Lesson on TATAKalikasan Ateneo de Manila University
87.9 FM Radyo Katipunan, 11 to 12 a,m,, Thursday June 2024
June 2024 Environment Celebrations:
World Environment Day, World Ocean Day,
Food Safety Day, Philippine Eagle Week and Arbor Day
Researched and Organized by Dr Abe V Rotor
Co-host with Fr JM Manzano SJ, AdMU
avrotor.blogspot.com and Naturalism the Eighth Sense
World Ocean Day and week June 2 to 8, 2024. Theme: Waves of Change: Collective Actions for the Oceans.
World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2024. Theme: Safer food, better health.
Philippine Eagle Week, June 4 to June 10 2024 is dedicated to the conservation of the Philippine eagle
World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2024. Theme: Safer food, better health.
Philippine Eagle Week, June 4 to June 10 2024 is dedicated to the conservation of the Philippine eagle
Arbor Day in the Philippines, June 25, 2024 (The Philippine Arbor Day is observed every 25th of June throughout the country by planting trees in pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 643 and Republic Act No. 10176.)
World Environment Day, 5 June 2024
Today's Revolution: Environmental Revolution
Part 1 - Today's Revolution - Environmental RevolutionPart 2 - Bioethics and Environment - Ecological Paradigm of Moral Life
Part 3 - Industrialization and Growth of Cities -The Question of Governance
Part 4 - Ecology’s Dilemma Today - All in the Name of Progress
Part 5 -Three Philosophies on Today's Environmental Revolution
Part 6 - Scenarios of our children living in a Postmodern World - A bright outlook
Ethics is the foundation of aesthetics; it is something very difficult to explain that makes beautiful more beautiful, rising to the highest level of philosophy where man finds hope, inspiration, and peace. It is a beacon. While ethics sets the direction of moral life, aesthetics is its beautiful goal.
1. Man has emboldened the causative agents of human diseases – both old and new - into epidemic and pandemic proportions, which include HIV-AIDS, SARS, Ebola, Avian flu (caused by a new virus H5N1, a hybrid of the human flu virus and the bird flu virus), obesity (caused by Ad36 virus) - and the most recent MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus), now tagged as Novel 2019 Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19)
2. Through biological specialization or mutation – natural and man-induced – causative agents have crossed natural barriers of transmission across species, such as bird to man (bird flu), civet cat to man (SARS), and primate to man (HIV-AIDS, and Ebola), wild animals like bat to man (COVID-19). Man has built bridges between the non-living to the living as well. We have paved the way for the Prion, an infectious protein, the causative agent of Mad Cow Disease or BSE (Bovine Spongiosform Encephalopathy) to cross from cattle to man and cause a similar disease affecting humans, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Viruses have acquired new ability to infect and spread not only among humans but also in animals and plants. Viral diseases of plants have been responsible for the decrease in agricultural production in many parts of the world.
3. In the midst of enjoying the good life in a postmodern world more and more people are victims of accidents, heart attacks and strokes, anxiety and depression – and various forms of psychosomatic disorder - that often lead to ruined lives and suicides. Cancer, diabetes, and the deleterious consequences of vices (tobacco and alcohol), are on the rise among other modern diseases. Surprisingly, the number of years a person is healthy in proportion to his life span is not significantly longer than that of his predecessors, and that a person’s life span has not significantly increased at all. It is the average longevity of a population that has increased, not the individual’s. The fact is that modern medicine has increased survival of infants and young people, most of them are now in their past fifties, thus gross longevity appears to have increased, up to 78 years in some countries. On the contrary, more and more young people are getting sick and dying.
4. Modern society and science and technology no longer fit into the Darwinian theory of natural selection. There is a growing burden placed on the shoulders of the able and fit in our society who, without choice, is responsible in taking care of the growing number of dependents – many are the infirmed and the aged.
All these lead us to re-examine our values. It challenges us to look deeper into a paradigm of salvation through our concern for the environment. The prolificacy of the human species sans war and pestilence, plus growing affluence of our society has led to a population explosion which had doubled in less than fifty years. We are now more than 7.5 billion. Under this paradigm, there is no master and subject. All must join hands to prevent the exploitation of the earth’s finite resources. Today’s economists must also be good housekeepers of Nature, so with those in the other professions. While man’s aim is directed at the Good Life, he has unwittingly reduced the very foundation of that good life – the productivity and beauty of Mother Earth.
There are few frontiers of production left today. We have virtually pushed back the sea and leveled off the mountain. Prime lands have all been taken, swamps have been drained, and even deserts are being reclaimed. But as we continue to explore the marginal edges of these frontiers the more we are confronted with high cost of production that is levied on the consumer, and more importantly, the danger of destroying the fragile environment. AVR
The environment and the economy need not be viewed as opposites. It is possible to have a healthy environment and a healthy economy at the same time. More and more businesses have begun adopting this concept as a business philosophy. People behind business organizations are becoming more aware of the ethical decisions they face, and their responsibility for their consequences.
There are organizations that have set some rules of governance of the environment, among them, GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), CERES (Coalition of Environmental Responsible Economies), and UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program). In line with these a multi- national corporation came up with the following thrusts:
Nature defiled by genetic engineering, painting by the author
Part 1 - Today's Revolution - Environmental Revolution
(Original title: 2011 - Year of Environmental Revolution)
Dr Abe V Rotor
"Man, being the superior organism, has not only won over his rivals - all organisms that constitute the biosphere. He has also assaulted Nature." - AV Rotor, Treaty of Nature and Man (Light from the Old Arch)
Frantic exploitation of natural resources through illegal logging operations, followed by slash-and-burn agriculture (kaingin), has brought havoc to the Philippines in the past century. The detrimental results are measured not only by the denudation of once productive forests and hillsides, but also destruction through erosion, flood, drought and even death.
An example of this kind of ruination brought about by abuse of nature is the tragedy in Ormoc City in 1991 where floodwaters cascading down the denuded watershed, killed hundreds of residents and countless animals. It took ten years for the city to fully recover. Ironically, before the tragedy, Ormoc, from the air, looked like a little village similar to Shangrila, a perfect place for retirement.
Decline in Carrying Capacity
A land area designed by nature to sustain millions of people and countless other organisms, was touched by man and we are now paying the price for it. Man removed the vegetation, cut down trees for his shelter and crafts, and planted cereals and short-growing crops to get immediate returns. He hunted for food and fun, and in many ways, changed the natural contour and topography of the land.
Following years of plenty, however, nature reasserted itself. Water would run unchecked, carrying plant nutrients downhill. On its path are formed rills and gullies that slice through slopes, peeling off the topsoil and making the land unprofitable for agriculture. Since the plants cannot grow, animals gradually perish. Finally, the kaingero abandons the area, leaving it to the mercy of natural elements. It is possible that nature may rebuild itself, but will take years for affected areas to regain their productivity, and for the resident organisms once again attain their self-sustaining population levels.
There are 13.5 million square miles of desert area on earth, representing a third of the total land surface. This large proportion of land may be man-made as history and archeological findings reveal.
Lost Civilizations
Fifteen civilizations, once flourished in Western Sahara, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, the Sinai desert, Mesopotamia, and the deserts of Persia. All of these cultures perished when the people of the area through exploitation, forced nature to react. As a consequence, man was robbed of his only means of sustenance.
History tells us of man’s early abuse of nature in the Fertile Crescent where agriculture began some 3000 years ago. Man-made parallel canals joined the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to irrigate the thirsty fertile valley. In the process, the balance of Nature was overturned when the natural drainage flow was disturbed. Because the treaty was violated, nature revenged. The canal civilization perished in the swamps that later formed. The sluggish water brought malaria and other diseases causing untold number of deaths and migration to the hinterlands. Among its victims was Alexander the Great.
Carthage had another story. Three wars hit Carthage, known as the Punic Wars. On the third one, the Romans plowed through the city, ending reign of this erstwhile mercantile power, and removing the threat to the Roman economy. After the conquest, the Romans pumped salt-water inland and flooded the fertile farms. Today, Carthage exists only in history and in imagination of whoever stands atop a hill overlooking what is now a vast desert.
Omar Khayyam, if alive today, cannot possibly compose verses as beautiful as the Rubaiyat as written in his own time. His birthplace, Nishapur, which up to the time of Genghis Khan, supported a population of 1.5 million people, can only sustain 15,000 people today. Archeologists have just unearthed the Forest of Guir where Hannibal marched with war elephants. The great unconquerable jungle of India grew from waterlogged lowland formed by unwise irrigation management.
It is hard to believe, but true that in the middle of the Sahara desert, 50 million acres of fossil soil are sleeping under layers of sand awaiting water. Surveyors found an underground stream called the Albienne Nappe that runs close to this deposit. Just as plans were laid to “revive” the dead soil by irrigation, the French tested their first atomic bomb. Due to contamination, it is no longer safe to continue on with the project.
The great Pyramids of Egypt could not have been constructed in the middle of an endless desert. The tributaries of the Nile once surrounded these centers of civilization. Jerusalem appears today as a small city on a barren land. It may have been a city with thick vegetation. This was true of Negev and Baghdad.
Need of a Conservation Program
For the Philippines, it is high time we lay out a long-range conservation program to insure the future of the country. This plan should protect the fertility of the fields, wealth of the forests and marine resources, in order to bring prosperity to the people. As of now, the country is being ripped apart by erosion and floods due to unscrupulous exploitation by loggers and kaingeros.
It is only through proper management and effective conservation, such as reforestation, pollution control, erosion control, limited logging, and proper land use, that we can insure the continuity of our race. All we have to do is to keep ourselves faithful to the treaty between nature and man. ~
Frantic exploitation of natural resources through illegal logging operations, followed by slash-and-burn agriculture (kaingin), has brought havoc to the Philippines in the past century. The detrimental results are measured not only by the denudation of once productive forests and hillsides, but also destruction through erosion, flood, drought and even death.
An example of this kind of ruination brought about by abuse of nature is the tragedy in Ormoc City in 1991 where floodwaters cascading down the denuded watershed, killed hundreds of residents and countless animals. It took ten years for the city to fully recover. Ironically, before the tragedy, Ormoc, from the air, looked like a little village similar to Shangrila, a perfect place for retirement.
Decline in Carrying Capacity
A land area designed by nature to sustain millions of people and countless other organisms, was touched by man and we are now paying the price for it. Man removed the vegetation, cut down trees for his shelter and crafts, and planted cereals and short-growing crops to get immediate returns. He hunted for food and fun, and in many ways, changed the natural contour and topography of the land.
Following years of plenty, however, nature reasserted itself. Water would run unchecked, carrying plant nutrients downhill. On its path are formed rills and gullies that slice through slopes, peeling off the topsoil and making the land unprofitable for agriculture. Since the plants cannot grow, animals gradually perish. Finally, the kaingero abandons the area, leaving it to the mercy of natural elements. It is possible that nature may rebuild itself, but will take years for affected areas to regain their productivity, and for the resident organisms once again attain their self-sustaining population levels.
There are 13.5 million square miles of desert area on earth, representing a third of the total land surface. This large proportion of land may be man-made as history and archeological findings reveal.
Lost Civilizations
Fifteen civilizations, once flourished in Western Sahara, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, the Sinai desert, Mesopotamia, and the deserts of Persia. All of these cultures perished when the people of the area through exploitation, forced nature to react. As a consequence, man was robbed of his only means of sustenance.
History tells us of man’s early abuse of nature in the Fertile Crescent where agriculture began some 3000 years ago. Man-made parallel canals joined the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to irrigate the thirsty fertile valley. In the process, the balance of Nature was overturned when the natural drainage flow was disturbed. Because the treaty was violated, nature revenged. The canal civilization perished in the swamps that later formed. The sluggish water brought malaria and other diseases causing untold number of deaths and migration to the hinterlands. Among its victims was Alexander the Great.
Carthage had another story. Three wars hit Carthage, known as the Punic Wars. On the third one, the Romans plowed through the city, ending reign of this erstwhile mercantile power, and removing the threat to the Roman economy. After the conquest, the Romans pumped salt-water inland and flooded the fertile farms. Today, Carthage exists only in history and in imagination of whoever stands atop a hill overlooking what is now a vast desert.
Omar Khayyam, if alive today, cannot possibly compose verses as beautiful as the Rubaiyat as written in his own time. His birthplace, Nishapur, which up to the time of Genghis Khan, supported a population of 1.5 million people, can only sustain 15,000 people today. Archeologists have just unearthed the Forest of Guir where Hannibal marched with war elephants. The great unconquerable jungle of India grew from waterlogged lowland formed by unwise irrigation management.
It is hard to believe, but true that in the middle of the Sahara desert, 50 million acres of fossil soil are sleeping under layers of sand awaiting water. Surveyors found an underground stream called the Albienne Nappe that runs close to this deposit. Just as plans were laid to “revive” the dead soil by irrigation, the French tested their first atomic bomb. Due to contamination, it is no longer safe to continue on with the project.
The great Pyramids of Egypt could not have been constructed in the middle of an endless desert. The tributaries of the Nile once surrounded these centers of civilization. Jerusalem appears today as a small city on a barren land. It may have been a city with thick vegetation. This was true of Negev and Baghdad.
Need of a Conservation Program
For the Philippines, it is high time we lay out a long-range conservation program to insure the future of the country. This plan should protect the fertility of the fields, wealth of the forests and marine resources, in order to bring prosperity to the people. As of now, the country is being ripped apart by erosion and floods due to unscrupulous exploitation by loggers and kaingeros.
It is only through proper management and effective conservation, such as reforestation, pollution control, erosion control, limited logging, and proper land use, that we can insure the continuity of our race. All we have to do is to keep ourselves faithful to the treaty between nature and man. ~
Part 2 - Bioethics and Environment
Ecological paradigm of Moral Life
Ethics is the foundation of aesthetics; it is something very difficult to explain that makes beautiful more beautiful, rising to the highest level of philosophy where man finds hope, inspiration, and peace. It is a beacon. While ethics sets the direction of moral life, aesthetics is its beautiful goal.
Concept of Nature as the whole universe, painting by the author
2. Through biological specialization or mutation – natural and man-induced – causative agents have crossed natural barriers of transmission across species, such as bird to man (bird flu), civet cat to man (SARS), and primate to man (HIV-AIDS, and Ebola), wild animals like bat to man (COVID-19). Man has built bridges between the non-living to the living as well. We have paved the way for the Prion, an infectious protein, the causative agent of Mad Cow Disease or BSE (Bovine Spongiosform Encephalopathy) to cross from cattle to man and cause a similar disease affecting humans, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Viruses have acquired new ability to infect and spread not only among humans but also in animals and plants. Viral diseases of plants have been responsible for the decrease in agricultural production in many parts of the world.
The aesthetics of Nature, source of legends, songs and festivities, painting by the author
3. In the midst of enjoying the good life in a postmodern world more and more people are victims of accidents, heart attacks and strokes, anxiety and depression – and various forms of psychosomatic disorder - that often lead to ruined lives and suicides. Cancer, diabetes, and the deleterious consequences of vices (tobacco and alcohol), are on the rise among other modern diseases. Surprisingly, the number of years a person is healthy in proportion to his life span is not significantly longer than that of his predecessors, and that a person’s life span has not significantly increased at all. It is the average longevity of a population that has increased, not the individual’s. The fact is that modern medicine has increased survival of infants and young people, most of them are now in their past fifties, thus gross longevity appears to have increased, up to 78 years in some countries. On the contrary, more and more young people are getting sick and dying.
4. Modern society and science and technology no longer fit into the Darwinian theory of natural selection. There is a growing burden placed on the shoulders of the able and fit in our society who, without choice, is responsible in taking care of the growing number of dependents – many are the infirmed and the aged.
All these lead us to re-examine our values. It challenges us to look deeper into a paradigm of salvation through our concern for the environment. The prolificacy of the human species sans war and pestilence, plus growing affluence of our society has led to a population explosion which had doubled in less than fifty years. We are now more than 7.5 billion. Under this paradigm, there is no master and subject. All must join hands to prevent the exploitation of the earth’s finite resources. Today’s economists must also be good housekeepers of Nature, so with those in the other professions. While man’s aim is directed at the Good Life, he has unwittingly reduced the very foundation of that good life – the productivity and beauty of Mother Earth.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are few frontiers of production left today. We have virtually pushed back the sea and leveled off the mountain. Prime lands have all been taken, swamps have been drained, and even deserts are being reclaimed. But as we continue to explore the marginal edges of these frontiers the more we are confronted with high cost of production that is levied on the consumer, and more importantly, the danger of destroying the fragile environment. AVR-----------------------------------------------------------Nature as socio-economic base in agrarian society, painting by the author
Ecological paradigm endorses an ecocentric approach where all forms of life and non-life are important to human life. Spirituality points out to a unitive force: the sacredness of everything. God’s divinity flows in everything. There is integration in the universe. And we are part of that integration, exceedingly small as we are, notwithstanding. Under ecological paradigm of salvation, the one responsible in the destruction of the environment leading to loss of lives and properties should be held accountable for it to God, nature and fellowmen.
The environment and the economy need not be viewed as opposites. It is possible to have a healthy environment and a healthy economy at the same time. More and more businesses have begun adopting this concept as a business philosophy. People behind business organizations are becoming more aware of the ethical decisions they face, and their responsibility for their consequences.
Part 3 - Industrialization and Growth of Cities
The Question on Governance
Industrial growth spurred the building of cities all over the world. Today there are as many people living in cities as those living the rural places. A mega-city like Tokyo has a population of 15 million people. We are 10 million in Metro Manila. Cities are fragile environments. Cities are more prone to epidemics such as the bubonic plague that killed one-third of the population of Europe in the 13th century. Now we are confronted with HIV-AID, SARs, Meningo cochcimia, Avian flu, and now the dreaded COVID-19 which is gripping the world today as the worst human pandemic disease in recent history. AVR
There are organizations that have set some rules of governance of the environment, among them, GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), CERES (Coalition of Environmental Responsible Economies), and UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program). In line with these a multi- national corporation came up with the following thrusts:Nature defiled by genetic engineering, painting by the author
• Restore and preserve the environment
This approach is gaining respect and more and more businesses are looking at this model with great interest and favor.
One of the resource speakers of the 2010 International Congress on Bioethics,
Dr. Tai cited three themes in order that man can live in harmony with nature. Man is part of the ecosystem, Man is steward of the earth, and Man is finite. Dr. Tai cited models with which man can change his views about the environment and change his style of living. We have also models in the business world, in the church, and in the government, in fact all sectors of society. There are models everywhere in this or that part of the world, whether developed or underdeveloped. There are as many models in less developed countries as in highly industrialized countries. It could be that the less developed are closer to tradition, and still have strong ethnic roots, like the old civilizations mentioned in the paper – the native cultures of America and Africa.
But the world has never been one. It has become more diverse in views and interests though in many respects share the same aspirations towards progress and development. And this is the problem. Man is always in a race. In that race awaits at the end not a prize mankind is proud of and honorable. It is tragedy, which Garett Hardin calls, the tragedy of the commons. It is a greedy competition for a finite resource, each his own, until it is gone. The forests are disappearing today, the lake are dying, the fields are getting marginal, the pastures are overgrazed, the air is loaded with destructive gases, the sea is over fished. All these point out to the syndrome - tragedy of the commons. And because time is of the essence, many believe that the world needs a new revolution now? Is revolution the only way to solve global problems of the environment today?
Definitely, while we need to reform to save our environment, any means that is contrary to peace and unity, is definitely unacceptable. And we would not adhere to the rule of force or violence just to be able to succeed. It is said, that revolution starts in a small corner. It starts in this congress.
In closing I would like to thank Dr. Tai, for his scholarly and incisive paper from which I was not only able to prepare myself as a member of the panel of reactors, but found an opportunity to review and expand my current research works in ecology as well.
Lastly, I would like to recite this short prayer I made for this International Congress on Bioethics, and dedicate it through the little child who visited the two workshops in the village and exclaimed. “But there are no neighbors! But there are no trees, birds, fields and mountains!”
• Reduce waste and pollution
• Education of the public on environmental conservation
• Work with government for sound and responsible environmental program
• Assess impact of business on the environment and communities.
This approach is gaining respect and more and more businesses are looking at this model with great interest and favor.
The Question of Governance
Dr. Tai cited three themes in order that man can live in harmony with nature. Man is part of the ecosystem, Man is steward of the earth, and Man is finite. Dr. Tai cited models with which man can change his views about the environment and change his style of living. We have also models in the business world, in the church, and in the government, in fact all sectors of society. There are models everywhere in this or that part of the world, whether developed or underdeveloped. There are as many models in less developed countries as in highly industrialized countries. It could be that the less developed are closer to tradition, and still have strong ethnic roots, like the old civilizations mentioned in the paper – the native cultures of America and Africa.
But the world has never been one. It has become more diverse in views and interests though in many respects share the same aspirations towards progress and development. And this is the problem. Man is always in a race. In that race awaits at the end not a prize mankind is proud of and honorable. It is tragedy, which Garett Hardin calls, the tragedy of the commons. It is a greedy competition for a finite resource, each his own, until it is gone. The forests are disappearing today, the lake are dying, the fields are getting marginal, the pastures are overgrazed, the air is loaded with destructive gases, the sea is over fished. All these point out to the syndrome - tragedy of the commons. And because time is of the essence, many believe that the world needs a new revolution now? Is revolution the only way to solve global problems of the environment today?
Definitely, while we need to reform to save our environment, any means that is contrary to peace and unity, is definitely unacceptable. And we would not adhere to the rule of force or violence just to be able to succeed. It is said, that revolution starts in a small corner. It starts in this congress.
Ethics is the foundation of aesthetics; it is something very difficult to explain that makes beautiful more beautiful, rising to the highest level of philosophy where man find hope, inspiration, and peace. It is a beacon. While ethics sets the direction, aesthetics is its beautiful goal.
In closing I would like to thank Dr. Tai, for his scholarly and incisive paper from which I was not only able to prepare myself as a member of the panel of reactors, but found an opportunity to review and expand my current research works in ecology as well.
