The Ilocos Times

Laoag City —The Laoag City government’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) has stood by its disqualification of Northpoint Alliance Motors Corporation (NAMCO), the losing bidder in the city government’s PHP92-million procurement of 80 vehicles, despite the company’s protest. In its letter addressed to Laoag Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Farinas, NAMCO said it was disqualified without its sealed bid being opened, allegedly on the ground that one of its owners is a provincial board member. The company argued that the official does not directly or indirectly influence the decisions and funding of Laoag City. NAMCO also questioned the BAC’s specifications, saying they appeared tailor-made for a particular brand and that the winning bidder failed to meet three requirements, which it said should have resulted in a failed bidding. It added that the winning bid amounted to PHP91.16 million, compared with NAMCO’s PHP83.98 million offer, or a difference of PHP7.18 million that it said could have been us...

  Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., with the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) Director IV Julius Leaño alongside Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Marcos Barba, Vintar Mayor Richard Degala and Presidential Assistant for Northern Luzon Ana Carmela Remigio lead the launching of the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC) in Vintar, Ilocos Norte on July 3, 2026. The RYPIC is the first yarn production and innovation center in the Ilocos Region and the third in the country which marks a major step toward strengthening the local textile industry. The DOST continues to empower local weavers, textile producers, and entrepreneurs by providing access to science, technology, innovation, and modern production facilities. RYPIC now opens new opportunities for sustainable livelihoods while ensuring that the rich legacy of Filipino weaving thrives for future generations.  (Doms dela Cruz)

Laoag City —The 13 th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Laoag has approved an ordinance granting holiday-with-pay benefits to job order (JO) and contract of service (CoS) workers of the city government, citing the constitutional right to health, the Mental Health Act, and related civil service issuances. The proposed measure, titled “Holiday with Pay Benefit of the JO and CoS Workers of Laoag City,” seeks to extend to JO and CoS personnel a benefit similar to the wellness leave granted by the Civil Service Commission to government workers under Resolution No. 2501292 and Memorandum Circular No. 01, Series of 2026. The ordinance also cites Republic Act No. 4622, which provides for the payment of regular daily wages to government laborers and employees during special public holidays. Under the ordinance, all Laoag City Job Order and Contract of Service workers, regardless of length of service, are entitled to holiday leave with pay during regular, special and local holidays, except those as...

ADVANCING SKILLS-TO-ENTERPRISE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FILIPINOS. [First row] LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz (center-right) and TESDA Secretary Kiko B. Benitez (center-left) formalize a partnership aimed at helping skilled Filipinos transform their training into sustainable livelihoods and viable enterprises. The signing of the Memorandum of Agreement was witnessed by TESDA Deputy Directors General Atty. Allan Chester B. Nadate (2nd from left) and Nelly Nita N. Dillera (3rd from left), TESDA Assistant Executive Director Redilyn C. Agub (leftmost); and LANDBANK First Vice President Eden B. Japitana (3rd from right), Assistant Vice President Ronaldo R. Averion (2nd from right), and Department Manager Crisso B. Pernito (rightmost). LANDBANK and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have partnered to help skilled Filipinos transform technical competencies into sustainable livelihoods and viable enterprises through integrated training, financial educa...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Karma is a justice belief held mostly by Eastern religions that for every moral action we do there is a corresponding reaction.   If we show goodness, we reap goodness.   If we do evil, we reap evil.   Karma usually is not instant but nevertheless it will come.    It is supposed to teach us life’s lessons and to help us be better people.   Grace on the other hand is love and mercy given to us by God, something that we don’t deserve but God out of His goodness freely gives it.   Grace can also mean a divine influence to inspire us to do good or to practice the virtues and a kind of aid or strength to endure trial and resist temptations to commit sin.   Divine grace enlightens the mind and strengthens the will (our power to make choices) to do the right thing.   Grace can be availed from the sacraments such as Confession and Holy Eucharist .   Karma is attractive to our beliefs because it appeals to our sen...

It’s an idea whose time has truly come: carbon credits for plastic waste recycling . At long last, we’re seeing formal mechanisms that reward recovery, not just emissions reductions. And for the Philippines—a major contributor to ocean plastics—this could be a game-changer.   What is plastic-based carbon credits? These “ plastic credits ” are units representing a specific amount of plastic that has been avoided, collected, or recycled. The new wrinkle: they’re now being tied directly to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation . By preventing plastic from leaking into the environment or being incinerated, these credits convert circular action into real climate value. One of the leading models is from “ Plastiks ”, partnered with the carbon verification firm ECOTA and recovery organization Ocean Integrity. Together, they’ve committed to certify 100,000 metric tons of recovered plastic for carbon credit issuance by December 2025. Their system is rigorous: every kilogram recovered ...