The Ilocos Times

  BATAC  Mayor Albert D. Chua and other members of the city council hand over a certificate of recognition to Batac Water District manager Dona Sagun for her office’s help of three drums of chlorine to the city government to help in the city’s COVID-19 response. Batac also awarded the same to other 38 individuals and establishments. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz (Staff Reporter) Batac City —Living up to the concept of “bayanihan”, the city governments of Batac and Laoag recognized individuals, non-government organizations, government organizations, business establishments and others who extended their assistance to their respective constituents during the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua, along with the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Batac Vice Mayor Windell D. Chua personally handed over certificates of recognition to 39 awardees on June 29, 2020 at the SP session hall here. The Batac government acknowledged with profound gra

  Laoag City —The Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) is resuming the construction of “Big 3” infrastructure projects after months of delay due to revisions on architectural designs. “Last year pa natin sinimulan itong ‘Big 3’ at dahil design-build project ito , hindi automatic construction kaagad . May naganap pang design phase. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa natin masasabing 100% complete na ang design plan ng mga projects,” PEO assistant engr. Lani Daquioag said. The PEO is currently on an ongoing demolition works and has started partial foundation plans, particularly the bored piling at the Dap-ayan Center, excavation works at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Stadium, and demolition process at the Provincial Capitol. “ Isa sa mga concerns namin ngayong tag-ulan ay ang construction ng basement sa Dap-ayan. Talagang maghuhukay tayo diyan at ngayon bored piling pa lang ang ginagawa namin, nakikita namin na mataas na ang water level. Ito ang isang dahilan sa posibleng pagka -del

  Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos stressed that recruitment for a medical reserve corps must begin soon before health care workers reach their breaking point, citing the rising cases of COVID-19 infection outside Metro Manila, particularly Cebu and southern Mindanao. Ms. Marcos added that mutations of the virus and the emergence of possible epidemics of dengue and leptospirosis with the onset of the rainy season may complicate the fight against COVID-19. “Let’s not wait for future epidemics and pandemics to push our highly stressed medical frontliners to their human limits. Their safety is our safety too,” Ms. Marcos said. The senator expressed unease about the Department of Health’s lack of transparent data on whether hospitals were reaching maximum capacity and if testing centers had enough qualified personnel to attain the goal of testing 50,000 people per day by the end of June. “We can’t afford this prolonged guessing game about whether the country is truly f

  Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua and several members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Batac Vice Mayor Windell Chua distribute equipment to the different schools in the city. The simple turn-over was held at the Imelda Cultural Center on July 9, 2020. (CGB photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Batac City —In preparation for the upcoming school year 2019-2020, the city government here distributed equipment to the different schools in this city on July 9, 2020 at the Imelda Cultural Center. Batac Mayor Albert D. Chua, in his speech during the turnover ceremony, assured that the city government will continue to support the city schools’ division here, especially on the implementation of learning continuity programs in the “new normal”. Mr. Chua said the purchased school equipment comes from the city government’s special education fund (SEF).   The city government turned over five units of photocopier to Payao Elementary School and the Batac National High School-Payao

  OUTGOING  P/Lt. Col. Amador B. Quicho (left) formally turns over the reins of the Laoag City Police Station to incoming chief of police P/Lt. Col. Rafael D. Lero (right) during a simple turn over ceremony as Ilocos Norte provincial director P/Col. Christopher N. Abrahano (center) looks on. In Mr. Quicho’s send-off speech, he said that in his stay as Laoag police chief he became the his “best version as a policeman”. Likewise, Mr. Lero in his response, said: “Things that we done for the betterment of the city will continue, for us to achieve the momentum to make the city a better place to work, visit and do business”. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew M. Manotoc and Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon also witnessed the turnover ceremony. (Doms dela Cruz)

  INEC GM Felino Agdigos speaks before the Laoag City council. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Dingras , Ilocos Note—The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) is set resume disconnection operations in August 2020 for unpaid power bills for the months of March and April. It was during March and April where the national government declared an enhanced community quarantine in the country, including Ilocos Norte. INEC general manager Engr. Felino Herbert P. Agdigos stressed that the four-month grace period for the ECQ ends in August. “ Ket no saan da mabayadan ket isun to tay pinangiyuswat mi tay disconnection kasi napaot metten didiay a pawayway kadakwada ,” Agdigos explained. He disclosed that INEC will start with the disconnection on August 18, 2020 for unsettled bills during the ECQ. The disconnection operation will apply for both residential and commercial consumers.   Liwanag Pantawid program Meanwhile , Agdigos also announced the succ

  Laoag City —To promote the province as a trusted destination by assuring the safety of tourists amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, through the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO), is set to launch “Safe Travel Application for You in Ilocos Norte” or “Stay IN”, an online platform that gathers tourism information essential in complying with public health standards and supports efficient contact tracing when needed. “Stay IN” boasts an effective data management feature designed to assign users with unique QR codes and alphanumeric codes which will be used to grant entry to the province and record tourist’s actual itinerary. It allows INTO to monitor the number of employees and guests to ensure that occupants can maintain social distancing requirements and capacity prescribed by local authorities. Moreover, data through the web-based app will be used to provide services, to issue valid QR code, to provide adequate security against fraud and abus