SOPA 2014—Imee: Ilocos Norte is great again!

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos' State of the Province Address. August 26, 2014 / Plaza del Norte Hotel and Convention Center, Laoag City. (Photos by Alaric Yanos & Andy L. Mangapit)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Laoag City—Ilocos Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos’ State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Aug. 26 focused on the Ilocano greatness united by a vision to make this small province the best in the country by 2020.

For the past four years, poverty incidence has significantly declined from 24% in 2010 to only 9.9% today based on the localized Millennium Development Goals target. The Ilocos Norte government prioritized to reduce maternal and child mortality, prevent dengue, rabies and chikungonya.

“Our efforts to reorganize the provincial hospitals, rationalize and expand the PhilHealth system, and empower BHWs, have raised the quality of life,” Ms. Marcos said citing Ilocos Norte is among the top 10 provinces in the country in terms of Human Development Index.

“Napintas unay dagiti naaramidanna iti kallabes a tawen ken napimpintas pay ti foresight-na kadagiti sumarsaruno pay a tawen. Isu a pudno diay ibagbagana a datayonto ti agbalin a maysa a kapintasan a probinsia ti Pilipinas (She had accomplished so much in previous years and her foresight in the next few years are great. Indeed, we can become one of the best provinces in the country,” said Ricardo Tolentino, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and also the current president of the Ilocos Norte Mango Growers Association here.

Switching on the path to speedy development, multi-billion investments and tourism infrastructure support facilities were created to generate more jobs—44,609 jobs were created through the Task Force Trabaho program which is more than double the provincial government’s 20,000 jobs target for this year.

“We now have the highest employment rate in Region 1, significantly higher than the national average at 92.9 %,” she said.

Attended by local officials, investors, businessmen and various partners in progress and development including Chinese Consul Zhiao Quiaoliang, the governor’s 2014 SOPA held at the Plaza del Norte convention center has inspired more Ilocanos to dream big and to work hard for it.

For Ilocos Norte Schools Division Superintendent Araceli Pastor, she said, “Her SOPA is very awesome because she laid her vision for the province until the year 2020. She’s a visionary leader. She knows where she’s going and she can foresee the problems and provides solutions for it. Her thoughts are great, so out of the box and so global in its approach. You see that there is going to be a fulfilment of that best little province in the country all because of what she wants to happen and we should work for it because she’s asking for our help. We can do that if only we hear and we try to be with her every step along the way.

“We take it as big challenge and we must support her programs so that we can achieve progress and development,” said Dr. Miriam Pascua, president of the state-run Mariano Marcos State University.

In support of the job generation program of the provincial government, Dr. Pascua assured that MMSU continues to offer courses that matches the knowledge and skills needed in a growing economy of the province.