The Ilocos Times

Laoag City —After marking her first 100 days in office, Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos renewed her commitment to uplift Ilokano families through stronger initiatives on employment and enterprise, underscoring that true progress is achieved when people are empowered to build better lives for themselves and their communities. Under her leadership, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte continues to strengthen programs that generate employment and support local businesses. Through initiatives such as “Mercato ni Nanay Ces” and “producer-to-consumer” trade fairs, local entrepreneurs , farmers, and artisans gain valuable opportunities to market their products, promote Ilokano craftsmanship , and grow their enterprises. According to a report released by the Philippine Statistics Authority , Ilocos Norte recorded an employment rate of 98.7% as of December 2024, reflecting the province’s robust performance in implementing programs that promote sustainable and inclusiv...

U.S. Marines and Philippine airmen load palletized family food packs onto a U.S. Navy MV-22B Osprey at Clark Air Base on November 13, 2025. Clark Air Base, Pampanga —In the immediate aftermath of Supertyphoon Fung-wong (local name Uwan ), the United States continues to answer the call for assistance from one of our closest friends, partners, and allies, the Philippines . Striking less than a week after Typhoon Kalmaegi ’s (local name Tino ) devastation, Supertyphoon Fung-wong has further strained relief efforts on the ground. The United States continues to support Philippine-led efforts to save lives, alleviate suffering, and address urgent needs. To this end, the United States is providing an additional US$1.5 million (Php87 million) in emergency, life-saving assistance in support of the Philippine government-led response, bringing the total US response to Typhoons Kalmaegi and Fung-wong to US$2.5 million (Php145 million), including support for logistics, emergency shelter, wa...

Frenchie  Mae Cumpio has been held in detention for nearly six years since her arrest in February 2020 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and financing terrorism . New York —The Committee to Protect Journalists and partners welcomed a Philippine court ’s decision to quash the murder charges against community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and called on authorities to drop all remaining charges against her. The 26-year-old journalist has been held in detention for nearly six years since her arrest in February 2020 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and financing terrorism. A court is set to rule on the firearms case in January 2026 . No date has been fixed for the other case. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on both charges. Cumpio faced a separate case on murder and attempted murder charges over an incident in October 2019; a court in the eastern Philippines granted her petition to nullify the charges on November 6, 2025 . Another court als...

I understand the urge to keep planting our traditional crops—especially those with deep roots in our history and culture. But what if demand is falling? What if the farmers who grow these crops are slipping deeper into poverty because the prices that they once relied on are no longer there? And what if the product itself is increasingly viewed as harmful to public health, with fewer acceptable uses each year? That, sadly, is the problem facing the tobacco industry. Is the market for cigarettes and cigars really shrinking? Government should be able to measure that with precision. A simple dashboard would do that: excise-tax–paid removals from BIR (a proxy for sales), PSA data on area planted and farmgate prices, NTA’s leaf procurement and farmer counts, DOH smoking prevalence, and DTI export/import figures for leaf and finished products. If those lines are trending down together, the signal is clear. If government confirms the problem, we need a two-track response. First, find new ...

THIS is indeed a most intriguing and mind-blowing teaching of Christ. “Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it,” he once told a crowd. (Lk 17,33) We really need to pause and try to figure out how we can reconcile these words with even the most basic common sense we have, since at first glance they definitely involve contradictory ideas. Indeed, this is where we have to go beyond our common sense and our reasoning and try to penetrate the spiritual and supernatural message these words are trying to teach us. Christ, the very “way, truth and life” for us, the very source of all that is good, true, and beautiful, just cannot tell us things that may sound to us as nonsense. First, we must consider the context in which these words were spoken. He prefaced this teaching by warning the crowd about the danger of worldly entrapment and self-indulgence which are actually a clear and present danger to us. “As it came to pass in...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Today we are bombarded with millions of moving images. It used to be on TV and movie theaters only, but with the emergence of the internet and along with it You Tube and the many social media outlets there would not be a day we don’t see videos. The problem that comes along with this is the dumbing down of people. TV, movies, and You Tube replace books. Thus, images replace words, passivity replaces active thinking. Life and You Tube have become inverted:   instead of You Tube being in life, life is on You Tube. When we read words, we actively create images with our imagination. When we just watch, only our senses are activated, hardly any reasoning and no critical thinking. Myths comes from images, pictures, visions, and dreams, not from reason. You often hear the clique “Image is everything.”   Meaning physical appearance and the appearance of having fun becomes the most important things in life. It’s not God, not the family, not others, not the con...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter Pinili , Ilocos Norte—Besting other municipalities in the entire Region I , the local government units   of Pinili and Marcos won in the 2025 Regional Search for Local Legislative Awards (LLA), and they will automatically represent Region I in the national search. The award is in recognition of the exemplary performance of the Sangguniang Bayan in crafting ordinances and resolutions that support the foundation of effective local governance and development and their commitment to serving their constituents with integrity and excellence. In a letter received by Pinili Mayor Rommel T. Labasan thru Pinili Vice Mayor Maynard Francis R. Bumanglag, Department of the Interior and Local Government regional director Jonathan Paul M. Leusen Jr. congratulated the whole officialdom of Pinili for a “job well done” in the field of legislation. The municipalities of Pinili and Marcos won the LLA 2025 Regional Champion under the 1 st to 3 rd class...

