The Ilocos Times

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY— Fifty-nine police investigators from various police stations in the province who underwent a 45-day Criminal Investigation Course (CIC) will graduate at the Plaza del Norte and Convention Center on September 9. Now on its second batch of graduates, the Ilocos Norte police investigators are expected to enhance their investigative skills and contribute in the increase of crime solution efficiency here. On Sept. 4, another victim identified as Flor Jose from Vintar, Ilocos Norte was found dead at Barangay Bingao in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. As of press time, police authorities have yet to identify the motive of the killing. P/Sr. Supt Antonio Mendoza Jr., officer-in-charge of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO), said the training is very important to level up investigators’ basic knowledge and equip themselves on technical procedures in investigation, which is one of the reasons why some of the criminal ca

US AMBASSADOR VISITS LC . Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Farinas hands over a "Key to Laoag" as a sign of friendship to US ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg in his visit to Laoag and Ilocos Norte on September 3, 2014 at the city hall auditorium. (Doms dela Cruz) By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte—The US government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested more than P1.9 billion (roughly $46.5 million) to support marine biodiversity conservation in the Philippines in order to address the problem of overfishing; illegal, unregulated and unsustainable fishing practices; and habitat degradation. This development partnership, according to US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg, will surely increase fish stocks in Philippines oceans, rehabilitate critical fish habitats, support modernization of fisheries management, and mitigate conflicts over natural resources. Speakin

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Laoag City —The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Ilocos Norte participated in a nationwide tree planting activity on August 30 in support of the national government’s national greening program. While taking time out from their regular programming activity, the KBP-led tree planting activity in cooperation with the parents and teachers association of the Ilocos Norte Regional School of Fisheries (INRSF), barangay officials and tanods, and the Pinakbet, a group of extreme sports adventurers, bikers and campers woke up early   on August 30   and planted saplings of Neem( Azadirachta indica ) and Talisay ( Terminalia catappa ) in a sandy barren forest land in the coastal village of La Paz, this city. Now on its fourth year, the “Oplan Broadcastreeing” program of the KBP-Ilocos Norte Chapter aims to continue inspiring more Ilocanos to plant more trees and help nurture the environment especially now that the impact of

SIRIB coordinators get details from their fellow youth. (Alaric Yanos) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Laoag City —Alarmed by the increasing cases of depression affecting people from all walks of life, the Ilocos Norte provincial government in cooperation with the Philippine Counselling Association and the De la Salle University will be spearheading a wellness campaign on September 6 at the Ilocos Norte National High School. Inviting all high school guidance counsellors and advisers, law enforcers, social workers, media and representatives from the youth sector and parents-teachers association, Nicole Rudio, provincial manager of the Public Employment Services Office said the wellness campaign hopes to help Ilocanos cope with depression, resulting to suicide if not properly addressed. “This is a complete package to address our problems with wellness which include physically, psychologically and emotionally,” said Ms. Rudio. Over the past few years, Ilocos

YES, we have to be most wary of the danger of routine. This can easily fall on us, especially these days when there are just too many things that grab our attention to distraction. Never forget that we now have to contend with an information and image overload that lead us into an overdrive with its consequent unhealthy stress and the like. Allied to this common phenomenon is that of multi-tasking, where people are pressured to work at the expense oftentimes of impoverishing their spiritual and even their bodily health. Another would be the proliferation of couch potatoes hooked to the internet and often unmindful of their personal conditions, including meals and hygiene, and much less, of the needs of the others. Routine is when instead of pursuing our real goal, we get entangled with other not-so-important things though they also have certain legitimate value. This is a big problem, since very often we get lost in our sense of priorities in life. When we are not pr

Six months repair on the rundown Tacloban airport will alter travel plans for Pope   Francis. He may be helicoptered from a nearby airport like Cebu. And he ’ ll spend his time, not with perfumed elite, but with victims of the Yolanda typhoon and the Bohol   earthquake. Business and economic leaders here look forward to discuss with a pontiff who, in the words of Shawn Tully of Fortune magazine, has proven to be   “ an elite manager who is recasting the Vatican ’ s troubled finances. Excerpts: Seven prominent financiers — including   Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, ex-chief of asset-management giant Invesco in Europe to   George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore — got a major hint   of   a change in tradition   They were ushered, not into Vatican   ceremonial halls, but into a nondescript meeting room on the first floor   Casa Santa Marta, where   Francis lodges. Attired in a simple white cassock and plain metal cross, Francis outlined his strategic vision, i

WE need to be aware of the dangers of some aspects of our fast-growing digital culture. More than that, we need to be adequately equipped to handle those dangers before they come, when they come and after they have come. Not everything in our digital technologies is good to us. The tremendous convenience and possibilities they offer us can benefit us wrongly. They can give us a false sense of joy and accomplishment. They can spoil us as when they nail us to care only of our immediate needs while sacrificing the long-term ones. Yes, they can blind us from the more precious values in life to attend simply to the pressing ones here and now. They can stimulate our senses, emotions and intellect, but can weaken or even deaden our spiritual life. In short, our sense of priority would be thrown into disarray. Many people are getting so hooked and addicted to digital games, social networking, for example, that they even forget to take their meals properly or to take care of thei