Provincial IT Staff Roderick P. Basilio said that the new system, the PALMs is capable of generating report for each capitol employees’ daily time record accurately. Apart from easing the monitoring of tardiness of employees, it also includes a feature where Capitol employees can check their remaining leave credits.

Alongside with the features of  the PALMS is the automatic calculation of monthly total hours worked, and recording of under time and tardiness hours accumulated  as it also monitors time logs of employees who are officially on- field.

“The attendance system allows monitoring of the employee’s presence at any moment,” said Supervising Administrative Officer Fe P. Siazon, who after hearing reports that some employees of the Capitol were involved in manipulating their DTR forms, urged the Governor and the IT office to come up with a system that will resolve the issue.

The system is carried out by means of a touch screen using the bar coded identification cards of the PGIN employees, however each will be given new passwords or personal identification number apart from the existing employee’s ID numbers. The PALMS are installed through an LCD monitor and an identification bar code reader.

As an added feature, PALMS is also capable of posting announcements to inform the employees of the activities of the provincial government. Florante A. Nicolas- PGIN-CMO.

 The governor came up with the idea after their recent visit in the province of Shandong, China together with some municipal and provincial officials including Vice Governor Angelo Marcos Barba to formalize the sisterhood agreement between Shandong and Ilocos Norte.

 Solar power can save the province money in paying electric bills, Governor Marcos said.

 Shandong  houses the world’s biggest solar plantation, the Linuo Ritter International located in the Jinan City.

 The delegation of Governor Marcos was amazed with Jinan’s solar powered street lights and traffic lights. They also noticed most of the residential houses in Jinan use solar power.

 Price quotations for solar powered street lights and other facilities to be used in the province had already been made at Linuo Ritter International and shall be studied by provincial officials if it can help save money for Ilocos Norte.

 Shandong Commerce Department Deputy Director Yan Zhaowan said that Shandong is capable of modernizing said ports with the assistance of their locals who are into building air and sea ports alike. “What Ilocos Norte need to do is work on the funds for the prospective renovation and Shandong is ready to shell out counterpart from the government and business sector to realize the project,” Director Yan said.

 Provincial Board Member Nonong V. Marcos said that there is a huge necessity to renovate the Currimao Seaport and the Laoag International Airport. “In order to compete in the international market in various industries, these ports should necessarily meet international standards in their operations,” Marcos said.

 Currimao Seaport and the Laoag International Airport are two vital entry points for the province of Ilocos Norte’s tourism industry and business- related activities.

 Board Member Marcos is one of the parties along with Gov. Imee R. Marcos to an official visit in Shandong, China July 25- 29, this year. ~Florante A Nicolas, PGIN-CMO

 In a recent visit made by Ilocos Norte Governor Imee R. Marcos and a number of local officials in this biggest agricultural crops producing province of China, the hosting local officials here were surprised of the astonishing distinct taste of the Ilocos dragon fruit.

 Compared to the red- skinned with white flesh dragon fruit which is commonly grown in China and Taiwan, what made the Ilocos dragon fruit that amazed the Chinese officials in Shandong is the red flesh of the local Saniata. Shandong Deputy Director General Zhang Zhongmin described the fruit as juicier and sweeter than any of the varieties of the fruit he had tasted.

 Meantime, Vice Mayor Wang Shuhua of the Municipality of Weifang had shown interest of growing the Saniata dragon fruit in his hometown. “We have hou long guo (fire dragon fruit) locally home grown here, however its flesh is white and not as juicy as the Saniata, and I intend to bring home some of this (Saniata) to my home town so I can show it to my constituents and see how can we grow the same,” said the delighted local executive of Weifang.

Part of the visit made by Gov. Marcos is to showcase the Saniata dragon fruit as a lucrative cash crop in Ilocos Norte and at the same time explores agricultural researches on high value cash crops in Shandong, it being one of the biggest producers of agricultural commercial crops in China. ~Florante A Nicolas, PGIN-CMO

 Being one of the most affluent in China, Shandong is one of the richer provinces that boast economic development which focuses on large enterprises with well-known brand names. With this, Gov. Marcos eyes to strengthen partnership and cooperation with Shandong to boost agriculture, education, and tourism industry in Ilocos Norte.

