The growing participation was highlighted during the culmination of Dulungan Month 2026 at the University of Antique-Main Campus on August 28, where Environment and Natural Resources Officer Ma. Vivian T. Marfil recognized the nearly 300 volunteers who joined this year’s synchronized hornbill count.

“Ang celebration for this year, maku-on ko nga more remarkable, because nagduro kadya and atun mga volunteers. Almost 300 volunteers nga nagshare ka effort, time, and passion, especially sa pagsaka sa bukid, hindi dali ang pagsaka sa bukid,”she said.

For Marfil, the volunteers’ willingness to undertake difficult fieldwork demonstrates how community participation can strengthen biodiversity conservation.

The 2026 Synchronized Hornbill Count recorded 68 Dulungan or Rufous-headed Hornbills, up from 62 in 2024. The count also documented 122 Tarictic or Visayan Hornbills, a substantial increase from 45 recorded in 2024.

The improvement in recorded numbers, however, comes alongside expanded monitoring rather than necessarily indicating a direct increase in the province’s total hornbill population.

Monitoring coverage grew from 10 to 12 municipalities and from 14 to 17 point-transects between 2024 and 2026. Volunteer participation likewise more than doubled, from 130 in 2024 to 276 in 2026.

The three-year monitoring results were presented by Noellha Jeanette Liwagon, Conservation Education Officer of the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PhilBio).

More eyes in the forest

The expanded field presence allowed monitoring teams to gather more information not only on hornbills but also on other wildlife and forest conditions.

At Mt. Hulian in Sitio Nawili, Bugasong, teams recorded 54 individual birds representing 15 species across nine transect points. These included 19 Tarictic, six Dulungan, 15 Yellow-vented Bulbuls, four Tigwatiyot and three Coleto.

The team also documented 163 trees at the site, including 53 emergent trees measuring more than 20 meters high.

In Paningayan, Culasi, monitoring teams recorded 79 individual birds representing 24 species. Among the observations were Glossy Swiftlets, Philippine Bulbuls, Pygmy Swiftlets, Visayan Flowerpeckers and Magnificent Sunbirds.

Two Dulungan; one female and one male, and one Tarictic Hornbill were also recorded.

PhilBio said the three years of continuous monitoring are beginning to reveal spatial patterns and annual variations in wildlife observations, providing a baseline that can support future conservation planning.

From counting birds to protecting forests

Antique Governor Paolo Javier thanked the volunteers, particularly those who trekked into forest areas to conduct the count.

“This event is not just a celebration of our provincial bird, but a reminder of everyone’s responsibility, Antiqueno ka man ukon pangayaw, to take care of our biodiversity,” he said.

The province’s approach increasingly links wildlife monitoring with community participation. Rather than relying solely on government personnel and conservation groups, the hornbill count brings together residents, government agencies, local governments, schools, conservation organizations and protected-area partners.

Dulungan Month activities also included a five-day exhibit at the University of Antique, an exhibit at the New Provincial Capitol, information and education campaigns, a tree-growing activity in Sebaste, and orientations on the Biodiversity Monitoring System.

The celebration is anchored on Provincial Ordinance No. 2020-208, which declares August as Dulungan Month in Antique.

With monitoring sites and volunteer participation expanding, the latest count provides conservation managers with more field data to work with. The more important test, however, is whether the information gathered will translate into sustained protection of the forests where Antique’s hornbills live.

For conservation teams and the communities helping them, every count is therefore more than a number; it is another piece of evidence needed to understand whether the province’s forests remain capable of supporting its threatened wildlife.IMT

The post Antique’s hornbill count grows first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

It’s time to ask harder questions. More importantly, it’s time to propose bolder solutions.

One such idea is to integrate flood control with farm irrigation, turning two national problems into one elegant system. Instead of treating floods as annual disasters and irrigation as a separate, outdated infrastructure, we can design water systems that harvest excess rainfall and redistribute it during dry months. It’s a circular, data-driven approach — and the technology already exists.

