LAOAG CITY, September 1 (PIA) – With key development facilities in place, Ilocos Norte is on its way to becoming the country’s best little province, according to Governor Imee Marcos.
“The objective is simple: a place for us to live, bring up our children, work and do business, renew the soul. As it is now, Ilocos Norte is the best little province in the country,” the governor said during her August 26 State of the Province Address, a local version of the President’s annual State of the Nation Address.
Marcos laid out strategies to attain her vision of making Ilocos Norte the best province by 2020 which include quality education advancement; job generation; agricultural modernization and research development technology; quality management; poverty eradication; environmental protection and disaster reciliency management; transportation and infrastructure development; renewable energy development; tourism development; housing development and heritage and culture conservation among others.
The provincial government has started working on developing the province’s eastern section to form part of the “Metro Ilocos.”
Part of the plan is to put in place a transport system to support the province’s employment sector.
The province eyes the creation of the Ilocos Norte Transport Authority to manage a possible 24-hour transportation system that covers the Laoag-Sarrat–Dingras–Piddig road; the Marcos-Solsona road; the Batac-Banna Road; the Banna-Nueva Era road and the Laoag-Pagudpud road.
“The help of our people is the main factor for the attainment of our goals for development. Not the officials from government nor the rich. Our people has driven us to make the province great and and Ilocanos are greater still,” Marcos said.
The governor also reported her administration’s accomplishments on poverty reduction, good governance and jobs generation among others.
“We want more and better jobs to provide adequately for our families. Every Ilocano must have the choice of working overseas or working here at home. But as our economy grows rapidly and diversifies, we will also safeguard the environment’s rare and fragile treasures,” she added. (FREDDIE G. LAZARO)
