WE HAVE TWO STRIKES !!

History has always indicated that man adapts to nature. Some rules are not meant to be broken. This is one of them.       
If there was any doubt about the current phenomenon of climate change, the previous week should have erased them from your thoughts. Make no mistake about this: we have just witnessed what has been termed by the government as the “new norm”. And it’s scary. Really scary. 

Why shouldn’t you feel this way? As if the fact that the amount of rainfall brought by a mere southwest monsoon (with an assist from a typhoon outside the Philippines) exceeded the precipitation output of typhoon Ondoy in a shorter amount of time is not enough, the same effect is replicated for almost a week. The gap of three years between two destructive calamities of the same nature in the same area is rarely recorded (if not previously unheard of) in the history books.

To make things worse, the history of Metro Manila has the words poor urban planning written all over it. The geographic location of Metro Manila as a whole has made it a key location for economic activities in the Asia-Pacific region, effectively drawing people to opportunities within the new center of the archipelago. To accommodate the increase in population, subdivisions and slums alike are built along the mouths and banks of the rivers. The population boom brought about an economic boom, which allowed people to consume everything like there’s no tomorrow. Unfortunately, this also led to accumulation of a lot of waste, necessitating the construction of a metropolis-wide sewage system. However, the low elevation of Metro Manila made this practically improbable, leading to poor waste management where the poor people threw their garbage into the rivers and canals and the more well-to-do subscribed to non-biodegradable plastics without giving a thought about recycling. Oh, and do not forget all the deforestation and the pollution that ensued as the by-products of all the chaos in the metropolis for the past 100 years or so.

If this is the situation in the supposedly most developed part of the island (and the whole country as a whole), the scenario in the nearby provinces just gets worse. While these areas are certainly greener than Metro Manila, it is safe to say that significant portions of the provinces are urbanizing as well, which does not bode well for the flora and fauna in the area. The lack of a proper waste management system, along with a general lack of flood control system, just makes the situation more gruesome in these areas.     

Add all of these elements up, and what is the end result of this massive recipe for disaster in 2012? Hundreds of thousands of families misplaced and deprived of basic necessities outside relief goods and evacuation centers. Entire villages submerged in meters-high dirty floodwater. Billions of pesos worth of damage dealt to agricultural, commercial, and residential properties. A million more traumatic memories added to the getting-longer-by-the-minute list of disaster-related stories of survival.

Could this be a glimpse of what the Mayans have predicted about the end of the current world as we know it? Probably, but what they could not have seen is how we will respond to the “new norm”. And there is a way to adapt to the changing climate.

The first things that come to most minds in terms of solving the flood control issue, and the rest of the man-induced environment problems, are “building a proper waste management system”, “constructing an appropriate flood control system”, “building more dams to control the flow of floodwater”, “clean up the clogged rivers and canals”, and “relocate the residents living in the slums to areas more suitable to both their needs and the environment”.

But these are activities that need a lot of money, time, and manpower to do. What can a common Filipino do to adapt to the changing climate?

Everything starts with having the knowledge of everything you need to know regarding how to deal with the “new norm”, which is why it will be for the best if the subject of Environmental Science is introduced to the basic curriculum of both grade school and high school students. 

I am not a fan of the newly-introduced K+12 system of education because it exerts more pressure on the poorer families to keep up with the rising costs of education, despite a lack of improvement of standard of living across all sectors of the Philippine society. And I understand that introducing yet another subject in the list of fields that young minds have to absorb (most of whom simply want to get a job after they finish studying) in a way contradicts with my stance of extending the number of years a Filipino child has to study. I also know that questions such as “Where do we get the teachers?” and “Where do we get the resources?” are valid points of contention in terms of questioning the feasibility of such undertaking.

However, allow me to respond to such questions. First, unlike the perennially disputed Mathematics courses like geometry and calculus, there is no question that an Environmental Science subject is absolutely necessary at the current context of our society despite having not much been thought upon by many in terms of practical areas of knowledge. This is why I question the proposal to not introduce Science to Grade 1 and 2 pupils; if the youth are not at least made aware of how the natural wonders of the world work at such an early age, then how will they be able to effectively comprehend the things going on around them when their cognitive functions begin to fully develop, by the time they have to critically think?

