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==Job Fairs Slated In Ilocos==
==Ilocos Pride at Summer Trade Fair in Ilocos Norte==
*Source: http://mb.com.ph/articles/350930/job-fairs-slated-in-ilocos
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R01&article=341336705501
*By: LIEZLE BASA IÑIGO
*''February 10, 2012''
 
This year, more job fairs will be staged by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the Ilocos Region to strengthen job search assistance services to the public.
 
DOLE Region 1 Information Officer Arly Valdez said job fairs will start in February while the events in Pangasinan will start in the month of March scheduled tentatively on the following dates: March 8 at the Urdaneta City University (local employment) and March 23 at the Narciso Ramos Gymnasium in Lingayen town.
 
There are also job fairs slated April16 at the Provincial Employment Services Office (PESO), Municipality of Manaoag (local and overseas) and April 26 (tentative) at the PESO Office, Municipal Hall of Infanta town (local and overseas).
 
==Feature: Ilocandia's red gold brings fortune to dragon fruit farmer==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R01&article=331328601838
*By: Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon
*''February 08, 2012''
 
BURGOS, Ilocos Norte– While her neighbors were planting the usual Ilocano cash crops, Edita Dacuycuy was quietly cultivating an odd-looking, round-shaped fruit covered with red overlapping scales in her backyard.
In this town where the fruit became a testament of wealth, Ilocandia’s “red gold” is set on cactus-like trees plotted on farm beds that sit beside common Ilocano crops like corn, rice and garlic.
The farm plots leading to Ilocos Region’s first dragon fruit plantation are owned by locals who have started their own fruit farm following the success of this town’s most outstanding farmer, by far.
“I didn’t want my neighbors to know what I was doing until I was sure I could grow the dragon fruit,” Dacuycuy, popularly known in the community as the “Dragon Lady,” said.
She was introduced to the fruit by a friend who knew of Dacuycuy’s difficulty in finding ways to relieve her daughter Kate’s constipation problems, a condition that is common to patients with cerebral palsy. Dacuycuy found the fruit effective on her daughter and decided to cultivate it herself in 2005 upon learning how much it cost.
“The fruit looked so unfamiliar. I saw it once from a store in Manila and found that it costs P450 per kilo. That’s the equivalent of a sack of rice,” she said.
“But when I learned of the fruit’s health benefits, I just took the leap,” Dacuycuy, who used to be a division manager of an insurance firm, added.
She found more information about the fruit by surfing the internet, a task she assigned to her other daughter Mildred.
Dacuycuy took a step further sensing its business potential. She sent Mildred to Thailand where the fruit is common to learn how the family could propagate more.
From backyard planting, Dacuycuy could no longer stop growing more. She developed a fruit farm on her property and later ventured to business.
“We didn’t notice we were already expanding. The business came spontaneously,” she said.
From a small farm plot, the fruit farm now stands on a 10-hectare property which Dacuycuy personally supervises. She and her husband built a house on the property and developed other dragon fruit-based recipes and products from pastries, jam, wine and soap.
The family’s steady market include traders from neighboring provinces and Manila, Dole Philippines, which orders the fruit by tons, and local hotels in the province.
The farm, named as Rare Eagles Forest Marine and Agricultural Development or REFMAD, has become an agri-tourism site offering research and livelihood training to locals.
 
==Defense lauds Farinas’ ‘spontaneous, honest disclosure’==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/141437/defense-lauds-farinas%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98spontaneous-honest-disclosure%E2%80%99
*By: Karen Boncocan
*''February 07, 2012''
 
Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Farinas’ statement that the impeachment complaint filed by the prosecution against Chief Justice Renato Corona was “poorly crafted” was a good observation on the inadequacy of the evidence against Corona, a spokesman for the defense said Tuesday.
 
Lawyer Tranquil Salvador III said that the “spontaneous disclosure” proved Farinas’ honesty, adding “he could have just said that everything was in order but he was candid and honest enough [to say otherwise].”
 
Farinas was quick to clarify, however, that he did not mean that the verified complaint was defective when he said that it was “hindi ganoon kaganda (poorly crafted).”
 
But lawyer Karen Jimeno, another spokesperson for the defense, pointed out that if one representative did not have enough time to read the complaint, it was questionable whether other representatives had the same predicament.
 
Speaking on the defense panel’s filing of a motion to quash the subpoenas on the chief magistrate’s bank accounts, Salvador said that this was their next step and remedy to the alleged illegal acquisition of Corona’s PS Bank records that violated the Bank Secrecy law.
 
==Ilocandia’s fruit farm is also an agri-tourism site==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=331328497726
*By: PIA
*By: PIA
*''February 06, 2012''
*''Friday, May 11, 2012''


BURGOS, Ilocos Norte– The first dragon fruit plantation in the Ilocos Region is now a sight to behold and it has turned the plantation into an agri-tourism site offering homestay facilities and walk-in tour of the 10-hectare farm.
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte- Experience Ilocano pride at the 5th OTOP Summer Trade Fair and Garden Show in Laoag City, this province.


The farm, named as Rare Eagles Forest Marine and Agricultural Development or REFMAD, also offers research and livelihood training to locals who wish to start their own dragon fruit farm.
Among the products on sale are One-Town, One-Product (OTOP) of the different municipalities of the province which include, among others, mouth-watering longganiza and empanada from Batac City; chichacorn from Paoay; seaweed noodles from Burgos; vinegar and basi from Laoag City; rice coffee from Banna; Ceramics and crispy-licious Chicharon or Bagnet from San Nicolas; binakol abel from the loom weavers of Sarrat, and shell craft from the artisans of Pagudpud.


Owned by this town’s outstanding farmer Edita Dacuycuy, the sprawling property includes a resort and accommodation facilities with the dragon fruit as its main attraction.
Other products featured at the trade fair are furniture and home furnishings, gift items and plants.


The family decided to build homestay facilities for visitors who wish to watch how the dragon trees bloom at night.
According to Maricor Racela of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the trade fair “aims to promote local products not only from Ilocos Norte but also from the other provinces in the Ilocandia, especially the OTOP of the various local government units of the province.


“The flowers almost glow in the dark and they produce aromatic scent that spreads throughtout the farm,” Dacuycuy's daughter Mildred, who helps in running the family business, said.
The OTOP is a government program that supports small and medium entrepreneurs and LGUs to develop their products and at the same time market them.


Dacuycuy organized a group of dragon fruit growers in the province known as the Kailukuan Saniata Cooperative as part of her community work providing tree saplings for their farms including lectures and demos on fruit growing.
“There are 40 exhibitors, of which some came from Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, La Union and Abra. Trade fairs like this help them market their products,” Racela said.


