The Philippine Organization of Science and Technology Educators (P.O.S.T.E.) commemorates its two-decades since its founding with a 3-day S & T Convention on November 5-7, 2019 at the Eastern Visayas State University Main Campus, Tacloban City. This first national S & T Forum expects to draw members-participants from the four corners of the Philippines. The activities include Plenary Talks, Educators researches contest, science quiz, exhibits, games and to be capped with a search for Ginoo and Binibining Maka Kalikasan.
It has chosen the theme: “Transforming the Landscape of Science and Technology Education through Responsive Research and Innovation”.
I find the theme not only appropriate, though a bit a late recognition of the important role of S & T teachers to advance, enhance and strengthen research and innovation in the Philippines. Indeed, science teachers are in the best position to make a difference in research and innovation. They have the needed academic foundation and in an atmosphere where basic research facilities like laboratory and library facilities are within reach, at least for most schools. Very important though is the educators dedication and desire to be part of change, search for new knowledge and validating/innovating the newly found change/ideas/data and finally implementing said innovations.
I can only talk about my experience as a graduate and post-graduate student in Japan as a scholarship awardee where I observed how science faculty staffmembers spend long hours in the laboratory after their classroom lectures, doing research. Results of their research are mostly presented in S & T Fora and published in respectable journals. Discipline, and desire to contribute to the discovery of new knowledge, improving/innovating the same seem not tangibly observed in the Philippine setting, but for a limited few. We need to strengthen our resolve and commitment and acceptance of research as an equally important mandate for educators – more of a realization of CHED’s 4-pronged thrust of Teaching, Research, Production and Extension. This is the reason why CHED has made Masters Degree as basic academic requirement for those aspiring to teach in the Tertiary Level education – that they have been armed to conduct research after completing MA or MS degree and undertaking guided research and writing/defending their output called a Thesis!
As a Plenary Speaker, yours truly have been assigned the topic: “21st Century Methods in Aquatic Research: Its Implications to Science and Technology Education”. I hope to expound on why educators should get involved in research and drive a point on how research results will transform them into well-founded S & T Educators in the 21st Century.
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NEXT TOPIC : “Batting for a Specialized Training before Middle Level Managers”
SHARE S & T THOUGHTS through Email: drpacjr@yahoo.com.

People had been mesmerized by what appears a laudable move to clear obstructions along roads and streets to restore order. It is a move to restore the spaces for the passage of people and vehicles that had been blocked by illegal structures for a long time. The cost of working hours wasted on traffic that are caught in gridlock appears enormous. So much money is lost when people who are supposed to use the roads and streets get stagnant as roads and streets are not passable at regular normal speed. Vehicles burn fuel in excess of the normal engine consumption merely due to unmoving traffic jams. It results in increased pollution of the environment and the repercussions on public health that unduly deplete funds for health.
It really is a good move for officials to enforce the law on easements along streets and roads that had been encroached by structures, both temporary and permanent. Among the obstructions are private structures such as residential houses and commercial establishments. Many obstructions though are public structures that were funded out of the government coffers. Such structures must have passed through completed staff work before the project plan were approved, funded, and implemented. The location where such structures are supposed to be erected were supposedly identified and approved by the officials concerned. The structures that are now being demolished had been certainly been erected through the approval of officials.
In the on-going campaign to clear roads and streets from obstructions, many structures had already been demolished, at great loss to the owner, whether private or government. The loss of properties is tremendous if the costing is done based on current market prices. Such losses is now borne by the supposed violator whose structure was determined as encroaching public streets and roads. The focus of culpability is fixated on the present personalities now being tagged as violators of the law. Aside from the loss the alleged owner suffers from the demolition, there is public condemnation as law enforcers label them with unpleasant nametags for grabbing the public spaces they now occupy. For the sake of public order, the owners have no choice but to submit to the demolition of the property allegedly obstructing the public street or road.
Unseen by the public is the officials who must likewise be held liable for official actions or inactions that resulted in the erection of the structures that are situated on prohibited areas that encroach public streets and roads. In the case of private structures such as residential houses that are erected on roads and streets, its construction requires a building permit issued by the Building Official, else, the said official has the authority to stop the construction. The fact that the structures are now built and are obstructing public spaces, the concerned official may have been negligent in his duty to stop constructions without building permits. In the case of public buildings and structures, the officials who planned, approved, funded and issued the building permit may appear equally liable. So much damage in terms of cost of the structures had been wasted to clear the streets and roads at the expense of the owners while others who may be equally liable appear at this time of demolitions, clear?
comments to alellema@yahoo.com

