The Ilocos Times

  Balangay award . Pagudpud Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito receives the Balangay Seal of Excellence Award as Drug-Cleared Municipality from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for being recognized as a Drug-Cleared Municipality. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of the LGU, law enforcement agencies, barangays, and the community in promoting a safer, healthier, and drug-free Pagudpud. (Photo courtesy of LGU Pagudpud)

  The  on-going cold storage project of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in this town. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—Town Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito expressed his “deepest thanks and gratitude” to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for granting the construction of an ice plant and cold storage and modern fish market in this town. Benemerito said Pagudpud is “so lucky” to these PHP100 million worth of projects as promised by the President. He said that the two projects would be of great help to the municipal fisher folks for the preservation of their caught fish with the help of the ice plant and cold storage facility. “Dakkkel to a tulong kadagiti agkalkalap tayo ta ngamin addan to pangidulinan da dagiti makalapan da ken tapnu saan a maperdi aglalo no tay kaadu na iti makalapan da. Ken kasta met tay pannakailaku da babaen to daytoy modern fish market,” Benemerito said. According to the mayor, the two projects will als...

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...

  Coconut week in Pagudpud . In celebration of the Coconut Week, the municipal government of Pagudpud, headed by mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito together with the CPA, PNP, the Army, different cooperatives, employees of the municipal government and farmers planted an initial 200 coconut seedlings of the total 18,000 seedlings at Brgy. Kaparispisan in this town.  (Photo courtesy of LGU-Pagudpud)

  Pagudpud Mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito and other municipal officials and department heads join the blessing of the newly acquired prime mover with boom crane of the Municipal Engineering and DRRM Office. The equipment is for the transport of heavy equipment and for rescue purposes for vehicles in road accidents. (Photo courtesy of LGU Pagudpud)

By Joni C. Luis ( Correspondent) Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—"Full, solid, 100 percent.” That is how Pagudpud Vice Mayor Matilde “Maja” H. Sales described her support for Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, who is running for the congressional seat of Ilocos Norte’s first district. Sales, who is aiming a return as Pagudpud mayor, said she believes that Marcos, with his educational background and exposure in Congress, is “ripe and ready” to represent the district. She added that having him as congressman will be very beneficial for the district, especially if his father, presidential frontliner Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., becomes the nation’s leader. “ Alam niyo naman, manipud idi , no matter what and against all odds, hindi talaga kami umaalis sa Marcos, kaya ikarigatanmi a tulungan isuna ,” said Sales who intimated that her association with the younger Marcos goes way back. Sandro himself has shared in previous media interviews that among his fondest memories grow...

PAGUDPUD  third term and consistent senior SB member Ferdinand Garvida formally announces his intention to run for mayor the coming 2022 local and national elections  (Doms Dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—A three-way fight for the chief executive post in this town looms in the coming elections next year. Three-termer and consistent senior Sangguniang Bayan member Ferdinand Garvida disclosed his intention to run for mayor in the upcoming election. “ Saan a mailingeden appo ta agradwarak met ngaminen ket ti unus iti tallo a pinag konsehal ko, siyak latta iti nagbalin a number one kas resulta iti pinangay-ayat dagiti tao kaniyak ,” Garvida stressed. He said his family has already decided for him to run for mayor. His family includes his sister Pagudpud Liga ng mga Barangay president and Sangguniang Bayan ex-officio member Maricel Garvida, who will be his running mate. He likewise added that he has already formed his lin...

