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Showing posts with the label Ilocos Norte

More agri-inputs to boost Ilocos farmers’ productivity

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte provincial government keeps on inspiring farmers to increase their productivity with the continuing distribution of livelihood assistance such as additional agricultural inputs and equipment to mango, rice and vegetable growers in the province. Recently, the provincial government distributed a total of 2,749 bags of commercial fertilizers, 23,200 packs of humus, 1,120 carrageenan and foliar fertilizer to registered rice and corn farmers, both in the first and second districts of Ilocos Norte.  For mango and vegetable growers, they likewise received 845 bottles of insecticide and 3,860 vials of fruitfully attractant while other high value crops associations and backyard vegetable growers received 800 units of knapsack sprayer, 30 power sprayer, 525 rolls of irrigation hose, one unit shredding machine, 50 units grass cutter and 40 units of jetmatic pump courtesy of the Sustainable Development Center (SDC) of the I

Solar-powered irrigation system benefits small farmers

LAOAG CITY—Small farmers in rain-fed farmlands of Ilocos Norte will now have a chance to grow high-value crops even during summer by harnessing the power of the sun as alternative energy. Tapping the sun's energy is the new craze at Brgy. Lang-ayan in Currimao, Ilocos Norte, where a solar-powered irrigation system with at least four solar panels was installed near a communal food garden where its residents can grow off-season fruits and vegetables. Funded by the province’s share from the tobacco excise tax, there are four units of this kind of small-scale irrigation project being pilot tested in the second district of Ilocos Norte where water is scarce during the summer months of March to May or even longer due to prolonged El Niño phenomenon. The other units are located in the rural Barangays of Camguidan and Camandingan in Batac City and Barbar, Pinili town. The solar-powered irrigation system worth PHP486,250 per unit may be a bit costly for small farmers but in the long

Organic farming works wonders in Ilocos Norte

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—Another batch of 1,000 farmers received a soil fertility package covering 250 hectares last week in the continuing soil restoration program of the Ilocos Norte government. For every hectare, the local government provides at least 20 sacks of organic fertilizer, urea (nitrogen fertilizer), and gypsum (soil conditioner) to help rehabilitate farmlands and boost production efficiency. Soil experts say agri-gypsum is a good source of calcium and sulfur and improves soil characteristics. It helps soil better absorb water and reduces erosion. “This is enough to restore the soil fertility if we get the appropriate measure for every hectare. That is why we are asking our farmers to do their share,” Edwin Cariño, head of the Sustainable Development Center, said during the March 16, 2021 ceremonial distribution at the Rizal Park here. Cariño said the soil restoration program started during the term of then-Ilocos Norte Governor and now

BIR-LC/IN office tops Region I collection in 2020

By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-Laoag City/Ilocos Norte district office emerged the on top of collection of taxes for CY 2020 in the entire Region I, revenue district officer Ramos Navarro announced. Despite of the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March of last year, the local BIR here never stopped in the collection of taxes, though a series of extensions were also granted to taxpayers. Upon assuming as the new RDO in February last year, Navarro was immediately challenged as the January 2020 Laoag City-Ilocos Norte district office was recorded as number one in collection efficiency and it lasted until December 2020. Due to a good response, Laoag City-Ilocos Norte was again number one this January 2021, with Ramos hoping it will continue for the rest of the following months. However, Navarro expected a little problem that may arise because the annual income tax return to be filed this year will be from March 1

Ilocos Norte eyes higher tobacco excise tax share

  LAOAG CITY—The provincial government here is eyeing to increase its share in tobacco excise tax with strengthened monitoring this trading season. In partnership with authorities from the provincial government, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA), and the Philippine National Police, the transport of tobacco outside the province will be monitored in border checkpoints to ensure that tobacco grown in Ilocos Norte are properly documented. Recently, the monitoring task force representing these four agencies convened a meeting at the NTA in the City of Batac to familiarize themselves with the legal basis for the issuance of NTA trading rules and regulations, as well as the rules and regulations in the implementation of regulatory activities. Luzviminda Padayao, NTA officer-in-charge, said during the orientation that the subjects of inspection include traders, vehicles carrying tobacco as well as its volume and capacity, among o

Only accredited traders can buy, sell hogs in Ilocos Norte

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The province of Ilocos Norte has intensified its efforts to protect the province from African swine fever (ASF) by requiring hogs and chicken suppliers to register with the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) here. Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Domingo Ambrocio, chair of the committee on agriculture, said the move is meant to keep the province protected from the highly infectious and contagious disease that has been affecting the hog industry since it entered the country in August 2019. As one of the three remaining provinces in mainland Luzon that is free from the viral disease, Ambrocio said there is a need to implement more stringent measures and help stabilize exorbitant pork prices. " Viajeros [traders] and their partner buyers shall be both responsible for anything related to each and every hog shipment. Both partner and viajero , when found in violation of any or part of the ordinance, or any guidelines and pro