“I even give saplings for free for neighbors who wish to grow fruits for their household consumption,” she said.
The trade fair will run from until May 18, 2012 at the Dap-ayan in front of the Provincial Capitol.


A separate plot of Dacuycuy’s farm has been reserved for the dragon tree plantation of the Ilocos Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium for its research work.
It is a project of the DTI, in partnership with the Partuat ti Kailokuan Association, City Government of Laoag and the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte.


“I share everything to my community from employment to livelihood. For as long as you have delivered the mission, the commission will follow… this is my advocacy,” she said.
==Laoag hospital gets boost from St. Luke's Medical Center==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R01&article=331336614352
*By: Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon
*''Thursday, May 10, 2012''


For her community work and growing business venture, Dacuycuy was first recognized as Magsasaka Siyentista in the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development’s Science and Technology-based farm project in 2008. She was also a National Gawad Saka awardee in 2010 and outstanding farmer-innovator by government and non-government institutions.
LAOAG CITY- Patients of the Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) can now expect a world class health care service with the formal entry of St. Luke’s Medical Center as its partner in making the hospital the best medical facility in the North.


The latest addition to her trophy collection was an award she received as Female Innovator in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California in the United States in September last year as the Philippine’s sole representative.
The partnership between LCGH and the SLMC was sealed by a Memorandum of Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding last March 31.


==Thousands of jobs available at Ilocos Norte Jobs Fair 2012==
The agreements are effective for four years and may be renewed by both parties.
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=341328154487
*By: Carlo P. Canares
*''February 02, 2012''


LAOAG CITY- Over two thousand jobs await qualified applicants in the first job fair for the year in Ilocos Norte.
The merger paved the way for St. Luke's to assist the city hospital in providing residents a similar total health care system that the premier medical center has been known for.


According to Ingracio Baylon of the Provincial Department of Labor and Employment, the positions available are for local and overseas employment. There are jobs for baccalaureate degree holders as well as for vocational, technical and high school graduates.
Laoag Mayor Michael Fariñas said the partnership is part of his administration’s commitment to provide residents the best medical care that is affordable even to ordinary patients.


There are five overseas employment recruitment agencies and they have 1,053 job orders from abroad like Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Zealand, Baylon said.
For his part, Dr. Joven R. Cuanang, SLMC’s Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, said the joint venture will enable St.Luke's to guide the the local hospital in providing quality health care and total patient satisfaction.
Many of the job orders for abroad are for household services and hospital staff.


For local employment, Baylon said, there are 1,676 job vacancies offered by 15 local firms. Most of the vacancies are for employment in Ilocos Norte.
Under both agreements, the parties are bound to fulfill commitments of service through a referral system where the city hospital may refer its patients to SLMC for further diagnosis or treatment and vice versa.


Some of the jobs available are for call center agents, sales agents, IT professionals, accounting personnel and many others.
The parties will also undergo education and training where personnel of both hospitals will be benefitted by an exchange of relevant information through lectures, in-house trainings and research in healthcare.


The job fair is a joint undertaking of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte under Governor Imee Marcos and Northwestern University in celebration of their foundation anniversaries. Ilocos Norte is celebrating its 193rd anniversary while NWU, 80th anniversary.
The MOU also provides that expertise development shall be afforded to LCGH doctors through international conferences, consultations through teleconferencing including visiting and rotating privileges.


Ronnelyne Tarampi of the Public Employment Service Office of NWU said their university wants to give back to the public the blessings they received all these years.
The LCGH may also request for training of its personnel at SLMC in the areas of nursing, finance, marketing, among others.  


“Instead of having the NWU Night at the ongoing Pamulinawen Festival, our University President Liza Nicolas decided to conduct a jobs fair to share the blessings. We also would want to help graduates, like those from our school. Furthermore, we want to prove that Ilocos Norte offers good opportunities for employment,” Tarampi said.
==Amid the sand dunes of Paoay, an art installation rises==
*Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/257581/lifestyle/design/amid-the-sand-dunes-of-paoay-an-art-installation-rises
*By: CARMELA G. LAPEÑA
*''Wednesday, May 09, 2012''


Aside from DOLE, other participating government agencies at the Jobs Fair are the Professional Regulatory Commission, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
This May, Ilocos Norte celebrates the first La Milagrosa Festival in honor of La Virgen Milagrosa, the province's patron saint.
The weeklong festival culminates on May 10 with “Himala sa Buhangin” at the Paoay Sand Dunes.


==Ilocos Region Police Officers Promoted==
The event's centerpiece is an installation by sculptor Leeroy New, whose work has been seen everywhere from alternative theater, international galleries, outdoor spaces, to apparel worn no less than US pop star Lady Gaga.
*Source: http://mb.com.ph/articles/349910/ilocos-region-police-officers-promoted
*By: FREDDIE G. LAZARO
New, who says his style is influenced by science fiction, took on a different theme for this project. In a video posted on YouTube, New explains that initially the plan was to do a structure that will be burned at the end of the festival.  
*''January 31, 2012''
"It's like a giant bonfire for the festival... which is symbolic of great festivals and feasts and celebrations," said New during Pecha Kucha Night on April 28 at Samtoy Bookshop in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.


A total of 919 police officers assigned in the Ilocos Region were given promotions, Chief Superintendent Franklin J.B. Bucayu announced Tuesday.
==Rabies control to address dog bite incidents in Ilocos Norte==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R01&article=331336364768
*By: Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon
*''Monday, May 07, 2012''


The Regional Director (RD) said he administered the mass oath-taking of the newly promoted police officers at the grandstand of the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) Headquarters in San Fernando City, La Union.
LAOAG CITY- The rising incidents of dog bites in Ilocos Norte could now be better addressed under a three-year program to eliminate rabies in the province.


Those promoted were composed of 77 Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and 842 Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs) assigned in different police units and offices in Region 1, said Bucayu.
The Communities Against Rabies Exposure (CARE) program is covered by a memorandum of agreement that was signed between Governor Imee Marcos and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), an international organization, during the First Provincial Rabies Summit held recently.


He said 68 of the PCOs were promoted to the rank of Senior Inspector while nine are new Inspectors.
The project seeks to support the provincial rabies control program by strengthening the following initiatives: prevention of dog bites and human rabies; elimination of rabies in dogs; establishment of surveillance and diagnostic systems; and community advocacy and education on rabies prevention into elementary schools.


The PNCOs were composed of 29 promoted to Senior Police Officer 4 (SPO4), 149 to SPO3, 32 to SPO2, 112 to SPO1, 290 to PO3, and 230 to PO2.
Marcos said rabies elimination is necessary if Ilocos Norte wants to maintain a visitor-friendly, healthy community, and environmentally-safe province.


