The Ilocos Times

Laoag City —Intensifying its protective measures against COVID-19 spread, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), will purchase additional protective gears through the Quick Recovery Fund. Listed on the purchase to be delivered this weekend or early next week are 500 complete sets of personal protective equipment (PPE), 500 vials of flu vaccines, 300 bottles and 20 gallons of alcohol, 115 bottles of disinfectant, 300 boxes of face mask, and 150 hyposol. According to Task Force Salun-at the province also has ample supply of relief packs and medicines on standby, if needed. It assured that PGIN is closely coordinating with the Bureau of Quarantine by equipping the Laoag International Airport with temperature scanner and competent health personnel. Moreover, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc convened all the city and municipal mayors and health personnel to tackle the necessary actions in preventing the possible entry of COVID-19 in the province o

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The outbreak of a new coronavirus has sparked fear and anxiety around the world. With this, even the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte (SDOIN) has intensified campaign on proper handwashing and to always practice covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing to avoid close contact with people who show signs of respiratory illness. In a press conference held at the SDOIN on January 31, 2019, Dr. Lloyd Rosquita, DepEd Ilocos Norte chief education supervisor said they are directing all schools in the province to help in raising awareness about the on-going health problem and to conduct mass immunization to protect children and the community on the re-emergence of polio in the country. “This is something that we should not take it lightly. To be safe, let us make it a habit to practice proper hygiene and boost our immune system by taking in more fruits and green leafy vegetables,” said Dr. Rosquita. In a Jan

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

  The city government confiscated at least 340 kilos of hog meat shipped from Manila without papers and proper documentation. The confiscated meat was later put into a pit for burial to avoid ASF that is spreading in the country. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —With the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country, city slaughterhouse officer-in-charge Sheila De Leon Rapatan announced that there is “zero case” in the city. “ Awan kaso ti ASF iti Laoag City kasi naiget a banbantayan dagiti meat inspectors tayo dagiti sumsumrek ditoy slaughterhouse tayo ,” Ms.   Rapatan stated. The city government’s meat inspectors recently attended a meeting conducted by the National Meat Inspection and Sanitation (NMIS) on how to deal with the ASF. As a result, Ilocos Norte banned the entry of live hogs from the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan. A 24-hour quarantine in Badoc and partly in Sinait, Ilocos Sur will strictly c

Laoag City —To address the increasing number of dengue cases, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc signed Executive Order No. 15-19, enjoining the whole province to “exercise extreme vigilance against dengue,” on August 23, 2019. According to the Provincial Health Office’s (PHO) data, from January to August 16, 2019 Ilocos Norte recorded a total of 1,160 cases with two reported fatalities. PHO officer-in-charge Dr. Josephine Ruedas remarked that the province is on alert threshold, explaining, “Compared to last year, tumaas ang [dengue] cases dito . Last year, konti lang ang ating cases pero marami ang namatay .” As part of its response, the PHO is also conducting active surveillance in communities to identify the causes of the increasing number of dengue cases in the province. “We take this very seriously and I hope we can all do our part in combatting this problem,” Mr. Manotoc stressed. EO No. 15-19 also states that all local government units

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The Provincial Health Office reminds all residents in the province to keep their surroundings clean to allow no room for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. From January to July 2019, the Provincial Health Office has recorded a total of 418 cases mostly from Laoag City with 96, Badoc with 63 and Batac City with 34 cases. Of the 21 towns and two cities of the province, only the small town of Adams with less than 2,000 population, according to the PHO has zero dengue-related case so far this year. With the sudden increase of dengue cases this rainy season, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte in close coordination with the city, municipal and village health workers have intensified preventive measures against possible dengue outbreak. Earlier today, personnel of the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City continue to conduct dengue awareness campaign at the hospital and in local communiti

A health worker checks on a child. (Alaric Yanos) Laoag City —Alarmed by the increase of dengue-related deaths throughout the country, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Provincial Health Office (PHO) distributed Dengue NS1Ag, an early dengue diagnostic predictor; larvicides; and insecticides, as preventive measure for possible outbreak, to different rural health units and district hospitals in the province. This is in response to the “National Health Emergency” declaration of the Department of Health (DOH) on July 20, 2019 following the deaths of at least 491 people due to the mosquito-borne disease. On July 15, 2019, the DOH said the Ilocos Region is among those they are closely monitoring for exceeding the dengue alert threshold. As of July 3, 2019, there are 353 cases reported in Ilocos Norte, alone—an 18.9% increase compared to last year’s record. DOH clarified that the alleged outbreak in the Ilocos province were confined to specific ba

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —As the number of victims rise, the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) has converted its covered court into a temporary dengue ward to keep up. MMM&MC health education and promotion officer III Jhey-Ar Mangati made this announcement after the said hospital foresees additional increase of dengue cases in the coming weeks. Per records, the Batac hospital admitted 204 cases from January to July 15, 2018; this year, admitted cases are at 355 in the same time period. This is the reason, according to Mr. Mangati the hospital decided to use the covered court as temporary dengue ward. He, however, clarified that as of press time, the hospital’s permanent dengue ward can still accommodate patients. “Kas makita tayo awan pay pasyente idiay covered court ita nga agdama ngem naksaganan a mausar no umadu pay iti pasyente nga ma- admit, ” Mr. Mangati noted Of the hospital’s 355 deng

