The Ilocos Times

JOBSEEKERS. Applicants line up for job interviews at the SM City Laoag on Friday (June 12, 2026). At least 41 fresh graduate applicants were hired on the spot. (Lei Adriano) LAOAG CITY—Fresh graduates from public and private schools in this city and neighboring provinces were hired on the spot on June 12, 2026 during the 128 th Independence Day “Trabaho Agad" job fair at SM City here. With 25 local and two overseas employers participating, the job fair spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) attracted hundreds of applicants for 1,929 openings, most of whom are fresh graduates of tertiary education. Of nearly 500 job seekers, 41 were hired on the spot. Among the successful applicants was 22-year-old Princess Margareth Alipio, a fresh graduate of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Divine Word College here. She landed a service crew position at a fast-food chain. “I am so happy and grateful because I am a first-time jobseeker and I was ...

Vintar Vice Mayor and Sangguniang Bayan presiding officer Dr. Maribel Albano presides over the Sangguniang Bayan members of Vintar during one of their regular sessions, now streamed live on social media as part of the body's innovations in legislative conduct.  (Photo courtesy of OVM) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff Reporter Vintar , Ilocos Norte —The Sangguniang Bayan here now holds its regular Monday sessions via live social media streaming, a move aimed at promoting transparency and keeping residents informed of local legislative proceedings. Vintar Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Dr. Maribel Albano announced this as one of the body's innovations in conducting its regular sessions. " Ammu yo gamin appo ket very vital ngamin amin a mapaspasamak ti uneg iti Sangguniang Bayan because this is where the seat of governance is centered on," Albano said. She added that the public deserves to know about all ordinances and resolutions being deliberated an...

PSA-Ilocos Norte registration personnel scans the biometrics of a registrant during the INFresh Job Fair held at a mall in San Nicolas locos Norte on May 25, 2026. San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte—In line with the government’s thrust of “Bringing Public Services Faster and Closer to People,” the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Ilocos Norte participated in the “INFresh Job Fair” held at Robinsons Mall, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte on May 25, 2026. During the event, the PSA Ilocos Norte National ID Team provided: national ID registration; issuance of paper-based national IDs; and assistance in accessing the digital national ID These services helped job seekers and graduating students secure valid proof of identity for employment and other transactions. The national ID, established under Republic Act No. 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act, is the government’s official identification system that simplifies transactions and improves access to public and private services....

DILG Regional Director Jonathan Paul M. Leusen cuts the ribbon and turns over the SGLG incentive fund project for improvements. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff Reporter Vintar , Ilocos Norte—Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Jonathan Paul M. Leusen led the formal turnover of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) incentive fund for improvements to the Vintar Sports Complex in Barangay Lubnac on June 4, 2026. Leusen congratulated Vintar Mayor Richard Degala and the Vintar local government for completing the project, noting that only SGLG awardees qualify for the grant. He says the incentive, while modest, rewards municipalities that meet DILG standards in areas such as financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, health compliance, education, business‑friendliness, peace and order, environmental management, tourism and culture, and youth development. Vintar received SGLG recognition in 2024. Degala ...

Language mismatch between the classroom and the home can significantly reduce learning outcomes, with Filipino learners paying what researchers describe as a hidden “tax on learning,” according to studies presented during a recent Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) webinar. The webinar brought together findings from two PIDS-supported studies examining how language affects learning outcomes, literacy development, and the implementation of education policies in the Philippines. Presenting findings from the study “ Linguistic Mismatch and Learning Productivity: Evidence from Mother Tongue-based Education in the Philippines ,” PIDS senior research fellow Michael Ralph Abrigo said learners perform better when the language used in school matches the language they speak and understand at home. “The mismatch of languages is like taxes,” Abrigo said. He explained that when students and teachers do not fully understand one another, learners expend additional effort a...

In our urban centers, disaster-victims can often be found with relative speed: the roads, addresses and communications are more or less in place, and rescue teams know where to look. In remote areas, however ­– mountain villages, far-flung barangays, communities cut off after storms and landslides ­– the challenge is far greater. And that leads to the question: How do we track down disaster victims in these remote, hard-to-reach zones?   The promise of technology Today , a host of modern tools are available: remote sensing , GIS , GPS , and increasingly, AI-powered localization systems . Put simply: Remote sensing : satellites and drones can scan large swathes of land, detect terrain changes, collapsed structures, heat signatures or other signs of human presence. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) : integrates spatial data (maps, terrain, infrastructure) with reports and sensor inputs so that responders can visualize where victims might be stranded. GPS : tracks the l...