The Ilocos Times

  The  City of Batac celebrated mayor Albert Chua’s birthday with the distribution of  farm machineries and equipment for select farmer beneficiaries held at the Imelda Cultural Center. Witnessing the blessing are Chua, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Batac vice mayor Windell Chua and the city’s department heads. The farm machineries and equipment distributed were 1,000 units of water pump; 1,800 rolls of irrigation hose; 500 units of 2-in-1 knapsack sprayer; six units walk-behind transplanter; 30 units of riding type hand-tractor; 30 units of multi-cultivator; 40 units rice reaper; 40 units hold-on thresher; two  units of amphibious vehicle; one water tanker; three garbage compactor; one manlift and two dump trucks. Chua said the funding for these came from the city’s RA 7171 share. ( Doms dela Cruz)

The procession of Christ the King 2024  Photos by John Lei Medrano By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—Thousands of Catholic devotees from the entire province of Ilocos Norte joined and participated in this year’s Diocesan Christ The King 2024 held at Mary Mother of the Church Mission Station in Brgy.  Uguis, in this town on Nov. 24, 2024 with the theme: “Iti Daytoy a Tawen Iti Kararag, Kibinen Natayo Ni Maria, Ina Iti Simbaan A Mangnamnama Iti Kaasi Ni Kristo Rey Nga Ari”. “Napalaos iti pinagyaman mi kadakayo amin nga immay nagatendar iti daytoy nainsantoan a Kristo Rey ditoy a nanumo nga ili mi kangrunaan na ditoy nain-gasatan a Brgy. Uguis, Nueva Era numan pay adayo a kuna tayo ken kangrunaan na man ti Apo tayo a Namarsua ta inikkan natayo iti gundaway a nangsangaili kaniyana ditoy lugar tayo ket aglaplapunusan ti ayat ken ragsak iti marikrikna mi ita gapu iti kaadu yo nga immay nagatendar ken iti kumpleto a parokya ken padi iti probinsiy...

Trike franchise amnesty. Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) member and chairman of the Committee on Public Works, Transportation and Communications James Bryan Alcid and several members of the council headed by Laoag vice mayor and council presiding Officer Rey Carlos Fariñas  congratulate the first batch of 100 franchise holders whose applications for amnesty were approved during the last regular session. “Daytoy a ganwat ket maiparit a talaga ngem sapay la kuma ta maudi daytoyen ta unfair met kadagitay natudyo a franchise holders ken daytoyen iti maudi iti datoy a termino mi,” Alcid said. The amnesty program was approved by joint committees of laws and transportation through a resolution granting amnesty to the 220 franchise holders that were revoked and those who illegal sold their franchises. The remaining 120 second batch will follow soon. (Doms delc Cruz)  

WHEN Christ complained against the Pharisees about their hypocrisy with these words: “Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inside is full of rapine and iniquity,” (Lk 11,39) we are strongly reminded of the danger of hypocrisy that can easily enter into our lives. We should be ready to protect ourselves from it, but learn also how to differentiate it from our need for discretion in our lives. That’s because hypocrisy and discretion can appear to have certain things in common. Some hiding is involved in both conditions. But the former certainly is an anomaly while the latter is a necessity in our life. The former goes against sincerity, truthfulness and consistency. The latter seeks to protect the truth that can easily be misunderstood by those who are not yet prepared to accept it. Of course, the only way for us to be able to differentiate between the two is for us to be truly united with God. Yes, only with him can we have the power to a...

Champion  pole vaulter EJ Obiena guides a young athlete during the opening of the pole-vaulting facility at the FEM Memorial Stadium. Laoag City —Olympic pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” U. Obiena and Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc opened Ilocos Norte’s first pole vaulting facility at the Ferdinand E. Marcos (FEM) Memorial Stadium, on No. 22, 2024, a step forward in transforming the Philippines into a global force in pole vaulting. Obiena, a world-class Filipino pole vaulter is currently ranked third in the 2024 World Athletics Rankings for the men’s pole vault category. He finished fourth place in the same sport at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris, France, barely missing a medal. He is also the first Asian athlete to conquer the six-meter mark at the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway in 2023. Aside from this, Obiena is also a three-time Southeast Asian Games champion. He also bagged the gold medal in the 2023 Asian Games, becoming the first Filipino gold medalist ...

