and sound” even as she noted the efforts of the provincial department heads for doing their respective jobs even the governor is not around.(Merly R. Tibalao/PIO)

Province holds 3-day health summit

LINGAYEN--- Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr., together with Ambassadors Kristie Ann Kenney of the United States and Alistair Macdonald of the European Commission (EC) will lead the first-ever Provincial Health Summit on September 25 to 27 at the Oxford Hotel in Clarkfield, Pampanga.

The three-day activity will have the participation of 250 delegates coming from various chief executives and municipal health officers of local government units (LGUs), and leaders in the health sector.

The summit aims to further improve the health of every Pangasinense especially the marginalized sectors through a collective support and commitment from the local chief executives as well as health stakeholders.

The in-house activity will be facilitated by the provincial health office headed by Dr. Jackson Soriano in coordination with the Health Governance (HealthGov) team, a group tapped by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on its various development programs in the country.

The holding of the summit is an offshoot of the three-day rationalization plan activity which was held last July with MHOs, chief of hospitals, local health coordinators, local health workers and PHO as key major players.

Rationalization health plan, according to Dr. Soriano, is the optimization of the current local health system to be able to deliver the full range of health services in the most effective and efficient manner.

Conceptualized by Gov. Espino himself, the summit will serve as a venue to build concerted efforts and commitments among local chief executives for a better delivery of health services to their constituents.

In achieving these objectives, Dr. Soriano said, the activity shall include consultations, open forums and plenary sessions among the LGUs and other concerned local health coordinators to come up with a concrete health action plans for the wellness of every Pangasinense. (Merly R. Tibalao/PIO)

HEALTH SUMMIT PREPARATION. Dr. Jackson Soriano, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Health Office, meets his staff in preparation for the holding of the first-ever Pangasinan Health Summit on September 25-27. The three-day summit, which will be spearheaded by Gov. Amado T. Espino,Jr. and with special participation of Ambassadors Kristie Ann Kenney and Alistair Macdonald (European Commission), will be participated in by various local chief executives, municipal health officers, local health coordinators, and chiefs of district hospitals. (Photo by Emil Mari/PIO)