By Rachel Magday   In a landmark development for the province, Nueva Vizcaya under the leadership of Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito has been elevated from a second-class province to a first-class province, effective January 1, 2025, based on Department Order No. 074, Series of 2024, issued by the Department of Finance (DOF). This change is in line with Republic Act No. 11964, known as the “Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units (LGUs) Act,” which was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto signed the order on November 5, 2024, which outlines the income classifications of provinces, cities, and municipalities based on their average annual regular income over the three fiscal years preceding a general income reclassification. Under the updated classification system, provinces are categorized into five classes according to specific income ranges: 1st Class: ₱1.5 billion or more 2nd Class: ₱900 million to less than ₱1.5 billion 3rd Class: ₱700 million to less than ₱900 million 4th Class: ₱500 million to less than ₱700 million 5th Class: Less than ₱500 million The income classification is determined by a combination of national tax allocation (NTA) and local revenue sources. This classification will play a crucial role in determining financial grants and other assistance to localities, as well as their capacity to implement priority programs, according to President Marcos. In 2023, Nueva Vizcaya reported an impressive annual income exceeding ₱2 billion, which included over ₱700 million in local taxes. The province’s locally-sourced revenue for the fiscal year 2023 reached ₱717,096,656.06, surpassing the target of ₱391,387,274.00 and reflecting a remarkable collection efficiency rate of 183.22%. This growth signifies a booming business environment in the province. Governor Gambito emphasized the province’s thriving economic landscape, remarking, “We can confidently say that we have a healthy and vibrant economy right now.” He highlighted that the declaration of Nueva Vizcaya as an insurgency-free province has played a crucial role in attracting more investors. Additionally, he pointed out that infrastructure projects, such as the Kalsada ti Kabanbantayan, have been instrumental in supporting farmers by facilitating the transport of their produce to markets, thereby invigorating the local economy. The governor also committed to continuing the momentum of growth and development, ensuring that the province remains an attractive destination for investment and progress. Moreover, Nueva Vizcaya demonstrated an impressive year-on-year growth rate of 68.20% in total locally sourced revenues from fiscal year 2022 to 2023, highlighting its economic resilience and potential for further development. Provincial Treasurer Rhoda S. Moreno attributed this success to various initiatives, stating, “A big factor is due to the passage of SP ordinances providing taxpayers easy and convenient ways to settle their delinquent taxes through compromise agreement schemes, condonation of penalties, electronic/online tax payment systems, and other innovative approaches introduced by the Provincial Treasury geared toward the enhancement of our locally sourced revenues.”                

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has opened a new extension office in Laoag City, strengthening its regulatory oversight and supporting economic growth in northern Philippines. The Commission officially inaugurated the SEC Laoag Extension Office (EO) located on the fifth floor of Dap-ayan Building in Brgy. 9, Sta. Angela, Laoag, Ilocos Norte, on January 9. The Ilocos region posted the second highest nominal gross domestic product among the regions without an SEC extension office in 2023, at P701.47 billion. It also hosts eight operational Special Economic Zones that cater to hubs for industrial, commercial and financial activities, the highest among regions with no SEC extension office. The SEC Laoag EO will accommodate the registration, compliance processes and other SEC-related transactions of businesses across Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, ensuring the timely and efficient delivery of services. The SEC Laoag EO will also facilitate the Commission’s investor protection and education programs to safeguard businesses against scams and other fraudulent schemes. As of November 2024, the Ilocos Region is home to a total of 12,463 SEC- registered corporations. “We are starting the new year right with the opening of the Commission’s 14th extension office. Through the SEC Laoag EO, we seek to create an environment that will encourage businesses to incorporate, enabling them to take part in driving the robust economic growth of the Ilocos Region,” SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said. “By expanding our presence in this growing region, the SEC continues to show its commitment to further improving the ease of doing business in the Philippines,” he added. The latest extension office will also allow the SEC to foster partnerships with local government units and stakeholders, to more effectively promote the Commission’s programs and thereby support key sectors in the region such as agriculture, trade and eco-tourism. The SEC Laoag EO brings the Commission’s regional offices to 14, following the three offices opened in Butuan, Koronadal, and Lipa in 2024. The other offices are in Baguio, Tarlac, Legazpi, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo,    

