The Ilocos Times

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter PASUQUIN, Ilocos Norte—The Association of garlic and onion farmers in this town wants to claim their crown as the biggest producer of Ilocos white gold, asking the Department of Agriculture (DA) through Secretary Proceso Alcala to grant their request. Records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics show that Ilocos Norte is the top producer of garlic in the Philippines, contributing at least 69 percent or 6,284 metric tons (MT) of the national output in 2010 next to Occidental Mindoro with 22.03 percent or 2,012MT, Nueva Ecija, 3.55 percent or 324MT, Quezon, 2.93 percent or 268MT and Ilocos Sur 2.68 percent or 245MT. On March 10, provincial board member Albert Chua, chairperson of the committee on agriculture reported to the body about the letter-request of the Association of Garlic and Onion Growers of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte addressed to the Alcala to declare Pasuquin town as the garlic capital of the Philippines for being the to

Impasigurado ni Ilocos Norte Gobernador Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos nga itultuloy ti gobierno probinsial ti programa nga “INEC Bill Mo, Sagot Ko” kadagiti Non-MDG ken MDG schools ditoy probinsia. Daytoy ket tapno saanen nga ibaklay pay dagiti nagannak ti pagbayad ti koryente nga usaren dagiti annakda iti pagadalan. Segun ken ni Ms. Matilde Neri, officer-in-charge ti education department ti gobierno probinsial, binulan nga ibaklay ti gobierno probinsial ti makunsumo a koryente dagiti amin a Non-MDG ken MDG Schools. Inlawlawagna a mapagtitipon amin dagiti monthly bills ti Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) manipud kadagiti nabigbig nga MDG ken Non- MDG Schools ken diretson a bayadan ti probinsia iti INEC. Basar iti listaan ti nasao a departamento ti gobierno probinsial, umabut amin iti  65 ti bilang dagiti Non-MDG Schools manipud kadagiti  16 a pagadalan  idinto a dagiti MDG Schools ket umabut iti 172 a pagadalan manipud kadagiti 20 nga ili. Iti Non-MDG Schoo

Legal writers are churning out reams of copy based on DHS press releases about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and how children who came to this country illegally can defer deportation. President Obama’s Department of Homeland Security issued this regulation on June 12, 2012 after Congress refused to pass a law giving such benefits under the so-called Dreamers Act. Constitutionalists (of which Obama is supposed to be one having been a professor of Constitutional Law) doubt the constitutionality of this regulation because it constitutes law making which is a power that belongs exclusively to Congress. Some judges will always find a way to legalize this act just as they called a tax the health insurance premium imposed under Obamacare. These legal writers are reminding children granted DACA deferral that they must renew their DACA status before the 2-year period given them expires. Who needs DACA and Obama when you can get an excellent lawyer who knows how to sea

Batac set to join next year By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter The multi-awarded Laoag City is all set to attend this year’s edition of the Aliwan Festival set on April 24-26 in Manila. The country’s grandest festival features the most outstanding talents from the country’s 16 regions in a grand showcase of cultural tourism highlighting the Filipinos penchant for merrymaking in its colorful and grandiose proportions. Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas confirmed the city’s participation in the dance competition and the Festival Queen search. Ms. Fariñas asked the public for prayers, guidance and support for the success of the city’s participation especially for the students for them to be motivated in the dance competition. The mayor said Laoag will showcase its unique traditions, hobbies, and cultures of Ilocanos and part of it will be the Pamulinawen Festival Dance which was shown during the province-wide Tan-ok and Mini Tan-ok Festivals which the city bot

By Elizabeth M. Raquel NCCA-NCLA Coordinator for Northern Luzon After eight years, Tambora Festival reached its peak when the people of Currimao, Ilocos Norte endorsed their full support. The people realized how important and significant the newly founded festival is thus its continuance has been pushed through without fail. Today and in the years to come, Tambora Festival will become a part of the lives of the people of Currimao more so to the initiator of the festival, Currimao Vice Mayor Rosario Chua Go, who is keen on the renaissance of culture and folk arts which are embedded in the festival. Seeing the all-out support of public and private sectors as well as the barangays, the vice mayor gave the go signal that Tambora Festival would become a regular festival of Currimao. With the support of the local government unit of Currimao, Tambora Festival empowered its growth through the Department of Education-Currimao district, the church and other denominations, the bar

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter TIME MOVES on and change is moving along. This seems to be the message of National Tobacco Administration (NTA) head Edgardo Zaragoza to local chief executives here as he met with them on march 14 at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall to explain about the changes on how the local government share on the sin tax law will be utilized effective next year. “For anything that is new, it is really hard. But we have to accept reality that times change,” Zaragoza told mayors here as he was invited by the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Ilocos Norte chapter led by its president, Sarrat Mayor Edito Alberto Balintona to shed light on the recent developments on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10351 or the so-called sin tax reform law, a special law that is unique to the 150 tobacco-producing municipalities in the country. To ensure the protection of tobacco farmers and sustain the tobacco industry in local

By Rachel O. Acosta PCCI Information Officer Alfredo M. Yao, newly elected president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), is encouraging more small and medium entrepreneurs to increase their revenues and profitability by indirectly exporting to other ASEAN countries as suppliers or subcontractors of large Philippine enterprises. In a talk with some participants on the sidelines of a forum on ASEAN Comprehensive Investments Agreement (ACIA), PCCI president Yao said that entrepreneurs may make up for their small size, lack of financing and lack of export marketing skills by collaborating with large exporters. By subcontracting, Yao said, the SMEs serve the needs of consumers in a huge, overseas market instead of compete in a small domestic market. Those small entrepreneurs aspiring to benefit from a share of the ASEAN markets can contact the regional or provincial chambers of the PCCI, and avail themselves of the matching services for SMEs and ex