Friday, May 21, 2010

Reynaldo & Jean Reni

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another week. It’s nice to be back. For the Nth time this year, my column will not have my usual acerbic comments about the world around me. I thought it proper to devote it to two new Calbayog achievers. And thus explains today’s title. So, my congratulations to . . .
. . . REYNALDO M. PRUDENCIADO, Jr. of Barangay Guin-on, Calbayog City. He landed in the 6th place in the 2010 CPA Board Exam. He belongs to the Christ the King College BSA Class 2008-2009.

. . . and to the other young Calbayognon who did his city proud. Jean Reni Briones De Guzman of San Policarpo, Calbayog City is back. His team won major awards in the world’s largest pre-college science competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held in San Jose, California, USA last May 9 to 14. I thought I’d like to share with you part of the report by Kim Patria (for Yahoo! Southeast Asia):

Dealing with local environmental and health problems using materials found locally, four incoming college students from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) bagged multiple awards at an international science fair in California, May 14.

Marc Mapalo, 16; Jean Reni De Guzman, 17; Maria Clara Isabel Sia, 15; and Marc Arthur Jordan Limpiado, 16, who recently graduated from the PSHS Eastern Visayas Campus in Leyte, arrived on Monday bearing prizes from the Intel International Science Fair (ISEF) where more than 1,600 pre-college students from 59 participating countries competed

The team of Mapalo, De Guzman, and Sia bagged fourth place in the team competition with their study on red tide while Limpiado’s research on the antibacterial properties of seaweed extracts also took home fourth place.

“We wanted to provide solutions to the problems in the country using locally available materials,” Mapalo said, explaining how they used natural materials like clay, shrimp peelings, and malunggay seeds to clot algae in water.

Algae are microscopic waterborne plants, an excess of which covers water surfaces, depriving fish and other marine life of oxygen.

“Red tide is a problem in the Philippines,” Sia said, citing the case of Sorsogon Bay in the Bicol region which is frequently declared a red tide area.

Meanwhile, Limpiado, who probed how seaweed extracts can potentially kill bacteria, said his findings suggest that the antibacterial properties of Philippine seaweeds are comparable with that of the generic antibiotic amoxicillin mixed with acid.

Limpiado stressed that he used crude extraction by simply soaking seaweeds in liquid solutions, saying that more advanced processes of extraction like liquid chromatography could produce better results.

“My study could also be further improved to include antiviral applications,” Limpiado added.
All four students are enrolling this June. Sia will take up computer science at the Ateneo de Manila University; Limpiado and Mapalo enrolling in UP Diliman under the chemical engineering and molecular biology and biotechnology programs respectively; and De Guzman taking up biology in UP Los BaƱos.

* * *

Local event. The City Government of Calbayog recently observed Farmers' and Fisherfolks Week. It opened during the flag-raising Ceremony last Monday. The event was undertaken by the LGU through the City Agriculture Office, in coordination with the City Agriculture and Fisheries Council (CAFC), the City Agricultural Resources Management Council (CFARMC) and the Regional Fishermen's Training Center (RFTC).

The staff of the City Agriculture Office led by Mrs. Adela Ocenar was on hand together with the members of the CAFC and the CFARMC. Messages were delivered by CFARMC Chairperson Nick Balili and CAFC Vice Chairperson Mike Pedrozo. They both called on all concerned to do their share to combat climate change which is one great factor that will affect the human food chain.

The activities included the Opening Program, the regular tabo at the Cardinal Rosales Plaza, the motorcade, the cooking demo (courtesy of RFTC-Catbalogan), "Tagisan ng Lakas at Diskarte" at Pantai Pingkit (Manguino-o). The culminating activity last Friday featured a showing of a video on Climate Change and the demo on the composting facility at the SOS Children's Village.

* * *

Sarah Geronimo in Live in Calbayog! Great Times Events and Tours owner and manager Salve Uyloan recently signed a contract with Mr. Vic Del Rosario of VIVA Records. This is for the concert of Sarah Geronimo slated on September 7, 2010 at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

* * *

This is it for now. Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!


