Leyte board member Carlo Loreto encourages graduates of the Abuyog Community College (ACC) to chase their dreams during his talks with them as he served as commencement speaker of the university held on Thursday (August 17). ACC’s president is Clemelle Montallana, a columnist of Leyte Samar Daily Express (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
ABUYOG, Leyte– Chase your dreams.
Leyte board member Carlo Loreto encourages graduates of the Abuyog Community College (ACC) to chase their dreams during his talks with them as he served as commencement speaker of the university held on Thursday (August 17). ACC’s president is Clemelle Montallana, a columnist of Leyte Samar Daily Express (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Thus said board member Carlo Loreto who served as the commencement speaker during the graduation rites of the Abuyog Community College (ACC) on Thursday (August 17).
About 233 graduates finished their degrees in elementary and secondary education and information technology.
“You don’t have to have a dream. If you have something you’ve always wanted to do, dreamed of in your heart, go for it,” Loreto said told the graduates.
He added that they should not seek happiness but instead keep busy and aim to make someone happy.
Loreto also reminded the new graduates that “understanding that you can’t truly take credit for your successes nor truly blame others for their failures will humble you and make you more compassionate.”
“Empathy is intuitive but it is also something you can work on intellectually,” he said.
For his part, Mayor Lemuel Gin Traya gave tribute to the parents of the graduates for ‘working hard’ just to ensure that their children could finish their college education.
ACC, established in 1978, is the first local government unit-sponsored college institution in Leyte province. Its current president is Clemelle Montallana who also dabbles as a columnist of Leyte Samar Daily Express. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Our country in general is a rice-producing country, but ironically, it keeps on importing rice from other countries and has become reliant on imported rice. This is something that local rice farmers could not understand. Why is it that majority of consumers prefer to buy the more expensive rice instead of buying their harvests?
Well, it’s high time for our local rice producers to realize why the majority of consumers prefer to buy the costly imported rice instead of buying their cheaper rice produced. It is primarily because their rice is of poor quality. Yes, it tastes good, especially if it is newly-harvested, but in terms of other aspects, it lags behind compared to the imported rice from Thailand, Vietnam, etc.
The imported rice is usually clean, well-milled, such that every grain is fully intact, and you cannot see them crushed into tiny pieces. It looks so white, too, and when cooked, it tastes good and well preserved. You can instantly cook these imported rice varieties without worrying about other things, such as the need to still clean them prior to cooking.
But the locally-produced rice are of inferior quality in many aspects. First, these local rice varieties are poorly milled. Plenty of the grains are cut and crushed into bits and pieces. Many of them also smell bad perhaps because of poor storage system. They are so “dirty” as well, with rice husks, tipasi as called locally, bird seeds, and worst of all, with numerous tiny pebbles in them. When you cook the local rice without cleaning it first, you would ruin your teeth since you will have to masticate plenty of tiny stones in the rice.
In short, when you buy the local rice, you still have to rid it of so many dirt, including those bits and pieces of tiny stones, and this takes so much time and bother. Why those stones or pebbles? It’s because, farmers are drying their rice harvests on the cement roads and highways, the dust and pebbles of which eventually mix with the rice grains being dried up. Unless they improve their rice production techniques, local rice farmers could never compete with the quality of imported rice, which the consumers prefer to buy.
The rise of online selling has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we shop, providing convenience and accessibility like never before. However, the booming e-commerce industry comes with its fair share of environmental repercussions. One such consequence is the significant accumulation of wrapping garbage, resulting from the excessive packaging materials used in the shipping process.
To comprehend the immense scale of the wrapping garbage generated through online selling, it is crucial to examine the driving forces behind this phenomenon. The packaging practices of e-commerce companies often prioritize product protection, ensuring items reach their destination intact. Consequently, packaging materials such as plastic bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, and styrofoam fillers become indispensable components of online sales. Unfortunately, the success of these practices has inadvertently led to an excessive reliance on non-biodegradable materials, resulting in a colossal volume of wrapping garbage that poses numerous environmental challenges.
The environmental implications of online selling’s wrapping garbage are multifaceted. Firstly, the production of packaging materials consumes vast amounts of energy and natural resources, contributing to climate change and deforestation. Additionally, the disposal of non-recyclable materials exacerbates landfill congestion, further degrading the environment. Furthermore, the transportation required to deliver these parcels contributes to increased carbon emissions, intensifying the ecological footprint of the e-commerce industry. It is imperative to recognize that this cumulative effect can significantly undermine our sustainability efforts, requiring immediate attention and action.
Addressing this issue demands a multi-faceted approach involving various stakeholders. E-commerce companies need to assume responsibility for implementing sustainable packaging practices that prioritize minimalism and eco-friendly materials. Encouraging customers to choose environmentally friendly packaging options should become a priority, promoting a shift away from excessive packaging and single-use materials. Governments can play a pivotal role by imposing regulations and incentivizing companies to adopt sustainable packaging practices through tax breaks and penalties for non-compliance. Coupled with consumer education campaigns, these measures can stimulate demand for environmentally responsible choices, ultimately influencing the entire industry.
Moreover, individuals should embrace their roles as responsible consumers by favoring retailers that prioritize sustainable packaging. By selecting products with minimal packaging or opting for local sellers who employ eco-friendly packaging practices, we can significantly contribute to reducing wrapping garbage. Additionally, consumers can play an active role by promoting recycling initiatives and exploring creative ways to repurpose or upcycle packaging materials, thus extending their lifecycle.
