The Ilocos Times

  By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—As the province of Ilocos Norte relaxes its borders to tourists and returning residents, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte is urging all its residents and visitors to adopt the use of the “SafePass” app to manage COVID-19 cases. Instead of scanning piles of logbook and reviewing CCTV footages for contract-tracing purposes, “SafePass” is a digital incident mitigation and management system developed to address COVID-19 safety protocols, and now has free versions that can be used by anyone from anywhere. In a three-page Executive Order, which Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc issued on Oct. 21, 2020, the governor said there is a need to adopt SafePass to minimize the adverse effects of COVID-19. According to Wilfredo Lorenzo Jr, the provincial government’s information technology department officer-in-charge, he said that starting October 21, 2020 all Capitol employees will use the “SafePass” app when ent

Laoag City —Medical technologists and nurses assigned in several local government units in Ilocos Norte underwent a capacity-building training on September 24, 2020 to scale-up the province's testing capacity as part of its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response.   Held at the Provincial Capitol Auditorium, the training was a joint initiative of the Task Force Salun-at and the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC).   According to Dr. Modesty A. Leaño, head of MMMH&MC’s molecular biology laboratory MC, the training aims to empower city and municipal health offices in conducting the proper procedure in collecting, packaging, and transporting of COVID-19 specimen.   “The goal of the Task Force Salun-at and MMMH&MC is for all persons involved in contact tracing, the locally stranded individuals [LSIs], and the Returning Overseas Filipinos are subject to prompt, proper, and timely testing. Importante ang proper collection [of swab sampl

Laoag City --The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the initiative of Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc, will launch its "Speak up, I'm here" mental health movement to help address the increasing number of psychological-related incidents in the province. The movement is created due to consecutive suicide-related cases reported in these past months. According to the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office, there is a 32% increase in suicide incidents compared to their August 2019 data. "Speak up, I'm here" aims to expand the service delivery network to address mental health issues, encourage positive psychological practices, try to prevent suicide and improve mental health situations, and decrease mental health-related incidents. On October 1, 2020, the implementing offices, the Communications and Media Office, the Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office, Gender and Development Office, and the Provincial Public Employment Service Office

  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

  By Leilanie G. Adriano  ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City --Residents here and other areas of Ilocos Norte have started buying face shields in preparation for the implementation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) order on mandatory wearing inside public transport beginning August 15, 2020. Sales of face shields increased as the provincial government encouraged residents to wear one apart from a face mask to further lessen the risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). On August 1, 2020, LTFRB issued a memorandum circular issued stating that they now require drivers, conductors and passengers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in areas across the country that are under general community quarantine (GCQ) to wear a face shield, on top of the mandatory wearing of face mask. The circular also said commuters' failure to wear a face mask and face shield or eye protector is reasonable ground to be disallowed in any PUV. Since the memorandu

  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

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

  Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon meets all the city’s barangay chairpersons in two batches as he wants to strictly implement the city’s solid waste management program with the new sanitary landfill’s opening. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The city government here again reiterated its desire to fully and strictly implement its solid waste management program, with a focus in waste segregation. In a bid to achieve this, Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon met with all of the city’s barangay chairpersons to tell them to prepare for the closure of the controlled dumpsite at Brgy. Lagui-Sail and the subsequent opening and operation of the new sanitary landfill at Brgy. Balatong. During the said meetings, which occurred in two batches, Keon said that since the city’s rural barangays have plenty of vacant lots, the barangay chiefs there could create communal compost pits. He also learned from the barangay heads that waste segregation at the source is not

Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos proposed the creation of plasma banks in all public and private hospitals in the country, while an effective vaccine for COVID-19 and its possible mutations remains unavailable. Medical research has shown that the yellowish liquid part of the blood known as plasma, which was taken from patients who recovered from previous coronavirus pandemics like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), reduced the number of deaths among new patients who were transfused with it. “There is hope in the use of plasma as a possible treatment for COVID-19, with clinical trials now being conducted by the PGH (Philippine General Hospital). The World Health Organization also sanctioned the use of plasma in other pandemics like the Ebola outbreak in Africa,” Ms. Marcos said. “We must prepare for the long haul. Not even medical experts can tell the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, how much further cases of infection in the country will increase, and when a v

