Frank And Healthy Minds

Recently, on Facebook the title of Eric North’s BS thesis (Bachelor of Linguistics, 2013, Cornerstone University in Michigan) caught my attention: “Philippine English, Linguistic Imperialism and English Language Teaching.” A Filipino writer in English, certainly I disagree with “linguistic imperialism” as applied on both sides of the fence. “Words have power” indeed, but you have to form them from somewhere to become a message. My wide & wild & wizened googling convinced me 25 years ago – I’m 82, thank God! – English is the most powerful language in the world, has the most knowledge . I say: “ English is power !” (“Words” from dreamstime.com , “Knowledge” from quotesgram.com ) I have been a writer mostly in the manner of the American Reader’s Digest , unusually & actively communicating starting 1975 when I began founding & becoming the Editor In Chief of the 3 major publications of the Forest Research Institute (FORI) – monthly newsletter Canopy , quarterly tec...

No ladies included, I don’t know why; 6 gentlemen are competing to be the next UP President: Patrick Alain T Azanza, Salvador B Belaro Jr, Angelo A Jimenez, Fidel R Nemenzo, Benito M Pacheco, and Fernando C Sanchez Jr . A UP alumnus, I care less who they are – I care most about what each as UP leader can present as Vision & Mission . They are Catanduanes State University President Patrick Alain Azanza , former 1- Edukasyon Party-List Representative Salvador Belaro Jr , former Faculty Regent Angelo Jimenez , current UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo , former UP Diliman Vice Chancellor For Research And Development Benito Pacheco. and former UP Los Baños Chancellor Fernando Sanchez Jr . My goggling says: Mr Azanza is “considered an expert in ICT-based education and ISO-certified learning environment” ( facebook.com ). Mr Belaro “studied PhD in Educational Leadership Management at UP College of Education” ( facebook.com ). Mr Jimenez is a lawyer ( asiapacificbasin.org ...

I have been reading & rereading the book “ Father Ciriaco Alberto Sevilla, Jr – MSK Trailblazer” (242 pages, published 2010 in Lucena City, edited by Milwida S Reyes ). A 12-year-old book – is the content still relevant to come up with a new version? My answer is, “Yes!” Personally, I want the book to highlight the love for the poor parishioners that Father Acong showed, as he had single-mindedly created 400+ Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) in the far-flung villages of Quezon Province before he died Oct 2007. If that is not love for the poor, I don’t know what love is! About the BECs, Msgr Lope C Robredillo, VG, says [“An Overview Of The Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs), From The Other Side Of History , msgrlope.blogspot.com ]: The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines devotes two paragraphs to describe the BECs… “They are small communities of Christians, usually of families who gather together around the Word of God and the Eucharist.” As Roman Catholic, an edit...

“I know that youth action is key in transforming agri-food systems to feed the world” – former PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar said in his keynote speech at the FAO World Food Forum last Tuesday in Rome, Italy. I am reading Mr Dar’s speech, “Transforming Rice-Based Agri-food Systems,” delivered 18 Oct 2022 at the World Food Forum, which covered Youth Action, Science & Innovation , and Investment . That said, of all the speakers at the forum, why am I singling out Mr Dar? Because he is a Filipino primate like me, and he had been my favorite PH Secretary of Agriculture in the last 24 years since President Erap appointed him in 1998. He has excellent international exposure. With his Vision, Mission & Strategy , his 15-year Director General-ship of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) based in India brought ICRISAT from dead last to #1 among 15 CGIAR agencies, including IRRI. Unbelievable! We adult primates having failed our...

This is excellent news – Women in the Philippines are now reinventing organic farming! So says Jun N Aguirre in his latest article, “How Tulunan Women Are Reinventing Organic Farming” (10 Oct 2022, Daily Tribune , tribune.net.ph ). No, the women are not from my Luzon – Tulunan is in their Mindanao. (Mr Aguirre is from the Visayas.) As I see it, “ Reinventing ” here means “making it easy & rewarding to do everyone would want to do it.” What exactly are Tulunan women doing to reinvent organic farming? They are converting food waste into organic fertilizer in just 3 days – instead of 3 weeks! They are using the Compost Activator Solution (CAS) concocted by Lorie Pablo Daquioag , a satellite engineer, native of Tubungan, Iloilo. The activator comes in a planting kit that includes 1,000 mL of CAS, an up-cycled 15L waste bucket, 3 packs of seeds, 10 pieces of planting pots, compost soil, and a 250-mL measuring cup. The complete planting kit is an innovation by itself, and a savio...

Sunday, 16 Oct 2022, is “World Food Day” and the theme is “Leave No One Behind.” The Food & Agriculture Organzation (FAO) of the United Nations says, “Millions of people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet” (FAO, fao.org ). What is the problem? FAO says, “The problem is access and availability of nutritious food.” Oh, I agriculturist from the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños believe in what the FAO is saying, 376 words in all, under the title “Leave NO ONE   Behind” – especially this part: Governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society and individuals need to work together in solidarity to prioritize the right of all people to food, nutrition, peace and equality. Indeed, every one of us, including youth, can work towards an inclusive and sustainable future, showing greater empathy and kindness in our actions.   To all that, I say, “Yes, ladies & gentlemen!” Unfortunately, FAO does not mention at all the double-headed hydra c...

It occurred to me today, Sunday, 16 October 2022, that changing the symbol of the University of the Philippines System (UP) is long overdue – because the Oblation (smaller but sunnier image) has ever inspired disapproval , even radicalism, and never creativity ! This is a creative person writing, self-taught in communication and in digital media – yes, I am a UP alumnus, 1965. The bigger image is my photograph (taken 29 July 2016) of the fiberglass sculptural piece of Maria Pureza Escaño , which she titles “The Rose Of Marya: Service Through Excellence” ( Maria Pureza Escaño , weebly.com ). Commissioned by the Sigma Delta Sorority , “Marya” is now a landmark at the UP Los Baños Alumni Plaza. Ms Maria says of it: Recently, Maria Pureza Escaño was handpicked by the University of the Philippines for her concept and rendition of "The Rose of Marya: Service through Excellence," an allegorical seven-foot fiber glass sculpture celebrating100 years of excellence and service to ...