Binalonan, Pangasinan (18 February) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took a breather from the politically-charged atmosphere by joining her townmates here celebrate their town fiesta last Saturday even as she faces yet another serious challenge in her presidency.

The President led the inauguration of the private-owned Binalonan airfield and its facilities and later the groundbreaking of a P4-million two-storey school building at the South Central School.

In her message at the airfield hangar, the President bared major projects for the province, one of which is the construction of an international airport. She did not mention the site.

One proposal is to build the airport in Alaminos City while another is to locate it in Sta. Barbara.

Taking cue from the observation of former President Fidel Ramos about the seemingly laggard state of Pangasinan despite its size because of lack of infrastructure facilities, she said that P100 million has been set aside for the construction of irrigation facilities using waters from the San Roque multi-purpose dam.

The Clark-Subic expressway would be extended all the way to Rosario town in La Union thru the build-operate-transfer scheme. She said that a private consortium won the recent bid for the project.

Also being mulled is the expansion of the railway from Bulacan up to Dagupan City under the Northrail project.

Recognizing the need for a seaport in the province considering its long coastline, she directed transportation and communication Undersecretary Anne Lontoc to conduct a feasibility study.

The airfield, owned by the family of Mayor Ramon Guico of this town, offers pilot training, flight attendant course, and aircraft mechanic course. It operates under the WCC Aviation Company.

She also led groundbreaking of a two-storey four classroom school building project at the South Central School.

The President did not mention anything about the troubles she is facing as a result of controversies. Observers however noted how she referred to Ramos quite a number of times in her speech. She also acknowledged the presence of third district Representative Rachel Arenas, who voted yes in the motion to declare the Speaker position vacant and subsequently naming a replacement for fourth district Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr. as House speaker.

Apparently she enjoys the support of the former president. De Venecia and Ramos, it will be recalled, founded the Lakas Tao, forerunner of the Lakas-CMD, for the 1992 presidential elections.

It appears that a crack developed in the relations between the congressman and the former president. (DOS/PIA-Pangasinan)