by Divina D. Pagdilao
THE Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, in coordination with the NTA Ilocos Norte Branch Office, distributed 20 water pumps, 20 irrigation hose, 40 sprayers and 2,370 bags of fertilizers to tobacco contract growers on November 20. The distribution, held at the NTA Office Gallery at NTA Building in Batac City, was graced by the presence of Provincial Board Member Domingo Ambrocio, Atty. Pancho Jose, and Edwin Cariño who represented Gov. Matthew Marcos-Manotoc.
Director Nestor C. Casela, member of the NTA Governing Board, also joined the distribution spearheaded by NTA Ilocos Norte Branch OIC Luzviminda U. Padayao and Nelly U. Castro of the Farm Services and Technology Department.
Ilocos Norte is one of the top producers of Virginia tobacco in the country. In the latest distribution of LGU shares from the tobacco excise tax collection in 2017, per DBM Local Budget Memorandum 81 released in November 4, the Provincial Government will receive P321.67 million out of the P1.072 billion share of the whole province.
