The Ilocos Times

Manila — The governments of the United States, the Philippines, and Japan hosted today the inaugural Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Investment Forum. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Deputy Director Thomas Hardy, Philippine Department of Finance Secretary Frederick Go, Philippine Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and Ono Sho, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Japan to the Republic of the Philippines, attended. Sponsored by USTDA, the forum brought together more than 600 investors, industry leaders, and government officials to mobilize private-sector investment and accelerate commercial partnerships in transportation, energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing supply chains. It featured deal signings, project pitches, and discussions focused on improving connectivity, strengthening supply chains, and unlocking pr...

IT’S sad to note that some people simply cannot be pleased. That is exactly what Jesus exposed in Gospel reading of September 16, Memorial of St. Cornelius and Cyprian, Martyrs (cfr. Lk 7,31-35). The people of his time rejected John the Baptist because he fasted too much. Then they rejected Jesus because he mingled with ordinary people, ate with sinners, and attended celebrations. John was "too strict." Jesus was "too friendly." The problem was neither John nor Jesus. The real problem was the hardened heart . This Gospel is more relevant than ever. We can easily fall into the same trap. We become experts at criticizing. If someone is prayerful, we call him fanatical. If another is approachable and cheerful, we accuse him of lacking seriousness. We find fault with almost everyone while refusing to examine ourselves. It’s an attitude blocks grace . God comes to us in many forms. Sometimes he challenges us through demanding people. Sometimes he consoles us ...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY —The city government of Laoag has expressed its appreciation to Davies Paints Philippines Inc. for supporting the repainting of all 92 Child Development Centers (CDCs) across the city. Laoag councilor Donald Nicolas said the Sangguniang Panlungsod has authorized Laoag Mayor James Bryan Q. Alcid to enter into and sign a tripartite agreement with Liga ng mga Barangay President and ex-officio Sangguniang Panlungsod member Roque Benjamin C. Ablan and Davies Paints Philippines Inc., represented by Vice President for Business Development Engr. Maria Rosario Quintos. Under the proposed agreement, Davies Paints will donate 450 pails of paint valued at PHP1.3 million for the repainting of the city’s 92 CDCs. Nicolas said the project responds to the need to maintain and improve the facilities where young children receive early childhood care and development services. Repainting the centers will help improve their physical co...

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo Here’s a summary of the famous book of the same title by best-selling author Ryan Holiday .   First, Mr. Holiday tells us about the Three Areas in Life when the problematic ego appears.   First area is aspiring.   Aspiring in the wrong way means we are more of talking than doing.   Or we end up not walking our talk.   The author says, “It’s a temptation that exists for everyone—for talk and hype to replace action.”   It is that constant concern of what people would think of us, making comments on social media of what we plan to do, instead of doing it.   Mr. Holiday made the example of Emily Gould , a famous novelist and blogger who was constantly posting on the plans she had for her book and what her followers on Twitter would say about it that she ended up wasting her time on her comments and replies to her fans instead of working on the book.   The second area in our life that makes the problematic ego rear its ...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff reporter LAOAG CITY —The city government of Laoag has posthumously honored 12-year-old Mark Khianne Asuncion of Barangay 33-A La Paz for his courage and selfless attempt to save two cousins during a drowning incident in the barangay last year. The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved a resolution commending Asuncion as a “ Young Hero of La Paz ” for risking his own life to rescue his cousins, an act that ultimately cost him his own young life. Laoag Councilor Jaybee Baquiran , who cited the boy’s extraordinary courage and presence of mind, said Asuncion immediately responded after seeing his two cousins in danger on September 12, 2025. According to the resolution, the two cousins were in a life-threatening situation when Asuncion intervened. He managed to rescue both of them and bring them to safety, but tragically drowned in the course of the incident. The council recognized Asuncion for placing the safety and lives of others before his own and d...

  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...