The Ilocos Times

  Conflicts arise when personal interests collide. This is now front and center at the Laoag City Sangguniang Panlungsod as two warring factions are duking it out for the city government's 2019 annual budget. The budget proposal, submitted October 16, 2018, remains unpassed for months, and was disapproved via vote of 7-5 in a special session on January 3, 2019. Though unlike in the Unites States of America where an unapproved budget results in a shutdown, Philippine laws call for an automatic reenactment of the last approved budget when this happens. But what will happen to a local government operating on a reenacted budget? All operations are hampered: from basic services to employee salaries and city government projects. This is so as the city government is forced to operate using last year's budget. And common sense dictates that past expenditures are usually lower than present expenditures; more so in the face of high inflation rates last year. It ...

Babaen ti pinangidaulo ni Mayor Maximo Cajigal, nagbalin a natalna, napintas ken naragsak ti ili iti Badoc. Daytoy a panagdur-as ket nagun-od babaen   ti panangibabaet ni Apo Sta. Maria, La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc ken ti Patron iti ili a ni San Juan Bautista kasta met iti panagkaykaysa dagiti umili. Iti laeng uneg ti dua a tawen ken innem a bulan ket adun ti nagapuanan ti Baro A Badoc. Iti kangrunaan a sinolbar ti administrasyon ket dagiti kaso a mainaig iti illegal nga droga kasta met ti pannakatagiben ti linak ken talna. Idi tawen 2015, umabot ti 117 ti bilang iti crime volume, ita nga tawen bimmaba ti bilang ket agdagop laengen ti 56 segun ti kamaudian a datos. Ita a tawen, nangilatang iti administrasyon   iti P 640,000.00 a pondo para iti scholarship program. Kasta met a naidonar dagiti lote a pagpatakderen ti school buildings. Dagiti saan nga sakup ti Special Education Fund (SEF) nga pagkasapulan ti pagadalan ket inikkan tulong iti agdama nga dministra...

Naimbag a damag para kadagiti deboto ni Apo Santa Maria. Naaprobaranen ti panagbalin ti St. John the Baptist Church iti ili a Badoc a kas basilica minore. Inbunannag mismo daytoy ni Bishop Renato Mayugba iti nasapa a paset idi Disiembre. Narambakan iti maysa a misa iti panagyaman idi Dis. 27. Mainaig iti daytoy a pasamak, dakkel a suporta ti naggapo kadagiti umili nga idadaulwan ni Mayor Maximo Cajigal ken ti panangtarabay ni ABC President Virgilio Calajate tapnu magun-odda daytoy a gagem. Dakkel a tulong daytoy iti itantandudo ni Gobernadora Imee Marcos ken ti gobierno probinsial nga agbalin a kabbaro a destinasion iti ili para iti “faith tourism”. Iti baet daytoy, kinuna ni Municipal Tourism Officer Mr. Cesar Jade Raquel a kadagitoy pay laeng a gundaway ket namnamaendan a dayuen dagiti turista ti ilida a kas iti panagdudupudop dagiti deboto iti Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary idiay Manaoag, Pangasinan. Ni Mrs. Josephine Prieto Calajate, Ilocos Norte Pr...

In the not-so-distant past, Badoc was infamous for a lot of things—all of them violent. Recently, however, the province’s southernmost town has undergone a complete makeover: it is now the newest tourist “hot spot”. From being an election “hot spot” to the upstart and upcoming tourism attraction in the province; Badoc’s transformation can be attributed to the municipality’s new mayor, Maximo D. Cajigal. From a crime volume of 117 in 2015—the year before Mr. Cajigal took the reins of power—it went down to 107 in 2016. The steep drop in the 2017 crime volume to 60 signaled that the town is ready for change. And as Badoc became a new tourist destination, the crime volume last year further dropped to 56. Badoc’s new leadership proved that their campaign battle cry of “Baro a Badoc” [A New Badoc] in 2016 was not just rhetoric; it was a vision which they strove hard to realize in the last three years. And realized it they did. Badoc’s tourist arrivals, which was in...

By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor BADOC, Ilocos Norte—Mayor Maximo D. Cajigal of this town has promised his constituents that he will pursue a clean, honest and peaceful elections this year amid speculations of an impending trouble that would erupt between his group and that of his rivals. “I have already mobilized the Philippine National Police (PNP) so that all things will go smoothly as we start the political campaign this year,” Mr. Cajigal said, vowing to end the town’s reputation as the most troubled election hot spot in the province for years. Previous situations have shown that Badoc has become an election “hot spot” in Ilocos Norte amidst reports that it has allegedly become the haven of loose firearms and hired killers. Police records in 2009 showed a suspected hired killer linked to the murder of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) President Rey Ruiz was gunned down at Brgy. Saud here. And just after the 2016 national elections, the br...

Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Farinas welcomes  Naval Task Force 11  commander and Naval Force for Northern Luzon deputy commander Capt. Karl A. Decapia PN (GSC) during his courtesy to the mayor. (Alwin Formantes)

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Motorists trying to avoid everyday traffic in the city proper can now smile with relief as the Laoag City bypass road is now officially open. The bypass road was temporarily opened during the All-Saints’ Day and Christmas holidays to ease traffic along the city’s downtown area. With the resumption of work and school day on January 3, 2019, traffic in downtown Laoag went on smoothly as some motorists opted to take the alternate route going to the city’s Laoag International Airport area. From Vintar, Ilocos Norte, Karl Lenin Benigno, an employee of a Laoag university along the Airport Ave. shared his excitement over social media saying his “[T]ravel time to work is now only 15 minutes on normal speed” as compared before when he would be stuck in traffic for more or less 30 minutes at the Gilbert Bridge. “I guess I personally have to thank the good congressman [Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” C. Fariñas] for the wonderfu...

