The World Bank (WB) grimly predicts the Philippines to suffer from the effects of climate change by 7.6 percent of gross domestic product by 2030 and by 13.6 percent by 2040 if the government tarries to address by reducing the off-shots of the natural calamities, e.g. typhoon, flooding, El Nino and La Nina, etc.

The World Bank Risk Index points at the Philippines ranking first among countries most affected by extreme weather events globally. Accordingly, “climate change would continue and accelerate, with temperatures in the country seen to continue to increase by about one to two degrees Celcius by the end of 21st century, rainfall patterns to change and intensify, and extreme events expected to become stronger and more frequent.”

The WB country director however, said that “faster declines in poverty and economic insecurity would also be seen with the implementation of climate change adaptation. And that, climate mitigation actions, meanwhile would provide benefits, including lower electricity costs, reduced air pollution and increased agricultural productivity.”
In closing, WB authorities advised that “the country (Philippines ) must avoid one-size-fits-all approaches, and implement climate actions that address both extremes.”

MY CONTENT:
Climate change disastrous effects are here to stay and will be man’s endless problem – all because the effects are aggravated by man-made indifference to address climate change. Man cannot stop the disaster instigated by climate change, man can only find mitigating actions to minimize/reduce the natural malady.
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NEXT TOPIC : “Wind Energy Studies geared toward Basic Energy”
SHARE S & T THOUGHTS through E-mail: drpacjr@yahoo.com.

On a personal note, I could say that Director Maximo C. Aljibe is the best Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education in Regional Office No. VIII, so far due to his good intentions and even better actions.

Philosophical perplexity about intention begins with its appearance in three guises: intention for the future; the intention with which someone acts intentional action, Intention is also in virtue of its relation to a primary reason that the action counts as intentional, and this reason gives the intention with which the action is done. (Anscombe 1963, p. 1 Intention Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).On a personal note again, I have seen and observed the unity of these three guises in the good Regional Director’s plans and actions.
In a story appearing on the Visayas State University website written by John Paul Corton; he wrote that;

In his keynote speech, Director Aljibe proposes to promote greater strategic alliance among all universities and colleges in Eastern Visayas as a way of improving overall regional performance, especially in terms of licensure examinations, and other performance metrics including global competitiveness.

The new CHEDRO-8 Director did not mince to emphasize how neighboring regions are far ahead of Eastern Visayas in terms of talent ranking and competitiveness in higher education.

To improve the region’s current state of education, Director Aljibe proposed a more deliberate review process that will look into the qualification of faculty members as a basis for the issuance of a certificate of compliance and other operational permits needed for different degree programs.

But the new CHEDRO-8 Director who hailed from Borongan City, Eastern Samar also assured the participants that his office will be more facilitative in proactively responding to the needs of the different universities and colleges to achieve their institutional goals.
And he did more than that; because of his strong and yet effective leadership, notably, there is an ample and blessed supply of Board Topnotchers There is noticeable concerted action towards compliance with Higher Education Policies Standards, and Guidelines. Something that has not been around for a long time.

He further ushered in critical partnerships with Local Community Colleges objectively and the perceptible identical treatment that they experience equally with the State Universities and Colleges in the Region He does all these with the pakpak (Applause ), tapik (Reminding ), and pokpok (Admonishment) are all objectively and professionally done.
The entire higher education community is analogous to the busy molecules doing its local action all for the welfare of its students because there is an unmistakable good leader who visits, checks, and leads the way towards a better way of doing things in the higher education community.

The parade of Board Topnotchers in Education, Engineering, and other fields from different state universities all over the region may not be directly attributable to him, but by extension, it is undeniably attributable to his leadership because the Commission on Higher Education has a strong and fatherly head who is doing wonders barely months into the job at least in his home region. Otherwise, from being a High Ranking National Official all the way from the President Fidel Ramos Administration, he is no stranger to higher ordered and worthy public service. As a Career Executive, he is part of that select group of leaders who had been subjected to the rigor of several stages of validations and examinations, he is the best on what he does.

In closing Steve Maraboli, a beloved author decorated military veteran and philanthropist once said in his analysis of Intentions and Actions said; that when intent and dedicated action aligned, it’s here that the Universe works on our favor, surely this is one such rare event.

INDEED, a day of great joy! The Son of God, the perfect image that God has of himself and the image after whom we are patterned, is finally born to be with us and to give us “the way, the truth and the life” that is proper to us.

