The Ilocos Times

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Paoay, Ilocos Norte —Tourists visiting this town’s popular destinations, parks and heritage site will soon charge “green fees” following the passage of an ordinance by the municipal council here. The “green fee” collection on the Paoay sand dunes, Culili Point and the town’s parks and heritage site was initiated by the municipal government to ensure their cleanliness and development being among the province’s popular tourist destination. In recent months, several construction and development initiatives by the provincial government of Ilocos Norte such as the construction of the Paseo de Paoay and Arte Luna art gallery were launched in Paoay town to attract more tourists to visit. These developments contributed to tourist influx, requiring greater maintenance of cleanliness in the area.  The approval of said ordinance is within the authority of the municipality granted under the provisions of Sections 128-139 of Republic Act

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—As the perceived attack on the judiciary gets more controversial, Ilocos Norte court employees staged a silent protest against threats to scrap the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF). Atty. Zaldy dela Cruz, a court employee at the Ilocos Norte Marcos Hall of Justice said the recent controversial issue between the executive and the judiciary over the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring Malacañang’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as unconstitutional should not affect court employees. “They should not mind the judiciary. The timing and the move of the Congress to scrap our allowance is just awful,” Dela Cruz said. Executive Judge Philip Salvador said in a separate interview that wearing black and white is meant “to show cohesiveness with the Supreme Court (SC).” “We have to make a stand against insinuations that the SC is vindictive in its ruling. The truth is, the decision is based on the law and no other else,”

By Emmanuel Samonte Tipon Contributor “If you came to ask for money, I don’t have any,” exclaimed President Ferdinand Marcos as we were ushered into his office in Makiki Heights, Honolulu. I was with former Assemblyman Nemesio V. Ganan, Jr. of Romblon. “No sir, we did not come to ask for money,” I answered, emphatically. “We attended the dedication of the Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church of Christ] chapel in Waipahu and we stopped by to pay our respects to you before going back to San Francisco. But if you think we came to ask for money, we are leaving, good-bye.” “I’m so sorry,” Marcos apologized. “Everybody who comes to see me these days asks for money, even the relatives of Cory.” “Who, sir?” I asked. “Never mind,” he remarked. (I later learned who they were, accompanied by an Ilocano congressman). “I did not know you were Iglesia,” Marcos remarked. (I had known Marcos since 1949. Roque Ablan, Jr. and I learned how to drive using Manong Andy’s car. Roque’s father wh

PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III’s penultimate State of the Nation Address was by far his most peaceable as he did not harp against the past administration—much. It also showed us the emotional side of a President who is often perceived to be ice-cold and somewhat indifferent, as he now asks for unity and a collective effort to bring the country further forward. While it is true that being a President is full of challenges and hardships, this has not dawned on his critics, especially the leftist minority who would want us to believe that they can do better. As much as burning effigies and being hosed down in the process still has romantic and adventurous values, they are as meaningless as the words they are spewing. “Oust US-[whoever is President]” has not only become passé; it has also become a punch line. For what is the use of changing Presidents—or ousting them as our left-leaning brethren ask—if we do not go to the root of the problem? All incoming Presidents

“Kishore —who?” That’s what many irritably snap when gently pressed to pay equal attention to other significant issues than the impeach President Aquino brawl. Kishore Mabubani is dean the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He was Singapore’s former ambassador to the United Nations for Singapore.  And what he has to say about China’s doves versus hawks will affect our grandchildren. Excerpts: “ China  is on the verge of destroying a geopolitical miracle,” Mabubhani writes.  In just three decades, China rose to become No. 2 world economic power. It did so, without disrupting the world order. Suddenly, three decades of careful management of its external challenges have been upset by three years of assertive and occasionally reckless actions—threatening all. Meet the hawks versus doves conflict within China. The hawks are mostly young officers of the People’s Liberation Army. They argue that China should confront those ques

By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor Batac CITY—The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) is increasing the production of bio-organic fertilizers to cope with the increasing demand by farmers in Ilocos Norte and nearby provinces. Records showed that from 1,191 bags of organic fertilizer that was produced in 2012 and sold at P297,750, the production went up to 1,363 bags last year which generated a substantial income of P340,750.  One bag weighs 50 kilos and its price is pegged at P250. As of June this year, there are now again 687 bags ready for this year’s planting season. Started in 2008, the heaping area for active composting and curing process at the back of the University Library, which is headed by Dr. Floramante Pastor, has continuously been flooded with rising demand for organic fertilizer from farmers in the province especially those involved in organic farming for rice, corn and other high value commercial crops. Pastor said the university’s bio-organic fert

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