LC to focus on education this 2014

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter

Laoag City Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas (File photo)

Laoag City Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas said the city government will have education as major concentration for 2014.

She stressed that there is a need to give further importance and attention to pupils and students to accelerate their learning in their chosen fields of specialization.

She disclosed that she have learned that only pupils and students who are athletes are given incentives whenever they win in regional and national athletic meets.

The incentives are sourced from the city’s special education fund (SEF).

In view of this, the first-term mayor decided to amend the SEF’s guidelines to also give recognition to pupils and students who excel in arts, music, and academics among others in the regional and national level to motivate them in achieving more.

The mayor pointed out that excellence through education is a challenge that must be addressed. And to attain this, both students and their teachers must improve their level of performance and competence.

Likewise, the mayor also included in her priority list this New Year the empowering of the barangays through the much improved and enhanced Rang-ay Ti Barangay program.

The need to educate the barangay residents to be self-sufficient by acquiring skills for their livelihood and equip them with basic education through the alternative learning system is among her goals.

The enhancement of social well-being of the Laoagueños, especially those belonging to the special groups—persons with disability, battered women and their children, children who are in the conflict with the law, children who need supplemental feeding, day-care center pupils, and senior citizens, just to name a few.

The “Health for All” program will also continue with the further upgrading of the Laoag City General Hospital with its state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, highly trained staff and medical specialists.

An Eye Center is now fully operational, the 64-slices CT scan will give tremendous relief to patients who will be needing this equipment because they no longer have to travel far for that very purpose.

This year, the lady mayor will also concentrate in boosting agricultural production as one of her programs to alleviate poverty with the abundance of agricultural produce and rich fish products to make the farmer and fisherfolks financially capable to support their families.

Most of all, the mayor said that the city government will not stop inviting investors to come in to provide employment and support all the programs, projects and visions of the provincial government through the leadership of Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos.

Relative to this, the mayor announced that she is expecting the vice president of SaveMore to visit Laoag and talk about the proposed putting up of an SM mall in of Laoag. She hopes ground-breaking for the project will happen soon.

Meanwhile, the mayor considers her first 100 days of service as the city mayor as very short as only those very doable and feasible projects were prioritized.

The mayor then wished that this year will again be a fruitful and successful for the entire Laoag City.