DILG cites P’sinan for program to curb Covid

By Venus May H. Sarmiento

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - The Dept. of Interior and Local Government cited the provincial government of Pangasinan for measures  to curb spread of Covid-19.
    In Laging Handa Network Briefing Tuesday, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said Pangasinan was at the center of things and is the gateway to northern and central Luzon but fortunately, active cases for the virus continue to drop.
    “We want to congratulate the governor because of their good handling of the Covid-19 situation, their active cases are going down,” Año said during the Oct. 27 episode.
    Governor Amado Espino III, who discussed the interventions and strategies of the provincial government to fight Covid-19 said as of Oct. 26, there were 351 active cases in the province but 1,200 have already recovered and new cases have lowered.
    “Nagpapasalamat tayo  sa ating mga kababayan na nakikinig at sumusunod sa alituntunin at sa mga LGUs na nakikiisa sa mga programa. Sa guidance po ng national IATF,  maganda ang pagkakaisa at komunikasyon po namin dito,”  Governor Espino said during the live Network Briefing.
    Espino added an umbrella program called "Abig" or Heal Pangasinan was conceptualized  to cover programs implemented by different departments of the provincial government like the Kalusugan, Kalinisan and Kabuhayan Karaban.
    “Under the program, we go around the entire province, we give out financial assistance, we buy vegetable produce, and offer food-for-work, trainings and gave out seedlings so our constituents can be self-sustaining,” Espino said.
    Also ongoing is the Pamanang Yaman program where the provincial government buys the products of the micro, small and medium enterprises in a locality and bring these to different towns in the province.
    “The idea is that our constituents here in Pangasinan are helping their co-entrepreneurs. Kapwa Pangasinense ay nagtutulungan para makabangon,” Espino added.
    The governor also thanked the national government for the recently held aggressive community testing in Pangasinan from Oct. 19 to 24.
    He said out of the 1,526 tested for Covid-19, ten yielded positive results and were immediately given attention and care.