The Ilocos Times

While pharmaceutical drugs are taken in when common illnesses strike, indigenous knowledge in three provinces comprised traditional rice varieties (TVRs) as home remedies. In the “Ethnoguided Survey and Collection of Philippine Medicinal Traditional Rice Varieties,” 18 rice varieties were identified as medicinal in Palawan, North Cotabato, and Zamboanga del Norte. Across three sites, TRVs are used to treat fever, cough, measles, stomach ache, and diarrhea. Floper Gershwin Manuel, research lead, said that in Rizal, Palawan, the community herbalist who is regularly consulted for various illnesses, identified munahan , minandiris , and pindinga as medicinal. “The roots of Munahan is used to treat urinary tract infection; the grains and leaves of Minandiris or Binaritos are believed to regain men’s virility and treat herpes; while the roots, leaves, and grains of Pindinga are supposed to cure allergy, itchiness, and bloating,” Mr. Manuel explained. Mr. Manuel, an an

By Leilanie G. Adriano & Bernardo B. Ver II LAOAG CITY—A huge electronic billboard showing the smiling face of newly appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Madarang Peralta was strategically displayed at the northern approach of the Gilbert bridge here to express how Ilocanos take pride in another son from the north who is now the head of the judiciary. “Congratulations to the newly appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. A true Ilokano magistrate, Chief Justice Diosdado Madarang Peralta!” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc posted in his social media account after President Rodrigo Duterte officially appointed him on October 23, 2019. “So blessed are the Ilocanos who stand so proud and extremely happy on your appointment,” said provincial government treasurer Josephine Calajate as she congratulated him in social media. Mr. Peralta, who hails from Laoag City, has been with the judiciary for more than three decades

Export stakeholders have included processed food and beverages and other food products among the focus export targets owing to their bright prospects. These food goods, along with electronics products and information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO), "are already part of the array of goods and services seen to contribute to realizing the overall targets for 2022", according to the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2018-2022. "If processed food and beverages, and other food products in general, are to be focused exports targets, the path to hitting it big is arduous though promising," it noted. The Plan said the country has comparative advantages in tropical-resource based products into different forms, such as fresh, canned, dried, processed and semi-processed, among others. To gain greater market foothold, it said the country should exploit consumer changes from product differentiation to catering to packaging, safety, nut

The DPWH first engineering district leads the road clearing operation along Rizal Street, Laoag City as per order of President Rodrigo Duterte. The Laoag police and the city’s barangay officials also assisted in the clearing operation. (Doms dela Cruz)

  By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Permanent gov’t employees with outstanding loan obligations with lending institutions may wish to avail of a one-time loan balance-transfer and debt-consolidation program of the state pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). In a press conference held at a hotel in this city, Lord A. Bico, GSIS Laoag Branch manager reported that at least nine local government units and one national government agency in the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur have already signed a memorandum of agreement to enable their employees to enjoy its benefits of lower interest rate of 6% per annum and longer repayment term of six years. These are the towns of Pagudpud, Pasuquin, Dingras, Vintar, and Burgos in Ilocos Norte and the towns of San Emilio, Banayoyo, Lidlidda, Sta. Catalina in Ilocos Sur, including the Department of Agrarian Reform. The GSIS financial assistance loan (GFAL) 1 was originally offered to teachin

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Ilocanos who wanted to expand their horizon and learn basic Japanese language attended a free orientation seminar on October 11, 2019 at the Ilocos Norte Capitol auditorium. Anne Marie Lizette B. Atuan, head of the Provincial Public Employment Service Office of the Ilocos Norte government said the orientation was open to all interested individuals aged 18 to 39 years old who are fit to work, either high school, college level or college graduate. According to Ms. Atuan, “this is a wonderful opportunity to Ilocanos who are planning to work in Japan or those who are engage in business tourism in the Philippines who are dealing with Japanese guests and tourists”. In partnership with the KRT International Training Center, Ms. Atuan said the Ilocos Norte government hopes to developed well-rounded Ilocanos to boost employment here and abroad. After the orientation, a Japanese training course was also offered to the appli

Manila —"The Anti-Subversion Act is a relic of the Cold War era," Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos said, reacting to a call among military and police supporters to fight insurgency by reviving the law that makes it a crime to be a communist. "It is not ideology but criminal acts that should be punished," Ms. Marcos stressed. The senator explained that "updating and upgrading the country's anti-terrorism law"—the Human Security Act of 2007—would provide a "stronger legal instrument than the Anti-Subversion Act of 1957 to punish crimes committed in the name of ideology, religion, politics, or economic gains." Ms. Marcos earlier filed Senate Bill 630, known as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2019, to increase the liability of crimes listed in the Human Security Act, providing for a possible death penalty for rebellion, insurrection, coup d’état, arson, kidnapping, and hijacking, among others. Other violent or premedi