The Ilocos Times

  Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua and MMSU President Dr. Shirley P. Agrupis sign the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the Pasilaw and Planu Pro-Poor Program on February 3, 2o20. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —With the goal of improving Bataqueños quality of life, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the city government here formally signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the “Pasilaw and Planu Program” at the City Hall Session Hall on February 3, 2020. MMSU President Dr. Shirley P. Agrupis and Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua personally signed the MOA. The “Pasilaw and Plano Pro-Poor Program” aims to energize all residential houses and to help beneficiaries who cannot afford to hire the services of professional for the preparation of architectural, civil, structural and plumbing plans. The Sangguniang Panlungsod here earlier passed this program with Batac councilor Bismark Angelo Quidang as main sponsor. Dr.

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter CITY OF BATAC —Looking out for the welfare of its constituents, especially the elderly in their advanced ages, the city government here expanded the coverage of the existing Batac Centenarian Citizen’s Awards. The Sangguniang Panlungsod here amended the centenarian awards to expand its coverage. The previous council based the said ordinance on RA 10868, or the Centenarians Act of 2016, with the Dept. of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2016-160, which provided the policies and guidelines and the implementing rules and regulations of the said act. But prior to the passage of RA 10868 and its IRR, the council here has already passed an ordinance for the establishment of Batac Centenarian Citizen’s Award as a means of recognizing centenarians and pre-centenarians through plaques, resolutions and cash incentives. Batac councilor Violeta Daradar-Nalupta, who authored the amended ordinance, said that over the

Representative Eugenio Angelo M. Barba (2 nd  district, Ilocos Norte) leads the distribution of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) beneficiaries in the City of Batac. The beneficiaries received P5,100 each for 15 working days. TUPAD is a component of the Dept. of Labor and Employment Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program. TUPAD is a continuing project of Mr. Barba with DOLE assistance for at least 100 per local government unit in the province’s second district. (Doms dela Cruz)

The cities of Batac (top) and Laoag are now open for business permits for both new businesses and renewals. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —With aims of improving the Bataqueños’ quality of living, the city government here is setting pro-poor programs and policies, primarily with regards to building application and other related permits. In a regular Sangguniang Panlungsod session, councilors here unanimously passed a measure that will set the city government’s thrust toward this goal. Batac councilor Lucky Rene Bunye, who moved for its approval, said the measure is based on the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as an indicator to accurately measure poverty. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Board Resolution NO. 01 series of 2017-129 determines the poverty threshold (PT) and has set the minimum income/expenditure requirement for a family/individual to meet the basic food and non-food requirements. Section 209 of the National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) states that “Traditional Indigenous Family Dwellings shall

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —In support of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-smoking program, the city government here has totally prohibited tobacco smoking and vaping, or e-cigarettes, in all designated and public places within this city.     The new directive was based on an ordinance approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod authored by Batac councilor Ramon M. Gaoat. Mr. Gaoat said the measure was in support of the President’s mandate by virtue of Executive Order No. 26 providing for the establishment of a smoke-free environment on public and enclosed places. Republic Act No. 8749, or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, also prohibits smoking inside enclosed public places including public vehicles and other means of transport, and other enclosed areas directing the LGUs for strict implementation. As a doctor of medicine by profession, Mr. Gaoat said tobacco smoking and vaping with e-cigarette contains nicotine which is highly addic

(From left) 3rd runner-up, Miss Cal-laguip—Ma. Luisa Erika Francia; Miss ABC 2019, Miss Acosta—Ceara Marie Franco; Miss Batac 2019, Miss Caunayan—Andrea Nizza Mae Ganno; 1st runner-up, Miss San Mateo—Christian Lorens Adatan; 2nd runner-up, Miss Tabug—Dianne Joyce Piñol.

