Espino cites P’sinan gains in 2013

LINGAYEN, Philippines   â€“ Gov. Amado Espino Jr. described 2013 as a “most trying year when Pangasinan’s independence and maturity as a people were put to test.”

In his State of the Province Address before some 7,000 people last Monday at the capitol grounds here, Espino said 2013 saw some of his detractors launching a “desperate attempt to negate all hard-earned gains.”

“However, no amount of distraction has put down every good deed that the present administration envisioned to accomplish as stated in the vision and mission it has set six and a half years ago,” he said.

From the series of awards and accolades that Pangasinan received, specifically six Hall of Fame awards and numerous regional and national citations, Espino said Pangasinan rose up from a “prolonged state of dormancy” to become the best performing province in Region 1 and one of the top performing provinces in the country.

According to Espino, Pangasinan has also outpaced the national rate in the poverty alleviation program from 2006 to 2012, registering a 9.5 percent decline in poverty incidence while the national poverty rate posted only a minimal 1.1 percent decrease during the same period.

He pointed out several positive socio-economic indicators such as the 2013 consumer price index of 123.3 which was lower than the region’s 125.

Also in 2013, the province recorded an inflation rate of 1.5 percent which was lower than the region’s 1.9 percent and much lower than the nation’s 3.2 percent.

In addition, the purchasing power of the peso in 2013 was measured at 0.81 percent, slightly higher than the region’s 0.80 percent and a lot higher than the national figure of 0.76 percent.