Living with Nature - School on Blog by Dr. Abercio V. Rotor

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Cry of the Philippine Hawk LAWIN

Cry of the Lawin

Lawin symbolizes the young generations. It brings in the morning sun, it connects us grownups with the young generation.

Dr Abe V Rotor

We, in Greater Lagro are blessed with having a rare bird called Philippine hawk or LAWIN in our language. It is a close relative of the Philippine eagle, which is considered a symbol of our culture.

Painting of a lawin on a backboard by the author

On a clear day we may see the lawin* hovering over our subdivision, alone or with a partner in dalliance, simply gliding and circling up in the sky, in a spectacular kind of show that this bird now categorized as threatened is still around. Its home is the La Mesa watershed, just across our subdivision. It is in deference to this bird that our association has adopted it as our symbol and acronym - LAWIN.

We thank our gazette editor Mr Fil Galimba who brought the idea of the organization, and Atty Riz Quiaoit for adopting Lawin as our symbol.

But what really does the lawin symbolize?

One early morning my granddaughter pointed at the bird in the sky. I explained what I know about the bird. Lawin symbolizes the young generations. It brings in the morning sun, it connects us grownups with the young generations. It gives our children a break from iPads and TV. .

One time children in the neighborhood in our place could not play their favorite game basketball. Somebody rebuilt their backboard, and games resumed. There one difference: the other player on the back bard is a big lawin with outstretched wings seemingly playing with the kids.

Nearby a garbage dump began to transform into a vegetable and herbal garden. The children called it Lawin Garden. It is a local version of the Phoenix bird rising from the garbage ashes.

The lawin has a peculiar cry while in flight - clear and loud whistle of two notes. But most often, it is a silent flyer with panoramic and telescopic vision.

It can see like a satellite monitor what is happening over its broad area of vision, yet able to focus on the slightest movement - a prey or an enemy.

Writers and artists to a great degree are like the lawin. Like the lawin, true writers and artists are a vanishing breed, they are an endangered species victim of instant and unguided social media, and worst assassination of journalists. The Philippines is compared to worn-torn countries like Syria and Afghanistan for having the highest number of killings in mass media.

The lawin writers and artists have "eyes for news and the arts," Their aerial perspective is holistic and contiguous. They see the multiplicity and unity of space and time, people and events. And they never veer away from their community which they watch over.

At the onset of organizing LAWIN, we did some research on our trust and functions, and on the long run - our projected goal.

Our reference is the our own Gazette. Lawin is DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION. DevCom recognizes the power of communication as a catalyst for social development. It utilizes the tools and principles applicable in the community they serve for the advancement of society.
In an outline DevCom is

Information disemination and education
Social Marketing - ideas, knowledge and wisdom
Purposive communication - it sets targets
Social mobilization - involvement and militancy
Community improvement mainly on felt needs
Positive change (social, political, economic, moral, environmental, etc)
Participatory development - bottom-up approach
Humanities development - applied aesthetics
Sentinel and vanguard of code of media
Pathfinder - pioneering and visionary

Development Communication as the INTEGRATION OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, based on a clear understanding of real and down-to-earth situations, with people's participation and shared equitable benefits.

What then would be our guiding principle in our program? It can be summarized as follows, for an anonymous source:

"If it is of high quality, people will respect you;
If it is relevant, people ill need you;
If it is measurable, people will trust you;
If it is innovative, people will follow you."

If you were the lawin up in the sky over Greater Lagro, you are likely to see these -

1. the need to train students in our schools in the field of mass media and applied art to run their school paper.

2. the need to take care of the trees, and plants more tree, to make Lagro an extension of the shrinking wildlife.

3. the need to expand outdoor activities, participate in wholesome games and sports, creative activities.

4. the need to guard Greater Lagro from the incursion of bad elements, vices, violations of human rights, peace and order.

5. bringing in honors and prestige to the community through the talents of its citizens, particularly the young.

6. unifying relationships of families, strengthening bonding, making the community senior citizen friendly, grandchildren friendly as well.

There are one-thousand-and-one other visions that challenge the organization LAWIN and its members giving meaning to their membership, above all leaving their legacy for the next generations.~

Neighborhood projects of LAWIN

(Lagro Association of Writers and Artists, Inc)

Sports development: Lawin Backboard; Green Revolution: Lawin Garden

About the Philippine Hawk Lawin

by Naomi Millburn

Philippine hawk-eagles (Nisaetus philippensis) are raptors native only to the Philippines. "Lawin" translates to "hawk" in the Tagalog tongue. Philippine hawk-eagles survive in very low numbers, so their population is considered vulnerable.

