Governor Ramon V. Guico III emphasized the role of unified public service in advancing programs across the province as he delivered his third State of the Province Address (SOPA) on April 5 at the Sison Auditorium.
Marking the final year of his initial three-year term, Guico framed the province’s achievements as the result of an “all-of-province” collaboration, recognizing local government units, department heads, provincial employees, and citizens as part of what he called “Team Pangasinan Ang Galing.”
“This SOPA is not a chronicle of what the governor has done alone,” Guico said in his address.
“These are accomplishments of the whole province. We always succeed because we do it as a team.”
During the address, Guico reported progress across several areas, including health care delivery, education, agriculture, and governance.
He said the provincial government’s expansion of hospital services included new dialysis centers in Lingayen, Bayambang, and Western Pangasinan, with upgrades in equipment such as MRI and CT scan machines. The new Umingan Community Hospital is also nearing completion.
Guico credited the establishment of the Pangasinan Polytechnic College, which opened in 2024, as another shared milestone.
The institution now offers degree and TESDA-accredited programs and is expected to open a school of medicine and law in the coming years.
“Our province had to wait for 47 other LGUs before it established its own higher education institution,” he said. “Now, we are catching up.”
The SOPA also highlighted the Pangasinan Green Canopy Project, which has planted over 378,000 tree seedlings since 2022, as well as corporate farming programs that have supported over 1,800 farmers through government subsidies and training.
Guico cited increased coordination among offices for the improved delivery of services, including Pangasinan’s job placement efforts, which recorded 14,290 placements from July 2022 to October 2024—double the number logged in the previous three-year period.
The governor also noted the provincial government’s partnership with national agencies and private stakeholders, such as San Miguel Corporation’s P34-billion Pangasinan Link Expressway, which will be developed at no cost to the province.
“Three years are short, but they are loaded with outstanding performance,” Guico said, closing his report with thanks to provincial officials, employees, and citizens.
“Pangasinan Ang Galing is a way of life for us—and we want to be faithful to its ideals.”
