The Ilocos Times

Supertyphoon Haima, locally known as “Lawin”, was as strong as advertised; however, because it changed course and headed straight for Northern Luzon, it’s devastating power was diminished went its main body went over land. It also helped that it had to traverse the Sierra Madre mountain range before hitting Ilocos Norte. Haima did devastate parts of Cagayan but it weakened before touching down in Ilocos Norte. But even in its weakened state, Haima still lashed out at the province. Howling winds and driving rains dominated its presence in the province. But as Ilocos Norte is already typhoon-ready, Ilocanos were better prepared to deal with it. Local governments enforced forced evacuations of high risk areas long before Haima made landfall. The provincial government also cancelled all classes and work a day before the supertyphoon reached the province. There were still damages; and there was one casualty. But as Haima battered Ilocos Norte, it could have been worse. Kudos, ther

THE ROAD   is harrowing and fraught with hardship borne of the social environment that was shifting towards the digital media; and a lack of foresight that resulted in mediocrity and incompetence. A complacency that had neither a reason, a backbone nor a foundation,   The Ilocos Times   soldiered on—running in circles like a headless chicken. It could have crumbled under its smug weight; but just as collapse became almost imminent; a new blood was transfused and the recovery from near-death to comatose to once again alive and kicking, was not only challenging but more so, breathtaking. And now as it turns 59,   The Ilocos Times   continues to bring the news and other pertinent information to Ilocanos and Ilocano-speaking peoples all over the world. And for this, we thank our loyal subscribers, our generous advertisers, our very vocal readers, and, above all, the Almighty for always showing us the way. For without all of you, we could have succumbed to oblivion. And as we t

PresidenT - elect Rodrigo R. Duterte just declared open season on journalists. Or did he? Just a short while after he said “Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a bitch…. Freedom of expression cannot help you if you have done something wrong”; his political allies and appointed officials immediately went on explanation spree. They mostly said he was misquoted and the issue was blown out of proportion by, well, the national and international media. Mr. Duterte’s comment was in response to a question on how he would protect press freedom after another Filipino journalist was gunned down in Manila on May 27. Whether he really was misquoted as insisted by his mouthpieces or it was more than a veiled threat against the fourth estate; it simply comes down to his only solution to all and any problem—kill. When he made a Davao journalist an example of why he deserved to be gunned down, it did not even make him re

WITH THE 2016 general elections over and done with, the Filipino people should now take the time to heal the pains, applaud the candidates, and accept the results. The mudslinging and verbal barrages should stop now. The candidates who won and lost should start picking up the pieces. And the general population should return to normalcy—and start doing their share in nation building. This year’s election can easily become the most wicked in recent memory. All the words that have been said; all the actions that have been taken; and all the posts in social media have been filled with vitriol . When the heat of the election campaign starts to die down, some of us may offer apologies for words uttered and posted; but all of us must support the winners. For this is the essence of democracy—majority rules. And even if our chosen candidates were not as fortunate, our being Filipinos should behoove us to support the winners in all means possible. The 2016 elections brought out the

AS THE MAY general elections creeps in, the Filipino peoples are once again faced with the decision that could make or break the future. From the President down to sanggunian members, we all stare down the choice on whom to believe in; and whom to entrust not only our future but more so the future of our children.   As it is, this 2016 election has brought out the best and worst in most of us. And as emotionally charged as the atmosphere has become, we all need to keep our wits about; otherwise we may either utter or do things that we will end up regretting. It is true that most of us have already made our choices on who to vote for. But this should not embolden us to bully and threaten others who made different choices. Respect for other people’s rights have been eroded severely by this election season. And for all it’s worth, it only gave the world a glimpse of how immature, petty and thuggery-inclined we have become. The choices each of us made is our own; and nobody shou

ALL ISSUES imaginable have been tackled by presidential and vice presidential candidates. From peace and order, to job generation, even up to hidden and stolen wealth. No one among them, however, gave more focus on the looming climate change issue that hovers above us like a menacing storm. A small country like ours would not impact the earth much in terms of carbon emission. However, our country is first to suffer the initial effects of global warming. With over 3,000 islands, the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable to climate change impact. The experience of super typhoon Haiyan should serve as an example of what our future would be if global warming is not arrested and reversed. The decision of the current dispensation to approve the construction of 25 new coal-fired power plant is certainly a step in the wrong direction. And taken upon the context of global initiative to limit the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius—of which the Philippines was the

