The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —The Department of Health (DOH) is set to donate medical equipment to the Laoag City General Hospital. This development came following the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s approval of three resolutions authorizing Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon to deal with the DOH for the said donation, DOH Director IV Dr. Valeriano Jesus V. Lopez will represent the health department. The donation will include a brand new unit of hematology analyzer worth PHP181,555.50; a brand new unit of table top sterilizer worth PHP33,000; and a brand new unit of pharmaceutical refrigerator worth PHP98,445. Giving quality health care, the Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) is set to have brand new laboratory equipment. Laoag councilor Juan Conrado A. Respicio II said the acquisition of said laboratory equipment is funded from the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of 2017 worth PHP70 million which the DOH granted to Laoag. Mr. Respi

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Pinili , Ilocos Norte—The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is throwing its support to cotton farmers of Barangay Lumbaan, this town with a PHP20 million worth irrigation project to boost their productivity. In a stakeholders’ forum attended by irrigators’ associations, loom weavers and cotton producers held at the Pinili Amphitheatre, NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya said there is much potential in the cotton industry which farmers may consider as an alternative crop next to rice and other high value crops in the region. “We are extending PHP20-million support for cotton development in Pinili,” Mr. Visaya said in support of the government’s effort to revitalize cotton industry in the country. Cotton farmers in Lumbaan is adopting insect-resistant varieties of cotton to sustain raw materials needed in inabel weaving, the town is known for. “We are lucky as the pilot site of the project. As long as there i

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Good news to all scholars of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte. Starting the second semester of this school year, the 560 academic and technical and vocational scholars of the provincial government scholars will receive stipend increase of PHP2,500 to PHP3,850 each. This came following the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s approval of the Integrated Provincial Scholarship Ordinance which aims to unify all the six classifications of scholarships offered at the Ilocos Norte government. These scholarship grants include those who excel in academic, youth leaders, technical and vocational students, athletes, medical students and senior high school students Owing to the increasing prices of basic commodities and living allowances, Carolyn Agcaoili, education research assistant I of the Provincial Education Office said that for academic scholars, they will now be entitled to receive a stipend of PHP20,000 each per semes

Laoag City —Ilocos Norte is now officially one of five tactical pilot provinces in the country to lead collaborative extension services in agriculture and fisheries after component institutions signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, Laoag City on February 28, 2020. Officially known as the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (INAFES), it will strengthen and synergize the provincial and municipal extension systems of the province by engaging a pool of professionals who will provide technical and business advisory services to farming and fishing communities and related sectors. Department of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos-Manotoc led the MOA signing. Other signatories include Mariano Marcos State University President Shirley C. Agrupis, DA-Regional Field Unit I Regional Director Lucrecio R. Alviar, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources- Regional Field Office I Re

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Massive use inorganic fertilizer has deteriorated soil fertility in the province. With this, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Sustainable Development Center (SDC) is urging farmers to “heal” their lands to boost their productivity. Edwin Cariño, SDC office head said they have completed soil restoration in at least 18 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte. “Right now, we are eyeing other towns of the province such as in Adams, Dumalneg, and Carasi to have their soil rehabilitated because of too much use of inorganic fertilizer,” said Mr. Cariño. Early on, experts conducted soil testing in various parts of the province to help farmers identify the crops suitable to be planted in a certain parcel of agricultural land. In fact, they are now popularizing a color-coded soil fertility map among farmers in the province to informed then about the level of soil fertility and what to do about i

Vintar Vice Mayor Amado Victor Racimo, representing the municipal government, meets the delegates from the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the DPWH regional office on January 9, 2019 to verify the proposed rehabilitation of the hanging bridges destroyed by typhoon Ineng at Brgys. Isic-Isic and Lipay. The said project has an appropriated budget of PHP3 million and PHP8 million respectively, which was already approved. The Vintar government hopes the project will start at the soonest possible time. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —TO further motivate elementary and secondary students to study harder and excel, the city government here will soon give incentives or stipends for the top five deserving children of its permanent and casual employees. Batac City councilor Bismark Quidang, who authored the ordinance, said the measure is one of the city’s plans, programs and priorities for the general welfare of the city government. Mr. Quidang stressed that the city government continues its pursuit to give stipends and/or incentives to deserving school children and students who excel in their academics. The Ilocos Times learned that city officials led by Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua have long wished for this project to give incentives and/or stipends to the top five deserving students who are children of city hall employees. The awarding of incentives/stipends is scheduled at the end of every school year. Mr. Quidang added that this will a

  Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua turns over the PHP3 million check as medical trust fund to MMMH-MC chief Dr. Maria Lourdes Otayza at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on January 30, 2020. (Doms dela Cruz) By Leilanie G. Adriano and Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporters CITY of batac —The city government here turned over on January 30,2020 a check for PHP3 million which is intended as medical trust fund to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) for indigent patients from this city in need of assistance when they are treated at the government hospital. According to Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua, the city medical trust fund aims to provide immediate assistance to hospital bills, medicines and/or diagnostic procedures to less fortunate in-patient and out-patient residents of Batac. “We will prioritize indigent or needy residents with hospital expenses which are not covered by the PhilHealth,” said Mr. Chua. With a readily available amount, resid

  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)

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Over 2,000 rice farmers from Ilocos Norte received cash assistance worth PHP5,000 each on Monday courtesy of the Department of Agriculture. The farmer-beneficiaries include those who were affected by low price of palay or un-milled rice due to the government’s Rice Tariffication Law. The first batch of Ilocano farmers came from Laoag, Bacarra, Badoc and Solsona. In Ilocos Norte, the DA through the concerned local government units had identified a total of 19,000 beneficiaries of the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance Program. During the distribution program held at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, DA Regional Director Lucrecio Alviar Jr. said the cash assistance is unconditional. “ Hindi po ito pautang. Ito ay dagdag ayudang pinansyal para sa mga Ilokanong magsasaka ,” Mr. Alviar told farmers. Under the directive of the Duterte administration, the DA, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), and the Develo