Barely a year after launching the AGUILA that saw him eye the highest elective position in the biggest province of Northern Luzon, fifth district Rep. Ramon V. Guico III seeks to continue his effort to achieve a “Maka-Diyos, Marunong at Malinis (God loving, intelligent, clean)” legacy for the province.
Guico will leave Batasan Hill on June 29 and for the next three years will call the Provincial Capitol in Lingayen, Pangasinan his home, that after getting the mandate last May 9 by beating outgoing Gov. Amado Espino III.
“We would like to leave a legacy to the people wherein they will respect me because I served with competence, transparency, and an honest governor,” Guico was quoted as saying in a press conference last May 11 after the vote was counted for the province where he beat the two term governor by at least 800,000 votes and him declared the winner.
It was on a cloudy Saturday morning on July 24 last year when the Guico – Mark Lambino alliance was launched amidst the blaring Andrew E song that urged Sara Duterte to run for the highest post in the country which her father would be vacating also before the end of this month.
The younger Duterte is assuming instead the number two spot in the country, behind former presidential son Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Like his promise during his AGUILA launching in his hometown of Binalonan nearly a year ago, Guico will be pursuing the eastern to western Pangasinan highway as well as provide an improved healthcare system for the province.
By pursuing the vital link connecting the extreme ends of the province, Guico hopes to provide access and efficient travel to the province’s famous tourist destinations as well as generate more jobs by giving support to the proposed economic zones.
“We are mapping out an expressway from the sixth district to the first district that would pass through the special economic zones. It would create more jobs and massive infrastructure projects,” said Guico in the presser.
Guico is eyeing the put up of economic zones in the capital town of Lingayen, the municipalities of Mangatarem and Aguilar and Alaminos City – all of which will be traversed using the east-west link.
“As a governor, I will be the ambassador of the province to entice tourists to our province. To return the trust of investors to our province,” he added.
Last Tuesday, in his Facebook page, Guico met with the Department of Public Works and Highways for an exploratory talk for the creation of the vital link.
He further wrote: “We intend to provide a good and orderly service that is why we will provide a good service whole heartedly that is true and clean to our province of Pangasinan.”
Guico also promised to computerize records in the 14 provincial government-run hospitals saying that having a medical record will also provide a patient with medical history.
He added that this “will link the hospitals to each other for them to access patients’ records,…”
Guico said with him at the helm, he will see to it that government owned hospitals will have more medical diagnostic equipment and the medical personnel should be competent.
Guico last Monday, met with provincial doctors to address issues in the delivery of health services to the people of Pangasinan.
In his Facebook page, Guico said: “Together with heads, chiefs, and doctors of different hospitals in the province of Pangasinan, we conducted a meeting concerning health issues faced by the Pangasinenses. We also discussed techniques and solutions on how to solve these issue,..”
Also, he promised to continue the scholarship programs of the provincial government.
Guico said he will be working closely with the Pangasinan State University and local universities and colleges.
12 Years of Guico Service
Ramon Velicaria Guico III, or Mon Mon, was born in Quezon City on March 19, 1975. He went to Claret School for his elementary education, Ateneo de Manila for high school and at the University of the Philippines – Diliman for a degree in AB Philoshphy.
He earned his master in Education, major in educational management at UP – Diliman in April 2004 where he was graduated with academic excellence.
A year later, he earned his PhD for public management at the Pamantasan ng Maynila.
In 2010, Mon Mon was elected mayor of Binalonan, Pangasinan.
As a three term mayor, Mon Mon instituted a clean, honest and end excellent local governance thru the “Binalonan Ang Galing!” campaign promoting a Maka-diyos, Marunong and Clean as core values of Binalonan.
Under Municipal Ordinance No. 2011-05, the University of Eastern Pangasinan as a means to make Binalonan a “progressive university town.” The town owned and managed UEP was the answer to the town’s “Each Family, Will Have a College Graduate” program that saw 1,500 graduates since the school’s establishment.
