The Ilocos Times

  DRUG-CLEARED. The Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing conducts validation and deliberation on the drug-cleared status of Laoag ’s additional barangays. With the latest declaration, all 80 barangays of Laoag are now drug-cleared. (Photo courtesy of LMB Laoag) By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Laoag City has been declared “100 percent drug-cleared” after the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC) validated and deliberated on the status of 18 additional barangays on September 9, 2026. Liga ng mga Barangay President and ex-officio Sangguniang Panlungsod member Roque Benjamin Ablan said the latest declaration brought all 80 barangays of Laoag to “drug-cleared” status. The validation and deliberation were conducted at the Philip Corpus Velasco Socio-Civic and Cultural Center in Barangay 1, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, upon the motion of PDEA Regional Office 1 Director and ROCBDC Chairperson Julius M. Paderes Jr., PhD ,...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like electricity in the early 1900s—full of promise, but also full of dangers for those who do not know how to handle it. For me, the priority groups needing protection are clear: minors and older adults . In the Philippines, we define minors as anyone below 18, and “older adults” as our senior citizens, those aged 60 and above. These two groups are often the least equipped to recognize the risks created by rapidly advancing AI tools. And make no mistake: AI is already being used for harm.   The rise of AI scams Scammers today are no longer satisfied with text messages or suspicious emails. With AI, they can now produce videos that look and sound like your own family members, claiming they’re in danger, asking for money urgently, or begging for help. This is the era of deepfakes —videos so convincing that even tech-savvy adults sometimes pause. How much more for a 12-year-old child or a 72-year-old lola ? Most minors don’t have the cri...

I remember when the internet was simpler. Back then, if you wanted to file a complaint, you could say confidently: the server’s location was the crime scene. There was clarity. There was accountability. If a website published defamatory content, you knew where to start: trace the server, identify the network, and hold someone responsible. But those days are gone. Today, websites deploy multiple servers across different countries. Content is mirrored, cached, shared on social media, reposted under new names. The physical “scene of the crime” has dissolved into bits and bytes scattered across clouds. So where do we draw the line when it comes to cyberlibel? If a post stabs someone’s reputation, if it spreads misinformation, if it damages a person’s name—the “platform” isn’t the perpetrator. The crime is not committed by a set of servers or by a tech company. The real suspect is the content creator —the individual behind the keyboard.   Cyberlibel : law meets the digital wi...

LASTING PRINCIPLE. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pays tribute to his late father, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., during the commemoration of the latter’s 109th birth anniversary in Batac City , Ilocos Norte on Friday (Sept. 11, 2026). Marcos said the principles and lessons he learned from his father continue to guide him in carrying out his responsibilities as president. (Screengrab from RTVM) CITY OF BATAC—President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on September 11, 2026, honored his father and namesake, the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., as a “great man” whose lessons and principles continue to guide him in public service . During the commemoration of the elder Marcos’ 109 th birth anniversary in this city, the President recalled how his father taught him the value of public service, leadership , and sacrifice . He said his father taught him to stay on track and always do what is right, regardless of how difficult the circumstances may be. “So, one lesson—immedi...

Laoag Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Fariñas receives his Certificate of Completion and Certificate of Appearance during the face-to-face session and graduation of the Executive Education Program for Young Legislators , held August 30 to September 1, 2026, at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore . (Photo courtesy of VMO)   By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Vice Mayor and Sangguniang Panlungsod presiding officer Rey Carlos Fariñas has completed the Executive Education for Young Legislators (EEYL) program at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) of the National University of Singapore, bringing home new insights on governance, public policy and leadership. The executive education program ran from July 23 to August 31, 2026, with Fariñas attending the face-to-face session and graduation activities from August 30 to September 1 at LKYSPP. The program was conducted in partnership with the National Movement of Youn...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY— Mayor James Bryan Q. Acid delivered his first State of the City Address (SOCA) on September 7, 2026 at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, highlighting the administration’s accomplishments during its first year in office and outlining projects and programs planned for the coming years. Dubbed “Makatkatwen ti Alisto a Serbisyo,” the address was delivered during a special session of the 13 th Sangguniang Panlungsod presided over by Laoag Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Fariñas. The council unanimously approved the suspension of its rules to accommodate the mayor’s SOCA. Among the administration’s priorities during its first year were disaster preparedness, public safety, digitalization, social services, health, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure.   Public safety and disaster response The city government strengthened its disaster and emergency response capabilities through the installation of additional AI-powered CCTV camer...

Pardon me for introducing these strange new words— fraternimisia (hatred of fraternities) and fraterniphobia (fear of fraternities)—but how else do we describe what we are witnessing today? There seems to be an entire industry of online creators whose main pastime is to hate fraternities, fear fraternities, or simply demonize them for clicks and traffic. When I talk about fraternities, I do not refer only to campus groups. There are also off-campus fraternities such as the Knights of Columbus , the Freemasons , and many civic brotherhood organizations that have existed long before the invention of social media. Are these groups also to be feared and hated? Should the same suspicion applied to young students be applied to long-established civic organizations? Fear is one thing. Hatred is another. I can understand fraterniphobia—some people may have had traumatic experiences, or perhaps the word “fraternity” evokes images of hazing cases splashed across the headlines. Fear can be ...