The Ilocos Times

Bangui , Ilocos Norte—The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), in partnership with the Dept. of Health (DOH), conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a four-storey annex building at the Bangui District Hospital in this town on Aug. 18, 2024. Bangui District Hospital, currently a 25-bed secondary hospital under the management of PGIN, stands as the primary healthcare provider in the northern part of Ilocos Norte. A budget amounting to PHP74 million from the General Appropriations Act of 2023-2024, through the DOH hospital enhancement project, has been allocated to upgrade the hospital from Level 1 to Level 2. The provincial government, under the leadership of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc, continues to develop projects that aim to strengthen the healthcare system of the province to cater to the increasing medical demands of every Ilokano. "Today is another milestone in achieving the Level 2 status na gusto natin for Bangui Dis

By Noralyn O. Dudt AMERICA's electoral system has long baffled the world. A relic of another time, the Electoral College distorts results of the presidential election and thwarts the will of the people. Hillary   Clinton received almost three million votes more than Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election but still lost. During the 2000 presidential election, George W. Bush had fewer popular votes than Al Gore, but the electoral votes in Florida made Bush the winner.   There were three other occasions between 1960 and 1996—all because of an “antiquated” electoral process called the Electoral College.   Some experts have defended it, saying the process gives voice to less populated states. So, what is the Electoral College? The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It was created by the framers of the US Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress. How to elect their president was among the thorny questions debated by

Senator Imee R. Marcos expressed increased optimism for the passage of her legislative measure since 2022 seeking a fixed six-year term for barangay officials, now that a counterpart bill has been filed at the House of Representatives. On Aug. 16, 2022, Marcos filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1195, which seeks to extend to six years the term of office of barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), amending Section 43 (c) of “The Local Government Code of 1991” (Republic Act No. 7160). On April 8, 2024, she filed SBN 2629, proposing a fixed six-year term for barangay officials. The proposed measure limits barangay officials to serve only two consecutive terms in the same position. “ Marami pong salamat sa mga kongresista na nakarinig sa aking panukalang batas na habaan ang termino ng mga barangay officials. Huli man sila, malaking tulong pa rin . Thank you po ,” the senator said, referring to House Bill No. 10747, filed at the [House] on Aug. 12, 2024. “ Matapos

Laoag City —Magdalena G. Gamayo, an Ilokana master weaver and a national living treasure from Pinili town in Ilocos Norte, celebrated her 100 th   birthday on Aug. 13, 2024. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of the Philippines, in partnership with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), organized an event at the Plaza Del Norte in Paoay to celebrate and honor Gamayo's centennial birth. "Nana Daleng," as she is fondly called by her provincemates, is one of the country's most revered cultural icons and a living embodiment of Filipino artistry and tradition. She started weaving hand-spun threads into her exclusive patterns and intricate designs at 16, allowing her to master traditional Ilokano weaving with excellence. In 2012, she was conferred with Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan by the NCCA. At 100, she continues her passion and dedication by training hundreds of young Ilokano weavers, a testament to her commitment to preserving and ens

The nation has been under water stress since 2007, with current water availability ranging between 1,000 to 1,700 cubic meters per capita, according to the National Water Resource Board (NWRB). At a recent Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) forum hosted on the Socioeconomic Research Portal of the Philippines (SERP-P), one of the presenters highlighted this critical issue and urged immediate reforms to the country’s water laws. NWRB Water Rights Division Litigation and Adjudication head Atty. Rebyanne Giselle Diaz emphasized the need to reexamine how water is allocated. She believes that the current legal frameworks of the Philippines and water allocation systems may not be sufficient to cope with the increasing scarcity of water and the changing patterns of water use. “If the trajectory we want is to be able to do more with less, the law should support that effort and not directly oppose it,” Diaz said. She emphasized that the law needs to be more adaptable to mee

Hereunder is the reply of DPWH National Building Code Development Office OIC-Executive Director Atty. John Alexander S. Belderol dated Aug. 8, 2024 as regards the concern: “This has reference to the letter received by this Office on July 08, 2024 relative to the electronic mail sent by Mr. Ramon Ike V. Seneres dated July 07, 2024 regarding his article entitled "The Mathematics of Supplying Water". The document proposes a method addressing the challenges in meeting the rising demand for potable water in the Philippines and outlines various methods for water collection and filtration systems. Given the nature and scope of the topics discussed, the National Building Code Development Office (NBCDO), which specializes in building standards regulation, is not in a position to provide a detailed feedback on the issues presented, if any. Moreover, the aforementioned letter did not specify the intended purpose or objectives clearly, which are essential in fully understanding the

THAT gospel parable about a king who gave a wedding feast for his son (cfr. Mt 22,1-14) reminds us that we should be ready when God calls us to himself. In that parable, the king was frustrated because all those whom he invited refused to come. And so, he ordered his servants to call whoever they would meet in the highways and byways. Still, he expected that those who would come would at least be properly dressed. This means that we should truly be prepared for the eventual call and invitation that God would give us so we can be with him as he wants us to be. In this regard, we have to know how to “govern” our life such that at any time we would be ready for this eventuality. Yes, some art of good governance over our life should be learned. We just cannot be at the mercy of chance and fortune. We need to know and be constantly aware of the real and constant purpose of our life, and arrange our life in such a way that that purpose is always pursued. Just like in any serious busin