The Ilocos Times

  At least 131 market stalls were burned in the Batac Public Market firer that began on July 5 and continued into the early hours of July 6, 2026. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter City of Batac —At least 131 business stalls were reduced to ashes in the fire that hit the Batac Public Market on July 5, 2026, starting at about 8:50 pm and continuing until around 6:00 am the following morning, Batac Mayor Mark Christian “Markee” Chua said. In response, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, headed by Batac Vice Mayor and presiding officer Abert D. Chua, immediately held a special session to declare the city under a state of calamity , following the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government . The declaration was also needed for the release of the city’s Quick Response Fund. Fire/Sr. Insp. Heinrich Gudoy and other members of the inspection team attended the session, in t...

On  September 27,2025, Office of the Civil Defense Regional Director Laurence E Mina with his team visited the municipality of Pagudpud to conduct post assessment of the impacts of supertyphoon “Nando” wherein this municipality was one of the most affected in Ilocos Norte. Pagudpud Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito joined the team for the post assessment. (LGU Pagudpud photo) By Dominic Dela Cruz ,  Staff reporter Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte—For the first time in the history of this town, a widespread flooding was experienced affecting 1,343 houses, which was almost the entire municipality, went under water as supertyphoon “Nando” lashed the province from September 22 to 23, 2025. Pagudpud Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito said “Nando” brought violent winds and torrential rains that marked the beginning of its devastation of the entire municipality. Reports showed that strong winds uprooted trees, toppled electric posts that caused widespread power outages. Torrential rains likewis...

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 ...

The nation has been under water stress since 2007, with current water availability ranging between 1,000 to 1,700 cubic meters per capita, according to the National Water Resource Board (NWRB). At a recent Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) forum hosted on the Socioeconomic Research Portal of the Philippines (SERP-P), one of the presenters highlighted this critical issue and urged immediate reforms to the country’s water laws. NWRB Water Rights Division Litigation and Adjudication head Atty. Rebyanne Giselle Diaz emphasized the need to reexamine how water is allocated. She believes that the current legal frameworks of the Philippines and water allocation systems may not be sufficient to cope with the increasing scarcity of water and the changing patterns of water use. “If the trajectory we want is to be able to do more with less, the law should support that effort and not directly oppose it,” Diaz said. She emphasized that the law needs to be more adaptable to mee...

RAINY SEASON. Trike drivers in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte make their way through a flooded street along Paco Roman Street on May 29, 2024. The public is warned to brace for the rainy season. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte provincial government is now bracing for La Niña, urging all local government units (LGUs) to brace for higher rainfall and the upcoming typhoon season. “Let us make sure our waterways are clear, all equipment is available—our generator sets, boats, and search and rescue. We have to be ready when the time comes,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc said during a meeting with department heads at the Provincial Capitol. He directed concerned personnel of the local disaster risk reduction and management councils at the provincial and municipal levels to take a proactive role in minimizing the effect of typhoons as well as La Niña. Based on the latest advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical ...

BURNING OF FARM WASTE IN LAOAG CITY . The Bureau of Fire Protection dubbed the number of forest fires in the first quarter this year as alarming, after these have reached 26, higher than the 21 incidents in the whole of 2023. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie Adriano LAOAG CITY—An inter-agency task force has been formed in Ilocos Norte to address causes of forest fires which have reached 26 to date. The group is composed of representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Army (PA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte. Fire Supt. Roxanne Annie Parado, provincial fire marshal, in an interview   said the task force will conduct foot patrols in the forest fire-prone areas while providing alternative source of livelihood to honey bee collectors, wildlife hunters and kaingeros (or those involved in slash an...

Laoag City —In a bid to enhance the firefighting capabilities and response readiness in Ilocos Norte, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has turned over 11 newly-acquired fire trucks to the province on July 17, 2023. The towns of Bacarra, Badoc, Bangui, Currimao, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Sarrat, Vintar, and the cities of Batac and Laoag were the recipients of the new firefighting vehicles. "These fire trucks will undoubtedly bolster our firefighting capabilities. Prevention remains to be the first defense against fire hazards," F/Chief Supt. Leonida Gumanab-Rosales, Regional Director of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Region 1 remarked. Over the past months, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc closely coordinated with DILG and BFP in assessing the capacity of Ilocos Norte’s component Local Government Units, requesting the provision of fire trucks to priority towns. During the turnover event, Manotoc expressed his gratitude to th...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Solsona , Ilocos Norte--The municipal government here has realized its dream to have a new evacuation center, and at the same serve as quarantine facility, as they held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project on June 30, 2021 at the project site, Brgy. Santiago, this municipality. Solsona Mayor Joseph De Lara said the project was in response to his request to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) main office thru DPWH Region I Director Rommel Tan on October 2019.    De Lara believes the project “will be of great help especially in this time of pandemic as it will serve as a quarantine facility and evacuation center in case of calamities”. The one-storey building will sit in a lot with a total land area of 1,450 square meters; the lot is owned by the provincial government and municipal government of Solsona, and is the municipality’s counterpart for the project. The Ilocos Times learned that the project has a ...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —Mayor Michael M. Keon and the city social welfare and development office (CSWDO) personally visited the families of Mrs. Fe Cadelinia and Mrs. Anita Ventura of Brgy. Dibua South this city immediately after a fire incident on November 5, 2020. Reports said the houses of Mmes. Cadelinia and Ventura were totally damaged by the fire; while the house of Ofelia Cadelinia, located near them, was partially damaged. In an interview with Mrs. Ventura, she said all their belongings inside their house were all burned and they were unable to save anything. CSWDO officer-in-charge Perlita Cabello said each of the three families received food packs from the city government consisting of eight kilos of rice, 12 packs of noodles, 20 sachets of coffee, 12 cans of sardines and eight cans of corned beef. The CSWDO also gave additional food packs for each family: six kilos of rice, four cans of sardines, four cans of corned beef and five t...

