The Ilocos Times

Using satellite technology for flood control and land use planning is certainly a good practice in science-driven governance. But let us be clear—it is not the only tool we need for these urgent problems. Sometimes, I wonder whether our government is too enamored with “new” technology when in fact there are already existing data sets available, even without satellites. I am very sure that PHIVOLCS, NAMRIA, MMDA, DENR, and the now-quiet UP Project NOAH already have valuable maps, surveys, and models in their files. Add to that, LGUs are supposed to maintain their own land use plans using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). These systems are not futuristic—they are here and should be working. So, why aren’t we making better use of them? Having said that, let me also recognize the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for working with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). Their idea is to use satellites to detect land use violations that cause flooding in Me...

THAT’S because of our undeniable tendency to enclose ourselves in our own world, practically unwelcoming and even hostile to God who actually gives us the proper spirit of our humanity as his image and likeness. We have to find ways of how we can live out this basic necessity of ours. There’s certainly a need for tremendous effort. But we should not forget that the first thing we need to do is to humbly ask for God’s mercy and grace. We need to be humble, first of all, which is an effect at least of what is called as God’s actual grace, before we can successfully proceed with the effort to empty ourselves in order to be properly filled with God’s spirit. Christ himself told us that this should be the law that should rule our life. “He that shall lose his life for me, shall find it.” “Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.” “He that hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life eternal.” The same idea, the same truth and ideal, is reiterated...

By Noralyn O. Dudt “Hallelujah hallelujah" chorus emanates from all quarters across the globe:   in cathedrals, churches, concert halls, shopping malls, school plays during this Christmas season. And HE shall live forever and ever… Hallelujah. Composed in 1741, The MESSIAH" by George Frideric Handel is still being played today and remains a favorite of many.   One wonders whether Handel saw the "Messiah" as his ticket to immortality. Handel wrote numerous oratorios but his most famous one was the "Messiah." The words were taken from the Bible and unless one is familiar with Scriptures, one would think this oratorio had no plot at first glance. However, the subject title is the plot—the prophecies about the Messiah: his life, death, resurrection, ascension,   and his eternal reign. An oratorio is different from an opera in two ways. It isn't acted out, with scenery and costumes, like an opera. The word "oratorio" comes from the Latin ...

ONCE again , we celebrate the very wonderful Solemnity of the Assumption of our Lady to heaven, reminding us that like her, we too are meant to be both body and soul in our definitive state of life, hopefully in heaven, at the end of time. Let’s remember that man is always a unity of body and soul. He is not just pure body nor pure spiritual soul. And as our Catechism teaches us, the body, properly animated by the spiritual soul, shares in the dignity of the “image of God.” (cfr. CCC 364) This is how the Catechism explains it: “The human body shares in the dignity of “the image of God”: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit. Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity.” The Catechism further teaches that, “Through his very bodily condition he (man) sums up in himself the elements of the material world…He is obliged to regard his body as go...

By Carlos V. Cornejo A good book in managing our negative emotions is the one authored by renowned psychologist Susan David, entitled “Emotional Agility”.   In her book she gave four ways to deal with destructive emotions such as anger, sadness, boredom, self-pity or nervousness.   First, she suggested we need to be more accurate in describing our emotions.   That we should be able to distinguish sadness from boredom, anger from hatred, anxiety from loneliness, etc. in assessing our emotions.   Describing more accurately our emotions is like describing symptoms of our sickness to a doctor.   A well-defined problem will be a much easier problem to solve. Second, she advises us to accept our negative emotions.   Don’t run away from them by distracting ourselves with smartphone, use of social media or watching Netflix.   Running away from it would just make it come back with a vengeance.   I would want to inject a Christian remedy here.  ...

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...