Laoag City —Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc considers easing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) protocols to allow the resumption of business operations in Ilocos Norte after the extension period of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on April 30, 2020.   “Hopefully, after this Luzon ECQ, we can resume business not as usual but with certain adjustments,” Governor Marcos Manotoc said in a press conference last April 13.   In doing so, he ensured to implement necessary precautions to avert the possible “second surge” of COVID-19, noting the stern measures in provincial borders to prevent the unnecessary entry of any individuals.     “We have more than two weeks until that time. If we don’t have any new suspect cases coming from Metro Manila, abroad, or other infected areas in the next few days, we’re hoping that after April, we are giving ways for freedom and create our own version of quarantine,” he explained.   However, Governor Marcos Ma

  THE PROPER WAY TO WASH HANDS . P/Lt. Col. Mar Louise Bundoc, force commander of the Ilocos Norte 1 st  PMFC, Nenita Cabella, head teacher III of the Pila Elementary School, P/Master Sgt. Noel R. Abad along with some pupils demonstrate how to do proper hand washing to get rid of germs and avoid infectious diseases. The wash area was made possible with the help of runners and shooters joining fun run and shooting events in the city. (Leilanie G. Adriano)   By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter   LAOAG CITY—Over a hundred teachers and pupils at the Pila Elementary School in this city joined a simultaneous hand washing demonstration at the newly-installed “wash area” facility, which is just a few steps away from the classrooms of learners.   But unlike any other wash area constructed in the school, the Pila school’s hand washing facility was a “labor of love” from the runners and shooters who are joining regular fun run activities and shoot fest competitions in the city, sa

  By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter   LAOAG CITY—A cop and a truck helper from the province tested positive for COVID-19, based on results March 28, 2020, the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) confirmed.   Reports said the 42-year old male from Brgy. Sungadan in Paoay, Ilocos Norte has no travel history and the 49-year old male from Brgy. Magnuang in Batac City travelled to Metro Manila several times. Both were admitted at the MMMH&MC and currently in stable condition.   With this, concerned health authorities are undertaking more stringent measures while urging everyone to stay home and only go out for necessities.   “We have already quarantined those who have been in contact with the two COVID-19 patients and we are in close contact with the Department of Health, mayors, city/municipal health officers, and barangay captains to further contact trace these patients,” said Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc in a

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos called on the government to cut the prices of more medicines and speed up the purchase of critical equipment other than just testing kits, as the country scrambles to fight the spread of coronavirus disease or Covid-19. More medicines for those who are “immunocompromised” or have weaker immune systems due to illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and lung disorders should be included in the list of 72 more drugs that the government is considering this week for price regulation, Ms. Marcos said. “ Habang wala pang vaccine o lunas sa Covid -19, ang pag-asa na lamang ng mga mahihina ang immune system dahil sa kanilang mga kapansanan ay mas murang gamot ,” the senator said. Ms. Marcos issued the statement ahead of a mandatory technical working group (TWG) meeting of the health and trade and industry departments to discuss the 72 drugs that will be added to a previous list of med

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The provincial government here has installed COVID-19 quarantine checkpoints manned by an inter-agency health task force to check body temperatures and obtain health record of travelers if necessary, in all border areas going in and out of the province of Ilocos Norte. The checkpoint bars those who enter the province with symptoms attributed to COVID-19 based on their health information except for residents of the province. The checkpoints are located at the Badoc gateway separating Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, Pagudpud and Nueva Era for Cagayan and Abra boundaries, respectively. In a public advisory issued on early morning of March 15, 2020, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc issued Executive Order No. 60-20, placing Ilocos Norte under “community quarantine” to prevent spread of COVID-19.   “General community quarantine will be observed throughout the province. LGUs shall abide by the direction