Pangasinan

  Catapulting the province into an economic hub

By Chin-Chin Pascual

"By 2031, Pangasinan will be a great province of socio-economic growth." This is what Gov. Monmon Guico told his constituents, when he delivered his State of the Province Address, on the occasion of Pangasinan's 444th charter day celebration. Indeed, he has focused his platforms into making the province an economic hub in North Luzon.

Gov Monmon is a champion of healthcare and good governance. His approach to policy-making can be described by the word "syzygy," which means unity amid diversity - a very transformative approach as iithas unified all fronts despite their beliefs in the past.

One of his driving tools is the tourism wheel that has helped shape the province's stature. As a transformative and visionary leader, he, likewise, advocates for climate change initiatives. Something that's seriously campaigned by advocates through the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Provincial Government signed a memorandum of agreement with the Pangasinan Salt Center, wherein they'll augment the production wheels under the Salt Law. The province was awarded 473 hectares of salt beds in Barangay Zaragoza in Bolinao. Also in Bolinao is the Punta Piedra Lighthouse, a testament to the once-burgeoning Acapulco Trade. In Bolinao, too, can be found the Balingasay River that has been touted the cleanest river in Luzon, as reported by the DENR. Its river cruise echoes that of Bohol's ecotourism.

With the rehabilitation, too, of the Bolinao Bangus Hatchery, this venture drumbeats Pangasinan as the biggest milk fish producer in the entire country. While nearby Alaminos City still entice tourists with their spellbinding Hundred Islands tours.

Gov. Monmon's deep love for culture and the arts is showcased in the Banaan Provincial Museum, a repository of the province's colored history. The Church of Manaoag gathers six million pilgrims and devotees each year, with the numbers continually rising.

With all the programs and projects in place, together with those in the pipeline, Gov. Monmon is clearly charting a beautiful legacy for Pangasinan.