The Ilocos Times

Piddig LGU consultant Eddie Guillen shares some good governance ideas to MinDA. (Berong Ver) Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here recently provided ideas on good governance and convergence project for Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) in Davao City. Piddig mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen and Piddig consultant Engr. Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen led the team in reaching out to different government officials in Mindanao. Mr. Guillen shared to them the proper way to prepare project proposals to the national government offices—leading to its successful downloading of funds to the LGUs. In the interim, Mr. Guillen introduced convergence project that serves Piddig town’s economic sustainable development. Foremost of which is the training of farmers in the rural areas to use cropping calendar to avoid wasting of yields. The MinDA) is a government agency of the Philippines created through Republic Act 9996, or the Mindanao Development Authority Act of 2010.

Piddig mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen with a Piddig graduate. (Berong Ver) By Bernard Ver Contributor PIDDIG, Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, led by mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen gave “grants for the grads” in a bid to boost students’ enthusiasm to study harder. The Piddig government sourced the funding for the project from the supplementary funding support to public basic education. Under the program, high school valedictorian receives PHP20,000; PHP 15,000 for salutatorian; PHP10,000 for the first honorable mention; and PHP 5,000 each for second and third honorable mentions. For elementary pupils, the class valedictorian receives PHP5,000; PHP3,000 for the salutatorian; and PHP2,000 for the first honorable mention. Mrs. Guillen emphasized that the fund is different from the Special Education Fund (SEF). The SEF comes from an additional one percent tax on real property that LGUs are mandated to impose and collect by virtue of Republic Act 716

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, in coordination with the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) fund to local recipients. DSWD allocated a total of PHP1 million AICS fund for this municipality. The Piddig government distributed PHP250,000 for the first 55 beneficiaries; and PHP142,000 to another 27 beneficiaries. Under AICS, DSWD provides educational, medical, burial and transportation assistance to persons or families in crisis situations. They specifically targeted those belonging to the informal sector, indigenous group and other marginalized, vulnerable, and differently-able individuals. The DSWD, through its Protective Services Program, places emphasis in ensuring that indigent and vulnerable individuals are provided with the necessary assistance thru AICS to help them cope during crisis situations. "These are the things that we

BISHOP  Renato Mayugba leads the groundbreaking ceremony in front of the St. Anne Parish in Piddig, Ilocos Norte. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—When Father Lorenzo Torreflores witnessed the closing of baroque-style St. Anne parish church on September 14, 2014, the parish priest said he got emotional as it was his first time to see an old church closed due to structural problems and deemed unfit for occupancy. The residents felt same feeling of the historical town of Piddig as they knew their ancestors had put in their blood, sweat, and tears to build the 207-year-old church. But four years later, restoration works began and it includes its bell tower and perimeter walls as well as retrofitting of buttresses and roofing. On March 22, Laoag diocese Bishop Renato Mayugba, along with National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) representatives and some Piddig officials led the groundbreaking ceremony an

Former Piddig mayor, now consultant, Engr. Eddie Guillen, P/Sr. Supt. Adolfo Rafanan, P/Supt. Jojie Del Prado and P/Supt. Jay De Guzman. ( Berong Ver) By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig Ilocos Norte—The Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional and Provincial Offices with the Piddig government led by mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen, consultant Engr. Eddie Guillen and Piddig police officers led by P/Sr. Insp. Jephre Taccad administered the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new police building in the town on April 5, 2018. Mrs. Salazar-Guillen, in her speech, said that “the LGU is very thankful for the opportunity handed over by the PNP that aims to protect the lives and properties of Piddigeños.” Mr. Guillen, for his part, said that, “It’s a long due, but, the wait is over and we will be having our new police station here.” Also gracing the occasion were P/Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula representing PNP regional logistics director P/Sr. Supt.

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—Former Piddig mayor, now consultant to the local government unit Engr. Eduardo “Eddie” G. Guillen shared his town’s best practices during the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-central office forum on convergence initiatives. The forum aimed to showcase the practices and leanings of the convergence strategy implementation in the country held March 14, 2018. Mr. Guillen highlighted the support of the stakeholders on their hands-on training, entrepreneurial-planning and value-adding on products in this town. Also gracing the occasion were DSWD Usec. Maria Lourdes Turalde-Jarabe, DA assistant director Edna Samar, NAPC convergence model director Ferdinand B. Hombrebueno, former DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, UP associate professor Ebinezer R. Florano and DSWD director Christian Thomas R. Deloria. Earlier, Piddig became national champion for convergence initiative for sustainable rural developm

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—Town mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen led other local officials here in breaking ground for the new site of their rural health unit (RHU). The new RHU site is situated near the town’s municipal hall. It will be in front of two other new buildings, the fire and police stations. “These are the fruits of our sacrifice and hard work. We've started again various projects for this year and that is only for the first quarter of 2018,” Mrs. Salazar-Guillen said. The mayor added that she endorsed the RHU building's proposal and funded thru the initiative of House majority leader Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” C. Fariñas (1 st district, Ilocos Norte) and Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Ria Christina Fariñas. They expect the project’s completion in 2019.

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The Sangguniang Bayan here ratified a resolution from the Municipal Development Council to appropriate the municipality’s tobacco excise tax share for the local farmers on February 26, 2018. Piddig’s tobacco excise tax share is PHP125 million. The council voted 4-3 to approve the resolution. Piddig councilors Hershey Mandac, Lendell Chua, Wilbor Bringas and Marianito Foronda voted for the resolution. They cited the need for the town’s tobacco excise tax share for agricultural development use. Piddig councilors Quezon Alejandro, Onofre Bayag and Romulo Helario, Sr., on the other hand, voted against the resolution. They reasoned that they need more to time in assessing and scrutinizing the fund. One of the two other council members, councilor Rey Nicolas, abstained; while ex-officio member Piddig Liga ng mga Barangay president Florentino Soriano was on a convention in Pampa