BACK INTO THE SEA. Sea turtles find their way home after their accidental capture by a fishing gear on Feb. 25, 2021. The female Olive Ridley turtles weighed approximately eight to 10.5 kilos each. ( Photo courtesy of Raymond Sesuca) By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—Three more female green sea turtles, weighing approximately eight to 10.5 kilos each, were found and rescued at Ayoyo Cove along Brgy. Caparispisan, this town on Feb. 25, 2021. The village hosts an 81-megawatt wind farm covering a 625-hectare forest reserve. At around 6:30 am, local fishermen said their fishing gear accidentally captured the reptiles, prompting them to call the attention of barangay officials and volunteers of the Pagudpud Pawikan Conservation Group patrolling the shoreline for possible nesting and hatching events during this time of turtle migration period. Raymond Sesuca, a volunteer of the said group and corporate social responsibility (CSR) ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte—Coastal villagers at Brgy. Caparispisan, this town, cheered with glee as they watched a female green sea turtle measuring 102 centimeters long and 97 centimeters wide crawl its way to the sea on Jan. 14, 2021. Henelyn Alterado, president of the lifeguard association in this town said in a phone interview that a fisherman spotted the green sea turtle nestling in a beach front owned by the family of Pagudpud mayor Rafael Benemerito at about 3:00 am on Jan. 14, 2021. "The fisherman immediately reported what he saw to a village chief tanod and relayed it immediately to local authorities,” said Alterado who is also an active member of the Pagudpud Pawikan Conservation Group. Following the conduct of a training on Pawikan conservation, Alterado said more and more villagers are now becoming more aware of their responsibilities towards nature particularly on saving these endangered species. Since November last year,...

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—Owing to massive river siltation and soil erosion in this town, Pagudpud mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito sought the help of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reconsider the grant of gratuitous permit to the local government unit in order to extract quarry resources from the silted rivers at Brgys. Dampig, Saguigui, Pancian, Pasaleng, Burayoc and Caparispisan. The mayor likewise urged local communities to support the DENR’s greening program as part of mitigating the impact of climate change and help preserved the town’s remaining forest cover. In October, this year, Mr. Benemerito was accused of illegal quarrying in his town, prompting members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to recommend to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc to revoke the municipality’s gratuitous permit for violations of its terms and conditions. Based on the investigation report of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan,...

  By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—A beach resort at Brgy.   Burayoc in this town was officially opened on Sept. 30, 2020 to temporary house former drug dependents. In a simple program during the opening and blessing of the “Kanlungan ni Kuya”, a two-story building with a beach front, overlooking the West Philippine Sea,   Pagudpud mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito II hopes the facility will be put into good use through the active participation of the 36 former drug surrenderers who will be housed in the area for at least 30 days under the watch of the local government unit and the Philippine National Police in Pagudpud town. “I hope that they will become productive during their stay here as guests,” he said. The “Bahay Silangan”, locally known as “Kanlungan ni Kuya" is a reformation center for Pagudpud residents who had been victims of drug abuse. The program offers values formation and livelihood opportunities which are meant to ...