We should have no doubt about who we really are. That God has to become man to save us from our state of exile and alienation due to our sin, can only mean that we are meant to be God’s image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and nature. We need to start to level up, leaving behind the gaps about our true identity and dignity.

This can happen if we allow Christ to be born in us. That’s what he likes to do in the first place. He is just waiting for us to correspond properly to his desire. Yes, Christ wants to be born in us. That, in a nutshell, is the meaning of Christmas. All the festivities and merrymaking associated with this day should point us to this happy truth. We have to correspond to it and act on it as best that we can.

Let’s hope that the beautiful decorations we have everywhere, especially the Christmas crèche, Christmas tree, lanterns, the Santa Clauses, etc., lead us to this realization, instead of being distractions or, worse, a sweet poison to our soul.

Let’s hope that when we look at the Child Jesus in the belen, we get moved to thank him for wanting to be born in us, and to promise him that we will do our part to welcome and receive him in the best way we can.

Christ wants to be born in us because he is our savior who comes to re-make us after we have fallen into sin. Let’s remember that we are children of God, made in his image and likeness.

Christ wants to be born in us so he can start and continue with his work of redemption which takes place in the whole span of our earthly life. He wants to grow and live with us, experience what we experience so he can guide us.

But do we welcome him? Are we willing to have Christ in us, to work in us and with us? Do we actively cooperate in his redemptive work in us? Are we willing to be another Christ, “alter Christus,” as we ought to be, so we can recover and enrich the dignity God intended for us?

We have to convince ourselves that it is very doable for us to allow Christ to be born in us. This is no fantasy. On the part of God, he is already giving us everything that we need for this wonderful divine will of his to be carried out.

On our part, it is also very doable, because all we have to do is to be open to this divine will and act on it as best that we can. Christ can be born in us by allowing him to enter first into our mind and heart which are the proper places for him to be with us.

Let us get our mind and heart to be engaged with him, knowing him more, increasingly developing the ability to know his will and ways, being docile to his promptings that we can discern in our consciences. And from there, let’s make Christ reign and rule over all our other faculties—emotions, passions, appetites, urges, instincts, etc.

We’ve talked in my last column about the requirements of a worthwhile alumni homecoming, the first being the shared beginning. The next requirement, as we continue, is shared growth.

For a reunion to be meaningful, participants should not just trace themselves to the same beginning—they should have shared growth. These were the times when they and their batch mates were undergoing rigid mentoring, given the same exams, asked to submit the same projects, made to do the same assignments, and required to pass the same subjects. These were the moments when their friendships deepened as they extended help to one another and thus learned to treasure one another’s company, burning the midnight candles together, working on group projects, and not leaving anyone behind.

Shared success likewise constitutes an exciting reunion. You shared the same beginning, the same growths, and the same successes. There might be some who, for some reason, didn’t make it to the graduation ceremony, hence their exclusion from the gathering. But for the most part, many had made it, holding the same diploma, wearing the same togas, and assuming the same degrees. Again, there might be those who received meritorious awards and medals as exceptional graduates, but the majority comprise the typical, successful graduates.

Another requirement is shared memories and experiences. Good or bad, shared memories are fun to recall. They add meaning to class reunions. Who would forget the joy of attending special evening programs that usually climaxed with a dance for all? Who could forget their crushes, first loves, and true loves on that memorable campus? Most of all, who could forget the wonderful people of that place?

Last but not the least of these requirements is a shared learning institution. Or the school where the alumni participants graduated from. Yes, a grand alumni homecoming is exclusive for those who began in this school, grew academically in this school, graduated from this school, have had memories and experiences in this school, and shared this school with the rest. They conduct this reunion because they are products of this prestigious institution that they altogether share. And that’s an honor and privilege.

It’s not just remembering the most cherished moments. It’s not just greeting old friends and acquaintances. It’s not boasting to others about what some have become, or looking down on others who were unfortunate to finish their studies and land good jobs. It is also coming back home, to the school that once served as their second home, to this home that provided them with the knowledge and degrees necessary for their journey to the world of work and life in general. This is paying tribute to an alma mater for its significant contribution to what the participants had become.

Rid a class reunion of all these and it will become meaningless. Why? Because these shared moments and experiences determine a homecoming’s sweetness and success.