Philippine hawk-eagles (Nisaetus philippensis) are raptors native only to the Philippines.

Physical Appearance

Philippine hawk lawins are typically about 26 or 27 inches long. The top portions of their plumage are deep brown, and their lower portions are reddish-brown and adorned in black markings. Philippine hawk-eagles have pale throats, yellow limbs, deep gray beaks and dark crests. Their crests are made up of four to five feathers, some of which can reach 2.75 inches long. It takes about four years to develop their mature feathers. Fully grown Philippine hawk-eagles tend to have lithe physiques.

Living Environment

Philippine hawk lawins inhabit numerous islands throughout the Philippines, including Mindoro and Luzon. They haven't been confirmed as migratory, though they might occasionally travel between islands. They are prevalent around outer portions of forests, sometimes even in airy settings. Philippine hawk-eagles spend a lot of time hidden in the top layers of forests. They do a lot of high flying within their habitats.

Population

The number of Philippine hawk lawins in the wild is dropping swiftly. Their total population is thought to be 1,000 and 2,499 specimens, two-thirds of which are adults, according to BirdLife International. Key factors in their decline are the clearing of trees for logging, farm animals, and farming expansion in general. People also sometimes hunt Philippine hawk-eagles. Efforts to conserve this species include captive reproductive programs and protected locations such as Bataan National Park.

Vocalization

The signature call of the Philippine hawk lawin is a clear, loud whistle of two notes. These birds call out over and over again, sometimes in intervals of three seconds.~

*Inaugural speech of the author upon assuming the position as first president of LAWIN (Lagro witers (and artists) Association Inc, June 20 2016 Barangay Greater Lagro QC

Integrated Art Workshop for Children (SVWorld Series)

PUL-OY (Breeze)

San Vicente Ilocos Sur RP to the World Series

Integrated Art Workshop for Children

Conducted by Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature Center

Poblacion, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

First Batch graduates with guest Vice-Mayor Ma Nancy Dy Tabanda (middle row, 4th from right)

Workshop Overview

1. Workshop sessions: every Sunday (3 to 5 pm) from Jan 22 to Mar 5, 2017.

2. Participants: schoolchildren, boys and girls, 8 to 13 yrs old, from SVIS, other schools.

3. Graduates: 16 completed 5 sessions (10 hours, including makeup sessions).

4. Other participants: to complete required sessions and output, for second batch.

5. Teaching Method: lecture, hands-on and on-the-spot, Dr Abe V Rotor as instructor.

6. Syllabus: based on Multiple Intelligence (8 realms), Rizal et al, as models.

7. Integrated art: principally drawing and painting, introductory music and literary art.

8. Critiquing: selected works on exhibit, others returned to owners, or on file.

9. Management: art tools and materials, and snacks provided by organizer for free.

10. Decorum: classroom and laboratory discipline, values oriented.

11. Foundation: back to basic, talent search, skills development, application.

12. Respite or break from boredom, anxiety, cartoons, rock music, TV, computer

games.

Workshop participants work before a wall mural painted by the author;

on-the-spot painting session under the trees

13. Creativity: based on the saying, “imagination is more important than knowledge.”

14. Freedom: self expression, self confidence, freedom and independence.

15. Learning alternative, and bridge with school, church, community – and home.

You may take pride in having a state-of-the-art smart-phone, but not more than a painting you yourself made. A gadget can’t be part of you, but a piece of art you made – painting, melody, story, verse - is your own. It is part of you. It is a prize you give yourself and no one else can take it away. It is a lifetime achievement; in fact it is your legacy. Kids learn early in life the struggle for excellence, not only in the classroom, social media, or on the street, but in themselves. The greatest struggle is with oneself – it is the biggest triumph, but it can be the biggest failure, too. Yet there is always the opportunity to conquer that opponent. This is the road to excellence. Each day you become a better person, ad infinitum. ~

San Vicente Ferrer Church: Spanish Greco-Roman Architecture in my Hometown (SVWorld Series)

PUL-OY (Breeze)

San Vicente Ilocos Sur RP to th World Series

San Vicente Ferrer Church

Spanish Greco-Roman Architecture in my Hometown

Dr Abe V Rotor

Detail of Greco-Roman column and frieze of San Vicente Ferrer parish church. European Renaissance art introduced by the Spanish colonizers.

I am humbled by my origin, the disparity of temple and hut,
the finest limestone-marble and rough fired-clay.
of my forebears: one from across the seas, the other in the field,
the color of my skin, and the language of my heart;

How the two converged in my birthplace, oh! what a wonder;
designed by periodicity, sanctioned by providence;
built by labor of obedience to God and the colonial masters,
muted by faith and fear, and behold! a masterpiece.

