News & Updates from Ilocos Region
Startup ecosystem, innovation programs, and founder stories from the Ilocos Region (Region I).
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur Ran a Kakanin Innovation Competition. The Brief Was Simple: Preserve the Tradition, Win the Modern Market.
The Innovative Kakanin Competition at the Rambak ti Kankanen nga Ilocano on April 21, 2026, challenged participants to preserve traditional Ilocano rice delicacies while redesigning them for today's consumers, running alongside the Kayamanan Trade Fair and One Kadiwa inside the San Vicente Muebles Festival.
DTI La Union Brought AI Training to Six Municipalities at Once — Teaching MSMEs to Use Artificial Intelligence for Marketing, Operations, and Growth
The AI4MSMEs Cluster 3 session in Bauang on March 27 gathered small business owners from Aringay, Bagulin, Bauang, Burgos, Caba, and Naguilian for a practical, beginner-friendly introduction to AI tools — part of a coordinated push to build digital capability across La Union's MSME base.
Magsingal, Ilocos Sur Launches Paleng-QR PH Plus at Its Public Market — Bringing Cashless Payments to Vendors and Transport Operators
The Local Government Unit of Magsingal, in partnership with BSP, DILG, DTI, and DICT, rolled out the Paleng-QR PH Plus Program on March 27, making the municipality's public market one of the latest in Northern Luzon to formally shift toward digital payments at the community level.
A ₱38 Million TESDA Training Center Just Opened in Banna, Ilocos Norte — Built to Produce Skilled Workers, Not Just Graduates
The new Provincial Training Center in Barangay Crispina gives residents of one of Ilocos Norte's more remote eastern municipalities direct access to technical and vocational education for the first time — with four training batches already allocated at launch.
DOST Is Evaluating MMSU as Northern Luzon's First KIST Park — and the University's Research Infrastructure Made a Strong Case
A two-day onsite assessment at Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City on March 22 and 23 brought a national DOST evaluation committee to Ilocos Norte to determine whether MMSU is ready to become the first KIST Park outside Region IV — and potentially the most significant science and technology infrastructure investment in Northern Luzon's history.
A New Agricultural Information Kiosk Just Opened at ISPSC Sta. Maria — Bringing Farm Technology and Extension Services Directly to Ilocos Sur Communities
The Farmers' Information and Technology Services Kiosk launched at Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College on March 16, giving farmers, fisherfolk, students, and community members in Sta. Maria a dedicated access point for research-based agricultural knowledge and technology.
Zimbabwe Sent a Delegation to Study Ilocos Tobacco Farming — and the Philippines' Farmer Support Model Is What They Came For
An eight-member Zimbabwean delegation spent eight days benchmarking the Philippine tobacco value chain in Ilocos from March 7 to 15, focusing on production systems, government support structures, and germplasm research that could strengthen their own industry.
Ilocos Norte Signs a Five-Way Partnership to Bring Solar Rooftops to Households — With Installment Plans Up to 15 Years
The provincial government, ACEN, GCash, Solaric, and INEC signed an MOA on March 16 to make solar energy accessible to Ilocos Norte homeowners through flexible financing — starting in Laoag, Pagudpud, and Dingras.
Ilocos Norte Opens a ₱30 Million Agricultural Trading Center in Batac City — Connecting Farmers Directly to Buyers
The Department of Agriculture-funded facility in Barangay Bil-loca is the province's largest agri-trading center, designed to cut transport costs and give accredited farmers' cooperatives a dedicated space to reach institutional buyers.
DMMMSU and Benguet State University Open Their Doors to Each Other — and Show What Regional Collaboration Actually Looks Like
Students and faculty from La Union traveled to La Trinidad to tour BSU's food science and agri-tech facilities on March 12, in a cross-institutional visit that puts two of Northern Luzon's state universities in productive conversation.
DOST Ilocos Region Brings Science and Technology Innovations to San Fernando City's Agri-Tourism Fair
From incubatee products to disaster preparedness tools, the DOST Ilocos Region booth at San Fernando City's 28th Foundation Day Fair puts Northern Luzon's technology-assisted enterprises in front of a public audience through March 10.