The Ilocos Times

THE SUMMER solstice on June 21, 2014 marked the longest day of the year for the Philippines. As much as it marked the start of the summer in the other part of the world, it also signaled the onset of rainy season in our part of the world. And as in the past, rainy season in our country is also typhoon season and disaster time. The move of Ilocos Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos to map emergency equipment around the province is not only laudable but more so wise; as it is better to be prepared now when we can still move around rather than racing against time when disasters strike. The equipment mapping also look to include private contractors around the province as the provincial government looks to them to assist if and when disasters strike. Landslide-prone and flood-prone areas in the provinces have been identified. And if landslide and floods cannot be prevented by human interventions for now, the provincial government should preposition all the needed equipment

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—To respond in crisis situations, the local government unit here created a Quick Response Office (QRO) operating on 24/7 basis. The new office, popularly known as “Piddig Cares” located near the Philippine National Police station here has been created by virtue of an ordinance initiated by ex-officio town councilor Gina Guillen, Piddig’s Liga ng mga Barangay president. June 2, with an initial budget allotment of at least P500,000 from the municipal government. In an interview, Piddig Mayor Eddie Guillen said the Quick Response Office is just like “hitting two birds in one stone” as it serves as a facility or a point of care to people during emergency situations and at the same time, to permanently operate as a coordinating body during disaster. IN 2011, Piddig Cares was launched primarily to assist local residents in times of need. This time, said office was institutionalized, giving a permanent plantilla

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The province of Ilocos Norte is about to hit the mark and become the country’s champion in terms of meeting the Millennium Development Goals target to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty by 2015. The Philippines has committed to reduce poverty incidence by 16 percent of the total population by 2015 as one of the signatories in the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration towards reducing poverty and the worst forms of human deprivation. Based on the latest MDG scorecard of Ilocos Norte, the province has successfully achieved the national target of 16 percent poverty incidence. As one of the pioneering users of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), the localization of MDGs in Ilocos Norte became a major process in transforming the lives of the less fortunate households in the province based on focus and need-based assessment. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

By Alfredo C. Garvida, Jr. The much anticipated indictment of Senators Enrile, Estrada and Revilla along with pork barrel scam queen, Janet Napoles, has finally come last Friday, June 6, 2014, when the Office of the Ombudsman filed the criminal information of plunder, a non-bailable offense, against these big-time personalities with the Sandiganbayan. Varied reactions, as expected, surfaced, mostly in support of the indictments reflective of how the citizens of this country feel about corruption. The accused are not guilty—as yet, because this what the law mandates--until the court finds them guilty beyond reasonable doubt.  The three senators are accused of having perpetrated the crime for a period of 10 years, allegedly robbing the people billions of pesos for ghost or unworthy projects just so they could allegedly earn illicit commissions for their selfish ends. People are awed at the speed of the indictments' formalization, and in silence, revering the measure of

SAN NICOLAS inaugurates the San Nicolas Rural Health Unit (RHU) and Lying-In Clinic and two newly acquired garbage compactors under the administration of Mayor Melanie Grace Valdez. The blessing and inauguration coincided with the municipality’s Independence Day celebration. Rev. Derick Rabanes blessed the vehicles and the new clinic. (Doms dela Cruz)