A number of promoted personnel from various Regional Support Units (RSUs) in Region1, led by Atty. Sover D.C. Gonting, chief of the Regional Legal Service 1, who was promoted to Police Superintendent, joined the said activity.
Dr. Loida Valenzuela, provincial veterinary officer, said Ilocos Norte was found to be in the fifth position among provinces that recorded dog bite incidents.


In his speech, Bucayu said: “I am hopeful that your oath-taking will spur you to strive harder on becoming model police officers worthy of respect by the community. Ipakita at ipadama ninyo sa sambayanan ang maganda at tamang pag-uugali at pag-iisip ng pulis (Make the nation see and feel the goodness of your attitude and soundness of your mind).
She said the figures are being finalized but she noted that incidents rose by 11 percent in April this year compared to the same period last year.


==Intensity 4 tremor hits Northern Luzon==
Valenzuela said her office has already conducted massive dog vaccination and education among community leaders to bring down and eventually aim for a zero-rabies province.
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=74160
*By: Freddie G. Lazaro
*''January 28, 2012''


An intensity 4 earthquake hit Ilocos Norte and its nearby areas this Saturday noon but no damages to either life or property was reported by the Phippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) based in Sinait.
The provincial government also strengthened its Provincial Rabies Control Council through an executive order that would govern rabies control and elimination program.


Local Phivolcs Rerearcher Porferio De Peralta said that the tremor registered a magnitude of 5.2 on the ritcher scale. It occurred at 12:46
The council is headed by Marcos, assisted by chairpersons of the provincial board’s committees on health, agriculture and laws. Members are provincial department heads, presidents of the Mayors’ League, Federation of Liga ng mga Barangay, municipal health officers, municipal agriculture officers, federated barangay health workers, senior citizens, non-government groups and the Philippine Information Agency.  


p.m. with epicenter located at 48 kilometers northwest of Calayan, Cagayan.
==Usec Quezon sits down with Ilocos Norte media==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R01&article=331336119565
*By: Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon
*''Sunday, May 06, 2012''


Intensity 4 was felt in Pasuquin and Sarrat towns and Laoag City; all in Ilocos Norte; and intensity 1 in Sinait, Ilocos Sur. He said that the tremor was tectonic in origin.  
LAOAG CITY- Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III arrived in the province yesterday and sat down with the Ilocos Norte media for an hour of discussion dwelling on various areas.


==Food poisoning downs 5 children==
The topicss ranged from President Aquino’s economic agenda, the existence of supposed opposing blocs among Cabinet members, his relationship with the media, and more.
*Source: http://www.tempo.com.ph/2012/food-poisoning-downs-5-children/#.Txqd-oH0m1s
*By: Freddie G. Lazaro
*''January 21, 2012''


LAOAG CITY, Philippines – Five children were hospitalized due to separate food poisoning incidents in two barangays in Piddig, Ilocos Norte last Thursday.
Quezon said his office has been touring around the country engaging the public and the media to amplify the President’s programs and the national government’s work agenda.


Police identified the first two victims as James Lee Francisco, 2; and his sister Anna Nicole Francisco; both residents in Barangay Maruaya, Piddig town. The two children were rushed to Piddig District Hospital when they both felt unconscious a few hours after eating chicken ginger stew with green papaya (tinolang manok).
“I am here to answer any questions that you might have about how the President works, his leadership style, and how he has been stirring the country since he assumed the presidency,” he said.


Police named the other three victims as RJ Agustin, 6; Mae Agustin, 4, and Baby Jane Agustin, 3; all residents from Barangay Estancia, Piddig, Ilocos Norte.
He said he chose to engage the media to a discussion as a feedback mechanism on whether or not government programs have made an impact on the public.


The three children were also rushed to Piddig District Hospital and were later transferred to Governor Roque Ablan Sr Memorial Hospital in Laoag City when they experienced stomach pain and vomiting after eating home-made bagoong (fish paste).
Quezon said the President has been working on obtaining the public’s trust in the government by doing his assignment before facing the media for any information that they might want to ask.


It was reported that the five children were already out of danger and were ready to go home after their medical treatment.  
“He doesn’t just read the news caps (news bullets) that we provide for him. He reads all papers making sure that he absorbs all the necessary data presented. He is good with data and numbers,” he said.


==Bacarra town vice mayor arrested==
He said the President’s instructions to his communications team is to answer straightforward or beg off from answering if they are not prepared to support their answers.
*Source: http://www.tempo.com.ph/2012/bacarra-town-vice-mayor-arrested/#.TxlVtlnwuGY
*By: Freddie G. Lazaro
*''January 20, 2012''


CAMP JUAN, Ilocos Norte – Joint operatives from Ilocos Norte and San Mateo, Rizal province arrested last Wednesday Bacarra town Vice Mayor Pacifico Velasco in Barangay Ampil, San Mateo, Rizal, due to alleged violation of the anti-graft law.
“He told us not to pretend to know the answer if we don’t,” he added.


Superintendent Carlito Briones, San Mateo town chief of police, said that Vice Mayor Velasco was arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
He said the Planning Office is currently working on codifying the laws, issuances, and executive orders that each President of the Philippines had decreed during their terms.


Velasco was arrested while he was exiting the Greenland Subdivision in Barangay Ampil, San Mateo, Rizal.
“The President wants a complete inventory of all the documents of all the presidents who had served. This is one way of ensuring good governance,” Quezon said.


Briones said that Velasco was immediately turned over to the Sandiganbayan Third Division after his mugshots and finger prints were taken.  
Quezon also made clear how the Presidential Communications Group, composed of the Presidential Spokesman, the Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO), and the PCDSPO, work separately on their mandates of delivering the President’s message to the public.


==Study shows Mindanao flooding may happen in Ilocos cities, towns==
==News Feature: DOLE supports P-Noy’s labor agenda with nationwide Jobs Fair on Labor Day==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=73117
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R01&article=331335776480
*By: Cristina Arzadon
*By: Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon
*''January 18, 2012''
*''Tuesday, May 01, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- An environment official agrees that the devastating floods in Mindanao could happen in this city and in outlying towns because of their similarities in topography.
 
Juan de los Reyes, provincial environment and natural resources officer, said a flood mapping conducted by the University of the Philippines’ National Institute of Geological Science (UP-NIGS) is closely similar to a geo-hazard mapping that the Environmental Management Bureau prepared.
 
Based on the study of UP geologists, Ilocos cities including Laoag, Vigan and Alaminos are shown to be vulnerable to disastrous floods because their topography is similar to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.
 
In its website http://nababaha.com/, the UP-NIGS flood hazard mapping showed low to high flooding risks in some villages in Laoag that run parallel to the Padsan River.
 