Rethinking Water: From Hazard to Resource
Every rainy season, millions of cubic meters of water rush through our rivers, canals, and barangays. We treat all that as waste. But countries like the Netherlands, India, Bangladesh, and the U.S. (California and Oklahoma) have shown that floodwater can be captured, stored, and reused for agriculture. Their models include:

Retention ponds that double as irrigation reservoirs

Diversion channels that both protect communities and feed farms

Small dams and check dams that slow floods and supply rural irrigation

Programmable gates and valves that release water gradually based on sensor data

If India can harvest monsoon floods for dry-season crops, why can’t we?

The Case for Piped Irrigation
I am not an engineer, but let me ask what many farmers are quietly thinking:
Why are we still not using pipes? PVC pipes, concrete pipes, even iron pipes?

Open canals are cheap to build but expensive to maintain — and wasteful. Piped systems:

Prevent leakage and evaporation

Reduce contamination from animals and waste

Allow water to be delivered under pressure

Can reach poultry farms, livestock areas, and even remote orchards

Enable precision agriculture: water where you want it, when you want it

Yes, pipes cost more upfront. But when combined with floodwater harvesting, the cost-benefit analysis becomes overwhelmingly positive — not just in monetary returns but in damage avoided, food produced, and livelihoods protected.

We must also expand our mindset: irrigation is not only for rice. It is for all crops, orchards, greenhouses, fishponds, and even barangay-level aquaponics.

A Barangay-Level Blueprint
Here’s a modular framework LGUs can use:

1. Mapping & Diagnostics
   Identify flood-prone zones and nearby agricultural areas

Map drainage systems, creeks, ponds, and potential retention sites

2. Dual-Use Water Infrastructure
   Convert drainage canals into irrigation channels with adjustable gates

Build retention ponds that also serve as fish farms or hydroponic hubs

3. Community Stewardship
   Form cooperatives to manage water distribution

LGUs provide oversight and COA-compliant funding

4. Technology Integration
   Install smart valves, soil sensors, and programmable irrigation systems

Use PAGASA and PHILSA satellite data for forecasting and planning

5. Circular Benefits
   Floodwater becomes irrigation water

Farmers gain reliable supply

Communities gain protection and resilience

What the World Is Doing
California stores floodwater in multipurpose reservoirs that supply farms.

Oklahoma State University pioneered flood-irrigation systems that reuse water efficiently.

The Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) documents global successes integrating flood management with irrigation.

The Netherlands operates polders that serve both as flood defenses and agricultural landscapes.

Bangladesh manages monsoon floodplains to store water for dry-season farming.

These are not theories — they are working models.

The Way Forward for the Philippines
Why shouldn’t we adapt these solutions?

We need:

A national policy linking flood control + irrigation + climate resilience

A modernization of NIA standards to include piped systems and smart controls

LGU-level pilots for dual-use irrigation–flood control networks

Funding mechanisms for cooperatives and barangays

A shift in thinking: water is not just a utility — it is a strategic asset

Bottom Line
Integrating flood control and farm irrigation systems is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It protects lives, boosts agriculture, and transforms wasted floodwater into productive resources.

If other countries have done it, why not us?

Maybe the real question is not can we do it — but when will we finally start?

RAMON IKE V. SENERES
www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/08-28-2026

The post Integrating flood control and farm irrigation projects first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

The vaccine, the woman claims, contains “human placenta,” dangerous chemicals, and substances that could damage children’s organs. She sounds convincing. The video looks serious. Thousands of people have shared it. The comments are full of worried parents.

So the mother pauses. What if this is true? That little pause is where our problem begins.

The story is not imaginary. AFP reported that a video making those claims gathered more than two million views while the Philippines was conducting its measles-rubella vaccination campaign. Experts said the claims were false. One of the scary-sounding ingredients mentioned, “dihydrogen monoxide,” is simply water. The vaccine does not contain human placenta, and measles vaccines have been studied and used for decades.

But facts have an annoying disadvantage online. They are rarely as exciting as fear.

“Millions of children have safely received this vaccine” does not stop the thumb quite like “Don’t let them inject this into your child!”

