In a much welcomed move by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), specially to us Filipino marine biologists, is its recent approval of “$3.8 million worth of support for the development of insurance for the restoration, conservation and management of coral reefs in the Philippines and three other countries in ‘South-east Asia and the Pacific.”

ADB was quoted saying that “the project involves the development of cli-mate risk financing and insurance solutions to protect coral reefs in the Philip-pines, Indonesia, Fiji and Solomon Islands.”

The ADB’s initiative is likely part of the Asia Pacific Climate Finance Fund (ACLIFF), the latter is extending $2.5 million for the project, while the Global Envi-ronment Facility through the Challenge Program for the Adaptation Innovation is financing $1.3 million.

This is a boost to finance efforts to protect the coral reefs considered as first line of defense to seawater surge, tsunami and similar natural behavior instigated by climate change, too. The destructions on coral reefs are both natural- and man-made, e.g. dynamite fishing, muro ami fishing method, use of poison/toxic substances in drawing out fish from coral habitats, boat anchors dropped in dock-ing areas, etc.

Having been a frequent diver, I have witnessed how the coral populations in Boracay Island and Puerto Galera (Batangas and Manila Channels) have been broken, destroyed with steel anchors. Unreported is the status of the coral stands in Sogod Bay Southern Leyte. Hope that the Southern Leyte State University handful of marine biology researchers sustain the study of the undocumented coral population in Sogod Bay and its adjoining marine waters.

The Late and fellow marine biologist and a good friend Dr. Edgardo Gomez (a coral expert), left a legacy by “re-growing/ rehabilitating the coral population” in the Hundred Islands, Pangasinan – an area that I had done diving collection and ecological study of the marine macroalgae/ seaweeds. Hope that the younger generation of coral students maintained and sustained Dr. Ed’s noble project.

MY COMMENT:
There are only few practicing Filipino coral researchers who should be in involved in projects to preserve, conserve and maintain the country’s coral reefs. Also, as member of the Coral Reef Triangle, the Philippines need to play a bigger role in the protection of the corals in Southeast Asian waters.
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THE Solemnity of Christ the King, which ends the current liturgical year, presents us with the gospel reading about the thief who asked Christ to remember him when Christ would enter into his kingdom. And Christ readily said: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (cfr. Lk 23,35-43).

What a heartwarming scene this is! It tells us that despite our sinfulness, we are assured always of mercy as long as we show just a bit of a sign of repentance. God is all too willing to welcome us to his kingdom.

We have to understand that God wants to establish his kingdom with us who are most of the time sinners. That is why when some Pharisees asked Christ when the Kingdom of God will come, he answered that “the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk 17,21) Now, it is all up to us if we want to be part of that kingdom!

We really do not have to look far to find the Kingdom of God. It is already with us as long as we repent of our sins and express our desire to be with God. It is as simple as that!
Our defects, failings, sins and all that should not be a permanent obstacle to be part of God’s kingdom. On the contrary, they should bring us closer to him, asking for forgiveness and for more grace, rather than alienate us from him. If we are humble enough to be realistic about ourselves, we can readily see the wisdom of this attitude.

We all know, as an author rightly said, that “every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” God will do everything to bring us back to him. He has given us all the means and an all-powerful roadmap to heaven.

We may fail God many times, but he will always be understanding to us. We should be careful not to be too overwhelmed by our weaknesses and sinfulness as to fall into despair and run away from God.

It’s precisely when we are down when God shows his greatest love for us. We should never doubt this truth which can be validated by the mere fact that God sent his Son to us, and Son became man and assumed all our sins by dying on the cross.

We obviously should not abuse the goodness and mercy of God, though we also know that somehow we cannot avoid abusing it. What we can do is to learn as quickly as possible the many precious lessons our weaknesses and sinfulness can occasion in us.

We have to remember that nothing happens in our life without the knowledge and at least the permission of God. So, if anything bad comes to us, we should always ask God: Lord, what is the purpose of all this? We know that everything happens for a reason. And the ultimate reason can only be found in God.

We have to be wary when our reaction to our errors, failures and sins would only be human, based simply on our feelings or some human consensus and other human estimation of things. These bases cannot capture the whole picture and can even distort things, aggravating things for us.

Let us make Christ, the Son of God made man, our true King. Let’s make him rule over us, in our thoughts and desires, in our words and deeds. With him, we achieve the fulness of our humanity. He does not treat us like slaves. He treats us like he treats himself.

