The Ilocos Times

  Batac City after "Lawin" Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said that the DSWD and other agencies of the Duterte administration have been prepared in their response to the emergency situation created by typhoon Lawin [Haima]. She said that among the factors that ensured this preparedness are the preemptive evacuations; the prepositioning of goods; the communications system established and the constant communication and contact with the municipalities affected by 'Lawin'. The preparedness efforts were led by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). “It has to be emphasized that advanced preparations have been very important—our swift and coordinated response within the DSWD and with the other agencies under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is the key to our efforts to immediately address the needs of Filipinos a...

The birth of Pinggang Pinoy or the Filipino food plate came as a clamor from the nutrition community to develop a food guide based on a per meal basis for a healthy adult.   Contrary to what others thought to be a replacement of the Daily Nutritional Guide (DNG) Pyramid for Filipinos, Pinggang Pinoy serves as a quick and easy guide for determining how much to eat per meal from each of the three basic food groups.   The DNG Pyramid, on the other hand, shows at a glance the whole day’s healthy food intake recommendation for Filipinos in order to have a balanced diet.   Both tools are based on the latest scientific findings about how food, drink and activity choices affect people’s health. Food guides themselves are not unique.  In fact, almost every country has its own version of a food guide.   So what makes Pinggang Pinoy unique?   As its name suggests, Pinggang Pinoy is specially designed for Filipi...

By Mizpah Grace G. Castro PGIN-CMO After a nationwide assessment of local government units (LGUs) nationwide, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) qualified for the 2016 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The evaluation period was from March to September of this year, targeting the three core components of the SGLG: financial administration, social protection, and disaster preparedness. PGIN also met the measures for all three essential areas of the SGLG: business friendliness and competitiveness, peace and order, and environmental management. This surpassed the minimum requirement of one essential area and all three core areas in order to qualify for the SGLG. Bearing the SGLG entitles PGIN to access the Performance Challenge Fund (PC Fund), an incentive to LGUs in the form of counterpart funding to selected high-impact capital investment projects. The PC Fund seeks "to ration...

Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas tosses the ceremonial jump ball to start the inter-high basketball tournament in the city. (Doms dela Cruz)

Is there relief available after an appellate court has denied an alien’s application for immigration relief and issued its final mandate for deportation or removal or the immigration court has ordered deportation or removal and no appeal was taken so that the order has become final?   Yes. An Application for a Stay of Deportation or Removal may be filed with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by an alien who has been ordered deported or removed from the United States while the alien is still in the United States in accordance with 8 C.F.R. 241.6, Administrative Stay of Removal. ICE Form I-246 should be filled up with the reasons for requesting a stay of deportation or removal. The factors for granting parole to aliens in 8 CFR 212.5 and stay of removal under INA Section 241(c) may be given as reasons, such as “urgent humanitarian reasons” or “significant public health benefit” or that the “immediate removal of the alien is not practicable or proper” or tha...

By Iryn D. Cubangbang DSWD Far from the heart of the town, 100 poor families residing at the foot of mountain ranges of Lao-ingen in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur started their goat-raising project with P500,000 fund from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. In the Region, this is the first project of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)-Sustainable Livelihood Program that promotes peace and progress to communities, thus, contributing to their improved resilience, governance, and capacities. As narrated by the old folks, most of the residents in Lao-ingen are engaged in charcoal-making and farming. But accordingly, they also replace cut trees used in charcoal-making. Since these families are the first recipients of its kind, thankful as they are, they will still be working hard to sustain their goat-raising project. As agreed in the association President Jocelyn Gasmen mentioned that for every 2 kids produced, 1 kid will be turned-over to the ...

BACARRA, Ilocos Norte—A modern rice processing center (RPC) is now in full operation here just in time for the rice harvest season. Operated by the Bacarra Farmers’ Association, the establishment of the P 16-million RPC has been approved in 2014 through a grant from the Department of Agriculture (DA) during the time of former DA Secretary Proceso Alcala. Equipped with a flatbed dryer, farmer-beneficiaries said they would no longer need to use public roads in the absence of communal pavements to dry their produce during the peak of harvest season. In a formal inauguration attended by Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Domingo Ambrocio, in his capacity as chairperson of the committee on agriculture of the provincial board, he said he hopes the operation of the facility will be sustained to improve the quality of life of farmers. In previous years, Bacarra rice farmers particularly those living in flood-prone barangays were among those hard hit by typhoons. Should there been...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City— Several fast food establishments in this city were fooled when bulk orders were placed for delivery to the City Hall. According to the Laoag police, on October 12, 2016, a person or several persons phoned in bulk orders for delivery using the names of Laoag mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas, vice mayor Michael V. Fariñas; and Laoag councilors Franklin Dante A. Respicio and Handy Lao. The delivery place was the City Hall. The problem with this scenario was the Laoag officials mentioned—except for Mr. Respicio—were in Metro Manila at that time to receive the Most Business-Friendly City award. Laoag police chief P/Supt. Edwin Balles said this should serve as a warning to all food establishments to be more alert in accepting delivery orders from phones. Mr. Lao, upon learning about the issue, said he did not place any order thru phone at the said date. He stressed that he was already in Manila when the news broke. The ne...

R.A Form No. 10.1 (LCRO) Republic of the Philippines Local Civil Registry Office Province of Ilocos Norte Municipality of Sarrat NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION           In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. Act No. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that IRENE AGUILAR DAHILIG has filed with this Office a petition for changed of first name from IRENE MARIA to IRENE in the birth certificate of IRENE MARIA BALILA AGUILAR who was born on 11 January 1963 at Sarrat, Ilocos Norte and whose parents are REYNALDO RASAY AGUILAR and ANASTACIA RAMOS BALILA.           Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this Office not later than Nov. 14, 2016. (SGD) JOAN A. DUQUE Municipal Civil Registrar Oct. 31-Nov. 6, Nov 7-13, 2016*IT _______________________________________________ REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FIRST J...