The Ilocos Times

  Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon receives a plaque of recognition and a P250,000.00 check as the winner in the search for the cleanest and greenest city in the province of Ilocos Norte. The awarding was witnessed by VG Cecilia Araneta Marcos, PENR officer Ms. Estrella 'Baby' Sacro and DENR-IN provincial director Vic Dabalos.  (CMO-Laoag photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —Laoag City and the municipality of Nueva Era emerged as this year’s “cleanest and greenest” local government units (LGUs) of Ilocos Norte.   Under the “Narimat nga Aglawlaw” (A Brighter Environment) campaign of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc, the provincial government, through its environment and natural resources office (ENRO), started the province-wide “Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Competition” last year to challenge component local government units to improve their waste management.  Held at the Sirib Mile on December 9, 2020, Laoag City won its second

By Bernardo B. Ver II  (Contributor) Senator ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos called on the government to prepare for a possible spike in COVID-19 cases after Christmas, even as community quarantines remain in place and a karaoke ban and the use of ‘yantok’ are being considered to enforce health protocols. Ms. Marcos said the public’s “quarantine fatigue” amid muted festivity this Christmas could swell infection rates that remained “significantly high” at the end of November, particularly in Metro Manila, Batangas, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Tacloban City, Iligan City, and Lanao del Sur. “Let’s already settle what contact-tracing system should be put in place, contingency measures in hospitals if critical levels are reached, coping mechanisms that can be devolved to local government units,” the senator noted. “We are likely to remain in a public health emergency until next year, yet Bayanihan 2 is already due to expire when Congress adjourns next week,” she pointed out. Th

By Bernardo B. Ver II  (Contributor) Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos has asserted that face-to-face classes should resume as soon as possible where schools are capable of enforcing health protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Ms. Marcos said schools may reflect the prevailing infection rates in their communities but that no proof exists of their being venues for spreading COVID-19. “The Philippines is the penultimate country in the world to keep our schools shuttered,” the senator pointed out. She also criticized the “baffling priorities” of the IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), which issued a resolution on October 15, 2020 that allowed the opening of cockpits over schools. “Has gambling now become an essential activity to Filipinos and education a frivolous luxury?” she asked. Ms. Marcos expressed confidence that teachers and schoolchildren can strictly observe the wearin

Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon and Laoag councilor Handy Lao, chairperson of the committee on agriculture, lead the ceremonial stocking of modified intensive fry rearing of tilapia to advanced fingerling stage for village level production at Brgy. 60-B Madiladig. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —To ensure quality fingerlings supplies for fisher folks in the city, the city government stocked at least 600,000 fries were at the Natures Wealth Probiotics Fish Farm located at Sitio Baldias, Barangay 60-B Madiladig, this city. Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon and Laoag councilor Handy Lao, chairperson of the council’s committee on agriculture, personally visited the site recently for the “ceremonial stocking of modified intensive fry rearing of tilapia to advanced fingerling stage for village level production”. Mr. Keon said this is a joint project between the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Re

Laoag City —At the beginning of his term, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc pledged to "further develop Ilocos Norte by investing in the health of Ilokanos," recognizing his constituents as "greatest assets" of the province.   With this, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte has been expanding its healthcare infrastructure to increase the capacities of all government-managed hospitals in the province. For the fiscal year 2020, the provincial government allocated over PHP118 million for the improvement, rehabilitation, and renovation of the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital (GRBASMH) and the province’s district hospitals. Included in the completed infrastructure projects in GRBASMH are the improvement of the computerized tomography (CT) scan building, renovation of the intensive care unit (ICU) room, and the rehabilitation of comfort rooms. Also included are the rehabilitation of the operating and delivery rooms of Dingras Distri

Batac mayor Albert D. Chua leads the lighting of the giant Christmas tree on Dec. 8, 2020 at the heart of the city. ( Doms Dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) City of Batac —The city government here led the commemoration of the feast of Immaculate Conception of Mary—the Principal Patroness of the Philippines—and the opening of the annual city fiesta, despite the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A mass held at the Immaculate Conception Church in the morning kicked off the festivities followed by the blessing and inauguration of 43 barangay multi-purpose vehicles, which the city government later distributed to all the 43 Barangays in this city. Rev. Fr. Philip Anthony Dimagiba led the blessings of the 43-brand new multi-purpose vehicles witnessed by Batac mayor Albert D. Chua, Batac vice mayor Windell D. Chua, city councilors and all the punong barangays with their kagawads. Mr. Chua said the PHP50 million L300 multi-purpose vans are for the bar

  Laoag City —Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) started the province-wide gift-giving activity to shed a light and bring joy in time for the holiday season and amidst the pandemic. Through the “Narimat a Paskua: Handog ng PGIN sa mga Ilokano,” the different capitol departments have prepared over 27,000 economic and social welfare assistance to various sectors in the province. A total of 17,000 noche buena packages with 250 gift vouchers and another 1,300 leisure incentive vouchers were given to COVID-19 frontliners. Likewise, millennium development goals family-beneficiaries and tourism workers will be receiving one of the 1,115 and 1,200 noche buena packages, respectively. Moreover, 3,000 senior citizens will also receive grocery packs, and some 200 beneficiaries of “assistance to individuals in crisis situation”, support services. PGIN has been handing out presents including assorted grocery items, busin