Why I am not too keen on the Freedom of Information Bill

- Arnold Clavio
- Mike Enriquez
- Karen Davila
- Noli de Castro
- Anthony Taberna and partner
- gossip columnists
- lazy and corrupt journalists and reporters
- simplistic view of the FOI bill as the answer to media mediocrity
- News for profit culture

2014 Science Expo

In celebration of the 2014 National Science and Technology Week, the Department of Science and Technology held an expo at the SMX-MOA Convention Center (July 24-28, 2914)

Having high hopes and expectations about our level of science achievements, I found nothing remarkable. At the very least, I was expecting that an expo of this kind would be more informative and educational but what I saw there were just mostly displays of materials and things already seen in other places. There was also a lack of publications that can supplement the displays and substantially inform those who might be interested.

Still this expo is much better than last year's where the expo venue was mostly empty. That was truly a big disappointment.

Clean as you go

Although fast food restaurant chains and convenience stores with eating areas have people to clean up tables after being used by their customers, I believe it would be a good idea if they adapt a Clean As You Go policy to promote the habit of cleanliness and culture of courtesy among Filipinos.

It is dispiriting to see many people, young and old, rich or poor mindlessly throwing their trash just about anywhere as if they treat the whole country as a big garbage dump. They do this thinking that there are people who will clean up their mess.

But this is wrong thinking and maybe in the interest of cleaner and healthier nation, the fast food restaurants and convenience store can help change this.

Culture of excellence vs. profit orientation

This I learned from watching NHK, the Japanese channel.

The culture of excellence of the Japanese pushes them to make the pursuit of excellence as the driving force in whatever they do. They do not take a problem or a difficulty as a reason to stop whatever they have set out to do but instead, they work hard to find a way to solve the problem until they succeed. And their reward is the satisfaction of seeing a beautiful and excellent product made by their own hands. This is true whether what they are making are traditional crafts or modern gadgets and items.

In contrast, in the Philippines, excellence seems to be subordinated to the pursuit of profit and immediate gain. One example I can think of are the preponderance of one day seminars to make this or that for business. Even the handouts given in these seminars are shoddy and frustratingly inadequate in terms of the information it gives out and if you want more, you have to pay more.

As a result, our training centers, both government and private, from the Department of Science and Technology, to state universities, to training centers, instead of being noted as excellent resource centers become dispensers only of mediocrity.

I hope our government realizes this and do something about it.

Change Juana

The character Juana Change as an angry citizen demanding change from government has brought a measure of fame for its creator Mae Paner and allowed her to be noticed by the media and the public.

During the blighted past administration prior to the "matuwid na daan" that we have now, people looked at Juana Change favorably and with bemusement. But when Juana Change insisted on being an angry citizen for the sake of being angry and her creator even casting her lot with the discredited left and dubious groups calling for the impeachment of President Aquino on the basis of fallacious logic and imagined crimes related to the Disbursement Acceleration Program, Ms. Paner showed that Juan Change is not really about change, but simply about Juana.

Time to change Juana.

A delicious, deadly delicacy

Century eggs are a common and popular Chinese delicacy. I myself like to eat them. I find it interesting how the common egg can be made to be like hard gelatin and turn into a dark cola color.

However when I found out how this egg is made in the traditional way, I was deeply bothered and concerned. An ingredient used in its making is lead oxide which is toxic to the body.

Fortunately, there is another way to make century eggs without using this chemical and I just hope that this is what egg processors have now adopted .

Flaming attraction

 

A feature of summer in the Philippines is the explosion of flowers like the fire tree and the golden shower. Although they may not be indigenous to the country, they certainly have proven to thrive well here and offer at least a visual relief from the oppressive summer heat.

The trees are truly beautiful and pleasing, I hope that someday, a community can create a park or a festival dedicated to them.

This will be a long gestating project but I am sure it will be well worth the effort in the time invested to make this a reality.

Religion is the opiate of the magnanakaw

There is nothing wrong for people in trouble to resort to religion for spiritual comfort and strength to face their problem.

But when people hijack religion as a cover to hide their sins and their crimes, religion is debased and loses its value.  Religion then merely becomes an opiate of the magnanakaw.

Torii

The torii which means bird's nest in Japanese has become an iconic symbol of Japan. It signifies an entrance and is mostly found in gardens specially of shrines and other holy places.

In the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, there is a torii to be found which is a friendship gift of the Japanese government and some local organizations.

May this torii symbolize the free flow and positive exchange of influences between the Philippines and Japan.

Tiananmen Plaza

(pic to follow)

When a government massacres its own citizens to suppress its demand for democracy and freedom, as the Chinese Communist Party did in __ 1984 at the Tiananmen Plaza, it shows that it is an occupation government albeit of its own citizens.

It is said that hundreds and even thousands died on this sad day and people who value freedom and democracy have an obligation not to forget. All those who died for freedom and democracy are heroes of the world.

I hope that we can do the right thing and dedicate even a small public place - maybe someplace in Chinatown in honor of their memory.