It is an information age and we are on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but to me Agriculture is the key to the good life.

The status of our agriculture in its bloom or gloom is directly proportionate to our human development index. The stagnating agriculture sector is apparent and obvious in the backdrop of high prices of many agricultural products. The Onion as they say creates tears when your eyes is infused with the chemical it emits. Right now our lachrymal glands will tear up due to its price. The rice which is yearned by the current administration to be P20 /kg is nothing close to it, the lowest i saw was 39 for commercial rice . I have bought ginger roots at 10 per 3-4 inches roots and never mind asking how much is one kilogram, i am certain i cannot afford them. The sweet banana we call as Costa , not the Lakatan variety was at 40/kg at the rate of how things are going we are not getting near the promised land of low prices in agricultural reality.

The problems can be attributed to a lot of things including unclear or unsound policies in the agriculture industry, lack of infrastructure to support agriculture and even the cultural and people’s avoidance to any thing farming or agriculture. Simply , our students, people and professionals are shying away from the agriculture scene in whatever ways they can. In their minds it is not for professionals nor learned people to tinker with, they go for the considered high brows or sosyal, beyond and away from agriculture.

As a country with immense agriculture potential , we are aware of that fact . Indeed , from the early onset of our nation’history we are primarily depending on agriculture and enjoying its fruits in terms of crop viability. We had International Rice Research Institute where rice farmers from Thailand, Vietnam were trained. We are effective at that so much so that we are already importing rice from these countries.

The largest debacle perhaps is the fact that the countryside is oozing witnh potential for cash crops but everyone is looking the other way. We are leaving our fertile lands idle and unused, we are importing everything when we can harvest our own.

The main challenge is for us to finally see that the Greens can bring in Green bucks . Plants can bring in money and prosperity. When we finakly recognize that and harness these potential , then we can have fiod sufficiency and in the long run, real progress.

Now that December is fast approaching, the traditional Christmas parties held by offices, agencies, organizations, etc. will again take place, as plans for the same are being devised by organizers as early as now.

Various gimmicks are widely adopted. The more peculiar they are, the merrier the party becomes, depending on how creative the organizers are. Some groups would have their “something-something” series of gifts to give to their manito-manita up to the time of the “revelation” when the givers of gifts will finally be announced.

Right now, in fact, some groups have already started. Each week, they have an agreed gift to give, such as “something long”, “something rough”, “something round”, and many more. Each one will be receiving gifts, in a series, without knowing who the giver is. It becomes a source of thrill and excitement, especially if the giver has a great sense of creativity in choosing the gifts. But if one is unlucky enough to have picked up, in the drawing of lots, someone with no sense of humor or creativity, then the gifts may prove boring.

Games and surprises await those who participate in Christmas parties. Aside from the food and drinks and gifts, there are also singing and dancing and fun games, and sometimes contests with lots of prizes. At some parties, there are also raffle draws, to the great thrill of the participants who all expect to get something. That’s why, when there’s a raffle draw, participants are compelled to stay in hopes of winning especially the major prizes.

For sure there are winners, and these winners end up happy as a result. Nothing beats the happiness that comes from possessing valuable items without spending a single centavo for them. In an attempt to make people happy, the idea of a raffle draw was conceived.

Perhaps the most exciting party to attend is that which prescribes special costumes, like costumes from the ’50s, or ’60s, or ’70s. If it’s the latter, then it must be the so-called ‘wet look’ for men’s polo, bell-bottomed pants, and pomade-massaged hair, from the back pocket of their trousers, huge combs partly emerge. Just don’t ask me how the ladies look in their ’70s costumes because, to be honest, I do not know.

Good if the prescribed costumes are closer to our time. At least, scouting for said costumes is easier. But if the costume is that of ancient Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians…oh my, that would necessitate a bigger bonus from employers, otherwise, the participants could not afford such rare and costly outfits.

But I guess the simpler that party is, the better. There is much beauty in simplicity. It’s not the costume, or the outfits, that matter most. It’s the motive behind the observance and the object of celebration.

Since it’s supposed to be a party celebrating the birth of mankind’s savior, then our sole motive must be to celebrate nothing else but his birth. A clean t-shirt paired with long trousers will do. Let’s not burden ourselves with costumes and gifts, just enjoy the occasion, thanking God for sending us His Son whom we must accept as our Lord and savior.