Sec. Abalos to Visit Mangaldan on Friday

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan - The executives of this thriving central Pangasinan town have met to prepare for the visit on Friday here by Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benjur” Abalos, Jr. who will grace the blessing and inauguration of the P5 million solar panel streetlights along Angalacan River Eco-Tourism Road.

The meeting of the officials held in the Office of the Mayor was presided in September 4 by Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno.

 Department of Interior & Local Government  Secretary Benjamin “Benjur” Abalos, Jr. and  Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno.

Abalos is to lead the ribbon cutting ceremony for the five-million pesos project. The sum was a proceed from the Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG) as incentive for the first class town's outstanding performance when it became a national awardee of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) in 2022.

The alignment meeting aimed to ensure the orderly conduct of the activity and the guests' security and their safety.

Present during the meeting were Municipal Administrator Atty. Teodora S. Cerdan, LGU department heads, and officers from the national agencies like Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) Marilyn B. Laguipo, Mangaldan Philippines National Police OIC-Chief of Police PLt. Col. Roldan E. Cabatan and Municipal Fire Marshal Inps. Virgilio A. Mamitag, III.

Officials from all barangays and key civic organizations are also expected to grace the occasion.

Secretary Abalos had been in several towns of Pangasinan gracing fiestas like in Dagupan City and Binmaley. He gave in July this year a 1,000-gallon fire truck as response to the request of the coastal town  Binmaley Mayor Pete Merrera – his cousin.

Early this year, the 29 villages first class town of Sta. Barbara became a beneficiary of a P173, 000, 000 from the DILG for the rehabilitation of the three damaged slope protections of a dike.

According to Mr. Sherwin Pioquinto - the Chief of Staff of Mayor Lito Zaplan - the three slope protections are located in Barangay Maningding and in Brgy. Poblacion Norte. The latter village host two of the slopes that would be repaired.

The sum given to Sta. Barbara was probably the biggest release by the DILG to the LGU in the four cities and forty –four towns’ Pangasinan. 

Mangaldan Mayor Parayno drafted a letter to Abalos to request a firetruck, funds for another set of solar lights to be constructed at the other bank of the Angalacan River Eco-Tourism Road and others.  (With reports from Mortz C. Ortigoza)