The Ilocos Times

By Noralyn Dudt The adage “ROME wasn't built in a day” attests to the need for time, and patience   to create great and impressive things. It's a rather unique expression that functions as an injunction or plea for someone to be patient. Magnificent structures and transformative elements require serious thought and great planning. They can't be built overnight. They can be decades and even centuries in the making. As the capital of the great Roman Empire, Rome was renowned for its architectural beauty, parks, gardens and fountains. Historians, poets, essayists    refer to it as "The Grandeur that was Rome."   Rome had scale and opulence that was unprecedented.   Thus, the proverb,   "Rome...."   is a metaphor for excellence of the highest order.   The English playwright, John Heywood's wrote   that "Rome wasn't built in a day....but they were laying bricks every hour"   is a reminder of the fact that it requires time and patience

By Noralyn Dudt It was on April 30, 1898 when the verdant coastline of Cape Bolinao came into view for the U.S. Navy Asiatic squadron under the command of Commodore George Dewey. Cruising southward along Cape Bolinao, the ship's doctor wrote, "poet or painter never pictured a lovelier scene" as he watched the 'Edenic' country slip past in the afternoon light. He probably wished that he and his shipmates would stop even just a while to admire such a view after having sailed the 560-mile voyage from Hongkong. But it was not for the views they have been sailing.   It was to reach Manila Bay and locate the Spanish Pacific fleet under the command of Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron. Dewey's line of ships slipped into Manila Bay during the early morning hours of May 1, 1898. As they approached the bay, they found   no sign of the Spanish fleet. However, Dewey had an inkling where they could be. The main ship Olympia turned to her right, paralleling the coastl

Imagine a "pabuniag," ( baptism) a "pakasar," (wedding) or a "pamunpon" (funeral) and several Manongs are missing. "Where's Manong Jose, Manong Pedring, Manong Ben, Manong Damian," everyone asks. Who were the Manongs, what were they, and where did they come from? The term "Manong" comes from the Ilokano word for "elder brother" a term so endearing that denotes respect, yet loaded with familial responsibilities. In the old days, the "manongs and the manangs" of the family carried the responsibility of assisting their parents in providing   the needs of their younger siblings even after they got married and had families of their own. It was quite a responsibility in a place called the Ilocos region where arable land was scant, a narrow strip of land wedged between the mountains and the sea. It's a place unlike Central Luzon and the Visayas where large tracts of land called "hacienda" or plantations

OUR ADDICTION to our chairs and sofas isn't just hurting us, it's literally killing us. The problem is so profound that it has spawned the meme, "sitting is the new smoking." It's a meme that the National Institutes of Health does not recommend as it promulgates direct comparisons of the health consequences of sitting and smoking. But  the threat of prolonged sitting  to our health and survival does exist and  the more so because it's able to hide in plain sight. Sitting passively on the chair or on the sofa is assumed to be our normal resting position and until results of  these research studies came out, we were in the dark about the harmful health consequences of our "addiction." A great number of research studies by Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health and other prestigious research centers has linked prolonged sitting or other sedentary behavior to diabetes, poor heart health, weight gain, depression, dementia, and multiple cancers. These studies sho

By Noralyn Dudt "MUCH ADO about nothing" I can almost hear William Shakespeare uttering the phrase as I attempt to write about him and his plays. But before I go on, let me say a bit about the play   "Much ado about nothing." It's a light-hearted comedy that was probably   written in 1598 and 1599—a smart   guess that was   obtained from written records indicating that the play was premiered in 1600.   The play is laden with humor but   darker themes of dishonor, death and deceit run beneath that humor. The word   "ado" is synonymous to a heightened concern, worry or excitement that is unnecessary or greater than the situation. It's basically fussing about something inconsequential. The following paragraphs however are not about "nothing" at all. There are numerous lessons to be learned from Shakespeare's writings. William Shakespeare known as the 'Bard of Avon' in his lifetime, was a poet, a playwright, and an actor. Alth

Laoag City —In a bid to enhance the firefighting capabilities and response readiness in Ilocos Norte, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has turned over 11 newly-acquired fire trucks to the province on July 17, 2023. The towns of Bacarra, Badoc, Bangui, Currimao, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Sarrat, Vintar, and the cities of Batac and Laoag were the recipients of the new firefighting vehicles. "These fire trucks will undoubtedly bolster our firefighting capabilities. Prevention remains to be the first defense against fire hazards," F/Chief Supt. Leonida Gumanab-Rosales, Regional Director of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Region 1 remarked. Over the past months, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc closely coordinated with DILG and BFP in assessing the capacity of Ilocos Norte’s component Local Government Units, requesting the provision of fire trucks to priority towns. During the turnover event, Manotoc expressed his gratitude to th

By Noralyn Dudt When people actively seek out opportunities to assist others in need, it's called volunteerism . Volunteers make considerable and continuing commitments to provide assistance,   and sustain these commitments over extended periods of time,   often at considerable personal cost. That's exactly what Alphonsus de Alban and his wife Kimberly did when they founded St. Philomena School Kids' Comfort Zone in 2008.   They and their co-founders were driven by a purpose to offer quality educational services to children with disabilities. The school started as a "pro-bono" private Special Education Center and because of the lack of facilities offering special education programs,   they then applied for permit to operate as a school. . Today, St. Philomena School is government- recognized,   accredited by the Department of Education and is a thriving institution catering to students with diverse needs like autism, ADHD, DS and intellectual disability,   as