We Have to Project Grandeur – Guico

TWO PROV’L TOWERS LOOM

By Mortz C. Ortigoza      

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The governor of this gargantuan province in the country projects grandeur with his looming two towers in the Capitol complex here that would house all provincial workers, national government offices and corporations.

“You know kung titingnan mo ang Kapitolyo andaming buildings spread all over the complex. Kung nagpatawag ka it would take five to ten minutes pupunta doon babalik, so inefficient. Di ba iyong time and motion? What if ilagay natin diyan andoon na ang lahat andoon na rin ang national agencies? We will construct the Tower-2,” disclosed by Governor Ramon Guico, III.

Photo is internet grabbed.

The young Governor deplored how his predecessors built only bungalow type offices and function houses like the training centers, those in the Girl Scout area and I.O.D.

“The province deserves more than those types of building. We have to project grandeur. Ang laking province sa Pangasinan tapos ang project natin ang li-liit, pichi-pichi. Hindi! Very grand project talaga!”.

The imposing building that house the offices of the provincial public officials and personnel is called Tower-1.

The American colonial - era Capitol building, he said, would not be abandoned because he would repurpose it.

“It is a symbolic historical building hindi natin e aabandon i-re-restore pa natin,” he told reporters in an interview at the Capitol.

He cited the Tower-2 could be leased with big corporations whose clients would have easy access with national offices occupying some areas of the edifice.

“Andito na lahat e: RD, SSS, GSIS, SEC, DFA, PSA. E house na lahat diyan. Kung ikaw ang malaking negosyo andiyan lang, o! Kung may problema ako sa application andiyan lang. May problema ako sa labor andiyan ang DOLE. Kailangan ko magpapa (inaudible) andiyan lang. So premium ito, saka may view ka ng bay”.

The Towers 1 and 2 will be funded by part of the loan the provincial government contracted with the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“The Land Bank of the Philippines, just like the tourists and investors who are now coming to our province, know that they can trust the province of Pangasinan. Our omnibus loan that amount to P6 billion will finance almost all our projects,” The Governor told his constituents in his March 2023 State of the Province Address (SOPA) held at the Sison Auditorium here.

The P6 billion loan from the LBP covers the various priority projects of the nascent Guico Administration like the transportation terminals, seaports, health, education, tourism development and urban township.