The Ilocos Times

Heads and officers of Green Antz Builders and the Ayala Corporation with Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Marcos-Araneta and Piddig Mayor Eddie Guillen lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ilocos Norte Eco Hub located at Brgy. Tonoton in Piddig, Ilocos Norte. ( Green Antz Builders photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Piddig , Ilocos Norte—First in Ilocos. The Green Antz Builders and the Ayala Renewable Energy Corporation in cooperation with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte and the municipal government of Piddig launched the first EcoHub recycling facility, dubbed as Green Antz Ilocos Norte EcoHub, with the ground breaking ceremony held at Sitio Bato, Brgy. 6 Tonoton in Piddig, Ilocos Norte on July 30, 2021. The “eco-friendly project” aims to convert plastic wastes into hollow blocks and bricks for construction purposes. Piddig Mayor Eddie Guillen thanked the two big companies as this project is part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Ilo

  By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Piddig , Ilocos Norte—"What we did was like hitting two birds with one stone”, Piddig Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” G. Guillen said in their effort to help his constituents as the pandemic rages and to help local hog raisers as the African swine fever now also threatens the province. “ Ta ngamin ginatang mi dagitay baboy dagiti kailian min ta awan met aggatangen tapnu matulungan mi isuda a mai- dispose and at the same time matulungan mi pay dagiti kakailian mi ta maparti dagitoy ket maibunong para kadagiti amin nga households ti ili a Piddig,” Guillen explained. The mayor also disclosed that he is monitoring with the Provincial Veterinary Office on the ASF situation in his town and their neighboring areas. He added that since Piddig is ASF-free, he decided to help local hog raisers here by buying their hogs and adding them to relief packs, which they also distributed to local residents. Aside from the pork meat, each household wil

PLDT Enterprise , the B2B arm of the   country’s largest fully   integrated telecommunications company   PLDT,   has provided   fiber connectivity and   internet solutions to all 23 barangays of Piddig, Ilocos Norte   to support   online learning   initiatives and   improve   the   governance capabilities of the municipality. The group recently teamed up with the local government and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Piddig for connectivity plans that would support the online education and online businesses of its constituents. “Our goal at PLDT Enterprise is to make a positive impact on every single business, which includes our local government units. We have consistently been extending our innovative services to different LGUs and municipalities in the country to support their needs in improving overall public governance, and this latest partnership with Piddig, Ilocos Norte is a testament to that,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & head for PLDT

Piddig Mayor Eddie Guillen (upper right photo) represents the municipality of Piddig together with PLDT Enterprise and Smart executives during the virtual launching of the “Piddig Free Internet Connectivity” for all the 23 barangays here held on June 29, 2021. (LGU Piddig photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Piddig , Ilocos Norte—Not to be left behind, the municipal government here in partnership with PLDT Enterprise and Smart Telecommunications launched the free internet connectivity project by providing fiber connectivity and internet solutions to all 23 barangays here. “My dream has now [turned] into a reality,” Piddig Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” G. Guillen said by providing a reliable internet connection to all the barangays here to support online learning, improve governance capabilities and online business with their constituents. “This new project of Piddig would be of great help in the advancement of Piddig and our schools for learning, especially [in] this time of

  By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter   Piddig , Ilocos Norte—Officials and residents in this historic town found a new purpose for their newly-purchased agricultural drone sprayer as they now use it to disinfect the streets, municipal hall and plaza, public market and other commercial and residential areas to ward off the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has triggered a total lockdown in the entire province.   This is apart from the continuing disinfection operation being conducted by front-liners in border control points as well the interior and exterior parts of public buildings and government offices.   At the public market, the municipal government is implementing stringent measures to ensure market goers follow physical distancing. Market personnel designated one entrance and exit point to regulate movement of people. Each Barangay was also given a market day schedule to buy their essential supplies while a mobile market has started to operate in some rural b