Second, with regards to the resources, I am aware that not many teachers and other related professionals are familiar or possessing full comprehension of the terms and concepts necessary to understand environmental science because of the overall poor state of the Philippine education system. However, I would like to suggest a more localized approach in terms of teaching environmental science concepts to students. Depending on the location and climate of the areas the students are living in, the concepts more applicable to their local environments should be emphasized more so that they will be more able to adapt to the times when disasters happen. As examples, for the youth living near the rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, topics such as the water cycle, water pollution, and waste management should have more focus, while concepts such as landslides and deforestation must be emphasized to those living in the mountains.

I would also like to suggest a more hands-on approach should environmental science be accepted into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools. Making activities more interactive and creative can surely attract the attention of students of all interests and personalities, enough for them to be engaged in learning and understanding environmental science. For instance, it will be good to see that the cleanliness-and-orderliness staple of schools across the Philippines receive even more emphasis from the school principals and teachers by encouraging the kids to segregate and recycle. The pupils can even explore their inner da Vinci by making artworks out of recyclables. Planting seeds and taking care of the sprouting plants can also be a fun yet effective way of reminding grade school and high school students alike of both the privilege of seeing nature work right before their eyes and the responsibilities they have in terms of protecting the environment. It would also be good to see students in the metropolis go on field trips to nearby natural hills and rivers, if their resources permit them to do so. Even trips to the nearest zoo will help them grow fonder of other creatures that will be affected by the threat of climate change. For those in the provinces, as they are generally nearer places such as marshes, grasslands, lakes, and mountains, going out on the fields to appreciate the beauty of nature will not be as hard as for those in the cities.

I know that this does not apply to all areas of the country, but the power of social media and the Internet can also aid in educating the young minds in the field of environmental science. The Information Age has gifted humanity the ability to search for and use information anytime, anywhere … as long as you have an Internet connection or access to Wi-Fi. By being able to communicate with other professors, researchers, and other related professionals, as well as read the latest news and study the latest findings by scientists around the world, the pool of knowledge of the teachers will deepen, and as long as they are able to communicate well with the students, the understanding of the youth regarding how to take care of their environment will be enhanced as well.

And while schools are the primary institutions for academic education, it is still important that they receive the practical education at home as well. If the parents and other older relatives can share their first-hand accounts of their encounters with the currently-rapidly-changing climate, if the siblings and cousins can bond with the younger ones in doing chores such as sweeping the floor, wiping dust off furniture, and cleaning the dishes, if the family can find ways of spending quality time together without unnecessarily using energy by going out more and seeing the blessings of nature …

That is a lot of ‘IF’s and ‘AS LONG AS’s for this scheme to prove effective. And there are still quite a number of issues regarding the implementation of this plan that I have yet to discuss. Perhaps the biggest of these problems will be the language to be used as a medium of communication. Most of the environmental science concepts are currently expressed in English in the Philippines, with terms too complex and deep at the moment to effectively place the plan into action for the foreseeable future. There are already enough issues with the usage of English as a primary medium of instruction outside the cities, where the cultural identities of communities remain strong; effective communication can be a headache for everybody involved.

Another issue can be the willingness of certain government officials to implement the curriculum effectively. What do they have to lose, you’d ask? Well, should environmental science be instituted in the curriculum of grade schools and high schools, the money that comes along with its implementation is simply a treasure waiting to be poached by these no-good authorities. They seem to have the philosophy of “money as the only green that matters in my life”, which spells trouble for all of us.

Yet we have to take the risk. The threat of climate change has never been more evident than the past three years in Luzon, where two powerful downpours of rain stopped all kinds of normal activity amongst the populace. The “new norm” has begun. If we do not try to increase the awareness of the succeeding generations about what happens when we try to ignore nature with our reckless behavior as soon as possible, then what happens to our children and grandchildren years from now?

No matter what other people say, the Philippines is a democratic nation. If the government ever expects to see the nation rise up from every storm that strikes it and stay up as much as possible, they will need the support of all Filipinos. And the Filipinos will only be able to understand exactly what is going on around them if they have at least a full basic knowledge of just about why the things happening around them actually happen. In the same way, if the Filipinos expect to improve their chances of living the best quality of life possible, they may have to listen to the government and follow the authorities during times of evacuation and relief operations. They will need the government for help and support, whether there are calamities or not.

And in the middle of all of this, a simple ounce of awareness can prevent all of these from happening again.

We have two strikes. Should we wait for the third to strike us like a poison that kills a nation?

High Class, Low Rewards?

Welcome to the future of Philippine education.