While online selling undeniably generates a considerable amount of wrapping garbage, it is important to understand that the solution lies in transforming the industry’s practices rather than eliminating it altogether. By engaging all stakeholders, we can work toward crafting comprehensive solutions that minimize environmental impacts. By fostering a culture of sustainability within the e-commerce industry, we can mitigate the negative consequences of wrapping garbage and strive toward a more environmentally conscious future.
The Department of Trade (DTI) has declared that following the partnership of the Ayala-led Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) and California-based Zero Motorcycles (CZM) will pave the way to the manufacturing of electric motorcycles and other related sub-assemblies and ultimately make the Philippines and export manufacturing hub for electric batteries and vehicles in Southeast Asia.
As announced by the DTI, under the agreement, Zero Motorcycles has agreed to subcontract to IMI its electric motorcycle assembly and other related sub-assemblies, such as battery and motor assembly.
Moreover, the enactment of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act. (EVIDA), the DTI through the Board of Investments (BOI), aims to narrow the gap between traditional vehicles and EVs to increase mark demand.
Also, the DTI is optimistic that the agreement projects an annual revenue of $65 million and investments of $250 million over the next five years.
MY COMMENT:
The aforementioned partnership between the IMI and CZM will not only create more jobs for electronics graduates to do manufacturing of Electric vehicles/motorcycles and batteries that would supply the Southeast Asian markets. Virtually, an avenue for financial/economic recovery.
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Youthful minds are now preoccupied not much with the forthcoming holidays of Christmas but of the scheduled synchronized elections for the youth organization and barangay elective officials that is set on the 30th of October 2023 pursuant to Comelec Resolution 10902 promulgated on 22 March 2023. It is well to note that the age for membership of the Katipunan ng Kabataan had been raised to 24 years old by virtue of Republic Act 10742.
It is in line with such vision that our Constitution had enshrined as one fundamental state principle the recognition of the vital role of the youth in nation building. That constitutional principle was given real meaning in the enabling law, RA 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, whereby the youth was afforded participation and representation in the affairs of government. It is in that vision of our acknowledged national hero, government has recognized by law the significant role of the youth as being the hope of the fatherland.
Leaders of the youth organization which is the Katipunan ng Kabataan are elected by its members to compose the Sangguniang Kabataan. The one elected as chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan is afforded a seat in the Sangguniang Barangay as ex-officio member representing the youth.
It is the privilege granted to the SK chairman as member of the barangay council which entitles the youth leader honorarium and other monetary perks like the regular members of the council. What is considered as financial perks for the SK Chairman had caused the corruption of the youth and the erosion of the noble ideals they ought to live by.
It is frustrating that the youth today are being subjected to all forms of corrupt practices primarily upon the egging of their elders. The desire of elders to covet the post allocated for the youth had unduly ruined the youth organization as training ground for future leaders. Machinations prevalent in the dirty politics of the olds are now employed in the elections of youth for all the corrupt intentions of the olds.
The youth, in their idealist orientation, does not have any purposeful desire to make any shenanigan in the election of their leaders. Unfortunately, the prodding of elders for young leaders to follow the dirty path and ways that are prevalent in the elections of olds had eroded the cleanness and honesty of the SK elections.
With perks and privileges afforded the SK Chairman, the post had become too attractive for elders to push their children to aim for the position with personal aggrandizement as principal motivation. The one getting elected are seldom the true leaders of the youth as most winners are due to vote buying. This brings us to the question, are the youth still our country’s hope?
THAT gospel episode about a Canaanite woman practically pestering Christ to cure her daughter who was tormented by a demon (cfr. Mt 15,21-28) gives us a precious lesson about what to do when we are faced with a severe test of faith where God may appear to be unresponsive to our petitions.
And the lesson to learn is to just persevere in begging God for the help we need, never losing our faith in God’s goodness and compassion. To be sure, God would not really mind the disturbance we give him. In fact, he is all there to help us. We should just persevere in asking. He is never unmindful of our needs. He even knows what we need before we ask him.
We just have to learn how to do this as much as possible without a great deal of tension and anguish. Yes, along the way we may have to suffer, but then again, if done always with God, we can manage to be calm and confident, knowing that nothing is impossible with God.
The experience of a bad break, a misfortune, a huge difficulty, etc., can and should be converted into an occasion to grow in our faith in God. And we can somehow know that we are growing in that faith when we learn how to continually beg God without losing our peace.
In fact, there would be an abiding sense of acceptance of whatever takes place at the moment together with a strong hope that provides us with a deep confidence that everything will be taken care of.
We know that with God, everything is taken care of. What we cannot take care, God will do it for us. Of course, God’s ways are not our ways. They may differ greatly from what we like to happen, but definitely God will take care of everything. He will solve, complete and perfect what we cannot anymore solve, complete and perfect. Nothing is impossible with him. We should just trust him.
This reassurance has been revealed to us by Christ himself. He was willing to offer his life for our sins and for whatever misfortunes we can suffer in this life. And he conquered them all with his resurrection. If all our misfortunes are suffered with Christ, we for sure will also take part in the resurrection of Christ.
Before Christ’s supreme act of love to take care of everything and to save us and to bring us back to God, we already have been reassured of this wonderful truth of God taking care of everything with the example of Job who was severely tested by all kinds of trials and misfortunes. But with his strong faith in God, he stood his ground and in the end was amply rewarded by God.
We need to toughen ourselves and cling tightly to what our faith tells us whenever we suffer some kind of misfortune in this life. For this, we have nothing else to do but to try our best, always asking for God’s grace, to assume the mind of Christ with respect to his suffering and death.
Part of a good accepting attitude is the ability to be flexible and resilient without getting confused and lost about what is absolutely right or wrong, true or false, real or unreal. We have to know how to adapt ourselves properly to different kinds of people, conditions and situations in our life, etc.