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—A two-storey drug reformation and rehabilitation center is now open to serve former drug dependents in this town. In a simple program during the opening and blessing of the newly-refurbished Bahay Silangan building located at Brgy. Anao here, just within the compound of the former Gakki Center in the municipality, Piddig Mayor Engr. Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen hopes the building will become a functional structure equipped with a state-of-the-art municipal library that will be open round the clock. “We want the building to be highly functional so there will be computers with high-speed internet so everybody can use it anytime and it’s free,” said Mr. Guillen. According to the mayor, having an accessible internet connection is now a necessity these days. “Generally, when it comes to macro managing, people become more productive when they have access to internet as it provides them boundless opportunitie

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—Employees of the local government here have set up several drop boxes where concerned citizens may drop off their goodies for victims of Taal volcano eruption. Anna Liza Gaspar, head of the Human Resource department said concerned individuals may drop off their donations such as water, food, clothing and hygiene kit at the municipal hall lobby on or before January 21, 2020. Interested donors outside Piddig town may also send their addresses for pick-up of their donations at their convenient time. “The employees of the municipal government of Piddig, Ilocos Norte have started a relief goods drive for the evacuees of the Taal Volcano eruption. Drop boxes are available at the municipal hall lobby. Here in Piddig, thru the leadership of Mayor Eddie Guillen, we help those who are in need,” said in the official Facebook Page of the Piddig local government unit posted on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Provincial Veterina

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter PIDDIG , Ilocos Norte—The local government unit in this town, home to the largest coffee plantation in the province is giving a hot coffee treat to tax payers who are queuing to pay their dues to the government on time. At least two vending machines filled with aromatic coffee produced by the municipality are made accessible to whoever wants to sip coffee while waiting for their turn in front of the Municipal Treasurer’s Office. This comes with sugar and creamer which they can avail as self-service or served by municipal employees themselves. “This is our simple way of showing true public service and to let our taxpayers know that we care for them,” said municipal treasurer Ofelia Ventura in an interview. It was learned the coffee treat was personally suggested by Piddig Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen during a meeting with the personnel of the Municipal Treasurer’s Office to entertain taxpayers while waiting for their turn to

  Dinah Dumlao, Science teacher of the PNHS By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—Student-researchers at the Piddig National High School in Ilocos Norte are being taught to become innovative by applying science and technology-based concepts into practical inventions to make lives easier for the people. According to Dinah Dumlao, Science teacher of the PNHS, she said their students in junior high school are currently engaged in investigatory projects as part of their Science classes, to prepare them to a higher concept of scientific skills. “Learning Science has never been easy. Students learn in their Science classes to explain principles, theories, and concepts behind inventions,” said Ms. Dumlao. In preparation for the annual conduct of the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit hosted by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the school launched the so-called “Innovate, Create and Collaborate” (ICreCo) program to prepare thei

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Laoag City —After closing its door for more than four years, the 209-year-old St. Anne Parish in Piddig, Ilocos Norte province is ready to open again for church services. Fr. Carlito Ranjo Jr., head of the Diocese of Laoag’s restoration committee shared his excitement as he posted in Facebook a fully-restored façade and interiors of the Baroque church. The newly-restored church is expected to be turned over on July 25, 2019. In September 2014, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) engineering experts decommissioned the old church and declared the church “unfit for occupancy, with its wooden trusses heavily deteriorated and its foundation weakened”. “The St. Anne Church restoration is done. Just waiting for the turn over date,” said Fr. Ranjo which delighted netizens which watched the new look of the old Piddig church located on top of a hill of the town center. Recognized as one of the oldest churc

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The small farming Brgy. Maruaya here is developing itself as the first flower capital in Ilocos region with thousands of sunflowers and other edible flowering plants and lowland vegetables ready to wow visitors. Located about 22 kilometers, or less than an hour drive from Laoag City, the Piddig Organic Farmer’s Association established the huge flower farm in time for its grand opening on February 14, 2019. Inspired by various world-class attractions being frequented by tourists here and abroad, the Piddig flower farm features picturesque landscape of sunflower maze, bougainvillea, blue ternatea , roses and assorted vegetables. According to former Piddig Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen, who serves as adviser of the farmer’s organization here, he said local farmers here are shaping their agricultural town into an agri-tourism destination where visitors can relax, learn and take advantage of their organic