Lastly, I would like to recite this short prayer I made for this International Congress on Bioethics, and dedicate it through the little child who visited the two workshops in the village and exclaimed. “But there are no neighbors! But there are no trees, birds, fields and mountains!”
Ecology Prayer
By Dr Abe V Rotor
When my days are over,
Let me lie down to sleep
on sweet breeze and earth,
in the shade of trees
I planted in my youth;
since I had not done enough,
make, make my kind live
to carry on the torch,
while my dusts fall
to where new life begins –
even only an atom I shall be,
let me be with you,
dear Mother Earth.
--------------------------------------------
There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings…Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change …Mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens, the cattle and chicken sickened and died …There was a strange stillness… The Few birds seen anywhere were moribund, they trembled violently and could not fly. It is a spring without voices.
- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Part 4 - Ecology’s Dilemma Today
All in the Name of Progress
Living Earth Chandelier, Painting by the author. 2020
On display at Living with Nature, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
• It looks like man has been able to trace the source of the water that comes from the proverbial Pierian Spring, the secret of health and long life. For years it was believed that the spring lies up in Shangrila atop the Himalayas, or according to the Greeks on Mt. Olympus, or the Egyptians in the Pyramids. One does not have to go there now.
Even today the average life span of man is mid 70. It will not be a surprise if one out of a hundred individuals will be a centenarian. One report claims that the life span of man can be increased up to 140 years by the middle of the millennium. How long did Moses live?
• But cancer is on the rise, so with AIDS, and the spread of genetically linked defects and illness. Work-related and stress-related deaths will likewise increase with heart and severe depression as the leading diseases, followed by the traditional diseases like respiratory and diarrheal diseases. Already there are 15 million people who have died of AIDS and 40 millions more who are living with HIV, the viral infection. A pandemic potential with up to 1 billion people to become affected with HIV has started appearing on some crystal balls and
this is not impossible if it hits populous Asia.
• Cloning, the most controversial discovery in biology and medicine, will continue to steal the limelight in this millennium, stirring conscience, ethics and religion. It is now sensed as the biggest threat to human society, and if Frankenstein is back and some people regard him as a hero instead of a villain, we can only imagine the imminent destruction our society faces - the emergence of sub- and ultra- human beings. On the other hand, there are those who look at cloning as an important tool of medicine to enable doctors to save lives and increase life expectancy. They also believe that cloning in situ (on site) will do away with tedious and unreliable organ transplants.
• Gene therapy is in, medicinal healing is out. It means diagnosing the potential disease before it strikes by knowing its source. Actually diseases are triggered by specific genes. Reading the gene map of an individual, the doctor can “cure” the disease right at it genetic source. We call this gene therapy, the newest field in medical science. But the altered gene will be passed on to the next generation. Playing God, isn’t? Definitely it is, and it is possible to use this technology not only for the sake of treatment but for programmed genetic alteration. Another Frankenstein in the offing? But scientists are saying gene therapy can be a tool in removing permanently the genes that cause cancer, AIDS, and genetically linked diseases like diabetes, Down’s Syndrome, and probably alcoholism.
• We are in an age of test tube babies. There are now 100,000 test tube babies in the US alone since 1978, the arrival of Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby. The industry has just started booming with sperm and ova banks established and linked with the Internet and other commodity channels. Not only childless couples can have children, but even a sixty year old woman can - through what is coined as menopausal childbirth technology. Surrogate mothers for hire, anyone?
• If diseases can be predicted and successfully treated, and life can be prolonged – these have indeed grave consequences to population increase. Already there are 6 billion people inhabiting the earth today, and we are increasing at the rate of more than 80 million a year. After 2150 we shall have reached 13 billion, the estimated maximum capacity our planet can support. Is Malthus right after all? It looks like the ghost of this English political economist and priest is back to warn us, this time more urgent than his 1789 prediction that our population would grow until it reaches the limits of our food supply.
• Our Earth is getting warmer, and this is not any kind of comfort but destruction. We have experienced seven of the ten warmest years in the past decade and we are heading toward another Noah’s episode. Low lying areas where the rich farmlands and many big cities virtually squat will be flooded. Heat is trapped by the carbon that we generate from our cars and industries creating a “greenhouse effect.” As the world’s temperature increases, the polar ice will melt, more rains and climatic disturbances will ensue. Climate scientists have predicted that by year 2100 the earth’s temperature will go up from 1 to 3.5 degrees centigrade. But wait, the worst is yet to come. Global warming will plunge us ultimately – towards the middle of the millennium – into another ice age! There will be a buildup of ice at the polar regions as the ocean currents fail to carry warm water to the poles and back.
• The trend of lifestyle will be toward the simple and natural, even in the midst of high tech living. More and more people will go for natural food and natural medicine as they become conscious of their health. The media and the information highway will provide more people access to entertainment and information. Remote management and distance learning will greatly influence business and education. But people will still seek greener pastures in cities and in foreign lands.
• “Save the earth!” has yet to be a denominator of cooperation and peace among nations. The failure of the Earth Summit five years ago at Rio de Janairo, and the first summit before in Stockholm, has produced valuable lessons leaders must learn. There is only one ship in which all of us are riding. Let us all save our ship.
All in the name of Progress
It is all in the name of progress that nations are pursuing. The West insists of pushing the frontiers of technology into the so-called “third wave.” The East, the Asian Pacific region, insists on industrialization in order to catch up with the progress of the West, while the Middle East has yet to undergo a major socio-cultural and political transformation while aiming at lofty economic goals.
Progress, it is generally believed, is the aim of globalization, and globalization is building of a world village. Isn’t this the key to peace and cooperation? Sounds familiar to scholars and leaders.
Maybe, but the greatest challenge lies in the preservation of a healthy Mother Earth, a common denominator of concern irrespective of political, ideological and religious boundaries. It is the saving of the environment that will be the biggest challenge to this and the coming generations.
Poor Rating of Earth Summit
The Copenhagen Earth Summit renewed basically the agenda of previous summits. But demonstrators expressed pessimism over the sincerity of world leaders on environmental issues.
They had in mind what happened to the promises made by leaders from 178 nations who gathered in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro some years ago. These are the four areas of accord: biodiversity, climate, deforestation, and population.
On the biodiversity accord signed by 161 countries (except the US), ecosystems continue to be assaulted and fragmented. On arresting global warming as a result of emissions from industries and vehicles, developing countries on the path of industrialization have exacerbated the problem. Deforestation virtually knows no limits and bounds as long as there is wilderness to conquer. Every year forests are lost the size of Nepal. Asia has lost 95 percent of its woodlands.
There are now 7.7 billion people on earth. Every year about 85 million people are added. This is slightly bigger than the Philippines’ total population. Although birth rates are going down in the West as well as in the NICS, there is a boom in babies in rural Asia, Latin America and Africa.
What is the score of the Earth Summit? Rhetorics and promises can not be relied upon. It is in this area that globalization should be reviewed. Globalization should be defined in economic, cultural and environmental terms. This triad approach has yet to be addressed to all members of the global village. And there should be a new world governance, more credible than the UN, to undertake this gargantuan task.
“Hundreds of millions of people will starve to death,” warned Paul Ehrlich in his book, The Population Bomb. This is an echo of the Malthusian Theory raised 250 years ago. This means farmers, in spite of biotechnology, can not keep up indefinitely with increasing food demands. Yet there is a great disparity in food distribution. While the average adult needs 2200 calories a day, an American consumes 3603 as compared to the intake of a Kenyan which is only 1991 calories.
Degradation of the land, the breaking up of ecosystems, are resulting to modern day exodus of ecomigrants who cross borders, invade cities and build marginal communities, threaten security of nations, and creates other socio-economic problems. Desertification, soil erosion, overuse of farms drive multitudes to search for greener pasture, many in the guise of overseas workers, settlers, refugees.
The birth of megacities is a human phenomenon in modern times. The world’s cities are bursting at the seams. Half of the world’s population live in urban areas today, and more are coming in. In developed countries 75 percent of their population live in cities. By year 2015, 27 of the world’s 33 largest cities will be found in Asia, with Mumbai and Shanghai bursting with 20 million each. Today the most populous city in the world is Tokyo with 27 million people. New York has 16.3 million which is about the same as Sao Paolo. Metro Manila has 10 million.
On global warming, figures show how the world fares under greenhouse effect. This phenomenon is attributed to the severity of the last three episodes of El Nino in the last three decades, and to the prevalence of deadly tornadoes, hurricane, floods and natural calamities.
A hole in the sky was caused by damaging chemicals that tear down the vital atmospheric ozone shield that keeps us from too much heat and radiation. The size of the ozone hole about the Antarctic region is estimated to be like the whole continental US – and is still expanding. CFC use is now restricted in most countries, but there are other damaging chemicals used by agriculture and industry. Methyl bromide for one is 40 times more destructive to ozone than CFC.
Rudolf Bahro, author of The Alternative, claims East Europe’s non-capitalist road to industrialization has been shaped by the same growth ideals and methods as has Western capitalism, and that the working classes of both West and East have the exploitation of nature and the Third World as common. Defending their own societies’ privileged positions on the world market, both camps add to global inequity. For which Bahro calls for a new social movement – the environmental movement, a grand coalition of people’s forces, a rebuilding of society from the bottom upwards.
Ivan Illich on the other hand, criticizes modern society and its failure to cater to human needs. He believes that the privileged today are not those who consume most but those who can escape the negative by-products of industrialization – people who can commute outside the rush hours, be born and die at home, cure themselves when ill, breathe fresh air, and build their own dwellings. People must arm themselves with the self-confidence and the means to run their own lives as far as possible, especially as big institutions like schooling, medical care and transport today are creating more problems than they solve. Politics is no longer a simple Left-Right choice; man must have a choice of energy, technology, education, etc., he calls vernacular values.
According to Andre Gorz the ecology struggle not as an end in itself but as essential part of the large struggle against capitalism and techno fascism. He champions a civil society shifting power from the State and political parties to local community and the web of social relations that individuals establish amongst themselves. The State’s role is to encourage self-management among the citizens. He envisions a Utopian future where “the citizens can do more for less,” and the development of a rich, all-round personality.
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15. Our children become new heroes – heroes for the environment, martyrs for Mother Earth. Heaven is in a regained Paradise on earth. A universal faith, irrespective of denomination, is shaping up fast.
Living close to Nature
18. Our children will realize that optimism will remain the mainstay of human evolution, rising above difficulties and trials. Hope is ingrained in the human brain that makes vision rosier than reality. Anxiety and depression will continue to haunt, in fact accompany progress, but these all the more push optimism up and ahead.
“Food of the gods.” This is what the ancient Greeks call a special kind of seaweed which the Chinese and Japanese call “food of the emperor.” And only members of the royalty have the exclusive right to partake of this food. It is Porphyra – nori to the Japanese, laver to the Europeans, and gamet to Ilocanos.
Thus elevating the status of some 30 species of edible seaweeds to a premium class of food - sea vegetables. The fact is seaweeds have a wide range of importance from food and medicine, to the manufacture of many industrial products. In nature, seaweeds together with corals and sea grasses, constitute the pasture and forest of the sea, a vast ecosystem, unique in its kind because it is the sanctuary of both marine and terrestrial life, and in the estuaries.
Lately however, we have intruded into this horizon, pushing agriculture beyond land towards the sea. We build fishponds, fish pens and cages, resorts, and we introduce poison from our wasteful living.
And yet we have barely discovered the many uses of seaweeds. Ironically we are indiscriminately and unwittingly destroying the very production base of this valuable resource before we have discovered its full potential – in the same way we are destroying the forest even if we have studied barely 10 percent of the potential value of its composition.
A happy note however, may be found in our success in cultivating seaweeds even before naturally occurring species and stands become exhausted. Seaweed farming has been established in coves and sheltered coral reefs such as in Danajon Reef between Cebu andBohol , on flat coral beds in Calatagan in Batangas, Zamboanga and Tawi-tawi, to mention the most important plantations. Eucheuma, the source of carageenan is the main crop, followed by Gracillaria, Gellidiella and other species as source of algin and agar.
These seaweeds built a multi-million dollar industry locally. Their extracts have revolutionized the food industry, mainly as conditioners in food manufacture. More and more products are derived from them for our everyday use, which other than in food, are used in the manufacture of medicine and drugs, cosmetics, fabrics, paints, films, to mention a few.
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Unlike land plants, no seaweed has been found to be poisonous or pathologic. On the contrary seaweeds are rich in minerals and vitamins, which make them elixir of health. Only one species so far is known to cause dizziness when taken in excess - lato or Caulerpa. A substance responsible to this effect is caulerpin, which may be explored of its potential value in medicine as natural tranquilizer.
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Sargassum is the most common tropical seaweed.
Seaweeds, botanically speaking, are not true plants, but rather algae – giants among their counterpart in the micro-world such as the Chlorella and Spirogyra. Biologists have assigned seaweeds into classes based on their color or dominant pigment, hence green (Chlorophyta), brown (Phaeophyta) and red (Rhodophyta). In terms of niche, these three groupings grow naturally at varying depths - in increasing depth in this order. This is ecologically advantageous and definitely a tool in their evolutionary success.
Food Value of Seaweeds
Fishes that feed on seaweeds contain high levels of Vitamins A and D in their liver, apparently absorbed from the seaweeds. Algae also synthesize appreciable amounts of Vitamins B12, C and K. Another advantage they have over land plants is their rich content of iodine, bromine, potassium, and other chemicals that have been discovered recently, many of which have potential value to medicine and industry.
It is no wonder why people who take seaweeds as regular part of their diet are sturdier and healthier and seldom get sick of anemia, goiter and scurvy. It is an observation that the Ilocanos who are the country’s top consumers of seaweeds generally enjoy good health and long life.
The cultivation of other edible seaweeds now include Enteromorpha, Monostroma, Laminaria, Porphyra and Undaria. The importance of seaweed culture is fast expanding this century, principally for food. This is to show the food value of seaweeds using kelp as a model.
Kelp (Laminaria japonica) contains the following nutrients based on a 100-gram sample: Carotene, 0.57 mg; Thiamine, 0.09 mg; Riboflavin, 0.36 mg; Niacin, 1.60 mg; Protein 8.20 g; Fats, 0.10 g; Carbohydrates, 57 g; Coarse fiber (roughage), 9.80 g; Inorganic salts, 12.90 g; Calcium, 1.18 g; Iron, 0.15 g; and Phosphorus, 0.22g.
Philippine seaweeds which approximate the food value of Laminaria are Eucheuma, Gracillaria and Gellidiella. On the other hand, gamet or Porphyra has the following food value. Based on a 100-gram sample, gamet contains protein, 35.6 g; fat, 0.7 g; carbohydrates, 44.3 g; provitamin, 44,500 IU; Vitamin C, 20 mg; Vitamin B1, 0.25 mg; Vitamin B2, 1.24 mg; and Niacin, 10 mg.
Seaweeds Sold in the Market
These seaweeds are commercially sold in Metro Manila, mainly in public markets and in talipapa.
1. Lato or Arusip [Caulerpa racemosa)(Forsk)L Agard], Chlorophyta
2. Guso (Eucheuma sp.), Rhodophyta
3. Gulaman (Gracillaria verrucosa), Rhodophyta
4. Kelp (Laminaria sp.), Phaeophyta
5. Gamet (Porphyra crispata Kjellman ), Rhodophyta
6. Kulot [Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldman ]
Lato or Caulerpa is of two commercial species, C. racemosa which is cultured in estuaries and fishponds and and C. lentillifera which is usually found growing in the wild. It is the racemosa type that predominates the market. Because of frequent harvesting of this species by local residents lentillifera it is no longer popular in the market. Besides, the cultured Caulerpa is cleaner and more uniform. It has lesser damage and is less pungent than its wild counterpart.
Guso or Eucheuma cotonii is cartilaginous and firm as compared with Caulerpa and because it is very much branched air can circulate better in between the fronds, which explains why its self life may extend up to 3 days. Guso is eaten in fresh state mixed with vegetables or cooked in water and sugar to make into sweets.
Gracillaria verrucosa and G. coronipifolia are the two common species of gulaman. The thallus is bushy with a firm fleshy texture. It is cylindrical and repeatedly divided into subdichotomous branches with numerous lateral proliferation. Gulaman grows up to 25 cm long and has a disclike base. It is found growing in protected, shallow waters.
Gamet or Pophyra crispata Kjellman has a deep red thallus which is flat and membranous with soft gelatinous fronds. Three to nine blades usually form clusters which grow from a very small adhesive disc which has tiny rhizoids attached to the rocky substratum. Gamet grows on rock promontories and rocks exposed directly to the action of waves and wind. This can be observed along the coast ofBurgos , Ilocos Norte, which is the major producer of gamet. To date we have not succeeded in culturing gamet in spite of our knowledge on how nori, a species of Porphyra similar to our own gamet, is raised on marine farms in Japan and other parts of the world. The most authentic reason is because the natural habitat of Porphyra is temperate.
Why gamet grows along the northern most tip of Luzon is because the cold Kuroshu Current coming down fromJapan reaches this point during the months of December to February. The current probably carries also the reproductive parts of the organisms, which explains the similarity of the Japanese and Philippine species.
Gamet is sold in dried form, compressed in mat, either circular with a diater of 20 to 30 cm, or rectangular in shape measuring some 50cm x 100 cm. Gamet is blanched with boiling water and allowed to cool before salad garnishings are added. It is also added to soup or diningding.
Kulot or Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldmann and Hamel has tough and wiry thalli, greenish black to dull purple in color. They lie low and creeping on rocks and corals along the intertidal zone. It is very much branched when mature with secondary branches cylindrical at the base and flattened towards the tip and beset on both sides with irregular, pinnately short branches. The fertile branchlets have conspicuous swollen tips.
Kelp or Laminaria is also found in the market. This is popular seaweed growing only in temperate seas. The main supplier isChina . Kelp grows to several feet long and is usually thick and broad. It is sold in dried form or cut into strips and soaked in water and rehydrated.
As a source of nutrition and natural medicine, seaweeds are important in commerce and industry and as direct source of food of the people. On the point of ecology, protection of seaweeds in the wild, as well as their cultivation on reefs, farms and estuaries should be integrated under a sound management program of our coastal areas. Thus preserving God’sEden
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Tridacna shell for holy water, Mount Carmel Church, QC
Mammoth said...
Luckily Nature has endowed the members highly sensitive senses to adapt to their environment - gregarious, wide range feeders, and armored with thick exoskeleton with radiating spikes and poisonous sting that few predators would dare to attack them. No wonder they live up to 5 years, and in the case of the pink sea urchin 200 years! It is one of the longest living creatures on earth!
Beware! Don't walk the sea floor barefooted. And where sea urchins abound in colonies, the sea floor appears like a beautiful tapestry with iridescent glow, so inviting you are seeing another world. In most places though, sea urchins live in small groups, often camouflaged by silt, seaweeds, sea grasses or simply by the coral reef on which they live.
As a professor in marine biology at the UST Graduate School I always emphasize never to underestimate the sea urchin. Getting a stab requires quick remedy, and if one steps of the black one (photo), medical attention becomes necessary, not only for the wound but possible allergic reaction.
So how do you treat the sea urchin other than not to touch it? Just observe, photograph, or ask a local guide to pick it up for you as specimen. Keep it in a jar of formalin or alcohol solution for your school laboratory.
And if you touch one and a spine is embedded in your hand, don't panic. Don't pry it with needle, it will only get deeper. Soak the wound with vinegar or calamansi juice. The spike is a calcium compound so that it readily dissolves in acid. Local folks have a more practical remedy - urine. Who could resist to answer the call of nature in severe pain and fear?
All these make the sea urchin a delicious treat, if you may. But there's one curious effect many people crave - increased sexual desire. Eating the gonads - testes and ovary - of the sea urchin (sea urchins have separate sexes - dioecious) delivers the Freudian drive for sexual expression and gratification. Whatever we eat as long its healthy food, the effect is possibly the same. And it is excellent health that keeps us on our toes always.
Study the anatomy of the sea urchin.
"The mouth of the sea urchin (known as the Aristotle's lantern), is found in the middle on the underside of the sea urchin's body and has five tooth-like plates for feeding. The anus of the sea urchin is located on the top of the body. As with other echinoderms, sea urchins do not have a brain and instead rely on their water-vascular system which is like a circulatory system and comprises of water-filled channels that run through the body of the sea urchin." Wikipedia.
What you are seeing in water is the adult sea urchin. Take a look at this illustration. The immature stages are almost invisible to the naked eye.
Sea urchins spawn during the spring (monsoon), and the female sea urchin releases millions of tiny, jelly-coated eggs into the water that are then fertilized by the sperm of the male sea urchin. The tiny sea urchin eggs become part of the plankton and the sea urchin babies (larvae) do not hatch for several months. The sea urchin young will not become large enough to retreat from the plankton and down to the ocean floor until they are between 2 and 5 years old.
Due to dredging on the ocean floor and pollution in the water, and the effects of Global Warming, not to mention the increasing appetite of people all over the world, sea urchin populations are declining.
Today, the edible sea urchin, Echinus esculentus, is a threatened species. Next time you order the delicacy, don't take too seriously the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation (Aphrodite, equivalent is the Roman goddess Venus). ~
With the unabated destruction of our coral reef it is not common to see undisturbed coral fields. Corals are animals in colonies belonging to Phylum Coelenterata, which is often associated with Cnidaria, of the Class Anthozoa.
Coral reefs make the forest of the sea, the counterpart of our terrestrial forest. With their association with microscopic algae and seaweeds, they constitute the abode of fishes and countless kinds of marine life, without which our seas would not be as productive as they are today.
However, the destruction of coral reefs through illegal fishing like muro-ami and dynamite fishing, as well as the conversion of shores into resorts and fishponds have greatly reduced fish catch and the diversity of marine species.
Today our laws prohibit coral gathering, more so in exporting them. Coral reefs conservation is a priority program of many countries. Without corals our islands would fall back to the depth of the sea and our continents would be greatly reduced through cutbank erosion.
