LINGAYEN, Pangasinan (6 February) -- Gov. Amado Espino Jr. has vowed to make the province one of the best places to live, work and raise a family and to make it once more the center of economic growth and opportunity.

In his State of the Province Address to people of Pangasinan delivered in front of the provincial capitol, Espino identified what the provincial government is striving for – good jobs, better education, best affordable health care and strong, safe and vibrant neighborhood.

He said in his first six months in office, he had trimmed down the bloated bureaucracy, making the province now compliant with the requirement set by the Local Government Code, setting 45 percent ceiling on the budget for personnel services.

"We adopted bold but effective human resources management measures that only upgraded the working system, but helped saved the government substantial funds that could be better use for more needed programs and projects," he said.