The Conquering Hero

He is not (yet) a national hero, but in the eyes of the people of Malinao he is an inspiration to all the youths of this town.

Malinao, Aklan - Jose Irabon Ijalo, 29 years of age is married with two young children and is a native of Malinao. He is one of the 18 paddlers who represented the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation in the recent competion held in Tampa Florida in the United States of America. He garnered five gold medals and two silver plaques.

His group spent ten days in the USA, four of those days being spent on the water. Despite the fact that the group received no support from the Philippine government, he was quick to explain that the reason why they received no support is because they went into the competition as a private team. But all is well that ends well for this team because the Filipino Americans in Tampa spoiled them with donations of food which they shared with other teams from other countries.

Jose won medals for 1,000 meters paddling; premier mix 200 meters; premier mix 500 meters; premier open 200 meters, and 500 meters open. The two silver plaques he won from a mixed 500 meters paddling and mixed 200 meters paddling.

He was very surpised and thrilled at the welcome afforded to him by his fellow Malinaonons, and he definitely enjoyed the attention his own people showered upon him. ‘Oting’ commented “It feels good to be able to bring something back to Malinao that my own people can be proud of.” He is hoping to join more competitions and bring home more medals. From his humble origin he is now considered by the young people as their very own hero. More on the conquering hero on page 2.

One nice thing about this young man is he has no airs and graces, unassuming, unpretentious, friendly, loyal, protective of his people and country.

According to ‘Oting’ as he is fondly called by his friends, before he became a member of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, he is just like anyone else around him. Nobody gave him a second glance when people met him in the street. So the welcome that the Malinaonon afforded him .was such a surprise, heart warming and inspiring.

While he was a young student in Malinao, he was one of his school’s strong representatives in various parts of the Aklan Province. In 2000, he represented Malinao in Panaad Mansilingan held in Bacolod City, in Palarong Pambansa. In this event, he garnered two bronze medals in Track and Field for 1,500 meters and 500 hundred meters consecutively.

In 2006, he was given the opportunity to try out for beginner paddlers, which training they did in Manila Bay. He passed the rigorous training just after two months and it is now five years and eight months that he had been working with PDBF.

In 2007, he was one of the representatives of the PDBF to Australia where he won one (1) gold, one (!) silver and three (3) bronze in the paddlers World Championship. In 2009 he once again competed in the Czec Republic on another World Championship and gathered two (2) gold and one (1) silver.

This year 2011, he managed to win five (golds) and two silvers.

When they arrived in Tampa, they were all jet lag. But jet lag or no jet lag they had to play on the second day of their arrival. There were 24 delegates on this trip but only 18 were athletes. The welcome of the Filipino Americans in that country bolstered their spirits, with the Filipinos giving them so much support in terms of food, clothes and cash. As they were short of everything when they left the Philippines, the aid that their country men gave them was a real blessing. They were extremely pampered and everything went well.

Oting had travelled to most of the Asian countries because of the PDBF and he said that being a paddler for the PDBF had changed his life. Also that being a member of this group had given him so much. Last word from our conquering hero: “Our people where ever we are are truly dependable, especially the private sector. The Filipinos in Tampa, almost drowned us with their love, care, support not only physical, but emotional and spiritual too. The person I cannot forget in this journey is Ms. Edna Laurente from Batan. Because of the trust that our people had showered upon me, I will do my best to win more medals, not just for my self satisfaction but for the people who afforded me with unreserved appreciation for my current achievements. I am happy to be back in the bosom of my fellow Malinaonons and I hope that I will serve as an inspiration to the young people not just of Malinao, but anyone who believes that being poor is not a hindrance when one has ambition to succeed in life. Mabuhay ro mga Malinaonon.?TE

Editorial, Vol 20

It Could Happen Here

The riots which recently erupted on the streets of London sent shock waves around the world, but England is not the only country currently suffering from unrest. Students in Chile have been rioting in protest about unfair educational opportunities, whilst on the streets of Israel people are protesting about the increasing cost of food.
In India people have taken to the streets to protest about corruption and about the abuse of human rights. In Spain there have been violent protests about the austerity measures that the government has imposed, and in Germany too there have been demonstrations. Rioting broke out in Greece and France earlier this year, and more recently there have been demonstrations in Australia.

Across China there are some two hundred thousand protests every year, which due to reporting restrictions are very seldom reported. In Russia there have also been protests, along with rioting in France, and Greece.

