The Ilocos Times

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—In what was meant as a perfect duo of strong public and private partnership, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative lead the way how to turn the vast resources of the country into a sustainable source of development both for people and the environment. Presenting the “Poles of Hope”, a book featuring a story of the INEC and its Industrial Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) with the DENR-Ilocos Norte proved to be a success after 25 years of lease agreement amidst the government’s declaration of moratorium on total log ban. In 2011, a few months after President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order No. 23, declaring a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests and creating an anti-illegal logging task force, the law exempted the INEC-IFMA, a 235-hectare industrial tree plantation in Pancian, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, consider

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter BATAC CITY—Rising temperatures, withering agricultural crops and rivers running dry. These are just among the signs of times where local residents here cannot just take it sitting down. Rising above the challenge of climate change, the Batac City government has been planting around 30,000 forest trees every year in response to the worsening effects of global warming and extreme weather temperatures bringing in incessant flooding within Batac and its neighboring town of Paoay that forms its own infinite pool along the national highway during heavy rains. Launched in 2009, the city government initiated project “Save the Quiaoit River, the Mountains and the Watershed,” continues to gain ground with the full support of the communities and a multi-sectoral group of government and non-government organizations including the schools and the mass media. The river is one of two major waterways of Batac that straddles the Poblacion and drai

OUTSTANDING  Ilocos Norte farmers dominate awardees during the awarding ceremony of the 2014 Regional Gawad Saka held at the Plaza Del Norte, Laoag City on July 17. (Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—The   Department of Agriculture-Region 1 recognized on July 17 outstanding farmers and farmers’ group in the 2014 Gawad Saka Regional Awards held at the Plaza del Norte, this city.  Clad in Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana dresses, these outstanding men and women from the agriculture sector took time out from their daily routine as they climb up the stage at the Ilocos Norte convention center to receive their plaque of recognition and cash award from the DA for their great contribution in enhancing the development of agriculture and fisheries. Engr. Ariel Cayanan, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries who served as guest of honor and speaker lauded farmers in Region 1 for their remarkable performance in incre

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —The Dept. of Interior and Local Government (DILG) gave a “very high” rating to the city government in the Citizen Satisfaction Index Survey (CSIS) for 2013. The results of the survey were announced on July 7, 2014 by the DILG regional office assistant regional director and current officer-in-charge Victoria H. Ramos and Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) representative Anna Liza Garcia during the utilization conference on the CSIS results held at the Laoag City Auditorium. Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) Pres. Miriam E. Pascua also attended the event as MMSU’s Local Research Institute (LRI) conducted the r2013 random survey in all of Laoag’s barangays. Ms. Ramos congratulated the city government headed by Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas for the very high rating. The DILG official explained the survey was based on eight areas of concerns: health, basic education, social welfare, governance and re

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Batac City —The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) here has intensified their campaign to conserve native water buffalos by increasing their genetic potential and promote it as a source of alternative livelihood among rural farming villages. Threatened by the apparent decline of land available for cultivation due to a dramatic increase of infrastructure developments such as construction of commercial buildings and houses, the PCC recognizes the need to intensify crop-livestock integration, eyeing improved breeds of water buffalo as a great source of meat, milk and draft. Grace Marjorie Recta, PCC regional center director, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture based in Batac City, said every year they are targeting about 5,000 artificial insemination services to water buffaloes in Ilocos Norte’s rural farming villages mostly in Marcos and San Nicolas towns. With highly-skilled private technicians the PCC trained to perf

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City— The city government here is set to increase the number of their scholars following the passage of an ordinance that sets new income requirements for applicants. Batac Vice Mayor Ronald Allan M. Nalupta, author of the ordinance, said the new household income requirement will be based on the minimum wage set forth by the Regional Wage Board or salary grade 2 when in government service. Annual income for salary grade 2 is Php 116,604. The combined annual income of parents or guardians must also be certified by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Another scholarship ordinance however was tabbed for further study while a third was disapproved. The Batac Athletic Scholarship Program, which was supposed to provide financial assistance to student-athletes selected to represent the city in sporting events, was shelved for further study. The Batac Cultural Scholarship Program, which was supposed to give financial aid to

By Michael T. Esmino Managing Editor THE UNITED States government is stepping up its efforts to help the Philippines in disaster preparedness. On July 17, the US Embassy in the Philippines announced that the US government will partner with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to build community resilience to disasters in Metro Manila. On July 14, the US, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), provided an additional P107.5 million (US $2.5 million) to CRS for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Philippines.  The support will provide training and support to communities in 15 high-risk, flood-prone barangays in Rizal and the National Capital Region, directly benefiting an estimated 43,200 people.  Through the program, CRS will provide training to barangay officials and community members on areas including risk assessment and mapping, participatory disaster risk reduction and management, and contingency planning.  The program will also build community