The Ilocos Times

Ilocos garlic (Photo by Rey Andres) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Laoag City —A provincial official sees the garlic retail prices spike as a result of “artificial shortage.” Provincial agriculture officer Norma Lagmay, who is also an economist, said the sudden movement of garlic retail prices in supermarkets and major trading centers despite sufficient supply is “simple arithmetic.” There must be an “artificial shortage”, she explained. The “artificial shortage”, Ms. Lagmay, added can only be done by major players of the garlic industry. For the first time in the history of Ilocos Norte, the country’s top garlic producer, consumers are currently buying Ilocos native garlic at average size for P260 per kilogram or P300 in Metro Manila. From the average farm gate price of P69.25 in 2013, retail price of garlic in Ilocos Norte has reached a record high of P139.55/kg last year. As a classic example of the law of supply and demand, Lagmay said, “the pr

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Bangui Mayor Diosdado Garvida BANGUI, Ilocos Norte—This town’s local chief executive town who was suspended preventively for 30 days has returned to work. Bangui Mayor Diosdado I. Garvida immediately met with the municipal government’s department heads upon his return to office to monitor the projects and programs he is implementing. Dr. Garvida said he will now refrain from inspecting quarry sites personally and would instead direct the local police to check on them. However, he stressed that he would still assert his duties and functions as duly elected mayor of this town but with more cautiously now. Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan gave a preventive suspension order to Dr. Garvida so he would not influence the ongoing hearing of the administrative charge filed against him for grave abuse of authority and misconduct. The Bangui mayor was alleged to have indiscriminately fired a gun while trying to halt what he

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY--The Ilocos Norte provincial government released more than P1.5 million as wages for the 232 tourist guides who were deployed in various tourism destinations here during the summer season. Every year, the Provincial Tourism Office hires students or unemployed persons as tourist guides as a way of creating jobs for the marginalized sector.   Mark Francis Anorabon, 16, of Burgos town, said the special employment program of the Ilocos Norte government is a great opportunity for them to earn extra income to augment their school needs. Fifty-five year-old Jovenal Aduptante from Masbate who married an Ilocano from Nagbacalan, Paoay said the job creation program is helpful to them who have no permanent jobs. Ilocos Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos personally handed their wages worth P6,600 each in a simple ceremony held at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall. For 22 days, these tourist aides were assig

DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman opens the 3rd Regional Day Care Workers Convention By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—More than 800 day-care workers (DCW) from the four provinces of Region 1 attended the 3 rd  regional convention of DCW meant to strengthen their capability building activities and to push for more incentives and benefits for their hard work and dedication, particularly in molding the values of children entrusted to them. With the theme, “Kapakanan ng mga Day Care Workers siguruhin natin,” the regional convention slated on June 9-11, primarily aims to push the concerns of day care workers along with the provisions of the Early Years Act. While doing so, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) led by Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman has also intensified the assessment for accreditation of DCW in the region to sustain quality services provided to children in their early formative years. Backing House Bill No. 829, “An act pr

The ASEAN Economic Integration (AEC) offers immense business opportunities that both the government and the private sector must exploit to fully benefit from its advantages. This was underscored in a regional forum on the ASEAN Economic Community organized by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Office 9 with the participation of state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional office in Zamboanga City. PIDS Senior Research Fellow Erlinda Medalla stressed the need to do more to take advantage of the opportunities from AEC. The AEC does not only reduce tariffs but also promote trade facilitation. It commits the country to implement reforms on customs modernizations and establishment of a national single window and an ASEAN Single Window, she said. “National single window is a single submission and accelerated processing of applications of licenses, permits, and other a

There are a lot of things in life that we take for granted and one of them? Manners.  Good manners just mean showing respect and consideration for others in how we behave and how we treat each other.    “Self-respect is at the bottom of all good manners”— Edgar S. Martin Starting with introductions, introduce a younger person to an older one and a man/boy to a woman/girl.  This shows special respect to those of greater age as well as to females.  Men shake hands with each other and shake the hand of a woman when she extends her hand out.  When introducing an individual to a group too large to mention their names individually (or you can’t remember all their names….this happens really often), it is perfectly correct to introduce the individual and ask the rest to introduce themselves.  Smile sincerely. Not being afraid of not receiving one in return is just an indicator of your self-esteem.  If they don’t smile back, it’s not your loss; it’s their lack of manners.  As Jonath

Laoag City —The world’s first civic and service organization, Rotary International is expanding to Laoag City once again, following the reorganization of Rotarians in the locality to form a new Rotary club that now includes female members. Forty charter members of the Rotary Club of Laoag Sunshine are set to formally receive their club Charter No. 85913 from R.I. District 3790 Gov. Linda Winter in simple ceremonies June 28, 2014 at the Pacific Function Hall. The Laoag Sunshine Rotary club joins RI’s global association of 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. The club is the latest addition to over 90 Rotary clubs under R.I. District 3790 covering 10 provinces of Central and Northwestern Luzon—from the Ilocos provinces, Abra, La Union, Baguio-Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales and Bataan. While other provinces have four to 15 Rotary clubs in their geographical areas, RC Laoag Sunshine is the lone Rotary club that exists in Ilocos No