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HEALTHY FOOD, HEALTHY CHILD. Expectant mothers at the Out Patient Department of Bacnotan District Hospital listen to Volunteer Nutritionist-Dietitian Petronillo P. Gabriel, of BDH, as he discusses the importance of maternal nutrition to lactating mothers on January 28, 2021. The lecture is an initiative to inculcate the importance of good and balanced diet to every pregnant woman as well as the baby inside her womb.

The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in partnership with the Agoo Municipal Public Employment Service Office headed by Ms. Gloria Joycelyn F. Aberin and Municipal Migrant Desk Officer, Ms. Annabelle J. Tatad, organized and conducted a Financial Awareness Seminar for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) on January 28, 2021 at the ABC Hall, Municipal Hall, Agoo, La Union.

The seminar was attended by 24 returning OFWs from the different barangays of the Municipality Agoo. Family Welfare Officer Khristian Paul M. Maglaya, of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-Regional Welfare Office I (OWWA-RWO I) oriented the participants about the reintegration programs of OWWA for OFWs.

National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) – Region I Coordinator Iries S. Mason, discussed the topics on budgeting, goal setting and financial planning. In her presentation, she provided the participants vital information on savings, earning additional money, financial planning and setting a timeline for empowering financial literacy skills to handle financial issues and challenges that affect their everyday lives.

Labor & Employment Officer II, Mr. Rowell B. Timoteo, Provincial PESO, also discussed PESO programs and current employment opportunities available. He also conducted brief orientation to the participants about the role of NAPANAM Contact Tracer as the centralized CoViD-19 tracking system of the Province of La Union that uses QR code.

Municipal PESO Manager Aberin and MDO Annabelle J. Tatad facilitated an open forum for clarifications and concerns of the participants regarding the reintegration programs for OFWs and availment of possible livelihood grants for them. To conclude the program, Agoo Mayor Stefanie Ann Y. Eriguel sincerely expressed her gratitude to the participants, speakers and the PGLU for organizing the activity.

This training-seminar conducted aims to assist and transform the mindset of OFWs and their families to understand the different aspects of financial budgeting, goal setting, planning and investment for self-employment. NRCO works closely with other DOLE agencies, such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the PESOs

The conduct of Financial Awareness Seminar in the Municipality of Agoo, La Union, adhered to the minimum public health standards.

GOITER AWARENESS WEEK. Nurse I Jeffrey Julian of Bacnotan District Hospital (BDH) explains to the patients and their watchers the different kinds of goiter and how certain hormones affects certain bodily functions including body temperature, mood, excitability and pulse rate at the Out Patient Department of BDH on January 27, 2021. He also mentioned in his lecture some other complications and risk factors brought about by the disease.

The Provincial Government of La Union through the Provincial Government – Environment and Natural Resources Office holds a special waste management awareness campaign among the component Local Government Units (LGU)on January 27, 2021 via video conferencing.

The participants were from the 20 component LGUs of La Union. Resource speakers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau Region 1, Department of Health and private company were invited.

Gov. Pacoy’s opening remarks delivered by EnP. Annalyn Rosario-Valdez highlighted the need to be informed and be prepared for the proper management of these wastes especially CoViD-19 related wastes. The training was timely for LGUs are the frontliners and implementers of environmental protection and management programs.

As a follow up of the ocular inspection conducted during the holidays and as a legislative action on pressing and timely issue on the high prices of basic commodities in various business establishments in the province, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Committee on Trade, Commerce and Industry spearheaded by Board Member (BM) Jonathan Justo A. Orros with the Committees on Ways and Means, Laws, Rules and Privileges and Information and Communications Technology conducted a joint committee hearing through video conferencing on January 25, 2021.

The joint committees discussed several proposed legislative measures that will help stabilize prices and supply of basic necessities and prime commodities in the province. The proposed measures include enjoining the Local Government Units to re-activate or organize their respective Local Price Coordinating Councils and perform monthly monitoring and inspection to public and private markets and groceries and submit reports to concerned national and local agencies.

Likewise, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)– La Union Provincial Office is requested to post in their official website or other social media platforms the result of their weekly price monitoring activity and the supply situation of commodities in the province for the information and awareness of the public.

During the hearing, BM Orros informed that the proposed measures were the result of the price monitoring and inspection conducted by DTI and SP Committee on Trade, Commerce and Industry in the two supermarkets in the City of San Fernando on December 17, 2020.

