The Ilocos Times

By Jennifer T. Pambid Contributor Compassionate leadership and dedication to public service. This brought Dr. Joel B. Lopez to the regional and national limelight one-and-a-half-year after he took over as officer-in-charge of the Office of the Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education Schools Division of Laoag City. For his exceptional accomplishments in improving the quality of education, Dr. Lopez received two consecutive awards in September 2017. On September 8, 2017, he was one of the regional finalists of the 2017 Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) Dangal ng Bayan Award at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, City of San Fernando, La Union. Under the category, CSC recognizes outstanding public officials and employees for exemplifying extraordinary acts of public service and consistently demonstrating exemplary ethical behavior as stated under Republic Act No. 6713. The nomination for Dr. Lopez narrated his achievements in the pa

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) appealed to the municipalities of Vintar and Bangui in the province’s first district to settle amicably a boundary dispute covering more than 1,000 hectares. SP member Da Vinci Crisostomo said both municipalities, represented by Vintar mayor Larissa Foronda and Bangui mayor Fidel Cimatu, have a claim for the contested lots located under cadastral survey 734-D covering an area of 1,049.9621 square meters. In a letter forwarded to both concerned municipalities, Gwendolyn Bambalan, assistant director for technical services of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources based in San Fernando City, La Union clarified that on December 9, 1995, there was a memorandum of agreement signed by the former local chief executives and Sangguniang Bayan members of each town resolving the jurisdictional areas of both localities. Based on the documents, Ms. Bambalan said the 1995 MOA favored Ban

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) conducted a federalism dialogue at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena on December 1, 2017. Barangay, municipal and provincial officials including different government agencies; and representatives from the religious sector, academe, and private sector participated in the said dialogue. According to Atty. Joseph Apolonio, DILG Regional Office 1 legal officer, in a federal system, about 70-80% of the collected funds becomes the share of the region; with the remaining 20-30% becomes the share of the national government. He added that projects implementation will likewise become easier since there will no longer be necessary to wait for national government approval. Mr. Apolonio, however, stressed that a federalism system will not erase graft and corruption. He added that administrative and criminal cases can and will still be a feature of a federal government. Meanwhile, Laoag City local government officer Roger D

By Dominic Dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —Moving along with today’s new technology, the Sangguniang Panlungsod here is set to livestream its sessions. Laoag Councilor Roque C. Ablan, main author of the ordinance said this aims to “provide accurate information in real time to the public” on what is transpiring at the plenary during the council’s regular sessions He also cited Section 28, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, which states: “The State shall adopt and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law”. He then added that the move is also to recognize the fundamental role of “free and open exchange of information in a democracy meant to enhance transparency and accountability in government official acts, transactions or decisions”. Under the 2016 Internal Rules of Procedures, particularly Section 30 of Rule V of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), it prov

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY— The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO recognized the Ilocos Norte government as one of the champions of the Freedom of Information program after a year of implementation nationwide. Jun Arvin Gudoy, communications and media officer of the Ilocos Norte provincial government accepted the award on December 4, 2017 in Manila. The PCOO thru the FOI program director and assistant secretary Atty. Kristian Ablan initiated the search for FOI champions to recognize the significant contributions of departments, attached agencies, government-owned-and/or-controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, and local government units in operationalizing the constitutional mandate of right to information. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin M. Andanar led the awarding ceremonies. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, chair

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recommended the inclusion of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP) in the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC). Responding to this, Ilocos Norte governor Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos issued an executive order that will reorganize the said council. Ilocos Norte vice governor Eugenio Angelo M. Barba, for his part and upon receiving a copy of both the recommendation letter and executive order, set a meeting with the respective heads of the mentioned agencies. Mr. Barba added that he sees the council reorganization as a move to “improve safety and sustain peace and order in the province.” He added that the LTO participation will also help solve crimes related to motor vehicles, especially the killings attributed to motorcycle-riding killers. PDEA, on the other hand, he said will help the province furth

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—In a gathering of environmental researchers and scientists across Southeast Asia, they presented various technologies, strategies and innovations in a three-day forum to rise above the challenges of climate change particularly in urban cities. Organized by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the forum hopes to develop a holistic approach and come up with a resolution or agreement towards achieving urban resilience to climate change and disaster risks. On December 5, 2017, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu urged member states of the ASEAN to focus on building sustainable cities and urban areas. In the past 10 years, Mr. Cimatu noted that ASEAN countries became highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change as they are now experiencing more frequent extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves and rising sea levels. In a