Thus, corals are nature’s architectural and engineering wonder for they serve as riprap and barrier against the restless sea, while making the underwater world a truly beautiful scape that is beyond compare with any kind.
Let's all give a hand to the conservation of corals. Let's join the campaign. No to the following:
Let's remember that corals are virtually a non-renewable natural resource because they grow very, very slow. It takes fifty years to grow to the size of a man's head. We have but very little time to witness and be part of a noble task of keeping our islands and continents from being swallowed down into the depth of the sea. Our foothold is but skin deep to the enormous sea. ~
Coral reefs, painting by AVRotor
"If there is a Coelacanth long thought to have been extinct that lives in the craggy bottom of Madagascar Sea, we have our own kugtong, the biggest coral dwelling fish." (AVR)
In the craggy depth of the sea lies a monster - the giant lapu-lapu or grouper. Fishermen in the area respect the niche of this benthic creature. They tell stories of missing pets and fishermen, of mysterious encounters that turn the sea inside out, a battle between a kugtong and a giant squid or whale. These are stories of fishermen and are often exaggerated.
At SEAFDEC (Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center) along the coast of Iloilo, lapulapu is cultured and studied in captivity. The making of a giant is evident in one of these photos. The longevity of the fish may be the same as that of human, and a full grown has a mouth so huge it can engulf its prey whole and alive.
I saw two giant lapu-lapu (kugtong) in Sablayan Occidental Mindoro caught by local fishermen sometime in 1982. I had been hearing kugtong since childhood, a threat to fishermen and picnickers because it could swallow a whole human being, and here with my own eyes the kugtong in Lola Basiang’s story is true after all. So huge are these overgrown lapu-lapu that two men could hardly carry one of them with a bamboo pole on their shoulders. A third man had to lift its tail from the ground as they inched their way to a waiting vehicle. I examined the fish; its body is coarse and shaggy, covered with seaweeds and barnacles, and had lost all semblance of the favorite lapu-lapu on our dining table. But this makes a perfect camouflage that suits the predatory habit of this benthic fish. By the way, it is the female lapu-lapu that attains this enormous size. The male is a diminutive partner permanently attached to her body, indeed a very special kind of relationship in the animal world.
There is a story about a kugtong that lived under the old pier of San Fernando, La Union. For a long time the strange fish was feared by the residents and many animals around had mysteriously disappeared. Then the local fishermen decided to catch it with a big hook luring the fish with a live piglet as bait. The fish took it and struggled until it was finally subdued. It was hauled by many men and if the story is accurate it took a six-by-six truck to transport it.
There are giants in the deep. After the tsunami in 2004 that hit the Indian Ocean, by coincidence I saw giant squids measuring 3 feet long being sold at the SM Fairview supermarket. I surmise that these were flushed out from their deep dwellings and landed in the fisherman’s net when the calamity struck. I remember the giant squid that almost sank Captain Nemo’s submarine in Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
There is mystery in the biology of lapu-lapu- or grouper, as it is known worldwide. Groupers are hermaphroditic, which means that sex switch from male to female and vice versa. The young are predominantly female but transform into males as they grow to about a kilogram in a year, remaining adolescent until they reach three kilos. From here they become females. But wait. When they are about 10 to 12 kg they turn to males and grow very, very big. Lengths over a meter and weights up to 100 kg are not uncommon.
A newspaper reported a 396.8 pound grouper caught off the waters near Pulau Sembilan in the Straits of Malacca in 2008. Shenzhen newspaper reported that a 1.8 meter grouper swallowed a 1.0 meter whitetip reef shark at the Fuzhou Sea World aquarium.
I asked my friend Dr. Anselmo S Cabigan, a fellow biologist. “What is really the sex of a full grown kugtong, such as those I found in Mindoro?”
In my research it is male. The male is larger and wilder than the female, and I use as analogy the bull to the cow, rooster to hen, peacock to peahen, lion to lioness.
Dr Cabigan thinks it otherwise. The female is larger, in fact much larger, that the male is virtually a remora-size creature attached to the female. I imagine the huge size of the queen termite as compared to the tiny king termite. The enigma of the grouper, considering its diversity, and worldwide distribution could yet reveal other amazing facts about the kugtong. Among the institutions working on the kugtong is SEAFDEC, which admits its biology and ecology remain a mystery.
At least we are sure the kugtong does exist. ~
Kalabasang ukoy (squash, shrimp, egg and flour)
home recipe for breakfast and snack
Tupig wrapped with banana leaves (coconut meat anf milk,
glutinous rice and red sugar) cooked on charcoal
1. Return to Nature. “Go Organic.”
A. How do you gauge food to be natural?
1. Fresh and served promptly.
2. Not genetically modified (GMO)
3. No pesticide residues
4. Safe from pest and disease organisms
5. No toxic metals (Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, others)
6. Organic fertilizer used, instead of synthetic fertilizer like Urea, 12-24-12, etc)
7. No harmful preservatives (nitrates, CO2 gas, N gas)
8. No MSG, artificial coloring (jubos)
9. Balanced nutrients,
10. Proper combination of ingredients.
B. Is it safe to take fat-free fat (olestra), sugarless sugar (aspartame, splenda),. coffeeless coffee (decaffeinated), synthetic multi-vitamins, distilled water?
It is better to use their natural forms or products.
C. Do you consider naturally processed products as organic? Yes, It depends on how they are processed though.
1. Bihon fron rice
2. Sotanhon from mungo
3. Noodles, pasta, spaghetti, macaroni from wheat
4. Taho, tokwa, vegemeat/TVP from soya bean
D. Are native varieties of crops and breeds of animals safer to eat?
Generally yes.
1. They need less attention and input to produce, thus they do not carry residues of antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers - which make food harmful.
2. Warning on stray animals and wildlife species - they may be carriers of diseases.
3. Warning on allergy-causing and or poisonous plants, including mushrooms.
E. Why is Integrated Pest Management (IPM) internationally recognized as the best approached in controlling pests and diseases?
IPM is backed up by Research, Training and Extension. It follows a strict regimen to protect health and the environment, in the following sequence.
1. Proper land use (Crop is tailored to the land, not vice versa)
2. Community effort, social infrastructure. Cooperation on three levels: Governmental Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Organizations.
3. Genetic resistance is primordial.
4. Biological control (Use of natural enemies of the pest)
5. Cultural practices (agronomic and horticultural)
6. Chemical Control as last resort. (botanical, carbamate, chlorinated hydrocarbon, organophosphate, systemic) Chemical groups mentioned are in the order increasing toxicity.
F. Should we prefer native recipes over foreign ones? Yes, although we can adapt those that fit into, or compatible with, ours (Chinese recipes, for example). Native recipes have the following advantages.
1. Ingredients used are naturally grown, available locally.
2. Tastier and more nutritious
3. Cheaper in cost
4. Aesthetics of culinary art , cultural pride
5. Promote cooking at home and family bonding
6. Support local producers and entrepreneurs.
7. Integrated with home gardening and local production
8. Healthier
9. Environment-friendly
10. Business potential
G. Some people say home gardening is not practical?
Why not? Even if you are living in the urban area. You do not have to produce everything you need in the kitchen. Choose only those that are practical to grow. Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid conducts lessons on Home Gardening on three levels, namely
* Garden in “pots” for urban
* Backyard gardening for home lots
* Golden Years Homesite (500 m)
H. What other areas are people becoming more conscious about natural products?
1. Natural ventilation of homes and dwellings
2. Non-allergenic or hypoallergenic materials (pillows, bed sheets)
3. Natural fibers (cotton, silk instead of rayon), leather shoes,
wood instead of plastic).
4. Waxed paper, paper bags; grill instead of microwave
5. Firewood cooking
2. Health and Longevity Consciousness
A. Can we combine herbal and alternative medicine on one hand, and modern medicine, on the other? Yes, refer to Dr. Victoriano Y. Lim’s new book Introduction to CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine) UST Publishing House, National Book Store,). There are many books to support this approach.
1. Second opinion may come from non-doctors, including an herbal expert (herbolario)
2. Take it from the Chinese, also other Oriental medical practices and home remedies
3. Practical References: Where there is no doctor and Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing, books on pharmacology.
B. Do vegetarians live healthier and longer?
Generally medical science says it is true. There is another school of thought .
1. Plants product may not supply all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins the body needs.
2. There is a certain formula based on age-weight-life style that ensures good health and longer life – it’s not really being slim or trim. The body needs food reserve, buffer supply in normal and abnormal times.
3. Where vegetation is scanty, people depend of animal products, and do live as long as vegetarians do.
4. Human teeth is evidence that we evolved from vegetarian to omnivorous, which must have insured our evolutionary success (Darwinian).
5. Vegetarians may not necessarily save money by not eating meat.
6. Vegetarians and meat-eaters suffer different ailment – as well as common ailments.
7. Progressive societies depend largely on animal products; less developed ones on plant products – a law of economics, other than cultural differences. Grain to animal protein conversion ratio is poor - 16:1 for beef, 7:1 pork, 4:1 chicken.
C. What is the best way to reduce? Diet and exercise.
1. Diet with doctor's advice. Extreme caution on other means.
2. Liposuction is dangerous. Stem Cells are destroyed, so with the natural capacity of the body to produce Stem Cells which are necessary in replenishing aging and damaged cells of the body.
3.Gym work and exercising equipment are expensive and not practical.
4. A combination of exercise, hobby and work is best. Be output-oriented.
D. How about grooming?
You mean personality development. A natural way is to have a happy disposition, positive outlook, and clean living, rolled in one. Minimize cosmetic grooming.
D. What are the main causes of death in modern society?
1. Accidents
2. Physiologic diseases – heart attack, stroke
3. Epidemics – flu, malaria, TB, dengue, SARS, HIV-AIDS
4. Personality complications of diseases of the nervous system.
5. Traditional diseases - tuberculosis, infection, diarrhea, etc.
E. How can we enhance longevity? Can we plan to live longer?
1. "It is in the genes." (Trace your family tree)
2. Special care for special children
3. Geriatrics forthe golden years.
4. Avoid Viagra, fertility and memory enhancers, stimulants and depressants, etc)
5. Monitor your lifestyle. Alzheimer’s, diabetics, heart attack, stroke, kidney and diseases, are physiologic diseases of modern living.
6. Don't smoke, avoid heavy drinking.
7. Don't retire, but have leisure and good rest. ~
It is a place where the spirit of a sacred and noble bird* returns to the home of its ancestors and kin and tells the story of man, the rational, the wise, self anointed guardian of creation, yet in many ways cruel, uncaring, and cold;
It is a place where a stream is born from the watershed of trees, shrubs and lianas, gathering rain that falls anytime in the day and night, dewdrops from mist and fog, spring water from aquifers and water stored under the ground;
It is a place where the life-giving sunlight casts over the vast canopy of the forest, seeps through the foliage and nourishes the undergrowth, the epiphytes and lianas, and over the forest floor to wake up the sleeping seeds and spores;
It is a place where the "lungs of the earth" give off oxygen in exchange of carbon dioxide, condenses clouds into rain, keeping the integrity of the water cycle that is vital to all living things, and to our economy, health and welfare;
It is a place where threatened and endangered organisms find refuge, and given time and chance to restore their number into sustaining population levels, e become capable of living again freely and openly with other species;
It is a place where leaves turn gold to orange and red come every fall, showering confetti and building litter on the forest floor, home of a myriad of living minutiae that convert organic materials back into elements for the next generation;
It is a place where new and unknown species have yet to be discovered before they disappear with the destruction of their habitats, where other secrets of nature are revealed, and medicine and other useful materials are developed;
It is a place to see animals otherwise reared as pets or caged in zoos live free: colorful parrots in lovely pairs, flying lemurs glide across treetops, kalaw or hornbill perched on high trees, tigers training their cubs, eagles ruling the sky;
It is a place to listen the sounds of nature traced to different organisms like the shrill of cicada at summer's end, croaking of frogs in the rain, shrieking monkeys at play and abandon, sonorous call of hornbills, slithering sound of reptiles on the move;
It is a place where naturalist Edward O Wilson formulated the principles of socio-biology; where Henry David Thoreau wrote a treatise between man and nature, Walden Pond; where Jean-Henri Fabre studied insects known as entomology;
It is the setting of beautiful stories and music: Francisco Baltazar's Florante at Laura, Jack London's Call of the Wild, Robin Hood, and many stories for children; Beethoven's Pastoral, Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, and Jean Sibelius' Tapiola;
It is a place where we pay homage to the home of our ancestors, before they set out onto the grassland where they hunted, and later built communities and institutions leading to the creation of human societies, and ultimately nations. ~
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*Lost national treasure, Philippine eagle Pamana (heritage) shot and killed within its sanctuary in Mount Hamiguitan, a UNESCO heritage site on August 16, 2015. It is one of the few remaining members of the species, formerly Philippine monkey-eating eagle.
LESSON on TATAKalikasan Ateneo de Manila University, 87.9 FM Radyo Katipunanan every Thursday 11 to 12 noon (author as co-host)
Philippine Eagle Foundation Sole Website
Be a friend of the Philippine Eagle, 10 years in review
From the Training Manual on Research and Monitoring Techniques for Birds of Prey in the Philippines.
Dr Abe V Rotor
1. When spring comes without stir, “don't go gentle into the night,” rise and find out where have all the birds gone to herald the new season, the new beginning of life.
2. When the monsoon ends too soon, summer sets early, the land scorched, the rivers and ponds dried up, warn of the coming of a severe El Niño phenomenon.
3. When algal bloom in make-believe proportion spreads in lakes, sound the alarm of fish kill coming to avert losses and hunger, and save the ecosystem.
4. When people move to cities in exodus, convince them, advise government, it is a tender trap that takes them away from the real Good Life on the countryside.
5. When clouds simply pass over the landscape, take the lead to reforest the hills and mountains, restore the watershed with a million and one trees.
6. When flood sweeps the land taking with it lives and properties, and eroding soil fertility, be part of rehabilitation and planning; believe that flood can be tamed.
7. When you find an abundance of lichens of different types on trees and rocks, assure residents of the pristine condition of their environment, and help them to preserve it.
8. When and where wildlife areas are shrinking, backyards and idle lots can be developed as alternative wildlife sanctuary, initiate this as a community project.
9. When asked what vegetables are safe from pesticide residues and chemicals from fertilizers, promote native species like malunggay, kamote tops, gabi, saluyot, and the like, they are also more nutritious and easy to grow.
10. When asked of Nature's way of maintaining the ecosystem, explain the role of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, composting, symbiosis, among other natural processes and cycles.
11. When additives are found in food - MSG, Nutrasweet or any artificial sugar, salitre in sausage, sulfite in white sugar, melamin in milk, formalin in fish, warn the public against taking these, initiate through legislation and campaign to ban these additives.
12. When children spend too much time before the TV, on computers, and other gadgets, offer alternatives more favorable to their upbringing and well-being by getting close to nature like camping, gardening and other outdoor activities.
13. When old folks talk about traditional wisdom and values, demonstrate native skills, listen and translate them into useful applications, disseminate these in school and through extension.
14. When animals are restless, reptiles and rodents coming out of their burrows and dens, fish attempting to escape, fowls noisy, suspect the coming of a force majeure such as earthquake, and be alert to face possible consequences.
15. When epidemic threatens an area, say bird flu, initiate community cooperation with health and other institutions to prevent further spread of the disease.
16. When a child has little concern about the environment, teach him, guide him to explore the beautiful world of nature, and make him realize his importance and his role.
17. When there is a worthy movement to save the environment, such as Clean and Green, Piso sa Pasig, or any local campaign, lead and extend your full support.
18. When there are farms and fishponds neglected or abandoned, find out how these are put back to their productive conditions, or converted into a wildlife sanctuary.
19. When at rest or in confinement for health reason, explore natural remedies with plants, pet therapy, and other proven remedies
20. When on a fine Sunday morning you hear birds in the trees, fish splashing in a pond, and plants bloom, say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving in music and poetry, painting, or simply a reflection of the magnificence o f creation. ~
Wall Mural of a Tropical Rainforest, St Paul University QC, AVR 2001
Nature represents the idea of the entire universe in a state of perfection. Nature is one: it unites heaven and earth, connecting human beings with the stars and bringing them all together into a single family. Nature is beautiful; it is ordered. A divine law determines its arrangement, namely the subordination of the means to the end, and the parts to the whole.
After putting down my brush, I took a view of the mural from a distance. The scene – unspoiled nature – one spared from the hands of man and typified by the tropical rainforest, flowed out from a wall that was previously white and empty.
In the course of painting the mural, which took all of seven days and in the days following its unveiling, I took notice of the reactions of viewers. It must be the stillness of the scene, freshness of its atmosphere, and its apparent eccentricity that attract passersby as if in search of something therapeutic. It seems to slow down busy feet, soothing tired nerves. There is something I thought was mysterious beyond the levels of aesthetics. For the huge scene is a drama of life completely different from city living. It is respite. It is transformation from concrete to greenery, from cityscape to landscape.
Yet, I found it difficult to give it a title and an explanation that captures both its essence and message. This time many ideas crowded my mind. At the start of my painting labors, the challenge was how and where to start painting. Now that it is completed, what else is there to say after one has “said” it all in colors and lines, hues and shadows, perspective and design? What more is there to declare for after the last page of a book? For a painting, it is the same.
Relaxation did not come easy for me after many hours of concentrating on my subject, dealing with a fast-drying medium of acrylic. What made it more challenging was the unending attempt to capture those fleeting impressions and recollections that pervaded my mind as I painted. I then took a pen and slowly wrote my thoughts. From the mural, I saw the scenery of my childhood on the farm, views of my travels here and abroad, imagery from my readings, and views drawn out like a thread from the mass of a golf ball. It was imagery and memory working jointly.
Tropical Rainforest Model
I chose the tropical rainforest scenery since it is the richest of all ecosystems in the world. The Philippines, being one of the countries endowed with this natural wealth is a treasure, indeed. For this reason, I believe that, the tropical rainforest closely resembles the description of the biblical paradise. It is not only a living bank of biological diversity; it is the most important sanctuary of living matters on earth.
To paint such a big wall is no easy task. It is not unusual to face a blank wall, literally speaking, and not knowing what to do first even with all the colors and tools on hand – and a predetermined topic in mind. Shall I start at the center and move outward, or from both sides slowly progressing inward? Or do I divide the wall into parts, working on them one by one, then unifying them at the end?
…and Heaven and Nature Sing
Christmas was already in the air and the Siberian winds were bringing in the chills. Carol music was now being played in malls, schools and homes. I was engrossed in my work when some students, watching me paint, sang a familiar song. On this particular occasion, something about the song chimed inside me, directing me towards the central theme of my mural.
Creatures in general are not as visible as they appear in books and on the screen. They blend with their surroundings mainly for predatory anticipation and protective camouflage. But there are other reasons too, that are not well understood. Take the case of the butterflies. Their beauty is extravagant for their basic function as pollinators. Fish jump for mere pleasure, dragonflies have wings that split light into prisms. Birds stay in the sky longer for the sheer joy of flying, and not just to cruise in search of a prey.
Among the animals suggested to me while painting the mural are flying lemur, Philippine monkey, heron, monitor lizard, boa constrictor and hornbill. I painted these - and many more, the way I imagined them in their natural habitat. I put a touch of Noah’s Ark, painting them in pairs. For the rodents, ducks and doves I made them in amiable groupings that exude a familial atmosphere.
Whenever I see viewers seriously searching for these creatures with walking fingers, I am tempted to add to the collection of creatures, making them even more difficult to find. But that might change the ambiance to fun and puzzle solving, rather than of meditation and recollection.
People in the Mural
The trees and the massiveness of the scenery dwarf the characters in the mural. They appear mindless of events and time. They care not for the chores of the day. Those who are engrossed fishing with a simple hook-and-line do not show excitement even as they land their catch. Others patiently wait for a bite. There is a sense of tranquility and peace to all characters, whether they are promenading or just passing the time away. Their faces show only the slightest hint of anger or sadness.
I noticed viewers trying to identify themselves with the characters of the mural. Some construction workers envision themselves fishing. High school students are drawn by the promenades. But there are those who simply imagine themselves part of the scene. “This place is familiar to me,” one would say, apparently recalling provincial life. “We have flying lemurs in Davao,” says another.
Where does the water flow, and what does the mural mean to us? Water is everywhere. It is free to flow. Tributaries abound as if there were no limit. Trees are everywhere and far into the backdrop is a vast virgin forest. There is no sign of man’s destructive hand. At the foreground is a placid pond where Nymphaea and lotus grow. It is in contrast to the lively pulse of the river. This is a corner where life is peaceful and serene. It is here that we draw strength in facing the river and beyond.
What really is the message of the mural?
Quite often, images of nature enrapture us. These are reminiscences of childhood, a re-creation of a favorite spot we may have visited or seen, or products of the imagination greatly influenced by the society we live in.
These images reflect a deep-seated biological longing to be part of nature. Putting it in the biblical sense, it is a natural searching for the lost paradise. They are a refuge from city living, a respite, and an escape from the daily grind.
But these images do not only tell us of what we are missing. Rather, it reminds us what we are going to miss, perhaps forever, if we do not heed nature’s signal towards a fast declining ecosystem. If we do not change our way of life from too much dependence on consumerism, to one more closely linked to conservation of nature, we may end up building memories and future archives of a lost world.
The warning is clear. The painting challenges everyone to do his part to save Mother Earth so that her beauty is not only kept in the form of images, but a scenery of real life enjoyed by us and future generations.~
Reference: Living with Nature in Our Times
Copyright 2007 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas
Even today the average life span of man is mid 70. It will not be a surprise if one out of a hundred individuals will be a centenarian. One report claims that the life span of man can be increased up to 140 years by the middle of the millennium. How long did Moses live?
• But cancer is on the rise, so with AIDS, and the spread of genetically linked defects and illness. Work-related and stress-related deaths will likewise increase with heart and severe depression as the leading diseases, followed by the traditional diseases like respiratory and diarrheal diseases. Already there are 15 million people who have died of AIDS and 40 millions more who are living with HIV, the viral infection. A pandemic potential with up to 1 billion people to become affected with HIV has started appearing on some crystal balls and
this is not impossible if it hits populous Asia.
