The Ilocos Times

Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) have signed a memorandum of agreement to operate an eddy covariance flux tower that will support rice research and environmental monitoring. The tower erected at PhilRice in Nueva Ecija can collect data on greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide and methane and monitor energy and water vapor exchanged between rice fields and the atmosphere. Tracking the gases released during rice farming will help researchers better understand how rice production affects the environment to reduce GHG emissions. “This gives us a more accurate way to monitor GHG emissions from rice fields. I believe this makes us one of the most high-tech institutions in the country,” Dr. Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang, PhilRice deputy executive director for research, said. The collaboration will integrate satellite-derived and on-ground data to support decision-making in rice production, GHG monitoring, and long-term environm...

Laoag  Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Fariñas By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( staff reporter) Laoag City —Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Laoag unanimously approved a “one of a kind ordinance” called “Lead the way” ordinance promoting respect, discipline, and civic responsibility in all public and communal spaces within the city of Laoag. Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Rey Carlos Fariñas   said that it is the policy of the city Government of Laoag to promote and uphold the values of respect, discipline, and civic responsibility in all public and communal spaces, in alignment with City Ordinance No. 2024-034, otherwise known as the “Oplan Dalus Code”, in order to foster harmony, safety, cleanliness and community pride. “The City of Laoag, whose name in Ilocano means bright and is proudly known as the Sunshine City, embodies a tradition of community pride, cultural vibrance and strong civic values,” Farinas said. He added that respect, discipline, and civic res...

Laoag  councilor Jaybee Baquiran defends his measure during a regular session mandating the public telecommunications to install their cables underground. ( Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz (s taff reporter) Laoag City —The city government here is eyeing to mandate all public telecommunication facilities to install their cables or wires in a common underground cable passage. The 1987 Constitution declares that the State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building, while Republic Act 7925, also known as the, "Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines", also declares the policy that the fundamental objective of government is to develop and maintain a viable, efficient, reliable, and universal telecommunication infrastructure using the best available and affordable technologies, as a vital tool to nation building and development. Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) states, among others, that every...

KMJ in Baguio . Barangay 11 San Fernando, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte officials headed by punong barangay Dominic Dela Cruz pose with Baguio Vice Mayor Atty. Faustino A. Olowan and the members of the Baguio City council. The San Nicolas barangay council embarked on “a meaningful and enriching ‘Knowledge Management Journey (KMJ)’” to the City of Baguio on September 15, 2025. This activity aims to broaden the barangay council's perspective, strengthen their understanding on local governance and gain more valuable insights more on legislative practices. The barangay officials personally witnessed how proposed measures are being deliberated, how issues are addressed, and how final decisions are collectively reached in a democratic and systematic manner. (Photo by Rols Burgos)

Laoag  Mayor James Bryan Alcid, with several members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, personally visits and distributes food packs to affected barangays and families as supertyphoon Nando lashes the city. By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff reporter Laoag City —Supertyphoon “Ragasa”, locally known as “Nando”, left a trail of destruction in Laoag City after it lashed the city from September 22 to 23, 2025. Reports showed that significant damages to infrastructure and agriculture in the city’s barangays affected were reported and several residents were evacuated due to threats of storm surges and landslides. As of September 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm, reports indicated that damages on infrastructure has reached up to PHP37.8 million, which comprised PHP12.3 million for public buildings, and PHP25.5 million for roads and bridges. As to agri-infrastructure damages and losses, reports showed PHP49,432,667.50 damages which are broken down as: rice and corn damages in the amount of ...

AT one time , Christ told this parable about how to behave when invited to some special event. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.” (Lk 14,8-9) He is obviously telling us that we should avoid feeling entitled and privileged because of some position or status we enjoy in life. We should rather try to pass unnoticed, always concerned with doing a lot of good and with the eagerness to serve anyone and everyone. This way we would be imitating Christ who is the very pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. And with him, we would already have everything we truly need. We would have no more need for any earthly consolation or compensation. It is with him that we have our tr...

Laoag  Mayor James Bryan Alcid with Regional Director and DOH Ilocos Center for Health Development Paula Paz Sydiongco, city government officials, DOH and DSWD staff take pictures with the beneficiaries of the distributed free wheelchairs from DOH. The free medical services dubbed as “Handog Ng Pangulo” is a simultaneous mission nationwide in celebration of the birthday of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. with Laoag City among one of the chosen venues. Records show that hundreds of Laoagueños were also granted free medical assistance. ( Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, S taff reporter Laoag City —Considering that this city as the new “Gateway to the North” and as it is booming and progressing, the new Laoag mayor is proposing to construct a new government center to be situated at Brgy. 1, San Lorenzo this city. Laoag Mayor James Bryan Q. Alcid said that it has been “observed and learned” that the Laoag City Hall is “too old and needs more space for offices”. “Ta da...