And if you are a parent, I understand the instinct. When it comes to our children, even a tiny doubt can become a very big one. We can dismiss a rumor about ourselves. A rumor about something being injected into our child is different.

That is why simply calling hesitant parents ignorant does not help. Most of them are not trying to endanger their children. They are trying to protect them. The problem is that somebody else may have reached them first.

Today, that somebody is often Facebook. We are already seeing what online fear can do. In Bohol, only around 7,400 of nearly 100,000 targeted children had been vaccinated by August 13. Misinformation was among the reasons cited.

My daughter, Dr. Parvane Mae, sees this too in the community where she serves as a Doctor to the Barrio. Some parents simply want answers; others arrive already worried by something they saw online. It must be frustrating to spend years studying medicine and then compete with someone who needed only sixty seconds and a cellphone.

Still, the health worker cannot simply say, “That’s nonsense. Next patient.” Because the fear may be based on nonsense, but the frightened parent is real. And Filipino parents did not become suspicious in a vacuum.

Dengvaxia left a long shadow. Migriño et al. (2020) found that most parents still believed vaccines protected children, but more than a third had hesitated or refused at least one. Safety concerns and negative media information mattered.

Measles does not care about our uncertainty. In 2019, 66 percent of recorded cases and 79 percent of deaths had no vaccination history.

Measles does not care why a child was left unprotected. It does not ask whether the parent believed a Facebook post, remembered Dengvaxia, could not leave work, lived too far from the health center, or simply kept saying, “Sa sunod na lang.”

It only needs the opening.

This is where social media has changed the game. Watch one frightening vaccine video and another may appear. Stop long enough on a conspiracy post and the algorithm learns something about you. Soon your feed begins filling with people saying roughly the same thing.

After a while, repetition begins to feel like evidence. Basi tuod gid man. Damo man naga-post. That makes critical thinking less of a classroom phrase and more of an everyday survival skill.

As a teacher, I find myself thinking differently now about what it means to teach students to evaluate sources. It is not merely something they need for the Review of Related Literature. They need it when they open TikTok at midnight, when something alarming appears in the family group chat, and when a relative forwards a message beginning with “Please share before Facebook deletes this.”

Who said it? Where did it come from? What evidence is offered? Is the person qualified to make the claim? Can it be verified somewhere trustworthy?

Public officials and other influential people have a responsibility here as well. What a mayor, barangay captain, teacher, priest, celebrity, doctor, or popular content creator shares carries weight precisely because people trust the person sharing it. Migriño et al. identified health workers and political leaders among important community supporters of vaccination.

One careless post can deepen suspicion. One calm conversation can also bring a frightened parent back. And perhaps we should be more careful with the label “anti-vaxxer.”

There is the person who spends all day manufacturing conspiracy theories. Then there is the mother who remembers what happened during Dengvaxia and wants reassurance. There is the father who cannot afford to miss a day’s work to bring his child to the health center. There is the grandmother who heard from a neighbor that vaccines cause fever and became frightened. There are families in communities where health services are simply harder to reach.

These people should not automatically be placed in the same box. UNICEF’s account of the 2019 measles crisis pointed not only to misinformation but also to poverty, problems in vaccine management, shortages of health workers, and difficulties reaching mobile and marginalized communities. Sometimes a child is unvaccinated because a parent refuses. Sometimes the parent is willing but the system has failed to reach the child.

Both problems matter. So perhaps the best response to vaccine hesitancy is not another giant tarpaulin announcing “Bakuna ay Ligtas.”

Sometimes it is a health worker pulling up a chair. “Nanay, ano gid bala ang ginakabalak-an mo?” And then actually listening.

There is something deeply human about that. People rarely surrender fear because somebody threw statistics at them. They change their minds when they feel heard, when somebody they trust explains things clearly, and when their questions are answered without making them feel foolish for asking.

We should be equally straightforward about vaccines themselves. Like other medicines, they can have side effects. Serious reactions are possible, but extremely rare. The danger posed by measles itself is much greater. Saying that plainly is more credible than pretending there is absolutely nothing to discuss.