To aid the SP Members in reviewing the proposed measures, DTI Provincial Director Merlie Membrere, Local Economic Enterprise and Investment Promotion Unit Head Charito Dator and Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Representative Roshelle Mamaril were invited as speakers on the said matter.

Also discussed during the hearing were the price and supply situation of basic necessities and prime commodities in the province; programs of the DTI that provide consumers with safe quality and reasonable prices of products; consumer’s welfare and protection; and price stabilization programs.

The three resolutions that were proposed were all approved by the committees and the same were recommended for adoption during the next SP Regular Session.

“Reset, Rebound, and Recover; Investing for Resiliency and Sustainability.” With the overarching theme of the Duterte Administration proposed FY 2021 Budget, the Province of La Union is aligned on its vision to be a “Stronger La Union” as it’s transformative Governance roadmap in consistency with the effort of the nation on overcoming the challenges brought by the CoViD-19 pandemic while recovering.

With a total available resources for the CY 2021 of P1,566,933,453.00, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) will continue to pursue excellence in achieving its mandate to serve the constituents of the Province of La Union. Within this perceived Proposed Budget for CY 2021, an amount of P294,954,520.60 is allotted for the Development Fund with various programs aimed to help the development in the Social, Economic, and Environment sectors. It also includes the annual contingency fund for disasters and calamities whether it be man-made or due to natural disaster amounting to P78,346,672.65.

However, due to the unexpected onset of the CoViD-19 pandemic and its persisting effect into the community, a recalibration of the PGLU plans and budget priorities to include COVID-19 recovery programs, projects, and activities as expenditure priorities for the departments of the province was made for their budget proposals in order to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the operations of the departments and offices of the province. With this strategy, La Union aims to be a Stronger Province and continue to sustain the lives of the people and enhance the province’ adaptability to resume its progress and inclusive development trajectory. The CY 2021 Propose Budget reflects provisions on addressing the pandemic and the mitigation of the impact and adaptation of the Province of La Union to the new normal ensuring economic recovery and progress.

As included in the Budget Message, Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III said, “The Provincial Government of La Union shall focus its resources on the updated medium-term transformative strategy on Response, Recovery, and Local Economic Development to achieve a secure, self-sufficient and sustainable province under the new normal arising from addressing the CoViD-19 pandemic and to position La Union as the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025.” With this, the Resilient Community Sector has the highest amount of proposed allocation comprising 28.23% of the total budget. This sector includes the Provincial Health Office, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. Programs, Projects, and Activities that aimed to address the challenges on environmental sustainability and public health are priorities to be funded and implemented for the coming year. Aside from these offices, the Information and Communication Technology Unit also has significant increase in their proposed budget in order to address the rising demand in e-governance.

In an attempt to safeguard the Lopez Ancestral House in Brgy. Antonino, Balaoan, La Union from the road widening project that will affect the front extension of the house’s ground floor, representatives from the Provincial Government of La Union – La Union Provincial Tourism Office (PGLU-LUPTO), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) La Union First Engineering District Office, and Local Government Unit (LGU) of Balaoan inspected the said structure on January 21, 2020.

The joint inspection comes after the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) attested the house’s cultural and historical significance through a letter dated November 20, 2020 recommending the structure’s protection from any modification or demolition. The agency, however, cannot ascertain if its extension is part of the original house structure.

The provisions of Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 and the DPWH Department Order No. 12-2019 ensure the protection and preservation of cultural and historical sites before the conduct of any construction, renovation, retrofitting or demolition activity directly or indirectly affecting them.

LGU Balaoan is currently coordinating with the relatives and claimants of the said ancestral house. According to Balaoan Municipal Engineer Renato Opeña, an ongoing ownership case is being heard by a local court after the house was allegedly sold to another owner. LGU Balaoan hopes for the settlement of the claimants’ dispute as soon as possible since the road widening project should be accomplished this February 2021.

PGLU-LUPTO teams up with local conservationists to further verify the originality of the house extension, which will be communicated to and confirmed by NHCP. New detailed photographs are being examined after testimonies from old folks in the area claim that an extension is indeed part of the original architectural features. The Lopez family further claims that the house was once used as the town’s administrative center many years ago. The recommendations from the involved parties, especially that of NHCP shall be DPWH’s basis for executing the road widening in front of the Lopez Ancestral House.

As a focus strategy of LUPTO in support of the re-calibrated PGLU’s Strategic Roadmap to a Stronger La Union- the preservation of significant #TatakLUCAL heritage shall cultivate an awareness of our Province #EndowedAndProud of #LaUnionCultureArtsandLanguage.