Earlier this year riots erupted in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria in what has come to be known as the ‘Arab Spring’. Many riots and demonstrations have also been ongoing in various parts of Africa. This unrest has been fueled in part by corruption and by repressive political regimes, but it has been further exacerbated by rising food prices and harsh economic conditions. This trend looks set to continue.

I was recently asked by an associate if similar unrest could occur here in the Philippines, and sadly the answer that I felt obliged to give was ‘Yes’. I am not suggesting that such a situation is imminent, but given the right set of circumstances our own country might ultimately experience rioting far more severe than those which occurred in London. Although the riots in London were severe, they were non the less localized and of limited duration.

Here in the Philippines corruption is already rampant, and food prices too continue to rise. The Philippines was once able to grow enough rice to feed its own people, but in recent years it has become the largest net importer of rice in South East Asia. With climatic changes giving rise to increasing temperatures as a consequence of global warming, crop yields are also decreasing.

Perhaps the most significant factor however is the unprecedented rate of increase in our population. It has been estimated that by the year 2050 the population of our country will double or even triple. Where will we get food to feed all of our people? With countries such as China and India developing rapidly, their consumption of food is also increasing, and food shortage promises to become a serious problem.

The Philippines has one of the highest, if not the highest birth rate in the world, and the stance taken by the Catholic Church serves only to compound this problem.

As our population continues to increase, Filipinos will find it harder to feed their families. Many will be forced to survive on a minimal diet, and in some cases go without food altogether.

By maintaining their current stance on birth control, the Catholic Church has inadvertently condemned not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands to die of slow starvation. By so doing it has in all probability sown the seeds of it’s own destruction, since many will hold it responsible for the untold suffering that will be caused by this pending crisis.

Food shortage is without doubt the largest single factor most likely to give rise to social unrest, as those who have nothing direct their anger against the affluent and against those who have made their fortunes through corruption. At this point social order will break down and the rule of law will be no more. Instead it will be mob rule and survival of the fittest.

I fear that if we are not able to bring our exploding population under control, social chaos will be the inevitable consequence. It may already be too late.This is a time bomb waiting to happen, and I fear that chaos will prove to be the inevitable consequence of our failure to act.

As human beings God has given us brains and the ability to think for ourselves. We had better start using His gifts if we wish to survive. /TE

Ombudsman to government employees:

do your job right and fast

KALIBO, Aklan - Even if nobody is looking, government workers should do the right thing in the fastest way possible in performing their jobs.

This call came from Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas, Hon. Pelagio S. Apostol, who was in Aklan recently for the 2011 Visayas Convention of Regional Executives and Resident Ombudsmen.

The Hon. Apostol emphasized that government employees should do their jobs and refrain from accepting “grease money” as they are paid already by the government for serving the public.

Most cases reaching the Office of the Ombudsman involving government employees, according to Hon. Apostol, include violation of anti-fixer law/anti-red tape law which involves acceptance of grease money, misappropriation of public funds, and unjustifiable lifestyle.

“If there is a complaint against a government employee concerning ill-gotten wealth, the employee should prove that he or she acquired the property through legal means,” Hon. Apostol said.

The Deputy Ombudsman also called on the public – composed of the civil society, business sector, the media, the academe, non-government organizations (NGOs) and the youth sector to be the “eyes and ears” of the Office of the Ombudsman, and report to them any wrongdoing by government employees and officials.

Hon. Apostol said that the identities of these individuals or groups could be protected by the Office of the Ombudsman.

He stressed however that there should be enough proof or evidence of corruption against the officials or employees being complained about.
He said this is in order to protect other good officials and employees from harassment through unsubstantiated complaints by any individual or group. (PIA)/TE

Aklan lists 121 Dengue cases in 33 weeks

KALIBO, Aklan, – From January 1 of this year up to August 15 or within 33 weeks, the province of Aklan through the Provincial Health Office (PHO) here listed a total of 121 cases of dengue.

This record, according to Dr. Cornelio V. Cuachon, Jr., Provincial Health Officer I, is 75% lower compared with last year’s 477 cases for the same period.

Two of the cases this year came from other provinces the PHO records showed.

For this period, Kalibo listed the highest number of cases with 39, followed by New Washington, 13; Malay, 9; Malinao and Numancia, 7 each; Batan, 6, while the rest, except Madalag which had zero cases – listed 5 and below.

Last year, Kalibo also listed the highest number of dengue cases.

Dr. Cuachon attributed this phenomenon to the big population of Kalibo as compared with other municipalities in the province.

