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To expedite the review of local ordinances, Atty. Jessamine Lynn Dale C. Garcinez, on behalf of the Provincial Legal Officer serves as the Resource Speaker to discuss common observations noted on their review of local ordinance during the regular monthly meeting of the Philippine League of Secretaries in La Union on December 11, 2020 at the Conference Room of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Provincial Capitol of La Union.

For La Union Public Employment Service Offices to be more innovative in communication engagements, Labor & Employment Officer II, Rowell B. Timoteo and Resource Speaker, Information System Analyst I Terosha I. Ballesteros of the Provincial Government of La Union – Information Communication Technology Unit, give a brief introduction about the Zoom Application Training for Local Government Unit – Public Employment Service Offices on December 11, 2020 at 2/F LUPAC Bldg, City of San Fernando, La Union.

The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) bags three awards for Provincial Level for the Digital Governance Awards (DGA) 2020 on December 11, 2020 during the awarding ceremony via Zoom and Facebook Live.
The awards received include: 2nd Place in Best in Customer Empowerment (G2C) Award for eLyUnite; 3rd Place in Best in Inter-Operability (G2G) Award for Provincial Wireless Mesh; and 3rd Place in Best in Government Internal Operations (G2I) Award for iTRACK. PGLU is also a finalist in Best in CoViD-19 Pandemic Response (G2P) for Quarantine Community Protocol Management System (QCPMS).
About 56 Local Government Units with 109 entries vied for the 15 awards given. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año congratulated all the participants for their resilience despite the present challenges as he thanked them for their innovative measures to face the new normal while embracing IT solutions.
The DGA is an annual, national search for best practices in local government units in utilizing information and communications technology (ICT) to effectively and efficiently deliver its public services directly to constituents and business stakeholders. DGA is a joint project of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines and DILG.
The Information Communications Technology Unit of PGLU shall continue to integrate technology in business processes in support to the establishment of a Stronger La Union.

The 22nd Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of La Union approves on third and final reading the Draft Ordinance No. 267-2020, entitled “Regulating the Use of Karaokes, Videokes and Other Sound-Producing Devices in Residential Areas which tend to Disturb through its Noise Pollution, the Community Especially the Learners and Work From Home Employees and Providing Penalties Thereof” during its 76th Regular Session on December 7, 2020 held at the SP Session Hall, Provincial Capitol, City of San Fernando, La Union.

ICYMI: 94th MALASAKIT CENTER OFFICIALLY OPENS IN LA UNION; SERVES AS A ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR HEALTH SERVICES
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go leads the 94th Malasakit Center’s launching at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) last December 4, 2020.
Senator Go, in his message, encouraged continued unity and solidarity among the community “kumapit tayo at magtulungan. Hindi namin kayo pababayaan dito sa La Union.”
Go also turned over a check worth 5-million pesos to Medical Center Chief Dr. Eduardo Badua. This will serve as initial funding for the newly-inaugurated health center.
The Province of La Union warmly welcomed the Senator. In his speech, Gov. Pacoy Ortega expressed his most profound appreciation and gratitude not only to the Senator but also to the President.
The establishment of the Malasakit Center will serve as a one-stop-shop to provide faster delivery of health services for the community.

Labor & Employment Officer II, Rowell B. Timoteo of Public Employment Service Office-La Union and PESO-Bacnotan staff Mr. Eljohn Floria pose for a photo opportunity after they interviewed Front Officer I Mr. Bryan C. Acosta of La Playa Ursula Resort, Bacnotan, La Union about the employment condition of the workers of the said tourism-related establishment on December 4, 2020.

The KALSADA Group, which was organized primarily to monitor and check on the conditions of La Union roads based on national and local ordinances and spearheaded by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Chairperson of the Committee on Public Works and Utilities, Board Member Annabelle S. de Guzman conducted an ocular visit of the roads (national, provincial and barangay roads) and monitored the implementation of various road and other related ordinances on December 3, 2020.

Monitored were implementation of the SP Ordinances 239 and 230-2020, particularly the Road Warning Safety Devices Ordinance and the Anti-Road Obstructions Ordinances.

From 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, the group visited the Local Government Units of City of San Fernando, San Juan, Bacnotan, Balaoan, Bangar and Sudipen for the first district and Bauang, Caba, Aringay and Agoo for the second district. As per data from La Union Police Provincial Office, a total of 67 violators were ticketed using the provincial violation ordinance receipt and one violator was ticketed using the municipal citation ticket. There were also motorcycle riders who were not using the high visibility vest (SP Ordinance 132-2018) that were apprehended during the said activity.

The group that conducted a brief focused group discussion based on the observations, national highways covering the respective jurisdiction of the police station concerned did not have so much road obstructions; provincial, municipal and barangay roads, there were numeorus violators and motorists as well as business owners who were generally unaware of the said ordinances; and unsustained level of commitment and consistency by enforcers as to the implementation or enforcement of the said ordinances. These, according to the group, greatly affected the very purpose and objectives of the said local policies.

Board Member De Guzman committed that the group will conduct a monthly monitoring activity on the enforcement of provincial ordinances that are related to road safety as well as the safety of motorists with hopes that every police station will devise strategies on properly communicating the said policies to people within their area of jurisdiction aside from that of the LGUs.

Said ordinances were enacted on the basis of the presidential directive to clear all public roads from obstructions through Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circulars 121-2019; 027-2020 and 145-2020.

Present during the said activity were La Union Police Provincial Office headed by PCol. Jay R Cumigad; two district engineers of the first and second engineering district offices Engr. Roberto Garcia, Asst. District Engineer and Gil Lorenzo together with Engr. Jaymark Kuan; Department of Education La Union Schools Division Superintendent, Atty. Donato Balderas; DILG Representative, Ariel Zamoranos; Land Transportation Office Representatives, Arnulfo Corpuz and Joel Badua; La Union Electric Company Representatives Richelle Fernandez and Reden Lapitan; SP Secretary Donato Rimando and Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Representative Venido Alcantara, as well Chiefs of Police of each of the LGUs visited.