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PRC inaugurates regional office in Pangasinan town

By Liwayway Yparraguirre

September 17, 2018, 8:03 pm

<p><strong>PRC REGIONAL OFFICE IN ROSALES. </strong>Abono Partylist Representative Conrado Estrella III (second from right) turns-over to PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto, Jr. a symbolic key after the blessing and inauguration of the two-storey PRC Building, located at the Government Center at barangay Carmay, Rosales town, on Friday. <em>(Photo by Liwayway Yparraguirre) </em></p>

PRC REGIONAL OFFICE IN ROSALES. Abono Partylist Representative Conrado Estrella III (second from right) turns-over to PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto, Jr. a symbolic key after the blessing and inauguration of the two-storey PRC Building, located at the Government Center at barangay Carmay, Rosales town, on Friday. (Photo by Liwayway Yparraguirre) 

ROSALES, Pangasinan -- Residents of Pangasinan and neighboring provinces now have an additional venue to transact with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in Region 1 (Ilocos), as officials formally opened its two-storey regional office building situated at the Government Center in Barangay Carmay in this town. 

Before the opening of the regional office on Friday and the PRC Satellite Service Center on May 2018 at Robinson’s Place Calasiao, professionals and new board passers from Northern Luzon travel to PRC-Baguio Regional Office to avail of the agency’s services.

“Rosales is a very strategic area, we share common boundary with Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. It is the gateway to Northern Luzon (to Isabela and Cagayan, and to the Ilocos provinces). You put something in Rosales, you serve not only Pangasinan but also Northern and portion of Central Luzon,” said PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto, Jr. in an interview Monday.

Cueto headed the blessing and inauguration of the building on Friday, with Abono Partylist Representative Conrado Estrella III and Rosales Mayor Susan Casareno.

He acknowledged that the PRC-Region 1 building is the first regional office, where the building and lot were provided through donation.

Businessman Robert Rodriguez donated the whole government center lot, which now houses regional offices of the National Tobacco Administration, the Land Transportation Office, the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Department of Labor and Employment, Cueto said.

“The groundbreaking ceremony transpired sometime in 2012, wherein the original lot area offered to PRC through then PRC-Baguio Regional Director Teofilo Gauis Sison, Jr. was 2,000 square meters. Because of the persistent bargaining of Sison, the lot area provision was increased to 2,500 sq.m. and then to the present 3,400 sq. m.,” Estrella said.

Estrella explained that the initial estimated cost of the building was less than PHP100 million, but the problem on funding did not hamper their desire to pursue the project.

“It took a while, but the building was constructed, the budget was released so far just reached PHP34 million,” he added.

The solon pledged another PHP5 million fund for the completion of the regional office.

“The building built is not the conventional way. It is made out of container vans. Aside from my district office and the National Irrigation Administration buildings (in Rosales) which are made of container vans, I researched and I found out that advanced countries are using container vans. First, it lasts a lifetime, free of rust, and cannot be affected by termites, plus it is also lightweight. It is environment-friendly because container vans being discarded are put to good use,” Estrella explained.

Meanwhile, soon to be constructed at the government center are the Philippine Red Cross office and the Region 1 Medical Center annex hospital. (PNA)

 

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