By: Dante Salvaña   San Miguel Corporation (SMC) recorded another win in its ambitious effort to help mitigate flooding throughout Luzon, as it recently completed its extensive Pampanga River cleanup effort, with the removal of close to 700,000 tons of silt and solid wastes. From mid-August to December, SMC removed some 694,372 cubic meters of silt and solid waste from 26.3 kilometers of the Pampanga River, as part of its long-running “Better Rivers Ph” initiative. The project, led by SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang and done at no cost to government and taxpayers, also effectively deepened the river’s channels and improved water flow out to Manila Bay. “Flooding is a major issue for our cities and provinces, with many contributing factors. For our part, we’re committed to do what we can to clean up our river systems and help government and our communities,” said Ang. He emphasized the importance of cleaning up the Pampanga River: “The Pampanga River is a major waterway in Central Luzon. Waters from here go to many other provinces, including Bulacan, which is downstream.” “Since the river was already quite shallow due to siltation and pollution, during heavy rain, water would easily overflow in many areas, affecting farmlands and communities and even contributing to flooding in other areas. So, it was imperative for us to come here and help clean up the river,” said Ang. In Macabebe, a riverside fishing town in Pampanga, Vice Mayor Vince Flores says the dredging of the Pampanga River represents more than just a cleanup. “It’s a lifeline for a town burdened by its role as a natural catch basin,” Flores said in an interview last November. “Floodwaters from Nueva Ecija and San Fernando end up here. Before this (river cleanup), it took days, even weeks, for water to recede. Now, with deeper channels, the flood subsides faster.” The effort, he said, is crucial not only for mitigating floods but also for reviving the local economy, citing how silt extracted from the river has been used to fortify their dikes and coastal roads. The vice mayor said some of the silt is used as paving materials to elevate critical public infrastructure in Macabebe, like schools. The Pampanga River cleanup adds to SMC’s list of completed river initiatives, following its massive cleanup of Bulacan River systems last year, where it extracted over 4.31 million metric tons (M/T) of silt and waste from 74.5 km of rivers. These include major waterways such as the Taliptip-Maycapiz-Bambang, Meycauayan, Marilao, Mailad-Sta. Maria, Guiguinto, Balagtas, Pamarawan, Kalero, and Labangan-Angat Rivers.Overall, Better Rivers PH, launched in 2020, has already covered a total of 156.42 km of waterways, extracting a total of 8,348,440 M/T of silt and solid wastes as of January 2, 2025. This includes 1.12 M/T removed from 10.9 km of Tullahan River; 1.18 M/T from 26 km of Pasig River; 322,739 M/T from 7.61 km of San Juan River; and 417,044 M/T from 5.3 km of San Pedro River — on top of its Bulacan and Pampanga cleanups and other ongoing efforts in Metro Manila and south Luzon. Ang underscored how SMC’s commitment to cleaning up major rivers bears the company’s time-honored value of “malasakit,” recognizing how Filipinos living in coastal communities would be protected in terms of economic and safety risks. “As an added benefit, our Better Rivers PH cleanup enables safer operations of water ferries like along Pasig River, and even improves water quality — and people say it reduces foul odors, and, of course, it restores marine ecosystems,” Ang said. “So, it really makes us happy to continue providing this service to the Filipino people.”     PHOTO CAPTION:    

  Lingayen, Pangasinan – Pangungunahan ni Gobernador Ramon V. Guico III at ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan sa pamumuno ni Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino ang pagdiriwang ng 80th Lingayen Gulf Landings at ika-18 Pangasinan Veterans Day, ngayong araw Enero 9, sa Capitol Beach Park dito. Ang kambal na kaganapan ay gaganapin sa isang bagong lugar kasunod ng pagkumpleto ng muling pagpapaunlad ng Capitol Complex, na kinabibilangan ng reflecting pool at pagpapaunlad ng Veterans Plaza bilang parangal sa mga sakripisyo ng mga beterano ng Pilipino. Ito ay matapos aprubahan ng National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) ang iminungkahing relokasyon ng World War II historical markers sa Lingayen beachfront. Si Kalihim Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. ng Departamento ng Tanggulang Pambansa ay dadaluhan ang okasyon na pormal na magsisimula sa isang Thanksgiving Mass na pangungunahan ni Rev. Fr. Allan Morris T. Abuan ng Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan alas-7:00 ng umaga. Kaagad na susundan ang seremonya ng paglalagay ng wreath, at ang Commemorative program ay magtatapos sa isang Commemorative Photo Session.