The Ilocos Times

Zero waste management is an approach that aims to minimize the amount of waste generated and sent to landfills or incinerators by promoting waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. Proper waste segregation is a fundamental step in zero waste management, as it allows for the efficient sorting of waste materials to facilitate recycling and composting processes. Here are the steps involved in zero waste management relative to waste segregation, from collecting waste to recycling to proper waste disposal:   Waste Collection The first step in zero waste management is the collection of waste from households, businesses, and public areas. Waste collection systems should be organized to ensure that different types of waste are collected separately to facilitate segregation at the source.   Waste Segregation Waste segregation involves sorting waste into different categories based on their composition and recyclability. Common segregation categories include biodegradable

“BEHOLD, the hour cometh, and it is now come, that you shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (Jn 16,32) These words of Christ should remind us of what to expect when we truly follow him. We can expect to be misunderstood and abandoned, and yet we should never feel alone because, as Christ said of himself which can also be said of us if we follow him, we can never be alone, because the Father will always be with us. We just have to train our human faculties—our intelligence and will, our emotions, memory and imagination, etc.—to align themselves to this truth of our faith. Let’s remember that we are not meant to be guided only by our natural powers. Given the way God wants us to be, we should be guided by God’s supernatural powers—the faith he shares with us, and the many graces and blessings he gives us. When we feel alone, we have to convince ourselves that we are not with God, and thus, should

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), and

RAINY SEASON. Trike drivers in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte make their way through a flooded street along Paco Roman Street on May 29, 2024. The public is warned to brace for the rainy season. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte provincial government is now bracing for La Niña, urging all local government units (LGUs) to brace for higher rainfall and the upcoming typhoon season. “Let us make sure our waterways are clear, all equipment is available—our generator sets, boats, and search and rescue. We have to be ready when the time comes,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc said during a meeting with department heads at the Provincial Capitol. He directed concerned personnel of the local disaster risk reduction and management councils at the provincial and municipal levels to take a proactive role in minimizing the effect of typhoons as well as La Niña. Based on the latest advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

It is truly unfortunate to hear about the persistent flood problems in Laoag City despite various efforts to address the issue. Dealing with such a complex and long-standing problem requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond merely constructing canals. Here are some possible reasons why the flood problem in Laoag City has not been effectively addressed:   Inadequate planning The focus on individual canal construction projects without a comprehensive master plan could be a significant factor contributing to the ongoing flood issues. A lack of integrated planning can lead to disjointed efforts that fail to address the root causes of flooding.   Poor implementation and oversight If there are issues of corruption or mismanagement in the implementation of canal projects, it can result in substandard construction, ineffective maintenance, and ultimately, the failure to mitigate flooding effectively.   Climate change and urban development Factors such as rapid

By Noralyn Dudt & Aileen Tangonan MacAndrew DNA ( deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule that contains the genetic code that is unique to every individual. Think of this code as an instruction manual for making all the proteins that form our bodies and help them thrive. The information code in DNA is hereditary which means it passes from parent to child. Because of this inheritance,  DNA also determines our traits  including how we are shaped and how similar we look to our parents and even grandparents. These traits coded in DNA will always get passed on from generation to generation. The DNA that determines heritable traits is found in the nucleus of every single cell in our bodies. DNA is made up of two intertwined strands linked together by pairs of building blocks, known as bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Bases make up the rungs of the  DNA helix, the ladder-like double-stranded structure.  When a base joins the side of the ladder, a nucleotide is formed. When n

INEC acting general manager Cipriano Martinez Dingras , Ilocos Norte—The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) announced a five-year plan to upgrade its distribution system to solve perennial power outages in the province, which is expected to cost around PHP3 billion. The average daily electricity demand of the cooperative’s 183,000 members rose to 67 megawatts from 40 megawatts due to El Niño phenomenon, acting general manager Cipriano Martinez said in a press conference at the INEC main office in Dingras said. “Whatever it takes, we will do that (upgrading of the system) to become efficient in distribution,” Martinez said, citing the plan to take out a loan from the National Electrification Administration (NEA). Engineer Jenner Pablo, INEC Construction, Operation and Maintenance Division manager, said at least three of their substations are nearly reaching 100 percent capacity and the other transformers are overloaded, hence, the need to make some adjustments to address the