DepEd Ilocos Norte Superintendent Vilma D. Eda, NLREC CSR manager Maria Meliza Principe and YGOAL representative Irineo Demecais Jr. during the MOU signing for Learning Laboratory at a hotel in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.    (Cherry Joy D. Garma) By Cherry Joy D. Garma Contributor LAOAG CITY— To foster environment-friendly schoolchildren in Ilocos Norte, the North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp. (NLREC) in partnership with the Department of Education in Ilocos Norte have established a learning laboratory in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. The laboratory hub, located at the Caparispisan wind power plant will benefit at least 12 elementary schools under the supervision of the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte (SDOIN), and other host communities of NLREC. During the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 31, 2019, DepEd-Ilocos Norte superintendent Vilma D. Eda expressed support to the project as the division also advocates environmental protection i...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Retired Philippine Air Force Col. Ricardo Nolasco Jr., owner of Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte passed away on Wednesday evening, July 11, 2018. He was 67. “He did not survive an open-heart surgery,” said Ronald Dominguez, spokesperson of the largest resort at Brgy. Balaoi in Pagudpud. Known as the architect behind the transformation of Pagudpud town as a premiere destination of the north, Mr. Nolasco put up Hannah’s Beach Resort in what was originally meant as a family vacation resort. The rest is history when it expanded into more than 300-room executive villas and cabanas, with on-going infrastructure developments and set up various amenities. As a result, hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists visit here daily. The resort is on a cliff by the beach, which provides a spectacular view of the sparkling blue lagoon. “Yesterday will go down my lifeline as one ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—Silid Aralan Inc. (SAI), a non-profit organization that reaches out to the academically-challenged public school students in the country is partnering with Pagudpud Central Elementary School (PCES) to strengthen the reading literacy of low-performing learners here. Targeting some 100 learners from the Pagudpud Central Elementary School (PCES), Richard Riveral, PCES principal II said they will establish a learning hub will in the said school primarily to cater to these students. Last May, he said they conducted an intensive reading assessment among grades 1 and 2 PCES pupils and selected at least 100 out of the nearly 200 pupils in the pre-assessment. Among those who will undergo the program was grade 2 pupil Anxiel Marie Guiamsay. “ Nagbasa ken naganserkami. Adda narigat ken adda met nalaka ,” she said saying the new learning hub is a welcome development for her. Under the “Ground Zero Program”, an en...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—To mark the end of plastic free July campaign, resort owners in this town called on volunteers to join a beach clean-up activity on July 28, 2018. In a public statement, organizers said they will conduct a morning walk and clean-up drive at Saud beach here. They added the Habagat (monsoon) winds over the past few weeks may had blown debris and plastic wastes in the shoreline which needed to be removed particularly on the northern end of the cove. Meanwhile, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc proposed a “plastic-free” Ilocos Norte in a Dept. of Environment Natural Resources event. “Our province turned 200 years old this year. In this new century, let us turn over a new, greener leaf,” urged Mr. Manotoc at the 31 st Founding Anniversary Culmination Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on July 6, 2018 at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, Laoag Cit...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here shuttered at least 20 homestays for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act. Pagudpud mayor Marlon Sales confirmed this as he reported that they formed a joint inspection team from the local government unit and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to closely monitor the implementation of the Clean Water Act and other related local ordinances. Specifically, Mr. Sales said they found some homestay establishments which are directing their kitchen wastes to the sea. “Let’s help make Pagudpud clean. This is for all of us to ensure a sustainable tourism and environment,” Mr. Sales said citing these homestay establishments and restaurants will not be able to operate again if they will not comply with the provisions of the law. Depending on the gravity of the offense, said the local government closed tourism establishments ranging from 15 to 30 days. The LGU gave t...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—The largest resort in this town vows to lead the way in ensuring clean and sustainable tourism. “It’s a lesson learned to all of us in the tourism industry. We need to create a new order for tourism. One that is environment-friendly and sustainable in the years to come,” said retired Philippine Air Force Col. Ricardo Nolasco, proprietor of a Pagudpud resort. To strengthen its eco-tourism advocacy, the resort is on the forefront of organizing world-class beauty pageants which primarily aims to develop men and women who make it to their mission to help others change their habits for the good of the planet. Referring to the temporary closure of Boracay island as a sad event in the country’s tourism industry, Mr. Nolasco said all other tourism stakeholders need to develop and strengthen it without disregarding the environment.   “Generally, it is sad note for Philippine tourism, baka isipin nila lahat...

Vira Vira Rural Waterworks and Sanitation Association, Incorporated (RWSAI) is presently serving more than 6,000 residents of Brgys. Subec, Saguigui, Baduang, Burayoc and Saud in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Vira Vira Rural Waterworks and Sanitation Association, Incorporated (RWSAI) is looking into the possibility of expanding its area of operations in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Jojo V. Constantino, Vira Vira general manager, said they are presently supplying potable water in Brgys. Subec, Saguigui, Baduang, Burayoc and Saud, all in Pagudpud. “We would like also to extend our services to Brgys. Caparispisan and Poblacion Dos,” said Mr. Constantino. In the late 80’s, Vira Vira was established through the assistance of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the water and sanitation program of the World Bank. The local government unit and barangay residents also gave their equity for the startup operations of the water system. Alex L. Malapit, Vira Vira R...