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —Jail officials here are closely monitoring three persons deprived of liberty (PDL) who are currently suffering from tuberculosis (TB). Jail Sr. Insp. Antonio Sapaden said they have isolated the three PDLs in their infirmary’s isolation room. Health professionals diagnosed the said PDLs last April and the City Health Office here are medicating them for free. The TB patients are facing illegal drugs and murder cases. Mr. Sapaden reported that there are no other communicable diseases in their jail except for tuberculosis cases. He thanked the BJMP regional office and the city health office for providing the medicines to the detainees. As of press time, the city jail currently has population of 211; nine females and 202 males. Mr. Sapaden hopes that they can soon use the newly completed expansion. He said the expansion building still needs a power transformer as well as the completion of its perimete

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Owing to the increasing cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Region 1, the Ilocos Norte government through a resolution passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is urging all concerned local government units to intensify information and education campaign in local communities. Authored by ex-officio SP member Rafael Chua Medina, in his capacity as Sangguniang Kabataan Federated President in Ilocos Norte, the provincial board asked the Communications and Media Office in coordination with local government units and the Provincial Health Office to take the lead in the campaign against the prevention of HIV/AIDS. As of December 2018, there are a total of 1,351 reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the region with an average increase of 21 cases per month. The highest number of cases, according to the report are male, aged 25 to 34. “Awareness of this virus and how it affects u

By Reynaldo Andres Contributor Batac CITY—A voluntary blood donation drive is being promoted among medical students in Ilocos Norte to ensure adequate blood supply for accident victims, people needing surgery, and those suffering from certain diseases, as well as for medical research. With this, the state-run Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), College of Medicine partnered with the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in this city plans to have its own blood bank. As of this posting, around 80 bags of blood intended for MMSU constituents and their relatives were initially deposited at the blood bank, courtesy of a recent bloodletting activity, participated in by medical students and other stakeholders. “Since our population here at our college is relatively small, we decided to extend this activity for the undergraduate students, faculty members, and the community residents of Batac City,” said Jamie Nalupta, head of the MMSU Blood Dri

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —“ Adda kamin iti critical a sitwasyonen, appo, ken adda pay tay makit-kita dan a kasla bimmantayen ket saan mi met nga mailibak ta ngumato met a ngumato gapu iti kaadu a basura nga inaldaw-aldaw ti intero a Laoag”. [We are now in a critical situation, and we cannot deny what the people can now see that the garbage has reached mountainous proportions due to the daily volume of trash from the whole city] Laoag City government engineer Roy A. Tomas made this statement on the city’s controlled dumpsite—a holding area which the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment and Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) designated as temporary garbage dumping site and which has reached the maximum volume of garbage. Mr. Tomas disclosed that the city’s monthlong fiesta last February and the hosting of the Region I Athletic Association (R1AA) meet generated tons of garbage for the temporary dumpsite. He added that the co

  (From left) Lawyer Ferdinand Nicolas, president of Northwestern University; Dr. Ma. Lourdes K. Otayza, medical center chief II; Batac City Mayor Albert Chua; Aurea Nolasco, LandBank Batac branch manager; Salun-at Foundation chair Dr. Alfredo Valdez; and Dr. Jose B. Orosa III, project head of Arapaap Photo Exhibit, award the Arapaap portrait to one of the cancer patients of the hospital. (Photo by David James C. Aniñon) BATAC CITY—When seven-year-old Princess Chloe Ramos was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer associated with the blood and bone marrow in 2015, her mother, Melimar Miguel, thought that her daughter would not survive and have a normal childhood. However, four years have passed and Princess is now at the maintenance stage of her medications for ALL. Her improved condition became evident as she was beaming when she stood side-by-side with princesses and mythical creatures in her photograph as part of the "Arapaap: A child’s dr

By Bernardo B. Ver II Contributor Batac City —The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) thru the help of the Lions Club of San Diego, California and the City Government of Batac held a medical and optical mission at the Teatro Ilocandia on February 16, 2019. MMSU President Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis welcomed the 14 members of the Lions Club with the University’s Seven (7) Point Agenda with a theme ACHIEVE; A - Academic Excellence; C - Creative, Relevant and Innovative Research Programs; H - High Impact and Transformative Extension and Outreach Programs; I - Improved Revenue Generation and Resource Management; E - Expanded External Linkages and Partnerships; V - Vibrant and Engaging, Culturally-Focused University Campus; E - Effective and Efficient Management. She envisaged in her speech that after achieving those pointers, MMSU will be the premiere Philippine university by the year 2028. Mrs. Agrupis also assures the crowd, especially the patients. of the support