Wednesday, July 02, 2008 Velasco marks 1st year as Sta. Barbara mayor By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
STA. BARBARA -- On the first year of his administration, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco reported his accomplishments against what he promised his town mates during the campaign period.
Velasco made the announcement at a simple program held last Tuesday at the Maramba National High School gym, the mayor’s alma mater.
Present during the event were the members of the Municipal Council headed by Vice Mayor Ruben Jose.
The special guests in Tuesday’s event were Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan (who represented Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr.), Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, and Board Members Romeo Dadacay and Angel Baniqued.
Velasco stated that no other town in the province has done so much in the area of infrastructure development given such a short time.
Among the problems he promised to immediately address if elected was the perennial flooding here.
Velasco said environmental protection and flood control was a must-do area where they focused much of the resources under their control.
"The single biggest problem of Sta. Barbara is that a big swat of its territory finds itself under water during the monsoon months due to a long neglect of its flood control dikes and aging irrigation canals. The floods had not only made the farmlands produce less, these have spawned illnesses among the children and adults in the flooded villages," he remarked.
Accordingly, the irrigation system project is the highest infrastructure project in Sta. Barbara followed by flood control project.
Velasco reported that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contributed P34.5 million, the local government allotted P2 million while the Department of National Defense (DND) contributed P3 million to their flood control project. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has contributed an initial amount of P2.5 million.
Third district Representative Ma. Rachel Arenas will fund the dredging of the Sinocalan River (from Alibago to Ventinilla).
In the area of agricultural productivity, Velasco said NIA had initially allocated P86 million (with another P40 million coming) for the rehabilitation of dilapidated and ill-used irrigation canals channeling river water to farmlands.
He pledged that in the last two years of his term, his administration will partner with NIA in rehabilitating the dams at the mouths of the irrigation canals here. This is to ensure that water flows into the canals during dry months.
He admitted though that at this time, they are producing less than the needed production for local consumption.
But with these infrastructure projects, Velasco is optimistic that in the coming years, they will not only be self-sufficient for table rice and certified seeds but also be able to provide their neighboring towns their rice (and certified seeds) requirements.
Velasco also made a report in other areas of his 10-point agenda that includes reform in governance, education for all, youth and sports development, values formation and strengthening, livelihood and jobs creation, social and health services, community partnership, and peace and order.
If the brick manufacturers are ready this year, he said they will launch at their fiesta in December the "Lario Festival." (Lario is a Pangasinan term for brick.)
The Lario Festival will highlight the micro, medium and small enterprises in the municipality and connect them to bigger markets here in the country and abroad.