Batac  Mayor Markee Chua and the city project management implementing unit presented and defended their proposed project to RPAB 1 for a  class “AA” slaughterhouse that will soon rise at Brgy. Colo in the City of Batac. The project designs, plans and other requirements were prepared by engineers and personnel from various departments of the city government, which the Regional Project Advisory Board 1 (RPAB1) approved \after its deliberation on August 20, 2025. The facility will be built under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-Up and is expected to ensure safe and efficient meat processing, strengthening consumer safety in the city. (Photo courtesy of Batac CMO) By Leilanie Adriano CITY of Batac —The Regional Project Advisory Board 1 (Ilocos) has approved a modern slaughterhouse project in this city , under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-Up, paving the way for its construction. Worth approximately PHP166.6 million, the constructi...

Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Rey Carlos Fariñas defends his measure regarding the city government of Laoag expressing its commitment to transparency, accountability and community consultation in the implementation of national infrastructure projects in the city of Laoag. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff Reporter Laoag City —The Sangguniang Panlungsod here expressed its “commitment to transparency, accountability and community consultation in the implementation of national infrastructure projects in the city of Laoag”. Section 1, Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that, “Public Office is a Public Trust’. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people with highest standard of transparency, efficiency, and public trust;” Sections 2 and 27 of the Local Government Code of 1991 provides that it is the Policy of the State to require all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic consultations with a...

Laoag councilor Donald Nicolas defends his measure for a partnership between the city government of Laoag through the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer (OCSWDO) and Parola Santuwaryo to be the city’s referral facility for girls, who are 8 and over 18 years old who are physically or mentally disabled and could not take care of themselves and are survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation and human trafficking in the province. (Doms dela Cru z) By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff Reporter Laoag City —The city government of Laoag, through the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer (OCSWDO) intends to partner with Parola Santuwaryo where it will become the city’s referral facility for girls aged 8 to 18 years old, who are physically or mentally disabled and could not take care of themselves and are survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation and human trafficking in the province. Laoag councilor Donald Nicolas said Parola Santuwaryo, Inc., has ...

CHRIST clearly said, nay, commanded us to do so. (cfr. Lk 6,27) We, of course, could not help but be incredulous by these words of Christ. Why oh why should we love our enemies when our very basic common sense would tell us the opposite? We truly need to pause a little to find why Christ, who is supposed to be the embodiment of love, the very essence of God, would say so. And the only answer we can find is that precisely God, who is full of love, cannot hate anyone or anything. And Christ showed it to us by offering his life for all our sins. He even offered forgiveness to those who crucified him. Whenever we have to deal with our enemies in whatever form they can come to us—whether in the form of persons or contradictions, difficulties, trials, failures, etc.—we should be quick to acknowledge that we are actually given a chance, an invitation to grow in love, to conform our love to the real love that Christ has shown us. Let’s also remember that Christ himself commanded us to lo...

Let’s stop pretending that recycling in the Philippines is succeeding. Despite years of government campaigns urging residents and businesses to segregate their waste, we’re still burying recyclables in landfills or leaving them to rot in dumpsites. Why? Because even when we segregate, the system doesn’t work. Garbage trucks still mix everything together. Segregated bags from households and commercial buildings often end up thrown into the same compactor, as if the effort was all for show. What’s going on here? We keep encouraging people to segregate their trash, but there’s no real infrastructure to support it. It’s like asking someone to save water in a house with broken pipes. We’ve heard the phrase many times— “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”—but how can people recycle when the government doesn’t even honor their efforts? I see it in my own neighborhood. I separate paper, plastics, bottles—but when the garbage truck arrives, the collectors lump it all together. What message does th...

  World War II Veteran Corporal Ernesto C. Luis Sr. leads the ringing of the ceremonial bell at 12:10 p.m., marking the exact minute of General Yamashita’s surrender to Filipino and American forces in 1945. Baguio City —United States of America Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong led a ceremony commemorating the 80 th  Victory Day at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Camp John Hay on September 3, 2025. Together, they honored the shared sacrifices of Filipino and Allied forces during World War II and celebrated the enduring ties between the Philippines and the United States. Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. served as the guest of honor. Victory Day marks the end of World War II in the Philippines. In the 80 years since standing shoulder-to-shoulder in battle, the Philippines and the United States have grown ever closer as friends, partners, and allies. “The liberation of the Philippines during World War ...

The  officialdom of the City Government of Batac, headed by Mayor Markee Chua, hold a wreath-laying ceremony at Brgy. Aglipay in this city, to honor the life and legacy of Msgr. Gregorio Labayan Aglipay, the first Supreme Bishop of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. Joining Chua were Batac Vice Mayor Albert D. Chua, and the members of the Sanggunian Panlungsod. Also joining the commemoration are P/Lt. Col. Jerome Wangkey, officer-in-charge of the Batac police station; Anselmo R. Aludino of the Schools Division of the City of Batac; Brgy. Aglipay officials headed by Punong Barangay Jeff Lawrence Franco; and leaders of the Independent Church of Filipino Christians (Aglipay Memorial Church) led by Obispo Maximo Elorde F. Mateo. Aglipayanos from Regions 1, 2 and 3 also graced the celebration. Republic Act 6701 declared September 1 of every year a special non-working holiday in the City of Batac to celebrate Aglipay Day. (Photo courtesy of Batac CMO)