Since the turn of the new millennium, the way the Filipino students have been studying has been revolutionized by technological advancements. Computers have taken over typewriters as the main alternative to handwritten reports and papers. Computers have taken over textbooks, manuals, newspapers, and journals as the main source of academic information. Computers have taken over, well, pretty much every aspect of student life in the Philippines. At least in the urbanized areas …

And now, iPads, iPods, iTouch, and pretty much anything that starts with a small I are joining in helping the students access online files, store documents, and relieve stress after long hours of classes and org meetings.

These are only accessories in dealing with school life, though.

Recently, the De La Salle University unveiled the world’s first fully electronic classroom. In partnership with Samsung Electronics and developed by NBN-ZTE scandal whistleblower Jun Lozada, the program features the use of the latest tablet PC technology from the aforementioned company, which includes electronic textbooks and other similar materials used to teach selected Grade 1 to 12 students for the whole school year. The inclusion of other features, such as electronic notebooks and examination sheets, ensure a personalized approach for the students. The teachers will also avail of the system, using a projector to facilitate discussions to the students.

As expected, the project was received with overwhelming praise. I mean, why wouldn’t it? Any new piece of technology is perceived as a good thing.

How convenient it is that a bagful of books, notebooks, pens, and calculators are now packed into one lightweight, virtual personal learning system. On the academic side, it definitely makes a student’s life much simpler by placing all the tools in one kit, making the task of manually organizing papers, files, and thoughts a thing of the past. Sending and printing reports are also eliminated, giving both teachers and students an easier time. On the non-academic side, this should definitely provide relief for the students’ arms and backs, unloading some of the killer stress and providing a boost of confidence for the students to face the challenges of academic life. Less time for manual labor also means more time for improving their skills, working on their hobbies, and socializing with friends, affording the students an opportunity to become more complete people.

Perhaps the other significant effect of this development is the premise of environmental conservation. Supporters of the electronic classroom claim that this reduces the usage of trees, from which quadrillions of sheets of papers are made of. Such effect should lead to the faster restoration of the forests in the Philippines, which has severely dwindled over the past century; this should lead to other events such as more absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the slight restoration of forest wildlife, and more trees available for other industrial and commercial consumption.

All of these benefits look promising, don’t they?

Do not jump on the bandwagon just yet.

Think about it. As history will tell us, the tendency for human beings is that when they get exposed to new technologies, they tend to rely on it too much. Even today, in the urbanized areas, you can always spot a 17-year-old boy playing games on his PSP, an 18-year-old girl hanging around with her iPod, two 19-year-olds competing together in a shooting game through their laptops, and a 20-year-old browsing through 9Gag and Facebook through her Android phone. So if the performance of the youth today is considered lower than what is expected of such a liberated world, imagine what happens when tablet PCs dominate the world of education, as soon as the next century. Students more or less become lazier, more complacent, and more laidback, probably content with the newfound comforts at school. We should remember that school does not only try to pack heaps of information onto the brains of the youth and prepare students for future careers; since the Greeks, its true main aim is to develop and enhance the abilities and the personalities of the young to discover their true dreams and passions. Again, as we look around us, society has not influenced most of the youth (and the rest of the populace) in such a way that the sweeping changes around them seek to enrich their characters, not replace their existing ones.

Speaking of replacing existing norms, it may be true that only La Salle has such environment available as of the moment, although sooner than later, electronic classrooms will begin to take over at least the top schools in the country. And since the top offices in the government are dominated by alumni of such universities and colleges, they will push for such massive expansion of the program, even though the Philippines is clearly WAY behind the rest of the world in its current state of, well, everything from economy to infrastructure. The government tends to show the world more short-term flashes of glory than long-term struggles to development. In short, just like every upgrade the authorities involve themselves into, millions of wasted pesos, thousands of voices screaming for change and justice, hundreds of complaints of graft and corruption, and two whistleblowers will emerge and shake the nation to a level it has never been shaken before.

And the environmental impact? True, fewer trees will be chopped down, but what about the electricity needed to power such classrooms? As of now, and probably for the foreseeable future, renewable sources of energy like solar panels and windmills are still not the dominant (or at least, as significant relative to the dominant) sources, and with the rapid population growth probably not slowing down in the near future (unless some tragic event takes place), the phenomena of excessive global warming and all the unusual natural events taking place around the world and their subsequent consequences, will still take place. And at least papers are biodegradable.

