The Ilocos Times

At your service, anytime, anywhere. The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation ( PDIC ) took another significant step toward building a digitally empowered organization and reinforced its commitment to public service with the launch of its enhanced website and the MyPDIC Portal . The launch of these initiatives served as the highlight of its 63rd Anniversary Program held on July 1, 2026, at the PDIC Chino Building in Makati City . Leading the launch were (right to left) DICT Undersecretary for E-Government David L. Almirol, Jr., PDIC President and CEO Roberto B. Tan, PDIC Board Director Imelda C. Tiongson, and PDIC Vice President Jose G. Villaret, Jr. (Corporate Affairs Group). The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) officially launched its enhanced corporate website and its first electronic portal (e-portal), MyPDIC, during the Corporation's 63rd Anniversary Program on July 1, 2026, at the PDIC Chino Building in Makati City, marking a significant milestone in its d...

Laoag City —For the first time, the city of Laoag has emerged as a national winner in the 51st Gawad Saka Parangal sa Natatanging Magsasaka at Mangingisda, earning recognition at the Department of Agriculture ’s annual search for outstanding contributors to the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Held June 29 at the Philippine International Convention Center, the Gawad Saka awards honor farmers, fisherfolk, agricultural workers, extension managers, local government units and other partners whose work has helped strengthen food security and rural development across the country. Laoag’s national victory marks a milestone for the city’s agri-fishery sector. City Agriculturist Sheila Marie Opelac said Laoag submitted six entries this year, three of which advanced to the national finals: Outstanding Corn Farmer Geoffrey Santiano Pascual , Outstanding Agricultural Extension Manager Sheila Marie N. Opelac , and Outstanding Local Government Unit, Laoag City. She said the city’s finalist...

  As the southwest monsoon (Habagat) continues to bring heavy rains across the country, a new Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study has found that routine rainfall reduces the number of hours Filipinos work each week, with day-to-day and short-term workers bearing the greatest impact. In the discussion paper “When Rain Falls, Work Slows: Rainfall Variability and Working Hours in the Philippine Labor Market,” PIDS research specialist John Joseph Ocbina and Senior Research Fellow Dr. John Paolo Rivera analyzed nationally representative Labor Force Survey (LFS) data alongside regional rainfall records from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). The findings suggest that frequent rainy periods—not only major storms and typhoons—can add up to meaningful productivity and income losses across the labor market. “At the aggregate level, rainfall exerts a statistically significant but modest negative associa...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Any pursuit on worldly things such as money, fame, power and pleasure will always end up making the pursuer wanting for more but never getting satisfied.  On the other hand, pursuit for knowledge, skills and loving others makes us full and would happily still want more.  With the former it makes the pursuer unhappy.  The latter makes the pursuer thankful.  What’s more the latter gets to multiply his joy because what he additionally acquires feels like a bonus.  In contrast the former may get more but feels he still has less.  This reminds me of Bill Gates , Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk .   They are all very famous people and have altered the world with their inventions.   They too are all very rich.    They’re worth billions and yet they have not retired.   They could have just stopped working, went on a world tour, savored everything that money could buy and still have much money left.   But they are ...

There are laws that everyone seems to know about, yet almost nobody bothers to obey — until the floods come, homes disappear under water, and the same officials who ignored these laws suddenly blame “climate change.” One of the most violated laws is the protection of easement zones along our rivers, streams, lakes, and shorelines. Maybe it’s less of a problem along beaches, where resorts at least pretend to follow regulations. But in riverbanks? In creeks? In small tributaries that nobody pays attention to? There, the violations are massive — and endlessly tolerated. The law is clear. Article 51 of Presidential Decree 1067 (Water Code of the Philippines) strictly prohibits building any structure within the easement zones: 3 meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural areas, and 40 meters in forest areas. These spaces are meant for public use: for fishing, navigation, safety, and environmental protection. No one is supposed to occupy these zones, much less privatize them with ...

NOWADAYS, mental health clinics are becoming more common. More people, especially the young, seek help for anxiety , depression, stress, trauma, and other emotional struggles. This growing need should concern us all. These clinics perform an important service. Professional counseling, therapy, medication, and other psychological interventions have helped many recover balance and hope. They deserve our appreciation and support. But there is one truth we should never overlook. Mental health and spiritual health are deeply connected. One affects the other. A troubled mind can make prayer difficult, weaken hope, and drain one's desire to do good. At the same time, a neglected spiritual life can leave the mind more vulnerable to fear, loneliness, despair, and confusion. They constantly interact because the human person is both body and soul . Yet we should also keep our priorities clear. Our spiritual life has primacy. It is the soul that gives ultimate meaning to everything...

WINDMILLS. Gigantic wind turbines occupy vast lands as seen in this undated photo in Barangay Caparispisan, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. More of these are being proposed in neighboring Bangui town. ( Lei Adriano) By Leilanie Adriano LAOAG CITY—A 136-megawatt wind farm project is being proposed for Bangui, Ilocos Norte, reinforcing the province's reputation as one of the country's leading renewable energy hubs. The proposed development, with an investment of around PHP8.4 billion, aims to harness the municipality's strong and consistent wind resources to generate clean electricity, supporting the Philippines' transition to renewable energy and helping meet the growing demand for sustainable power. In a press release, Luzon Cleanergy Generation Inc., a subsidiary of Aboitiz Renewables Inc., said the project is expected to cover 3,321 hectares across eight villages, including Payac, Bacsil, Malasin, Abaca, Nagbalagan, Masikil, Manayon and San Lorenzo. A public scoping...