The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The city’s Sangguniang Kabataan federation president and Sangguniang Panlungsod ex-officio member Anzhelyka Faye Lao expressed surprise on the issue of an alleged case filed against her at the Office of the President. Ms. Lao, in an interview during a regular session, said she does not know anything about any complaint filed against her at the Office of the President; she, however said she is aware of an administrative charge filed by Barangay 47 (Bengcag) SK chairperson Mary Diane Domingo. Ms. Domingo filed an administrative charge at the Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod for “grave misconduct and gross inefficiency resulting to loss of confidence against Lao”.    The complaint stemmed from an event in November 2018 during a seminar, training, team-building session attended by all Laoag SK chairpersons, which the budget or funding was allegedly questioned. The complaint also indicated the alleged incompetence of Ms. La

  By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —To ensure the safety, security and well-being of every citizen, Laoag councilor Jason Bader Perera authored a measure amending city ordinance No. 019 series of 2009 on the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for business establishments in this city. Mr. Perera presented his proposed ordinance for second reading expanding the coverage in the application, requirements for a minimum specifications, number and location to be installed and regulating the examination, duplication and recording of CCTV footages. He added that the purpose of the ordinance will not only to deter crimes but to aid in the investigation of any “contestable act”, however several establishments refuse to let their CCTV be examined to give a duplicate copy which defeats the very purpose of the CCTV ordinance. With the help of CCTV systems, numerous criminal activities and accidental occurrences were captured and this could be of gre

  Laoag City —The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) and "Arkila," a local delivery service provider, have collaborated to employ displaced public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers as delivery riders to service customers in various parts of the province. According to Atty. Nikki Pilar, Metro Ilocos Norte Council (MINC) project head, the provincial government has been creating COVID-19 recovery projects to alleviate the condition of the stakeholders in the public transportation sector. “One way to safeguard the livelihood of our affected PUV drivers is working with delivery entities since 50% of the transportation sector is only allowed to operate in the province. We contacted Arkila, the first delivery service provider that showed interest to our ‘IN BUYanihan Recovery Program’, to partner with the hiring of displaced drivers,” she remarked. Five driver-riders were already hired, with beneficiaries targeted at 50. They will follow a rotational shift in deliverin

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—Young achievers in the province of Ilocos Norte received their cash stipend in a simple ceremony held at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena. Running for nine years now, the Provincial Capitol workers’ children who are performing well in school get cash reward from the provincial government of Ilocos Norte. According to human resource management officer Fe Siazon, this year’s 52 beneficiaries have increased compared to previous years which ranges from 20 to 30. The beneficiaries graduated in elementary, senior high school and college on top of their classes and each of them received PHP6,000 cash reward. For a parent like Lyn Marie Asuncion from Laoag City, she said she is grateful to the provincial government under the administration of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc for inspiring more government workers and rewarding their children who do well in school. “The cash incentive is a great boost to our childr

  Laoag City —As one of the five pilot provinces in the Philippines to lead the Department of Agriculture’s synergized agriculture and fisheries extension services, Ilocos Norte has started building its three-story research and extension center to boost local farming practices. On September 10, 2020, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc led the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (INAFES) at the Provincial Agriculture Compound in Laoag City. "After devolution, naging fragmented na ang agriculture extension services natin. Kaya naisipan naming i -collate lahat ng efforts, skills, at resources upang mabigyan ng mas mabisang solusyon ang mga problema ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda ," provincial agriculturist Norma Lagmay shared during the press briefing at Sangguniang Panlalawigan Hall, on September 24, 2020. Accordingly, the provincial government will apply a participatory rapid appra

  Laoag City —The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the Metro Ilocos Norte Council (MINC), has started the distribution of cash assistance to public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers who were displaced during the suspension of public transportation services under the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on August 27, 2020. The provincial government provided PHP1,275 to 297 recipients out of 995 PUJ drivers in exchange for clearing drainages, unclogging canal systems, and cleaning the surroundings in their respective municipalities. “ Itong cash-for-work program namin ay in partnership with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office at Environment and Natural Resources Office. Ang first batch ng recipients natin ay ang mga naunang nakapagpasa ng mga dokumento. Nauna na ang mga Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations na may ruta dito sa Laoag City, Pasuquin, Bacarra at San Nicolas,” Lauren Eman Bayangos, MINC personnel, said. Eddie Aquin

  By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) officials strongly denied allegations that the hospital is on the “verge of bankruptcy”. In a press conference held October 1, 2o20 at the LCGH, chief of clinics Dr. Mary Ann Yasay-Luis and hospital administrator Dr. Elizer Asuncion presented the accounts payable of the hospital since June 2011 to June 2019, in the amount of PHP78 million. The debt is to hospital suppliers. The longtime LCGH administrator said the new administration “unluckily inherited” these payables. He added “it’s not easy to manage the hospital without fund available on its day-to-day operation, however, the operation of the hospital must continue to operate in order to serve the people who are in need of medical assistance”. Mr. Asuncion also pointed out that when the new city administration assumed the reins of power, LCGH was already living akin to “ isang kahig, isang tuka ” existence. Due to the PHP78 millio

  Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc and Marcos town mayor Antonio Mariano lead the inauguration and blessing of the newly-constructed isolation facility. The area is located near a mountainside at Brgy. Lydia, Marcos, Ilocos Norte with 13 rooms available for quarantine. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc) By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) Marcos , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here inaugurated a 13-room modern and spacious isolation facility at Brgy.   Lydia, in this town. Worth PHP6 million and sourced from the government’s “Bayanihan fund” with a counterpart from the municipal government’s development fund, Marcos mayor Antonio Mariano said they will use the newly-constructed multi-purpose building as a quarantine site for returning residents. During a simple inauguration ceremony attended by provincial and municipal officials, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc lauded Marcos town officials led by Mr. Marian

  By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—An idyllic cove with crystal clear waters at Sitio Pagetpet, Brgy. La Milagrosa in Badoc, Ilocos Norte is gearing up for a much-needed facility improvement while tourists are not yet allowed to visit here due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, the town of Badoc that hosts the La Milagrosa Cove and the Minor Basilica of Saint John the Baptist had drawn foreign and local tourists for devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. To keep up with a growing interest in faith tourism under the new normal, the Ilocos Norte government through members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has approved a total of PHP5 million as additional funds for tourism facility improvement. According to provincial tourism officer Ianree Raquel, "part of the improvement includes the establishment if at least five comfort rooms for female and four for male.” In addition, there will also be three urinals for male. "Both male and female comfort

Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua leads the blessing, inauguration and switching on of the newly installed BLISS Water System at Sitio 3 Bliss at Barangay Camandingan, City of Batac on July 31, 2020. The water system caters to 55 residential houses. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Batac City —Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua led that blessing and inauguration of the city’s new water system project at Brgy. Camandingan, Sitio Bliss, this city on July 30, 2020. The water project will benefit at least 55 residential houses in the area. This project is among the city’s “pet projects”, the basic need for water. In 1995, when the mayor entered politics, he already noticed an old inoperable old water tank at Sitio Bliss in the said barangay. “And now that I’m back as mayor, I, together with the present set of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, found ways and funding in order to revive and rehabilitate the water system,” Mr. Chua disclosed.     He said his administration is “t

  Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos has sought to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign-made medical supplies by boosting their local production, especially of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and other frontliners. Ms. Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, has filed Senate Bill 1708, or the “Healthcare Manufacturing and Pandemic Protection Act,” to exempt local manufacturers from certain taxes and continue applying export incentives even on their output for domestic consumption. “We need to guarantee that our health workers and frontliners have the medical supplies they require. Shortages of PPEs and other requisites caused infections resulting in the inexcusably high death toll among doctors, nurses and other frontliners,” Ms. Marcos explained. “At the onset of the pandemic, we were unable to procure supplies from China, Singapore, Japan, and Korea, themselves struggling against the virus. We could not bid against

  Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos stressed that recruitment for a medical reserve corps must begin soon before health care workers reach their breaking point, citing the rising cases of COVID-19 infection outside Metro Manila, particularly Cebu and southern Mindanao. Ms. Marcos added that mutations of the virus and the emergence of possible epidemics of dengue and leptospirosis with the onset of the rainy season may complicate the fight against COVID-19. “Let’s not wait for future epidemics and pandemics to push our highly stressed medical frontliners to their human limits. Their safety is our safety too,” Ms. Marcos said. The senator expressed unease about the Department of Health’s lack of transparent data on whether hospitals were reaching maximum capacity and if testing centers had enough qualified personnel to attain the goal of testing 50,000 people per day by the end of June. “We can’t afford this prolonged guessing game about whether the country is truly f

  Laoag City —To promote the province as a trusted destination by assuring the safety of tourists amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, through the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO), is set to launch “Safe Travel Application for You in Ilocos Norte” or “Stay IN”, an online platform that gathers tourism information essential in complying with public health standards and supports efficient contact tracing when needed. “Stay IN” boasts an effective data management feature designed to assign users with unique QR codes and alphanumeric codes which will be used to grant entry to the province and record tourist’s actual itinerary. It allows INTO to monitor the number of employees and guests to ensure that occupants can maintain social distancing requirements and capacity prescribed by local authorities. Moreover, data through the web-based app will be used to provide services, to issue valid QR code, to provide adequate security against fraud and abus

