The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Laoag City has reported that two persons deprived of liberty (PDL) are eyeing plea bargain agreements with their respective cases. Laoag City Jail officer-in-charge J/Sr. Insp. Frederick Pang-ag disclosed that two PDLs are both facing illegal drug cases. Hearing for their respective cases, however has yet to start. Mr. Pang-ag added that the city jail paralegal officer collects all details regarding PDLs who intend to enter a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors regarding their cases. A plea bargain—also plea agreement or plea deal—is an agreement in a criminal case between the prosecutor and defendant whereby the defendant agrees to plead guilty or “nolo contendere” [no contest] to a particular charge in return for some concession from the prosecutor. This usually consists of a deal being made between the prosecutor and the defense. An example of plea bargain...

The Small Business Corporation will introduce 10 Credit Delivery Partners (CDPs) from Luzon to Mindanao to deliver fast and efficiently the “Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso” (P3) program to micro entrepreneurs. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the 10 CDPs will make the delivery of the P3 program faster to micro entrepreneurs in rural areas to help spur economic activity in the countryside and provide employment to Filipinos. “President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration always seeks for ways to provide service and assistance to our micro entrepreneurs in the easiest and most accessible way as possible, especially to those from the countryside,” said Sec. Lopez. SB Corp., the micro financing arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, through the P3 program has extended financing assistance to over 89,000 micro entrepreneurs as the government's flagship program that aims to topple loan sharks has widen its reach throughout the country ...

The Philippine National Bank Northern Luzon 2 (NOL 2), under the leadership of Area Head Jeffrey C. Querubin, reaped awards during the Gabi ng Parangal of the PNB Retail Banking Sector Midyear Awards. NOL 2 received the following recognitions: Best in CASA Class A, Bangued, Abra-Main; Top OFW SA Performer Class A, 1 st  runner up, Bangued, Abra - Main; Top OFW SA Performer Class A, 2 nd  runner up, Vigan City – Florentino; and Top OFW SA Performer Class C, 1 st  runner up, Ilocos Norte – Pasuquin. From left: Area Head Querubin; Branch Head Emily Ganalon (Bangued); Branch Head Maria Goretti V. Guerrero (Pasuquin); and Branch Head Geraldine Soria (Vigan). (Jopo Guerrero)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —The Sangguniang Panlungsod here is set to investigate the past and current operations of the small-town lottery and lotto in this city. Laoag Vice mayor Vicentito M. Lazo sponsored the resolution to investigate the said gambling operations, with all council members and ex-officio members as co-sponsors. Mr. Lazo said the resolution was in line with the recent verbal order of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to stop all gaming schemes even with franchises from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) due to “massive corruption”. PCSO operations, however, have since restarted. With the temporary halt of PCSO operations, families of ‘cabos’ and ‘cobradors’ have been displaced since it deprived them of their means of livelihood whether they were working part-time or full-time. According to Mr. Lazo, PCSO records show that the it granted STL operations franchise in this city to Lucky Pick Amusement and Developmen...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry is reaching out to underserved communities to help them become savvy entrepreneurs. Starting a business is quite challenging with so many requirements but to simplify government processes, Acting DTI provincial director Rosario Quodala said they are rolling out the “Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay” (NSB) program in various parts of the province particularly in barangays under the 4 th , 5 th and 6 th -income classification municipalities. Since July 26, 2019, Ms. Quodala reported the agency is coordinating with prospective local government units in Adams, Carasi, Currimao, Bangui, Paoay and Banna for the launching of the NSB. “NSB aims to see small businesses in the barangay to go mainstream and be empowered,” said Ms. Quodala citing current DTI programs, services and plans they are bringing to the barangays to increase people’s access to trade and indus...

  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 landslid...

Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc (Alaric Yanos) Laoag City —Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc culminated his first 30 days in office through an accomplishment report on August 1, 2019. Presenting the report in front of the members of the media, he was accompanied by Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos alongside the heads of the different departments of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN). “I already met with our department heads after my very first flag-raising ceremony [as governor]. I gave them guidelines. One of the main points was to reconsider and rethink everything that we do: our organizational structure, systems, and procedures to make sure that we are as efficient as possible,” Mr. Manotoc remarked. Among his first initiatives as governor is ordering the Human Resource and Management Department to assess employees’ status. “We are looking at filling in the most necessary and essential position...