Street children rehabilitation Center. Bahay ni Kuya, Cubao QC
• Cloning, the most controversial discovery in biology and medicine, will continue to steal the limelight in this millennium, stirring conscience, ethics and religion. It is now sensed as the biggest threat to human society, and if Frankenstein is back and some people regard him as a hero instead of a villain, we can only imagine the imminent destruction our society faces - the emergence of sub- and ultra- human beings. On the other hand, there are those who look at cloning as an important tool of medicine to enable doctors to save lives and increase life expectancy. They also believe that cloning in situ (on site) will do away with tedious and unreliable organ transplants.
• Gene therapy is in, medicinal healing is out. It means diagnosing the potential disease before it strikes by knowing its source. Actually diseases are triggered by specific genes. Reading the gene map of an individual, the doctor can “cure” the disease right at it genetic source. We call this gene therapy, the newest field in medical science. But the altered gene will be passed on to the next generation. Playing God, isn’t? Definitely it is, and it is possible to use this technology not only for the sake of treatment but for programmed genetic alteration. Another Frankenstein in the offing? But scientists are saying gene therapy can be a tool in removing permanently the genes that cause cancer, AIDS, and genetically linked diseases like diabetes, Down’s Syndrome, and probably alcoholism.
• We are in an age of test tube babies. There are now 100,000 test tube babies in the US alone since 1978, the arrival of Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby. The industry has just started booming with sperm and ova banks established and linked with the Internet and other commodity channels. Not only childless couples can have children, but even a sixty year old woman can - through what is coined as menopausal childbirth technology. Surrogate mothers for hire, anyone?
• If diseases can be predicted and successfully treated, and life can be prolonged – these have indeed grave consequences to population increase. Already there are 6 billion people inhabiting the earth today, and we are increasing at the rate of more than 80 million a year. After 2150 we shall have reached 13 billion, the estimated maximum capacity our planet can support. Is Malthus right after all? It looks like the ghost of this English political economist and priest is back to warn us, this time more urgent than his 1789 prediction that our population would grow until it reaches the limits of our food supply.
• Our Earth is getting warmer, and this is not any kind of comfort but destruction. We have experienced seven of the ten warmest years in the past decade and we are heading toward another Noah’s episode. Low lying areas where the rich farmlands and many big cities virtually squat will be flooded. Heat is trapped by the carbon that we generate from our cars and industries creating a “greenhouse effect.” As the world’s temperature increases, the polar ice will melt, more rains and climatic disturbances will ensue. Climate scientists have predicted that by year 2100 the earth’s temperature will go up from 1 to 3.5 degrees centigrade. But wait, the worst is yet to come. Global warming will plunge us ultimately – towards the middle of the millennium – into another ice age! There will be a buildup of ice at the polar regions as the ocean currents fail to carry warm water to the poles and back.
• The trend of lifestyle will be toward the simple and natural, even in the midst of high tech living. More and more people will go for natural food and natural medicine as they become conscious of their health. The media and the information highway will provide more people access to entertainment and information. Remote management and distance learning will greatly influence business and education. But people will still seek greener pastures in cities and in foreign lands.
• “Save the earth!” has yet to be a denominator of cooperation and peace among nations. The failure of the Earth Summit five years ago at Rio de Janairo, and the first summit before in Stockholm, has produced valuable lessons leaders must learn. There is only one ship in which all of us are riding. Let us all save our ship.
All in the name of Progress
It is all in the name of progress that nations are pursuing. The West insists of pushing the frontiers of technology into the so-called “third wave.” The East, the Asian Pacific region, insists on industrialization in order to catch up with the progress of the West, while the Middle East has yet to undergo a major socio-cultural and political transformation while aiming at lofty economic goals.
Progress, it is generally believed, is the aim of globalization, and globalization is building of a world village. Isn’t this the key to peace and cooperation? Sounds familiar to scholars and leaders.
Maybe, but the greatest challenge lies in the preservation of a healthy Mother Earth, a common denominator of concern irrespective of political, ideological and religious boundaries. It is the saving of the environment that will be the biggest challenge to this and the coming generations.
Poor Rating of Earth Summit
They had in mind what happened to the promises made by leaders from 178 nations who gathered in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro some years ago. These are the four areas of accord: biodiversity, climate, deforestation, and population.
On the biodiversity accord signed by 161 countries (except the US), ecosystems continue to be assaulted and fragmented. On arresting global warming as a result of emissions from industries and vehicles, developing countries on the path of industrialization have exacerbated the problem. Deforestation virtually knows no limits and bounds as long as there is wilderness to conquer. Every year forests are lost the size of Nepal. Asia has lost 95 percent of its woodlands.
There are now 7.7 billion people on earth. Every year about 85 million people are added. This is slightly bigger than the Philippines’ total population. Although birth rates are going down in the West as well as in the NICS, there is a boom in babies in rural Asia, Latin America and Africa.
What is the score of the Earth Summit? Rhetorics and promises can not be relied upon. It is in this area that globalization should be reviewed. Globalization should be defined in economic, cultural and environmental terms. This triad approach has yet to be addressed to all members of the global village. And there should be a new world governance, more credible than the UN, to undertake this gargantuan task.
“Hundreds of millions of people will starve to death,” warned Paul Ehrlich in his book, The Population Bomb. This is an echo of the Malthusian Theory raised 250 years ago. This means farmers, in spite of biotechnology, can not keep up indefinitely with increasing food demands. Yet there is a great disparity in food distribution. While the average adult needs 2200 calories a day, an American consumes 3603 as compared to the intake of a Kenyan which is only 1991 calories.
Degradation of the land, the breaking up of ecosystems, are resulting to modern day exodus of ecomigrants who cross borders, invade cities and build marginal communities, threaten security of nations, and creates other socio-economic problems. Desertification, soil erosion, overuse of farms drive multitudes to search for greener pasture, many in the guise of overseas workers, settlers, refugees.
The birth of megacities is a human phenomenon in modern times. The world’s cities are bursting at the seams. Half of the world’s population live in urban areas today, and more are coming in. In developed countries 75 percent of their population live in cities. By year 2015, 27 of the world’s 33 largest cities will be found in Asia, with Mumbai and Shanghai bursting with 20 million each. Today the most populous city in the world is Tokyo with 27 million people. New York has 16.3 million which is about the same as Sao Paolo. Metro Manila has 10 million.
On global warming, figures show how the world fares under greenhouse effect. This phenomenon is attributed to the severity of the last three episodes of El Nino in the last three decades, and to the prevalence of deadly tornadoes, hurricane, floods and natural calamities.
A hole in the sky was caused by damaging chemicals that tear down the vital atmospheric ozone shield that keeps us from too much heat and radiation. The size of the ozone hole about the Antarctic region is estimated to be like the whole continental US – and is still expanding. CFC use is now restricted in most countries, but there are other damaging chemicals used by agriculture and industry. Methyl bromide for one is 40 times more destructive to ozone than CFC.Pristine environment such as the Loboc River in Bohol.
Indeed, this millennium is the deciding point whether we can save Mother Earth - or fail. Already a decade has passed, and the trend of destruction has even increased. If we fail it is also the doom of mankind and the living world. It is yet the greatest challenge to civilization. ~
Part 5
Three Philosophies on Today's Environmental Revolution
Three philosophers have three formulas of an environmental revolution.
Dr Abe V Rotor
According to Andre Gorz the ecology struggle not as an end in itself but as essential part of the large struggle against capitalism and techno fascism. He champions a civil society shifting power from the State and political parties to local community and the web of social relations that individuals establish amongst themselves. The State’s role is to encourage self-management among the citizens. He envisions a Utopian future where “the citizens can do more for less,” and the development of a rich, all-round personality.
----------André Gorz was the Theorist Who Predicted the Revolt Against Meaningless Work. The COVID-19 pandemic led millions of people to question their meaningless jobs. French socialist thinker André Gorz anticipated this shift, sketching out a vision of a new civilization that would free us from the constraints of work. (Willy Gianinazzi)
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Definitely, while we need a revolution to save our environment, any means that is contrary to peace and unity, is definitely unacceptable. And we would not adhere to the rule of force or violence just to be able to succeed.
It is said, that revolution starts in a small corner. It could start in each of us.
Part 6
Definitely, while we need a revolution to save our environment, any means that is contrary to peace and unity, is definitely unacceptable. And we would not adhere to the rule of force or violence just to be able to succeed.
It is said, that revolution starts in a small corner. It could start in each of us.
Part 6
Scenarios of our children living in a Postmodern World
- A bright outlook
Education is the most important tool of our children in a postmodern world
Key players to our children's future: Institutions and the Family
The youth: full of energy and dreams, UST
1. Our children live in a Renaissance in the new age: post-capitalism order, environmental revolution, devolution of corporations, green technologies, cyberspace communication, and space exploration. Our children comprise a new breed of more dedicated leaders. They hold the key to change. They play the role of the little prince in Antoine de Saint-Exupery's novel The Little Prince, who saved the pilot whose plane crashed in the Sahara desert.
2. Our children will continue looking for the missing links of science, history, religion, astronomy etc., among them the source of life itself and its link with the physical world.
This includes linking of disciplines, narrowing down the gaps of specializations, making of a new concept of Man and culture.
3. Our children are at the front line and center of people’s revolution spreading worldwide. Arab Spring - Part 1 and 2 - is sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, so with the escalating unrest questioning the present world order. The young are angry at the inability of government and capitalism to narrow down economic inequity. Occupy Wall Stree! is the battle cry in the US. Greece, Italy, Spain, once world powers in their own time are undergoing a similar revolution.
4. Our children will live simpler lives, going back to basics, preferring natural over artificial goods and services. In the long run they are less wasteful than we are today. They learn to face a hidden desire to escape when things get rough, an instinct for survival either by detour or turning back.
5. Our children face the consequences of loss of privacy and secrecy from personal to institutional transparency. “You can no longer hide. There is no place you can remain with comfortable anonymity.” But they adjust and find comfort and peace in their own way.
6. Our children’s involvement in social media makes them actors and not mere spectators. They are involved, concerned with issues, local and world wide. Development Communication rises above conventional entertainment and reactionary media. They favor transparency to attain social justice an d more freedom. They learn from Wikileak which unveiled classified information about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Bank secrecy laws and safeguards are changing. Citizens claim their right to access to hidden financial transactions.
7. Our children inherit our aging infrastructure. Aging Infrastructure pulls down the economy, increases risk to disaster, creates ghost cities and makes life miserable.
We have created artificial ecosystems in deserted towns, inside the 38th Parallel between the two Koreas, land mines areas, deserted high rise buildings, and now in radiation-affected areas of Chernobyl and Fukoshima.
8. Our children are being deprived of natural beauty and bounty with the unabated shrinking wildlife, conversion of farms and pastures into settlements, and destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems. “Canned Nature” (delata) have become pseudo Nature Centers. Gubat sa Siyudad, Fantasyland, Ocean Park, Disneyland
9. Our children, and succeeding generations become more and more vulnerable to various infirmities – genetic, physiological, psychological, pathologic. Computer Syndrome is now pandemic, and its toll is increasing worldwide, with South Korea, China, US, Japan, India leading the list.
10. Our children’s learning process through codification defeats logical thinking and creativity, thus affecting their reasoning power, judgment and decision, originality of thought and ideas. More and more children are computer-dependent. They find simple equations and definitions difficult without electronic gadget.
11. Our children face the age of singularity whereby human and artificial intelligence are integrated. Robotics robs human of his rights and freedom – new realm of curtailment and suppression. (2045 – The Year Man Becomes Immortal – Time Magazine). This is falsehood!
12. Our children find a world of archives - memories, reproductions, replicas – of a real world lost before their own time. We are making fossils, biographies, dirges and laments, with little sense of guilt.
13. Our children are overburdened by education. They need freedom to learn in their own sweet time and enjoy the bliss and adventure of childhood and adolescence. E-learning is taking over much of the role of schools and universities. Open Universities, Distance Learning will dwarf classroom instruction. This is a revival of the academy of Plato’s dream.
14. Our children become more and more transient in domicile where work may require, and for personal reasons, and when given the choice and opportunity in a global perspective, intermarriages notwithstanding. “Citizen of the world” is a person without a specific country. He is therefore, rootless, baseless, transient. Humans since creation are rooted politically, culturally – and biologically most of ll.
15. Our children become new heroes – heroes for the environment, martyrs for Mother Earth. Heaven is in a regained Paradise on earth. A universal faith, irrespective of denomination, is shaping up fast.16. Our children will clean the land, water and air we the generation before littered. They will heal the earth we defaced, damage. With generation gap closed, the task will be shared by all. They learn to become good housekeepers of Mother Earth. Our children know the meaning of biodiversity and its four attributes - richness in kind, population, interrelationship, and balance. Biodiversity per se does not guarantee sustainability unless integrated with functioning systems of nature.
17. Our children face acculturation and inter-racial marriages. Melange of races is on the rise – Eurasian, Afro-American, Afro-Asian, etc. – a homogenization process that reduces - if not pollutes - natural gene pools, as a consequence. Culturally and scientifically, this is dangerous. Homogenization leads to extinction of races and ultimately the species.
18. Our children will realize that optimism will remain the mainstay of human evolution, rising above difficulties and trials. Hope is ingrained in the human brain that makes vision rosier than reality. Anxiety and depression will continue to haunt, in fact accompany progress, but these all the more push optimism up and ahead.
19. Our children live in an era with race discrimination a thing of the past. Many favor living alone as a new norm. More and more join the nones - spirituality outside organized religions,
20. Our children face the coming of the Horsemen of Apocalypse – consequence of human folly and frailty (nuclear, pollution, poverty). Finally, postmodernism may do more harm than good for our children in a runaway technology and culture. More than we grownups, they are more resilient to adapt to the test. This is true. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” And this is the philosophy that we wish our children to uphold. ~
World Ocean Day and week June 2 to 8, 2024.
Theme: Waves of Change: Collective Actions for the Oceans.
Author (top, right) leads UST students in Phycology (study of algae) in a field research at Bacnotan, La Union
“Food of the gods.” This is what the ancient Greeks call a special kind of seaweed which the Chinese and Japanese call “food of the emperor.” And only members of the royalty have the exclusive right to partake of this food. It is Porphyra – nori to the Japanese, laver to the Europeans, and gamet to Ilocanos.
Thus elevating the status of some 30 species of edible seaweeds to a premium class of food - sea vegetables. The fact is seaweeds have a wide range of importance from food and medicine, to the manufacture of many industrial products. In nature, seaweeds together with corals and sea grasses, constitute the pasture and forest of the sea, a vast ecosystem, unique in its kind because it is the sanctuary of both marine and terrestrial life, and in the estuaries.
Lately however, we have intruded into this horizon, pushing agriculture beyond land towards the sea. We build fishponds, fish pens and cages, resorts, and we introduce poison from our wasteful living.
And yet we have barely discovered the many uses of seaweeds. Ironically we are indiscriminately and unwittingly destroying the very production base of this valuable resource before we have discovered its full potential – in the same way we are destroying the forest even if we have studied barely 10 percent of the potential value of its composition.
A happy note however, may be found in our success in cultivating seaweeds even before naturally occurring species and stands become exhausted. Seaweed farming has been established in coves and sheltered coral reefs such as in Danajon Reef between Cebu and
These seaweeds built a multi-million dollar industry locally. Their extracts have revolutionized the food industry, mainly as conditioners in food manufacture. More and more products are derived from them for our everyday use, which other than in food, are used in the manufacture of medicine and drugs, cosmetics, fabrics, paints, films, to mention a few.
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Unlike land plants, no seaweed has been found to be poisonous or pathologic. On the contrary seaweeds are rich in minerals and vitamins, which make them elixir of health. Only one species so far is known to cause dizziness when taken in excess - lato or Caulerpa. A substance responsible to this effect is caulerpin, which may be explored of its potential value in medicine as natural tranquilizer.
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Sargassum is the most common tropical seaweed. Seaweeds, botanically speaking, are not true plants, but rather algae – giants among their counterpart in the micro-world such as the Chlorella and Spirogyra. Biologists have assigned seaweeds into classes based on their color or dominant pigment, hence green (Chlorophyta), brown (Phaeophyta) and red (Rhodophyta). In terms of niche, these three groupings grow naturally at varying depths - in increasing depth in this order. This is ecologically advantageous and definitely a tool in their evolutionary success.
Food Value of Seaweeds
Fishes that feed on seaweeds contain high levels of Vitamins A and D in their liver, apparently absorbed from the seaweeds. Algae also synthesize appreciable amounts of Vitamins B12, C and K. Another advantage they have over land plants is their rich content of iodine, bromine, potassium, and other chemicals that have been discovered recently, many of which have potential value to medicine and industry.
It is no wonder why people who take seaweeds as regular part of their diet are sturdier and healthier and seldom get sick of anemia, goiter and scurvy. It is an observation that the Ilocanos who are the country’s top consumers of seaweeds generally enjoy good health and long life.
The cultivation of other edible seaweeds now include Enteromorpha, Monostroma, Laminaria, Porphyra and Undaria. The importance of seaweed culture is fast expanding this century, principally for food. This is to show the food value of seaweeds using kelp as a model.
Kelp (Laminaria japonica) contains the following nutrients based on a 100-gram sample: Carotene, 0.57 mg; Thiamine, 0.09 mg; Riboflavin, 0.36 mg; Niacin, 1.60 mg; Protein 8.20 g; Fats, 0.10 g; Carbohydrates, 57 g; Coarse fiber (roughage), 9.80 g; Inorganic salts, 12.90 g; Calcium, 1.18 g; Iron, 0.15 g; and Phosphorus, 0.22g.
Philippine seaweeds which approximate the food value of Laminaria are Eucheuma, Gracillaria and Gellidiella. On the other hand, gamet or Porphyra has the following food value. Based on a 100-gram sample, gamet contains protein, 35.6 g; fat, 0.7 g; carbohydrates, 44.3 g; provitamin, 44,500 IU; Vitamin C, 20 mg; Vitamin B1, 0.25 mg; Vitamin B2, 1.24 mg; and Niacin, 10 mg.
Seaweeds Sold in the Market
These seaweeds are commercially sold in Metro Manila, mainly in public markets and in talipapa.
1. Lato or Arusip [Caulerpa racemosa)(Forsk)L Agard], Chlorophyta
2. Guso (Eucheuma sp.), Rhodophyta
3. Gulaman (Gracillaria verrucosa), Rhodophyta
4. Kelp (Laminaria sp.), Phaeophyta
5. Gamet (Porphyra crispata Kjellman ), Rhodophyta
6. Kulot [Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldman ]
Lato or Caulerpa is of two commercial species, C. racemosa which is cultured in estuaries and fishponds and and C. lentillifera which is usually found growing in the wild. It is the racemosa type that predominates the market. Because of frequent harvesting of this species by local residents lentillifera it is no longer popular in the market. Besides, the cultured Caulerpa is cleaner and more uniform. It has lesser damage and is less pungent than its wild counterpart.
Guso or Eucheuma cotonii is cartilaginous and firm as compared with Caulerpa and because it is very much branched air can circulate better in between the fronds, which explains why its self life may extend up to 3 days. Guso is eaten in fresh state mixed with vegetables or cooked in water and sugar to make into sweets.
Gracillaria verrucosa and G. coronipifolia are the two common species of gulaman. The thallus is bushy with a firm fleshy texture. It is cylindrical and repeatedly divided into subdichotomous branches with numerous lateral proliferation. Gulaman grows up to 25 cm long and has a disclike base. It is found growing in protected, shallow waters.
Gamet or Pophyra crispata Kjellman has a deep red thallus which is flat and membranous with soft gelatinous fronds. Three to nine blades usually form clusters which grow from a very small adhesive disc which has tiny rhizoids attached to the rocky substratum. Gamet grows on rock promontories and rocks exposed directly to the action of waves and wind. This can be observed along the coast of
Why gamet grows along the northern most tip of Luzon is because the cold Kuroshu Current coming down from
Gamet is sold in dried form, compressed in mat, either circular with a diater of 20 to 30 cm, or rectangular in shape measuring some 50cm x 100 cm. Gamet is blanched with boiling water and allowed to cool before salad garnishings are added. It is also added to soup or diningding.
Kulot or Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldmann and Hamel has tough and wiry thalli, greenish black to dull purple in color. They lie low and creeping on rocks and corals along the intertidal zone. It is very much branched when mature with secondary branches cylindrical at the base and flattened towards the tip and beset on both sides with irregular, pinnately short branches. The fertile branchlets have conspicuous swollen tips.
Kelp or Laminaria is also found in the market. This is popular seaweed growing only in temperate seas. The main supplier is
As a source of nutrition and natural medicine, seaweeds are important in commerce and industry and as direct source of food of the people. On the point of ecology, protection of seaweeds in the wild, as well as their cultivation on reefs, farms and estuaries should be integrated under a sound management program of our coastal areas. Thus preserving God’s
0137.JPG)
Codium or pokpoklo is popular among Ilocanos as fresh salad.
A species of Caulerpa has became invasive in the Mediterranean like weed in a field.
0007.JPG)
Corals and algae for a symbiotic relationship, that one cannot exist without the other.
2. Let's save the Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas)
Dr Abe V Rotor
Tridacna shell for holy water, Mount Carmel Church, QC Tridacna in its natural habitat - lighted seafloor; Tridacna graveyard.
Facts about the giant clam, Tridacna gigas.
1. In the Philippines it is called taklobo. It is the largest living bivalve mollusk and one of the most endangered clams.
2. It lives on shallow coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans, up to 20 meters deep.
3. It weighs more than 200 kilograms (440 pounds), and measures as much as 1.2 m (4 feet) across. It has an average lifespan in the wild of 100 years or more.
4. Although larval clams are planktonic, they become sessile in adulthood. Growth is enhanced by the clam's ability to grow algae in symbiosis. The creature's mantle tissues act as a habitat for the symbiotic single-celled dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) from which it gets its nutrition. By day, the clam opens its shell and extends its mantle tissue so that the algae receive the sunlight they need to photosynthesize.