Similar flooding intensities ranging from .1 meter to 1.5 meters-deep were noted in neighboring Bacarra town where villages straddle the Bislak River.
 
UP geologists made use of flood simulations using rainfall brought by storm Ondoy in September, 2009. Using the Flo2d or a Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved flood routing application software, the UP-NIGS came out with flood hazard maps to alert local governments on how they could chart local emergency response and urban planning.
 
“These hazard maps are indicative inundation maps for large flood events and useful only for knowing where not to be during extremely heavy rainfall. These hazard maps are only as good as the topographic map base that was used in the flood simulation,” the UP-NIGS website said.
 
Meanwhile, De Los Reyes said a geo-hazard map that the EMB prepared showed Laoag villages namely La Paz, Tanguid, San Joaquin, San Leonardo and San Antonio as susceptible to flooding. Other towns with similar condition include Piddig, Solsona, Dingras, Marcos, Bangui and Dumalneg.
 
“Being low-lying areas, surface water run-off automatically drains in these towns while excess water flow there before they finally exit to the seas,” he said.
 
De los Reyes also blames silted rivers and creeks as contributory to flooding.
 
The DENR has already issued hazard maps to local governments to prepare them before the typhoon season sets in.
 
The maps contain a list of towns prone to flooding and landslides and include useful tips on disaster-preparedness and important contact names and numbers of authorities that residents could ask for help.
 
“What is important is dry running for actual disasters. We need people to be informed now because disasters could happen in unexpected moments,” de los Reyes said.
 
==Tagalog news: Mas maayos na pamamahala, mas pinaigting na seguridad sa Laoag City==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=73003
*By: Cherry Joy Discaya
*''January 17, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- Para sa mas maayos na pagpapatupad ng lokal na pamahalaan sa seguridad sa loob ng kanilang mga tanggapan, ang Laoag City ay nagpatupad ng pagbibigay ng ID passes sa lahat ng bibisita at papasok sa loob ng kanyang tanggapan.
 
Ito ay bahagi ng mas maayos na pamamahala ng lokal na pamahalaan sa kanilang mga tanggapan at pakikiisa sa panukala ng nasyunal na gobyerno ukol sa pagsasaayos ng sistema sa mga tanggapan ng gobyerno.
 
Ayon sa nagpanukala ni Ret. PNP C/Supt. Florentino O. Dumlao, kasalukuyang pangulo ng CSU sa Laoag, ito ay bahagi din daw ng pag-apula sa krimen at pag-iwas sa mga hinihinalang kriminal na maaaring magdulot ng kapahamakan sa mga opisyal at mga empleyado sa loob ng tanggapan.
 
“Kinokontrol nito ang pagkakaroon ng mga posibleng criminal o masasamang loob na pumapasok sa tanggapan ng city hall, bukod pa dito, namomonitor natin ang pagpasok at paglabas ng mga tao na bumibisita sa loob, nalalaman din natin mismo ang kanilang pakay” paliwanag ni Dumalo.
 
Bukod sa mga empleyado at mga opisyales sa loob ng Laoag city hall, napaghahandaan din dito ang seguridad ng mga turistang bibisita sa siyudad lalong-lalo na sa mga turistang may ‘business appointment’ sa mga lokal na tanggapan ng Laoag.
 
Sa pagpapaigting ng seguridad sa loob ng Laoag city hall, mas nabawasan ang mga taong kahina-hinala ayon sa mga security ng CSU. Mas madali din daw para sa kanila na makilala ang mga ito dahil sa mga iprinepresentang mga ID para sa kanilang pagkakakilanlan.
 
“Mas maayos ngayon ang transakyon dito, kung may nawawalang gamit o ano pa man, mas madali naming nalalaman kung sino ang aming suspek na pupuntahan, kumpara noon na sa CCTV camera, nakikilala lang namin ang papasok sa pamamagitan ng mukha, kahit alam namin ang mukha hindi naman naming masiguro ang pangalan nila” dagdag pa ni Jennifer Ramos ng CSU.
 
Ang bawat ‘entry point’ ngayon sa tanggapang lokal ng pamahalaan ng Laoag City ay may nakatalagang mga security ng Civil Security Unit (CSU) para sa masinsinang pagpapatupad sa nasabing seguridad.
 
Natuwa naman si Mayor Michael V. Farinas sa panukalang ito, bilang pagpapaigting sa seguridad sa kanyang mga tauhan at mas maayos na pagpapalakad ng lokal na pamahalaan sa kanilang mga tanggapan.
 
==Responsible mining is the way to go – DENR==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=72753
*By: Cristina Arzadon
*''January 16, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- “We shouldn’t close our doors to mining. If minerals are not tapped, we would not have the necessary products, tools and equipment used in our daily lives.”
 
Juan de los Reyes, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer, said instead of a total mining ban, the government must ensure the compliance of mining companies to responsible mining.
 
“If mining is illegal, then that is destructive. But if companies observe responsible mining, then the government and the people will benefit from it,” he said.
 
De Los Reyes said mining companies go through a long process before they are issued permits. The approval does not come from the government alone.
 
“A multi-partite monitoring group ensures that companies will observe mitigating measures including rehabilitation of mountains and lands after the mining contract has ended, “ he said.
 
In Ilocos Norte, for example, the province is rich in chromite (used for the production of steel products), feldspar (for porcelain), copper and gold.
 
De los Reyes said before companies could proceed exploring or extracting minerals, they need to secure the approval of indigenous peoples where the minerals are found, clearance from the barangay and local government unit and other stakeholders.
 
He said the DENR also ensures that mining is confined only in areas declared as mineralized area so that indiscriminate mining will be avoided.
 
At present, only two mining companies are conducting small-scale mining operations in the towns of Pasuquin (for feldspar) and Nueva Era (for magnetite sand).
 
The DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau, community leaders and other stakeholders ensure that the companies complied with regulations before they were granted permits to operate.
 
==Quake rocks Calayan Group of Islands==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/01/15/12/quake-rocks-calayan-group-islands
*By: www.abs-cbnnews.com
*''January 15, 2012''
 
The Calayan Group of Islands was rocked by a 5.5 magnitude earthquake at 12:36 a.m. Sunday.
 
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismoloy (Phivolcs) did not raise a tsunami warning following the earthquake.
 
Intensity 3 tremors were felt in Laoag City, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte and Santa Praxedes, Cagayan.
 
No damages or injuries have been reported, but Philvolcs warned there may be aftershocks.
 
==Tagalog News: Libreng hatid-sundo sa ‘Sirib bus’ sa Laoag Int’l Airport==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=72572
*By: Carlo P. Canares
*''January 14, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- Hindi na mahihirapan o magpoproblema pa ang mga turista na walang sasakyan na susundo sa pagdating nila sa Laoag International Airport sa Ilocos Norte.
 