There are no reported deaths in Aklan caused by dengue for the period according to Dr. Cuachon, but he called upon Aklanons to be very careful with the rise of Dengue cases nationwide.

“Dengue infection is now all year-round. There are even cases during the summer, so people should be extra careful. Dengue-causing mosquitoes lay their eggs in clear, stagnant waters, so people should cover their stored water. Emply cans, bottles, coconut shell, tires and other things that store rain water should be destroyed or turned upside down,” Dr. Cuachon said.

The PHO also called on Aklanons to practice the 4S in eradicating Dengue: Search and Destroy – by destroying breeding places of mosquitoes; Seek early consultation – by going to the hospital for the right diagnosis of sickness; Self-protective measures – by wearing long pants, long socks and using mosquito repellent lotion; and Say “No” to Indiscriminate Fogging, as the practice is very expensive and does not kill all of the mosquitoes. (PIA)/TE

International News

Hunger Strike in India

Seventy four year old Anna Hazzare, a human rights activist in India and follower of Mahatma Ghandi, was recently sentenced to one week in prison for declaring that he would go on a hunger strike until death in protest at legislation recently passed by India’s government.

Indian people have become increasingly frustrated by the rampant corruption currently prevailing at all levels of Indian society. A bill was recently introduced into law in a bid to finally eliminate this scourge. The government has been tarnished by numerous scandals in recent years, and Anna Hazzare and many others felt that the bill did not go far enough to combat corruption at the highest level.

Fearing that his declaration would lead to social unrest, he was arrested together with a thousand of his supporters. Such was the outrage at this blatant abuse of his human rights that people throughout India came out onto the streets in protest.TE

Counterfeit Drugs

It has been estimated that in some parts of the world between 10 to 30% of pharmaceutical drugs are fake. The most common counterfeit drugs include those which claim to lower cholesterol levels, assist in weight loss, anti-infectant and cardiovascular drugs, and those designed to combat erectile disfunction.

One of the countries worst affected is Africa where fake anti malarial drugs are in wide circulation. Most of these drugs are produced either in India or China, and are becoming a serious problem since they are often hard to detect. It is the poorest members of society who often become the victims of this deception, and this is no less true for our own country too.

In order to avoid being deceived by these fake drugs the public are advised that it is best to see a doctor or to buy from a trusted source, and to avoid buying from any unlicensed pharmacy./TE

Disclaimer and Clarification

On the Alleged Call for People Power Mobilization Against RH Bill by the CBCP- National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA).

In the wake of news reports circulating about our National Director, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, calling for people power against the RH Bill, the CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action, issues this disclaimer on his behalf: “The afore-mentioned call has been erroneously printed and ascribed to Bishop Pabillo. He has never mentioned anything that even comes close to such a statement.”

It is true that we are strongly disappointed by the persistent attempt of the government to push for the approval of the RH Bill. However the Church believes that the truth can be relentlessly pursued without recourse to unnecessary upheaval or political turmoil.

In the same way, we are equally disappointed with the decision of the Office of the President in affirming the decision of the Department of Labor to allow management of PAL to lay-off 2,600 of its workers and to rehire some of them as contractuals through an outsourcing scheme. This is a grave injustice to the workers and sets a bad precedent. But this problem has to be resolved in the proper forum.

In both instances, Bishop Pabillo did not call for the mobilization of People Power and he never hinted that this is the solution.

“People power is a sacred and powerful tool that must not be randomly invoked or abused. The Church, in its campaign against the Reproductive Health Bill, advances and upholds only peaceful means that embody the Christian message of love and justice. Such means find expression in intelligent discussions and parliamentary debates, not in fomenting political revolts.”

Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez
Executive Secretary
National Secretariat for Social Action
(02) 353-9346; 527-4147; 527-4163 / fax: (02) 527-4144
Email: edugariguez@gmail.com
admin@nassa.org.ph

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Well

There was a place in a far away land where it never rained, and nor did springs or rivers flow there. The people of this land had never before seen water, nor was there a word in their language to describe it.

Never the less the people there needed water to survive, and so each day they would go out and search for stones in which a little moisture had been retained, and they would sit and suck on these stones for hours. This would take most of the day, and their lives were indeed hard.

One day a stranger appeared in their village whom they had never seen before.

“Why do you sit there all day sucking stones?” he asked.

“Because we need the moisture they contain to survive” they answered.

“Why don’t you drink water?” asked the stranger.

“Water?” came the reply. “What is that?”