Ilocos Norte Sangguniang Panlalawigan on lockdown

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY – The offices of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan were placed on lockdown effective Feb. 22, 2021 as its more than 100 employees and officials underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Dr. Josephine Ruedas, Ilocos Norte provincial health officer, in a telephone interview, said these employees are considered “primary contacts” of one of the secretaries of a provincial board member who was confirmed positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Feb. 20, 2021. “Should they test negative or not, all of them have to complete the 14-day quarantine period,” Ruedas said, noting the life-saving importance of self-quarantine when a person was exposed to a person who contracted the virus. It was learned that IN-C767, a 62-year-old provincial government employee from Brgy. 29, Santo Tomas this city, was previously exposed to IN-C759, who is her daughter-in-law. Both patients are symptomatic and current

DepEd fetes Ilocos Norte dad

  By Bernardo B. Ver II (Contributor) LAOAG CITY—Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Saul Paulo A. Lazo received a plaque of appreciation for his “invaluable assistance and generous support” from the Department of Education-Division of Ilocos Norte on January 7, 2020. Lazo is one of the recipients from the provincial government who supported the education sector. He is also provincial board’s education committee chairperson. The stakeholders in the education sector are helping DepEd in “building quality education in the new modalities of learning in today’s academic challenges”. According to senior education program specialist Valerie Talamayan, the distinctions are an aspect of the “partnership appreciation” program as a “sign of gratitude in attaining excellence in education”.

Livestock supply in Ilocos Norte sufficient

By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The province’s livestock sector including other agricultural commodities is not swayed by the pandemic nor the threat of African swine fever in this part of northern Luzon. Dr. Loida Valenzuela, provincial veterinarian said the province has more than enough supply of pork and other meat products. “Our livestock situation in the province is stable. There has been no price increase of meat products and eggs amidst pandemic,” said Valenzuela. According to Valenzuela, the province continues to supply livestock and poultry products to neighboring cities and provinces such as in Tuguegarao, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Baguio City. To augment the high demand for meat products in Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte also hopes to share a pie in the supply chain by bringing in frozen goods in the area. Since May 2020, the Department of Agriculture-National Livestock Program (DA-NLP) reported around 213,500 hogs from Visayas and Mindanao were tr

Ilocos Norte rides pandemic: Resilience thrives among Ilocanos

By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The pandemic has hit the world hard and without remorse including a small province up north. While many businesses have closed, other business opportunities have also shoot up as they adopt to the change of time. The province of Ilocos Norte is emerging as an agro-industrial economy when the COVID-19 panic started. Everyone was forced to the confines of their homes except for people who have to report to work. Suddenly, it was all back to basic. People left at home focused on home improvement and gardening too, for those with space available. Technology has also become more than ever in demand, not only for kids who are on homeschooling but also for families who are separated by distance. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc acknowledged that 2020 has been a tough year for the province because of the presence and impact of pandemic but like in the past, the Ilocanos will continue to weather the storm and win the bat

Ilocos Norte gets priority in vaccine shots says PH testing czar

National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Secretary Vicencio Dizon. (PGIN-CMO photo) By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—As the province of Ilocos Norte re-strategize to prevent and contain the novel coronavirus infection here, National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Secretary Vicencio Dizon assured officials and residents they are on the priority list to avail of the vaccine once it is available in the country. Mr. Dizon and other members of the National Task Force on Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) were in Laoag City on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020 to augment the on-going containment strategies being implemented amid surge of cases of COVID-19 in the province. In a meeting held at the Laoag City Centennial Arena, Mr. Dizon said getting vaccinated is the surest way to move on from the pandemic. “Ilocos Norte is one of our priority areas specially for our front-liners. Hopefully, the vaccine will arrive by th

Laoag City, Nueva Era bag 2020 ‘cleanest, greenest’ award

  Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon receives a plaque of recognition and a P250,000.00 check as the winner in the search for the cleanest and greenest city in the province of Ilocos Norte. The awarding was witnessed by VG Cecilia Araneta Marcos, PENR officer Ms. Estrella 'Baby' Sacro and DENR-IN provincial director Vic Dabalos.  (CMO-Laoag photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —Laoag City and the municipality of Nueva Era emerged as this year’s “cleanest and greenest” local government units (LGUs) of Ilocos Norte.   Under the “Narimat nga Aglawlaw” (A Brighter Environment) campaign of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc, the provincial government, through its environment and natural resources office (ENRO), started the province-wide “Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Competition” last year to challenge component local government units to improve their waste management.  Held at the Sirib Mile on December 9, 2020, Laoag City won its second