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—It feels and looks like a flower farm in Baguio; but the farm is located in the heart of this town. Located at Brgy. 15 Maruaya in this town, 22 kilometers from Laoag City, it is one of the coolest places in town. As such, the area is perfect for coffee, flower, and vegetable farms. The place is geographically located northeast of the town’s municipal hall. Dr. Cris Figuracion, one of the developers said that the flower farm opened to the public in time for the blooming season in the middle of December last year.   Mr. Figuracion added that the farm is administered by Piddig consultant Engr. Eddie Guillen. The farm has different varieties of flowers to include the popular Sunflower that is usually only seen in the mountains of Cordillera. Meanwhile, the municipal tourism council spearheaded by Piddig Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen says that “It is a perfect season of flowers that bloom in the cold mon

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here distributed water pumps and hoses to Brgy. Sucsuquen farmers in this town. Piddig Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen and Piddig government consultant Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen led the distribution. An additional 50 water pumps and hoses from the first set was delivered earlier this year. Each recipient should farm at least two hectares of agricultural land as part of the requirement. "These are the fruits of our seed that was sown and let us all continue to give good harvest for the betterment of our town Piddig," Mrs. Guillen said. The project came from the National Irrigation Administration-Region I, which has a total amount of PHP3.5 million. Other recipient barangays of the said project are: Brgys. Tonoton, Ababut, and Tangaoan.

Piddig, Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here of Piddig led by Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed cash incentives to social pensioners here on October 9, 2018. The social pensioners’ incentive funds came from the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) share of the national government. Each pensioner received PHP200 per month, or a total of PHP2,400for 2018. They will receive the same amount for three years aside from their monthly pension amounting to PHP500. Five of the town’s 23 barangays benefited: Brgys. 1, 2, 3, 20, and 21. They were the last barangays to receive the said amount due to technical error from the provider’s system. Mrs. Guillen said, “These amounts are useful for pensioners’ daily consumption. Medical care is already provided by the municipality thru Piddig Cares 24/7 where they can ask for medicines and assistance, or an ambulance if needed.”

By Leilanie G. Adriano & Bernard Ver Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here installed 14 air-conditioning units in the town’s Farmers’ Trading Center. The office of Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” C. Fariñas (1 st district, Ilocos Norte) provided the PHP15 million funding after Piddig Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen lobbied the Ilocos Norte representative. The funding includes a makeover for the building for the air-conditioning units to function well. The Dept. of Public Works and Highways implemented the project. The trading center is a multipurpose building serving not only farmers, but is also a venue for the municipal and school activities, especially sports and seminar workshops.   “I am glad for these building improvements; it will be more convenient for the people of Piddig, Ilocos Norte, and the visitors as well,” said Mrs. Guillen. Built during the previous administration, the center, formerly known as Gakki center, also becomes an evacuation

By Bernard Ver Contributor Piddig , Ilocos Norte—The local government unit here, led by Piddig Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen, in partnership with the Dept. of Trade and Industry (DTI) held an entrepreneur forum with the local market vendors association here. Agri mentor Vix Madlangbayan served as the resource speaker. He discussed marketing and marketing trends as part of business planning procedures. Piddig municipal government consultant Engr. Eddie Guillen said that “Capitalists in Piddig indeed need more production techniques, values, practical knowledge and strategies, and consultation services to foster successful and sustainable agri-enterprises.” The forum aimed to help town folks and share knowledge to Piddig entrepreneurs as part of the town's development strategy on agribusiness industry, an initiative project of the LGU Piddig.

By Bernard Ver Contributor General Santos City —The Piddig municipal government fronted by Mayor Georgina Salazar-Guillen shared their own ingenuities in a forum on good governance and convergence project the Provincial Government of Sarangani hosted on July 24, 2018. The forum is about the “inclusive business” approach in local government that sets models and plans for private investments as part of the enduring programs of Sarangani Governor Steve Chongbian Solon. Engineer Eddie Guillen, former Piddig mayor and now a consultant for his town, shared expertise he experienced in agribusiness, especially the remarkable convergence project of the town focusing on coffee production and how the Piddig made it as a tool for sustainable development of the town. Mr. Guillen first discussed the major problems in an LGU: increasing poverty rate, lack of medical assistance, poor disaster response, peace and order, untapped land resources, food security and low product