 During the initial conference of the official visit, Gov. Jiang in his welcome message expressed that the mutual agreement of the two provinces should not only be limited to sisterhood and relationship but also to look into the possibility of working on a joint project which will benefit Shandong and Ilocos Norte. Gov. Marcos being keen of the partnership said that plans will be laid out soon as she returns in Ilocos Norte. Shandong officials and investors are set to visit Ilocos Norte next year.

 Ilocos Norte and Shandong initially inked sisterhood pact that spoke of “long lasting relationship and cooperation” during the incumbency of Sen. Bongbong Marcos as governor of Ilocos Norte in 2002. ~Florante A Nicolas, PGIN-CMO

In the recent years, local garlic producers have been complaining of low income from garlic production due to the entry of imported garlic in the country. Local producers said they cannot compete with imported garlic producers because their products are cheaper and bigger compared to Ilocos garlic which was then considered the White Gold of the north.

However, Secretary Alcala said he has talked with Ilocos Norte mayors in coming up with a strategic plan to strengthen the industry of garlic in the province. His visit here is part of his ‘management style’ which is Management by Going Around. He believes this is an effective way of knowing the status of agriculture in the different provinces of the country.

Additionally, Secretary Alacala will be inviting to Manila the presidents of the different garlic growers in the province to discuss matters that can strengthen the industry of garlic in the province.

In a farmer’s forum held at the Mariano Marcos State University Teatro Ilocandia last July 21, 2001 alcala said DA is now allocating funds for four  hanger-type garlic storage facility that will be given to garlic growers in the province as requested by Gov. Imee R. Marcos and Cong. Rudy C. Fariñas.

Governor Marcos said farmers have been suffering from the effects of climate change as well as rge continuous price increase of farm inputs like fertilizer. Believing organic agriculture will address such problems, she appointed Solsona Mayor Joseph de Lara to lead the new Innovation Council that will focus on creating aggressive organic farming systems in Ilocos Norte.

Meanwhile, Secretary Alcala, who is also the father of the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 (RA 100281), promised Governor Marcos that the DA will continue its support to the province, especially in organic agriculture as well as in irrigation. Governor Marcos’ priority request to Secretary Alcala is to improve the irrigation of farmlands in the province.

Also present in the dinner-meeting were DA officials, different municipal mayors and Cong. Rudy C. Fariñas of the first district of Ilocos Norte.

Gov.Imee Marcos said during the Looking for Johnny Moon: The 1stIlocos Norte Creative Media Arts Festival held last July 14-16, 2011 at the Plaza del Norte.

“Johnny Moon” is the modernized name of one of the greatest painter the Philippines has ever produced, Juan Luna, who was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.

Governor Marcos, who admitted she once quitted politics in 2007 to concentrate in what she called her first love – making films, said creative media is the true art for the new millennium. She also plans to attract investments for knowledge based and creative industry in the province that will give more “intellectually stimulating” and “far more rewarding” jobs.

The governor encouraged students with creative talents to consider creative media as a career path, especially in the field of animation and game development because of the possibility of making more money citing Facebook and iPhone games development as an example.

Students and professionals from Regions 1, 2, CAR and NCR participated in the festival which was described as a milestone achievement for the province and the region since it is the first creative media festival in Northern Luzon.

The Sisterhood Pact was signed July 2 at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol, witnessed by Mayors and Board members from both provinces.

Governor Garcia’s group was here in the province to attend the 82nd birthday of Rep. Imelda R. Marcos as well as to sign the sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Cebu and Ilocos Norte.

The lady governor said she is proud to be given the title “Adopted Ilocana” saying Cebuanos and Ilocanos share many things in common like love of heritage, love of culture and value for money or being kuripot.

As way of thanking, Governor Garcia invited Governor Imee R. Marcos and Rep. Imelda R. Marcos (together with Ilocos Norte mayors and Sangguniang Panlalawigan memebers) to visit Cebu in August in time of the province’s foundation anniversary.