LAOAG CITY, Philippines (PIA) — The Ilocos Region, comprising the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, has begun positioning itself as a gateway for growth branding itself as the “Agribusiness and tourism powerhouse in Northern Philippines.”

To set the goal in motion, the Ilocos Regional Development Council has drawn a five-year development plan from 2011 to 2016 that would serve as a road map to making the region bullish in meeting its growth targets.

According to an RDC official, the plan sets the direction in implementing integrated and coordinated programs of the Ilocos Region to overturn a declining growth rate from 2007 to 2009.

Volunteer Awardee

BENGUET, Philippines (PIA) — Cristina Segnaken-Aban, a native of Benguet, is one of this year’s Philippine National Volunteers Service Coordinating Agency(PNSCA) Search for Outstanding Volunteers five national awardee.

Aban, an Associate Professor of the Saint Louis University, founded IYAMAN, Inc. in 1997. IYAMAN is a SEC-registered non-profit, non-stock organization whose main objective is developing community workers among the youth and farmers to serve needy communities through different programs, with scholarships as the entry point.

Seminary Prayer

LINGAYEN, Philippines (PIA) — Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese has called on the support of the whole province and its people to pray for the success of the construction of a seminary in the province.

Bishop Villegas asked the people to pray for the fruition of the project and that everyone may help all vocations in the priesthood.

“Kailangan natin ng pari sapagkat kailangan natin si Jesus,” Villegas said during the anticipated Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi sa Kapitolyo which the Bishop officiated last December 18 at the Capitol Plaza here.

Seniors Night

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — At least 69 indigent senior citizens afflicted with disabilities were recipients of assistive devices during the Senior Citizens’ Night recently at the city plaza.

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim led the awarding ceremony, along with Cornelia Español, president of the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines – Dagupan City chapter.

Lim asked the elderly to consider him as their adopted son as he had been deprived of both parents early in his life long before he became a successful businessman industrialist-entrepreneur and public official.

The 69 recipients were from the 31 barangays of the city. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

Blind Musicians

ANTIPOLO CITY, Philippines — A group of physically challenged but musically talented individuals from various parts of the province continues to provide entertainment to the diners of the food court of a Christmas bazaar located inside the Ynares Center grounds with their musical performance.

The singing and playing of musical instruments of the persons with disability (PWD) including the blind and the lame at the food court of Governor Ynares Tiangge in this city has been bringing holiday cheers to the hundreds of dining customers who visit the place to experience a different kind of dining pleasure in this city.

Eljoy Lagan, a spokesman of the Antipolo PWDs, said the performers are not paid musicians but only rely on donations from the dining customers and food stall owners who enjoy their performances. (Nel Andrade)