The Ilocos Times

English: Map of Ilocos Norte showing the location of Batac (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —City mayor Albert D. Chua announced the impending rehabilitation of the road connecting this city and Sarrat town. The project forms part of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) dubbed “Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan Farm-To-Market Road and 8 Bridges”. The PRDP under the Department of Agriculture aims to establish a modern, value-chain oriented and climate resilient agriculture and fisheries sector. Mr. Chua said the Batac government has allocated PHP7,036,607.00 from the city’s 2017 annual budget as i’s counterpart to augment the share of the Ilocos Norte provincial government, a requirement for f the project. The Sangguniang Panlungsod here also earlier approved a resolution authorizing Mr. Chua, as mayor, and for and in behalf of the city government to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the p

THE DEPARTMENT  of Agriculture (DA) thru regional director Lucrecio Alviar assists Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” C. Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, 1 st  district) in the distribution of farm machineries/equipment worth PHP27 million to Zanjeras of all towns of the 1st district of Ilocos Norte including Laoag City. Funding of said equipment comes from the DA in coordination with the Congressman. The equipment distributed are four-wheel tractor, combine harvester, rice/corn transplanter, water pumps, and hand tractors among others. Doms dela Cruz 

SAN NICOLAS  Mayor Alfredo Valdez Jr. (5 th  from right) poses with the other LGU chief executives as one of the top ten Galing Pook Awardee ( Photo Courtesy of SN Municipality.) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here barged into the top 10 local government units recognized as Galing Pook awardee in the entire country. In the awarding ceremony held October 12, 2017 in Manila, San Nicolas mayor Alfredo “Boying” P. Valdez Jr. thanked all the people behind the prestigious award in their contributions to innovate practices in local governance of the municipality. The San Nicolas entry “Catching Rain” seeks to adopt viable and responsive measures to shifting weather patterns brought about by climate change through safe, indigenous and environment friendly means. Mr. Valdez said that without a natural body of water to irrigate its agricultural lands, this municipality found its solution in an indigenous technique by

Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Region 1 of the Department of Agriculture (DA) inaugurated the community-based food factory school and agro-tourism farm on October 2, 2017 held at Brgy. Cabaroan in this town. ATI Region I director Rogelio C. Evangelista served as the launching guest. He told Piddig officials and residents the importance of transforming old methodology of farming from sowing to crop season. “We need to teach them modern techniques to improve their products and at the same time, certified to handle farm machineries,” Mr. Evangelista emphasized. The school will be a learning site assisted and funded by ATI and DA, guided by the Piddig municipal agriculture office. The project offers farming courses especially rice-machine operators with National Certificate-level II (NC-II). Gracing the occasion is former Piddig mayor, now Piddig consultant Engr. Eduardo “Eddie” G. Guillen who represented Piddig mayor Georgina Salazar-Guill

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —The Sangguniang Panlungsod here passed two ordinances that will help the environment. In support of Republic Act 9003, the solid waste management law, the council approved ordinances regulating the sale and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and styrofoam food packaging. Batac councilor Mary Coleen Columbia Cajigal said the ordinances promote and protect the health, safety and the general welfare of the public through the reduction of litter and wastes. Ms. Cajigal, who authored the said ordinances, added that this measure will regulate the sale and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags as carry out bags in all commercial establishments in this. Another ordinance will also regulate the use and sale of Styrofoam food packaging in all food establishments here. Since Batac is now a center of education, trade and industry in the province’s second district, Ms. Cajigal said this creates large volume of food pac

LAOAG CITY—The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is rolling out free skills training for former drug dependents in Ilocos Norte as part of the government’s community-based rehabilitation program. In partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local government units, TESDA provincial director Charito Santos said the skills training aims to help drug surrenders cope up from their bad habits and reform themselves for the better. Based on the needs of the community and the capacity of learners, former drug users in various parts of the province may avail of the free courses offered by TESDA. Some of the most in demand skills training they availed include carpentry, motorcycle and small engine servicing for men and cookery and bread and pastry for women. Some chose mushroom production. In Batac City for example, they rained drug users who surrendered on large and small ruminants raising. They later gave successful trainees three goats ea

Ilocos Norte governor Imee R. Marcos By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—After 15 years of being insurgency-free, provincial officials are warning Ilocos Norte residents of possible extremist infiltration with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s declaration of war against members of the New People’s Army (NPA). In a joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting held at the Capitol auditorium, Ilocos Norte governor Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos who presided over the meeting urged concerned local authorities and residents here to report any suspicious activity happening in their respective area of jurisdiction. Citing the on-going war in Mindanao where the military sent a great number of soldiers in this northern part of Luzon to augment government troops there, Ms. Marcos cautioned that the NPA may take this opportunity to expand in the province. “We should never take this too lightly and let us not be