Ilocos Norte eyes improved health care system

Laoag City —At the beginning of his term, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc pledged to "further develop Ilocos Norte by investing in the health of Ilokanos," recognizing his constituents as "greatest assets" of the province.   With this, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte has been expanding its healthcare infrastructure to increase the capacities of all government-managed hospitals in the province. For the fiscal year 2020, the provincial government allocated over PHP118 million for the improvement, rehabilitation, and renovation of the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital (GRBASMH) and the province’s district hospitals. Included in the completed infrastructure projects in GRBASMH are the improvement of the computerized tomography (CT) scan building, renovation of the intensive care unit (ICU) room, and the rehabilitation of comfort rooms. Also included are the rehabilitation of the operating and delivery rooms of Dingras Distri

Manotoc leads ‘Narimat a Paskua’ gift-giving

  Laoag City —Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) started the province-wide gift-giving activity to shed a light and bring joy in time for the holiday season and amidst the pandemic. Through the “Narimat a Paskua: Handog ng PGIN sa mga Ilokano,” the different capitol departments have prepared over 27,000 economic and social welfare assistance to various sectors in the province. A total of 17,000 noche buena packages with 250 gift vouchers and another 1,300 leisure incentive vouchers were given to COVID-19 frontliners. Likewise, millennium development goals family-beneficiaries and tourism workers will be receiving one of the 1,115 and 1,200 noche buena packages, respectively. Moreover, 3,000 senior citizens will also receive grocery packs, and some 200 beneficiaries of “assistance to individuals in crisis situation”, support services. PGIN has been handing out presents including assorted grocery items, busin

Ilocos Norte is first to use automated drying machine in PH

Laoag City —Ilocos Norte is again maximizing agricultural innovations to sustain its food security through the use of the first automated multi-crop drying machine (AMCDM) in the Philippines. On October 23, 20202, the sustainable development center (SDC) headed the test run of the machine at the Takuat Training Center in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. “This (AMCDM) is first of its kind in the country. Through this, we aim to help our farmers and the micro, small, and medium enterprises in the province. We can process their surplus produce and preserve it for longer shelf life. Also, we can utilize this for export,” SDC head Edwin Cariño said.  Dr. Lorcelie B. Taclan, who is from Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte and the main creator of the manual form of the multi-crop drying machine, worked together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to upgrade the machine into an automated heat pump dryer.  “The heating temperature of the machine is 35-50 centigrade. We will not be cooking

Spike

I only have a few regrets in life, and most of these regrets result from incidents when I was not kind enough, not from times when I was not harsh, vindictive, self-affirming enough. In these times of crisis, I consciously choose to be a lot kinder to people, our leaders included. There will be a time to evaluate their performance. The moment of reckoning will inevitably come. But, for now, they're all we've got. This is what’s on my mind as Ilocos Norte ranks on top among provinces that recorded COVID-19 cases in a day (92) and as Laoag City is placed under localized modified enhanced community quarantine. The latest turn of events actually come as a surprise because Ilocos Norte is known to have heavily regulated and heavily guarded borders. Why the spike in cases? We do not want to point fingers, but I think we should stop blaming our people. By and large, they, we, are not pasaway . People will follow strict measures as long as these are consistently and intelligentl

PGIN aids bakery owners

Sarrat, Ilocos Norte—To further assist in the recovery of small businesses in the province, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the small-medium enterprises (SME) office, distributed package containing various goods to micro-bakery owners in the town of Sarrat. Called the “Pandagdag Pangkabuhayan Program,” it is an initiative of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc, which aims to assist distressed small bakery owners who are affected by the pandemic, by providing them items to replenish their goods. “ Ang mga bakery owners dito sa bayan ng Sarrat ang unang mabibigyan ng assistance. Mayroon tayong walong beneficiaries dito. Pero imbes na flour ang ibigay, dahil may expiry date ito at mabilis masira kapag na -stock, na -convert ito sa mga raw materials gaya ng mantika , white sugar, at brown sugar na magagamit pa rin nila sa kanilang negosyo ,” SME officer Elma Gabriel explained. The provincial government plans to give assistance to 80 micro b

PGIN creates COVID-19 contact tracing center

  By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—A proposed coffee room at the west wing of the Ilocos Norte Capitol building was converted to a contact tracing operation center with at least five dedicated personnel to further improve the provincial health task force’s coronavirus disease 2o19 (COVID-19) contact tracing efforts. Equipped with three computers and a life-size projector, the provincial government officially inaugurated the Contact Tracing Operation Center on October 27, 2020 to process data of the contact-traced individuals. Catholic priest Rev. Father Ian Rabago blessed the center with provincial officials led by Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc and other health personnel and contact tracers in attendance. Wildredo Lorenzo Jr., the provincial government’s information technology officer said in an interview, "the operation center will operate 24/7, and will collect and consolidate the contact tracing data gathered on the field."