The province of Ilocos Norte is holding a grand concert on Friday night to usher in the 106th birth anniversary of its favorite son, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Due to unpredictable weather, the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office said it has decided to move the “I love Ilocos Norte Concert” indoors to the Laoag City Centennial Arena instead of its initially planned venue at the open ground of the Imelda Cultural Center in Batac City.
The concert is part of a series of activities for the Marcos Day celebration from Sept. 8 to 13, 2023.
“Let’s keep the Ilocano spirit shining bright this tourism month, rain or shine,” said the organizers in a statement.
The featured band in this year’s Marcos grand concert are the GG Vibes and its lead singer Gigi de Lana. This will be the band’s second time performing in the province after a performance at the Himala sa Buhangin concert held at the Paoay sand dunes last May.
Like in previous Marcos Day celebrations, literary and art competitions participated in by different schools in the province will be held on Sept. 9 at the Robinsons Ilocos.
On Sept 10, jobseekers are enjoined to participate in a massive job fair at the Robinsons Mall to be followed by the distribution of various agricultural machinery at the Sirib Mile in this city.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was invited to grace the Marcos Day celebration on September 11, declared as a special non-working holiday in the province.
One of the highlights of this year’s festivity is the launching of a rice paddy art in front of the administration building of the state-run Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU).
This year, the MMSU and PhilRice have agreed to feature President Marcos in this year’s paddy art as a way of showing full support to his brand of governance, and his vision of achieving food security and reinvigorating the country’s agriculture sector.
Other images featured in the past were his father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, former First Lady and second district congresswoman Imelda Marcos; Dr. Santiago Obien, former MMSU president and PhilRice’s first executive director Don Mariano Marcos, and General Artemio Ricarte, regarded as the father of the Philippine Army.
Free dialysis will also be offered at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City on Sept. 12 courtesy of the office of Senator Imee R. Marcos.
The culminating activity of the Marcos Day festivity will be held at the Laoag City Multi-Purpose Hall on Sept. 13 with an information caravan spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture. (PNA)
