TOURIST ASSISTANCE DESK.Tourist aides assist visitors at the Empanadaan Riverside in Batac City, Ilocos Norte. The Ilocos Norte government through its tourism department hired at least 70 students to serve as tourist aides in key tourism destinations of the province. (Photo courtesy of Ilocos Norte Tourism) LAOAG CITY-As the province of Ilocos Norte gears up for the arrival of tourists, at least 70 students were hired as tourist aides under the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) to assist in ensuring the safety of tourists amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. "This program is jointly conducted by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Public Employment and Service Office (PESO), meant to generate local employment and give opportunities for students to earn while they learn," Xavier Ruiz, operations officer of the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO), said in an interview Thursday. For th