Ito ay dahil mayroon ng isang ‘Sirib Bus’ (‘Wise Bus) na itinalaga si Gobernador Imee Marcos na magseserbisyo sa kanilang pagdating sa nasabing paliparan.
 
Sinabi ni Lily Palafox ng Provincial Tourism Office na ito ay kasama sa kampanya sa turismo ng gobernador upang makapaghikayat ng mas maraming turista sa lalawigan.
 
“Marami kasi sa mga dumarating na turista ay walang sumusundo sa Laoag International Airport. Nagiging problema nila kung ano ang sasakyan palabas ng paliparan, lalo na sa gabi,” paliwanag ni Palafox.
 
Mayroong mga pumapasada na tricycle sa labas ng paliparan subalit medyo may kamahalan ang pamasahe dahil halos apat na kilometro ang layo nito sa sentro ng Laoag City.
 
“Ang ‘Sirib Bus’ ay maaaring sakyan ng mga dumarating na mga turista, at kahit na ng mga naninirahan sa lalawigan na walang pribadong sasakyan. Ito ay para sa lahat. Mayroong ‘tourism desk’ ang Provincial Tourism Office sa Laoag International Airport at maaari nilang tanungin ang empleyado namin dito upang makasakay sa bus,” sinabi ni Palafox.
 
Ang Sirib Bus ay bumubiyahe patungong Laoag Airport sa tuwing mayroon eroplanong darating. Ang Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, at Air Philippines Express ay mayroong biyaheng Manila-Laoag-Manila isang beses bawat araw.
 
Paliwanag ni Palafox, ang Sirib Bus ay mayroong rota na dumaraan sa mga hotel sa San Nicolas at Laoag City.
 
“Ito ay sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa Ilocos Norte Travel Agencies Association. Bahala na ang turista kung anong hotel ang gusto nila,” sabi ni Palafox.
 
Hindi lamang serbisyo sa pagdating ng mga turista sa Laoag International Airport ang ibinibigay ng libreng sakay sa Sirib Bus. Maaari din sumakay ang mga turista pabalik sa paliparan sakaling sila ay aalis na ng Ilocos Norte.
 
Ang pagsulong ng turismo ang isa sa mga prayoridad ni Gobernador Marcos. Naniniwala ang gobernador na ang turismo ay higit na makakapag-angat ng ekonomiya ng lalawigan at makakapagbigay ng trabaho at kabuhayan sa taong-bayan.
 
==Capitol offers free Laoag airport shuttle service==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=72320
*By: Cristina Arzadon
*''January 12, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- The provincial government has provided free shuttle service for passengers arriving at the Laoag International Airport without an arranged vehicle to take them to the city proper.
 
The shuttle bus is deployed to the airport to fetch passengers arriving at anytime of the day through the three domestic carriers Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines.
 
The bus would be stationed at the airport from the time the airlines arrive during their morning flights and in the evening.
 
Mindful of the inconvenience that passengers go through each time they travel to this city, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos thought of dedicating one Sirib Bus to the airport to service those who do not have an arranged vehicle to fetch them.
 
The shuttle service is available to passengers whether local or foreigner.
 
At present, public transportation provided by jeepneys plying the Laoag-Gabu route is the only means to reach and leave the airport. Some passengers who are on short stay in the city and those who could not arrange a private vehicle would contract a tricycle ride to and from the airport.
 
The province started providing free shuttle ride to the airport during the Holidays where droves of balikbayans and tourists came to Ilocos Norte to spend Christmas.
 
Milagros Gonzales, provincial chief of the Department of Tourism, said officials are expecting tourist arrivals in the province to double this year due to a favorable tourism climate.
 
“The presence of more tourist attractions and facilities in Ilocos Norte is also a good indicator of robust tourism activity,” she said.
 
Gonzales said the DOT continues to provide basic training to residents and tour groups on visitors’ handling to create a culture of hospitality among locals.
 
==Ilocos Norte to hold mobile ePassport service in February==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=71985
*By: Carlo P. Canares
*''January 11, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- The provincial government of Ilocos Norte will host a mobile ePassport service next month. This will allow people here to apply for passport without having to travel all the way to La Union, where the nearest DFA office is located.
 
The mobile ePassport service will be held on February 11 at the Provincial Capitol auditorium in Laoag City.
 
However, people who wish to apply for passport--either for the first time or for renewal--must submit their application form and other supporting documents before January 14 to the Ilocos Norte Investment Center (INIC) in Laoag City, said Bernard Manrique.
 
Manrique said these documents will be sent by the INIC to the DFA for pre-processing, so that the applicants may be able to receive their passports during the said mobile event.
 
He also said, however, that only 600 applicants can be accommodated by the mobile ePassport service.
 
“Application forms are available at our office, or can be downloaded from the DFA website," Manrique said. "New applicants must submit a photocopy of birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office and local civil registrar; two (2) government-issued IDs; and if married, a NSO marriage certificate.”
 
Passport applicants must submit their applications early because as the service will be first-come, first-served basis.
 
“Personnel from the DFA will come here for the personal appearance of the applicants. After which, they will process the application and send the passports to our office. We will just notify the applicants if their passports are ready,” Manrique said.
 
The Philippine ePassport upgrades the security features of the Machine Readable Passport. It has an interoperable International Civil Aviation Organization compliant chip containing the holder’s personal data, chip identification number and a digital signature.
 
==Discounts on Laoag City Gen Hospital services, extended till February==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=71953
*By: Carlo P. Canares
*''January 10, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY- The Laoag City General Hospital has extended its “Regalong Pamasko ng LCGH” until February, in time for Laoag City Pamulinawen Festival.
 
Dr. Robert Luzod, chief of Clinics, said they are giving 10 percent discount on laboratory services such as urinalysis, CBC , stool exam, complete cholesterol, etc. Aside from this, they are offering a 20 percent discount on room and board for in-patients.
 
“This is not only for Laoaguenos, but for everyone in Ilocos Norte,” Luzod said.
 
Nova de Rosas of the Finance Department said the discount program will be a great help especially to the poor.
 
“The discounts would save money for the patients that they can use for other needs or expenditures,” de Rosas said.
 
The “Regalong Pamasko ng LCGH” started in early December as a Christmas gift to the public.
 
Mayor Michael Farinas said extending the program is one way of sharing the blessings the city has received for the past year. He also expressed hope that the public will appreciate what the local government is doing for them.
 
==Local libraries’ digitization solves poor budgetary allocation==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=71758
*By: Cherry Joy Discaya
*''January 09, 2012''
 
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte– The recent computerization of the city library can be a solution to the local government unit’s poor budgetary allocation.
 