5. T. gigas reproduce sexually. They are hermaphrodites (producing both eggs and sperm), but self fertilization is not possible. Since giant clams can't move across the ocean floor, the solution is broadcast spawning. This entails the release of sperm and eggs into the water where fertilization takes place.
Let's protect the giant clams. It's better to be assured they are alive on the seafloor than to have their fossils in our home.~
References: Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach by JW Nybakken; Wikipedia
1 comment:
Mammoth said...It is a 'rare' balance achieved when any resource or endangered species is labeled for protection. 'Endangerment' is attached to many marine species as to be all encompassing in scope. There are just hundreds of thousands fossil 'Giant Clam' shells of various species that need not be 'protected.' It is the agenda of the American government to restrict fossil collecting and 'personal' research is controlled. The collecting of ancient fossils in the case of the 'Tridacna' Giant Clam is made illegal for transport internationally as the modern species is under protection." "Because of this unfair imbalance I cannot support the current bi-lateral agreement provisions."August 27, 2010 at 5:08 PM 
3. Have you tasted Sea Urchin?
(Echinus esculentus L)
Esculentus means "edible" and sea urchin roe is used as food around the world. It is not actually the eggs that are eaten but the gonads or reproductive organs - which gives the popular belief that it is an aphrodisiac food.
A harvest of sea urchin off the coast of Dumaguete, Oriental Negros. It is served in a floating restaurant while cruising to watch for whales and dolphins, a tourist attraction.
We call it in Ilocano maritangtang, referring to any species distinctly ball shaped with radiating spines, short or long, variegated of pitch black, some almost bald, while others covered with spikes that almost hide the real body.
And what an extreme impression we have about this enigmatic marine creature which occupies the highest rung of the evolutionary ladder of invertebrates. (Poriferans - the sponges, occupy the lowest rung). This means that the members of Phylum Echinodermata have well developed senses and organs, except for brain!
And what an extreme impression we have about this enigmatic marine creature which occupies the highest rung of the evolutionary ladder of invertebrates. (Poriferans - the sponges, occupy the lowest rung). This means that the members of Phylum Echinodermata have well developed senses and organs, except for brain!
Luckily Nature has endowed the members highly sensitive senses to adapt to their environment - gregarious, wide range feeders, and armored with thick exoskeleton with radiating spikes and poisonous sting that few predators would dare to attack them. No wonder they live up to 5 years, and in the case of the pink sea urchin 200 years! It is one of the longest living creatures on earth!Beware! Don't walk the sea floor barefooted. And where sea urchins abound in colonies, the sea floor appears like a beautiful tapestry with iridescent glow, so inviting you are seeing another world. In most places though, sea urchins live in small groups, often camouflaged by silt, seaweeds, sea grasses or simply by the coral reef on which they live.
As a professor in marine biology at the UST Graduate School I always emphasize never to underestimate the sea urchin. Getting a stab requires quick remedy, and if one steps of the black one (photo), medical attention becomes necessary, not only for the wound but possible allergic reaction.
So how do you treat the sea urchin other than not to touch it? Just observe, photograph, or ask a local guide to pick it up for you as specimen. Keep it in a jar of formalin or alcohol solution for your school laboratory.
And if you touch one and a spine is embedded in your hand, don't panic. Don't pry it with needle, it will only get deeper. Soak the wound with vinegar or calamansi juice. The spike is a calcium compound so that it readily dissolves in acid. Local folks have a more practical remedy - urine. Who could resist to answer the call of nature in severe pain and fear?
All these make the sea urchin a delicious treat, if you may. But there's one curious effect many people crave - increased sexual desire. Eating the gonads - testes and ovary - of the sea urchin (sea urchins have separate sexes - dioecious) delivers the Freudian drive for sexual expression and gratification. Whatever we eat as long its healthy food, the effect is possibly the same. And it is excellent health that keeps us on our toes always.
Study the anatomy of the sea urchin.
"The mouth of the sea urchin (known as the Aristotle's lantern), is found in the middle on the underside of the sea urchin's body and has five tooth-like plates for feeding. The anus of the sea urchin is located on the top of the body. As with other echinoderms, sea urchins do not have a brain and instead rely on their water-vascular system which is like a circulatory system and comprises of water-filled channels that run through the body of the sea urchin." Wikipedia.
What you are seeing in water is the adult sea urchin. Take a look at this illustration. The immature stages are almost invisible to the naked eye.
Sea urchins spawn during the spring (monsoon), and the female sea urchin releases millions of tiny, jelly-coated eggs into the water that are then fertilized by the sperm of the male sea urchin. The tiny sea urchin eggs become part of the plankton and the sea urchin babies (larvae) do not hatch for several months. The sea urchin young will not become large enough to retreat from the plankton and down to the ocean floor until they are between 2 and 5 years old.
Due to dredging on the ocean floor and pollution in the water, and the effects of Global Warming, not to mention the increasing appetite of people all over the world, sea urchin populations are declining.
Today, the edible sea urchin, Echinus esculentus, is a threatened species. Next time you order the delicacy, don't take too seriously the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation (Aphrodite, equivalent is the Roman goddess Venus). ~
Living with Nature - School on Blog (avrotor.blogspot.com)
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday
4. Corals - Nature's Architectural and Engineering Wonder
Corals keep our islands and coast lines from being swallowed by the sea.
Skeleton of staghorn Coral. SPUQC Museum; children selling corals;
corals in natural formation (coral reef)
With the unabated destruction of our coral reef it is not common to see undisturbed coral fields. Corals are animals in colonies belonging to Phylum Coelenterata, which is often associated with Cnidaria, of the Class Anthozoa.
Coral reefs make the forest of the sea, the counterpart of our terrestrial forest. With their association with microscopic algae and seaweeds, they constitute the abode of fishes and countless kinds of marine life, without which our seas would not be as productive as they are today.
However, the destruction of coral reefs through illegal fishing like muro-ami and dynamite fishing, as well as the conversion of shores into resorts and fishponds have greatly reduced fish catch and the diversity of marine species.
Today our laws prohibit coral gathering, more so in exporting them. Coral reefs conservation is a priority program of many countries. Without corals our islands would fall back to the depth of the sea and our continents would be greatly reduced through cutbank erosion.
Thus, corals are nature’s architectural and engineering wonder for they serve as riprap and barrier against the restless sea, while making the underwater world a truly beautiful scape that is beyond compare with any kind.
Let's all give a hand to the conservation of corals. Let's join the campaign. No to the following:
1. Dynamite fishing, muro-ami and paaling, and bottom trawl fishing.2. Reclamation of coral reef areas.3. Conversion of shorelines to resorts and fishponds4. Pollution of rivers and seas.5. Settlements on coral reefs and seashores.6. Goods and commodities made of corals.7. Coral decors and jewelry8. Deforestation - it causes erosion and siltation, forms mudflats over coral reefs.9. Collection of shells, rocks, and the like, within coral zone10. Quarrying of coral deposits.
Let's remember that corals are virtually a non-renewable natural resource because they grow very, very slow. It takes fifty years to grow to the size of a man's head. We have but very little time to witness and be part of a noble task of keeping our islands and continents from being swallowed down into the depth of the sea. Our foothold is but skin deep to the enormous sea. ~
5. Have you seen a kugtong or giant lapu-lapu?
"If there is a Coelacanth long thought to have been extinct that lives in the craggy bottom of Madagascar Sea, we have our own kugtong, the biggest coral dwelling fish." (AVR)
I saw two giant lapu-lapu (kugtong) in Sablayan Occidental Mindoro caught by local fishermen sometime in 1982. I had been hearing kugtong since childhood, a threat to fishermen and picnickers because it could swallow a whole human being, and here with my own eyes the kugtong in Lola Basiang’s story is true after all. So huge are these overgrown lapu-lapu that two men could hardly carry one of them with a bamboo pole on their shoulders. A third man had to lift its tail from the ground as they inched their way to a waiting vehicle. I examined the fish; its body is coarse and shaggy, covered with seaweeds and barnacles, and had lost all semblance of the favorite lapu-lapu on our dining table. But this makes a perfect camouflage that suits the predatory habit of this benthic fish. By the way, it is the female lapu-lapu that attains this enormous size. The male is a diminutive partner permanently attached to her body, indeed a very special kind of relationship in the animal world.
There is a story about a kugtong that lived under the old pier of San Fernando, La Union. For a long time the strange fish was feared by the residents and many animals around had mysteriously disappeared. Then the local fishermen decided to catch it with a big hook luring the fish with a live piglet as bait. The fish took it and struggled until it was finally subdued. It was hauled by many men and if the story is accurate it took a six-by-six truck to transport it.
There are giants in the deep. After the tsunami in 2004 that hit the Indian Ocean, by coincidence I saw giant squids measuring 3 feet long being sold at the SM Fairview supermarket. I surmise that these were flushed out from their deep dwellings and landed in the fisherman’s net when the calamity struck. I remember the giant squid that almost sank Captain Nemo’s submarine in Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
There is mystery in the biology of lapu-lapu- or grouper, as it is known worldwide. Groupers are hermaphroditic, which means that sex switch from male to female and vice versa. The young are predominantly female but transform into males as they grow to about a kilogram in a year, remaining adolescent until they reach three kilos. From here they become females. But wait. When they are about 10 to 12 kg they turn to males and grow very, very big. Lengths over a meter and weights up to 100 kg are not uncommon.A newspaper reported a 396.8 pound grouper caught off the waters near Pulau Sembilan in the Straits of Malacca in 2008. Shenzhen newspaper reported that a 1.8 meter grouper swallowed a 1.0 meter whitetip reef shark at the Fuzhou Sea World aquarium.
I asked my friend Dr. Anselmo S Cabigan, a fellow biologist. “What is really the sex of a full grown kugtong, such as those I found in Mindoro?”
In my research it is male. The male is larger and wilder than the female, and I use as analogy the bull to the cow, rooster to hen, peacock to peahen, lion to lioness.
Dr Cabigan thinks it otherwise. The female is larger, in fact much larger, that the male is virtually a remora-size creature attached to the female. I imagine the huge size of the queen termite as compared to the tiny king termite. The enigma of the grouper, considering its diversity, and worldwide distribution could yet reveal other amazing facts about the kugtong. Among the institutions working on the kugtong is SEAFDEC, which admits its biology and ecology remain a mystery.
At least we are sure the kugtong does exist. ~
World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2024.
Theme: Safer food, better health.
How safe and healthful is the food we eat?
Dr. Abe V. Rotor
Kalabasang ukoy (squash, shrimp, egg and flour)home recipe for breakfast and snack
Tupig wrapped with banana leaves (coconut meat anf milk,glutinous rice and red sugar) cooked on charcoal
1. Return to Nature. “Go Organic.”
A. How do you gauge food to be natural?
1. Fresh and served promptly.
2. Not genetically modified (GMO)
3. No pesticide residues
4. Safe from pest and disease organisms
5. No toxic metals (Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, others)
6. Organic fertilizer used, instead of synthetic fertilizer like Urea, 12-24-12, etc)
7. No harmful preservatives (nitrates, CO2 gas, N gas)
8. No MSG, artificial coloring (jubos)
9. Balanced nutrients,
10. Proper combination of ingredients.
B. Is it safe to take fat-free fat (olestra), sugarless sugar (aspartame, splenda),. coffeeless coffee (decaffeinated), synthetic multi-vitamins, distilled water?
It is better to use their natural forms or products.
C. Do you consider naturally processed products as organic? Yes, It depends on how they are processed though.
1. Bihon fron rice
2. Sotanhon from mungo
3. Noodles, pasta, spaghetti, macaroni from wheat
4. Taho, tokwa, vegemeat/TVP from soya bean
D. Are native varieties of crops and breeds of animals safer to eat?
Generally yes.
1. They need less attention and input to produce, thus they do not carry residues of antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers - which make food harmful.
2. Warning on stray animals and wildlife species - they may be carriers of diseases.
3. Warning on allergy-causing and or poisonous plants, including mushrooms.
E. Why is Integrated Pest Management (IPM) internationally recognized as the best approached in controlling pests and diseases?
IPM is backed up by Research, Training and Extension. It follows a strict regimen to protect health and the environment, in the following sequence.
1. Proper land use (Crop is tailored to the land, not vice versa)
2. Community effort, social infrastructure. Cooperation on three levels: Governmental Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Organizations.
3. Genetic resistance is primordial.
4. Biological control (Use of natural enemies of the pest)
5. Cultural practices (agronomic and horticultural)
6. Chemical Control as last resort. (botanical, carbamate, chlorinated hydrocarbon, organophosphate, systemic) Chemical groups mentioned are in the order increasing toxicity.
F. Should we prefer native recipes over foreign ones? Yes, although we can adapt those that fit into, or compatible with, ours (Chinese recipes, for example). Native recipes have the following advantages.
1. Ingredients used are naturally grown, available locally.
2. Tastier and more nutritious
3. Cheaper in cost
4. Aesthetics of culinary art , cultural pride
5. Promote cooking at home and family bonding
6. Support local producers and entrepreneurs.
7. Integrated with home gardening and local production
8. Healthier
9. Environment-friendly
10. Business potential
G. Some people say home gardening is not practical?
Why not? Even if you are living in the urban area. You do not have to produce everything you need in the kitchen. Choose only those that are practical to grow. Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid conducts lessons on Home Gardening on three levels, namely
* Garden in “pots” for urban
* Backyard gardening for home lots
* Golden Years Homesite (500 m)
H. What other areas are people becoming more conscious about natural products?
1. Natural ventilation of homes and dwellings
2. Non-allergenic or hypoallergenic materials (pillows, bed sheets)
3. Natural fibers (cotton, silk instead of rayon), leather shoes,
wood instead of plastic).
4. Waxed paper, paper bags; grill instead of microwave
5. Firewood cooking
2. Health and Longevity Consciousness
A. Can we combine herbal and alternative medicine on one hand, and modern medicine, on the other? Yes, refer to Dr. Victoriano Y. Lim’s new book Introduction to CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine) UST Publishing House, National Book Store,). There are many books to support this approach.
1. Second opinion may come from non-doctors, including an herbal expert (herbolario)
2. Take it from the Chinese, also other Oriental medical practices and home remedies
3. Practical References: Where there is no doctor and Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing, books on pharmacology.
B. Do vegetarians live healthier and longer?
Generally medical science says it is true. There is another school of thought .
1. Plants product may not supply all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins the body needs.
2. There is a certain formula based on age-weight-life style that ensures good health and longer life – it’s not really being slim or trim. The body needs food reserve, buffer supply in normal and abnormal times.
3. Where vegetation is scanty, people depend of animal products, and do live as long as vegetarians do.
4. Human teeth is evidence that we evolved from vegetarian to omnivorous, which must have insured our evolutionary success (Darwinian).
5. Vegetarians may not necessarily save money by not eating meat.
6. Vegetarians and meat-eaters suffer different ailment – as well as common ailments.
7. Progressive societies depend largely on animal products; less developed ones on plant products – a law of economics, other than cultural differences. Grain to animal protein conversion ratio is poor - 16:1 for beef, 7:1 pork, 4:1 chicken.
C. What is the best way to reduce? Diet and exercise.
1. Diet with doctor's advice. Extreme caution on other means.
2. Liposuction is dangerous. Stem Cells are destroyed, so with the natural capacity of the body to produce Stem Cells which are necessary in replenishing aging and damaged cells of the body.
3.Gym work and exercising equipment are expensive and not practical.
4. A combination of exercise, hobby and work is best. Be output-oriented.
D. How about grooming?
You mean personality development. A natural way is to have a happy disposition, positive outlook, and clean living, rolled in one. Minimize cosmetic grooming.
D. What are the main causes of death in modern society?
1. Accidents
2. Physiologic diseases – heart attack, stroke
3. Epidemics – flu, malaria, TB, dengue, SARS, HIV-AIDS
4. Personality complications of diseases of the nervous system.
5. Traditional diseases - tuberculosis, infection, diarrhea, etc.
E. How can we enhance longevity? Can we plan to live longer?
1. "It is in the genes." (Trace your family tree)
2. Special care for special children
3. Geriatrics forthe golden years.
4. Avoid Viagra, fertility and memory enhancers, stimulants and depressants, etc)
5. Monitor your lifestyle. Alzheimer’s, diabetics, heart attack, stroke, kidney and diseases, are physiologic diseases of modern living.
6. Don't smoke, avoid heavy drinking.
7. Don't retire, but have leisure and good rest. ~
Philippine Eagle Week, June 4 to June 10 2024
dedicated to the conservation of the Philippine eagle
Forest Cathedral: A tribute to Pamana (Philippine Eagle),
a national treasure.
In observance of the Week of the Philippine Eagle (June 4 to 10, 2023),
International DAY OF THE FOREST (March 21) and EARTH Day (April 22)
Part 1 - Philippine Eagle - a national treasure.Part 2 - The Stone EaglePart 3 - Biology of the Philippine EaglePart 4 - Week of the Philippine Eagle (June 4 to 10, 2023)Part 5 - Let Us Save Other Wildlife Species
Dr Abe V Rotor
[avrotor.blogspot.com]
Part 1 - Philippine Eagle - a national treasure.
Forest Cathedral in acrylic (30" x 48") by AV Rotor 2015
It is a place where the spirit of a sacred and noble bird* returns to the home of its ancestors and kin and tells the story of man, the rational, the wise, self anointed guardian of creation, yet in many ways cruel, uncaring, and cold;
It is a place where a stream is born from the watershed of trees, shrubs and lianas, gathering rain that falls anytime in the day and night, dewdrops from mist and fog, spring water from aquifers and water stored under the ground;
It is a place where the life-giving sunlight casts over the vast canopy of the forest, seeps through the foliage and nourishes the undergrowth, the epiphytes and lianas, and over the forest floor to wake up the sleeping seeds and spores;
It is a place where the "lungs of the earth" give off oxygen in exchange of carbon dioxide, condenses clouds into rain, keeping the integrity of the water cycle that is vital to all living things, and to our economy, health and welfare;
It is a place where threatened and endangered organisms find refuge, and given time and chance to restore their number into sustaining population levels, e become capable of living again freely and openly with other species;
It is a place where leaves turn gold to orange and red come every fall, showering confetti and building litter on the forest floor, home of a myriad of living minutiae that convert organic materials back into elements for the next generation;
It is a place where new and unknown species have yet to be discovered before they disappear with the destruction of their habitats, where other secrets of nature are revealed, and medicine and other useful materials are developed;
It is a place to see animals otherwise reared as pets or caged in zoos live free: colorful parrots in lovely pairs, flying lemurs glide across treetops, kalaw or hornbill perched on high trees, tigers training their cubs, eagles ruling the sky;
It is a place to listen the sounds of nature traced to different organisms like the shrill of cicada at summer's end, croaking of frogs in the rain, shrieking monkeys at play and abandon, sonorous call of hornbills, slithering sound of reptiles on the move;
It is a place where naturalist Edward O Wilson formulated the principles of socio-biology; where Henry David Thoreau wrote a treatise between man and nature, Walden Pond; where Jean-Henri Fabre studied insects known as entomology;
It is the setting of beautiful stories and music: Francisco Baltazar's Florante at Laura, Jack London's Call of the Wild, Robin Hood, and many stories for children; Beethoven's Pastoral, Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, and Jean Sibelius' Tapiola;
It is a place where we pay homage to the home of our ancestors, before they set out onto the grassland where they hunted, and later built communities and institutions leading to the creation of human societies, and ultimately nations. ~
-----------------------------------------
*Lost national treasure, Philippine eagle Pamana (heritage) shot and killed within its sanctuary in Mount Hamiguitan, a UNESCO heritage site on August 16, 2015. It is one of the few remaining members of the species, formerly Philippine monkey-eating eagle.
Details of painting
A pair of parrots
Pamana, the lost Philippine eagle
Young adventurers on a forest stream, a pair of parakeets, a pair of tarsiers
A pair of Philippine deer; a pair of flying lemurs
LESSON on TATAKalikasan Ateneo de Manila University, 87.9 FM Radyo Katipunanan every Thursday 11 to 12 noon (author as co-host)
LESSON on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday [www.pbs.gov.ph]
Part 2 - The Stone Eagle
The stone eagle does not answer,
its world too, is forever gone.
Philippine Eagle Monument, Agoo La Union
Your wings all day spread and flap,now raised in surrender;And the wind that carried you uphas put you asunder.Majestic and lovely, oh bird,lord of the open skies;Across the islands were heard,your pleas and helpless cries.Would a monument sufficeto enthrone your life and deed,Bestow a posthumous prize,to hide man's folly and greed?The stone bird does not answer;its world too, is forever gone,And man takes pride in his powerof make-believe in his art.~
Philippine Eagle - Endangered living symbol
Endangered living symbol, Philippine Eagle, formerly, Monkey Eating Eagle, is one of the biggest eagles in the world. Photograph by Matthew Marlo R. Rotor, Canon EOS 135, Sigma 70-300 mm 2009
Lord of the sky, king among the feathered, fly -over land and sea and sky;All day long from dawn to dusk over mountains high,in majestic victorious cry;Envy of migrating birds wave after wave passing by,so with the Monarch butterfly;That was before - then the forests touched the sky,but now people just look up and sigh. ~
The Philippine eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi, also known as the monkey-eating eagle or great Philippine eagle, is a critically endangered species of eagle of the family Accipitridae, Class Aves, which is endemic to forests in the Philippines. This species is endemic and found on only four islands in the Philippines: Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, and Samar. References: Living with Nature, AVR, UST Manila, Wikipedia, Internet
Part 3 - Biology of the Philippine EaglePhilippine Eagle Foundation Sole Website
Be a friend of the Philippine Eagle, 10 years in review
From the Training Manual on Research and Monitoring Techniques for Birds of Prey in the Philippines.
"On our 35th year of being at the forefront of saving the critically endangered Philippine eagle, we recognize our milestones that advanced our mission. And as we leap forward to many more, we are rallying the Filipino people to join us in saving eagles, protecting forests, and securing our future. Let us celebrate how far we have come in conserving our national bird. It is time to transform awareness into commitment and action that preserve our eagle and our forests." - Philippine Eagle Foundation.
