The Ilocos Times

By  Noralyn Onto Dudt "I SHALL RETURN," which was General Douglas MacArthur's personal quest became almost synonymous with the war in the Pacific. And returned he did on Oct. 20, 1944. The whole world watched as he triumphantly waded ashore with his men in the province of Leyte, and in the following months liberated the rest of the Philippines. General Douglas McArthur, a larger-than-life figure was the American general who presided over the Japanese surrender on board the USS Missouri, bringing an end to World War ll.   It had not been an easy ride. The   US Pacific Fleet in the Philippines had been caught unprepared   on Dec. 8, 1941, just 10 hours after the Pearl Harbor attack and was almost obliterated. It was such a desperate situation that MacArthur and his men had to retreat to the Island of Corregidor, at the entrance of   Manila Bay. The US Army's   Pacific Fleet in the Philippines, lacking air cover as its airplanes were all destroyed in a blitzkrieg by

  With one of the world’s longest quarantines, Filipinos are already experiencing “protocol fatigue,” which makes them more lenient about hygiene habits and puts them at risk of infection. Procter & Gamble’s Safeguard is stepping in to remind and reinforce the importance of proper handwashing through the SAFEWash movement. With the current increase in cases in the country, the brand is even more committed to becoming a force for good for all Filipinos who are put at risk every day.   SAFEWash Program Extends Help Nationwide To help protect Filipinos from the threats of germs and illnesses, P&G and Safeguard ramp up its SAFEWash movement by donating a total of over Php 100 million worth of support. Launched last year, the SAFEWash movement enables organizations and individuals to work together to promote proper handwashing. On top of this, Safeguard is helping to rebuild handwashing facilities and provide hygiene kits for the Philippine General Hospital, currently hous

Heads and officers of Green Antz Builders and the Ayala Corporation with Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Marcos-Araneta and Piddig Mayor Eddie Guillen lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ilocos Norte Eco Hub located at Brgy. Tonoton in Piddig, Ilocos Norte. ( Green Antz Builders photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Piddig , Ilocos Norte—First in Ilocos. The Green Antz Builders and the Ayala Renewable Energy Corporation in cooperation with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte and the municipal government of Piddig launched the first EcoHub recycling facility, dubbed as Green Antz Ilocos Norte EcoHub, with the ground breaking ceremony held at Sitio Bato, Brgy. 6 Tonoton in Piddig, Ilocos Norte on July 30, 2021. The “eco-friendly project” aims to convert plastic wastes into hollow blocks and bricks for construction purposes. Piddig Mayor Eddie Guillen thanked the two big companies as this project is part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Ilo

By Noralyn Onto Dudt "Is it ever going to end?" This has been the central question of late. Obsessively pondering covid's endgame can be dangerous to your mental   health. Pandemics do end as history tells us. But many pandemics become endemic, meaning they morph into something that is no longer an emergency, but rather an annoyance, an ugly even painful fact of life that people simply learn to cope with, like the flu or common cold. Malaria, a mosquito-borne life-threatening   disease is still around but curable.   In 1980 the World Health Organization triumphantly declared that due to aggressive global vaccination programs, the dreaded disease smallpox had been eradicated. With several Corona variants that have been popping up, the question is when and how do we get to that point. Some of the world's most prominent epidemiologists and public health experts say we are already there. "The emergency phase of the disease is over," said a well-known prof

  By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Piddig , Ilocos Norte—"What we did was like hitting two birds with one stone”, Piddig Mayor Eduardo “Eddie” G. Guillen said in their effort to help his constituents as the pandemic rages and to help local hog raisers as the African swine fever now also threatens the province. “ Ta ngamin ginatang mi dagitay baboy dagiti kailian min ta awan met aggatangen tapnu matulungan mi isuda a mai- dispose and at the same time matulungan mi pay dagiti kakailian mi ta maparti dagitoy ket maibunong para kadagiti amin nga households ti ili a Piddig,” Guillen explained. The mayor also disclosed that he is monitoring with the Provincial Veterinary Office on the ASF situation in his town and their neighboring areas. He added that since Piddig is ASF-free, he decided to help local hog raisers here by buying their hogs and adding them to relief packs, which they also distributed to local residents. Aside from the pork meat, each household wil

Oscar-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Charlize Theron   The Philippine Digital Convention (PH Digicon) 2021 will feature Oscar-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Charlize Theron. As the celebrity headline speaker, Ms. Theron will speak about her personal experiences in different facets of life, including relevant issues in the business industry such as women’s empowerment. This October, PLDT—through its B2B arm PLDT Enterprise—will hold the most prestigious thought leadership event in the country. With the theme “REVOLUTION,” the event seeks to encourage businesses to embrace revolutionary change and explore possibilities to stay ahead in the dynamic business landscape. In its seventh iteration, the annual convention will feature Ms. Theron, her thoughts on empowering women entrepreneurs and executives in male-dominated industries, and fostering gender equality and economic empowerment, among others.   The award-winning actress founded Denver and Delilah P

Senator Imee Marcos said the country should prepare for a worst-case scenario wherein herd immunity could no longer be attained. “Herd immunity remains theoretical and has become a moving target. Last year it was 70% of the population, today it’s 90%, but tomorrow it may well be out of range,” Marcos said. “With booster shots already in high demand, even as first doses have yet to reach populations in less developed countries, will vaccine manufacturers be able to provide?” Marcos asked. Besides precarious global vaccine supply, Marcos added that breakthrough infections among the vaccinated, the emergence of more variants, the uncertain length of vaccine efficacy, and the possible reduction of healthcare capacities due to hospital shutdowns and worker protests are also among the factors that make attaining herd immunity seem unlikely. “I’d rather be the bearer of bad news than of false hope. The fact is, pandemic control worldwide has become a Sisyphean struggle,” Marcos added