According to Edgardo B. Quiros, chief of Information Technology Division of the Philippine National Library, aside from its accessibility, the library digitization program will be a good opportunity for local government bodies to earn. This will enhance their versatility to adopt local cost.
 
The idea is to sell the information particularly the local ones. For example, people from other provinces or cities in the country can access the native resources of the province and can request an authentic copy for it, Quiros said.
 
The local government will provide the materials to clients for a corresponding cost. However, this will be the discretion on the part of the local government, explained Quiros.
 
During this information age, the world is living through the business of information. It is also time that the local government will set a mechanism for this kind of business,” Quiros said.
 
Quiros clarified that while the Department of Budget and Management encourages LGUs to earn money, this will provide better services without distracting budgetary allocation provided by the national government.
 
The library digitization composed of a built-in program that will enhance the library system among local governments and will make the process more accessible.
 
The systems include cataloging, information gathering, bar coding, digitizing local materials, material updating, cashiering and allowing faster access to all local libraries.
 
The automated system is capable of bridging the gap of telecommunication and enhances a good Internet connection.
 
The group of Quiros came in Ilocos Norte recently to train provincial and municipal librarians in the province for the familiarization of the Integrated Library Management System (ILMS).
 
The provincial government of Ilocos Norte is now in the process of encoding local materials in the system to be integrated in the ILMS of the library digitization.
 
==Fireworks-related injury in the region drops by 27 percent – CHD-1 HEMS==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=71268
*By: Miriam P. Aquino
*''January 05, 2012''
 
Strengthened information and awareness campaign dubbed as Aksyon Paputok Injury Reduction or APIR helped in reducing the cases of fireworks-related injury in the region by 27 percent with 253 cases from that of the same period last year with 347, according to the Center for Health Development – Ilocos Health Emergency Management Service (CHD-1 HEMS).
 
Results show that 222 or 88 percent of the cases involved males while 31 or 12 percent were females and majority of them were 12 years old and below.
 
The province of Pangasinan had the highest number of cases with 98 or 39 percent; La Union, 58 or 23 percent; Ilocos Sur, 56 or 22 percent; and '''Ilocos Norte''' with 41 or 11 percent.
 
Banned firecrackers like piccolo and goodbye Philippines account for most of the injuries together with 5-star, Luces, kwitis, whistle bomb, gunshot, and other.
 
One hundred sixty five cases or 65 percent were direct handlers and 88 or 35 percent were observers or by-standers. Eleven patients underwent amputation of fingers.
 
HEMS also recorded 13 patients who suffered gunshot wounds, six incidents happened in Ilocos Sur, four in '''Ilocos Norte''', two in Pangasinan, and one in La Union. This is higher compared with only three recorded cases last year. Said cases were forwarded to the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee led by the Police Regional Office 1 for proper investigation. No deaths were reported this year.
 
Finally, the CHD-1 HEMS thanked all the provincial health team offices, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, Region 1 Medical Center, and the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center for their timely uploading of reports thru the Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
 
==DPWH eyes near completion of road networks in 3 Ilocos Norte towns==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=70771
*By: Cristina Arzadon
*''January 03, 2012''
 
SOLSONA, Ilocos Norte- A former dirt road in this eastern town is now a stretch of clean, paved road, spanning more than nine kilometers leading to the neighboring province of Apayao.
 
The road upgrade is part of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ rehabilitation project of national roads in the towns of San Nicolas, Dingras and Solsona.
 
Veniedo Reyes, DPWH regional director, said the rehabilitation works will reduce travel time of motorists passing to and from the three towns as they enter or leave Ilocos Norte’s capital city of Laoag.
 
Reyes said the road project is also meant to improve the lives of remote communities and farming households in those towns.
 
The project, costing more than P117.6 million, began in August last year and is expected to be finished in one year or in August this year.
 
The road work is under the DPWH’ Pavement Management System/Highway Development and Management-4 (HDM-4) of national arterial roads covering the San Nicolas-Dingras-Solsona roads.


Included in the works was the construction of the Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP) of the carriageway and shoulder with appropriate slope protection and stone line canal, including parapet wall along the Solsona section.
LAOAG CITY- Consistent with President Aquino’s Labor and Employment Agenda, the Labor Department in the Ilocos Region lines up today a Job and Livelihood Fair at the SM City in Rosales, Pangasinan where 8,000 job slots are up for grabs.


Rehabilitation of the San Nicolas and Dingras sections includes concreting of shoulder, asphalt overlay and concrete paving of shoulder.
The jobs fair, which is happening simultaneous nationwide, showcases livelihood counseling, franchising opportunities, skills training, and livelihood skills demonstration.


==Laoag City conducts Business One-Stop- Shop==
The government has been marking Labor Day celebrations every year with job opportunities in partnership with the private sector as part of its mandate to close the gap in the country’s unemployed.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r01&id=70607
*By: Cherry Joy Discaya
*''January 02, 2012''


LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte– Various business entities and establishments from the Laoag City will now have speedy and more convenient business licensing application process.
This year’s Labor Day theme: “Pagtutulungan, Pagbabago, Disenteng Trabaho,” seeks to provide Filipinos local and overseas employment.


Today is the first day of Business One-stop-shop conducted by the local government of Laoag where national agencies which conduct the necessary inspection needed for licensing are located in one place.
In Region I alone, some 75 employers gathered together offering various positions that include: Customer Service and Technical Support Representatives, Sales Promoters, Production and Finance Supervisors, Restaurant Supervisors and Managers, HR Assistants, Service Crew, Web Developers, Clerks, Accounting Staff, Systems Engineers, IT Personnel, Drivers, Cashiers, Credit Collectors, Office Secretaries, among others.


This is to ensure the faster transaction in applying and renewing business permits through an integrated system called Business Permit License System (BPLS) introduced by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
President Aquino’s labor agenda is focused on investing in human resource to make it more competitive and employable while promoting industrial peace based on social justice.


This is in line with DTI’s program where business owners can have their application and renewal for their license in more speedy manner, said Jona Gantala of the licensing division of the Mayor’s office.
On the other hand, the Department of Labor and Employment’s “Package of Reforms” has been crafted to give meaning and substance to the President’s policy agenda. It is anchored on the President’s social contract with the Filipino people and inspired by his vision of a transformed, just, and righteous Philippines.


Aside from making the system easier for the applicants, it also ensures complete and strict compliance of the required documents for the issuance of their license.
At least 40 other Job Fairs are happening nationwide.


