Year of the Poor...daw

I had no idea that 2015 is supposed to be the Year of the Poor until I saw this banner in front of a church.

But how do we observe "Year of the Poor"?  Do we simply think of them, give them alms and hope that they will not be poor?

For me poverty is the opposite state of being wealthy. People are poor because they do not generate the wealth needed even just for their survival or if ever they do, the wealth that they create is taken away from them.

If we want to lift people out of poverty, we must help make them more productive and ensure that they fully benefit from the fruits of their labor.

It is not enough to just remember them.

Fighting Procrastination

Just got this from the internet but may be worth trying.

1. Just get started
2. Break task down to easy doable steps
3. Count the micro cost of delaying things
4. Reward yourself

Closed

I was strolling in a mall when I noticed that some of the eating places I had tried out before had closed.

I wonder what could be the reason.

Is it bad marketing? or bad economy?

"Noli" - low water bathing/cleansing

It started as a joke. This idea of a soap that can be used without water.

But the more I think about it  and with the prospect of a severe water shortage due to El Nino looming before us, the more I think that maybe it can be achieved and should seriously be considered.

I have an idea of what to do but since I do not know if it will work, I will just divulge it in another post.

What I am thinking of will not be entirely water free but it will use as little water as possible.

Pasaway

Ano kaya ang dapat gawin sa mga taong walang pag-unawa?

May naisip lang ako. Gamitin ang street theatre para turuang sumunod sa mga panuntunan ang mga tao.

Ang street theatre ay karaniwang ginagamit ng mga aktibista sa kanilang protesta laban sa gobyerno. Ewan kung may epekto ito.

Pero siguro maari din gamitin ang street theatre para turuan ang mga tao ng tamang asal at pagkilos sa lipunan.

Isang senaryo na nakikita ko ay ang pagpapataw kunwari  ng malupit na parusa sa mga taong nahuling nagkakalat, nagtatapon ng basura sa kahit saan na lamang.

Siguro pag nakita ito ng mga tao ay didikit sa kanilang isipan ang leksyon nito.

DA BAR Exhibit Finds

 

1. Honey from stingless bees (Tetragonula biroi). The bees are much smaller and very different looking from the bees we more commonly know. The honey also tastes a little sour.

 



 

2. Chickpea cookies and bars from the Benguet State University. Delicious and healthy.

3. Processed Katmon products. No idea how they taste like. Products on display were strictly for display.

Traffic to the max!

One factor that diminishes the quality of life in our country is the poor state of our transport network and system.

It is simply unacceptable that we have to bear with monstrous traffic as though it is an  inescapable  fact of life.

Perpetually bad traffic is a reflection of bad governance and we must hold our leaders accountable for that.

Hoya pimenteliana

One plant resource of which the Philippines happen to have a great variety of is the Hoya. Sadly though most of us are not aware of this fact and thus do not know what to make of this advantage.

Hoyas have beautiful flowers albeit small and some even have a pleasant fragrance. If only we put our minds to it, it is possible to build an industry around this plant.

Gardeners can develop potting mediums and even flower inducers while enthusiasts and scientists can maybe try to improve the plant by coming up with varieties with bigger and more fragrant flowers. Then there are also our craftsmen who can design plant containers and trainers to better display the Hoya.

It is my hope that the Hoya can become a signature plant in every Filipino home and garden.

Train on wheels or is it a bus pretending to be a train?

During the Science and Technology Week held at the Mall of Asia and which was organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), I had a chance to try out the Hybrid Road Train being developed by the DOST.

I am all for a mass transport system but I wonder if with this train the DOST is on the right track. Will it be as affordable, fast, efficient and comfortable as a real train?

It is still in the prototype stage and there are many issues that are evidently crying to be resolved such as the noise of the engine, air conditioning, not to mention where to ultimately run it for real.

I asked a staff what is the key development that they have introduced in their creation and he told me that it is the engine that can run on diesel and electricity.

I am all for a modern, rapid mass transport system and I welcome all efforts to achieve this objective. Still when I tried this transport, I can not help think that this train is really a bus.

The green elephant

I wonder how many people appreciate this green elephant standing mutely in a concrete urban jungle.

Most people take its presence for granted but will they miss it when it disappears or is taken away?

This elephant topiary caught my eye because so far this is the closest to the idea of a 3-D Letras y Figuras object which I hope can be adapted by our local governments to artfully and creatively spell out the names of our towns, cities and provinces.

If we can do this, we can have a distinctive landscape feature in our country unique only to us.