LINGAYEN, Pangasinan— This province now holds the record of the highest number of hectares planted with hybrid rice in the entire country.

This was said by Gov. Victor Agbayani in his ninth State of the Province Address Friday at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall here attended by his department heads, three mayors, the provincial board members, and other heads of government agencies.

Agbayani said the irrigation program and the continuing technology transfer have dramatically increased the hybrid rice area plnated in Pangasinan by eight-fold, from 2,000 hectares five years ago to almost 17,000 hectares today.

He said hybrid rice has effectively increased the average yield of the province’s rice farmers from 80 cavans per hectare to 150 cavans per hectare.

This represents an increase in harvest of more than one million cavans last year or an equivalent increase of P500 million in gross income for the farmers, he said.

Also, he said 28 communal irrigation systems will be rehabilitated early this year, increasing irrigation efficiency in 3,000 more hectares of farmland in the province.

Agbayani said the irrigation program which he began in 1999 will have rehabilitated 111 irrigation systems by the end of this quarter, improving irrigation in a total of about 20,000 hectares of farmland in Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, Agbayani said even as the province awaits the resolution in the Central Board of Assessment Appeals of the real property tax payment for the year 2006 of the Mirant and the National Power Corporation, the province continues to maintain its status as number one in assessment and real property tax collection in region 1.

Last year, the governor said a total of P7.66 billion in investments with more than 16,000 jobs generated were recorded by the Department of Trade and Industry in the province.

On the environment aspect, Agbayani said his four-year old Upland and Watershed Reforestation Program now benefits an extended network of 70 Integrated Social Forestry (ISF) organizations in watershed and ISF areas. He said with the help of the Department of Agriculture, this provincial government program has planted over 170,000 tree seddlings, reforesting an aggregate area of 740 hectares.

He said in July 2006, he signed a Conservation Partnership Agreement with the University of the Philippines Marine Environment Resource Foundation and the Netherlands government.

Part of the agreement is the grant by the Netherlands government of a six-ton vessel to be used by the Provincial Coastla Law Enforcement Task Force to patrol areas of Lingayen Gulf.

The governor also stressed thatPangasinan remains the undisputed pioneer province in the Family Planning Commodity Self Reliance.

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan—Be romantic
on your wedding day. Make it happen at the world- famous Hundred Islands located in this city for free.

This Valentine’s Day, the city government is set again to sponsor a Valentine’s Day wedding at the Lucap Wharf, the jump-off point to the scenic Hundred Islands National Park (HINP).

Reynaldo Castro, head of the Local Civil Registry (LCR) said his office welcomes would-be couples who wish to be part of this memorable event. About 100 to 150 couples from the city’s 39 barangays either to tie the knot or renew their wedding vows are expected to join.

All interested couples still have until January 31 to file their wedding applications at the LCR.

For the past two years, the Valentine’s Day wedding was held at Bolo Beach in
barangay Pandan.

With the scenic view of the HINP as a backdrop, the perfect setting and romantic ambiance at the wharf and the mammoth crowd witnessing this unforgettable affair of the hearts, the wedding couples will definitely treasure every moment of their sunset Valentine’s wedding, Mayor
Hernani Braganza said.

Braganza will again administer the wedding ceremonies for the third straight year. He, his wife Stella and the city and barangay officials will also serve as principal sponsors to the would-be brides and grooms.

The Braganza administration has institutionalized this free mass civil wedding as a humble gift to the less privileged
Alaminians who could not afford a decent, much less a dream wedding.

The initiative is also one of the many ways of reviving the old magic of the Hundred Islands and at the same time infusing love, joy, romance and sense of spirituality into the city’s pride, the mayor said.

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LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines–President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be in this historic and capital town of Pangasinan today around 10:00 a.m. to fulfill her promise last year that she will come back to inaugurate the almost P800 million Domalandan Bridge.

District Engineer Rodolfo Dion of the Second Pangasinan Engineering District
based here told this writer that all is set for the inauguration which coincides with the town fiesta celebration.

To accompany the President are Pangasinan leaders led by House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, second district Rep. Amado Espino Jr, Governor Victor Agbayani, Mayor Ernesto Castañeda Jr, Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr, among others.

Dion said after six years of construction starting in 2001, the 600.46 lineal meter long Domalandan Bridge located within the boundary of barangays Baay and Domalandan that connects this town to the rest of the towns in western Pangasinan is now ready for inauguration as its contractor, Ciriaco Construction, beat early its deadline for construction completion.

The 18-span bridge has a width of 7.2 meters plus a sidewalk of .90 meter on
each side.

It was washed out by a typhoon sometime in 1998. Since then, due to government financial shortage, the release of its fund was made on a staggered basis.

Castañeda thanked Mrs. Arroyo for fulfilling her promise to have this project completed when she came here during last year’s fiesta celebration.

"This is the most memorable Christmas gift coming from President Arroyo for the people of Lingayen," he said.

He also thanked de Venecia for ensuring that funds were allocated yearly for its completion.

“This is another important project made under the Arroyo administration. A big number of Pangasinenses especially those from the first and second districts will be greatly benefited,” Espino said.

He said when the bridge collapsed, people from western Pangasinan who come here and in the central business district of Dagupan and vice versa had to make a detour to Labrador which takes longer travel time.

“This is truly a merry Christmas and happy fiesta celebration for Lingayen,” Espino said.