Friday, May 14, 2010

concession and endorsement

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another weekend. So the election came and went. Needless to say, each of us has his own story to tell about the experience of voting in the automated elections. I think I was kinda lucky, I stood in line at exactly 12:55 pm, I was out of the voting precinct at 3:30 pm. Some friends of mine were able to cast their votes around midnight. One thing though, reading the words congratulations being flashed by the pcos machine brought some relief it made me forget the hours I spent waiting for my turn to vote. And the fast results? I thought I was watching elections from another country, you know like the U.S. elections. Yes, there were complaints, but I guess we have to consider these as birth pains. After all, it was a first in our history. Now, as to vote-buying, troubles in some precincts, and election protests, well, this is the Philippines, the automated polls notwithstanding.

* * *

Talking about first time. I agree with some TV anchors when they said that this is the first time that we hear concessions or the word concede. And concede some of the candidates did. First there was Manny V., and soon JC, Gibo and Gordon followed suit. Oh yes, how can we miss Loren (dramatics and all) and Jun Yasay too. Forget about Edu, I don’t like him. So, is it safe to say that along with the new method of voting is the new breed of politicians? I mean some of the presidentiables and some local politicos who are into conceding being the name of the game.

But oops, a line which said something like I will not concede was supposedly uttered by Erap. And count in Nicanor Perlas too. Oh well, I’d like to say something, but let me simply say Duh!

* * *

And yes, that thing about endorsements. I am no social scientist but a good number of them (the social scientists) agree that the INC endorsement helped Noynoy. I think I have to put it there. Just curious, why can’t the Catholic Church do something akin to that. Oops, I thought I said I’ll put it there in my earlier line.

Now, let’s pan our sights to the other endorsers. I think the guy in colorful suits played safe by not endorsing any particular presidentiable. But then again his group did come out with a poll showing Erap topping ‘em all. Well, at least for his (the colorful endorser’s) handkerchief waiving flocks.

Anyway, I’m particularly interested about Pastor Quiboloy. I’m wondering how his “god” is doing. And let’s not even start discussing about his god’s tarnished image after giving the good pastor that dream. What happened to that dream? You know that one about Obama and Gibo. Maybe the pastor got to excited he woke up immediately. I think there was supposed to be some more visions in it. Like maybe tita Cory, or Ninoy being part of the cast, err dream. Oh well, there will be other elections and more dreams in a few years’ time.

* * *

Before the elections, billboards were everywhere. These were the ones which contained the 10 Commandment for Responsible Voting from the PPCRV.

  1. Thou shalt vote according to the dictate of your conscience.
  2. Thou shalt respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.
  3. Thou shalt seek to know the moral dignity, capabilities and other personal qualities of the candidate you will vote for.
  4. Thou shalt strive to understand the issues, platform and programs of candidates and parties seeking your vote.
  5. Thou shalt not sell your vote.
  6. Thou shalt not vote for candidates using guns, goons, and gold.
  7. Thou shalt not vote for candidates with records of graft and corruption, and human rights violation.
  8. Thou shalt not vote for candidates just because of utang na loob, personal appearance, popularity or pakikisama.
  9. Thou shalt not vote for candidates living an immoral life.
  10. Thou shalt not put the welfare of the country above all else in choosing the candidate you will vote for.

And my take on the commandments? I’m just curious which of the above-mentioned commandments did many of us (myself included) violate during the last poll? Needless to mention the penetensya for the violation. Smile! It’s a weekend!

* * *

Obituary. (Tita) Celda Ladrero returned to her creator last Wednesday, May 12, 2010. She was 64. Interment will be on Tuesday, May 18, 2010

* * *

Sarah Geronimo in Live in Calbayog! Great Times Events and Tours owner and manager Salve Uyloan recently signed a contract with Mr. Vic Del Rosario of VIVA Records. This is for the concert of Sarah Geronimo slated on September 7, 2010 at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

* * *

This is it for now. Have a nice weekend everyone! Ciao!