Upon realizing that these people had never before drunk water the stranger set about digging a well, and he exhorted the people to help. Some thought him crazy whilst others thought he was mad, yet there were some who joined in and helped him to dig the well. For although they did not understand, there was something about this stranger that caused them to trust him. There was a quiet certainty about this stranger who exuded an air of confidence which inspired them, and which gave them hope.

They kept on digging until finally, as the sun sank low on the horizon, they found water.

He gave water to them all to drink, and they were all delighted and overjoyed. The water tasted so good! Even the disbelievers drank of the water, and they too became ecstatic.

Their celebrations went on long into the night, and they drank until they could drink no more.

Early the next morning the stranger was preparing to leave for his journey was long and he had far to go. The people gathered around him to thank him for what he had done and for what he had shown them.

“There is just one more thing that I must tell you before I go” the stranger said. “Listen well because this is important. Every day you must go to the well and tend to it. You should remove any sand that has blown in so that the water remains accessible.”

They thanked him once more, and the stranger went on his way. “We must remember his words” said one of the elders, “and we will write them down so that we shall never forget. But first we must go out and suck stones, because this is our custom. This is our tradition.”
By the end of the day there was no time remaining to remove sand from the well, for sucking the moisture out of stones is very time consuming.

“Tomorrow we will remove the sand from the well” said the elder, but when the next day came they once more went out to suck stones, and once again found that no more time remained to remove sand from the well. So it went on, day after day, until the well became completely full of sand leaving not even a trace.

The people did not forget about the stranger who came to show them water. Some wrote songs about him, and about the day on which their thirst was quenched. Some even painted pictures of him so that they would never forget his face, and so that their children and their grandchildren could know about him too. They even built a great hall in his honor where these pictures could be hung, and where they could gather to remember him and to sing his praises. The people did not forget the stranger.

But let me ask you this. Should the stranger happen to return, do you think he would be pleased that the people had remembered him so well? Or would he be saddened by the stupidity of these people in allowing the well to go dry? I will leave it to you to decide./TE

Special feature

History lesson from the oldest infant

In Kenya Tristan McConnel visits the school where an 84-year-old pupil became the inspiration for a new film

Maruge was a great man,” says 16-year-old Douglas Wekesa, speaking of a former schoolmate. “He taught us many things about life, about discipline, about hard work. He also taught us about how he fought the Europeans, how his wife was killed and how he was tortured. It was strange at first because he was older, but he became one of us.”

In fact, Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge was nearly ten times older than his classmates in Primary 1 when he first appeared outside Kapkenduiywo school in January 2004 wearing a shabby home-made uniform and knee-high socks, clucthing a bag of books and his walking stick.

The 48-year old had come after the Kenyan Government announced that it would provide free primary education for all. The initiative was aimed at children, but Maruge, a peasant farmer who had never been to school, thought that all should mean all, no matter what age.
The first time he came, he was turned away. The second time he met the headmistress Jane Obinchu, who told him: “Here we teach small children who put on uniforms, and when they make mistakes we pinch them, but you are too old. We can’t do that to you.”

The third time he came, in his own approximation of a uniform, Obinchu was persuaded by his persistence. “Some thought it was wrong for an old man to be in a classroom with young children,” says Obinchu, 54. “One of the teachers informed the press, hopinh that I would be sacked.” Instead, the news of the world’s oldest primary school pupil spread. Now the story of Maruge, who died of stomach cancer at a hospice in Nairobi in August 2009, is the inspiration for a new film, The First Grader, by the Salford-born director Justin Chadwick.

Only one of the three rows of single-storey classroom blocks that make up Kapkenduiywo Primary School is brick. The others are rough, split-timber with rusting roofs, no electricity and windows without glass. More than 50 children squeeze into each classroom. Maruge’s classmates remember morning breaks sitting at his feet beneath a shady tree, while he would tell them stories from his past.

“He was a good storyteller,” says the 15-year-old Irene Wairimu. “He would talk about the struggle for independence and it would be from inside the stories because he was there.”

At a school without a proper library, Maruge was a kind of history book. His past is Kenya’s. Like many other Kikuyu peasants, forced off their property by British colonizers, Maruge joined the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950’s. It was a violent insurgency brutally suppressed and, although it happened half century ago, it is only now that the truth is gradually coming out. In April this year four Mau Mau veterans went to the High court seeking compensation for torture and abuse at the hands of the British colonial administration. The court case led to the discovery of hundreds of archive documents that cast an uncomfortable light into a dark corner of British history.
Maruge’s wife was murdered and only five of his 15 children survived the years of hardship during the rebellion. He was arrested, tortured and interned in a succession of British detention camps. He had a toe chopped off and the repeated beating left him hard of hearing and needing a stick to walk.