The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is a giant forest raptor endemic to the Philippines. It is considered one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. Unfortunately, it is also one of the world’s rarest and certainly among its most critical endangered vertebrate species. The eagle is known to be geographically restricted to the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.
A. Breeding Biology
Philippine eagles are monogamous and they bond for life. But contrary to claims that they opt to remain unpaired in the death of their mate, evidences from natural pairing techniques and data from all other raptors indicate that they take in new mates as replacement. Females reach sexual maturity at around five years and males, at seven.
1. Courtship
Increased aerial displays, frequent stay near the nest and nest-building activity mark the start of the courtship period. In a study of a pair in 1999, courtship began as early as July. Aerial displays such as mutual soaring (paired soaring flight over the nesting territory), dive chase (diagonal drop by the female with the male trailing in pursuit), and mutual talon presentation (male extending talons to female’s back with the female flipping over to present its talons) were documented. The pair also performed cruising flights over the territory, and did frequent advertisement displays couple0d with vigorous calling. Delivery of nesting materials, although aimed at building nest, can be a form of display to signal readiness to breed. Repeated copulation on nest and nearby perches marks the peak of courtship. Besides ensuring successful fertilization, frequent copulation is also interpreted as another means to strengthen pair bond.
Although different in few details, the courtship behavior observed in this particular pair is generally similar to most diurnal raptors. Courtship displays are expected to aid in the establishment and defense of a nesting territory, attraction of a suitable mate, and the establishment of a strong pair bond, all which are necessary for successful breeding.
2. Timing of Breeding
Data from nesting pairs in Mindanao suggest that the nesting (egg-laying) season can start in September and may extend up to February of the following year. But in Luzon, it is between mid-December to mid-January. The factors responsible for seasonal timing of breeding are not known. However, rainfall patterns, such as the case in Luzon where the periods from September to November are peak typhoon season thus would not be advantageous for egg-laying, as well as the seasonal abundance of the prey have been suggested as possible environmental factors that trigger breeding. A complete breeding cycle, from courtship until the young eagle leaves the parents’ territory, lasts two years.
3. Egg-laying
Observation of captive females revealed that as egg laying draws near, the female appears to be sickly and would not take food for as long as 8 to 10 days. They have drooping wings, takes up a lot of water, continually do calls and builds nest. This condition is called “egg lethargy”. After this phase, the female lays one egg during the late after noon or at dusk.
4. Incubation, nestling and post-fledgling
For a complete breeding cycle, the females lay only a single egg. But if an egg failed to hatch or the chick died early during the first year, the eagles normally nest the following year. As soon as an egg is laid, the female would start incubating. Consequently, breeding behavior stops but sometimes it may still happen a few days after the egg is laid. It is believed that this is meant to ensure that a new egg gets laid just in case the egg under incubation failed.
Incubation lasts 58 to 68 days. Both the male and the female incubate the egg but the female has a greater share of the daytime, and apparently does all of nighttime, incubation. The female spent about two thirds of the incubation up to the early nestling period. After which, both hunt and feed the growing eaglet until independence. In one nest observed, the adults take turn brooding the young and covering it from the sun and the rain. But this ceased when the chick was left on its own in the nest when it was seven weeks old and thereafter. Once the egg is hatched, the eaglet will stay in the nest or about 5.5 months. The parents will take care of it for about 17 months until it leaves its parents territory in search of a vacant habitat.
Recent detailed observation gave revelations about play behavior in a juvenile Philippine Eagle. It was seen observing tree cavities and grasping the rim of knotholes using its tail as props and wing for balance while poking its head into the cavity. The young eagle also hangs itself upside down perhaps as an exercise in balance and was also seen doing mock attacks of inanimate objects on the ground or among tree crowns. All of these were done in the absence of the parents, which indicate that juveniles seem to learn hunting without parental intervention.
The table below summarizes the patterns of juvenile development as observed by Kennedy (1985).
5. Longevity
.jpg)
Author (right) and house guest Carlo from DSWD hold a mounted head of Philippine Deer*, now listed among the threatened wildlife species. The wooden head is one of a dozen specimens, sculped from actual deer horns, by a local artist and former professor of the University of Northern Philippines, Jose Lazo Jr, (lower photo).
City Jungle of concrete, wire and smog
Ecological Philosophy - “If a river dies – so with all the stars that shine on its waters.”
Painting by AVR in acrylic
Need of a Conservation Program
1. Go for Fresh, Natural, and Locally Produced Food
2. Adopt Natural Farming Models
3. Live Naturally in Your Home
It's not enough that we produce food. We must produce food that ensure good health, reduce risks to diseases and ailments, and prolong life. We must produce food that also insures the health of our environment and the stability of the ecological system.
Typical fruit stand, UP Diliman QC
The Philippine Eagle is a long-lived species. A captive bird in Rome Zoo was received full grown in 1934 and died in 1976, making it at least 41 years old at death. A male eaglet at the Philippine Eagle Center arrived as a young bird in 1969 and it’s still alive and that makes it about 34 years old. It is still unknown how old eagles get in the wild. But based on the fact that wild birds face the many exigencies of the forest environment which is rather absent in the captive conditions, wild birds may live shorter than captive birds.
B. Feeding Ecology
The food habits of the Philippine Eagle are known from prey items brought into nests. Studies from 1978 to 1983 revealed that 15 species of vertebrate prey were used for feeding the young including flying lemurs, squirrels, snakes, civets, hornbill, bats and monkeys. But of these prey species, eagles seem to prefer flying lemurs and civets. For the past three decades, only three studies were done on Philippine Eagle breeding and food habits and contrary to persistent claims, no domestic animals were ever brought to nests. The table below shows the list of prey species identified during a study by Kennedy (1985). This table was modified from Kennedy.
The variety and size differences of prey suggest that the Philippine Eagle is an opportunistic hunter with preference for tree-dwelling species. Investigators also suspect that eagles are capable of shifting prey, choice of prey may also coincide with the breeding season of the particular prey.
Observations of their hunting behavior are scant. But more recent detailed observation provided starling revelations. The juvenile learns hunting behavior without parental intervention. Philippine Eagles hunt from perch, constantly observing knotholes or cavities in trees. Adults have been observed to poke their talons into tree cavities to apparently grab prey. One investigator believed that the relatively longer tarsus of the Philippine Eagles is an adaptation to taking prey from tree cavities. But this hypothesis needs further testing.
Meanwhile, the food habits of Philippine Eagles in Luzon have not yet been documented. Because of the difference in terms of the faunal composition of Luzon and Mindanao, them representing different faunal regions, the eagles there would definitely have a different diet regime. For example, flying lemurs, which are the preferred prey in Mindanao, is absent in Luzon. A food habit study in Luzon is long overdue.
C. Regional Breeding Density and Population Estimates
The current population status of the Philippine Eagle is not known. The species has been considered rare since it was discovered in 1896. Moreover, the eagle has always been difficult to census because of the significant logistic difficulties of working in dense, steep rainforest.
Previous attempts to survey or estimate the population status of the species have always been crude at best. Only scattered, individual reports occurred up through the 1960s. Additionally, data from researchers in the 70s to the early 80s were difficult to interpret. And because of the small sample sizes and nature of approaches used, no confidence limits could be established for these estimates. However, based on systematic surveys in the last decade, breeding density estimates suggest there are about 200 pairs in Mindanao. Using the same estimates, about 300 pairs could be present in the other islands where it has been found.
The general indicators of population status continue to be alarming. Habitat and probably prey populations are continuing to disappear at a rapid rate. Thus, wild populations are losing places to live and are likely becoming food-stressed. Hunting and shooting of wild birds also persist. Eagles that were turned over to the Philippine Eagle Center in recent years either had gunshot wounds or were trapped illegally in the wild. Even birds that seemed healthy at the time of recovery or confiscation were found to have airgun pellets in their bodies after undergoing X-ray examinations.
Of the two primary characteristics of populations, i.e. reproductive rate and survival rate, the latter is the most important for populations of long-lived, slowly reproducing species such as the Philippine Eagle. Chance effects (such as weather fluctuations, epidemics, inbreeding, etc.) only make matters worse for small populations.
(From the Training Manual on Research and Monitoring Techniques for Birds of Prey in the Philippines)
D. Habitat Preferences
Except in Mindanao Island, no nest or nest site has ever been studied on other islands within the Philippine eagle’s range. In Mindanao, they are known to nest in a variety of habitats. Some nest on large trees in the lowlands and upper hill dipterocarp forests. Some may even nest at high elevations at transitions to montane or mossy forests. A few nests were in degraded forests near human habitations while others nest within forest interiors. Nest trees are found between 750 to 1590 meters in elevation and they are commonly along steep slopes and ravines, but not necessarily near river systems.
In nest site selection study done in 2001, six characteristics of nest trees seem to be selected for. These are namely height of nest tree, tree density, tree frequency and distance from nearest forest edge, forest trail and kaingin. They also select trees with denser canopies and large trunk spacing. The common Dipterocarp tree species used as nest tree include Shorea almon , S. contorta, S. polysperma, S. negrosensis, whereas the Non-dipterocarps were Balete Ficus sp ., Igem Dacrycarpus imbircatus, and Binuang Octomeles sumatrana. Other nest tree species that has been recorded are Parashorea plicata, Petersianthus quadrialata, and for a for a single record in Luzon, Agathis alba. Eagles don’t seem to prefer specific tree species. Because large trees remain relatively abundant in Mindanao, availability of nesting trees doesn’t seem to limit population there.
Trees towards northern slopes facing the mountain appear to be selected. This might be associated with cooler temperatures, less sunlight, and denser tree cover that increase protection on the nest. Nest trees in Mindanao predominantly have southern exposures (southwest and southeast) and crowns were open enough to facilitate flight to and from the nest.
The nest is normally located between 27 to 50 meters from the ground. They are built on either major branches or tree forks. These nests are large platforms of decaying twigs and sticks that piled atop each other because of the continued nest building and repeated use. Nests are also associated with large epiphytes. A nest could be anywhere between1.2 x 1.2 meters to 1.2 x 2.7 meters in size. ~
Part 4 - Week of the Philippine Eagle (June 4 to 10, 2023)
From National Today (Internet)
The Week of the Philippine eagle is celebrated from June 4 to June 10 every year. It is a week dedicated to celebrating one of the special creatures in the world, the Philippine eagle.
The Philippine eagle is also known as the monkey-eating eagle and is a critically endangered species. It can be found in forests in the Philippines. It has brown and white-colored plumage, a shaggy crest, measures between 2.82 to 3.35 feet in length, and weighs about 8.98 to 17.6 pounds. As this species is rare and endangered, it is important to set measures to preserve them and educate the public about them so we can have more generations of these special birds.
HISTORY OF WEEK OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE
The Philippine Eagle was first studied in 1896 by English explorer and naturalist, John Whitehead. He observed the bird alongside his servant and collected the first specimen. He then sent the skin of the bird to William Robert Ogilvie-Grant in London that same year. Robert showed it off in a local restaurant and moved on to describe the species a few weeks later.
After its discovery, the Philippine Eagle was called the ‘monkey-eating eagle’ as there were reports from the natives of Samar and Bonga, the eagle’s place of discovery, that it preyed exclusively on monkeys. It gave rise to the Philippine eagle’s generic name which stems from the Greek word ‘pithecus,’ meaning ‘ape or monkey,’ and ‘phagus’ meaning ‘eater of.’ The species’ name is derived from Jeffery Whitehead, the father of John Whitehead. After some time, studies began to reveal that the monkey-eating eagle ate other animals like large snakes, monitor lizards, and some large birds. The name ‘Philippine eagle’ was officially given to the animal by presidential proclamation in 1978 and it was declared a national emblem in 1995.
In terms of length and wing surface, the Philippine eagle is considered the largest of the extant eagle species. The Harpy eagle and the Steller’s sea eagle are larger in terms of bulk and weight. The Philippine eagle is now endangered due to hunting and the loss of its habitat due to deforestation. To combat this, the Philippines government banned the killing of the Philippine eagle and it is punishable by 12 years imprisonment and heavy fines. Not just the Philippines, but the world at large should join together to preserve the Philippine eagle for future generations.
WEEK OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE TIMELINE
- 1896 Discovery. The Philippine eagle is first studied by English explorer and naturalist, John Whitehead.
- 1919 Further Studies. The skeletal features of the Philippine eagle are studied.
- 1978 Official Naming. The name ‘Philippine eagle’ is officially given to the animal by presidential proclamation.
- 1995 National Emblem. The Philippine eagle becomes a national emblem.
WEEK OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FAQS
- How many Philippine eagles are left? There are less than 400 breeding pairs left.
- What is the significance of the Philippine eagle? It represents the bravery and strength of the Filipino people.
- How much weight can the Philippine Eagle carry? Most of them can carry anything from five to six pounds from flat ground.
HOW TO OBSERVE WEEK OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE
- Advocate against deforestation
- Advocate against deforestation not just during the week but throughout the year. It affects the animal in their local environment as they become displaced when they lose their habitat.
- Spread awareness
- Celebrate the day by spreading awareness. Lots of people, especially those living outside the Philippines don’t know about the week and so it presents a good opportunity to introduce them to the Philippines eagle.
5 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE
- It has a long lifespan
- The Philippine eagle has a long lifespan as it can live up to 60 years.
- Females are bigger. The female of the species is usually bigger than the males.
- They have a distinguished noise. Philippine eagles have a loud and high-pitched noise to show their fierceness and territorial nature.
- They have clearer eyesight than humans. Philippine eagles can see about eight times farther than humans.
- They are monogamous. The Philippine eagle sticks with one partner all its life.
WHY WEEK OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS IMPORTANT
- It preserves the Philippine eagle
- As the Philippine eagle is an endangered species, celebrating the week draws us closer to finding ways to ensure their survival. This is a positive development for a truly magnificent animal.
- It brings more attention to the Philippine eagle
- Not everyone knows about the Philippine eagle and so the week brings more eyes to them. People get to find out about them during the week.
- It discourages uncontrolled deforestation
- The week discourages uncontrolled deforestation. This isn’t just good for the Philippine eagle, but for other animals and for the safety of the world as well.
Acknowledgement: Philippine Eagle Foundation; Ateneo de Manila University
87.9 FM Radyo Katipunan; National Today, Internet
Part 5 - Let Us Save Other Wildlife Species
Dr Abe V Rotor
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Endangered Philippine Eagle and Philippine Tarsier
Author visits sculptor Jun Lazo at his shop in San Vicente IS. Mounted specimen
are on display at the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.
A wall mural of a family of deer amuses a neighborly lass at the author's
city residence in QC.
Other endangered animals in the Philippines
- Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)
- Philippine Spotted Deer (Cervus alfredi)
- Writhed-billed Hornbill (Aceros waldeni)
- Sulu Hornbill (Anthracoceros montani)
- Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis)
- Philippine Bare-backed Fruit Bat (Dobsonia chapmani)
- Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae)
- Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)
- Negros Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus arcanus)
- Flame-breasted Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus marchei)
- Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons)
- Philippine Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis)
- Giant Clams (Tridacna spp. and Hippopus hippopus)
- Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor)
- Tarsier, the smallest primate, found in Bohol (Carlito syrichta)
Flying Lemur and Tamaraw, found mainly in Mindanao
and Mindoro Island, respectively.
Other Endangered Species in Other Parts of the World
Loggerhead sea turtle, so with the hawk-billed turtle;
Siberian Tiger, so with the Bengal Tiger
American (California) Condor; Lemur, so with our local flying lemur
Arowana, so with the Arapaima; right, Sea Otter
A huge pile of bison skull - a case of species annihilation led by
the legendary Buffalo Bill in the pioneer era of the USA.
Critically Endangered. 3079 animals and 2655 plants are Endangered worldwide, compared with 1998 levels of 1102 and 1197, respectively
*The Philippine deer (Rusa marianna), also known as the Philippine sambar or Philippine brown deer, is endemic to the Philippines. It grows to 1.3 meters and 49 kg when mature. It belongs to Family Cervidae.
Acknowledgement: Internet, Wikipedia
Environment:
Endangered Treaty of Nature and Man
Dr Abe V Rotor
City Jungle of concrete, wire and smogDr Abe V Rotor
Frantic exploitation of natural resources through illegal logging operations, followed by slash-and-burn agriculture (kaingin), has brought havoc to the Philippines in the past century. The detrimental results are measured not only by the denudation of once productive forests and hillsides, but also destruction through erosion, flood, drought and even death.
An example of this kind of ruination brought about by abuse of nature is the tragedy in Ormoc City where floodwaters cascading down the denuded watershed, killed hundreds of residents and countless animals. It took ten years for the city to fully recover. Ironically, before the tragedy, Ormoc, from the air, looked like a little village similar to Shangrila, a perfect place for retirement.
Decline in Carrying Capacity
A land area designed by nature to sustain millions of people and countless other organisms, was touched by man and we are now paying the price for it. Man removed the vegetation, cut down trees for his shelter and crafts, and planted cereals and short-growing crops to get immediate returns. He hunted for food and fun, and in many ways, changed the natural contour and topography of the land.
Following years of plenty, however, nature reasserted itself. Water would run unchecked, carrying plant nutrients downhill. On its path are formed rills and gullies that slice through slopes, peeling off the topsoil and making the land unprofitable for agriculture. Since the plants cannot grow, animals gradually perish. Finally, the kaingero abandons the area, leaving it to the mercy of natural elements. It is possible that nature may rebuild itself, but will take years for affected areas to regain their productivity, and for the resident organisms once again attain their self-sustaining population levels.
There are 13.5 million square miles of desert area on earth, representing a third of the total land surface. This large proportion of land may be man-made as history and archeological findings reveal.
Fifteen civilizations, once flourished in Western Sahara, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, the Sinai desert, Mesopotamia, and the deserts of Persia. All of these cultures perished when the people of the area through exploitation, forced nature to react. As a consequence, man was robbed of his only means of sustenance.
_____________________________________________________________
Man, being the superior organism, has not only won over his rivals - all organisms that constitute the biosphere. He has also assaulted Nature.
_____________________________________________________________
History tells us of man’s early abuse of nature in the Fertile Crescent where agriculture began some 3000 years ago. Man-made parallel canals joined the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to irrigate the thirsty fertile valley. In the process, the balance of Nature was overturned when the natural drainage flow was disturbed. Because the treaty was violated, nature revenged. The canal civilization perished in the swamps that later formed. The sluggish water brought malaria and other diseases causing untold number of deaths and migration to the hinterlands. Among its victims was Alexander the Great.
Carthage had another story. Three wars hit Carthage, known as the Punic Wars. On the third one, the Romans ploughed through the city, ending reign of this erstwhile mercantile power, and removing the threat to the Roman economy. After the conquest, the Romans pumped salt-water inland and flooded the fertile farms. Today, Carthage exists only in history and in imagination of whoever stands atop a hill overlooking what is now a vast desert.
Omar Khayyam, if alive today, cannot possibly compose verses as beautiful as the Rubaiat as written in his own time. His birthplace, Nishapur, which up to the time of Genghis Khan, supported a population of 1.5 million people, can only sustain few thousands today. Archeologists have just unearthed the Forest of Guir where Hannibal marched with war elephants. The great unconquerable jungle of India grew from waterlogged lowland formed by unwise irrigation management.
It is hard to believe, but true that in the middle of the Sahara desert, 50 million acres of fossil soil are sleeping under layers of sand awaiting water. Surveyors found an underground stream called the Albienne Nappe that runs close to this deposit. Just as plans were laid to “revive” the dead soil by irrigation, the French tested their first atomic bomb. Due to contamination, it is no longer safe to continue on with the project.
The great Pyramids of Egypt could not have been constructed in the middle of an endless desert. The tributaries of the Nile once surrounded these centers of civilization. Jerusalem appears today as a small city on a barren land. It may have been a city with thick vegetation. This was true of Negev and Baghdad.
Ecological Philosophy - “If a river dies – so with all the stars that shine on its waters.”Painting by AVR in acrylic
10 Important Concerns of Ecology
1. The world everywhere, from the tundra down to the rich tropical forests, faces unabated threats to wildlife destruction, as human activities continue to defile nature not only of its flora and fauna but of natural habitats.
2. While the target of conservation is the protection of plants and animals particularly those that are considered to be facing extinction and are being endangered, the greater concern of ecology is the protection of natural habitats and ecological systems.
3. On another front of human activities often characterized by man’s quests for the “good life” through industrialization he believes to be the prime mover of progress and development, the production of unwanted by-products threatens the earth’s dynamic processes, Already the emission of gases from burning fossil oil has resulted to two serious consequences; thinning of the ozone layer and the building up of heat of the atmosphere resulting to global warming.
4. As human population continues to escalate which is going to double the present 6 billion mark by 2025, more and more people now believe that only by heeding the Malthusian prediction that our world may be spared of unimagined scenario of mass starvation and death.
5. On the other hand, quests for new frontiers of science has led us to the fore – unlocking the code of heredity that may soon replace conventional breeding, resulting thus far in the production of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and Genetically modified Food (GMF).
6. The other frontier is man’s interplanetary travel beyond the distance of the moon, and for such ambitious adventure, man will have to learn to adjust to life in space and in the planets he targets at visiting. Interplanetary travel takes years, many years. Into the unknown man carries the environment of the earth in a capsule or bubble. Space biology studies not only the effect on man but to plants and animals as well – some kind of man-made ecological system in space. We have virtually started a new field, space ecology.
7. If a third world war is to come, what kind of war is it? People are in a quandary, even those who are witness to the last world war and different wars after that. On media, a third world war if really global and the enemy stalks, respecting no boundaries of politics, culture and faith. It will be a war everyone is concerned of – real or psychological, covering the ultimate warfare materiels - nuclear, chemical and biological.
8. On the concept of human habitat, how ideal can planning get close to it has been demonstrated in some models, which is far from the answer of what a human community should be. The crux of the problem is in drawing up a treaty between nature and man. Could this be an alternative to cities and high rise buildings?
