The Ilocos Times

By Noralyn O. Dudt During these past few weeks, I'm seeing a large number of photos of what the Las Islas de Filipinas (Philippines) looked in the late 1800s and early 1900s  on FB sites of  Pilipinas Retrostalgia, Herencia Filipinas, and several others.  Photos  of old churches/cathedrals that are now in the World Heritage list,  schools, town plazas,  bridges, Filipinos daily life that are archived in libraries and museums in the West. The U.S. Library of Congress, University of Michigan, University of  Wisconsin, private collections in Washington, New York, Germany and the Netherlands are resurfacing, thanks to diligent research. The pictures were taken by American photographers—civilian and military—when the United States took over the Philippines in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. Noteworthy is the interesting fact that even though the United States had these photos, they were not the ones exhibited to the American public during the World's Fair in St. Louis,

By Noralyn O. Dudt We often talk of IQ (intelligence quotient) as if that's what matters the most. IQ, the measure of a person's reasoning ability is supposed to gauge how well someone can use information and logic to answer questions or make predictions. It is the measure of cognitive abilities, such as the ability to learn or understand  or to deal with new situations. It is then tempting to read a lot into someone's IQ score. Most non-experts think intelligence is the reason successful people do so well. Psychologists who study Intelligence find this only partly true. IQ tests can predict how well people will do in particular situations, such as thinking abstractly in science, engineering or art, or leading teams of people.  But there's more to the story. Extraordinary achievements depend on many things. And those extra categories include ambition, persistence, opportunity, the ability to think clearly, and with right  timing—luck. As we all know, it's not t

From left: Engr. Emer Rojas, President of New Vois Association of the Philippines; Melissa Ongsue, VP of Sales and Marketing at Hi Precision Diagnostics; Dr. Herdee Gloria Luna, President of Philippine Society of Oncologists; Dr. Jose Jasper Andal, pathologist from St. Luke’s Medical Center; Vannessa Ongsue, VP For Medical Services at Hi- Precision Diagnostics; and Nina Corpuz, broadcast journalist and health advocate. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the Philippines, with lung cancer topping the list for cancer-related mortality in the nation. This comes as no surprise as almost a quarter of Filipinos aged 15 years and above smoke cigarettes, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer. The good news is lung cancer care has improved dramatically over the past decade, thanks to advances in early detection, innovative therapies, and increased understanding that lung cancer treatment is not “one size fits all.” However, in the Philippines, many cancer patients

By Noralyn O. Dudt It was almost in the middle of the day. Jesus and the twelve (his disciples)  were plodding  through the noonday heat not too far away from Jerusalem, in a place called Samaria. They were all hungry and thirsty.  They were Jews in a place they were not fond of, and to be precise, a place and a people they loathe. Why were they even there? Why didn't they bypass  this "despicable" place like all the other Jews in that period  would do? Why didn't they cross the Jordan River rather than travel through Samaria? Samaria, located on a hill northwest of Nablus in the West Bank territory came  under the Israeli administration in 1967. It is bounded by Galilee on the north and by Judea on the south; on the west is the Mediterranean Sea and on the east, the River Jordan. It was at  the crossroads and served as the  political center of the region. Excavations in 1908-1910; 1931-33; 1935 revealed that the site had been occupied occasionally during the l

By Noralyn O. Dudt THE WHOLE  WORLD is in HIS HANDS HE's got the whole world in His hands (4×) He's got the wind and rain in His hands (4×) He's got the tiny little baby in His hands  (4×) He's got you brother and me in His hands  (4x) He's got you sister and me in His hands. (4×) He's got the whole world in His hands. (4×) While those lines may look too simple and  "unimpressive" to some, they do come alive when sung—the tune so lively that singers—faces beaming and eyes gleaming—can’t help but clap their hands and dance. This  beloved Christian hymn that arose from traditional African-American spiritual first published in 1927 became an international pop hit in 1957-58 in a recording by English singer Laurie London. The variations in both text and tune praise the dominion of God over all things, comforting our anxieties from things that are out of our control. It is especially popular with families and Sunday School classes to teach

