The Ilocos Times

A recent study by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found some promise in the government’s National Greening Program but suggests there is still room for improvement in areas of information management, monitoring, and fund management. The Policy Note titled “The National Greening Program: Hope for our Balding Forests” written by Dr. Danilo Israel and Maria Diyina Gem Arbo, PIDS senior research fellow and research analyst, respectively, discusses the performance of the NGP, ways to improve its implementation mechanisms, and the newly commenced impact assessment project being conducted by PIDS. The NGP launched in 2011 to plant 1.5 million seedlings in 1.5 hectares over a period of six years is an attempt by the government to include objectives beyond restoring forest areas, such as reducing poverty; promoting food security, environmental stability, and biodiversity conservation; and enhancing climate change mitigation and adaptation. “The

Wheat, soy oil, pork among main drivers, helped by weaker euro and lower oil prices Rome—The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index continued to decline in January, averaging 182.7 points for the month, or 1.9 percent below its December 2014 level. Lower prices reflect strong production expectations as FAO also raised its 2014 forecast for world cereal production to a record high and noted that early indications for crops in 2015 are favorable. The index has been on a downward path since April 2014. The January decline was partly influenced by robust inventories, continued strength in the U.S. dollar and weak crude oil prices. FAO's Food Price Index is a trade-weighted index that tracks prices of five major food commodity groups on international markets. It aggregates price sub-indices of cereals, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and sugar. Strong supply conditions push down wheat, pork and soy oil The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 1

“A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country.” This is Christ’s indictment against the people of his own place who, instead of being amazed and thankful for having among them not only a very special person but the very son of God, found Christ too much for them, and were in fact scandalized by him. This is what familiarity is all about and what it produces. As an adage would put it, familiarity breeds contempt. It is the state of getting too accustomed to God and to his goodness such that we would not feel the urge anymore to thank and praise him for everything that we have and enjoy, since all these things come from him. It is a very common danger to us, and is at bottom a result of letting simply our senses, feelings and our other ways of purely human estimation to guide us rather than our faith, and its necessary companions of hope and charity. With this frame of mind, we sooner or later would get used to things and would fall into routine. We would start

By Alfredo C. Garvida Jr. Contributor This contributor agrees with the assertion of the MILF that they are affected too by the bloody, treacherous ambuscade their men and their allies, identified as BIFF and members of the murderous Ampatuan clan's private armies, have inflicted on the PNP Special Action Force (SAF). They are affected indeed! But not emotionally, as the rest of the Filipinos are, for this tragic episode of the government's chronic goal to impose peace in Mindanao has now threatened to wipe out any chance of having the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) approved by congress.  The MILF and some politician armchair directors of field combats, the likes of Rodrigo Duterte, are blaming the brutal slaying of the 44 SAF members on non-coordination by the police operatives with the MILF when they tried to arrest two well known international terrorists who were well entrenched inside the MILF's de facto territory. And people are being swayed into believing that

BACK in 1995, the Vatican issued a document that to me holds special and urgent relevance today. It’s entitled, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, and precisely talks about a topic that should be made mainstream. It needs to be brought out more in the open. Given the many issues in this area that have managed to generate a lot of confusion and complications, the document offers a basic and comprehensive primer especially to parents who are the first teachers and formators of their children. What we have in society only reflects and is a result of what we have in the families. If the families do not do well or even fail in the education of their children in human sexuality, we cannot expect a society that will have a healthy attitude toward this very important aspect of human life. The naked truth is that problems in this area have multiplied not only in number but also in kind. Wherever we go, even if we just take a cursory look around, we can immediately see that

By Aileen V. Joaquin Contributor Teaching is an exciting and challenging job.  As it is full of commitment by the teacher, it is also rewarding. It is a chance to encourage and support others to achieve their maximum potential.  Academic requirements are necessary to become a good teacher. Likewise, good qualities coupled with numerous skills and positive values are also important in practicing the teaching profession in order to effectively teach students who will become responsible and highly productive learners.  These students will be the leaders of tomorrow so they deserve an effective instruction by the teacher. The desirable qualities of a teacher makes him an outstanding teacher. Besides, an effective teacher is a depot of knowledge, a practitioner of commendable values and a master of varied skills in order to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of the school community it serves. The effectiveness of a teacher can be measured by his qualities and skills in t

Barangay Ranger Officers (BROs) in Isic-isic in Vintar, Ilocos Norte inspect the seedlings awarded to them by Governor Marcos on November 20, 2014. BROs are mountain forest rangers that are hired by the Provincial Government to protect Ilocos Norte’s upland forests and watersheds. (Alaric A. Yanos) By Jennifer T. Pambid PGIN-CMO In its effort to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in the province by improving the delivery of service and assistance to the poor, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) was recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in its very first Gawad Listahanan Awards held January 29, 2015. Gawad Listahanan, or Data Utilization Awards, is conferred by the DSWD to local government units (LGUs) that have registered the most number of beneficiaries of their locally-funded programs in the Listahanan database of poor families through the National Household Targeting System fo