The Ilocos Times

“El Niño ” is suddenly in the headlines as thermometers surge and we all swelter.  So, what is “El Nino”?  How does that differ from “La Niña”? Above all, how does that affect our daily lives? The scientific explanation is dense: “Large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures, across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific.” Got that? No. Transposed into layman’s language that means: Warmer water, in the Pacific Ocean, that messes up normal weather patterns across the world. El Niño of 1997 bore “more energy than a million Hiroshima bombs” writes National Geographic. “By the time it had run its course eight months later,” it had deranged weather patterns worldwide. The death toll rose to 2,100 and property damage bill crested at US$33 billion dollars. In Peru, this  caused  massive rainfall which led to deadly flooding and mudslides. El Niño whipped Hurricane Linda off the coast of Mexico, which turn

Nine major business organizations have urged government to define power supply security and competitive power rates as major twin initiatives to realize aggressive industrialization and inclusiveness, with public and private sector working together to achieve these objectives. In a joint letter to President Benigno Aquino III, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Alyansa Agrikultura, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines (SEIPI), American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham), European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) and the Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (KCCP pointed out the importance of having a clear program for achieving reasonable and competitive power rates as key to accelerating industrialization, bringing in significant foreign direct investments, cr

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —In pursuance to RA 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 which mandates the appointment of a city agriculturist, the city council headed by Batac vice mayor and presiding officer Ronald Allan Nalupta approved the appointment of Ms. Merryline Gappi as new city government department head I or the city agriculturist of Batac. During the deliberation at the city council for its approval, the measure which was certified as urgent by Batac mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta, the issue focused on Ms. Gappi’s erstwhile current position as section head of the city agriculture office. Ms. Gappi was also queried on the problems of farmers and zanjeras in Batac, which she answered sufficiently. After the approval of the council, Mayor Nalupta congratulated Ms. Gappi. The mayor, being the appointing authority, said he believes in the capacity, potential and performance of Ms. Gappi. He added that the new agric

Participants of the UNESCO Futures Forum-Workshop Resilient Cities, Brighter Futures attended by mayors, administrators, planners, academics, NGO leaders, bankers, social scientists and futurists from different parts of the country and the world. (Shermon O. Cruz) By Romelene Pacis Contributor “Many cities are beginning to imagine alternative futures for themselves that go beyond the tradition of only providing for roads, rates and rubbish. Cities do now have the ability to influence climate change and the future in general. While many Asian cities remain locked in the bigger is better race and fighting for constructing the tallest building, healthy cities are emerging and some, like Laoag, are setting the example for ‘Glocalization’ in the Philippines and if it emerges the Asia Pacific region as well. If more forward looking politicians emerges a broader vision of the city could be created. If Laoag succeeds, it could be used as a template for the preferred city idol, if

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte—The popular tourist destination of Pagudpud has no functional fire truck. Pagudpud mayor Marlon Sales said a house at Brgy. Baduang already burned into ashes before responding firefighters from the neighboring Bangui town reached the area on the evening of May 22 when a fire broke out. “Should there be a fire truck on standby in Pagudpud town, several damages to properties and possible loss of lives due to fire incidents could have been avoided,” the mayor said citing the need for a fire truck in the municipality. According to Sales, a mini fire truck was earlier donated to the Pagudpud municipality during the past administration of then Pagudpud mayor Matilde “Maja” Sales but unfortunately it was not properly turned-over to the municipality when he assumed as mayor in 2013. In view of this, the Pagudpud mayor has reiterated his request to the Department of Interior and Local Government to set up a Bure

While this popular delicacy is not an Ilocano original (It was introduced here by our Spanish colonizers), empanada has become as Ilocano as saluyot , marunggay , and baggoong . It comes from the verb empanar , meaning to wrap or coat in bread. In the Ilocos dichotomy that is Norte and Sur, two versions emerged from two key locations: Batac and Vigan. It’s not the first time someone compared the two Ilocos empanadas, but I will be more upfront about my verdict. This comparison is a product of a series of store visits, interviews with tourists and locals, online reviews, direct observation, and, of course, product tasting conducted this summer in the respective empanada centers (empanadaan) of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Batac, Ilocos Norte. How do we proceed with the comparison? Taste, I admit, is highly relative because one comfortably prefers what she is accustomed to. Ilocano anthropologist Malot Ingel, for instance, said, “…kung ano ‘yung alam kong lasa, mag-i-stick ako