San Fernando City , La Union—Once again, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office I (OWWA RWOI) scholars proved that they are now ready to face the professional world as they are now licensed educators and registered nurse. Four scholars recently passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) administered on September 30, 2018 and one scholar passed the Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) conducted last November 17 & 18, 2018. Among the LET passers are Julia Mae C. Agustin, Louise Casey C. Murao, John Carlo A. Manabat and John Bert A. Peralta. Ms. Agustin was a scholar under the OFW Dependent Scholarship (ODSP) while Messrs. Murao, Manabat and Peralta were under the Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP). On the other hand, registered nurse Jenalyn P. Raguini became an OWWA scholar through the Enhanced ODSP. Ms. Agustin earned her college degree at the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. She is the ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Paoay, Ilocos Norte —On November 19, 2018 birdwatchers from various parts of the country witnessed the return of the great cormorant, a migratory bird known for its matted feathers. The 387-hectare Paoay Lake National Protected Landscape is a feeding point for migratory birds. Since the first launching of the first return of the great cormorant festival in 2008, local birders led by Dr. Petrus Calope, also a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) frequent the lake’s view deck at Brgy. Nagbacalan in this town for a chance to see the great cormorant along with other bird species at the landlocked lake. Through Dr. Calope’s initiative, in cooperation with the local government unit of Paoay and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, bird watching in the province has slowly gained popularity, attracting local and foreign enthusiasts to visit the legendary lake. Starting the month of November, bird wa...

Fifty-four farmers recently graduated from the Farm Business School (FBS) conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Ilocos Norte. Twenty-five of the graduates are members of the Zanjera Matoc Multipurpose Cooperative in Bacsil South, Laoag City, while 29 are agrarian reform beneficiaries from Catuguing Multipurpose Cooperative in San Nicolas. Provincial agrarian reform program officer II Vic M. Ines, said the farmers were given updates on modern farming practices and basic business concepts. “They were taught various farming, management and entrepreneurial skills,” said Mr. Ines. In the FBS, the essential elements of bookkeeping, cash flows, market surveys, selling and costing and proper packaging of products were fully explained to the farmer-students. The local government units of Laoag City and San Nicolas pledged to help provide more marketing opportunities for the farmers and their families. *** BARD NOTES: Happy bard-reading to Gove...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—To address various issues confronting education today, Ilocos Norte education officials are looking into the power of partnerships or a collective action to strengthen programs and projects geared towards the development of 21st century learners. Initiated by the Ilocos Norte Schools Division of Ilocos Norte, over 200 participants composed of educators, parents, alumni, heads of agencies, including local government units, public and private organizations attended a seminar-workshop on innovative education investments in partnerships at the SDOIN conference hall as they came up with draft action plan promoting the welfare of learners in the province. “Through this forum, we hope to build better ties and to promote understanding between and among all the education stakeholders of the province,” said Ilocos Norte schools division superintendent Vilma Eda. With the help a freelance international governance consultant,...

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here distributed water pumps and hoses to Brgy. Sucsuquen farmers in this town. Piddig Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen and Piddig government consultant Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen led the distribution. An additional 50 water pumps and hoses from the first set was delivered earlier this year. Each recipient should farm at least two hectares of agricultural land as part of the requirement. "These are the fruits of our seed that was sown and let us all continue to give good harvest for the betterment of our town Piddig," Mrs. Guillen said. The project came from the National Irrigation Administration-Region I, which has a total amount of PHP3.5 million. Other recipient barangays of the said project are: Brgys. Tonoton, Ababut, and Tangaoan.

Imagine luscious ice cream made from fresh buffalo’s milk sandwiched in crackers made from brown rice flour. Healthy and mouth-watering at the same time, BRICS is definitely a better alternative to commercial ice cream sandwich. It is expected to be out in the market by late December 2018. BRICS is born out of a 2016 consumer-driven market study by PhilRice’s Josefina F. Ballesteros, El Shaira A. Labargan, Rosaly V. Manaois, Amelia V. Morales, and Dr. Riza G. Abilgos-Ramos. Based on the survey results, consumers associate health and wellness with the concepts of food, diet, and nutrition. Hence, there’s a market opportunity for new rice-based products that offer a wide range of health and nutritional benefits. According to Ms. Labargan, BRICS chose brown rice flour for its nutritional superiority. It has higher amounts of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and several health-enhancing benefits owing to the bioactive compounds that the whole grain carries. Buffalo’s ...

Most of them come from the private sector and civil society, and four from government service. Six are men, two women, one a volunteer group led by a young woman, and a class of workers. Different backgrounds, different advocacies, but all exemplifying the great Ilocano spirit. Here are The Ilocos Times Outstanding Ilocanos for 2019, receiving well-deserved recognition as the Ilocos Norte Bicentennial Celebration comes to a close. Eugenio Angelo Marcos Barba FOR promoting inclusive growth through nation-building. A pioneer member of Kabataang Barangay, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo M. Barba also served as three-term municipal mayor (1992-2001) and senior provincial board member (2001-2010). With a long line of political history, he has proven himself as a committed and competent public servant. Mr. Barba continues to inspire fellow local government officials to strive even harder, setting past accomplishments as motivations to continue uplifting the...