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —As “active tools in achieving inclusive growth for reform and development”, the Laoag and Batac Sangguniang Panlungsod have approved their annual budgets for CY 2020: PHP928,331,364.63 and PHP736,647,586.14, respectively. The annual budget approval is in pursuant to Section 318 of Republic Act No. 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, and Local Budget Memorandum No. 78 of the Department of Budget and Management. On December 10, 2019, the Laoag Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved the budget authored by Laoag councilor Handy T. Lao, chairperson of the committee on budget and appropriations. Laoag Mayor Michael Marcos-Keon said that the budget was prepared with a thorough review and evaluation of the proposals submitted by the different offices of the city. Mr. Marcos-Keon said the city adopted the mechanism of “participatory budgeting to ensure prudent, transparent and accountable allocation and use of

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —The Sangguniang Panlungsod here passed a resolution requesting Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to allocate funds for an additional school building at the Petra Q. Pimentel Elementary School. Batac councilor Violeta Daradar-Nalupta, who sponsored the measure, expressed confidence that the senator will accede to their request as the school is named after his great-grandmother. Mrs. Nalupta likewise announced that Mr. Pimentel’s staff told her to immediately submit a council resolution for the said request. The Batac councilor stressed that the Pimentel elementary school also served nearby barangays aside from Brgy. Pimentel. She also pointed out that the school buildings there are already 50 years old and can no longer cope with the demands of 21 st century education. They, also, can no longer keep up with the growing school population, especially with today’s K-12 implementation. Mrs. Nalupta hopes Sena

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —In a bid to teach schoolchildren here this city’s history, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has requested the Department of Education (DepEd) thru schools division superintendent Dr. Joel Lopez to integrate the city’s history as part of their curriculum in all levels. Batac has been known to as “The Home of Great Leaders”, as many significant historical figures in the history of the Philippines were born or raised here. Batac, as a town, was founded by the Augustinians in 1587 and is considered to be one of the oldest towns of the old Ilocos. From its classification as fourth class municipality in July 1987 to a first-class municipality in November 2005, Batac proved its strong development, leading it to achieve its dream of cityhood. Batac councilor Kichel Jomarie Pungtilan, who sponsored the measure, said teaching the history of Batac in schools will give students an idea about the works, contributions and heroism o

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —Local officials here enjoin all government offices, private institutions and all concerned to use “City of Batac” as the official name of Batac and not “Batac City’’. In a resolution approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, it calls for the use of City of Batac as its official name as based on Republic Act No. 9407.   Being classified as fourth class municipality in 1987 then becoming a first-class municipality in November 2005, Batac hurdled all requirements needed to become a city on 2007 under the administration of former Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta. On June 23, 2007, Batac was proclaimed as component city by virtue of RA 9407, “An act converting the municipality of Batac in the Province Ilocos Norte into a component city be known as the City of Batac”. In November of 2008, the Supreme Court of the Philippines heard a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines declaring the Cityhood Law (RA 9

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —The city government here is urging all utility companies to remove or fix dangling and jumbled wires within the city’s boundaries. The Sangguniang Panlungsod specifically passed a unanimous resolution asking a cable and internet provider company to initiate this directive. The previous sanggunian has also passed a similar resolution. Batac councilor Christopher B. Lagmay, the movant of said resolution, said they noticed that the dangling and jumbled utility wires have been increasing in volume, especially in the city proper. He stressed that those wires are now not only “eyesores” but dangerous as they could cause accidents. In view of this, the city government here noted that it will continue to use its power for the promotion of the general welfare of its people. On October 31, 2019, utility companies and other utility agencies expressed their willingness to comply with this request. Some of the

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —Sangguniang Panlungsod member Violeta Daradar-Nalupta distributed at least 15 wheelchairs from Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to persons with disabilities (PWDs) in this. Mrs. Nalupta requested the said wheelchairs through a council resolution, which the body approved unanimously. All council members also co-sponsored the said measure. Mrs. Nalupta said she personally delivered the wheelchairs to PWDs who could no longer walk far, including Splendor Pitpit of Brgy. Payao this city. She also disclosed that only seven local government units in the country received wheelchairs from the senator. With the help of the social works office here, the 14 wheelchairs were given to PWDs who are “less fortunate”, or indigents. “ Babaen iti daytoy, addan gundaway dagiti adda rangkap na aglalo dagitay saan a makapagna a makapasyaren babaen iti wheelchairs nga inted ni apo senador ket napalalo iti pinagyaman da iti d