Friday, May 7, 2010

pirated

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another long weekend, but no thanks to PGMA’s holiday economics this time. It’s that day which marks the start of the kind of life that we will have in the next six years. And I think the coming Monday is one of those holidays when I don’t intend to oversleep. I’ve got to be at the polling area to vote, what with clustered precints and all. And not mention what surprises the machines for the automated polls will churn out next.

And today’s title? No offense meant to our Chinese friends. It’s that Pinoy thing about referring to things made in China as pirated and therefore lemons. You know like the familiar I-don’t-like-my-cellphone-china-made-coz-it’s-lemon kind of thing. Anyway, what about it? Call it an effort to make something light out of a serious situation, you know like worrying about the forthcoming election going haywire after watching some poll officials and Smartmatic officials on TV (surely they look good on TV though, that’s the only thing good about them) explaining the glitches on the PCOS machines and the compact flash cards. A friend was quick to say “kay pirated man ada an mga machines kay made in China. They should have had the stuff made somewhere else”. Of course the officials thoroughly explained what the whole thing (or problem) was all about, that things will be okey in time for the elections, blah, blah, blah. Seriously, this is no time to blame anyone (yup, not at the moment). I guess we need to help make the first automated elections a reality and let heads roll later on (do we say literally?). Yup, someone has to pay for the mess. As one broadsheet had it, “. . . and it should not be Juan De La Cruz.”

And Angelo Reyes na nanggagalaiti sa COMELEC ‘coz of the PCOS flimflam; and Congressman Locsin making bara? (I love it!) Oh well, if I may borrow Ces Drilon’s line, I wanna both laugh and cry.

Suddenly those calls to vote wisely (or according to one’s conscience) have taken a new twist. It used to be: Don’t sell your votes. And then it became: tanggapin mo ang bigay sa iyo, pero vote according to your conscience. Of course for so many years, the enterprising Pinoy had so many means of ensuring that those whose votes have been bought get to present proof of voting for candidate who did just that, buy the voters’ votes (parang magulo ano?). Well, with the PCOS going flimflam, somebody was quick to say this: “tanggapin mo ang pera at iboto ang nasa kunsyensay mo. Di nga mabasa ng PCOS ang boto mo, ang bumili pa kaya ng boto mo”. Oo nga naman ano?

* * *

Talking about voting and conscience. Let me give leave you with the 10 Commandment for Responsible Voting from the PPCRV:
  1. Thou shalt vote according to the dictate of your conscience.
  2. Thou shalt respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.
  3. Thou shalt seek to know the moral dignity, capabilities and other personal qualities of the candidate you will vote for.
  4. Thou shalt strive to understand the issues, platform and programs of candidates and parties seeking your vote.
  5. Thou shalt not sell your vote.
  6. Thou shalt not vote for candidates using guns, goons, and gold.
  7. Thou shalt not vote for candidates with records of graft and corruption, and human rights violation.
  8. Thou shalt not vote for candidates just because of utang na loob, personal appearance, popularity or pakikisama.
  9. Thou shalt not vote for candidates living an immoral life.
  10. Thou shalt not put the welfare of the country above all else in choosing the candidate you will vote for.

* * *

Great Times Tours and Events Calbayog Branch will turn one year old tomorrow. The travel agency is located at Justice Lane, in Barangay Capoocan (near the Hall of Justice) in Calbayog City.

* * *

Sarah Geronimo in Live in Calbayog! Great Times Events and Tours owner and manager Salve Uyloan recently signed a contract with Mr. Vic Del Rosario of VIVA Records. This is for the concert of Sarah Geronimo slated on September 7, 2010 at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

* * *

This is it for now. Have a nice long weekend everyone! Ciao!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails

My Shelfari Bookshelf

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog
Touch a blogger: Tie a yellow ribbon for Cory Aquino!

Followers