The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —In the midst of preparations to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID -19), the Sangguniang Panlungsod in the city tackled a possible sisterhood ties with Changsa City in Hunan Province in the Peoples Republic of China, Sangguniang Panlungsod member Juan Conrado A. Respicio II authored a resolution, which Laoag Mayor Michael Marcos-Keon certified as urgent, signifying the city government’s interest in the establishment of a sisterhood relationship with the Chinese city. Mr. Respicio disclosed that the 5 th Sangguniang Panlungsod has already passed a similar resolution on July 8, 2003. However, nothing came out of the said resolution. In view of this, the current council decided to reiterate the same proposal today. Mr. Respicio explained that the sisterhood will “strengthen technology exchange and cooperation in different fields of endeavor mutually beneficial to the parties as well as broade

Laoag City —To ensure continued assistance to communities and families from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and the Sustainable Development Office (SDC) distributed food packs to the first group of local government unit (LGU) recipients on March 24, 2020. The provincial government distributed sacks of rice and food packs to the municipalities of Carasi, Piddig, Solsona, and Banna, catering to families, whose wages are earned on a daily basis. These include the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) recipients, drivers, street vendors, farmers, and fisherfolk, among others. Earlier on the same day, the municipalities of Adams, Dumalneg, Pagudpud, Bangui, Burgos, Currimao, Pinili, Paoay, and Nueva Era also received their relief packs in front of the Provincial Capitol Building. At present, Ilocos Norte is still under enhanced community

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte government has created a task force to help prevent infectious diseases. This was contained in the five-page Executive Order No. 51-20 signed by Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc on February 19, 2020, which aims to combat infectious diseases such as Covid-19 or commonly known as the coronavirus and other diseases that may endanger the province. Dubbed as, “Task Force Salun-at: Sagubanit Adaywannak”, the task force is composed of the governor as chairperson and co-chaired by Dr. Medeldorf Gaoat, chair of the committee on health of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Dr.   Josephine Ruedas, acting provincial health officer and Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos. It also includes the Local Finance Committee of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, the Hospital Management Council led by Dr. Rogelio Balbag, provincial veterinarian Loida Valenzuela, provincial agriculturist

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —Tricycle drivers and operators in this city thanked the city government here for lowering the tricycle drivers’ identification card from PHP 100 to PHP 5. Laoag councilor Jaybee Baquiran made the announcement of the decrease in the cost after the Sangguniang Panlungsod here passed a resolution directing Laoag treasury office officer-in-charge Arturo Diomedes Gayban to “cease and desist” in collecting PHP 100 for the TDIC in. Mr. Baquiran stressed that the PHP 100 TDIC fee has no legal basis as there is no ordinance that justifies the collection of such fee. Mr. Gayban, however explained that the PHP 100 fee they collect is for the ID picture and lamination of TDICs. He also disclosed that they only began collecting PHP 100 for the TDIC after a private person began illegally printing and reproducing similar TDICs. The said person, he added, was arrested. He did not identify the said person. He also insisted t

City of San Fernando , La Union—The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare 1 (OWWA RWOI) has started releasing cash assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the temporary travel ban in mainland China, Hongkong and Macao due to the Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease or 2019-nCoV ARD outbreak. The said cash assistance given to the affected OFWs was an immediate response of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and OWWA to the call of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to ease and lessen the burden of the would-be departing OFWs after the government has imposed the travel ban. OFWs in Ilocos Region affected by the travel ban are encouraged to visit the nearest OWWA RWOI Satellite Office in their provinces or at the Regional Office to inquire about the cash relief assistance. OFWs from nearby regions are also welcome at OWWA RWOI for their convenience. All documented OFWs, newly-hired or Balik-Manggawa, affected by the ban are c

Laoag City —Forty persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the Ilocos Norte Provincial Jail (INPJ) will soon take Alternative Learning System (ALS), sponsored by the Department of Education-Schools Division of Ilocos Norte (DepEd-SDOIN), and in partnership with the Ilocos Norte provincial government. ALS is a parallel learning system in the country established by the DepEd that provides all Filipinos, regardless of age, the opportunity to have access to and complete basic education. Provincial jail warden Benilda Sadian noted that the selected inmates will have to take the entrance examination first to be qualified in the said education:   “Our inmates expressed their joy upon receiving this news. However, they should pass their entrance test first so they could be included in the final list of qualified ALS takers,” Ms. Sadian said. Aside from ALS, the INPJ is also collaborating with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) to provide emp

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The provincial government here has installed COVID-19 quarantine checkpoints manned by an inter-agency health task force to check body temperatures and obtain health record of travelers if necessary, in all border areas going in and out of the province of Ilocos Norte. The checkpoint bars those who enter the province with symptoms attributed to COVID-19 based on their health information except for residents of the province. The checkpoints are located at the Badoc gateway separating Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, Pagudpud and Nueva Era for Cagayan and Abra boundaries, respectively. In a public advisory issued on early morning of March 15, 2020, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc issued Executive Order No. 60-20, placing Ilocos Norte under “community quarantine” to prevent spread of COVID-19.   “General community quarantine will be observed throughout the province. LGUs shall abide by the direction