National agencies like Philhealth, Secial Security System, and Bureau of Internal Revenue are present for the one-stop-shop licensing program. Local bodies like city health office, fire department, governor’s office and others for the validation and issuance of clearances are also present.
The venues of these Jobs and Livelihood Fair are as follows: (1) National Capital Region (NCR)-World Trade Center, Pasay City; (2) Cordillera Administrative Region-Baguio Convention Center; (3) Region 2-People’s Gymnasium, Tuguegarao (tentative); (4) Region 3-People’s Center, Balanga, Bataan; (5) Camp Servillano Aquino, Tarlac; (6) Rizal Triangle, Olongapo City; (7) Nueva Ecija Provincial Capitol, Cabanatuan City (tentative); (8) Region 4-B-Calapan City, Or. Mindoro; (9) Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro (tentative); (10) Region 7-Abellana National School, Cebu City; (11) Abellana Sports Complex, Cebu City; (12) Cebu International Convention Center; (13) Tagbilaran City, Bohol; (14) Panfil B. Frasco Sports Complex-Kai Gym, Liloan, Cebu; (15) BQ Mall, Tagbilaran City, Bohol; (16) Municipal Hall, Balamban, Cebu; (17) University of San Carlos South Compound, Cebu City; (18) Region 8-Tacloban City Convention Center, Tacloban City; (19) Region 9-Pagadian City; (20) Western Mindanao State University Gymnasium, Zamboanga City; (21) Region 11-Abreeza Mall; (22) Gaisano Mall, Davao City; and (23) Region 12-KCC Mall, Gen. Santos City; (24) North Cotabato Field Office; (25) Sultan Kudarat Field Office; (26) Cotabato City Field Office; (27) Grand Gaisano's South Cotabato Field Office; (28) SARGEN Field Office; and (29) CARAGA-AMA Computer Learning Center, Butuan City.


“Business owners should come and apply or renew their licenses now to prevent paying the penalty, because after this One-Stop-Shop, we will be imposing a penalty for them” Gantala also added.
The rest of the DOLE regional offices, namely Regions CAR, 1, 4-A, 5, 6, 10, and 11 will hold their Job and Livelihood Fairs in 24 SM branches in Baguio City; Rosales, Pangasinan; Marilao and Baliwag, Bulacan; San Fernando and Angeles City, Pampanga; Tarlac City; Rosario, Molino, Dasmarinas, and Bacoor City, Cavite; Sta. Rosa City, Calamba City, and San Pablo City, Laguna; Lipa City and Batangas City, Batangas; Taytay and Antipolo City, Rizal; Lucena City, Quezon; Naga City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Davao City.


The Business One-Stop-Shop will continue until the 20th of this month.
Other DOLE Regional Job and Livelihood Fairs are taking place in four Robinson’s Place branches in Imus City, Cavite; Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental; Tacloban City; and General Santos City.

Latest revision as of 14:51, 11 May 2012

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Province of Ilocos Norte - Archived News

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
Ilocos norte capitol 01.jpgIlocos Norte Provincial Capitol

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.



Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Ilocos Pride at Summer Trade Fair in Ilocos Norte

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte- Experience Ilocano pride at the 5th OTOP Summer Trade Fair and Garden Show in Laoag City, this province.

Among the products on sale are One-Town, One-Product (OTOP) of the different municipalities of the province which include, among others, mouth-watering longganiza and empanada from Batac City; chichacorn from Paoay; seaweed noodles from Burgos; vinegar and basi from Laoag City; rice coffee from Banna; Ceramics and crispy-licious Chicharon or Bagnet from San Nicolas; binakol abel from the loom weavers of Sarrat, and shell craft from the artisans of Pagudpud.

Other products featured at the trade fair are furniture and home furnishings, gift items and plants.

According to Maricor Racela of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the trade fair “aims to promote local products not only from Ilocos Norte but also from the other provinces in the Ilocandia, especially the OTOP of the various local government units of the province.”

The OTOP is a government program that supports small and medium entrepreneurs and LGUs to develop their products and at the same time market them.

“There are 40 exhibitors, of which some came from Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, La Union and Abra. Trade fairs like this help them market their products,” Racela said.

The trade fair will run from until May 18, 2012 at the Dap-ayan in front of the Provincial Capitol.

It is a project of the DTI, in partnership with the Partuat ti Kailokuan Association, City Government of Laoag and the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte.

Laoag hospital gets boost from St. Luke's Medical Center

LAOAG CITY- Patients of the Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) can now expect a world class health care service with the formal entry of St. Luke’s Medical Center as its partner in making the hospital the best medical facility in the North.

The partnership between LCGH and the SLMC was sealed by a Memorandum of Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding last March 31.

The agreements are effective for four years and may be renewed by both parties.

The merger paved the way for St. Luke's to assist the city hospital in providing residents a similar total health care system that the premier medical center has been known for.

Laoag Mayor Michael Fariñas said the partnership is part of his administration’s commitment to provide residents the best medical care that is affordable even to ordinary patients.

For his part, Dr. Joven R. Cuanang, SLMC’s Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, said the joint venture will enable St.Luke's to guide the the local hospital in providing quality health care and total patient satisfaction.

Under both agreements, the parties are bound to fulfill commitments of service through a referral system where the city hospital may refer its patients to SLMC for further diagnosis or treatment and vice versa.

The parties will also undergo education and training where personnel of both hospitals will be benefitted by an exchange of relevant information through lectures, in-house trainings and research in healthcare.

The MOU also provides that expertise development shall be afforded to LCGH doctors through international conferences, consultations through teleconferencing including visiting and rotating privileges.

The LCGH may also request for training of its personnel at SLMC in the areas of nursing, finance, marketing, among others.

Amid the sand dunes of Paoay, an art installation rises

This May, Ilocos Norte celebrates the first La Milagrosa Festival in honor of La Virgen Milagrosa, the province's patron saint.

The weeklong festival culminates on May 10 with “Himala sa Buhangin” at the Paoay Sand Dunes.

The event's centerpiece is an installation by sculptor Leeroy New, whose work has been seen everywhere from alternative theater, international galleries, outdoor spaces, to apparel worn no less than US pop star Lady Gaga.

New, who says his style is influenced by science fiction, took on a different theme for this project. In a video posted on YouTube, New explains that initially the plan was to do a structure that will be burned at the end of the festival.

"It's like a giant bonfire for the festival... which is symbolic of great festivals and feasts and celebrations," said New during Pecha Kucha Night on April 28 at Samtoy Bookshop in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Rabies control to address dog bite incidents in Ilocos Norte

LAOAG CITY- The rising incidents of dog bites in Ilocos Norte could now be better addressed under a three-year program to eliminate rabies in the province.

The Communities Against Rabies Exposure (CARE) program is covered by a memorandum of agreement that was signed between Governor Imee Marcos and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), an international organization, during the First Provincial Rabies Summit held recently.