I saw the Ziggurats, the Pyramids, and the Great Wall.
and asked how deep is my loyalty and devotion;
if not implanted in the genes - why the Stonehenge -
was it not a part of the order of creation?

The column and frieze, symbol of glory, of war and peace,
of triumph and conquest, imprimatur of power,
tapestry of humanity woven by will, faith and destiny;
and I, I am but a thread, of li’l color and strength. ~

San Vicente Ferrer Parish church, Ilocos Sur, The author's residence

is just across the western perimeter wall of this 17th century church. ~

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Springtime - Season of Metamorphosis

Springtime - Season of Metamorphosis

“Springtime is here.
I sing with the warbler,
laugh with the stream,
whistle in the breeze.
Time matters not when,
and for how long I shall
from here meet my Creator
who makes them all.”- avr

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Hibiscus flower awaiting sunrise to open. Photo by Carla Lea Salamanque

Inflorescence of a weed, Living with Nature Center

"The spirit of the new springtime is renewal," said Mother Teresa after receiving the Nobel Prize for Peace. "It is a time of conversion, to be a new person." It is metamorphosis.

It is when "All the World's a Stage" begins, when every creature, big or small, wakes up to a "Whispering Within". When the sound is pure and clear and the happiest of all sounds - and not a "Big Bang" - it must be springtime. And the sound comes from deep within, a calling closest to the heart, ringing the bells of hope and joy to be alive.

And the sleeping buds wake up with the dewdrops heralding the end of drought or winter, breaking into emerald, the first color of spring. Soon a myriad colors comes at its heels in the promise of bounty. The hollow of tree is filled with hungry groan. The stream whispers, the brook laughs. Up on a branch a robin sings, his notes crispy in the chilly air. A butterfly metamorphoses, her wings catching the color of rainbow. And the rainbow makes a huge cathedral in the sky that dwarfs us and we are filled with wonder and awe.

If one finds meaning in the risen bud, in the cathedral of rainbow, then he is blessed. For he is a man in the new springtime, a person renewed.

It is in the image of springtime, which according to Pope John XXIII, connotes newness and freshness. It is when music is soothing to hear and colors are a kaleidoscope. It is when growth and hope are nurtured.

But it is not always that in the life of a person springtime means renewal. The regularity of time and seasons has made the experience an ordinary one, routinely like a cycle, prosaic as rules one has grown accustomed to throughout the years. Matters of importance are no longer in the stars or about a sheep eating flowers with thorns.

Here is a news story that we glimpse into a new syndrome in today's society. It is about a unique incident in Paris a few years ago when farmers built overnight a piece of the countryside right in front of the Arch d' Triumph. In the morning people of all walks of life put off their urban chores and dreamily enjoyed the rustic scene they apparently had been missing.

"Gubat sa Siyudad", "Disneyland", "Fantasy Island" are more of a symptom than fancy. More and more people who are tired of city life and the fast lane are yearning to go back and live in less congested areas where they are close to nature, and corollary to God. And before we ask ourselves, "Quo vadis?" we must realize that everything in this world, without exemption, is interconnected.

It is this interconnection that is the key to unity and understanding, respect and reverence, compassion and humility. Such interconnection links the parts of the living and the non-living world, the abstract and the concrete, the past and the present, the macroscopic and the microscopic world, diverse cultures and races - and most fundamentally, the relationship of man and God.

But as a country becomes progressive, economically and technologically that is, more and more of its citizens become disconnected from the countryside as they flock to cities in some kind of frenzy, a kind of Gold Rush reminiscent of the old West. And what is paradoxical is that cities are growing at the expense of the countryside, eating out precious productive areas, draining precious manpower and resources, supplanting tradition and values with "modern culture".

It is like the human body enticed with material things with adornment leading to self adoration that the spirit is left unattended like a countryside laid in waste. Here a dichotomy emerges, one leading to what we call "modern civilization" while the other lingers in limbo of neglect and false rationalization. It cannot be that there are two seasons that occur at the same time. It cannot be that the body enjoys the cares and abandon of youth, the "glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome" while the spirit lies in winter or in the desert.

This "disconnection syndrome" buries deeper that attachment between us and God, us and nature, which is intrinsic in our genes. The memory of that attachment surfaces now and then in our language, painting, music, legends - even in our thoughts over a sunset or a flowering weed. That is why we yearn to go back, but quite often find ourselves busy, and afraid to set aside things of "consequence" that now threaten to disturb our present lives. We are afraid to take the path of the Prodigal Son.

