The Ilocos Times

Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas lead the distribution of social pension for the third quarter of 2018 to the city’s 1,125 senior citizen pensioners of after a regular flag raising ceremony at the city hall. The Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPPISC) is an additional government assistance to augment their daily subsistence and other medical needs. (Alwin Formantes)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —The city new local government operations officer Janet Duarte is eyeing the holding of additional special Sangguniang Kabataan elections for the city’s 37 barangays. Ms. Duarte said the said barangays have incomplete number of elected SK officials, thus the special elections. The planned special election is based on a Dept. of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2018-212 dated December 20, 2018, which states the need to complete the set of SK officials in all the barangays within 30 days upon issuance. However, with 237 barangays having incomplete SK officials, the 30-day period does not apply to the city. A supplemental memorandum was issued wherein it states that the city of Laoag can conduct special SK elections until March 31, 2019. Record shows that the city DILG started conducting special elections on January 19 and 20, 2019 for 10 Barangays. Ms. Duarte expressed hopes that all th

By Bernard Ver Contributor LAOAG CITY – Ilocos Norte Board Member Mariano "Nonong" V. Marcos II, who was running for vice governor in the May 2019 midterm elections, passed away at the age of 62 after a cardiac arrest on the evening of February 15, 2019. Mr. Marcos was supposed to board a Manila-bound aircraft at the Laoag International Airport when he was found lying on the restroom floor. The door was reportedly locked and was only opened after 15 to 20 minutes. He was rushed to the Laoag City General Hospital’s emergency room but was declared dead at 9:42 p.m. Meanwhile, his cousins Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo M. Barba and Laoag City councilor Michael M. Keon took him his remains from the hospital and brought it to a funeral chapel here. The day before his death, he was in Vintar, Ilocos Norte for the provincial government’s Capitol Express. In his speech, he said that he had set a date with his wife Cecilia Araneta and their chi

Laoag City —As the closing of Bicentennial Year draws near, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) has intensified the Capitol Express (CapEx), bringing frontline services to the Municipalities of Vintar and Piddig and the City of Batac on January 24, 2019. Dubbed the “Capitol on Wheels," CapEx aims to deliver social welfare and agricultural services inclusively by reaching even the most remote barangays of the province. Expressing her gratefulness for the program, Caren Mae Quidilla, Piddig Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson commented, “Madami talaga ang natutulungan ng CapEx . Makikita talaga na ang programang ito ay hindi lang para makatulong kundi eye-opener rin.   Kasi kung marami ang dumadalo, meaning madami pa rin ang mga nangangailangan ng mga ganitong serbisyo. “ Advantage namin ito dahil hindi naman lahat ng tao kayang pumunta sa Capitol o sentro para humingi ng tulong,” she added. Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo M. Barba,

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Dingras , Ilocos Norte—At least 10 Japanese officials from the garlic capital of Takko in Aomori Prefecture, Japan joined farm festivities at Brgy. Madamba in Dingras, Ilocos Norte as one of the highlights of the month-long celebration of the state-run Mariano Marcos State University’s (MMSU) 41 st founding anniversary. Attended by hundreds of multi-sectoral stakeholders from public, private and non-government entities, the “Parambak Diay Talon”, an Ilokano term which means farm festivities is meant to celebrate good harvest and offer thanksgiving for all the blessings MMSU have reaped throughout the year. “In Asia, festivities have become part of our culture. We celebrate for so many occasions and these farm festivities express our heartfelt gratitude for all our partners who helped us achieved our goals,” said Dr. Shirley Agrupis, president of the premiere university in northern Philippines. With invited guests from J

Umadani manen ti panagpipili. Ala, narway dagiti nasasayaat a kandidato, ngem ditay maikkat nga agraira met latta dagiti sansilmo a a pulitiko. Isu a tapno ditay manen a mairubo, intay man amirisen dagiti sumaganad a listaan dagiti “lima” a maipanggep kadagiti pulitiko ken animal.   Ken kas espesyal a ramen daytoy a bilang, pagraramanantay man ti listaan dagiti nasisita a panawagan. *** 5 a kababalin ti adu a pulitiko: 1. Aguni wenno umisem kenka, maminsan laeng iti kada tallo a tawen. 2. Am-ammo wenno pagayam wenno kabagyannaka, maminsan laeng iti kada tallo a tawen. 3. Addaan ti prinsipyo agpaay kadagiti tao, maminsan laeng iti kada tallo a tawen. 4. Agboluntaryo nga agidonar ti kasapulan dagiti umili, maminsan laeng iti kada tallo a tawen. 5. Mangted ti paglidok ken igatang ti istaltope a pulutan, maminsan laeng iti kada tallo a tawen. *** 5 a pagsasao maipanggep kadagiti animal: 1. Ti uleg, uray maawanan gita, ulegto latta. 2. Amin

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte Grains Retailers Confederation has expressed opposition to Senate Bill 1998, a proposed law seeking the unlimited importation of rice with tariffs to ease rising prices due to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. According to National Food Authority provincial manager Eleonor Andres, a two-page resolution was passed by the officers of GRECON Ilocos Norte Chapter as they appealed to the legislative body to further review the measure and urged President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to veto the alleged deceptive and anti-poor provisions of the rice tariffication bill. Once passed into law, the NFA provincial manager explained, “The country’s rice industry will be affected as anybody can import rice.” As a result, NFA will be limited to buffer stocking that is only bound to local procurement. Senate Bill 1998 proposes to amend Republic Act 8178 or the “Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996”