By Noralyn O. Dudt GRACE, the Gift undeserved. ETERNAL Salvation is God's idea—desired by God for all humanity—free to anyone  who is willing to  accept and receive it. As the Holy Week approaches, we are again reminded of that noble act  that Jesus the Christ did for humanity on the cross. An excruciating death where blood was shed and life was taken. The death that  bridged the chasm between us and our Creator. The death that was God's way of  extending his hand to ours, to lift us back up so we can go back to the "garden"—the “garden" where the first man and the first woman had chats with God the Father in the "cool of the day," until they were told to leave because they disobeyed. They left,  but God never "left" them. God was relentless in his love and He meticulously devised a way to get them, and us back. It's called redemption in its finest. God's grace—his gift that we do not deserve, and free for all. It was this Grac

By Noralyn O. Dudt "WE HAVE no king but Caesar " came the rallying cry from the agitated crowd at the praetorium, outside the palace of the Roman governor. Pilate brought Jesus out with the crown of thorns already on his head, blood streaming down his face. He asked the Jews, "what do you want me to do with your king?" It had  been a long  grueling ordeal for Jesus. Just the night before, he was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane where he was in deep and earnest  prayer.  "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done." He was so anguished that  he was sweating drops of blood. Sweating drops of blood is rare but very real. It is known as "hematidrosis," a  medical condition that causes one's sweat to contain blood. The sweat glands are surrounded by tiny blood vessels that can constrict and then dilate to the point of rupture, causing blood to effuse into the sweat glands. The cause of hematidrosi

By Noralyn Onto Dudt "THEY HEARD  the sound of the Lord GOD walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord GOD among the trees of the garden. But the Lord GOD called the man and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." Then the Lord GOD said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said,  "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." The man and the woman whom we now know as Adam and Eve were actually hiding from the One who had created them and placed them in that garden, the One who had been visiting them in the time "of th

By Noralyn Dudt SUGAR—we all love the sweet white stuff: in our coffee and other beverages, in cakes and cookies, even in spaghetti sauce.  While the body uses sugar for energy, excessive amounts can be damaging.  As sugar travels through your bloodstream to your cells, it's called blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. The term glucose is derived from the Greek for sweet. blood glucose is crucial for bodily functions  and provides a source of energy for most cells. However, maintaining normal blood glucose levels is an important part of avoiding long-term health issues, managing weight and supporting overall well-being. An unbalanced sugar intake can start a cycle of blood sugar imbalance. An "enseymada"  (sweet roll) in the morning breaks down into glucose, spiking blood sugar levels. The pancreas releases insulin which drops blood sugar levels. A rapid rise and rapid drop in blood sugar levels can cause fatigue, and signal the release of cortisol, a stress horm

By Noralyn Dudt THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM,   a vital part of the immune system is a network of organs, vessels and tissues that work together to move a colorless, watery fluid (lymph) back into the circulatory system ( the bloodstream). After the skin, the LS is the second line of defense against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. Not only it   blocks bacteria from entering the body, it can also remove those harmful ones that evaded the blocking. In addition, the LS removes excess fluids from the body and reduces swelling/inflammation. When the lymphatic system cannot sufficiently drain the lymph fluid,   swelling occurs, most often in the arms and legs. The protein molecules that are not filtered out start to accumulate underneath the skin. This is the earliest sign of lymphedema. The symptoms develop slowly. In fact the apparent symptom of swelling will not be present yet. Even though the limb looks presumably normal on the outside, the extra water will pull into the a

Paset ti panagbiagko dagiti n apateg a bambanag a napukawko iti Hawaii a nabukelko iti kinasiak kabayatan nga addaak sadiay iti aganay a 52 a tawen. Nakail-ilala la unay kaniak gapu ta isuda ti nangrugiak, isuda ti namagbalin a pakabuklan a paset ti kinataok, propesion, trabaho ken iti komunidad a pakaibilangan ti Lions Club International, GUMIL Hawai, GUMIL Oahu, Timpuyog, Oahu Filipino Community Council, United Filipino Council of Hawaii, Order of Knights of Rizal, Annak Ti Sinait Iti Hawaii, Vigan Association of Hawaii & Associates, Honolulu Fil-Am Lions Club; Hawaii Fil-Am Media Council, Laoag City Circle, DWCLCAAH, Tri Media Council,  Leeward Oahu Lions Club, Hawaii Lions Club, District 50;  Filipino Fiesta, Sinait Alumni Association of Hawaii, Ewa Neighborhood  Board, Friends of Ewa,  Ilocos Sur International Association and Foundation, ken dadduma pay. Tagipatgek amin dagiti innak pannakipulapol kadagiti adu a gagayyem, ken dagiti padak a volunteers kadagiti nadumaduma a