Laoag Mayor James Bryan Alcid and SM Foundation Inc. executive director for health and medical programs Connie Angeles lead the reopening of RHU III Primary Care Facility and Birthing Home. They are joined with DOH development management officer Jay-R Cacao, city heath officer Dr. Rodrigo Catcatan, SM stall manager Maria Christina Sebastian, Laoag Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Fariñas, and Laoag councilors Donald Nicolas, Bjorn Lao and Kiko Ang. ( Doms Dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff reporter Laoag City —The Laoag City government has reopened the refurbished rural health unit (RHU) III on November 6. 2025. SM Foundation refurbished the RHU as part of its mission to strengthen communities through accessible healthcare. Laoag Mayor James Bryan Alcid and SM Foundation Inc. executive director for health and medical programs Connie Angeles led the formal reopening of the RHU III Primary Care Facility and Birthing Home. Joining there were Department of Health development managem...

Laoag City —The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) showcased local mythology and creativity in this year’s “Semana ti Ar-aria” Ilocano Halloween Festival, a week-long celebration that brought together culture, artistry, and community spirit across the province. Held in commemoration of the Day of the Dead, the festival honored the memory of departed loved ones while celebrating Ilokano heritage and tradition. Leading this year’s festivities, Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos joined the parade dressed as "Inang Reyna" from “Encantadia,” a Filipino fantasy TV show. Provincial employees and public servants from across Ilocos Norte filled the streets in elaborate costumes inspired by Philippine folklore , bringing myth and fantasy to life through dance, music, and performance. Araneta-Marcos expressed PGIN’s continued support for initiatives that promote Ilokano culture and creativity, stating: “The Semana ti Ar-aria Halloween Celebration brings to lif...

WHAT criteria to use in choosing our leaders and public officials? Definitely, we should hold integrity and competence as indispensable requirements. We need to investigate the background of each candidate for public office whether these criteria are met. Integrity ensures ethical decision-making, transparency and accountability that can foster public trust. It makes a leader consistently following through on his commitments and promises. It safeguards the well-being and interests of others, approaching them with empathy and understanding. Competence requires the leaders and public officials to have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to perform their job effectively. It enables them to navigate complex challenges that are sprouting, especially these days. There should be a process of leadership development that highlights these two requirements since leadership plays a crucial role in organizational growth. Such development programs should enhance the skills and kno...

San Nicolas Ilocos Norte—Barrio Onse, or Brgy. 11 San Fernando, in this town, celebrated its annual “Allawagi Festival Year IV”. The five-day celebration kicked off with a feeding program sponsored by balikbayan sisters Hazelyn, Ruby and Jenny Agustin from New Jersey, USA. The feeding program was held in the barangay’s Day Care Development Center led by teacher Miriam Currimao, serving 20 kids in the Nursery grade on October 24, 2025. A walkathon followed on October 25, with residents joining   the 5 am event. A Sumba followed   featuring the “Onse Sumbanatics.” Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson Jake Dela Cruz held the traditional “Laro Ng Lahi”,  with elementary grade pupils competing. Cash prizes were given to the winners of the native games. A mass officiated by Father Danilo Guevaras in celebration of the yearly Allawagi Festival every last week of October in the afternoon of the same day. A bloodletting program conducted by the Mariano Marcos Memorial ...

Are we missing something obvious here? For years now, the Philippines has been one of the world’s leading producers of seaweeds . But what have we done with this advantage? We’ve confined ourselves largely to food ingredients— carrageenan for ice cream and jellies , thickeners for toothpaste and cosmetics, and additives for processed goods. Nothing wrong with that. But have we considered that seaweeds could also fuel our future? India has. In fact, Indian innovators have already taken the lead in producing biofuels from seaweeds. A company called Sea6 Energy , founded in 2010 by young engineers from IIT Madras , is pioneering technologies to grow seaweeds in deep waters and convert them into “ biocrude ” using a process called hydrothermal liquefaction . This is essentially a fast-track version of what nature does to turn organic matter into fossil fuels, but instead of millions of years, it happens in minutes. Here’s the point: if India—with only 11,099 kilometers of coastlin...