DAVAO CITY Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte’s “rape joke” is not only tasteless and insensitive; it is more so unpresidential. His excuse that it was just “gutter language” and was speaking the language of the masses not only betray his lack of sensitivity and empathy; it also speaks ill of the Filipino people for they find insensitivity funny. His loyal supporters have come out in droves to defend the Davao mayor. But in their defense, they not only showed how insensitive they are as a group; they also displayed a naïve belief that all of Mr. Duterte’s words and actions would move the country out of the economic quagmire it is in. Mr. Duterte may be his own man. He may want to do things his way. It would have been alright if he would only be representing himself. But when he aspired for the country’s highest post, he should have understood that he would end up bearing the whole Filipino nation. His pronouncements, anecdotes and speeches have blurred the lines between jokes, ser

ONCE THE capital of Ilocos Norte, Sarrat was last thrust to national prominence during the wedding of Irene R. Marcos—daughter of the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Since then, it has reverted back to being a sleepy town. On April 9, 2016 over at Bombo Radyo Laoag’s “Debate sa Bombo,” Sarrat was put in the spotlight. The two mayoralty candidates—former Sarrat Mayor Corazon R. Abad and former Sarrat Vice Mayor Remigio B. Medrano—slugged it out. Issues were brought out and plans were revealed. A lot of people did take notice. After all, Sarrat is also the birth place of Ilocos Norte’s most famous and beloved personality—the former President Marcos. And both candidates acknowledged the fact that Sarrat was slowly being outpaced by other towns in Ilocos Norte. San Nicolas, which is also a Laoag neighboring municipality is now almost a city; Piddig which is farther from the provincial capital has grown by leaps and bounds; and Sarrat has remained almost stagnant in

WITH THE start of the campaign for the local elections, the noise and people traffic have trebled. This has always been the case during election season; and ordinary people just can never seem to bear the additional trouble. We know that candidates need to present themselves—actually it’s more about their names being shouted accompanied by campaign jingles parodied from famous songs; but for them to start so early in the morning and converge on one location, this is asking for trouble. Never mind that no one can understand the jingles as they are all playing simultaneously; never mind that candidates and their campaign people are banging on doors and gates; and never mind that campaign leaflets and pamphlets are being tucked on doors, windows and gates. The real issue is whether these acts should compel a voter to vote for them. No one can gauge a candidate’s fitness for office through a three-minute jingle; even if they would play this non-stop for hours. Nobody can j

THE FUROR over the Supreme Court decision that declared Mary Grace Natividad Poe-Llamanzares eligible to run for the country’s highest post has not died down. And it may not until after the elections; and should Ms. Llamanzares win, it may live on until either her term ends or in her impeachment. But the real question that should now be answered is whether Ms. Llamanzares is really qualified to become President. The High Tribunal simply paved the way for her to become a candidate. Whether she would win the highest post in the country would depend on the electorate. It should be noted however, that should she win, this would be the first time a former American citizen will become the President of the country. Though she may not really have any allegiance to the United States of America, this fact would still leave a bad taste in the mouth. Her claim that she is running as an independent has also become very questionable. Several big business people are backing her ca

THE SEEMINGLY endless saga of Solsona’s two mayors have reached alarming proportions. Apart from having two mayors, Solsona now will also have no budget for 2016. Citing the active suspension order on Solsona’s top three officials, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has invalidated the town’s 2016 budget upon review. The officials in question are Solsona Mayor Jonathan de Lara, Vice Mayor Joseph de Lara and senior councilor Edison de Lara. The trio has defied the suspension order handed down by Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda R. Marcos as they continued on with their respective duties and responsibilities as elected officials. Among those duties included the passage of the town’s 2016 budget. From all possible angles, the suspension can only be tabbed as political. The De Laras have fallen from the Capitol’s grace. The governor, herself, is supporting candidates that oppose the De Laras. And in this power struggle in this eastern Ilocos Norte municipality, the biggest losers

