The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —Good news for students here. The city government here lowered the weighted average rating to 85 for its scholarship program. Sangguniang Panlungsod secretary Gladys Lagura made this announcement after the council passed an amendment to City Ordinance No. 2007-05 on May 29, 2018. Batac councilor Medeldorf Gaoat sponsored the amendment to the ordinance that establish the city government’s secondary scholarship program. The amended ordinance states that elementary graduates who at least has an 85 weighted average now have the chance to avail of the scholarship program provided the annual income of both parents should not exceed the P120,000.00 annual income, as provided by the regional wage board. For the past years, only elementary honor graduates and others who have a weighted average of 90 can avail of the scholarship program. Batac mayor Albert D. Chua requested the amendment to the scholarship o

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—The Provincial Health Office reminded all residents in the province to keep their surroundings clean to allow no room for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Over the past two years, Dr. Josephine Ruedas reported that Ilocos Norte has maintained zero casualty in dengue until later last month when two died due to dengue virus. The casualties were from the towns of Solsona and Dingras. "We must be extra vigilant, especially since we are in the period of rainy season,” said Ms. Ruedas. In view of this, the PHO led a series of fumigation in affected areas to drive away dengue-carrying mosquitos. Ms. Ruedas explained even just a small cap of a bottle can be a breeding site of mosquitoes. According to the Dengue Disease Surveillance Report of the Department of Health, health officials reported more than 10,980 dengue cases from January 1 to February 10, 2018. The DOH report also stated that it has recorded 51 deaths

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—The Department of Education in Ilocos Norte hosted the first of a kind education transformation summit here urging education stakeholders to adopt new teaching-learning processes for millennials. To keep pace with the ever-changing technology, traditional classroom discussions which teachers often monopolize with chalk and blackboard are no longer the norm, hence, the education curriculum needs re-engineering to align with the needs of present-day learners. With this new focus, Ilocos Norte schools’ division superintendent Vilma Eda led the conduct of a whole-day education transformation summit, presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the schools in Ilocos Norte and to come up with strategies on how to stay relevant for the children’s future. Barely a year since Ms. Eda took over as division superintendent, the Ilocos Norte division successfully passed the tedious process of International Organization fo

The Officers and Board of Directors of the Lead Chapter after the Closing Remarks of Engr. Gil B. Lorenzo, the Chapter President and the PICE Region I Coordinator last May 26, 2018 at Plaza del Norte Hotel and Convention Center. By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc.-Ilocos Norte Laoag City Chapter hosted the 18 th Region 1 Technical Conference last May 25-26, 2018 at Plaza Del Norte Hotel and Convention Center, this city. With the theme “Heading North: Civil Engineers Leading the Way in Creating Innovations Towards Sustainable Development Through BUILD, BUILD, BUILD!”, 603 PICE delegates from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan Chapters among other chapters outside the region and including CE professionals who are currently non-members attended the event. Awarding of Plaque of Appreciation to the DPWH Region I Director and PICE National Business Manager, Engr. Ronnel M. Tan,

Laoag City —The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Provincial Health Office (PHO) has successfully maintained the province’s “malaria-free” status since 2012. The Department of Health (DOH) Regional Office I allotted PHP1 million to PGIN, to fund its programs and activities for the continuous prevention and control of malaria. “The allocation of the grant will be for equipment and insecticide purchases, information and education drive, food and accommodations and transportation expenses,” said Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Rogelio Balbag. “It’s important to prevent the occurrence of malaria. Compared to dengue, malaria is more dangerous,” the provincial board’s health committee chairperson said. Mr. Balbag also acknowledged the efforts of other local government units (LGUs) in coordination with the PHO in leading periodic spraying of insecticides in various areas with reported malaria cases, particularly the nearby provinces of Apayao,

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter BADOC, Ilocos Norte—Residents here sang and danced in joy as they chanted, “Viva La Virgen Milagrosa” following the crowning of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary carrying infant Jesus in her arms. Pope Francis mandated the crowning. More than a liturgical ritual, the people of Ilocos Norte, mostly composed of Catholics acknowledged the significance of the pontifical coronation as a show of love and devotion to Mary, revered as “queen of heaven and earth, a protector and inspiration” to mankind. For church historian like Father Danilo Laeda, who is also a native of Badoc, he said Ilocos Norte’s devotion to the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary began in the 1980s. Catholics believed she chose her enshrinement at the St. John the Baptist Parish here. Since then, several accounts of miraculous healing started and the people of Badoc and Ilocos Norte exalted for joy for the ultimate show of unity among govern

By Bernard Ver Contributor The pontifical crown of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc features an immaculate depiction of cascading ocean waves—a tribute to the waters that brought the image of the Blessed Virgin to the Ilocanos. Inspired by the fortified buttresses of the St. Augustine Church of Paoay and St. John the Baptist Church of Badoc, the band of the crown displays stylized volutes. Also included in the band is the elaborate shell motif that pays homage to St. John the Baptist, patron of the town of Badoc. The vertical bands holding the orb depict Ilocos garlic, tobacco leaves and flowers—major cash crops of Ilocos Norte, and the bado-badoc grass, where Badoc got its name. Noli Principe Manalang . A native of Bocaue, Bulacan, Mr. Manalang is an architecture graduate from University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He was a recipient of the Freeman Fellowship Grant of Vermont Studio Center, VT, U.S.A. in 2004 and has won numerous painting competitions in the Philippines. He is