Had he lived, Maruge would be taking his final primary school exams this summer. His teachers remembered him as a model student. “You should have seen him seated in class!” says Obinchu. “He never felt that these were children and he could not learn from them.” His teachers have little doubt that he would have graduated with flying colours.

In late 2007, however, Maruge’s peace was shattered when tribal violence tore through the country after a disputed election. Mwai Kibaki, the incumbent President claimed victory, triggering attacks on fellow Kikuyus by Kalenjin and Luo supporters of his opponent, Raila Odinga. A church packed with women and children was burnt down, tribal death squads were deployed, police brutality was widespread. By the time international pressure brought Kibaki and Odinga together in a fractious coalition government 1,200 were dead and another 300,000 had been forced from their homes.

The worst of the violence was in the Rift Valley, with the town of Eldoret, where Maruge had made his home, at its center. Within hours of Kibaki’s swearing –in, gangs of Kalenjin youth armed Kikuyus. Maruge was among 14,000 who took shelter at the town’s agricultural showground as the violence rage around them. Yet even then he continued with his studies.

“In the peak of the clashes the school was supposed to be burnt down because this was Maruge’s school and he is kikuyu,” Obinchu says. “But our Kalenjin watchman told the gang of youths from his tribe who came. ‘Our children also come here, it is not just for Maruge’, so they took the desks for firewood and left the school standing.”

Soon afterwards the Red Cross decided that Maruge was vulnerable living alone in Eldoret and had him transferred to a home for elderly people in Nairobi. Obinchu believes now that it was the wrong decision. “He was not an invalid, he was strong and still learning , but there he was surrounded by helpless people and it took its toll on him,” she says. “What I believe, very strongly, is that if he had stayed he would still be alive now.”

It was at the hospice that Chadwick met Maruge. For a director best known for historical dramas such as The Other Boleyn Girl and Bleak House, being able to meet his central character was a rare privilege and an implicit challenge as it became clear that Maruge would not live to see the film of his life.

“There was a massive responsibility to make sure I caught the essence of him,” Chadwick says. “Over the weeks that I’d go and see him he was getting sicker. He’d be holding on to my hand, telling me about what happened, with this look in his eye. I couldn’t shy away from telling the [Mau Mau] side of the story. And that made it very difficult, after he died, to shoot those scenes. They were the toughest that I’ve ever had to shoot.” In one harrowing scene, Maruge’s wife and two children are shot dead by soldiers. In another, he suffers terrible torture.

Chadwick admits that he has not stuck rigidly to the facts of Maruge’s life. In the film he is desperate to learn English so he can read a mysterious letter relating to his past, but in reality it was to read the Bible, and the film does not end with his death from cancer. Nevertheless it is a rare attempt to present an uplifting picture of Africa. “It is just one man’s life and journey,” Chadwick says. “I hope it shows a side of Africa that hasn’t been seen before that feels honest and true.”(Source: The Times (UK)/TE

Pride of Malkinao

A brief interaction with the young and energetic mayor of Malinao, Mayor Ariel Igoy: When asked how he felt that one of his people brought back prestige to Malinao, his reply was; “I feel so proud being a Malinaonon. I cannot help but be happy for the honour he brought back to us. With his humble origin he worked hard to succeed and shared us his fame. He is an inspiration to our young people here in Malinao.

He was one of the first players to compete at the governor’s Cup and came out a winner. He became Private First Class in the Philippine Army because of his connection with PDBF. He may not yet be a national hero but he is a big man in the eyes of our people. I know that he did not expect the welcome we gave him but I see that he was thrilled to be back in our midst.

Malinao, the town of the Champions. From the boxing medallist in 2001 to 2002, Anthony Igusquiza to the Provincial Football champion in 2010 to 2011 (these are the athletes from Kinalangay Viejo Integrated School) to the young swimmers that I watched training in the river and now ‘Oting’. These are the only athletes that I know that came from Malinao but I believe that the Malinaonons are people made to be Champions.

The Road to Better Health

CANCER

continuation

b. Leukemia, cancer of the blood.

