By DANNY O. SAGUN

WHY Pangasinan with all its big population, huge land area and billions in internal revenue allotment (said to be the biggest beating even Cebu and Negros) lags behind other big provinces in terms of development is quite a puzzle to many.

Critics of the Agbayani family which for decades had ruled the province thus have a grand time pointing the accusing finger at the political clan. But were the late Aguedo and his son Victor really to blame for the failure of the province to be at par with Cebu or the provinces surrounding Metro Manila in terms of progress and development? Does it mean that Pangasinan would have transformed into a Manila clone had there been families holding power other than the Agbayanis?

If we use another analogy, we might also wonder if the Philippines could have become an economic giant like Japan and South Korea if the Philippines had not been ruled by strongman Marcos for more than two decades.

We are not in any way comparing the Agbayanis with the Marcoses here. But the analogy deserves curious interest.

Before the Agbayani patriarch captured Urduja House, other noted families took turns holding the political front in the province - the Primiciases, Duques, Estrellas - who no doubt had in their minds and hearts the best interest of the province. They could only do so much.

Agbayani’s reign was interrupted by the terms of Rafael Colet and Oscar Orbos, who, during their time, tried to make a difference by introducing grandiose plans. Colet had his “Balon Pangasinan” concept. Orbos wanted big infras like super highways and airports. But just like Agbayani’s “Possible Dream,” everything remained a dream.

Their efforts were apparently lacking as no significant changes or improvements were felt by the people. The province’s landscape practically remained the same as the years passed.

There must be factors that hamper immediate progress and development other than the shortcomings of the rulers themselves.

This province has produced leaders who can readily bring home the bacon, so to speak. FVR, Joe de Venecia, GMA and many other ’stars’ can bring millions, if not billions, at any given time.

They in fact have already brought such billions of pesos to Pangasinan and yet it is claimed the people here are living in poverty.

If FVR during his time and now GMA at the helm could not just bring this province to a level of prosperity as desired despite a huge cache of cash at their disposal, then why point the accusing finger at the local executive whose options are limited unlike that of a national figure like GMA?

We’ll see if the present Urduja occupant, Governor Amado T. Espino, a close partymate of GMA at Kampi can really turn this so-called sleeping giant of a province into an awesome economic tiger among its peers.