“ Common sense lang . Makakakita ka ba ng any animals na lalaki sa lalaki, babae sa babae? Mas mabuti pa yung hayop. Marunong kumilala kung lalaki, lalaki, o babae, babae. Kung lalaki sa lalaki, babae sa babae, eh mas masahol pa sa hayop ang tao ,” so declared Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao (Sarangani). From his perspective as a pastor and a born-again Christian, Mr. Pacquiao was not only speaking his mind, but is actually preaching what he believes in. However, he seems to have forgotten his stature—both as a global boxing icon, an incumbent congressman and a politician vying for a Senate seat. As a public figure, he can neither simply speak his mind nor spring his fundamentalist beliefs on everyone. What was worse was when he described LGTBs (lesbians, gays, transgender and bisexuals) as “worse than animals”. As an aspiring senator, he would be looked upon to craft laws that would redound to the benefit of all. As such, he must have an open mind—devoid of discrimi

AS THE CITY celebrates the 20 th Pamulinawen Festival, we can’t help but agree with its theme for this year: Blessed. Indeed, Laoag City has been blessed in the past few years. Progress and development came in full force and with full intensity. Big supermarkets opened one after the other; not only giving local consumers more to choose from but more so, providing the boost in revenue and employment. Other businesses have since also entered the fray; and the once sleepy most agriculture city has slowly awakened into a robust and vibrant economic center. Indeed, Laoag City continue to be blessed. Tourist arrivals have reached unprecedented heights. New edifices—both public and private—keep on rising around the city. And Laoag residents continue to reap all the benefits of the economic progress brought about by the local government. The progress and development however come with a price. Traffic around the city’s business district has tightened. There are now times when

HE DIED the way he wanted to live. And so the saga of one Victorino Mangabat Jr.—prime suspect in the slaying of Jemima Kesha M. Andres—ended in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. It was a saga bereft of rhyme or reason—to us totally unaware of his real motives on why he did what he did. The fact that his mother was tugging along with him in his “adventures” may be something worth studying both for psychologists and sociologists. When he was spotted and eventually shot and nabbed, Mr. Mangabat was also with his son, as well as another kidnap victim. The question that begs to be asked is whether Mr. Mangabat is a serial criminal and if so, what made pushed him so. And what was his mother doing about it? So many other question can pop out but the best the authorities can do is to settle for what the mother has to say. The sordid case may have ended with Mr. Mangabat’s death. But the questions remain. And authorities may have to find answers in their own way if they are to prevent a rep

Laoag City has certainly come a long way. From a sleepy town in the 1960s to a bustling city that it is today. Numerous awards—in both national and international categories—have been given in droves, proving that it is now one of the best cities not only in the country, but more so in the world. All these were made possible by Laoag residents who worked hard along with their elected political leaders to achieve such phenomenal success. From big business people, to hardworking employees of both the private and public sectors, to individual professionals who made the city their home in spite of other offers from other places, to the ordinary people who did their share in boosting development in the city and to the security forces which made sure peace and order would be maintained. And since these progress, growth and overall success cannot be ascribed to a single individual, we thank all of Laoag’s mayors—from Eulalio F. Siazon, who was the prime mover for the drive to con

( With the recent approval of the cutting of trees in Currimao to give way to a solar power plant project, we decided to republish this editorial which originally appeared on March 2015—Ed ) “Who are willing to die for a tree?” So asked Fr. Robert Reyes during a governance forum on tree-cutting at the Northwestern University held March 12. Fr. Reyes, also known as the “Running Priest”, was in Laoag City for two days to try and prevent the cutting of hundreds of trees in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. Little did he know that another hundreds of trees are being lined up for the chainsaws in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. The priest did find out about the other trees in Burgos after a meeting with Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda R. Marcos. The tree-cutting attempts in Currimao and Burgos are supposedly for renewable energy projects. However, the question that begs to be asked is “How can we be environmentally conscious and environmentally friendly when the first thing we do for s

CHANGE, as the saying goes, is the only constant thing in this world. This, however, is dependent on the kind of change on whether it is a minor or major change. It is in this context that we now seem to find ourselves in the K-12 issue. As one of only three countries left in the world with the seemingly obsolete 10-year basic education system, our country’s college degrees are not only being ignored in other parts of the world, but more so are being taken to be nothing but a piece of paper that lacks the very weight of its claims. The European Union set its education standards with the Bologna Process while the United States set its own with the Washington Accord. Both European and United States systems call for a 12 year basic education program for recognition of students and professionals abroad. As it is, our 10-year basic education—which we now share only with Angola and Djibouti, both African nations—falls quite short of both standards. As a result, our graduates are