The Ilocos Times

Violence experienced at home and exclusion encountered in school can have lasting consequences on Filipino adolescents’ education, well-being, and future opportunities, according to studies presented during the second session of the forum “Ugnayan: The Journey of Filipino Adolescents Across Past, Present, and Future”. Organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with support from the Australian Government, the session examined how childhood and adolescent experiences shape long-term development outcomes. Drawing from the Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Filipino Child (LCSFC), PIDS researchers found that children exposed to parental violence were significantly less likely to stay in school, while adolescents with diverse sexual orientations faced higher risks of domestic violence and bullying. The LCSFC, which follows about 5,000 Filipino children from age 10 in 2016 until they reach young adulthood in 2030,...

  Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of newsroom operations in the Philippines, helping journalists work more efficiently and produce content more quickly. However, a new study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) warns that the technology also poses significant challenges to the long-term sustainability of news organizations, while raising concerns about information integrity and intellectual property rights. Titled “AI Use in Philippine News Media: Adoption, Impacts, and Challenges,” the study examined how Philippine news organizations are adopting AI and assessed its implications for journalism, media sustainability, and governance. Researchers found that AI is increasingly being used for tasks such as transcription, editing, fact-checking, content research, and audience analytics. These applications help newsrooms streamline routine tasks, boost productivity, and meet growing demand for digital and multimedia content. Despite ...

Manila — This Father’s Day, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) joins Filipino families across the country in honoring fathers for their invaluable contributions in nurturing, protecting, and guiding their families. For generations, fathers have been regarded as the “haligi ng tahanan”—the pillar of the family whose hard work and sacrifices help provide stability and security for their loved ones. As Filipino families continue to navigate changing social, economic, and demographic realities, CPD recognizes that the role of fathers has evolved beyond being providers to becoming active partners in building healthy, resilient, and future-ready families. "Fatherhood today encompasses many roles," said CPD Executive Director Usec. Lisa Grace S. Bersales. "Fathers are not only providers but also caregivers, mentors, role models, and partners in making decisions that shape the future of their families. This Father's Day, we celebrate Filipino fathers wh...

A recent study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found that students under the MATATAG Curriculum performed better on assessments after a year of implementation, while teachers in participating schools reported stronger collaboration that may help improve classroom practices over time. The study, “Teaching through Transition: What Influences Teachers’ Practices amidst Curriculum Reform?”, evaluated the curriculum's first year of implementation in selected public schools during School Year 2023–2024. It drew on teacher surveys, classroom observations, and assessments administered to about 15,000 students. The findings come as the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to implement the MATATAG Curriculum nationwide in School Year 2026–2027, providing early evidence on how the reform affected teaching and learning during its pilot phase. Introduced by DepEd to address learning losses and long-standing concerns over education quality, the MATATAG Cu...

Language mismatch between the classroom and the home can significantly reduce learning outcomes, with Filipino learners paying what researchers describe as a hidden “tax on learning,” according to studies presented during a recent Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) webinar. The webinar brought together findings from two PIDS-supported studies examining how language affects learning outcomes, literacy development, and the implementation of education policies in the Philippines. Presenting findings from the study “ Linguistic Mismatch and Learning Productivity: Evidence from Mother Tongue-based Education in the Philippines ,” PIDS senior research fellow Michael Ralph Abrigo said learners perform better when the language used in school matches the language they speak and understand at home. “The mismatch of languages is like taxes,” Abrigo said. He explained that when students and teachers do not fully understand one another, learners expend additional effort a...

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 ...

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.  ...

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...