There is a strange irony in all this. Generations before us watched children die from diseases they could do little to prevent. We live at a time when vaccines against many of those diseases are available in our health centers.

Yet sometimes the harder task is convincing people to take them. Science has become remarkably good at producing vaccines. We are still figuring out how to rebuild trust.

Perhaps that job belongs to all of us—to doctors who explain, nurses who reassure, teachers who teach children how to question what they see online, journalists who check before publishing, officials who think before sharing, and families willing to ask one more question before believing the frightening thing on the screen.

But Facebook is a terrible family doctor. And when our children’s health is involved, perhaps the simplest habit is still the wisest one:

Before trusting the person on your screen, talk to the person who actually studied how to keep your child well.

Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.

The post When Facebook becomes the doctor first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

WITH the myriad of problems we face nowadays, can the Filipino people survive?

We assume that most of us are aware the Philippine peso has further dropped to a record closing low against the U.S. dollar on August 27, 2026.

It fell 23.8 centavos to settle at P61.888 per U.S. dollar, beating the previous record closing low of P61.847 set on July 24, 2026. And it’s only in the third quarter of 2026.

Also, our outstanding external (foreign) debt stood at $147.35 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2026, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

It is equivalent to approximately P9,126,490,625,000.00 or P9.13 trillion.

In a population of 117.8 million Filipinos, even those who aren’t born yet are already “indebted.”

Being buried in foreign debt will force the Philippines to spend a massive share of its money on loan payments instead of local needs.

This means our excessive external debt creates a “debt overhang” that slows down long-term economic growth and discourages stable investment.

-o0o-

In terms of corruption, the Philippines is now reportedly ranked 120th out of 182 countries globally in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

As a leading global indicator published annually by Transparency International, CPI measures the perceived level of public sector corruption based on data from expert assessments and business executive surveys.

We received a score of 32 out of 100 (where 0 means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean).

We may not be the most corrupt country in the world, but being in the top 120 is not something Filipinos all over the world should be proud of; the score falls well below the global average of 42.

To compound the matter, the Philippines performs near the lower end, ranking ahead of only Cambodia and Myanmar in the regional breakdown in Southeast Asia.

Due to entrenched political dynasties, weak public institutions, and high poverty rates that drive patronage politics, the Philippines is perceived as corrupt.

After the country gained independence in 1946, systems of graft and elite control took root dating back during the Spanish and American colonial eras and persisted.

-o0o-

Also, even if we are not at risk of the specific type of glacial-collapse or glacial-lake outburst flash flood that struck Nepal and Tibet recently, the Philippines faces a very high and frequent threat from severe, monsoon—and typhoon-driven flash floods and debris flows.

The difference is the catastrophic disaster along the Nepal-Tibet border was reportedly caused by a high-altitude “hazard cascade”—a collapsing Himalayan glacier and ice avalanche that created massive, sudden walls of mud and water without initial heavy rainfall.

We have a tropical maritime climate with high mountain ranges (such as the Cordillera Central) in the Philippines, but geological experts say it does not feature permanent alpine glaciers or glacial lakes capable of a glacial outburst.

Philippine flash floods are driven by intense tropical downpours from typhoons and the southwest monsoon (Habagat), while the Nepal event happened during clear skies from an ice/rock collapse.

Local geological experts add that the Philippines experiences its own version of violent “debris flows”—mixtures of wet concrete-like mud, rocks, and sand rushing down steep mountain slopes—such as those triggered by past severe storms and heavy rains.

Due to its geographical fragmentation and heavy exposure to extreme weather, the Philippines faces recurrent flooding emergencies in low-lying floodplains, mining regions, and rapidly urbanized river basins.

-o0o-

WE are still currently in the Age of Pieces but in a transition period and moving slowly toward the Age of Aquarius.

The Age of Pieces is associated with the last 2,000 years, marked by traditional authority, spiritual sacrifice, and collective religious structures.

The Age of Aquarius, on the other hand, is associated with future innovation, global connectivity, technology, and group consciousness.