Thousands of college scholars were able to get free tuition and miscellaneous fees, while hundreds of students from 4Ps families started receiving PhP40,000 a year were able to get free allowances thru the Commission on Higher Education Subsidy Program.
With the establishment of the 24-hour Quick Response Center aimed to strengthen the town’s peace and order, and disaster preparedness more than100 closed circuit televisions where installed within the town, locals were able to avail of 24-7 patrol cars and ambulances and “ordinance police” force were deputized to augment the personnel of the Police Municipal Office.
With good fiscal management, aggressive investment efforts, and establishment of numerous local economic enterprises, Binalonan was able to breach the PhP 200 million annual income for the first time.
With the strict implementation of the Solid Waste Management Program and the promotion of the “Anti-Dugyot” Drive, Binalonan became clean by making it a plastic-free town.
Awards
With these accomplishments, Guico’s true service to his townsmates were recognized thru awards and citations, among which are: the 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 Seal of Good Local Governance (DILG) which symbolizes the municipality’s journey towards Good local governance upholding the standards of transparency, integrity and service delivery and the 2011 Seal of Good Housekeeping Bronze Award In recognition of its efforts in advancing the principles of accountability and transparency in local governance, also given by the DILG.
The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) also made him the awardee for the Gold Plaque in 2013 which is given for the completion and the approval of its Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance Under the “CLUP Zero Backlog Project”
The PHILHEALTH (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) also gave the town the Agila Awards as most compliant Local Government Unit (LGU) in the Municipality Category during the first Regional Health Financing Summit in 2015.
In 2014 and 2015, Binalonan received the National Quality Corn Achievers Award for Outstanding performance towards the production of quality corn and the development of corn industry
For four straight years, Binalonan was the recepient of the Seal of Child Friendly Local Governance from 2014 until 2017 by the Council for the Welfare of Children “for its commitment in promoting child rights to survival, development, protection and participation towards a Child-Friendly Philippines: A Caring Society For, By and With the Children.”
In 2012 received the citation of the most outstanding LGU In Maternal Health Program Implementation which contributed immeasurably in achieving better health outcome in the province
For three consecutive years from 2013 to 2015, Binalonan was the second runner-up for the Most Statistically Developed LGU.
After nine years as Binalonan mayor, Guico challenged former Pangasinan Gov. and fifth district Rep. Amado Espino, Jr., father of the outgoing governor for the fifth congressional district and won.
During his short three year term, Guico became chair of the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle and vice chairs of the transportation committee and sub-committee on Rice Tarrification.
He was also members of the committees on Agriculture and Food, Appropriations, Basic Education and Culture, Games and Amusement, Public Information, Public Works and Highways, tourism and oversight committee on tourism.
Guico, as of June 2021, is also credited for authoring 119 bills in the Lower House
He also initiated the establishment of the first PEZA Industrial Park (Northern Aero Industrial Park / NAIP) in the province of Pangasinan, with one locator, Sumi North Philippines Wiring Corporation, is projected to bring 10,000-12,000 jobs by 2025 mostly for his townsmates.
Guico also initiated the 5th District of Pangasinan to be one of the pilot areas for the Balik-Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program under Executive Order 114.
Guico as a businessman is the founder and board of director of various family-owned corporations with business interests in hospital and healtchcare, education, airlines and aviation education, real estate and property development, malls and leasing, agriculture and hotels and resorts.
Guico Family Service
With him moving to the Capitol, his seat in Congress will be occupied by father Ramon, Jr., who in turn will leave the municipal hall for Ramon IV, the new governor’s younger brother. The new congressman and mayor were inducted into office last June 18 and right before Father’s Day, where the incoming governor thanked his father for guiding him over the years “and molded me to be the man I am today.”
Guico III added: “You’ve taught me how to be a good person and inspired me to be an excellent leader as well. Thank you because you have given me the best things in life.” PML
