The Ilocos Times

OUR ADDICTION to our chairs and sofas isn't just hurting us, it's literally killing us. The problem is so profound that it has spawned the meme, "sitting is the new smoking." It's a meme that the National Institutes of Health does not recommend as it promulgates direct comparisons of the health consequences of sitting and smoking. But  the threat of prolonged sitting  to our health and survival does exist and  the more so because it's able to hide in plain sight. Sitting passively on the chair or on the sofa is assumed to be our normal resting position and until results of  these research studies came out, we were in the dark about the harmful health consequences of our "addiction." A great number of research studies by Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health and other prestigious research centers has linked prolonged sitting or other sedentary behavior to diabetes, poor heart health, weight gain, depression, dementia, and multiple cancers. These studies sho...

By Noralyn Dudt "MUCH ADO about nothing" I can almost hear William Shakespeare uttering the phrase as I attempt to write about him and his plays. But before I go on, let me say a bit about the play   "Much ado about nothing." It's a light-hearted comedy that was probably   written in 1598 and 1599—a smart   guess that was   obtained from written records indicating that the play was premiered in 1600.   The play is laden with humor but   darker themes of dishonor, death and deceit run beneath that humor. The word   "ado" is synonymous to a heightened concern, worry or excitement that is unnecessary or greater than the situation. It's basically fussing about something inconsequential. The following paragraphs however are not about "nothing" at all. There are numerous lessons to be learned from Shakespeare's writings. William Shakespeare known as the 'Bard of Avon' in his lifetime, was a poet, a playwright, and an actor. Alth...

Laoag City —In a bid to enhance the firefighting capabilities and response readiness in Ilocos Norte, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has turned over 11 newly-acquired fire trucks to the province on July 17, 2023. The towns of Bacarra, Badoc, Bangui, Currimao, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Sarrat, Vintar, and the cities of Batac and Laoag were the recipients of the new firefighting vehicles. "These fire trucks will undoubtedly bolster our firefighting capabilities. Prevention remains to be the first defense against fire hazards," F/Chief Supt. Leonida Gumanab-Rosales, Regional Director of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Region 1 remarked. Over the past months, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc closely coordinated with DILG and BFP in assessing the capacity of Ilocos Norte’s component Local Government Units, requesting the provision of fire trucks to priority towns. During the turnover event, Manotoc expressed his gratitude to th...

By Noralyn Dudt When people actively seek out opportunities to assist others in need, it's called volunteerism . Volunteers make considerable and continuing commitments to provide assistance,   and sustain these commitments over extended periods of time,   often at considerable personal cost. That's exactly what Alphonsus de Alban and his wife Kimberly did when they founded St. Philomena School Kids' Comfort Zone in 2008.   They and their co-founders were driven by a purpose to offer quality educational services to children with disabilities. The school started as a "pro-bono" private Special Education Center and because of the lack of facilities offering special education programs,   they then applied for permit to operate as a school. . Today, St. Philomena School is government- recognized,   accredited by the Department of Education and is a thriving institution catering to students with diverse needs like autism, ADHD, DS and intellectual disability, ...