Sharing makes the world go round and around. How beautiful Reader's Digest puts it. To wit:

"Every human being on this earth faces a constant problem: how to make the most of life. There is no single solution, the art of living is the most difficult of all the arts. But fortunately for all of us, experience can be shared. Insights can be learned. Wisdom can be taught. Experiences, insights and wisdom of men and women - from teachers to clergymen, housewives to scientists, ordinary citizens to statesmen - who have lived deeply, thought profoundly and cared enormously about sharing with others what they learned have found some fragments of truth that cushion the harsh impact of reality or brightens the marvelous tapestry of living. From them we find some answers to the most fundamental of all questions: how to live with life."

This excerpt demonstrates human relationship on the highest plane. Simplicity as a common denominator for all those willing to live by it as a virtue breaks the wall separating today the haves and the have-nots, the whites and the colored, and the barriers of distance, belief, ideology and fame. But it is only when one takes the road less trodden that he can truly touch the lives of those who are poor and are living in poverty, not as a choice or virtue, but because they are inevitable, unwilling victims of it.

This is the road the Good Samaritan took. Here sharing takes a higher category, that of compassion. Compassion comes from a deep source, it springs from the hadal depth, not so much of reason but of love which reason cannot fully explain. From here flows the stream of openness and availability, that compassion becomes universal - in both time and space - respecting all mankind, and going back to ecological paradigm, respecting too, all living creature, big and small, and all the things that make this world a place of Paradise. It is only through deep prayer and faith that we can regain that place we lost. John Milton saw it only when he became blind and illumined its beauty with the power of the pen, while Helen Keller shared it to us on the Braille.

Are these enough to live by? No. Still there is a higher realm of human virtue, and this is the element of taking risk and sacrifice. "If you truly love and care," says Mother Teresa, "you are not afraid."

But it is more important to work with others. This is the element of collaboration. It is in collaboration that we do not only come up with collective strength but build interdependence with which we re-enforce the efforts of others in the magic of synergy. It cannot be explained why collective effort surpasses the sum of individual efforts, why spiritual love can not be equated with human love, why happiness when shared multiplies, why in quiet prayers comes a great resolve.

These are difficult to understand in theory and in good times, when we are only witnesses, nay bystanders. If we are teachers and not disciples, critics and not doers, victors and not the vanquished.

It is easier to teach than to learn, to lecture than to share, to welcome than to accept, to accept than to forgive. It may be easier to treat a friend than a brother, receive awards than show recognition, walk up to the podium than stoop to lend a hand. How do we know endurance from sacrifice? Responsibility from accountability? To help from to care?

Wake up. It is springtime. ~

Monday, September 25, 2023

Paradise is Regained with Our Children

Paradise is Regained with Our Children

(Original Title: Oh! If only man's wisdom can bring back Paradise lost a long time ago. Dedicated to children all over the world.)

Wall Mural Dr Abe V Rotor

A wall is empty no more, it dissolves into forest and stream
running down soft under the feet, spilling onto the street;
where once a city of steel and concrete, of dust and smog
reigned, where the forces of human frailty and nature meet,
rekindling wonders and adventures of childhood little known
to the city-bred whom the Good Life in disguise would cheat!

The wall is alive in three dimensions in make-believe perspective,
progeny of primary colors - red, blue and yellow, bold and mellow,
azure sky, deep blue-green sea, prism of every dewdrop bead,
sparkle of every star at night, crystalline water Narcissus saw;
if only walls can speak to mirror human longing of a happy world,
if only man's wisdom can bring back Paradise lost a long time ago! ~

NOTE: Kim Laurence and Sophia on Christmas Day 2017 at the author's residence

in Barangay Greater Lagro QC, MM.

Letters to Our Children on Recollection Day

Letters to Our Children on Recollection Day

From Papa and Mama

A Re-Post on Popular Request

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

1. To Matthew Marlo, 16 July 15, 1997

When you open and read this letter you shall be in uniform, seated comfortably with your classmates, your teacher giving instructions that you devote some precious minutes of concentration. It shall be a moment out of 365 days, two-thirds you spend in school, and a spark out of 17 to 25 years of schooling. May this letter therefore, contribute to the significance of this occasion.

Marlo plays the flute with sister Anna on the keyboard, and author (father) with the violin.

You live in two different worlds. One world is found in the school, the other outside its walls. The first is the ideal, the other is the real one. One is kind and patient, the other cruel and demanding. One emphasizes principles and theory, the other practice. One teaches you never to indulge in vices, the other even advertises vices. In one you play the music by notes, in the other you play by ear. In one you keep your trash in the waste can, in the other, on the street.