If you will be made to describe the sexy female figure, how would you do it? Are you going to use the typical measurement of wrapping the tape measure around the subject’s bosom, waist, and hips to come up with, say, 36-24-36 centimeters? Or you are just going to wrap the lady in your arms to see if your hands meet on her back?
Why are most people, especially the men, so particular with the so-called coca-cola figure? What’s the big deal about this body shape, and why go for it? Well, as common knowledge has it, it’s what they call sexy, the female image that the world craves for. So much hype has been attached to it—it’s been, to use the biblical terms—magnified and glorified.
It’s no wonder why men, in general, salivate at the sight of such bodies, it even topping their lists of female attributes that they are looking for. Ladies, on the other hand, are doing everything they can to trim their bodies into such shape—exercise, weights, diets, gyms, name it. Some would even dehydrate themselves into skin-and-bones as a result, depriving their tummies of foodstuffs, their bodies, of essential nutrients.
But if we will consider what the Bible says, man’s sexual attraction to a woman falls under the so-called lust of the flesh. Notice the word “flesh”, and its lust. It must be literal. We lust after the flesh, not bones. If a woman is reduced into a bony figure wrapped in skin, she is already rid of flesh, hence with nothing to lust after. And surely, men do not like the idea of bumping into bones—they want flesh.
And so, the ancient concept of female sexiness shown by antique paintings and primitive sketches is right—to be deemed that sexy, women ought to possess not just beauty but enough flesh as well. Look at those paintings of women from the ancient times to the medieval and the renaissance periods, they are mostly chubby. It seems that, the chubbier they were, the sexier they appeared. They have plenty of flesh in their bodies; fleshy, so to speak. When men got attracted to them, it was lust for soft flesh, not for hard bones.
It’s only in modern times when this concept of a sexy female shifted from being chubby to being slimy, eheste, slim, to the great dismay of women who are advancing in years, and whose personalities had become sophisticated they can’t anymore be contained in thin figures. The underscoring of this new image is such that, in most beauty pageants, it is highlighted as one of the most important criteria. Print and TV commercials likewise emphasize it, invading the consciousness of present-day civilizations.
Perhaps, the best judge to consult over this issue on which female figure is really sexy is man’s basic instinct. What is it that their masculine instinct really craves for—the shapely, or the shapeless? The curves dictated by the bones, or those that are substantiated by fat, I mean, flesh? An abundant figure to hug, or a hollow presence that could almost resemble a ghost?

The whole nation mourns the passing of a great pillar of the Philippine economy. He was a great leader who left a legacy that will live in the hearts of many Filipinos who lives he has helped a lot.
He was Mr. John or to some Big John not just because of his hefty physical presence. He was big in many ways, having founded a conglomerate that include property development, food and beverages, retail, air transport, power, media and petrochemicals. Our biggest mall here in Tacloban City, the Robinsons Mall is owned by J.G. Summit Holdings of which he is the founder. He is the 3rd richest man in the country with a net worth of $5.3 Billion.
He believed in hard work, a trait his children, colleagues and employees followed because he himself lived and practice it. He valued education and at age 80, donated a large part of his holding to the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation to fund scholarships and other educational assistance.
He never flaunted his wealth and shunned ostentation. He wore a jacket from the Greenhills Tiangge or flea market.
He was an inspiration to entrepreneurs and businessmen around the nation with his pioneering ideas, his strong work ethic, his passion and perseverance. Today, the Gokongwei Group is one of the country’s largest and most diversified conglomerates.
It has a 75,000 strong employees of JG Summit Holdings and Robinsons Retail Holdings. Gokongwei had also established the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation which funded student scholarships and faculty research and built learning facilities like the continuing schools for young engineers, pre-school buildings and children libraries.
John Gokongwei Jr. left a legacy to the Filipino nation and the coming generation worth emulating. His favorite advise is “never stop learning”. He manifested his true philanthropy when he established the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation to which he donated half of his fortune considered as the biggest philanthropic donation in Philippine history.
His passing was a loss not only to his family and friends but also to the country as a whole. He taught every Filipino the value of hard work, perseverance, generosity and compassion.
Farewell Big John!!!