Sual Mayor presses P’gasinan solons to lobby for int'l seaport

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SUAL – The mayor here exhorted seven congressmen to lobby for a ten billion pesos fund to construct the phases two and three of the international seaports that will benefit the people of Pangasinan.

Mayor Roberto Arcinue said the completion of the two phases after this town local government funded the construction of the phase one will attract investors to come here to put their projects like second power plant, ship building, oil depot, and a tourism hub.

P’SINAN SOLONS – Members of the House of Representatives from the huge Pangasinan province in a huddle during a lull in their session at the plenary hall. From right: Second District Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil, Third District Representatives Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas, Six District Congresswoman Marlyn Primicias-Agabas. Extreme left is Abono Party List Representative Conrad Estrella. Not in photo are First, Fourth, and Fifth Districts Congressmen Jesus Celeste, Christopher de Venecia, and Amado T. Espino, Jr.   Bataoil is not only known as always punctual in every meetings there but always present in every official functions where he was part in the August Chamber.

 He said it needs only the six district solons and Abono Party List Representative Conrado Estrella to lobby President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his cabinet members to chalk up the needed sum to jump start the ports that will tremendously benefit the people of the huge province Pangasinan.

Arcinue cited that these lawmakers can intercede for a share in the vaunted nine trillion pesos funded Build- Build- Build’s Project of President Rodrigo Duterte that he will be spending untill his term ends on year 2022.

“Ten billion pesos lang ang e-lobby to maximize this town’s potential kung ang project ni President Rodrigo Duterte ay Build- Build- Build ay international seaport sa Sual, that is for Region 1 and Pangasinan the biggest province in Luzon,” he said.
Arcinue said that since 2001 that the 1,218 megawatts coal power plant  has been operated by the Team Sual Corporation, it paid P27 billion income tax and P23.4 billion tariff to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, respectively, or a total of P50.4 billion.

“Ang Sual Power Plant started operating in year 1991. Nagbabayad siya year 2001. Ano na 2018 ngayon? 18 years na nagbabayad si Sual Power Plant ng no less than P1.5 billion a year. Ilan ang binabayaran ng Sual sa BIR, itong contribution ng Sual, P27 billion. Sa Bureau of Customs ay  P23.4 billion,’ he stressed.
“The national government has been benefiting on the coal power plant here,” he said.
Arcinue said after these seaport project is completed this town will become self-sustaining and will not be dependent on the public coffer.