9. Terms like ecotourism, ecomigtration, ecozones, etc. are jargons often disguised economic programs, rather than ecological in purpose. As such, projects of this kind must be reviewed in the light of ecology rather than economics.
10. Zero waste management is ideal, it is a utopia of a modern world. But looking at the experiences of industrialized countries like Japan, Germany and Norway waste is just another resource waiting to be tapped. Why not? Isn’t garbage the excess of our wasteful luxurious living?
Need of a Conservation Program
For the Philippines, it is high time we lay out a long-range conservation program to insure the future of the country. This plan should protect the fertility of the fields, wealth of the forests and marine resources, in order to bring prosperity to the people. As of now, the country is being destroyed by erosion and floods due to unscrupulous exploitation by loggers and kaingeros.
It is only through proper management and effective conservation, such as reforestation, pollution control, erosion control, limited logging, and proper land use, that we can insure the continuity of our race. All we have to do is to keep ourselves faithful to the treaty between nature and man. ~
3 Ways to Live Naturally
2. Adopt Natural Farming Models
3. Live Naturally in Your Home
Dr Abe V Rotor
Part 1: Go for Fresh, Natural, and Locally Produced Food
Typical fruit stand, UP Diliman QC
While science and technology continue to explore new ways to increase food supply with genetic engineering, people are yearning for organic food – or naturally grown food.
Here are issues raised by the proponents of organic farming.
1. Many ailments and abnormalities are traced to the food we take. Cancer for instance, is often related to carcinogenic substances. High uric acid leads to kidney trouble. High cholesterol and high sugar levels are associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. Aftatoxin causes cirrhosis of the liver. Ulcers are food-related, so with many allergies.
2. Proper nutrition and balanced diet can be attained by eating the right kind and amount of natural food without fortification with vitamins and minerals, and other forms of altering food value. Thus there is no need to process food unless it is really necessary. Fresh foods – vegetables, fish, and the like – are still the best. And why modify the genetic composition of crops and animals? Leave that to nature. Nature knows best.
3. Taking excess foods rich in animal fat and protein, and foods high in calories foods has predisposed many people to overweight conditions. Gaining unnecessary weight leads obesity now an epidemic sweeping many countries today particularly in cities where there is a proliferation of fast foods and junk foods. Or simply there is too much of the “good life” – excess in food and pleasure. In the US today one out of five Americans is an obese, two are overweight.
4. There are natural substances that keep our body always alert to fend off stress due to overwork and diseases. They are known as probiotics. We get probiotics from fruits and vegetables. We also get them from seaweeds, mushrooms, yoghurt, algae such as Chlorella, and Cyanobacteria such as Spirulina. And there are many more sources that occur in nature. We are beginning to realize that eating foods rich in probiotics and antibiotics (substances that directly kill germs) makes us healthier and live longer.
These are the rules set by the advocates of organic farming.
1. It is always better to eat foods grown under natural conditions than those developed with the use of chemicals.
This statement can be captured with one term "natural food". All over the world this is a label found in food grown without chemicals. People are afraid of becoming ill because of chemicals introduced into the food. There are banned pesticides still in used such as methyl parathion, endosulfan, DDT, BHC, among others. These are also harmful to all living organisms and to the environment.
2. People are avoiding harmful residues of antibiotics and pesticides.
Poultry, hogs and cattle are given high levels of antibiotics to safeguard the animals from diseases. As a result, the antibiotics are passed on to the consumers. Unless we are ill, the body does not need supplemental antibiotics. We have adequate natural sources. Every time we eat commercial eggs, chicken, pork chop, steak, and the like, we are taking in antibiotics which accumulate in our body, shutting off our immune systems, punishing our kidney and liver. To many people, antibiotics cause allergic reactions.
3. People are getting scared of food contaminated by radiation. Nuclear reactors are being built in many countries as a fallback to fossil fuel.
With the recent nuclear plant meltdown in Fukoshima, Japan, the Chernobyl nuclear incident in Russia, and that of the Three-Miles Island nuclear plant in the US, people have become wary about the consequences of fallout. A trace of radiation can be absorbed by grass in the pasture, finds its way to milk, then to infants. Radiation can remain active for hundreds of years. People are still dying today in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, more than sixty years since the bombing of the two cities with the first atomic bomb.
4. People are becoming aware of the deleterious effects of toxic metals, such as lead, mercury and cadmium. These find their way through the food chain and ultimately reach humans. They escape to the air and enter our lungs, as in the case of dusts from old paints. Since they are in soluble compounds, they are easily absorbed by plants and animals. Kangkong (Ipomea reptans) for example absorbs lead. Tuna has high mercury in its tissues and liver. Cadmium from batteries is absorbed by crops.
5. People are becoming more conscious of the nutritional value of food rather than its packaging and presentation.
More and more people are shunning away from junk foods, in spite of their attractive packaging. Soft drinks have taken the backseat, courtesy of fruit juices and mineral water. People have even learned that different plant varieties have different levels of food value. Beans grown on naturally fertile soil have higher calorie and protein content than those grown on poor soil, or with chemical fertilizers. This is also true with animals. Animals raised with proper nutrition give meat, milk and eggs with higher protein, minerals notwithstanding.
6. Freshness is the primordial rule in choosing a perishable food.
7. Food processing must be efficient and safe.
Food processing, such as drying, milling and manufacturing is key to higher profits. Whenever feasible, food must reach the table fresh. But processing is designed to extend the shelf life of perishable commodities. There are products that require processing before they are used. These food items include vanilla, coffee, cacao, wine and vinegar, soya, fish sauce and the like. Profits generated through processing are value-added to production.
8. Food must be free from pest and diseases.
By all means, food must be free from insects and pathogens. There are cases of food poisoning as a result of food deterioration, or contamination. Take salmonella and E. coli. Khapra beetle in grains may even cause death to animals. Weevils hasten the deterioration of the food.
9. Food preservation must ensure quality, and above all, safety.
Be aware of the fish that is stiff, yet looks fresh. It is easy to detect the odor of formalin. Salitre is harmful, so with vetsin or MSG (Monosodium glutamate). Too much salt (sodium) is not good to the body. Some puto makers add lye or sodium hydroxide to aid coagulation of the starch. We wary of sampaloc candies enticingly made red with shoe dye. The same diluted dye is used with ube manufacture to make it look like the real violet-colored tuber.
10. Beware of GMOs.
No GMO, please, for the sake of the children.
Part 2: Natural Farming Models
Here are issues raised by the proponents of organic farming.
1. Many ailments and abnormalities are traced to the food we take. Cancer for instance, is often related to carcinogenic substances. High uric acid leads to kidney trouble. High cholesterol and high sugar levels are associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. Aftatoxin causes cirrhosis of the liver. Ulcers are food-related, so with many allergies.
2. Proper nutrition and balanced diet can be attained by eating the right kind and amount of natural food without fortification with vitamins and minerals, and other forms of altering food value. Thus there is no need to process food unless it is really necessary. Fresh foods – vegetables, fish, and the like – are still the best. And why modify the genetic composition of crops and animals? Leave that to nature. Nature knows best.
3. Taking excess foods rich in animal fat and protein, and foods high in calories foods has predisposed many people to overweight conditions. Gaining unnecessary weight leads obesity now an epidemic sweeping many countries today particularly in cities where there is a proliferation of fast foods and junk foods. Or simply there is too much of the “good life” – excess in food and pleasure. In the US today one out of five Americans is an obese, two are overweight.
4. There are natural substances that keep our body always alert to fend off stress due to overwork and diseases. They are known as probiotics. We get probiotics from fruits and vegetables. We also get them from seaweeds, mushrooms, yoghurt, algae such as Chlorella, and Cyanobacteria such as Spirulina. And there are many more sources that occur in nature. We are beginning to realize that eating foods rich in probiotics and antibiotics (substances that directly kill germs) makes us healthier and live longer.
These are the rules set by the advocates of organic farming.
Best for health: fresh fruits and vegetables
1. It is always better to eat foods grown under natural conditions than those developed with the use of chemicals.
This statement can be captured with one term "natural food". All over the world this is a label found in food grown without chemicals. People are afraid of becoming ill because of chemicals introduced into the food. There are banned pesticides still in used such as methyl parathion, endosulfan, DDT, BHC, among others. These are also harmful to all living organisms and to the environment.
2. People are avoiding harmful residues of antibiotics and pesticides.
Poultry, hogs and cattle are given high levels of antibiotics to safeguard the animals from diseases. As a result, the antibiotics are passed on to the consumers. Unless we are ill, the body does not need supplemental antibiotics. We have adequate natural sources. Every time we eat commercial eggs, chicken, pork chop, steak, and the like, we are taking in antibiotics which accumulate in our body, shutting off our immune systems, punishing our kidney and liver. To many people, antibiotics cause allergic reactions.
3. People are getting scared of food contaminated by radiation. Nuclear reactors are being built in many countries as a fallback to fossil fuel.
With the recent nuclear plant meltdown in Fukoshima, Japan, the Chernobyl nuclear incident in Russia, and that of the Three-Miles Island nuclear plant in the US, people have become wary about the consequences of fallout. A trace of radiation can be absorbed by grass in the pasture, finds its way to milk, then to infants. Radiation can remain active for hundreds of years. People are still dying today in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, more than sixty years since the bombing of the two cities with the first atomic bomb.
4. People are becoming aware of the deleterious effects of toxic metals, such as lead, mercury and cadmium. These find their way through the food chain and ultimately reach humans. They escape to the air and enter our lungs, as in the case of dusts from old paints. Since they are in soluble compounds, they are easily absorbed by plants and animals. Kangkong (Ipomea reptans) for example absorbs lead. Tuna has high mercury in its tissues and liver. Cadmium from batteries is absorbed by crops.
5. People are becoming more conscious of the nutritional value of food rather than its packaging and presentation.
More and more people are shunning away from junk foods, in spite of their attractive packaging. Soft drinks have taken the backseat, courtesy of fruit juices and mineral water. People have even learned that different plant varieties have different levels of food value. Beans grown on naturally fertile soil have higher calorie and protein content than those grown on poor soil, or with chemical fertilizers. This is also true with animals. Animals raised with proper nutrition give meat, milk and eggs with higher protein, minerals notwithstanding.
6. Freshness is the primordial rule in choosing a perishable food.
There is no substitute to freshness. While freshness is a function of efficient handling and marketing, the farmer must enhance farm-to-market freshness. By keeping his standing plants healthy, his produce will stay longer on the shelf life. Products that are free from pest and diseases also stay fresher and longer. Too much water or fertilizer reduces shelf life of the commodity. (Buko is young coconut.)
7. Food processing must be efficient and safe.
Food processing, such as drying, milling and manufacturing is key to higher profits. Whenever feasible, food must reach the table fresh. But processing is designed to extend the shelf life of perishable commodities. There are products that require processing before they are used. These food items include vanilla, coffee, cacao, wine and vinegar, soya, fish sauce and the like. Profits generated through processing are value-added to production.
8. Food must be free from pest and diseases.
By all means, food must be free from insects and pathogens. There are cases of food poisoning as a result of food deterioration, or contamination. Take salmonella and E. coli. Khapra beetle in grains may even cause death to animals. Weevils hasten the deterioration of the food.
9. Food preservation must ensure quality, and above all, safety.
Be aware of the fish that is stiff, yet looks fresh. It is easy to detect the odor of formalin. Salitre is harmful, so with vetsin or MSG (Monosodium glutamate). Too much salt (sodium) is not good to the body. Some puto makers add lye or sodium hydroxide to aid coagulation of the starch. We wary of sampaloc candies enticingly made red with shoe dye. The same diluted dye is used with ube manufacture to make it look like the real violet-colored tuber.
10. Beware of GMOs.
Many countries warn of the potential dangers of genetically modified food and food products, popularly called Frankenfood, after the novel Frankenstein, a mad scientist who created a monster. This move is not only to safeguard health, but also the environment. Genetically modified plants and animals – as well as bacteria, protists and even viruses – are now a threat to the natural gene pool, giving rise to a new kind of pollution - genetic pollution. Once a gene pool of a certain species is contaminated with a GMO genetic material, the genic pollutant cannot be eliminated, even in subsequent generations. Thus, it also disturbs natural evolution.
No GMO, please, for the sake of the children.
Next time you go to market, remember these guidelines. Why not convert that idle lot to raise food that is safe to your health and the environment? That little corner could be the start of a new green revolution.
Part 2: Natural Farming Models
The other name of natural farming is organic farming. In the United States and Europe, the trend now is for people to reach for organically grown food. In malls and large groceries, we find rice labeled "organically grown."
Mere substitution of fertilizer from chemical to organic is not enough. The organic fertilizer must be free from pathogens, toxic waste and metals.
The crops and animals must not be products of genetic engineering, meaning they should come from natural gene pools.
Natural farming also requires the absence of chemical spraying. If it cannot be avoided, the spray must be biodegradable, using botanical derivatives like derris, neem and chrysanthemum.
Here are scenarios of natural farming in the country.
1. Payatak method (Samar) - This is a local version of zero tillage. No plowing, no harrowing is done. A herd of carabaos trample over the soil until it turns into puddle, then the one-month old rice seedlings are transplanted. There are no sprays or fertilizers. This is natural farming in the marginal sense, a carryover of age-old tradition.
2. Mixed orchard (Zambales) – This is a stand of several kinds of trees, where orchard, firewood trees and forest trees grow together. These trees follow a natural pattern of arrangement. They have no common pest and need soil fertility differentially. The trees have their own niche and grow into layers resembling storeys. Management is simple and practical.
3. Multiple cropping model (Sta. Maria. Bulacan) - The farmer engages in the production of three commodities. A two-hectare farm may produce fruits, vegetables and rice, plus several heads of carabao and cattle. A pond supplies irrigation and produces tilapia and hito.
Why three commodities? It is because these commodities are closely integrated. First, the animals produce, other than meat and milk, manure for the plants. The plants produce food for the family and market. Plant residues are made into animal feeds and compost. The pond is source of irrigation. It is a waterhole for wildlife conservation, too. Because of its integrated structure and management the farm becomes a balanced system. This is the key to sustainable agriculture, otherwise known as ecological farming.
4. Sloping agricultural land technology or (SALT in Bohol). Call this natural farming even if the farm is a logged over area. The idea is for the farmer to revert the land to its natural state as much as possible. How does he do it? If one sees the model, the land has a slope of around 20 degrees. The steeper the grade the more difficult it is to apply the system. It does not work for slopes above 30 degrees.
In SALT, the contour of the slope is marked and outlined. The contours are spaced uniformly, and the rows that follow the contour are planted at intervals with annual and permanent crops. The idea is for the permanent crops (like fruit trees and firewood trees) to be sandwiched with annual crops (like peanut, rice, corn, and vegetable). The ipil-ipil herbage is used as organic fertilizer. The Neem tree is used for pesticide, while Lantana (Lantana. camara) is a natural pest repellant, so with Eucalyptus. Legume intercropping and crop rotation replenish the soil of Nitrogen and other elements.
5. Modified models (rice and corn areas). Rice farming can be modified to suit the conditions of natural farming. There are farms today that rely entirely on homemade or commercial organic fertilizers. An equally important aspect of successful farming is cleanliness. This means effective weed removal, trimmed waterways, properly disposed of farm wastes, efficient drainage, well arranged rows, and properly scheduled farming activities. All these activities require low technologies that are also affordable. Together they contribute to good health for both the producer and consumer - and the environment.
As more people go for organically-grown food, agriculture becomes more environment-friendly, which is the essence of ecological farming.
Part 3: Live Naturally in your Home
Bahay Kubo, painting by the author
1. Aesthetic beauty – Beauty and function must go hand on hand. There is a saying, “useless each without the other.” In science, morphology (form) enhances physiology (function), and vice versa. Maganda na, napapakinabangan pa. You need the sensitivity of an artist, and the green thumb of a gardener.
2. Food Security – It is having food grown in our garden, and processed in our kitchen. The concept of food security is in our hands, and in anticipation to our needs. All year round you can plan out what to plant and process, as how many times you can raise these products. Consult the planting calendar, practice effective techniques such as crop rotation, intercropping, and storey cropping. Plant those known to be best adapted in the area.
3. Livelihood – What you produce more than yourself and your family, you sell to the community and to the market, if the volume warrantees. These are produced directly from the garden – vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and eggs. Or these are products of cottage processing like salted eggs, patis and bagoong, wine and vinegar, toge, pickles, jam, jelly and the like.
4. Ecological Sanctuary – Offer a home for the homeless - the orphans and the endangered organisms which humans have driven or displaced. Make your home their sanctuary, maybe their last bastion. Your home is an extension of the wildlife, of a ecosystem, or a natural park, so that if the whole community adopts the same concept, we would in effect create a contiguous areas large enough to be considered a prototype ecosystem.
5. Buffer Zone – Keep your home free of dusts and unburnt carbon, and obnoxious gases mainly CO2, CO and S02. Trees and other plants serve as buffer to direct light and ultraviolet rays. They also buffer sound waves, reducing the extreme decibels generated by traffic and electronics.
6. Mini climate – A garden surrounding a home does not only reduce temperature, buy moderates its extremes and sudden changes. They generate of O2 , while absorb CO2 which they need for photosynthesis. Relative humidity is regulated, and deadly rays such as those emitted by communication transmission towers are reduced to a safe level.
7. Sense of Permanence – The home offer a permanent abode, opposite to transience, rootlessness, and impermanence. People tend to move from place to place – a neo-nomadic trend today. We establish our genetic and cultural “roots” not only of one generation but of the next and future – if we have a home we really call home. It reminds me of the beautiful poem and song, Home Sweet Home. I remember my dad who planted seedlings of trees when he was already very old. These trees, he said, will be for you and my grandchildren, his eyes twinkling with a sense of pride. Can you imagine an old, old mango or mabolo tree in your backyard? How many passersby have found comfort under its shade? How many tenants did it serve – in its roots to its leaves?
8. Recreating a Lost Garden – A recreation of Paradise Lost, the foundation of many faiths, is a key to attain spirituality. It is in the loss of a once beautiful world that challenges us – whatever our religion is – to be able not only to survive without it, but to be inspired and guided to rebuild it. It is yet the greatest prayer we can offer to that Higher Principle.
9. Family Unity – A family that lives together in unity and harmony with Nature stays together. This has a basis found in biology and ecology. Only when the members of a system know their roles and respect each other can we really find peace and unity.
10. Community Involvement – No man is an island. In the city we can live without even knowing our neighbors. Condominiums are but multiple compartments. There is no sense of neighborhood or community. Each to his own. And we do not know if the occupant of one compartment will be the same next week.
.jpg)
American bungalow, most copied home design
Sketch on a bond, an aerial view of a home garden you have in mind, and if there is one that already exists, study and analyze which aspects are applicable in your particular situation. Definitely the house and the garden should be contiguous in the sense that, like the concept of the American bungalow, “one step is in the garden while the other is in the house.”
How aptly stated; the imagery needs little explanation. The level of the floor is the level of the garden. Not necessarily. It means, you have but one lifestyle whether you are in the house or in its surroundings. Better said, you are at home whichever part of your home you are in. Of course some people would like their house to be treated apart of the surroundings, but if you adopt the Bahay Kubo concept and adjust it to fit into the basic amenities of living today, then our model is like the American bungalow but Filipino style.~
Mere substitution of fertilizer from chemical to organic is not enough. The organic fertilizer must be free from pathogens, toxic waste and metals.
The crops and animals must not be products of genetic engineering, meaning they should come from natural gene pools.
Natural farming also requires the absence of chemical spraying. If it cannot be avoided, the spray must be biodegradable, using botanical derivatives like derris, neem and chrysanthemum.
Here are scenarios of natural farming in the country.
1. Payatak method (Samar) - This is a local version of zero tillage. No plowing, no harrowing is done. A herd of carabaos trample over the soil until it turns into puddle, then the one-month old rice seedlings are transplanted. There are no sprays or fertilizers. This is natural farming in the marginal sense, a carryover of age-old tradition.
2. Mixed orchard (Zambales) – This is a stand of several kinds of trees, where orchard, firewood trees and forest trees grow together. These trees follow a natural pattern of arrangement. They have no common pest and need soil fertility differentially. The trees have their own niche and grow into layers resembling storeys. Management is simple and practical.
3. Multiple cropping model (Sta. Maria. Bulacan) - The farmer engages in the production of three commodities. A two-hectare farm may produce fruits, vegetables and rice, plus several heads of carabao and cattle. A pond supplies irrigation and produces tilapia and hito.
Why three commodities? It is because these commodities are closely integrated. First, the animals produce, other than meat and milk, manure for the plants. The plants produce food for the family and market. Plant residues are made into animal feeds and compost. The pond is source of irrigation. It is a waterhole for wildlife conservation, too. Because of its integrated structure and management the farm becomes a balanced system. This is the key to sustainable agriculture, otherwise known as ecological farming.
4. Sloping agricultural land technology or (SALT in Bohol). Call this natural farming even if the farm is a logged over area. The idea is for the farmer to revert the land to its natural state as much as possible. How does he do it? If one sees the model, the land has a slope of around 20 degrees. The steeper the grade the more difficult it is to apply the system. It does not work for slopes above 30 degrees.
In SALT, the contour of the slope is marked and outlined. The contours are spaced uniformly, and the rows that follow the contour are planted at intervals with annual and permanent crops. The idea is for the permanent crops (like fruit trees and firewood trees) to be sandwiched with annual crops (like peanut, rice, corn, and vegetable). The ipil-ipil herbage is used as organic fertilizer. The Neem tree is used for pesticide, while Lantana (Lantana. camara) is a natural pest repellant, so with Eucalyptus. Legume intercropping and crop rotation replenish the soil of Nitrogen and other elements.
5. Modified models (rice and corn areas). Rice farming can be modified to suit the conditions of natural farming. There are farms today that rely entirely on homemade or commercial organic fertilizers. An equally important aspect of successful farming is cleanliness. This means effective weed removal, trimmed waterways, properly disposed of farm wastes, efficient drainage, well arranged rows, and properly scheduled farming activities. All these activities require low technologies that are also affordable. Together they contribute to good health for both the producer and consumer - and the environment.
