The Ilocos Times

Laoag City —The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) spearheaded by Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc led a series of cash-for-work payout distribution on April 2, 2024 as Ilokano farmers concluded their environmental preservation services. PGIN, in partnership with the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development, allotted a budget for the program totaling to PHP54,810,900 which helped 13,212 beneficiaries in the first quarter of this year. Since Manotoc was elected as governor of Ilocos Norte, he has prioritized the promotion of environmental preservation which can be seen from his province-wide campaign “Narimat nga Aglawlaw” that focuses on implementing solid waste management and anti-pollution programs. This cash-for-work program is one of the foundations that builds the bridge towards improved quality of environment in the province and this is manifested in his speech during the cash distribution in Vintar, Ilocos Norte: “Rest assured itutuloy po namin itong programa

ACTUALLY, our whole life here on earth is a test God gives us, to see if what he wants us to be, that is, to be his image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and nature is also what we ourselves would want to be. Thus, we are given intelligence to enable us to know this truth about ourselves, and the will to enable us to freely choose to follow God’s will and designs for us or not. We should therefore realize very deeply and abidingly that the main purpose of our intelligence and will is to comply with God’s will for us. Using them mainly for other purposes—personal, professional, political, etc.—would be misusing these God-given faculties of ours. Of course, to pass the test we need to follow God’s will. That’s where we achieve our true and basic dignity as persons and children of God. That’s also where we find our true joy, where we use properly our intelligence, will and other endowments, where we enjoy our true freedom. But there are special occasions when this test God

LAOAG  Councilor James Alcid defends his measure requesting the removal of plant boxes and overlay pavement which has effectively suspended the construction of a bike lane along the bypass road. (Inset) The suspended construction of a bike lane along the bypass road in Laoag City.  (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The construction of A bike lane along the Rodolfo C.G. Farinas Jr. bypass road remains suspended following another resolution passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod here. Laoag councilor James Bryan Alcid requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-Region 1 office) to remove the plant boxes and overlay pavement of the suspended government project launched by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), along the Rodolfo C.G. Fariñas Jr. bypass road, which he said should to be replaced by thermoplastic paint with solar studs and to be painted with cautionary color scheme. The Philippine Highway Network under the Philippine

TOURIST ARRIVALS. Tourists arrive at the Laoag International Airport in this undated photo. The peak day was recorded on March 29, 2024 with 84,824 visitors. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano LAOAG CITY—More local, domestic and foreign tourists are visiting Ilocos Norte, securing its spot as one of the premier tourism destinations in the country. Tourist arrival data released recently show that the province welcomed nearly 342,000 visitors during the Holy Week, Xavier Ruiz, officer-in-charge of the Ilocos Norte Tourism, said in a statement. "This marks a 5 percent increase from the same period in 2023 and a significant 48 percent jump compared to 2022, further exceeding pre-pandemic levels,” he said. Day-visitor arrivals, measured based on attractions, saw an increase to 341,953 while the peak day was on March 29, 2024, or Good Friday, with 84,824 visitors. Topping the list of the province's most visited attractions include the UNESCO-world heritage site of St. A

BURNING OF FARM WASTE IN LAOAG CITY . The Bureau of Fire Protection dubbed the number of forest fires in the first quarter this year as alarming, after these have reached 26, higher than the 21 incidents in the whole of 2023. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie Adriano LAOAG CITY—An inter-agency task force has been formed in Ilocos Norte to address causes of forest fires which have reached 26 to date. The group is composed of representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Army (PA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte. Fire Supt. Roxanne Annie Parado, provincial fire marshal, in an interview   said the task force will conduct foot patrols in the forest fire-prone areas while providing alternative source of livelihood to honey bee collectors, wildlife hunters and kaingeros (or those involved in slash and bu

As far as I can remember, I have always been against using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to produce food. That has always been my belief, because I did not like the idea of splicing animal DNA into plant DNA. That was my belief, because I knew that the food companies were splicing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes from an animal DNA (from bacteria) into the DNA of the corn plant. As much as I would rather not eat genetically modified corn, I have no way of knowing now which are GMO corn and which are not in the markets, because of very poor enforcement of labeling laws in this country. By now, I seem to have no choice but to accept the fact that the battle against GMO foods is all but lost. Although I still would not want to stop fighting it if I still could, I am now willing to tolerate certain GMO foods only if one plant DNA is mixed with another plant DNA. And now, scientists from Australia have created a new strain of bananas by adding a gene from a wild banana. In other