The Ilocos Times

Publication Notice R.A. 10172 NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC CCE- 0033-2015 RA 10172                June 10, 2015           In compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1 Guidelines in the Implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172), Notice is hereby served to the public that CLARENCE MARTINEZ EDU has filed with this Office, a petition for correction of GENDER from FEMALE to MALE, in the certificate of Live Birth of CLARENCE MARTINEZ EDU at Subec, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and whose parents are RODOLFO EDU and LEONARDA MARTINEZ.           Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this Office not later than July 6, 2015. ( Sgd .) MAURO G. MALDA Municipal Civil Registrar June 22-28, ...

THE cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men,” French President Charles de Gaulle once said. That was, of course, before Vice President Jejomar Binay, began acting as if he were indispensable. Mr. Binay this week indicated, believe it nor not, the make-up of his Cabinet when “president.” Was the man conscious of the arrogance? He'd not sign on politicians, added Mr. Binay, who assumed Filipinos would vote him into Malacañang. Will we? Thousands of protesters, led by entertainers Jim Paredes and Cynthia Patag hoofed through Makati’s business district Wednesday [June 11]. They demanded Mr. Binay jettison his campaign. Sen. Aquillino “Koko” Pimentel vowed to help shatter the Binay political dynasty. “We expected about 200,” Mr. Paredes said. “But they brought hundreds of others along... When the Binays talk, it is as they were already winners. We want them to know there are many people who will not vote for them...? “As a candidate, the least Binay c...

Slaughterhouse modernization next By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta announced that a new police station building will soon rise at the city government-owned lot within the Batac Public Market compound. On June 8, 2015, members of the city council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to donate an area of 1,000 square meters of the city owned lot in favor of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Mr. Nalupta said a surveyor assisted by Batac police chief P/Supt. Reynaldo Ogay surveyed the area for a type A police station building. Mr. Nalupta said the resolution passed by the city council will be the basis in the donation of the lot. He added that a deed of usufruct is not allowed by the PNP as it was the first concern of the city government. The PNP explained that they cannot build a PNP building unless the lot is under the name of the PNP. Therefore, the mayor thru the city council passed a me...

Representative Rudy C, Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, 1 st district) assisted by Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Ria Fariñas distribute checks for the 116 Tulong Dunong Scholarship and 45 Special Students Grant Program. The grant is for P6,000 and P2,500, respectively thru the Commission on Higher Education as the implementing agency. (Doms dela Cruz)

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), country`s lead agency in rice research and development, continues its efforts to roll-out information materials to help the farmers cope with the onslaught of El Niño. Said communication resources are available for download from the institute’s website. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recently reported in its advisory that recent analyses from global climate models suggest that the on-going El Niño condition is likely to continue until mid-2015 with chances of strengthening toward the end of the year. Pagasa identified the provinces affected by dry spell: Luzon (Albay, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Masbate, Nueva Ecija, Sorsogon), Visayas (Biliran, Eastern Samar, Negros Oriental, Samar, Southern Leyte), and Mindanao (Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Leyte, Maguindanao, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Ori...

WE cannot deny that today’s clutter has grown a lot more than in the previous generations. It has gone ballistic and viral, as they say, because the clutter mentality is highly contagious. It has become something like an epidemic. There are just too many things around, small and big, ordinary and very important. You look around, and almost always that’s what you see—clutter. This is not only in the field of the material and the physical. More serious than that is the mental clutter which can betray an even deeper disorder. Many of us are so overloaded with data and pieces of information, with plans and concerns, often without connection with each other, that they would not know anymore what to do with them. If ever there is some concern for order, it is often pegged on shallow and highly ephemeral reasons if not self-serving motives. Today’s idea of order does not go much further than mere window-dressing or sweeping things under the rug. Because of this, we also see a lo...

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DOT's Milagros Gonzales at the Laoag International Airport (DOT photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters Laoag City —Amidst on-going territorial dispute between China and the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea, Chinese tourists are likely to be visible again in this northern gateway of Luzon following the resumption of chartered flights ferrying passengers from Guangdong, China to Laoag on June 13. Carrying 156 confirmed passengers, the maiden flight of China Eastern Airlines on June 13 is a welcome development for the local tourism industry, said Ma. Milagros Gonzales, provincial director of the Department of Tourism Laoag sub-office. Initiated by the Guangdong International Travel Group, Ms. Gonzales said the DOT is now preparing an airport grand reception and welcome dinner at a hotel in Laoag City for Guangdong tourists to attract more charterers to the city. Beginning June 13, chartere...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —Citing the high amount that would have been given to barangay chairpersons and kagawads who served for three consecutive terms, Batac Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta vetoed City Ordinance No. 3 SP2015-03. The said ordinance would have authorized the conferment of Exemplary Public Service Award (EPSA) to the city’s barangay officials who have served three consecutive terms. Mr. Nalupta pointed out that the P50,000 for barangay chairperson and P30,000 for kagawad are too high and the city government would again have difficulties in producing the said amounts. The three-term mayor also said there are many other programs and activities in the City Development Plan (CDP) that also needs funding. He stressed that the CDP is a five-year plan and all programs, projects and activities for that time span have been incorporated along with their estimated costs. He also stressed that the vetoed ordinance may also become a source...

By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor             BATAC City —The winds of change are now blowing over the Mariano Marcos State University in this city, one of the top universities in the country. Since May, a search committee organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) through Chairperson Patricia B. Licuanan began to scrutinize and evaluate the documents of the five candidates for the top MMSU post. The candidates, who will present themselves in a public forum at the University Teatro Ilocandia on June 15 are Dr. Joselito L. Lolinco, dean of the MMSU Graduate School (GS); Atty. Ramon A. Leaño, MMSU’s vice president for administration and business; Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, a professor and concurrent project leader of MMSU’s bio-ethanol project; Dr. Carmelo J. Esteban, former dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) and the MMSU GS; and Dr. Ricardo S. Guanzon, a medical o...

Writer Eion Colfer hit the bull’s eye when he said: “Illegal is always faster”. Well, obviously, haste is the root of all evil. The devil extinguishes patience in man’s heart and replaces it with the different shades of darkness, like greed. The transformation is fast, and when circumstances require, it can even upgrade its speed to conform to the demands of hell. Let’s take for example the issue of driver’s license fixing in the Land Transportation Office (LTO). For faster processing of their license, drivers transact their application through a fixer. But those who are in a hurry to have a driver’s license turn to makers of fake licenses. And now—with ease and convenience—you can shop for a fake driver’s license online. Some reports disclosed that a counterfeit driver’s license scam is now active in the internet. Vernon Sarne, a writer for a motoring online site, bared that one of his readers sent him screenshoots of a driver’s license which was bought onlin...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —The Departments of Public Works and Highways, and Tourism have identified at least six road projects in Ilocos Norte for 2015. Ma. Milagros R. Gonzales, Laoag sub-office senior tourism operations officer made this announcement saying the road projects would lead to tourist spots in the province. Among the projects are the 3-kilometer concreting of the Tangaoan-Pallas road leading to the Paraiso Ecotourism Project and Reforestation Project in Piddig; the concreting of the Laoag-La Paz Sand Dunes road measuring 0.9 kilometer; the construction and improvement of the gravel road with bridge leading to the Bantoc-Suyo-Baruyen Windmill in Bangui measuring 2.7 kilometers; the construction and improvement of earth and trail road leading to the Napidad view deck and water falls of Takulao Mataltala and Pao in Dumalneg measuring 3.5 kilometers; the construction and improvement of the Lanao-San Isidro road leading to Bolo River and...