The Ilocos Times

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo In Genesis Chapter 22 of the Old Testament, God put Abraham to test by asking Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a human sacrifice only to be held on when Abraham was about to kill Isaac. Many atheists would point out to this Scripture story as another proof of the absurdity of a God who asked a father to kill his son but stops him when His creature was almost done obeying Him. Atheists would claim that this Christian God is playing games with His creatures. Therefore, according to them, it’s another proof that He does not really exist. What the atheists don’t understand was the purpose of the test. It was all about fulfilling the virtue of Charity. God wanted to see if Abraham loves God above all, even more than his son. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Theological Virtue of Charity as the virtue by which “We love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.”   (CCC 1822) Theologians would s...

A NUMBER of times, Christ complained about the lack of faith of the people of his time. “This generation is a wicked generation: it asks for a sign, and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet ,” he once said. ( Lk 11,29-32 ) We need to see to it that our faith is strong, deep, and abiding so we can go on with our daily activities with a profound sense of commitment and not just go through them with the attitude of simply complying with what is expected of us. To do things and to live with a sense of commitment means that we should be driven by some core belief which in none other than a belief in God. We would always be aware of doing things with and for our Lord and because of that, we would do things in the best way we can, despite our limitations and the various conditionings that we are subject to. When we have a good sense of commitment, we would show determination in fulfilling it, a determination that can only spring from love. We make a promise...

Technically speaking, farm tourism is just a subset of eco-tourism . Eco-tourism is the big umbrella—it covers everything from marine sanctuaries to mountain trails, from mangrove parks to wildlife reserves. But lately, I’ve noticed something interesting: here in the Philippines , farm tourism could become bigger than eco-tourism, at least in the domestic market. Why? Because while eco-tourism may have more to offer to foreign tourists—especially those who want untouched beaches or rare bird sightings—farm tourism has far more to offer to local tourists. And I don’t just mean sightseeing. Local visitors go to farms not only to look, but also to learn, taste, and take home something fresh. In fact, many farms have evolved into Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSAs), where visitors can get hands-on experience in farming before they decide to go into the business themselves. These LSAs are under the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) of the Department of Agriculture . Some even off...

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful ally in exposing corruption, but without integrity, accountability, and political will, it will never be enough. This was the central message of experts and former public officials at the 11th Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) as part of the 23rd Development Policy Research Month (DPRM). Plenary Session 3, titled “AI-Augmented Fight Against Corruption,” highlighted both the promise and perils of AI in governance. Speakers agreed that algorithms may detect patterns of fraud and misuse, but only human integrity and strong institutions can effectively close the loop on accountability.   Promise and limits of AI tools Dr . Jacopo Costa, Senior Specialist at the Basel Institute on Governance , described AI as both a frontier and a warning. He explained that AI’s real strength lies in processing large volumes of data, detecting hidden patterns, and helpin...

Laoag  councilor John Michael Fariñas presents his measure regulating all businesses on fuel filling and refilling stations in the city in accordance with existing and established zoning, safety, and environmental standards during the last regular session and was approved on its third and final reading. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter Laoag City —The city government here will soon start regulating all fuel filling and refilling stations in the city in accordance with existing and established zoning, safety, and environmental standards. Laoag councilor John Michael Fariñas said Article II, Section XVI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution; Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code; Republic Act No. 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 ; Republic Act No. 9275 or the Philippine Clear Water Act of 2004 ; Republic Act No. 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990 ; and Republic Act No. 9514 or the Fi...

  Laoag  Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Rey Carlos Fariñas presents his measure on the establishment of integrated water safety policy in the city of Laoag, and which was later approved on its third and final reading. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter Laoag City —To ensure safety in infrastructure, trained personnel, and public awareness mechanisms in the prevention of drowning and related incidents, the Laoag Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved a bill calling for the establishment of integrated water safety policy. Laoag Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Rey Carlos Fariñas, who authored the measure, said that the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160) empowers local government units to promote the general welfare, including the protection of life and public safety. Record shows that drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death in the Philippines, particularly in coastal and recreational ar...