Surgical setup at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center. The surgeon is performing total hip replacement and is assisted by a surgical resident and a scrub nurse. The hospital can cater up to 5 cases per day, a testament to its mission of being a premiere center of excellence in healthcare in Ilocos region. By Michael Sylvestre A. Saturnino City of Batac —The Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) in Ilocos Norte is a beacon of hope for patients suffering from the effects of severe knee osteoarthritis and hip osteoarthritis or fractures. Through the invaluable leadership of Dr. Maria Lourdes K. Otayza, medical center chief, and Dr. Jose B. Orosa III, chief of medical professional staff and the financial support from the office of Ilocos Norte first district Congressman Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, the hospital conducted a life-changing hip and knee replacement mission, providing essential surgical care to those who otherwise may no...

  Ilocos Norte 1 st  district Rep. Sandro Marcos presents the letter requesting  Php 500 million for the access road project. Laoag City —Ilocos Norte first district Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos replied to accusations that he is “politicking” when he criticized the Laoag City government’ mall bypass road project. His criticism of the said project happened during the filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s elections. He pointed out that even if the proposal letter made by Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon—addressed to the Dept. of Public Works and Highways—was made during the first quarter of this year, Congress only gets to scrutinize the budget proposals for the general appropriations act in September of each year, or when the House of Representatives session resumes after the President’s state of the nation address. The young Marcos stressed that other than the timing, people should focus on the huge discrepancy between the DPHW project cost an...

  CLARK AIR BASE built in 1903, was a US military base in Central Luzon. It was known as Fort Stotsenburg when it  was first established as a US military camp for the 5th Cavalry after the Spanish-American War ( 1898). After the Second World War, it was renamed Clark Air Field after Major Harold M. Clark, a World War 1 pilot who was born in Minnesota and raised in Manila. The area covered an area of 12 square miles (30 square km).  The Clark family had a strong military tradition dating back to the Revolutionary War (late 1770s). His father fought Spanish forces in the Philippines while assigned to Company E, 13th Minnesota volunteer infantry during the Spanish-American War of 1898. The end of the Spanish-American War brought a period of growth and interest in the Philippines. In 1904, the Clarks moved to Manila, where they enjoyed considerable wealth and prestige due to the family's business ventures. After graduating from the American High School in Manila in 1910, Haro...

Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has announced the availability of immediate financial assistance to businesses and individuals affected by Typhoon Kristine, reinforcing its commitment to helping rebuild communities and restore economic activity in hardly hit areas. Under the LANDBANK CARES Plus (Community Assistance and REintegration Support Plus) Lending Program, various sectors—including farmers, fishers, cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large corporations, and electric distribution utilities—can access financial aid to rebuild, restore operations, and recover from disaster-related losses. “LANDBANK stands ready to provide accessible, responsive, and immediate financial assistance to sectors severely impacted by the typhoon. We are fully committed to doing our part in helping our kababayans and communities recover from this adversity while accelerating recovery efforts,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz. Eligible borrowers can...

RELIEF ASSISTANCE. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc leads the distribution of relief aid to evacuation centers in various parts of the province. ( PGIN) By Leilanie G. Adriano Laoag City —The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), led by Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc, has distributed PHP55.8 million in rehabilitation resources to farmers severely affected by super typhoon “Julian,” which battered the province last month. The multi-million worth of hybrid corn seeds, assorted vegetable seeds, rice seeds, and fertilizers, is aimed at restoring crops in lands damaged by extreme flooding and destructive winds. This initiative follows a recent assessment indicating that the typhoon impacted over 195,000 individuals across Ilocos Norte, with damages and losses reaching nearly PHP1.1 billion as of the report from the Provincial Resiliency Council dated Oct. 7, 2024. A total of 16,789 farmers received the support package, with the goal of ensuring timely agricul...