This multi-century crossover is viewed by most experts as a twilight phase where Piscean traits fade and Aquarian traits emerge.

The Age of Aquarius is an astrological era linked to the slow shift of Earth’s axis known as the precession of the equinoxes. It marks a transition from Pisces to Aquarius and is associated with innovation, collective thinking, and global connectivity, according to Almanac.

It explains that something that most people don’t know is that the position of the planets in the zodiac signs is different astrologically than they are astronomically.

If one were to look through a telescope at the celestial bodies, they would not be traversing the actual constellations the way that astrologers say they are, adds the Almanac.

Alex P. Vidal, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed

The post Battles we fight on all fronts first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

The Library sa Merkado is the city government’s first library inside a public market.

The opening was led by Mayor Raisa Treñas together with learners from the ECCD Centers of Iloilo City.

​In her message, Treñas emphasized the importance of nurturing a love for reading to strengthen the literacy and reading comprehension of children as they grow up.

“We want to start them young and help them discover that reading can be fun. If they start at an early age, they would enjoy learning and would not have problems with reading comprehension,” she said.

The market-based library was made possible through a donation by the Zonta Club of Iloilo City Inc., with construction assistance provided by the Technical Institute of Iloilo City.

Located in the dry goods section on the second floor, the facility is open during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.IMT

The post Iloilo City opens first market-based library first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

The local bourse’s main index shed 0.80 percent to 5,956.33 points, and the broader All Shares by 0.61 percent to 3,318.99 points.  

Most of the sectoral gauges also finished on the red, namely the Financials, 1.78 percent; Industrial, 1.51 percent; Holding Firms, 0.78 percent; and Property, 0.62 percent. 

On the other hand, Mining and Oil rose 1.91 percent and Services, 0.39 percent. 

Volume reached 2.22 billion amounting to PHP18.8 billion. 

Decliners led advancers at 120 to 88, while 49 shares were unchanged. 

Relatively, the local currency shed anew to the US dollar and closed the week at 62.26, from PHP61.88 Thursday.

It opened the day at 62.05, way lower than the 61.71 a day ago.

It traded between 62.27 and 62, bringing the day’s average to 62.20.

Volume reached USD1.96 billion, up from the USD1.79 billion a day ago.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort, in a market report, said the peso’s weakness affected trading in the local equities market during the day.

He attributed the local currency’s weakness partly to the jump in global crude oil prices and the wait-and-see stance ahead of the annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

He forecast the local unit to trade between 62.15 to 62.35 to a U.S. dollar on Monday.PNA

The post PSEi ends week down as peso slides to P62 per dollar first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

​The state weather bureau recorded 466.5 millimeters (mm) of rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and other weather disturbances from August 1 to 26 this year.

PAGASA-Iloilo weather forecaster​ Leonor Silvestre said there is a high possibility that vulnerable areas will be flooded again.

​”The water can no longer soak into the ground, as it is already saturated from the continuous and heavy rainfall,” he explained.

​Silvestre advised residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to remain on high alert and closely monitor the latest updates from PAGASA.IMT

The post Iloilo gets above normal rainfall — PAGASA first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

During the three consecutive monitoring periods, no incidents involving any of the eight focus crimes were recorded in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Iloilo City, according to the regional police crime monitoring system.

The eight focus crimes include murder, homicide, physical injuries, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping of motor vehicles (MV), and carnapping of motorcycles (MC).

PRO-6 attributed the positive peace and order situation to the continuous and intensified implementation of preventive and proactive policing measures throughout the region.

The measures include increased police visibility, foot and mobile patrols, checkpoints, intelligence-driven operations, the execution of arrest warrants, and operations targeting illegal drugs, loose firearms, and other forms of criminality.

Police personnel also continue to be deployed in strategic areas, crowded places, business establishments, transport terminals, schools, places of convergence, and other locations requiring heightened police presence to preempt potential crimes and maintain public safety and security.