The project seeks to support the provincial rabies control program by strengthening the following initiatives: prevention of dog bites and human rabies; elimination of rabies in dogs; establishment of surveillance and diagnostic systems; and community advocacy and education on rabies prevention into elementary schools.

Marcos said rabies elimination is necessary if Ilocos Norte wants to maintain a visitor-friendly, healthy community, and environmentally-safe province.

Dr. Loida Valenzuela, provincial veterinary officer, said Ilocos Norte was found to be in the fifth position among provinces that recorded dog bite incidents.

She said the figures are being finalized but she noted that incidents rose by 11 percent in April this year compared to the same period last year.

Valenzuela said her office has already conducted massive dog vaccination and education among community leaders to bring down and eventually aim for a zero-rabies province.

The provincial government also strengthened its Provincial Rabies Control Council through an executive order that would govern rabies control and elimination program.

The council is headed by Marcos, assisted by chairpersons of the provincial board’s committees on health, agriculture and laws. Members are provincial department heads, presidents of the Mayors’ League, Federation of Liga ng mga Barangay, municipal health officers, municipal agriculture officers, federated barangay health workers, senior citizens, non-government groups and the Philippine Information Agency.

Usec Quezon sits down with Ilocos Norte media

LAOAG CITY- Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III arrived in the province yesterday and sat down with the Ilocos Norte media for an hour of discussion dwelling on various areas.

The topicss ranged from President Aquino’s economic agenda, the existence of supposed opposing blocs among Cabinet members, his relationship with the media, and more.

Quezon said his office has been touring around the country engaging the public and the media to amplify the President’s programs and the national government’s work agenda.

“I am here to answer any questions that you might have about how the President works, his leadership style, and how he has been stirring the country since he assumed the presidency,” he said.

He said he chose to engage the media to a discussion as a feedback mechanism on whether or not government programs have made an impact on the public.

Quezon said the President has been working on obtaining the public’s trust in the government by doing his assignment before facing the media for any information that they might want to ask.

“He doesn’t just read the news caps (news bullets) that we provide for him. He reads all papers making sure that he absorbs all the necessary data presented. He is good with data and numbers,” he said.

He said the President’s instructions to his communications team is to answer straightforward or beg off from answering if they are not prepared to support their answers.

“He told us not to pretend to know the answer if we don’t,” he added.

He said the Planning Office is currently working on codifying the laws, issuances, and executive orders that each President of the Philippines had decreed during their terms.

“The President wants a complete inventory of all the documents of all the presidents who had served. This is one way of ensuring good governance,” Quezon said.

Quezon also made clear how the Presidential Communications Group, composed of the Presidential Spokesman, the Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO), and the PCDSPO, work separately on their mandates of delivering the President’s message to the public.

News Feature: DOLE supports P-Noy’s labor agenda with nationwide Jobs Fair on Labor Day

LAOAG CITY- Consistent with President Aquino’s Labor and Employment Agenda, the Labor Department in the Ilocos Region lines up today a Job and Livelihood Fair at the SM City in Rosales, Pangasinan where 8,000 job slots are up for grabs.

The jobs fair, which is happening simultaneous nationwide, showcases livelihood counseling, franchising opportunities, skills training, and livelihood skills demonstration.

The government has been marking Labor Day celebrations every year with job opportunities in partnership with the private sector as part of its mandate to close the gap in the country’s unemployed.

This year’s Labor Day theme: “Pagtutulungan, Pagbabago, Disenteng Trabaho,” seeks to provide Filipinos local and overseas employment.

In Region I alone, some 75 employers gathered together offering various positions that include: Customer Service and Technical Support Representatives, Sales Promoters, Production and Finance Supervisors, Restaurant Supervisors and Managers, HR Assistants, Service Crew, Web Developers, Clerks, Accounting Staff, Systems Engineers, IT Personnel, Drivers, Cashiers, Credit Collectors, Office Secretaries, among others.

President Aquino’s labor agenda is focused on investing in human resource to make it more competitive and employable while promoting industrial peace based on social justice.

On the other hand, the Department of Labor and Employment’s “Package of Reforms” has been crafted to give meaning and substance to the President’s policy agenda. It is anchored on the President’s social contract with the Filipino people and inspired by his vision of a transformed, just, and righteous Philippines.

At least 40 other Job Fairs are happening nationwide.

The venues of these Jobs and Livelihood Fair are as follows: (1) National Capital Region (NCR)-World Trade Center, Pasay City; (2) Cordillera Administrative Region-Baguio Convention Center; (3) Region 2-People’s Gymnasium, Tuguegarao (tentative); (4) Region 3-People’s Center, Balanga, Bataan; (5) Camp Servillano Aquino, Tarlac; (6) Rizal Triangle, Olongapo City; (7) Nueva Ecija Provincial Capitol, Cabanatuan City (tentative); (8) Region 4-B-Calapan City, Or. Mindoro; (9) Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro (tentative); (10) Region 7-Abellana National School, Cebu City; (11) Abellana Sports Complex, Cebu City; (12) Cebu International Convention Center; (13) Tagbilaran City, Bohol; (14) Panfil B. Frasco Sports Complex-Kai Gym, Liloan, Cebu; (15) BQ Mall, Tagbilaran City, Bohol; (16) Municipal Hall, Balamban, Cebu; (17) University of San Carlos South Compound, Cebu City; (18) Region 8-Tacloban City Convention Center, Tacloban City; (19) Region 9-Pagadian City; (20) Western Mindanao State University Gymnasium, Zamboanga City; (21) Region 11-Abreeza Mall; (22) Gaisano Mall, Davao City; and (23) Region 12-KCC Mall, Gen. Santos City; (24) North Cotabato Field Office; (25) Sultan Kudarat Field Office; (26) Cotabato City Field Office; (27) Grand Gaisano's South Cotabato Field Office; (28) SARGEN Field Office; and (29) CARAGA-AMA Computer Learning Center, Butuan City.

The rest of the DOLE regional offices, namely Regions CAR, 1, 4-A, 5, 6, 10, and 11 will hold their Job and Livelihood Fairs in 24 SM branches in Baguio City; Rosales, Pangasinan; Marilao and Baliwag, Bulacan; San Fernando and Angeles City, Pampanga; Tarlac City; Rosario, Molino, Dasmarinas, and Bacoor City, Cavite; Sta. Rosa City, Calamba City, and San Pablo City, Laguna; Lipa City and Batangas City, Batangas; Taytay and Antipolo City, Rizal; Lucena City, Quezon; Naga City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Davao City.

Other DOLE Regional Job and Livelihood Fairs are taking place in four Robinson’s Place branches in Imus City, Cavite; Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental; Tacloban City; and General Santos City.