You find a homogenous, fine company in school; outside is a heterogeneous society. In one you can hear the echo of your voice mixing with other voices in vibrant, happy sound; in the other, it dies in thin air, or in a crowd. Or it mixes with cries and moans. You have the privilege of education; outside millions of children are deprived of this opportunity.

For the coming years until you become 21 or so, you will be witnessing the daily drama in these two worlds, and you will realize their great disparity. Do not allow yourself unprepared, more so to be caught between two rocks, so to speak. We have seen failure in those who waited for the wall to dissolve, failure in those who crossed it too soon, and failure in those who simply became prisoners behind it.

You are in your right direction and your pace is just right. Just trust in us to guide you. Be as obedient as you are. Be as industrious and sincere. Be kind always to your sister and brother. Study your lessons harder. Keep faith in the Almighty and mankind. Be healthy and strong. Keep your chin up even in defeat.

What we are saying is that you must prepare yourself early in life to adopt yourself to the outside world. Do not be just a witness or spectator, be that actor on the stage of true life. Our responsibility to you, as well as to your sister and brother, is one more than that of your teachers. As father and mother, we will strive to help you cross the bridge of life more than the care of anyone or any institution. We will strive to fill the gap in whatever way we can to make it less difficult for you to succeed.

May you find this special moment a time of reflection. Remember to read this letter again when you are not in school, where the world is real, and reflect once again. Keep the message in your heart and mind as you walk through life’s rosy and thorny path.

To Anna Christina, 15
January 24, 1998 We are writing you a day after your recollection. What a strange arrangement. Shouldn’t parents write or send gifts to their children on the day of celebration? We can imagine how you sat down there alone in your seat while your classmates were reading their parents’ letters, or opening the gifts they received.

Anna at a botanical garden on Mt Banahaw

This incident can be easily dismissed because people who are bound by love and respect easily find forgiveness. Lest we forget however, that the very things that bind people could be the same things that can break them apart. We have known many a pampered child fail in life. We have read true stories of friendship gone sour. What an irony that the very things that set progress could be the very cause of destruction. So with the cause of breaking friendship. So with love. Brotherhood. Peace. Taking things for granted on the other hand, can generate similar catastrophic results. Why many an accident happened from taking things for granted. A conflagration can be traced to a single matchstick.

What we are telling you is a lesson, which we want you to reflect upon, on this post recollection day. There are many young people who get spoiled because they fall victims to this triad of errors, which are as follows:

1. Too much care can lead to over protection,
2. Overprotection stifles the mind, and
3. A mind that is not challenged takes things for granted.

You may be brilliant, but you may not be using this gift well. You may be loved, but you may not be aware that you are not reciprocating properly. You may find the world exciting, but not challenging. You may have many friends but friendship may lead you away from your path of success. You may have many things at fingertip command but you may be passive.

You will realize as you grow up that failure of life is hidden behind too much of the good life. Rich countries, it is true, provide the good life, but look at the present problems with the new generation. And if we think that nobody is poor in a rich country why is it that there are millions of impoverished people in the US whose conditions may even be worst than in our country? How can a genius professor turn into a world terrorist? .

On the other hand, how can Helen Keller see the world clearer than most of us who are not blind? How did honest Abe Lincoln pass the bar when he did not formally attend law school, and became president of America? Why did Augustine renounce his rich inheritance just to live a monk’s life? Life indeed is full of contradictions, and this is what makes it go round.

In your post recollection, get a whole sheet of paper. Draw a vertical line at the center and list down on the left side people you know who made it in life the hard way. On the right, list down people you know who did not make it because they became willing victims of the triad syndrome.

Where do you place yourself? Think deep and write your resolution.

To Leo Carlo, 14
July 28, 2000

Every day is a day of celebration with you, and with your brother and sister around. Our home is complete. But there is one thing that makes our lives unique. It is having you around doing a lot of things by yourself, from caring pets to inventing gadgets, which only you can understand. Then there are your paintings, mural in size for your early age.

Leo with Papa and Mama; Leo's art

When we asked ourselves what you would become, we just said, “He will become what he wants to become." It is because you are talented, creative, and in many ways, responsible. The best gift a child can give to his parents is confidence.

But there is a lot to learn in this world. Ours is a very complex one, and it is going to be more difficult to live with. That is why we want that confidence to be anchored deeply and properly to withstand the harsh realities of life, which do not spare anyone - except perhaps the strong and prepared.

Let us reaffirm our commitment to you, as we have done the same to your brother and sister. And as the youngest, we will double our efforts if needed, this we can proudly say to you on this special occasion: We stand by you at all times, until we can do no more - or when you say you can already face life. ~