The Ilocos Times

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)

Laoag City— With the aim to increase the number of health personnel and doctors practicing in Ilocos Norte, the provincial government headed by Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos-Manotoc is finalizing the inclusion of medical scholarship in its integrated provincial scholarship programs. Mr. Marcos-Manotoc confirmed this during his “First 100 Days Report”: “We have just finalized our ‘doctor scholarship’ which will be implemented next semester at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU). With this, we hope that we will produce more homegrown Ilokano doctors in our province.” Provincial education officer Matilde Nery reiterated that they have completed implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the scholarship: “We have actually finalized its IRR, together with the dean of the MMSU-College of Medicine and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. It will be endorsed to the province’s Chairman of the Committee on Education for the creation of its ordinance. It will cover

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Batac CITY—A total of 759 new scholars from the second district of Ilocos Norte received their notice of award at the Imelda Cultural Center in Batac City on October 11, 2019. Funded under the “Tulong Dunong” program of the Commission on Higher Education’s tertiary education subsidy, each beneficiary will receive PHP12,000 worth of financial assistance per year. During an orientation program with the new scholars and their parents, Danilo Bose, CHED Region 1 officer-in-charge explained the program is meant to ensure education to be accessible for all. To qualify for the program, the applicant must be a high school graduate whose gross income of parents when combined must not exceed PHP400,000 per year. He or she must not also be a recipient of any CHED scholarship or financial assistance program. Following the Supreme Court Ruling on the unconstitutionality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in Novemb

Laoag City —1,000 senior high school (SHS) scholars, accompanied by their parents and guardians, filled the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena in this city as they received their three-month’s worth of stipend from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, on September 16, 2019.   Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos-Manotoc led the distribution and was facilitated by the Provincial Education Department. Alongside Mr. Marcos-Manotoc were Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Atty. Saul Lazo, Atty. Donald Nicolas, and Sangguniang Kabataan Federated President Rafael Medina. “ Alam po natin kung gaano ka-importante ang support system sa isang estudyante . Rest assured that along with our Chairman on Committee on Education, pag-aaralan po namin nang mabuti kung paano pa i -expand ang provincial scholarship na ito . For now, I like to congratulate all our scholars as well as their parents and guardians for being part of this program,” Mr. Marcos-Manotoc remarked.   Now on its second

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte residents who were heavily devastated by typhoon Ineng will get rice aid courtesy of the Japanese government. On October 4, 2019, a portion of the 16,667 bags of emergency rice assistance was distributed to typhoon victims in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. “The rice assistance is being extended to victims of typhoon Ineng covering two (2) cities and five (5) towns of the province,” said Corazon Lilian Celia Rin, head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in an interview. According to Ms. Rin, the emergency rice assistance came from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries-Japan through the ASEAN Plus Three Rice Reserve which were coursed through to the Philippine government’s National Food Authority and Department of Social Welfare and Development. APTERR is a regional cooperation established in 2004 to ensure food security in an emergency caused by temporary and large-scale cal

Laoag City —The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the Provincial Education Department (PED), opened the Competency Assessment Assistance Program (CAAP) for 350 senior high school (SHS) Technical–Vocational–Livelihood track graduates.   The CAAP will finance the assessment fees of beneficiaries as aid in applying for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Assessment and Certification. “ Sa mga SHS natin, kung gusto nilang magkaroon ng National Certificate II, the Provincial Government can fund that,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc stated during his “First 100 Days Report” on October 8, 2019. Matilde Nery, PED officer-in-charge, also explained: “ Napagalaman kasi natin na ang national certificate ay napaka-importante pala para sa mga senior high school upang maging eligible sila for work. Sabi ni governor na ‘urgent matter’ ito [CAAP] at gusto niyang ma-implement agad-agad . “However, benefits vary. D

Laoag City —The two-day free dialysis treatment activity of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, the Department of Health, Office of Senator Imee R. Marcos, and the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) has served nearly one hundred patients. The dialysis treatment, which started on September 9, 2019 is one of the highlights of 102 nd birth anniversary celebration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was also a dialysis and a kidney transplant patient. Beneficiaries thank Marcos clan for medical support   Beatrice Caluya, 60 years old, who has a chronic kidney disease (CKD), took the opportunity to avail the service upon learning the free dialysis treatment at MMMH&MC in Batac City. Because of her disease, Mrs. Caluya carries a burden not only on her health condition but also on her financial capabilities.   “ Galak na galak ako noong nalaman kong may libreng dialysis. Hindi kasi sapat ang aking PhilHealth kaya kung k

