The Ilocos Times

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful ally in exposing corruption, but without integrity, accountability, and political will, it will never be enough. This was the central message of experts and former public officials at the 11th Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) as part of the 23rd Development Policy Research Month (DPRM). Plenary Session 3, titled “AI-Augmented Fight Against Corruption,” highlighted both the promise and perils of AI in governance. Speakers agreed that algorithms may detect patterns of fraud and misuse, but only human integrity and strong institutions can effectively close the loop on accountability.   Promise and limits of AI tools Dr . Jacopo Costa, Senior Specialist at the Basel Institute on Governance , described AI as both a frontier and a warning. He explained that AI’s real strength lies in processing large volumes of data, detecting hidden patterns, and helpin...

By Noralyn O. Dudt NO MASKS REQUIREMENTS   in public schools   was legislated and executed   by Republican officials   in Iowa, Arkansas,   Arizona, Utah, Texas, Montana,   Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina during the thick of the COVID-19 epidemic.   It was a shocking declaration that   prevented   local governments and school districts from mandating the wearing of masks. It was an executive action that no one expected   as thousands were already dying from the virus   by the   day   and many of the dead   awaiting burials were kept in refrigerated trucks. Indeed a legislation that seemed incomprehensible until we pause to think and ask ourselves, was this one of the   features of "individual liberty" that Republicans espoused? Other issues like gun violence in public schools and other public places want us to scream , "enough is enough,"   let us enact stricter gun laws. But these are cries that have...

AFTER  25 years in service, retired policeman Ritchie Tenegra ventured into poultry farming, and through LANDBANK’s support, now contributes to enhancing food security for the local community. LEON, Iloilo—From his sworn oath to ‘serve and protect’ the community for 25 years as a dedicated police officer, Ritchie Tenegra shifted his focus towards an equally meaningful purpose: food security. He has since embraced retirement by pursuing his other passion of poultry farming, and is now one of the reliable food suppliers in this town. At a young age, Ritchie saw the potential of animal farming through his parents who owned a piggery. He later followed their footsteps and established his own small piggery in his backyard in 2010 as an additional source of income to support his family. While still in the police force, he had limited capital to start his piggery operations. So Ritchie applied to be a beneficiary of the Swine Dispersal Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), ...

By Noralyn Dudt "THE FIRST NOEL, the angels did say. Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay."   And so the song goes...    TWO THOUSAND and 23 years ago, in a little-known place called Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to a group of shepherds.   What a glorious sight it must have been ! ( from our perspective now that we know what   happened next) But for the startled shepherds, it was a   scary sight.   The Bible says they were terrified. "Fear not," the angel said to them. "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you, He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:9-12 Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth Peace to those on whom His favor rests...

By Noralyn O. Dudt About 18 years ago, I went through a medical procedure known as endoscopy. It's a procedure that enables a gastroenterologist to look into the inside of the stomach without making an incision using   a medical device called endoscope. Endoscopy is derived   from the Greek words "endon", which   means 'in or within'   and scope which means to 'see'. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing and is inserted into the body through the mouth. The tiny video camera on its tip enables doctors to view the internal parts of the stomach and the esophagus. As I was burping more than the normal, the gastroenterologist wanted to check   if my sphincter had   become loose. A sphincter is a ring of muscle at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach whose function is to prevent reflux of food and acid from the stomach into the esophagus.   If the sphincter does not close properly, food and liquid can mo...

  By Noralyn O. Dudt In 279 BC, King Pyrrhus of Epirus (an ancient state in Greece) defeated the Roman legions in the Battle of Asculum. Although he was the victor, he lost many of his Macedonian troops including his commanders and his friends, a toll so devastating that it was tantamount to defeat.   A "pyrrhic victory"   it was. Pyrrhic victory is a phrase that may not be familiar to many.   The term is used as an analogy in business, politics and sport to describe struggles that end up ruining the victor. It's a victory that comes at a great cost. The losses are so high and heavy   that they outweigh the gain   so as to render the struggle not worth the cost. It's a triumph that negates any true sense of achievement and ultimately   damages long-term progress. The journal, "The Military Engineer" explains that regardless of what happened with the landmark battle,   King Pyrrhus was a brilliant historical example   of hard-won, hard-...

( Second of three parts ) By Noralyn Dudt No, democracy has not died.   While it's flawed and failing in many parts of the world, it has been going strong in places like Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany,   New Zealand, Canada and several others.   While there are other nations that rank high on the scale like Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, I would like to focus on just   four at this time—ones that I am most familiar with as I have met and known people from these nationalities. As I have mentioned in my recent article, the EIU has given high ratings to Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Just what makes these countries unique? Geography? They are all in northern Europe—the Nordics they are called. Religious background?   Eighty-five to 95% of their population are of the Lutheran faith. Monarchy? Yes, except for Germany, they have kings and queens but no longer ruled by them. Again, It might be difficult to gauge just how these factors influenc...

By Noralyn Dudt BASI, the Ilokano alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane juice that is fermented   and aged in a “burnay”,—a traditional earthenware—has been an integral part of the Ilokano culture even in pre-Spanish times. In his study on the “Basi Revolt”, researcher Jayson Antonio suggested that during those times basi “was one of the few—and free—pleasures in life available to the masses." They drank it after a day of hard work in the fields, they drank it when celebrating the birth of a child, they drank it to toast a couple getting married, and they drank basi in a ritualistic ablution after a funeral. From childbirth to marriage and   to death, it was part of their ritual,   tradition, and daily life. Commercial basi is produced by first crushing sugarcane and extracting the juice. The juice is then boiled in vats and then stored in earthen jars. Once the juice has cooled, flavorings made of ground glutinous rice and duhat (plum-like fruit in the tropics)...

By Noralyn Dudt Now that a big chunk of the world population has had at least two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, scientists are focused   on designing a vaccine that is broadly protective and would last a long time. A tetanus-like shot is now the goal. The tetanus vaccine that my physician jabs into my arm every 10 years was designed to last 10 years. And now it's a scientist's dream to develop a vaccine for the Coronavirus that would last 10 years. The National Institutes of Health having taken that into account, awarded US$36 million to scientific teams last fall who were trying to answer basic questions that would lead to a breakthrough.   At a minimum, the world needs a truly variant-proof vaccines. Even better would be a vaccine that would stop a future pandemic—protection against a yet-unknown coronavirus. The first versions of coronavirus vaccines were powerful. From the virus that emerged in 2019, spiky proteins were taken from their surface and were tweaked to...