By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

BINALONAN — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo unwrapped in a brief visit here last Saturday five major projects for Pangasinan’s development as part of the master plan for the North Luzon Agri-business Quadrangle (NLAQ) super region.
The President spoke during the formal inauguration of a private airstrip and groundbreaking for a new two-storey school building timed to be completed when classes open in June in this quiet agricultural town that is her mother’s hometown.

Owned by the family of her cousin Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico Jr., president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, the airstrip .measuring 850 meters, was put up by the World City Colleges (WCC) Aviation Company whose president is Captain Ramon V. Guico III, vice mayor of Binalonan.

Joining Arroyo at the twin occasions here were Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Undersecretary Al Lontoc, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr.

In her brief remarks at the airfield ceremonies before a welcoming crowd of some 1,000 kabaleyans, Arroyo cited as among the agriculture-boosting projects in store for her maternal homeprovince an international airport, the extension of the Northrail from Clark to Pangasinan and on to La Union, irrigation of the downstream areas of the Agno river, a seaport for its coastal areas and a possible water transport system from San Manuel to Itogon in Benguet mainly using the huge lake that is the water reservoir of the giant San Roque Dam.

Speaking alternately in Filipino and Ilocano, the Chief Executive said the projects are in response to the challenges posed by former President Fidel V.Ramos for further development of Pangasinan so that the province could finally be among the more prosperous provinces in the country.

The President has ordered the DOTC to conduct feasibility studies where the international airport as well as the seaport will be located.

Seemingly taking care not to appear as favoring one site over another, the President merely said the proposed airport will be built “in another part of Pangasinan”, depending, she said, on the technical recommendations of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) . .

She announced likewise that a company has offered to extend the Northrail from Clark to Pangasinan under the Build-Operate-Transfer scheme.

The Northrail, as initially laid out, will connect Caloocan down to Malolos City and then to Clark. The project is in partnership with the government of China.

Admitting that government is spending P6 billion yearly for irrigation, she also vowed that funds would be released soon for the repair of downstream canals of the San Roque Dam.

She said she will instruct Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to release the first P100 million for the downstream irrigation of San Roque for the benefit of farmers in the province. Yap is in charge of overseeing the implementation of projects for NLAQ.

She said the water transport system thru the San Roque dam giant reservoir leading to Itogon in Benguet province and Baguio City will provide lowlanders another alternative route aside from the present Kennon Road

At the same time, Arroyo congratulated the Guicos, especially Guico III, for building the 850-meter airstrip where trainer planes are now landing and taking off.

She said if expanded by about 100 meters more, the ATO is ready to give a license for it to accommodate bigger commercial planes that could load agricultural cargo to any point in the Philippines.