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—In support of the universal free education in the province, the Ilocos Norte government has allocated about PHP12.5 million for the payment of electricity bills of poor public schools here. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc reported that the amount has been sourced from the Special Education Fund (SEF) of the province. For 2019, Ilocos Norte’s collection of SEF tax has increased to PHP617,600,000 compared to last year’s more than PHP222 million. As of this posting, the provincial education department is currently studying the public elementary schools which are qualified under the program. “We have created some criteria based on their maintenance and other operating expenses. Do they really need it?” said Mr. Manotoc as he explained the concerned schools will be consulted first prior to implementation. “This time, we will allow the school to decide if they want us to pay their electricity or conv

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Farmers in Ilocos Norte were all smiles as they received multi-million worth of aid courtesy of the Department of Agriculture. For 75-year-old rice farmer Guillermo Cacal of the Zanjera Tubburan Irrigators Association, Inc. of Brgy. Tubburan in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, he said they are thankful for the one unit of hand tractor worth PHP137,798 which his group received. “This is a great help for us to improve our way of living,” said Cacal in Ilokano language after he got hold of the project certificate along with the brand new hand tractor unit from the DA led by the newly-appointed Agriculture Secretary William Dar at the Mariano Marcos State University covered court in Batac City. After awarding a total of PHP335 million worth of projects to Ilocos Norte, Mr. Dar said the agency has raised their focus on farmers to ensure food security while strengthening partnership and collaboration with local governmen

  By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Heavy rains brought about by severe tropical storm “Ineng” [international name Bailu] left two deaths and over PHP1.1 billion worth damages, the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported on August 26, 2019. Based on its latest situation report, the PDRRMC said the biggest damage was recorded on infrastructure particularly on unfinished construction of national roads and bridges including buildings at PHP727.5 million. At the height of the typhoon on August 24, 2019, Ilocos Norte residents particularly in Laoag, Bacarra, Pasuquin, Burgos and Vintar experienced one of the worst flooding caused by unusual heavy downpour of around 50 millimeters volume of water for 16 hours, killing 17-year-old Pauleen Joy Corpuz in a landslide at Sta. Catalina in Pasuquin, and drowning of Ricky Manglallan, 37, of Brgy. Salet, this city. The PDRRMRC reported that Ms. Corpuz died due to a landslide th

Ilocos Norte officials led by Governor Matthew M. Manotoc offers a prayer to victims of the Batanes quake. (Alaric Yanos) Laoag City --The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the initiative of Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc donated PHP500,000 as cash assistance to provide relief to almost 3,000 victims of twin earthquakes in Batanes. The two devastating earthquakes hit the Itbayat Island of Batanes on July 27, 2019, recording magnitudes 5.4 and 5.9, respectively. The earthquakes left more than nine hundred families affected, eight people dead, one person missing, and serious damages to ancestral houses, health facilities, and schools, among others. During the flag raising ceremony on July 29, 2019, Mr. Manotoc mentioned that the Governors League will deploy aircraft carrying relief goods for Batanes.    “The Governors League has been coordinating over the weekend and we will be arranging aircraft that will take off from Laoag International Airport

  The DPWH-Ilocos Norte Engineering District II’s Lakbay Alalay center in-front of their district office in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte gives assistance to motorists who needed of help during the Lenten Season. Other Lakbay Alalay stations were located at the welcome arc of Ilocos Norte at the boundary of Sinait, Ilocos Sur and Badoc, Ilocos Norte and at the Apatot Bridge boundary of Badoc and Pinili. ( Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte—Welcoming the influx of local and foreign tourists during long weekend Holy Week celebration, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) second engineering district put up three stations for its annual “Lakbay Alalay”. “Lakbay Alalay” aims to help motorists should they encounter vehicular troubles, and give them directions to their destinations, among others. DPWH 2nd engineering district officer Engr. Mathias L. Malenab said they usually mount this operation during special ho

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) is again inviting out-of-school youth and vacationing students who wish to apply for summer job opportunities under the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES). On March 25, 2219, several applicants joined a long queue at the Capitol lobby leading to the Provincial Public Employment and Service Office (PESO) located at the west wing of the Capitol ground floor for screening. According to the Provincial Public Employment and Service Office (PESO), there are 400 slots available to Ilocano youth aged 16 to 30 years old under the SPES program this summer. The beneficiaries shall render at least 15 days of service to different offices in the provincial Capitol starting April to May. Lizette Bitancor -Atuan, PESO head said “Applicants should submit a duly-accomplished application form issued by PESO, a photocopy of NSO birth certificate,   certificate