The Ilocos Times

  Laoag City —Demonstrating its continued dedication to providing equitable and convenient identification services, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Ilocos Norte Provincial Statistical Office (PSO) intensified its national ID (NID) registration operations, recording a total of 1,805 registrants across the province in May 2026. This accomplishment was achieved through the enhanced implementation of field registration activities, particularly through mobile registration efforts conducted in collaboration with various local government units (LGUs), especially in the cities of Laoag and Batac. These outreach initiatives enabled the PSO to bring NID services closer to residents, making registration more accessible to individuals who encounter difficulties traveling to Fixed Registration Centers (FRCs) because of geographical, physical, or economic barriers. As part of the province’s operational strategy, considerable manpower resources were allocated to LGU-led mobile reg...

Violence experienced at home and exclusion encountered in school can have lasting consequences on Filipino adolescents’ education, well-being, and future opportunities, according to studies presented during the second session of the forum “Ugnayan: The Journey of Filipino Adolescents Across Past, Present, and Future”. Organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with support from the Australian Government, the session examined how childhood and adolescent experiences shape long-term development outcomes. Drawing from the Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Filipino Child (LCSFC), PIDS researchers found that children exposed to parental violence were significantly less likely to stay in school, while adolescents with diverse sexual orientations faced higher risks of domestic violence and bullying. The LCSFC, which follows about 5,000 Filipino children from age 10 in 2016 until they reach young adulthood in 2030,...

All ideas in this column come from Dr. Clarita Carlos. I am merely echoing them because I fully agree with her. After I wrote about the job mismatch problem, my former professor at UP—Dr. Clarita R. Carlos—sent me what I can only describe as a clinical, no-nonsense diagnosis of our education crisis. As always, she went straight to the point: skills mismatch is only a symptom. The disease lies much deeper. And because I believe her analysis deserves wider public attention, I am putting her commentary front and center here. This column is merely my humble attempt to amplify her voice.     A system gone awry Professor Carlos begins with a stinging indictment: The mismatch problem is the result of an entire educational system gone awry—from preschool to postgraduate and onward. In her words, we have allowed an entire lifetime of learning to rest on a shaky foundation. Our reforms have been piecemeal — “a patchwork of this and that” — with no real philosophy of le...

THAT part of the Gospel about the ruler whose daughter had died and the woman suffering from a long illness (Mt. 9:18–26) offers us a powerful lesson on faith, hope, and complete trust in Christ. Though their situations were different, both individuals shared one thing in common: they turned to Christ when all human solutions had failed. Their confidence in Him transformed their desperation into deliverance, something that we should learn to do also. The ruler publicly pleaded with Jesus to restore his daughter to life, despite the seemingly impossible situation. The woman, on the other hand, quietly approached Him through the crowd, convinced that simply touching His garment would bring healing. Both acted with unwavering faith, and both received the miracle they sought. Their example reminds us that whenever we encounter trials beyond our strength, our first response should be to seek Christ. Rather than allowing ourselves to be consumed by sadness, self-pity, or discouragemen...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Growth in the intellect is achieved through reading books, studying for a course, attending seminars, etc.   Emotional growth follows our intellectual growth.   Emotion is an internal bodily reaction we would have as a consequence with whatever we perceive in our minds.   If I perceive you as a friend, I will feel comfortable being with you.   Emotionally I am glad to see you.    However, if I perceive you as an enemy, my physical reaction will be one of fight or flight.   My muscles will grow tense and my heartbeat will accelerate.   Perhaps, I feel afraid of you and don’t want to be in your presence.   In short, whatever dominates our thoughts would likewise be the prevailing emotions.   If we think of good thoughts, good feelings will follow.   If we think of bad thoughts, like imagining ourselves having failed, bad feelings would follow.   That’s why many self-help books would recommend to control ...

Batac Mayor Markee Chua leads the launching of the GCash City-zen's ID as part of the 19th Charter Day celebration, making Batac the first local government unit in Ilocos Norte to implement the program. Also present were Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, Ms. Trisha Dizon, GCash public sector head for North and Central Luzon, and city officials. (Photo by Dominic B. dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter CITY OF BATAC —The city government of Batac marked a milestone in digital governance during its 19 th Charter Day celebration on June 23, 2026, launching the GCash City-zen's ID and becoming the first local government unit in Ilocos Norte to implement the program. Batac Mayor Mark Christian “Markee” R. Chua and Trisha Dizon, GCash public sector head for North and Central Luzon, formally signed a memorandum of agreement during the launching. Designed to improve government service delivery, the GCash City-zen's ID allows residents to receive financial as...

The new 20-megavolt-amperes Bacarra, Ilocos Norte substation in this June 10, 2026 photo. (ei Adriano) LAOAG CITY—Electricity cost in Ilocos Norte was the lowest in Luzon in May, according to the Department of Energy's monthly monitoring of residential rates. The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) posted an unbundled residential rate of PHP10.1399 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the lowest among all Luzon electric cooperatives and distribution utilities included in the ranking in May. INEC's actual residential electricity rate for the period stands at PHP12.2872/kWh. "We achieved this milestone because of our mix contract and efficient trading while securing our base load. Amidst the oil crisis, our rates were reduced while others increased," INEC general manager Cipriano Martinez III said during a media conference at the INEC main branch in Dingras. Martinez assured the public that the management will continue to maintain a relatively lower electricity ra...