The Ilocos Times

WE can approach this quest from two points of view. One is that we need to enrich our culture by deepening the knowledge of our own culture and that of the others. We need to monitor developments of the different cultures around. The other is to enrich culture itself, whatever and wherever it is, and regardless of whomever it belongs, by conforming it to an objective and universal law that governs the whole of mankind. The first one involves the abiding effort to know more and more about our culture and that of the others. We cannot deny that in this regard, we tend to take things for granted. We tend to be contented with what we have, what we know, what we are more familiar with at the moment. We hardly make any move to go beyond that level or exert any systematic effort to know more about our culture and that of the others—their history, their mentality, lifestyle, etc. Thus, we tend to have a shallow and narrow-minded culture that becomes a hindrance in our effort

DR. MIRIAM E. PASCUA, sixth president of Mariano Marcos State University, ended her term last May 31, leaving behind a solid legacy. i n her 10-year stint as president, MMSU has emerged as a forward-looking, internationally competitive institution of higher learning. Under her term, the university’s international linkages grew rapidly, as manifested by the influx of world-renown scientists collaborating with homegrown academics and researchers.  MMSU’s academic programs have also proven to be of topnotch quality, having hurdled most stringent accreditation visits, including the AACCUP institutional accreditation which has been, by far, attained by only two state universities in the Philippines. MMSU is also a top-performing school in professional licensure examinations across disciplines and has churned out a number of board topnotchers. Her efforts to expand MMSU’s program offerings led to the opening of the MMSU College of Law, whose first batch nailed the highest bar passi

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Laoag City —In time for the onset of rainy season, the 21 municipalities and two cities of Ilocos Norte are now in the full blast of preparations for its long-term greening and disaster preparedness program. In support of this project, the Department of Social Welfare and Development released P5 million for the planting of more mangroves, forest trees, fruit trees and bamboo. Dubbed as Cash for Work Program of the DSWD, Ilocanos who were hardly-hit by typhoon in previous years will be actively involved in this project. For a minimum wage of P180 per day, Irene Cubangbang, DSWD information officer II said at least 5,558 poor individuals or the so-called Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and those under the LISTAHANAN program of the DSWD including typhoon Mario victims in 2014 will be given temporary employment courtesy of the department’s Cash for Work Program. “With these projects, community safety is assured through the rehabil

Discussions of possible pathways to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) were one of the highlights of the recently concluded APEC Study Centers Consortium Conference 2015 held on May 12-13 in Boracay Island.   In promoting and advancing regional economic integration, APEC seeks to create a community that is more economically integrated, where goods, services, and people move seamlessly across borders, and a dynamic business environment is further enabled. This is what APEC is hoping to achieve with the FTAAP. The FTAAP has a big potential to boost economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Once in place, it could dwarf all other economic arrangements ever made given its size and scope. The 21 APEC member-economies control half of the world trade and account for 60 percent of the global economy. They are home to nearly 3 billion consumers in some of the world’s most vibrant economies.   The FTAAP is at the top of the APEC agenda. In their 2010 declaration, APE

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos has ordered police authorities here to intensify their drive against owners of high powered arms. “It’s too early for election,” Ms. Marcos said referring to the ambush attempt on Solsona Liga ng mga Barangay President Alex Calucag on June 1, 2015 along the national highway at Brgy. Nalasin in Solsona. Mr. Calucag’s security escort, PO3 Rodante Julian, however was killed during the ambush attempt. Ms. Marcos condemned the attempt as she ordered police officials in the province to crackdown on loose firearms. Radio reporter called MR. Calucag called a local radio reporter at 5:02 p.m. to seek help because he and his police escort were ambushed. Mr. Calucag had just come from a council session at the Solsona town hall and was driving his black Mitsubishi Montero on his way home when he was attacked by still unidentified armed men. Police said Mr. Calucag, al

By Jhonna Lyn R. Ogoc DOST The Department of Science and Technology thru the Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS) announces the availability of Philippine Science High School National Competitive Examination (PSHS-NCE). The scholarship is open to all graduating grade six pupils from a duly recognized school by the Department of Education, who meets the following criteria: have a final grade of 85% or better in Science and Mathematics, evidenced by the student's report card.  If the student's grades in Science or Math are below 85%, then, he/she must provide evidence that he/she belongs to the upper 10% of the class; be a Filipino citizen with no pending application as immigrant to any foreign country; be born on or after July 1, 2001; be in good health and fit to undergo a rigorous academic program; have at least a satisfactory rating  (or its equivalent)  in his/her Character Rating in his/her report card (SY 2014 - 2015); and not have taken the PSHS NCE p

IT’S also called as the interior life. It’s our life of thoughts, intentions, desires, judgments, reasoning, etc., all spiritual operations that enable us to transcend the merely physical and material dimension of our life. It’s our life that is engaged with the pursuit of the truth and the exercise of love, enabling us to know the essences of things, their relations, their causes and effects, and not just to get stuck with the appearances and the sensible aspects of reality. It leads us to play whatever part we feel is incumbent on us in any given situation. In short, it is the life of our soul, the very principle of our life that is meant to be immortal. Being spiritual, it will not die, since it is not subject to the wear and tear of material things. It however has a certain kind of death which will require a little bit of explanation. The death of our spiritual life is when our spiritual life fails or refuses to get engaged with its proper source of life, who is God o