As more people go for organically-grown food, agriculture becomes more environment-friendly, which is the essence of ecological farming.
Part 3: Live Naturally in your Home
Home gardening and landscaping take us into the realms of happy living. They take us closer to nature in our waking hours and in our sleep, in our private and solemn moments, as well as moments with our family, and when celebrating an event. This is the place we call home.
Bahay Kubo, painting by the author
Rustic scene of peace, a respite from city life,
1. Aesthetic beauty – Beauty and function must go hand on hand. There is a saying, “useless each without the other.” In science, morphology (form) enhances physiology (function), and vice versa. Maganda na, napapakinabangan pa. You need the sensitivity of an artist, and the green thumb of a gardener.
2. Food Security – It is having food grown in our garden, and processed in our kitchen. The concept of food security is in our hands, and in anticipation to our needs. All year round you can plan out what to plant and process, as how many times you can raise these products. Consult the planting calendar, practice effective techniques such as crop rotation, intercropping, and storey cropping. Plant those known to be best adapted in the area.
3. Livelihood – What you produce more than yourself and your family, you sell to the community and to the market, if the volume warrantees. These are produced directly from the garden – vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and eggs. Or these are products of cottage processing like salted eggs, patis and bagoong, wine and vinegar, toge, pickles, jam, jelly and the like.
4. Ecological Sanctuary – Offer a home for the homeless - the orphans and the endangered organisms which humans have driven or displaced. Make your home their sanctuary, maybe their last bastion. Your home is an extension of the wildlife, of a ecosystem, or a natural park, so that if the whole community adopts the same concept, we would in effect create a contiguous areas large enough to be considered a prototype ecosystem.
5. Buffer Zone – Keep your home free of dusts and unburnt carbon, and obnoxious gases mainly CO2, CO and S02. Trees and other plants serve as buffer to direct light and ultraviolet rays. They also buffer sound waves, reducing the extreme decibels generated by traffic and electronics.
6. Mini climate – A garden surrounding a home does not only reduce temperature, buy moderates its extremes and sudden changes. They generate of O2 , while absorb CO2 which they need for photosynthesis. Relative humidity is regulated, and deadly rays such as those emitted by communication transmission towers are reduced to a safe level.
7. Sense of Permanence – The home offer a permanent abode, opposite to transience, rootlessness, and impermanence. People tend to move from place to place – a neo-nomadic trend today. We establish our genetic and cultural “roots” not only of one generation but of the next and future – if we have a home we really call home. It reminds me of the beautiful poem and song, Home Sweet Home. I remember my dad who planted seedlings of trees when he was already very old. These trees, he said, will be for you and my grandchildren, his eyes twinkling with a sense of pride. Can you imagine an old, old mango or mabolo tree in your backyard? How many passersby have found comfort under its shade? How many tenants did it serve – in its roots to its leaves?
8. Recreating a Lost Garden – A recreation of Paradise Lost, the foundation of many faiths, is a key to attain spirituality. It is in the loss of a once beautiful world that challenges us – whatever our religion is – to be able not only to survive without it, but to be inspired and guided to rebuild it. It is yet the greatest prayer we can offer to that Higher Principle.
9. Family Unity – A family that lives together in unity and harmony with Nature stays together. This has a basis found in biology and ecology. Only when the members of a system know their roles and respect each other can we really find peace and unity.
10. Community Involvement – No man is an island. In the city we can live without even knowing our neighbors. Condominiums are but multiple compartments. There is no sense of neighborhood or community. Each to his own. And we do not know if the occupant of one compartment will be the same next week.
.jpg)
Sketch on a bond, an aerial view of a home garden you have in mind, and if there is one that already exists, study and analyze which aspects are applicable in your particular situation. Definitely the house and the garden should be contiguous in the sense that, like the concept of the American bungalow, “one step is in the garden while the other is in the house.”
How aptly stated; the imagery needs little explanation. The level of the floor is the level of the garden. Not necessarily. It means, you have but one lifestyle whether you are in the house or in its surroundings. Better said, you are at home whichever part of your home you are in. Of course some people would like their house to be treated apart of the surroundings, but if you adopt the Bahay Kubo concept and adjust it to fit into the basic amenities of living today, then our model is like the American bungalow but Filipino style.~
Arbor Day in the Philippines, June 25, 2024
(The Philippine Arbor Day is observed every 25th of June throughout the country by planting trees in pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 643 and Republic Act No. 10176.)
1. Trees - Nature’s Gift to Man
Acacia trees, Ateneo de Manila University QC
By Anna Christina R Rotor
We grow up with trees.
We want them to grow big;
we want them to be around us;
to give us shade in which we play;
to give us strong trunk and branches
on which we climb and swing and laugh;
to give us fruits which make us full,
healthy and strong;
medicine to make us well;
wood that keeps our body warm,
cooks our food;
leaves to keep our air clean
and to whisper and sing
and dance with the breeze;
and above all,
to give us aesthetic beauty
through which we feel
how lucky we are alive.
How irrational would it be to kill a tree,
even if we reason out that we need its wood,
its bark, its roots, its flowers and fruits and seeds,
to keep us alive!
It is a paradox
that for us to survive and progress,
we kill the host of life –
life of birds that build nest on its branches,
passersby who find respite
from the beating sun,
a myriad of small life forms
from insects to lizards
that find a home
and harbor on its roots and crown.
What a paradox
if we kill the tree that gives us oxygen
that brings down the cloud as rain,
that keeps the environment cool, clean and green
to kill a friend,
a companion and a guardian,
the link of our earth and sun,
God and His Son.
Excerpt from a speech of Anna Rotor, then 16 years old
at School of St. Anthony QC, 1999.
2. Only God Can Make a Tree
Dr Abe V Rotor
Silhouette of a Kalumpang Tree (Sterculia foetida Linn),
Tandang Sora, Diliman QC. Photo by the author circa 1990
The fool who wrote this pieceWould wonder if he did missThe essence of its messageOr time in its passage.The trees are gone with the cloud,Laying a desert on its path,While the winds applaudAn evil aftermath.I think I shall finally seeA kind-hearted man plant a tree,For he who truly loves Thee,Shall love others through a tree. ~- AV Rotor, Light in the Woods 1995, Megabooks
3. The Holy Father plants a tree.
In observance of the UN International celebrations: Earth Day (April 22), Day of Biodiversity (May 22) and Environment Day (June 6)
Dr Abe V Rotor
2. When the monsoon ends too soon, summer sets early, the land scorched, the rivers and ponds dried up, warn of the coming of a severe El Niño phenomenon.
3. When algal bloom in make-believe proportion spreads in lakes, sound the alarm of fish kill coming to avert losses and hunger, and save the ecosystem.
4. When people move to cities in exodus, convince them, advise government, it is a tender trap that takes them away from the real Good Life on the countryside.
5. When clouds simply pass over the landscape, take the lead to reforest the hills and mountains, restore the watershed with a million and one trees.
6. When flood sweeps the land taking with it lives and properties, and eroding soil fertility, be part of rehabilitation and planning; believe that flood can be tamed.
7. When you find an abundance of lichens of different types on trees and rocks, assure residents of the pristine condition of their environment, and help them to preserve it.
8. When and where wildlife areas are shrinking, backyards and idle lots can be developed as alternative wildlife sanctuary, initiate this as a community project.
9. When asked what vegetables are safe from pesticide residues and chemicals from fertilizers, promote native species like malunggay, kamote tops, gabi, saluyot, and the like, they are also more nutritious and easy to grow.
10. When asked of Nature's way of maintaining the ecosystem, explain the role of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, composting, symbiosis, among other natural processes and cycles.
11. When additives are found in food - MSG, Nutrasweet or any artificial sugar, salitre in sausage, sulfite in white sugar, melamin in milk, formalin in fish, warn the public against taking these, initiate through legislation and campaign to ban these additives.
"Convergence of sea, land and sky - Nature's way of keeping the balance of the ecosystem," wall mural by the author.
13. When old folks talk about traditional wisdom and values, demonstrate native skills, listen and translate them into useful applications, disseminate these in school and through extension.
14. When animals are restless, reptiles and rodents coming out of their burrows and dens, fish attempting to escape, fowls noisy, suspect the coming of a force majeure such as earthquake, and be alert to face possible consequences.
15. When epidemic threatens an area, say bird flu, initiate community cooperation with health and other institutions to prevent further spread of the disease.
16. When a child has little concern about the environment, teach him, guide him to explore the beautiful world of nature, and make him realize his importance and his role.
17. When there is a worthy movement to save the environment, such as Clean and Green, Piso sa Pasig, or any local campaign, lead and extend your full support.
18. When there are farms and fishponds neglected or abandoned, find out how these are put back to their productive conditions, or converted into a wildlife sanctuary.
19. When at rest or in confinement for health reason, explore natural remedies with plants, pet therapy, and other proven remedies
"On a fine Sunday morning you hear birds in the trees, fish splashing in a pond, and plants bloom..." in acrylic by the author
20. When on a fine Sunday morning you hear birds in the trees, fish splashing in a pond, and plants bloom, say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving in music and poetry, painting, or simply a reflection of the magnificence o f creation. ~
4. I talk to the trees - and they listen to me.
"When in bloom golden, only for a day or two;
confetti follows where the bees have gone,
in every flower is born a new life
in another place and time."
Dr Abe V Rotor
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Re-encarnation - this elephant tree had been
once roaming around in band;
threatened, endangered and gone,
what would it become the next time around?
Tagbilaran, Bohol
Saplings race to meet the sun,
lanky to posts they shall become;
sans branches but bole and round
soon fall to the ax one by one.
Mt Makiling, Laguna
You bear the hardest wood -
ebony in deep shiny black;
your foes no less my kind
feeling and love we lack.
Tierra Pura, Tandang Sora, QC
Sunrise, sunset, the ground is alive,
lilting children under your care
that make up for your loneliness
in a world with so little to share.
Masinloc, Zambales
You were once doomed by the wind,
but benevolence saved you;
by your fruits and resting limbs,
sanctuary and playground, too.
Mt Makiling, UPLB Laguna
Black and white makes you bold and real
of your strangler's reputation,
climbing on your host tree to the sky,
a piece of mystery of creation.
Burgos, La Union
Tree house I see built on your limbs
has stolen your view on the scene,
the breeze in your leaves hushed away,
a living monument unseen.
Cebu City
Embroidered leaves by the bagworm,
turning to crimson and fall;
mutual indeed is host and tenant,
nature and creatures all.
Lagro QC
Whoever felled this old balete tree,
drove the deities away;
and the spirit of the tree shall not rest,
no prayer can repay.
UST Manila
Shadow of death I see across the lawn,
save the sun all mourning;
haunting the playground empty and quiet,
save a dead tree walking.
Ateneo de Manila University QC
To the conscious passerby,
in the morning holy,
in the evening scary,
a veil to laugh or to cry.
St Paul University QC
Young devil tree, but you aren't;
your eyes but holes to your heart;
your arm raised to praise, to call
a friend, such is nature's art.
Agoo, La Union
Over laden, if all these fruits,
a burst of a lifetime -
young to die like a mother
cut in her prime.
UST Manila
Living cradle to while away the time,
to catch up with many a lost sleep;
watch out, a nap gone over the clime,
where time and opportunity slip.
Ateneo de Manila University QC
Pendants you wear in the night,
blinking with the chilly air,
bring tidings beyond your shade,
to far places poor and fair.
St Paul University QC
When in bloom golden, only for a day or two;
confetti follows where the bees have gone,
in every flower is born a new life, the embryo,
seed to a tree in another place and time. ~
5. Tropical Rainforest on the Wall
Mural Painting by Dr Abe V Rotor
Nature represents the idea of the entire universe in a state of perfection. Nature is one: it unites heaven and earth, connecting human beings with the stars and bringing them all together into a single family. Nature is beautiful; it is ordered. A divine law determines its arrangement, namely the subordination of the means to the end, and the parts to the whole.
After putting down my brush, I took a view of the mural from a distance. The scene – unspoiled nature – one spared from the hands of man and typified by the tropical rainforest, flowed out from a wall that was previously white and empty.
In the course of painting the mural, which took all of seven days and in the days following its unveiling, I took notice of the reactions of viewers. It must be the stillness of the scene, freshness of its atmosphere, and its apparent eccentricity that attract passersby as if in search of something therapeutic. It seems to slow down busy feet, soothing tired nerves. There is something I thought was mysterious beyond the levels of aesthetics. For the huge scene is a drama of life completely different from city living. It is respite. It is transformation from concrete to greenery, from cityscape to landscape.
Yet, I found it difficult to give it a title and an explanation that captures both its essence and message. This time many ideas crowded my mind. At the start of my painting labors, the challenge was how and where to start painting. Now that it is completed, what else is there to say after one has “said” it all in colors and lines, hues and shadows, perspective and design? What more is there to declare for after the last page of a book? For a painting, it is the same.
Relaxation did not come easy for me after many hours of concentrating on my subject, dealing with a fast-drying medium of acrylic. What made it more challenging was the unending attempt to capture those fleeting impressions and recollections that pervaded my mind as I painted. I then took a pen and slowly wrote my thoughts. From the mural, I saw the scenery of my childhood on the farm, views of my travels here and abroad, imagery from my readings, and views drawn out like a thread from the mass of a golf ball. It was imagery and memory working jointly.
Tropical Rainforest Model
I chose the tropical rainforest scenery since it is the richest of all ecosystems in the world. The Philippines, being one of the countries endowed with this natural wealth is a treasure, indeed. For this reason, I believe that, the tropical rainforest closely resembles the description of the biblical paradise. It is not only a living bank of biological diversity; it is the most important sanctuary of living matters on earth.
To paint such a big wall is no easy task. It is not unusual to face a blank wall, literally speaking, and not knowing what to do first even with all the colors and tools on hand – and a predetermined topic in mind. Shall I start at the center and move outward, or from both sides slowly progressing inward? Or do I divide the wall into parts, working on them one by one, then unifying them at the end?
…and Heaven and Nature Sing
Christmas was already in the air and the Siberian winds were bringing in the chills. Carol music was now being played in malls, schools and homes. I was engrossed in my work when some students, watching me paint, sang a familiar song. On this particular occasion, something about the song chimed inside me, directing me towards the central theme of my mural.
“…and heaven and nature sing,and heaven and nature sing,and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.”- Joy to the World
What does this mean? Is it the idea of nature representing the entire universe in a state of perfection? Or is it nature as one? Does it unite heaven and earth? Does it connect human beings and the galaxies as one family?
Little did I know of my ecology. As a subject I teach in college and in the graduate school I depend much on formulas and equations, principles and case studies. My knowledge about the environment is structured and formal. I use module maps or course syllabi based on accepted teaching techniques and references. My approach was comparative analysis. I was a judge of the beautiful and ugly, the do’s and don’ts. At times I am a Utopian; at others, conformist.
Little did I realize that the order of Nature is not merely determined by natural laws applied as ecological tenets, but as a divine law which determines its arrangement, the subordination of the means to the end, and the assimilation of the parts to the whole. Many of us are ignorant of this law, or if we know it, seem to forget or disregard it as we relentlessly work to exploit the earth.
In our apparent failure to preserve nature, perhaps it is time to look at ecology with the essence of this popular Christmas song – a song that makes everyday of the year, Christmas. Ecology is “heaven and nature singing together.” Only then can we truly understand the term, balance of nature – a kind of dynamic equilibrium that leads to homeostasis where there is stability among interdependent groups that characterize natural processes, and the period in which they take place. The ultimate conclusion is always a balanced system. We have to look beyond books to understand biological diversity, and its application in nature, to find the common phrase: In diversity there is unity. The general rule is that the wider the diversity is in terms of number of living species, and in terms of the number of natural species and their habitats, the more closely knit the biosphere becomes, resulting in a richer, more stable environment. Undoubtedly, all this is part of a grand design inspired divinely.
A Hole in the Sky
Looking at the mural from a distance one notices a darkened part of the sky, apparently a hole (though this is not the ozone layer pierced by CFC pollution). It gives one a feeling that it is a tunnel to infinity as if to link both earth and heaven. Through this hole, one envisions a Higher Principle. From the foreground, which is the placid stream of a downward meandering river, its tributaries and banks lined with trees and thickets, the eye soon reaches the forested hills and mountains shrouded by clouds.
But it does not end there. Here the cloud is a curtain laden with the radiance of the sun, and the life-giving provenance of rain, useless each without the other for life on earth to exist. This is the crossroad. The cloud opens with a backdrop of infinity. The universe, whose limit is unknown, bursts open a foreground that reveals a whole drama of life on earth. After that, the eye repeats the journey. In the process, the viewer becomes sensitive to the details of the painting. He searches for things familiar, or situations that later become a new experience.
Creatures in the Forest
Little did I know of my ecology. As a subject I teach in college and in the graduate school I depend much on formulas and equations, principles and case studies. My knowledge about the environment is structured and formal. I use module maps or course syllabi based on accepted teaching techniques and references. My approach was comparative analysis. I was a judge of the beautiful and ugly, the do’s and don’ts. At times I am a Utopian; at others, conformist.
Little did I realize that the order of Nature is not merely determined by natural laws applied as ecological tenets, but as a divine law which determines its arrangement, the subordination of the means to the end, and the assimilation of the parts to the whole. Many of us are ignorant of this law, or if we know it, seem to forget or disregard it as we relentlessly work to exploit the earth.
In our apparent failure to preserve nature, perhaps it is time to look at ecology with the essence of this popular Christmas song – a song that makes everyday of the year, Christmas. Ecology is “heaven and nature singing together.” Only then can we truly understand the term, balance of nature – a kind of dynamic equilibrium that leads to homeostasis where there is stability among interdependent groups that characterize natural processes, and the period in which they take place. The ultimate conclusion is always a balanced system. We have to look beyond books to understand biological diversity, and its application in nature, to find the common phrase: In diversity there is unity. The general rule is that the wider the diversity is in terms of number of living species, and in terms of the number of natural species and their habitats, the more closely knit the biosphere becomes, resulting in a richer, more stable environment. Undoubtedly, all this is part of a grand design inspired divinely.
A Hole in the Sky
Looking at the mural from a distance one notices a darkened part of the sky, apparently a hole (though this is not the ozone layer pierced by CFC pollution). It gives one a feeling that it is a tunnel to infinity as if to link both earth and heaven. Through this hole, one envisions a Higher Principle. From the foreground, which is the placid stream of a downward meandering river, its tributaries and banks lined with trees and thickets, the eye soon reaches the forested hills and mountains shrouded by clouds.
But it does not end there. Here the cloud is a curtain laden with the radiance of the sun, and the life-giving provenance of rain, useless each without the other for life on earth to exist. This is the crossroad. The cloud opens with a backdrop of infinity. The universe, whose limit is unknown, bursts open a foreground that reveals a whole drama of life on earth. After that, the eye repeats the journey. In the process, the viewer becomes sensitive to the details of the painting. He searches for things familiar, or situations that later become a new experience.
Creatures in the Forest
Creatures in general are not as visible as they appear in books and on the screen. They blend with their surroundings mainly for predatory anticipation and protective camouflage. But there are other reasons too, that are not well understood. Take the case of the butterflies. Their beauty is extravagant for their basic function as pollinators. Fish jump for mere pleasure, dragonflies have wings that split light into prisms. Birds stay in the sky longer for the sheer joy of flying, and not just to cruise in search of a prey.
Among the animals suggested to me while painting the mural are flying lemur, Philippine monkey, heron, monitor lizard, boa constrictor and hornbill. I painted these - and many more, the way I imagined them in their natural habitat. I put a touch of Noah’s Ark, painting them in pairs. For the rodents, ducks and doves I made them in amiable groupings that exude a familial atmosphere.
Whenever I see viewers seriously searching for these creatures with walking fingers, I am tempted to add to the collection of creatures, making them even more difficult to find. But that might change the ambiance to fun and puzzle solving, rather than of meditation and recollection.
People in the Mural
The trees and the massiveness of the scenery dwarf the characters in the mural. They appear mindless of events and time. They care not for the chores of the day. Those who are engrossed fishing with a simple hook-and-line do not show excitement even as they land their catch. Others patiently wait for a bite. There is a sense of tranquility and peace to all characters, whether they are promenading or just passing the time away. Their faces show only the slightest hint of anger or sadness.
I noticed viewers trying to identify themselves with the characters of the mural. Some construction workers envision themselves fishing. High school students are drawn by the promenades. But there are those who simply imagine themselves part of the scene. “This place is familiar to me,” one would say, apparently recalling provincial life. “We have flying lemurs in Davao,” says another.
Where does the water flow, and what does the mural mean to us? Water is everywhere. It is free to flow. Tributaries abound as if there were no limit. Trees are everywhere and far into the backdrop is a vast virgin forest. There is no sign of man’s destructive hand. At the foreground is a placid pond where Nymphaea and lotus grow. It is in contrast to the lively pulse of the river. This is a corner where life is peaceful and serene. It is here that we draw strength in facing the river and beyond.
What really is the message of the mural?
Quite often, images of nature enrapture us. These are reminiscences of childhood, a re-creation of a favorite spot we may have visited or seen, or products of the imagination greatly influenced by the society we live in.
These images reflect a deep-seated biological longing to be part of nature. Putting it in the biblical sense, it is a natural searching for the lost paradise. They are a refuge from city living, a respite, and an escape from the daily grind.
But these images do not only tell us of what we are missing. Rather, it reminds us what we are going to miss, perhaps forever, if we do not heed nature’s signal towards a fast declining ecosystem. If we do not change our way of life from too much dependence on consumerism, to one more closely linked to conservation of nature, we may end up building memories and future archives of a lost world.
The warning is clear. The painting challenges everyone to do his part to save Mother Earth so that her beauty is not only kept in the form of images, but a scenery of real life enjoyed by us and future generations.~
Reference: Living with Nature in Our Times
Copyright 2007 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas
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