Pasuquin, PH

06/08/2026

Solongan Falls, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte

At first glance, the landscape carries the mood of a rainforest—dense emerald vegetation, a mist-filled valley, rain-fed streams, moss-covered rocks, and the rhythmic sound of water flowing through the forest.

Yet Solongan Falls is not part of a tropical rainforest. It lies within the tropical monsoon landscape of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, where distinct wet and dry seasons shape the land. During the height of the monsoon, especially when a cyclone passes through, the forest transforms. Rain saturates the watershed, the streams swell, mist settles beneath the canopy, and every shade of green comes alive.

The result is a place that feels ancient and untamed—a lush tropical monsoon forest, nourished by seasonal rains and threaded by clear mountain streams. It is a riparian forest, where water and woodland exist in rhythm, supporting a rich diversity of native trees, bamboo, vines, shrubs, mosses, ferns, and riverbank vegetation adapted to the cycles of flood and drought.

The surrounding terrain reflects the geography of northern Ilocos: rolling foothills rising toward the mountains, narrow valleys carved by flowing water, rocky riverbeds polished over generations, and forests that cling to the slopes before opening into the agricultural plains below.

When the rains arrive, Solongan Falls reveals a side of Pasuquin that few people witness. The forest breathes differently. The river finds its voice. The mist softens every edge. It is not a rainforest by classification, but in those fleeting moments, it possesses the same quiet majesty—wild, primal, and profoundly alive.

That is the beauty of this photograph captured: Pasuquin transformed by rain, revealing the rhythm of its landscape exactly as nature intended.

31/07/2026

Dengue fever remains one of the Philippines’ biggest public health threats despite a sharp decline in cases this year. The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 50,727 dengue cases nationwide from January to May 2026, down 56 percent from the 114,038 cases reported during the same period last year. Health authorities, however, continue to warn that the rainy season could trigger fresh outbreaks as mosquito breeding sites multiply.

Whenever dengue cases begin to rise, many Filipinos start looking not just for paracetamol or oral rehydration solutions, but also for tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta), a common roadside w**d that has become the country’s best-known herbal remedy for the mosquito-borne viral disease.

Long regarded as a traditional home treatment, tawa-tawa is now attracting serious scientific attention. Philippine researchers have found evidence that the plant contains compounds that may help dengue patients recover by supporting platelet production and reducing bleeding risks. While experts stress that it is not a cure, studies suggest it can serve as a valuable supportive therapy when used together with proper hospital care and medical monitoring.

FROM FOLK REMEDY TO SCIENCE

For decades, families have boiled the leaves and stems of tawa-tawa into a bitter herbal tea for relatives diagnosed with dengue. The practice was passed down from one generation to another long before scientists began investigating whether the plant truly worked.

Today, research suggests there is scientific basis behind the tradition.

Dengue can become life-threatening because it destroys platelets—the blood cells responsible for clotting—and may lead to severe bleeding and plasma leakage. Studies show that tawa-tawa may help counter these effects in two ways: by stimulating the production of new blood cells while protecting existing platelets, and by improving the blood’s natural clotting ability to reduce bleeding risks. Laboratory experiments have reported significant reductions in both bleeding and clotting times after the use of tawa-tawa extracts.

WHAT MAKES TAWA-TAWA WORK?

Scientists attribute the plant’s medicinal potential to naturally occurring compounds such as flavonoids, particularly quercetin, as well as phenolic compounds and alkaloids.

Quercetin has demonstrated antiviral activity in laboratory studies by interfering with the dengue virus’ ability to replicate inside infected cells. Meanwhile, other bioactive compounds appear to help increase platelet counts while reducing inflammation associated with the infection.

FROM THE BACKYARD TO THE LAB

Interest in tawa-tawa has gone beyond laboratory experiments.

One Philippine clinical study involving 125 confirmed dengue patients found that around 70 percent of those who received tawa-tawa preparations alongside standard medical care experienced faster recovery, with quicker improvements in platelet counts, white blood cell levels, and fever compared with patients who received standard hydration alone.