The  Philippine Coconut Authority, in cooperation with the city government of Laoag, headed by Laoag Mayor James Bryan Alcid, plant 600 coconut seedlings in Barangay Navotas-B in this city. (Doms dela Cruz)

  The  on-going cold storage project of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in this town. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—Town Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito expressed his “deepest thanks and gratitude” to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for granting the construction of an ice plant and cold storage and modern fish market in this town. Benemerito said Pagudpud is “so lucky” to these PHP100 million worth of projects as promised by the President. He said that the two projects would be of great help to the municipal fisher folks for the preservation of their caught fish with the help of the ice plant and cold storage facility. “Dakkkel to a tulong kadagiti agkalkalap tayo ta ngamin addan to pangidulinan da dagiti makalapan da ken tapnu saan a maperdi aglalo no tay kaadu na iti makalapan da. Ken kasta met tay pannakailaku da babaen to daytoy modern fish market,” Benemerito said. According to the mayor, the two projects will als...

EMERGENCY DRILL. Responders use a boom truck to rescue a "victim" trapped inside a burning building during an earthquake drill at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol in Laoag City on October 17, 2025. The activity was part of a simultaneous large-scale drills held in the province to boost earthquake preparedness among Ilocanos. (Lei Adriano) By Leilanie Adriano LAOAG CITY—Local government units in Ilocos Norte, together with partner agencies including schools and private establishments, conducted simultaneous earthquake drills to boost readiness and proper response and emergency protocols on October 17, 2025. The drills were in line with the directive of Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos to strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure public safety. "Preparation is the key to any disaster and we must all be ready to respond effectively," Marcel Tabije of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said in an interview. ...

THAT gospel episode, where some resurrection-deniers among the Jews tested Christ with a tricky question about the resurrection, gave Christ the chance to talk precisely about this truth of our Christian faith. (cfr. Mk 12,18-27) They approached him and posed the question about whose wife a woman who married seven brothers, one after another, would be among the brothers at what they regarded as the so-called resurrection. And so, Christ told them that at the resurrection, everyone would have gone beyond our earthly condition to enter into our spiritualized and supernatural condition. Yes, we will still retain our body. But that body will be fully subjected to its spiritual and supernatural condition where marriage, whose main purpose is procreation, would already be irrelevant. As Christ said, in the resurrection, we would be like angels, but angels with a body. We will not be pure spirits. And then he proceeded to explain about the resurrection by citing some passages in the Bo...

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo The title above does not say, “Why did God create evil ?” because God does not directly create evil. All that God created is good. We men are the ones who have spoiled creation and created evil. God only allows evil to happen but always for a good purpose. Life is full of good things. Some of them are very good. But life is also full of bad things:   sin, suffering, disease, death, disappointments, fears, follies, and failures. A religion that does not take into account the “dark side” of life is unrealistic and incomplete. The Catholic Church , like God Himself, has always taken evil seriously, in real life as well as in thought. First, let’s discuss evil and its nature. Evil is the most serious problem in the world for three reasons:   one, it is the only anti-God thing in the world. Second, evil is the strongest argument against the existence of God, the only reason for atheism :   if God is good why does He allow evil? There are many ...

We already know that coal-fired power plants continue to operate across the country. What we don’t always know is how we are disposing of the toxic byproducts they produce—especially coal ash . Coal ash, which includes both fly ash and bottom ash , is a waste product from burning coal. It contains heavy metals like arsenic , mercury , and lead —substances we do not want to leak into our air, soil, or water. Yes, of course, there are laws regulating the disposal of coal ash. We have a comprehensive legal framework: RA 6969 controls hazardous waste RA 8749 (Clean Air Act) regulates emissions and ash pollution RA 9003 governs solid waste DENR AO 2004-36 lays out how hazardous waste should be handled And even the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) touches on coal ash contracts That’s impressive on paper. But here’s the real question: How do we know how much of these laws are being implemented? There are agencies that are supposed to do the job—the DENR, its E...