The Ilocos Times

There is a social dilemma in many places that needs an immediate solution. I am here to offer a solution, and I hope that the civil society will listen. The problem is that not all indigenous communities are able to qualify for Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) and because of that, they do not have places that they could occupy to live on, and to derive their livelihoods from. In the meantime, there are plenty of vacant lands around them that are owned by the government, but they could not apply for titles to these lands, because they do not have the proper historical claims to these areas. The solution is right there underneath our noses, but we have not thought of it, because it simply did not occur to us. According to the laws, any natural or juridical person for an Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA), or any other similar government program under the DENR. What that means is that any indigenous community that has registered an association of any kind coul

The history of the Philippines, especially during the periods of colonization and occupation by various foreign powers, has indeed shaped the country's cultural, social, political, and economic landscape in significant ways. Spanish Occupation The more than 300 years of Spanish colonization deeply influenced Philippine culture and values. The Spanish introduced Christianity, which remains a dominant religion in the country. They also left a lasting impact on language, architecture, and governance systems.   Japanese Occupation The Japanese occupation during World War II was a period of great hardship for Filipinos. The brutality of the Japanese occupation left a scar on the national psyche and resulted in significant loss of life and destruction.   American Colonial Period The American period brought significant changes to the Philippines, including the establishment of a public education system, the introduction of democratic institutions, and the development of

CHRIST was quite clear about this point. In the gospel of St. Matthew which is the gospel reading for the Mass on Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time, Christ said: “You have heard that it was said to them of old—Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt 5,27-28) To be able to live this real chastity as articulated by Christ, we really need to fully give our mind and heart to Christ, something that can only take place when aside from our earnest effort to live this virtue, we would first of all ask for God’s grace. We need to submit our animal self, i.e., our flesh, to the law of the spirit that is properly animated by the spirit of Christ. We should not just allow our flesh to work simply by its biological and corporeal laws that are surely erratic in their ways due to our wounded condition. We need to “educate” it, giving it its proper formation, so to sp

HISTORICAL MARKER. Representatives of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Museum of the Philippines as well as Laoag City officials unveil on Monday (June 17, 2024) a historical marker of the Spanish-era watchtower of Gabu. The watchtower is one of the last remaining watchtowers in the country recognized as a national cultural treasure on December 17, 2020. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie Adriano LAOAG CITY – Officials and residents here witnessed the unveiling of a new marker of the Spanish-era watchtower located at Sitio Torre, Brgy. 35, Gabu Sur this city. Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon said the marker would serve as a reminder to preserve the city’s history for the next generation. “The Gabu Sur watchtower built during the Spanish colonial period and used as an outpost for sentinels tasked to warn residents of pirate attacks now stands tall as a symbol of resilience and strength, overlooking our lands with a silent grace that speaks volumes about our pas

City of Batac —Mariano Marcos State University’s research and development initiatives is now acknowledged international after it bagged the Gold Award under the Pharma Category for its Black Garlic product. Spearheaded by MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis, before she became university president, and commercialized by BauerTek Farmaceutical Technologies Corp, Black Garlic secured the said award during the E-NNOVATE International Invention & Innovation Summit, held May 16-18, 2024 at Krakow, Poland. MMSU’s industry partner, BauerTek, and inventors Richard and Rigel Gomez, assisted in the black garlic’s conversion from a research experiment into a full-blown commercial product. The packaged black garlic is aimed at helping patients with nerve disorders and certain forms of cancer. E-NNOVATE is an annual event supported by the Polish government in partnership with the International Federation of Inventors Associations. This year’s summit featured more than 200 entries from 25 cou

RIVER DREDGING. A dredging operator at the mouth of the Bislak River in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte in this undated photo. Dredging activities are ongoing to anticipate heavy rains this rainy season, a local official said. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie Adriano & Dominic B. dela Cruz LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte’s provincial government is lending its backhoe, excavator, and other equipment to towns and barangays in the province to hasten the desilting of rivers and creeks in anticipation of heavy rainfall that could trigger flash floods in low-lying areas. Marcel Tabije, local disaster risk reduction and management officer of Ilocos Norte reported that the desilting of waterways is ongoing in the flood-prone areas of Paoay, Pinili, Badoc, and Pagudpud towns. “We are declogging these waterways in anticipation of heavy rains and bring back their depth to prevent overflow that inundates nearby communities,” Tabije said. Aside from lending equipment, the provincial government’s implementati

I am proposing to build an Urban Forest Park (UFP) inside the Diliman, Quezon City campus of the University of the Philippines. I am hoping that if it becomes successful, it can become the showcase for my advocacy to build new growth forests in all urban areas all over the Philippines. It may sound ambitious, but do not worry because we have all the time to make it happen. Probably, it will take at least 20 years to grow. The proposed urban forest will be planted with native trees, and only native trees. However, it could also be planted with vegetables and other high value crops, in connection with my secondary goal of also building a food forest. Yes, the primary goal is to help combat global warming, but the secondary goal is to contribute to food security. Even if my goal is to build urban forests, the showcase in Diliman could also become the prototype for beach forests in coastal areas, and rain forests in mountain areas. The latter could take hundreds of years to build, but