  Laoag City —The Provincial Veterinary Office, together with the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO), inspected four animal shelters to examine the facilities' level of disaster preparedness in case a strong typhoon hits Ilocos Norte. “ Kasama namin ang PEO sa pag -inspect ng mga animal shelters. Sinuri namin ang mga ito bago i -turnover sa mga local government units (LGU). Ayon sa memorandum of agreement, ang mga LGU ang bahala sa management ng mga animal shelters pagkatapos itong i -turnover sa kanila ," provincial veterinarian Dr. Loida M. Valenzuela said. The provincial government constructed animal shelters in four towns: Badoc, Currimao, Dingras, and Solsona. " Sa Dingras, due for turnover na. Sa Solsona naman, ang counterpart ng LGU ay ang pagpapalitada ng daan papunta sa shelter. Habang sa Badoc, may kaunting repair pa na kailangan gaya ng mga rain gutter sa building. At sa Currimao, ongoing pa ang construction ng animal shelter," ...

Laoag City —In preparation for the coming rainy season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Resiliency Council (PDRRMRC) will discuss the reconfiguration of evacuation centers in the province to ensure minimum health standards are implemented. “Next week, may meeting ang PDRRMRC upang talakayin ang configuration ng mga evacuation centers dito sa probinsya. Parte ito ng ating paghahanda sa pagsisimula ng habagat o rainy season. Mostly kasi ng evacuation centers ng iba’t-ibang bayan ay nagamit na bilang quarantine facility,” local disaster risk reduction management officer IV Marcell Tabije said. If severe weather conditions hit the province, Mr. Tabije explained that alternative evacuation centers should be sufficiently equipped to comply with the minimum health protocols such as social distancing, wearing of face mask, and establishment of hand sanitation areas. Moreover, component local government units (LGUs) of Ilocos Norte ha...

Vintar Vice Mayor Amado Victor Racimo, representing the municipal government, meets the delegates from the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the DPWH regional office on January 9, 2019 to verify the proposed rehabilitation of the hanging bridges destroyed by typhoon Ineng at Brgys. Isic-Isic and Lipay. The said project has an appropriated budget of PHP3 million and PHP8 million respectively, which was already approved. The Vintar government hopes the project will start at the soonest possible time. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —Better late than never. After one year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has approved PHP56,504,000 for the repair of infrastructure damages wrought by typhoon “Ompong”. The DPWH-Ilocos Norte Engineering District I (INED-I) made the announcement. INED I district engineer Maria Venus Torio identified the damages as the flood control structures at Brgys. Bago and Tamdagan and Sitio Baldi in Vintar; Tulnagan Bridge in Pasuquin; flood control structure in Dumalneg; and flood control structure of Brgy. Ganagan in Bacarra. Originally, the total damages assessed amounted to PHP66 million but this was reduced after a rigid evaluation and validation by the DPWH. As this developed, Ms. Torio said the project is now published for public bidding. “The cause of the delay maybe because of a series validation and revisiting on the program of works,” Ms. Torio added.

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Paoay, Ilocos Norte —Improper waste disposal has worsened flooding problem in this town as tons of debris clogged a waterway connecting Brgys. Pannaratan and Cayubog. The local government unit here led by acting Mayor Romulo Acdal conducted the removal of plastic trash and debris using a backhoe. During heavy rainfall, low lying areas in this town are flooded because it serves as a catch basin of floodwaters from its neighboring Batac City. Following an ocular inspection at the flooded barangays where local officials witnessed the tons of garbage that clogged the creek, Mr. Acdal has appealed to all concerned residents to dispose their trash properly. One of the concerned residents Lily Guieb said she is a witnessed how people carelessly throw their garbage everywhere and it may have contributed to flooding. “It’s sad to note that there are heartless and irresponsible people who just throw their garbage that clogged our ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Farmers in Ilocos Norte were all smiles as they received multi-million worth of aid courtesy of the Department of Agriculture. For 75-year-old rice farmer Guillermo Cacal of the Zanjera Tubburan Irrigators Association, Inc. of Brgy. Tubburan in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, he said they are thankful for the one unit of hand tractor worth PHP137,798 which his group received. “This is a great help for us to improve our way of living,” said Cacal in Ilokano language after he got hold of the project certificate along with the brand new hand tractor unit from the DA led by the newly-appointed Agriculture Secretary William Dar at the Mariano Marcos State University covered court in Batac City. After awarding a total of PHP335 million worth of projects to Ilocos Norte, Mr. Dar said the agency has raised their focus on farmers to ensure food security while strengthening partnership and collaboration with local governmen...

  Severe tropical storm Ineng damaged and eroded concrete bank  revetment  at Brgys. Cabayo and Isik-Isik in Vintar, Ilocos Norte Total infrastructure damaged in Ilocos Norte reached PHP131 million according to the DPWH. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) first and second engineering districts reported millions of infrastructure damages in Ilocos Norte brought out by severe tropical storm Ineng (Bailu) from August 22-24, 2019. DPWH Ilocos Norte Engineering District (INED) district I Engr. Maria Venus Torio reported estimated damages of PHP117 million for the entire first district of Ilocos Norte as of August 28, 2019. Ms. Torio said majority of the damages are roads/bridge slope protections, revetment, eroded slope protections and scoured shoulders and flood controls. Of the reported damaged amount, the San Marcos Flood Control Bongo River at Brgy. San Marcos ...