The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —As the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to increase in this city, the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed three resolutions, which Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon earlier certified as urgent.   Public jeepneys to transport APORs within the city Foremost among these is the granting of authority to the mayor to sign a memorandum of agreement with Laoag jeepney operators and drivers to ferry authorized persons outside residence (APOR) from the city’s boundaries to designated unloading areas, and vice versa. Laoag councilor Edison Bonoan, the council’s transportation committee chair and the measure’s sponsor said the MOA will last until the provincial government lifts the localized modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) that took effect on Nov. 27, 2020. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc’s localized MECQ order bars public transportation from entering the city. As a result, APORs who do not

PAPAYAYO. Oliver Cariaga Millet at his Nangalisan Papaya Farm in Laoag City. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—Oliver Cariaga Millet, 46, of Brgy. Nangalisan, this city dreamed of becoming a computer expert and he did. For 19 years, or from 1995 to 2014, he was employed at the provincial government of Ilocos Norte as he hopped from one office to another. But when his six-year old youngest daughter Orivell was born with down syndrome, he opted to become his personal caretaker while his wife, who is also a provincial government employee, goes to the office. While taking care of Orie, Orivell's nickname, planting and harvesting papaya also excite him the most. In fact, papaya has become a favorite fruit of the family. According to manong Oliver, one of his daughters is often constipated so he thought of growing papaya which is widely known as a remedy for constipation. “It all started as a hobby but when I saw a papaya producer’s success in

I only have a few regrets in life, and most of these regrets result from incidents when I was not kind enough, not from times when I was not harsh, vindictive, self-affirming enough. In these times of crisis, I consciously choose to be a lot kinder to people, our leaders included. There will be a time to evaluate their performance. The moment of reckoning will inevitably come. But, for now, they're all we've got. This is what’s on my mind as Ilocos Norte ranks on top among provinces that recorded COVID-19 cases in a day (92) and as Laoag City is placed under localized modified enhanced community quarantine. The latest turn of events actually come as a surprise because Ilocos Norte is known to have heavily regulated and heavily guarded borders. Why the spike in cases? We do not want to point fingers, but I think we should stop blaming our people. By and large, they, we, are not pasaway . People will follow strict measures as long as these are consistently and intelligentl

By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —Mayor Michael M. Keon threw his full support to the government’s anti-terrorism initiatives to end local communists and armed conflict, which is spelled out through President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70. Mr. Keon stated his full support to the initiative in a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) press conference regarding the “Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development “ DILG provincial director Randy Dela Rosa, Laoag chief of police P/Lt. Col. Rafael Lero and Philippine Army 2 nd Lt. Nolhajie Jawadin attended the said press conference. In his speech, Mr. Keon said he believes the government “really needs to take care of its people and provide necessary programs and services especially to the common tao because they are the most vulnerable sector of society to be lured in joining the misguided ideologies of these terrorist groups”. Relative to this, the Laoag government o

By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The city government here is eyeing the establishment of an organic composting facility in a three-hectare idle lot located at Brgy. Camangaan, this city. The organic composting facility aims to reduce the volume of wastes being generated in the city as the collected biodegradable wastes will be converted as organic fertilizer for farmers. Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon said this is a welcome development for all Laoag residents as the project is expected to create more jobs and to prolong the lifespan of the city landfill. "The proposed site will be put up on a 3-hectare lot offered by the family of Virgil Corpuz, uncle of our OIC provincial environment and natural resources officer, Estrella “Baby” Sacro, subject to a usufruct agreement, which will be effective for a period of 25 years and may be renewed thereafter,” said Mr. Keon. In addition to the organic composting facility, the city will also host a plastic recycling

MANILA — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) released the list of suggested retail prices (SRPs) of Noche Buena staples for information and guidance of consumers on November 11, 2020 in light of the Christmas season. The price guide includes products such as ham, fruit cocktail, keso de bola, cheese, sandwich spread, mayonnaise, pasta—spaghetti noodles, elbow, and salad macaroni— spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and all-purpose cream. “In the midst of the pandemic, the spirit of Christmas will continue to draw many of our consumers to buy their favorite noche buena products for their families to be served on their tables. Thus, the Department assures the public of the availability of supply and stability of prices of these items,” said DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez. Prior to the release, the DTI Consumer Protection Group reviewed the prices and the proposals of some companies for price increases. Acco