10 best chosen brgys rewarded for poverty-reduction practices

LAOAG CITY, Feb. 25  — The provincial government honored 11 villages that exhibited best practices towards fulfilling the province’s poverty-reduction program – the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The awardees included Barangays Saud and Gabut Norte in Badoc (best MDG fishery program implementer for coastal areas) and Brgy. Santa Ana in Solsona (Best MDG fishery program implementer, for in-land).
Another barangay in Badoc, Pagsanahan Sur, was chosen as the best MDG implementer for high value crops production.
Other barangays awarded included Barangay San Lorenzo, Laoag City (best barangay justice system); Brgy. Pasil, Paoay (best day care service and management); Brgy. Bomitog, Banna (best national greening program implementer); Brgy. Santo Tomas, Sarrat (best peace keeping action team); Brgy. San Agustin, Laoag City (best peace and order council) and Brgy. Utol, Bangui (barangay nutrition scholarships).
Each awardee received a reward of P15,000 cash and a trophy.
Edwin Cariño, head of the MDG office, said the villages proved their commitment in improving the quality of life of their residents, especially the indigent ones, by effectively implementing the province’s livelihood programs through the MDG office.
Cariño said the provincial government will continue giving recognition to barangays and other groups that will show exceptional commitment to the different MDG programs of the province.
MDGs are a set of eight time-bound, concrete and specific targets aimed at significantly reducing, if not decisively eradicating poverty, by 2015.
In 2010, Gov. Imee Marcos issued Executive Order 04-10 creating the Provincial MDG Office whose task is to eradicate poverty in Ilocos Norte by 2015.
The provincial, city, town and barangay officials, including representatives from civic and religious groups later sealed a pledge to help in achieving the MDGs through a covenant they signed.
The enlarged copy of the covenant is currently displayed at the western hallway of the provincial capitol.
After the covenant-signing, the provincial government started conducting MDG caravans in far-flung villages bringing livelihood assistance especially to indigent families. (MCA/APT–PIA 1 Ilocos Norte)