Braganza, Lomibao consult with third district folks

Liberal Party candidate for governor Hernani “Nani” Braganza and his running mate former PNP Chief Arturo Lomibao received a heartwarming welcome from Pangasinan folks in the third district last November 20. Braganza and Lomibao made a series of stops in the city of San Carlos, towns of Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara and Calasiao to meet with vendors, tricycle drivers, police officers and church and local government officials as part of their consultation for peace and development. “We are very pleased to meet our kababayans in this part of the province.
Our exchanges with them provide us the necessary information that will guide our party in addressing their concerns,” the Alaminos City Mayor said. Marketgoers and vendors were thrilled to meet Braganza and Lomibao, saying their first impression was that “both candidates are sincere and keen to serve.” “We are surprised to find them to be so down-to-earth, something that we don’t usually see in other government officials,” the vendors and market goers said.
“We hope that they are not like other politicians who use guns, goons and golds.” They said that they came to know Mayor Braganza for his contributions in making the Hundred Islands the top tourist destination in Region 1 and for getting the nod of former President Arroyo in putting up the very first commercial airport in Pangasinan.
 “According to the news, Alaminos through the leadership of Nani Braganza achieved the rare feat of becoming the only jueteng- and drug-free city at the same time,” said a puto vendor. “He also led in opposing the issuance of shotguns to barangay captains in Pangasinan,” he added. Meanwhile, Mayor Braganza proposed the putting up of “trading posts” in every town for the various products in Pangasinan to give them the needed promotion. “With trading posts in place, our local products like puto of Calasiao, tapa and peanut brittle of Mangaldan, sweet mango of San Carlos, longaniza of Alaminos and many others are not only constrained in one location,” Braganza said. “Maliban diyan, gagayahin po natin yung Cebu kung saan ang kanilang mango juice o dried mango ay kanilang ine-export na,” Braganza said.
 Mayor Braganza said he plans to duplicate in all the other districts in Pangasinan the OPAL or the One Pangasinan Alliance – a coalition of LGUs in the first district. OPAL has been lauded by and even received development grants from the European Union and the Canadian government for working concertedly to promote their products and tourist destinations, sharing agricultural technologies and achieving the Millennium Development Goals such as poverty alleviation and universal education (PRESS RELEASE).