The Ilocos Times

WE are living in an age of endless distractions. Artificial intelligence , social media , and digital technology have made life faster, smarter, and more convenient. Yet they can also imprison us in ourselves, making us increasingly self-absorbed and indifferent to others. That is why one question has become more urgent than ever: What is the real purpose of my life ? Unless we answer it clearly, we will drift wherever the latest trend, pleasure, or crisis carries us. A life without purpose soon becomes a life without direction. Every day, countless voices compete for our attention. Notifications, opinions, advertisements, and entertainment fill our minds from morning until night. Without a steady interior compass, we easily mistake activity for meaning and success for fulfillment. The greatest challenge today is not simply information overload. It is purpose overload. We chase careers, wealth, comfort, and recognition, only to discover that none of them can fully satisfy the de...

By Dominic Dela Cruz,  Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The city government of Laoag has requested Ilocos Norte 1 st District Representative Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis to support the establishment of a CHED satellite office in Laoag City . Laoag Vice Mayor and Sangguniang Panlungsod Presiding Officer Rey Carlos Fariñas said the proposed satellite office would make higher education services more accessible to students, parents, faculty members and higher education institutions throughout Ilocos Norte . CHED is mandated to promote quality, affordable and accessible higher education programs and services nationwide. Fariñas noted that Ilocos Norte is a major educational hub in Northern Luzon, serving thousands of students, faculty members, researchers and administrators from public and private higher education institutions. Among the province’s major institutions is Mariano Marcos State Unive...

INSURED. Farmers register for agricultural and life insurance at the Municipal Agricultural Office of Currimao, Ilocos Norte on Aug. 11, 2026. The municipal government has allocated funds for the protection and safety of the agriculture sector which is a key driver of the local economy. ( Photo courtesy of Currimao LGU) By Leilanie Adriano CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte —The municipal government of Currimao is targeting all 1,800 farmers and fisherfolk in the municipality for coverage under life and agricultural insurance , providing them with financial protection against accidents, death, natural calamities, crop losses and other risks that could disrupt their livelihoods. Municipal agriculturist Erickson Biag said the initiative, being undertaken in partnership with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), is intended to strengthen the social safety net for local agricultural and fishing communities, whose incomes are particularly vulnerable to weather-related disasters an...

Laoag Mayor James Bryan Q. Alcid , representing the Laoag City government, and Sunrise Event President and General Manager Princess Galura sign the contract for the international triathlon to be hosted by Laoag City in March 2027 . ( Photo by Larry Pedralvez) By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Laoag City is set to host its first international triathlon in March 2027 following the signing of a contract between the city government and the Sunrise Event and Ironman Group on August 18, 2026. The contract signing was held at the Laoag City Conference Room, with Laoag Mayor James Bryan Q. Alcid representing the city government and Sunrise Event President and General Manager Princess Galura signing for the event organizer. The city government has approved PHP20.2 million for the Laoag City Sports Development and Tourism Promotions Project to support the staging of the international triathlon. Galura said Sunrise Events has been organizing Ironman and inter...

Arlington , VA—The US Trade and Development Agency announced that the governments of the United States of America, the Republic of the Philippines and Japan will co-host the inaugural Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Investment Forum from September 10-11, 2026, in Manila, Philippines . Sponsored by USTDA, the Forum will bring together 600 international investors, industry leaders, project developers, and government officials to showcase opportunities in the LEC and connect investors with infrastructure projects ready for financing. “America’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific is built on trusted partnerships and a shared commitment to secure, high-quality infrastructure,” said Thomas R. Hardy , USTDA’s Deputy Director. “The LEC Investment Forum brings together the United States, Japan, the Philippines and partner nations from across the world around one goal: turning priority projects into commercial reality, while advancing our collective vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The ...

Many older Filipinos who are not officially classified as poor remain economically vulnerable. This suggests that poverty rates alone may fail to identify many seniors who could benefit from social protection programs, according to studies presented during the recent ‘Inclusive Social Protection Services in the Philippines’ Policy and Research Forum. The forum was organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and Australia’s flagship Social Protection, Inclusion, and Gender Equality (SPRING) program in the Philippines. Presenting a study on household vulnerability to income poverty, PIDS supervising research specialist Deanne Lorraine Cabalfin said poverty statistics alone are insufficient for identifying older persons at economic risk. The study found that while only 7.8% of senior citizens were classified as poor in 2023, 24% were vulnerable to falling into poverty. The official poverty threshold measures whether households can afford a minimum basket of...

“At the crossroads , hunger meets hope. The hand that takes from the river must also plant for tomorrow. Poverty and sustainability are not two roads, but one path we must learn to walk together." (UNKNOWN) Can there really be a crossroads between poverty and circularity ? It sounds poetic—but in Germany, it’s becoming architectural, even political. Repurposing used shipping containers into social housing seems, on its face, like a simple act of reuse. Yet it sits squarely at that very intersection: poverty alleviated, and sustainability advanced at once. The question is: why should the government even care? And what kind of society are we if we don’t?   Why recycled containers matter It’s not a brand-new dream. German companies like Containerwerk have long converted used freight containers into affordable micro-apartments, using high-efficiency insulation and modular design. In Bremen, entire “container villages” have been built for refugees—two to three stories hig...