Furthermore, PRO-6 is strengthening its intelligence gathering and validation, ensuring rapid response to public calls and complaints, and coordinating with Local Government Units, barangay officials, partner agencies, force multipliers, and other stakeholders to promptly identify and address any threats to peace and order.

PRO-6 Regional Director Brigadier General Randulf T. Tuaño emphasized that the zero focus crime record is a result of sustained preventive policing and community cooperation, but stressed that it is not a reason for the police force to become complacent.

“Our goal is not merely to respond when a crime has already occurred, but more importantly, to prevent it from happening. We will continue to strengthen police visibility, intelligence operations, and our engagement with communities to keep Western Visayas safe and peaceful,” he said.

PRO-6 encouraged the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activities or information that could help prevent crime to the Unified 911 hotline or the nearest police station.IMT

The post PRO-6 reports zero focus crimes in WV for three consecutive days first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

PCO Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the development was a good sign as the government continues to raise concerns over harmful online content, particularly its possible effect on young people.

“Lahat naman tayo gumagamit ng Facebook. Ang huling impormasyon na nakarating sa atin ay may mga pagkakataon na kapag kinakailangan i-take down ang isang post na nagpapakita ng karahasan, o fake news, ay tumutugon naman ang Facebook,” she said at a Palace briefing.

Castro’s statement came two days after Malacañang said President Marcos was open to the possibility of restricting Facebook and other social media platforms because of concerns over their impact on children and young people.

She said the President’s position should not be taken to mean that the government wants to ban every social media platform that fails to immediately respond to its requests.

“Noong Martes po ay nasabi po natin dahil ito din po ang nakita ng CICC (Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center) at ng DICT ngunit makalipas ng dalawang araw ay binigyan po tayo ng impormasyon na ang Facebook particular ang Facebook ay tumutugon naman daw po sa mga dapat na gawin especially sa mabilisang pag-takedown ng mga fake news,” Castro said.

“Mahirap na kausapin at hindi po ito ibig sabihin na kapag naman iyong iba na mga social media platforms ay hindi tumutugon ay lahat naman po ay dapat na ma-ban. Hindi po iyon ang nais ng ating Pangulo at ng ating administrasyon,” she added.

Castro urged other platforms to cooperate with the government in stopping the spread of false information and violent material online.

“Magandang senyales po iyan kasi para sa lahat na rin po ng social media platforms maging tulong po kayo sa pamahalaan para maiwasan po natin iyong mga bagay-bagay na hindi na po sana kumakalat dahil sa maling impormasyon o sobrang mararahas,” she said.

Castro also called on gaming platforms to take steps against content that could have a harmful effect on young people.

For now, she said, the government has no major concerns over Facebook’s response.

“Kung open man ang Pangulo, sa ngayon ang pinakahuling impormasyon, wala namang masyadong nagiging problema ang ating pamahalaan sa Facebook,” she said.IMT

The post Facebook responding to government requests on fake news, violence first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.

The two-day market, held Aug. 26-27, generated nearly P500,000 in sales and coincided with the third anniversary of the city government’s institutionalization of the KNP Merkado Lokal, City Agriculturist Iñigo Garingalao said Thursday, Aug. 27.

Garingalao said the market has helped augment the livelihood of farmers by providing them with an additional source of income.

“We have achieved that, and it even expanded,” he said in an interview.

The market expanded its reach beyond agricultural products, providing young farmers and MSMEs a venue to promote and sell their products.

The initiative began five to six years ago as a farmers and fisherfolk bazaar aimed at highlighting the city’s remaining agricultural and fishing areas despite its status as highly urbanized.

It now offers fruits, vegetables, and value-added agricultural products while serving as a venue for the city’s advocacy programs, including tree planting.

Garingalao said the market has also become a platform for knowledge exchange.

In July, the Iloilo City Police Office and Central Philippine University participated in the activity, with the university providing space for lectures for business and agriculture students.

The market also allows participants to earn more by eliminating middlemen.

The city government provides vendors with free space and electricity, Garingalao said.PNA

The post KNP-Merkado Lokal in Iloilo City posts P7.4-M sales first appeared on Iloilo Metropolitan Times.