Suggested Treatment: Propolis, garlic, Aloe Vera nectar. Vitamin: B-complex, B12, C, E. Minerals: Copper, Iron, Zinc. Helpful: Apples, broccoli.

c. Sarcomas, which affect the muscles, breast, connective tissues and the bones.

d. Liupo-sarcoma is a malignant tumor of the fatty tissue which usually develops in the abdomen. (Lipoma is a being tumor).

Suggested treatment: Aloe Vera nectar, Vitamins: A, Complex B, c, E. Minerals: Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Selenium. Others: Coenzyme Q-10.

>The causes of the cancer are not well known. Nevertheless, it is certain known that cancer is more likely to develop with the presence of certain chemical agents, such as in the case of cigarette smoke, excessive sunlight (which produces skin cancer), exposure to X-rays, certain foods, the environment and the heredity.

Other factors exist which can cause the development of cancer, such as:

a) Stress. The Thymus gland is a pivotal organ of the immune system. Stress has a direct effect on the gland by shrinking it and affecting it negatively, subjecting the body to illness.

There exists a lot of evidence of the influence which the mind, mood and the attitude have on the formation of cancer.

b) Inadequate nutrition. The human body is constructed, repaired and energized by substances found in food. A correct diet helps to re-establish the metabolic balance of cancer patients and thus make them well

c) Lack of exercise. Another element which contributes to cancer is a lazy lifestyle and lack of exercise. Exercise improves the nervous system’s functions, stabilizes glucose, and detoxifies the lymphatic system by cleansing it of accumulated toxins.

**Taken from ‘Encyclopedia of medicine’. R-H (more next week)/TE

THE GOOD LIFE

Greetings!

Every day, we are faced with decisions. Big and small as an internal war is waged between ego and identity, pleasure and restraint,instant gratification and self discipline. Never the less, the key to walking the tightrope is never losing the enthusiasm of what you are doing.

I would like to share this with everyone. I know of a carpenter. One day, he went through the things he had and saw pieces of wood lying around. He thought he could make something productive and said, “I’ll make a ladder out of all of you!” After that, he took a saw, a hammer, some nails and began the project.

He cut two long pieces into the same size that would help the ladder stand. He then cut several short pieces into the same length that served as the steps to the top. Some pieces were too short so he put together those pieces of wood to match the other steps equally. When everything was ready, he nailed all the pieces together. They made a strong ladder and that ladder was leaned against a wall.

The carpenter said that they were put there to help people get over that wall. One by one, many were granted over the wall and to a grassy road that led to somewhere. Time passed but some steps got broken, fell off the ladder and got lost. The carpenter then went looking for them. When he found the pieces, he nailed them back to the ladder and it again served its purpose.

I will remind you of the Aklan Press Club’s vision of becoming an organization of Dignified Journalists, providing reliable information to instruct, educate and entertain to effect development and progress in the community. I repeat ‘dignified journalists’. We are supposed to stand with integrity and be driven by the goal of actually helping the society progress. We are given these skills and opportunity to affect people so we can uphold what is true and just.

The ladder that the carpenter made was the Aklan Press Club. My friends, we are all pieces of wood. The carpenter just picks us up when he wants to use us for a greater purpose. We, the ladder of the society help it up to development and leads it to a road that lead to a community that barely has greed and does not believe that money makes the world go round. We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. What we will give is service and support to all the good people who work to improve the lives not only of their selves. Money does not make the world go round, nor does power, but gravity and a lesson from science.

Sometimes, people do get blinded by what others think of them and stop doing the right thing. All of us get tempted by a shiny block of gold. We may not realize this but we all have the potential of being great. We just have to make good of what we have within us and decide to want to help the nation rise.

The world is not all bad, a lot of us just think that because of what we see in mass media. It barely portrays all the good things that happen and all the good things that are possible. Evil prevails when a few good men and women do nothing. The good men and women are not few, they are many. We will not do nothing. Being the catalyst of change for the better is not easy but it will only become harder if one continues to think of it as difficult. We were not made to bring anyone down. We are alive so that we can strive to bring out all the good in the world.

God bless us all and good evening.

(Inaugural speech delivered by Ms. Megs Lunn, as the newly installed 1st lady president of APCI last 10th Induction ceremony July 29, 2011 at Hernani’s Mix and Match, Kalibo, Aklan)/TE

Kool Earth Corner

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, “We did not have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, “That is our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment.”

He was right — our generation did not have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we did not have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We did not have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we did not have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we did not fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she is right; we did not have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we did not have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t sad that the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we did not have the green thing back then?/TE