I am not saying that the idea of a fully automated classroom is a terrible idea and should never happen. As observed through history, man will always find new ways to improve the quality of living and aid in survival. As much as the problems possibly arising from the implementation of such program look overwhelming and exaggerated, we cannot deny the convenience and simplicity that tablet PCs can provide for the ever-growing student population of the future.

It is not the right time, though. The country is not ready. And so are the students.

Substance beats style everytime.

V-Day or D-Day , How are you braving Feb. 14th?

Here it is, the day that divides the masses. It is the day of personal competition between realizations and feelings, surprises and letdowns, true emotion and complete destruction caused by chocolate heart advertisments. It is Valentine’s day. Not Valentime’s Day like we believed in kindergarten. No, it is the big kid holiday, now. HA! Psych.

Since Cupid is coming to visit us on Feb. 14, I thought I would give a tiny rant on the topic and a referral to the three groups of people of which this applies (men, women, and the loners), so fear not in thinking it will only be a one-sided love note to the masses.

Before I begin, I would like to put forth my opinion. Valentine’s Day is not a bad thing: It boosts our economy, it gives businesses a day to advertise, and it allows for people to share an appreciation for one another. It is also materialistic and misused. It is a Singles Awareness day and the only day we have to remember to show our love. As Filipinos, we embrace the moments that we can take “special” to a new level or when we can muster up our hopes in order to have them torn down. So, let us continue this tradition with all of its glory and misery and embellish it to the maximum because… why not. :))

To the Men:

Remember the date of Tuesday, Feb. 14 . You don't need to go buy a rose or some chocolates and have them around you at all times- just in case. If you have someone special, give her a wonderful day just by atleast saying how important she is in your life . But if you are brave enough and have guts, surprise her, send flowers, write a card, and take her to dinner but MAKE RESERVATIONS BEFORE HAND! If you are single, surprise someone, anyone. Just don’t forget to make someone’s day.

To the Ladies with a Valentine:

Congratulations. Have a beautiful day and indulge in the wonder of the person with whom you are spending your time. Whether this person is a boyfriend, hook-up buddy, best friend, or a sorority sister, take the time and this day to tell them you appreciate them and everything they do for you. Maybe you could even write them a note with the following:

Dear Best Friend, you are the bomb. Thank you for always holding my hair back. Love, Your Valentine.

Or

Dear Hook-Up Buddy, Thank you for always working out. Your body is truly appreciated. Love, Your Valentine.

Or

Dear Boyfriend, Thank you for being awesome. I love you. Love, Your Valentine.

Either way, do not make Feb. 14 any kind of materialistic holiday. Just show someone you care and hug someone who may need it. Make every day be Valentine’s Day. Sure you have heard that but why is there only one day where you should be completely perfect to one another, surprises, gifts, love, and all? There shouldn’t.

Surprise when you can (it is hardly that if the act is expected on a specifically televised day). Love every minute, gift through your strengths and weaknesses, and try your best to be that perfectly perfect for the other whom you love. Even if they don’t want the change- challenge yourself for betterment. Expectations kill all things wonderful; note that.

To the Ladies braving it solo:

Here’s a story. I just overheard two girls complaining very loudly about how they do not have Valentine’s dates and how they are just going to drowned their sorrows in alcohol. Sound familiar? I thought so. Now, I don’t know about you but if you have heard this same story played out before then you will agree that it makes for some completely uninviting ladies. To your own satisfaction, remember that this is a made up, commercialized holiday only held onto by the minds of the weak and the money of the investors. Also, alcoholism does not tend to get dates. Honestly, the complaining heard around this holiday makes it hard to decipher that from an actual tragedy. Dwell not on what you do not have but love even more of what you do. This day means nothing (to everyone honestly, unless it is an anniversary or a birthday, which hardly fit the bill) and this day is made up in the mind and manifested throughout the years. Fear not of “forever alone” for you have the will and power to change your way.

Finally, Love something everyday- your family, your friends, your god, your pet, your Chinese take-out, yourself. Love, love, love, love, love makes the world go round (or so someone taught me). Smile today and on Feb. 14 because everyone is fighting a battle - choose yours, and let the rest not be alone.

If you need a pick-me-up on the day- let me know. I have plenty of love to give. I will be doing no differently than that of an everyday occurrence. I will be taking two tests. Living in the library. Smiling at anything that makes me appreciate my day and laughing at the girls/boys who are still complaining. Save the time and effort for something better. Be better. Don’t dwell. That’s my message. Peace and love.