Pagudpud mayor pushes for river dredging, reforestation to prevent flooding

By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte—Owing to massive river siltation and soil erosion in this town, Pagudpud mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito sought the help of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reconsider the grant of gratuitous permit to the local government unit in order to extract quarry resources from the silted rivers at Brgys. Dampig, Saguigui, Pancian, Pasaleng, Burayoc and Caparispisan.

The mayor likewise urged local communities to support the DENR’s greening program as part of mitigating the impact of climate change and help preserved the town’s remaining forest cover.

In October, this year, Mr. Benemerito was accused of illegal quarrying in his town, prompting members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to recommend to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc to revoke the municipality’s gratuitous permit for violations of its terms and conditions.

Based on the investigation report of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, it states that the Gratuitous Permit No. 003-2020 earlier issued to Mr. Benemerito on May 14, 2020 supposedly to extract 10,000 cubic meters of materials from permit areas situated within riverbeds covering at least six barangays in this town was used to conduct quarrying activities in a private property owned by the mayor’s family at Brgy. Caparispisan, which covers an area of 1.2 hectares and was not a river bed.

Under the law, the provincial board suggested that the mayor should have secured a private gratuitous permit which will allow him to extract, remove and utilize quarry resources like gravel, sand or loose materials for a non-renewable period of 60 calendar days and that the materials shall be for personal use.

The Ilocos Norte board likewise recommended to the governor that Mr. Benemerito be held liable administratively for allegedly taking advantage of his position as the incumbent mayor.

As of this posting, the governor has yet to act on the proposed cancellation of Mr. Benemerito’s gratuitous permit.

But the mayor made an appeal to the governor to reconsider the grant of gratuitous permit to the municipality citing the rivers in Pagudpud are heavily silted which contributes to flooding in the area.

Comments

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said. Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel...

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy. 18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi...

The Ilocos Times

Search This Blog