THIS is what we can gather as a lesson from that gospel episode about the two sisters, Martha and Mary, in their relation with Christ. (Lk 10,38-42) Both were good sisters and followers of Christ, but the former failed to take the proper priority regarding their relation with Christ. While everything temporal and earthly plays an important role in our relation with God, they can be dangerous if they do not have God as their beginning and end, and are simply understood and treated as temporal and earthly. We really need to train our mind and heart to be always anchored and focused on God. This will take a lifetime to achieve, and we may not be able to perfect it, but the point is simply for us to just try and try. Especially these days when we are heavily bombarded with fantasies and fictions in novels and movies, we can easily be gaslighted to believe in them if our faith in God is not nourished regularly in our mind and heart. We would fail to realize that these fantasies and...

TYPHOON IMPACT. One of the two Chinese vessels that ran aground at the shore of Currimao, Ilocos Norte on Friday (Nov. 8, 2024) due to to strong winds and waves caused by Typhoon Marce (international name Yinxing). Both vessels are processing their conversion as domestic traders.  Photo courtesy of Currimao LGU Currimao , Ilocos Norte—Authorities are monitoring possible oil leaks from two foreign vessels that ran aground in the Currimao shoreline early Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, because of strong waves and wind brought by typhoon “Marce” (international name Yinxing) MV Aries 1 and LCT PanPhil 8 were anchored at the Currimao port but were dragged to shallow waters, Lt. Joseph Christian Sagun, station commander of the Philippine Coast Guard Ilocos Norte, said in a phone interview. Sagun said both vessels are from China but have all-Filipino crews. MV Aries 1, with five crew members, has been at the Currimao port for five months already. LCT PanPhil 8, with 15 crew members, arriv...

Dear Mr . President: Technically senior citizens are not in the same category as persons with disabilities (PWDs), but in a manner of speaking, many seniors have already lost their abilities to function normally, such that they would already need some of the facilities that are intended for PWDs. But if I may ask you Sir, what does it take for a senior citizen to be considered as a PWD? Is it a cane? Or a walker? Obviously, it is not a wheelchair because if a senior citizen must use a wheelchair, that will already qualify him or her to be a PWD. Aside from some listings in the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in the local government units (LGUs), that are probably mostly in paper form, there appears to be no reliable electronic databases that are hosted anywhere, at both the national and local levels. As proof of that, most of the local senior citizen’s cards and discount booklets are still in paper form. Aside from that, there is no real monitoring of local business establis...

  Philippine  Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) staff share their disaster risk reduction and early warning systems to training participants. Manila —The United States Peace Corps, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently launched the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Toolkit, a comprehensive training guide designed to help Peace Corps volunteers and their partner communities build resilience by enhancing their disaster preparedness capability. The DRR Toolkit contains resources on developing disaster preparedness strategies, conducting risk assessments, managing community resources, and strengthening early warning systems.   As an inclusive training guide, the DRR Toolkit promotes the active participation of all community members in pre-disaster planning. From Oct. 14 to 18, 2024, the Peace Corps gathered 28 of its volunteers, staff, and work partners from the Philippine government and non-...

Dear Mr . President: I beg to disagree with those who have already said that there is no solution to the problem of flooding and that the government could no longer do anything about it. I believe in the saying that for every problem, there is always a solution. Otherwise, mathematically speaking, it is not even a problem if it could not be solved. While it could be said that no country could claim that they have completely solved the problem of flooding, there are four countries that could rightfully claim that they have controlled flooding to a manageable level, which is good enough, I think. To be fair, Mr. President, our people are not really expecting the government to end flooding once and for all. As it is written in our laws and in our budget appropriations, our objective is simply to control the floods, hence the so-called “flood control” projects. I think that in terms of public opinion, the public does not really mind seeing a few inches of flood water every now and then...