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...