By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —To ensure proper implementation of projects, the Sangguniang Panlungsod here requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional and district offices to provide the city engineering office a Program of Works (POW) on all DPWH projects in the city. Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Vicentito M. Lazo said they based their request on implemented and completed DPWH projects in the city but were found defective, which requires immediate repairs or replacement. Among those projects were the rehabilitation/concreting of the Laoag-Vintar road at Brgy. 23, this city where some sections need removal and replacement; and the San Mateo flood control project that collapsed due to below standard materials and not in accordance with the POW. Mr. Lazo, who sponsored the measure, said the defective projects when undetected or if detected requires remedial and/or curative measures, loss of public funds but pre

  Laoag City —Continuing its mandate to assist local farmers, the Sustainable Development Center (SDC) of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) distributed several agricultural inputs and equipment to mango, rice, vegetable, and other high value crops growers in the province on July 10, 2020 at Brgy. San Andres this city. The SDC distributed 2,500 bags of organic fertilizers, 2,000 bags of calcium sulfate, 700 bags of calcium nitrate, and 930 liters of insecticide to mango growers, through their respective local government units and organizations. “ Ang mga ibabahagi natin ngayon ay para sa rehabilitation ng mahigit 8,300 na puno ng mangga dito sa probinsiya. Ibibigay na natin ang mga agri inputs para magamit na nila ito bilang paghahanda sa pamumulaklak ng mga puno, higit na dalawa hanggang tatlong buwan mula ngayon ,” SDC officer Edwin Cariño explained. Aside from mango growers, rice, vegetable, and other high value crops growers also received a total of 25 unit

By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Batac City —As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to rage around the world, the city government here has banned indiscriminate spitting and expelling nasal mucus in public places. The Sangguniang Panlungsod here has specifically passed an ordinance that bans and penalizes such acts to minimize the likelihood of transmission of the COVID-19. Batac councilor Violeta Daradar-Nalupta said the virus can be transmitted thru respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing, and spitting. The said acts can also transmit other respiratory pathogens, including influenza and rhinovirus. Mrs. Nalupta further stated that it is the policy of the city government to protect and promote the right to health of its constituency and instill health consciousness. Anyone who carelessly or intentionally spits or expels in public places that produces saliva, phlegm, mucus or other substances will face fines of PHP500, PHP1,000 and PHP1,50

Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua and several members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Batac Vice Mayor Windell Chua distribute equipment to the different schools in the city. The simple turn-over was held at the Imelda Cultural Center on July 9, 2020. ( Photo courtesy of CGB)

By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY–The Department of Trade and Industry in Ilocos Norte awarded 55 “Negosyo Starter Kits” to 55 beneficiaries from the towns of Paoay, Currimao and Badoc. With the ongoing worldwide pandemic, DTI provincial director Rosario Quodala said they have widened the provision of livelihood kits to those affected by the pandemic including potential entrepreneurs, those who are stricken by calamities such as Covid-19, fire and armed conflicts. To qualify as a beneficiary, Ms. Quodala said, “the receiver must not be a recipient of any social amelioration program from other government agencies. In addition, Maricor Racela, DTI-Ilocos Norte senior trade industry development specialist and trade promotions officer said that each of the beneficiaries received around PHP8,000- 10,000 worth of sari-sari store and meat processing kits to start up a new business. For one of the “Nego kits” beneficiaries like Janice Caliboso, she said she may not

Laoag City —In preparation for the coming rainy season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Resiliency Council (PDRRMRC) will discuss the reconfiguration of evacuation centers in the province to ensure minimum health standards are implemented. “Next week, may meeting ang PDRRMRC upang talakayin ang configuration ng mga evacuation centers dito sa probinsya. Parte ito ng ating paghahanda sa pagsisimula ng habagat o rainy season. Mostly kasi ng evacuation centers ng iba’t-ibang bayan ay nagamit na bilang quarantine facility,” local disaster risk reduction management officer IV Marcell Tabije said. If severe weather conditions hit the province, Mr. Tabije explained that alternative evacuation centers should be sufficiently equipped to comply with the minimum health protocols such as social distancing, wearing of face mask, and establishment of hand sanitation areas. Moreover, component local government units (LGUs) of Ilocos Norte ha

  Laoag City —The Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO) led the salary distribution of the first batch of “Saguip Manggagawa Program” (SMP) beneficiaries at Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, this city on June 25, 2020. The SMP hired 141 employees of non-essential micro-enterprises who worked for 10 days under the supervision of their employers. They each received PHP 3,400 from the Provincial Government. The program helped both employees and employers of non-essential micro-enterprises, whose operations were temporarily suspended during the lockdown, to recover their income loss. “We are here to assist our small businesses in staying alive. Iyon ang pinaka-importante na tuloy-tuloy ang mga negosyo natin at ang mga kailian natin ay compensated pa rin, sumusweldo pa rin ,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc remarked. He further explained that the provincial employment group is devising long-term “strategies and solutions” to support the operation of smal