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —In a bid to further help children in conflict with the law (CICL), the Sangguniang Panlungsod here requested the provincial government of Ilocos Norte thru Governor Mathew Joseph M. Manotoc for the establishment of Bahay Pag-Asa in the province. Batac councilor Kichel Jomarie Pungtilan and Batac vice mayor Atty. Windell Chua sponsored the measure which the council later approved. Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. Records show, Mr. Pungtilan said, that there are already CICL cases in the province citing an example in this city wherein 23 CICL cases were reported from January 2016 up to the present; and five of them were sent to Bahay Pag-Asa in Bauang, La Union. The measure, Mr. Pungtilan added, helps the families and rel

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter BATAC CITY—Hundreds of local and overseas job opportunities were up for grabs in Batac City job fair held November 12, 2019 at the Imelda Cultural Center. Leonavella Dadiz-Duldulao, of the Department of Labor and Employment said the faire was open to all interested individuals who are seeking their dream job. “We encouraged all job seekers to apply and have the chance to get hired on the spot,” said Ms. Dadiz. Dubbed as, “Pabilgen ni Bataqueño Para iti Sapasap a Progreso (Empowering Bataqueño for Inclusive Growth)”, the whole-day job fair was a public and private partnership program hosted by the city government of Batac led by Mayor Albert Chua. Aside from the DOLE, other national government agencies such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Civil Service Commission, Department of Trade and Industry and Technical Education Services and Skills Development Authority will be

City of Batac —Patients of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) here can now transact their hospital bills through cashless payment option as the hospital recently partnered with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). In inking the deal, both state-run institutions aim to make transactions with patients faster and more convenient through improving processes relating to payment of hospital bills which usually derails patients. Dr. Maria Lourdes K. Otayza, medical center chief II, lauded this initiative by “putting the hospital’s management on the right track” especially at a time when MMMH&MC is trailing to become a fully-accredited Performance Governance System institution which upholds true and genuine governance. With the cashless payment option for patients, MMMH&MC shall receive payment of hospital bills from patients through valid debits and credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) as well as prepaid cash cards issued by LBP or by

Visitors take a photo at the rice paddy art in front of the administration building of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac Campus. It features an image of former first lady Imelda Marcos.  (Contributed photo)       By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Batac CITY—Around 150 local farmers, students, researchers, and extension workers among others joined a cross-farm visit the state-run Mariano Marcos State University-Batac Campus hosted on November 12, 2019. Showcasing the best agricultural practices being advocated by research experts of the university, the cross-farm visit features the MMSU-CARES farm at Brgy. Quiling Sur in this city, the President’s Farm and Seed Production Project in front of the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), and the rice paddy art at the university’s administration building. Every year, MMSU is conducting this activity to inspire more farmers to plant high yielding and resilient varieties of rice

The city government of Batac in partnership with the Mariano Marcos Memorial and Medical Center hold its quarterly bloodletting activity at the City Hall. The activity manifests the city government’s commitment to provide safe and steady supply of blood for Batacqueños. A total of 82 individuals donated blood for the said activity held September 24, 2019. (Doms dela Cruz)

BATAC  Mayor Albert D. Chua spearheads the distribution of PhilHealth cards to 4,961 beneficiaries for its commitment in sustaining its effort to alleviate the burden of high cost of medical services. The distribution was held from September 21 to 22, 2019 at the Imelda Cultural Center. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —The city government here will soon implement the new PHP14 fare rate in the city. The fare rate increased from PHP11 to PHP14. Batac councilor Bismark Quidang, who chairs the Batac council’s committee on transportation, made the announcement. In his report during a Sangguniang Panlungsod session, he said he was “surprised why this ordinance was not yet implemented wherein this was approved by the previous Sanggunian last December 2018 and reviewed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan March this year”. The approved regular fare of PHP14 is for the first 1.5 kilometers and an additional PHP1 for every succeeding kilometer or any fraction thereof. Students, senior citizens and person with disabilities (PWDs) fare is P11.20, or a 20 percent discount provided identification cards is presented.          Batac Vice mayor and council presiding officer Atty. Windell D. Chua said this fare increase can only be implemen