The promising results encouraged the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its Tuklas Lunas Program, to further develop standardized tawa-tawa products. Researchers have since worked on spray-dried herbal extracts that provide consistent dosage and quality, eliminating the uncertainties of preparing herbal decoctions from plants gathered in backyards or along roadsides.

NOT A CURE

Despite the encouraging findings, doctors continue to caution against relying on tawa-tawa alone.

The Department of Health stresses that dengue patients still need prompt medical consultation, adequate hydration, regular blood tests, and hospital monitoring when necessary. Severe dengue can progress rapidly because of plasma leakage and internal bleeding—complications that require immediate medical intervention.

For this reason, tawa-tawa is regarded as a supportive therapy, not a substitute for professional treatment.

As dengue season returns each year, Filipinos continue searching for the small w**d growing quietly beside walls, sidewalks, and vacant lots.

What was once dismissed as nothing more than a backyard remedy has steadily earned recognition from the scientific community—not as a miracle cure, but as a uniquely Filipino herbal medicine with evidence supporting its role in helping patients recover from one of the country’s most persistent mosquito-borne diseases.

(✍️: Top Dagohoy)

30/07/2026

30/07/2026

𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗺, 𝗸𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻!

Here are emergency hotline numbers you can contact in case of an emergency. [A]

30/07/2026

30/07/2026

The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative Inc. (INEC), by instructions of its General Manager, Cipriano “Perry” E. Martinez III, will implement System Improvement and Rehabilitation through the construction of intermediate poles in distribution lines that require corrective measures.

INEC will install intermediate poles in affected distribution lines to ensure the required safety clearances between distribution and telecommunication lines. This corrective measure will greatly minimize the negative effect of system losses borne by our MCOs and reduce power interruptions caused by inadequate line clearances.

We ask once again for the patience and indulgence of our MCOs as your revitalized INEC continues to rehabilitate its distribution lines to provide our franchise area better service!

In this regard, we would like to inform our Member-Consumer-Owners that we will be implementing an EMERGENCY POWER INTERRUPTION in the following areas on Thursday, 30 July 2026, to facilitate the System Improvement and Rehabilitation – Construction of Intermediate Poles:

07:00 AM – 05:00 PM

BURGOS - Brgy. Paayas

PASUQUIN - Whole area except Sta. Catalina

BACARRA - Brgys. Cadaratan, Pungto, Cabusligan, and Pasngal

This corrective measure shall help improve the reliability of INEC’s distribution system, reduce technical system losses, and minimize power interruptions caused by insufficient safety clearances between distribution and telecommunication lines.

We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

21/07/2026

12/07/2026

𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐅 ₱𝟑𝟑𝟎-𝐁 𝐁𝐔𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓

𝐋𝐀𝐎𝐀𝐆 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘, 𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐄 (𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔) — Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos has joined the Roman Catholic Church in pressing for stricter scrutiny of the proposed P330-billion BuhaWind offshore wind project, warning that the massive renewable energy venture should not sacrifice public safety, environmental protection and national security.

Marcos backed the call of Catholic Bishop Renato Mayugba for a comprehensive review of the project’s potential benefits and risks before construction begins.

The BuhaWind Energy Northern Luzon project seeks to build a two-gigawatt offshore wind farm across about 66,528 hectares of coastal waters off Pasuquin, Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud, making it one of the country’s largest planned offshore wind developments.

The governor said she personally urged project officials to base their engineering and safety studies on Ilocos Norte’s actual weather conditions, stressing that Burgos lies along the country’s typhoon corridor and is regularly battered by powerful storms. She questioned the use of wind data from Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, saying Ilocos Norte’s extreme climate demands a different benchmark.

Marcos also flagged the project’s proximity to a coastal area being used by the Philippine Army’s 4th Marine Brigade, warning that any infrastructure that could affect military operations, maritime security or disaster response must undergo rigorous government review.

While supporting the country’s shift to renewable energy, Marcos said clean energy projects must not come at the expense of public safety or strategic security, insisting that all environmental, engineering and defense concerns be fully addressed before the BuhaWind project is allowed to proceed.