Philippine native carabao

During the summer in Subic when I was a kid, my cousin and I oftentimes rode their family carabao to the nearby river after its hard day’s work in the rice field.  Once in the water, just before we leave him to soak in the cool water, we’d use him as a diving board to swim away.

When I mentioned this to my nephew, he exclaimed what a docile carabao it must have been because while growing up, the carabaos he encountered were usually grumpy to allow such things. He even added that they would walk by some distance away from a tied one for safety reasons.  I was astonished at his remarks and wondered if the genetic make-up of native carabaos has started to somehow degenerate since my youth; making them irritable and mean-spirited.

This conversation with my nephew came up after reading the news about the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) encouraging farmers in Iloilo to branch out into genetic improvement of their livestock, especially carabao, for meat and dairy production – and to preserve the native Philippine carabao for field labor.

Traditionally, with Philippine native carabaos, farmers use the males to till the farm while the females are used for milking and carameat, according to PCC..

The executive director of PCC, Dr.Annabel Sarabia, said there is currently a high demand for “carameat,” milk and other dairy products.  A solution her center came up with is to propagate high yielding Bulgarian Murrah hybrid carabao.

Genetic improvement is initiated through artificial insemination (AI). Currently, AI and bull loan programs are being implemented by PCC in 13 national centers in the country: Five in Luzon, four in the Visayas and four in Mindanao. 

I truly hope that GMO giants have nothing to do with this program.  Nonetheless, I had tasted both carabao milk (chilled, mixed with chocolate) and meat (cooked adobo-style) while here in Bohol.  They were both tasty, though I only had a small portion of the meat.  It was very dark and I was unsure of its nutritional value.  Also, I was told the locals traditionally do not recommend consuming carameat for anyone with an ailment.

Incidentally, the Boholanos are known for going all out in celebrating their fiestas; much more so than during Christmastime. To grace a buffet table with delectable dishes, most families will save up to buy a whole pig, or raise one or two in the backyard..  And for those with limited funds, a family may pool their money with three others to buy a carabao.  Supposedly, a fourth of which is cheaper than a whole pig, yet provides about the same amount of meat to cook several viands for their guests’ gastronomic delight.

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Can chicken, milk and sugar turn our children gay?

Earlier this year, I attended a seminar on Natural Farming, which introduced me to the fundamental differences between conventional and natural farming methods. 

It was a very informative 3-day event, but what I found startling was when the speaker, Andry Lim, said half-in-jest that the usual practice in conventional poultry-raising – the injection of alarming doses of growth hormones in chickens, namely estrogen – may be causing premature physiological advances and homosexuality among our children.

It was shocking, to say the least, but I nonchalantly dismissed it since I’ve never heard of, or read about any hard facts on such issues.  But now comes this new study.

You may have already known about it.  I’m talking about the recent study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics which suggests that boys are entering puberty earlier now than several decades ago — or at least earlier than the time frame doctors have historically used as a benchmark.

The study, indicates that boys are showing signs of puberty six months to two years earlier than was reported in previous research in which 11 ½ was the general age puberty began in boys, historically that is.

But then again, experts are wary because studies in the past were of smaller scale or may have used different approaches. They admit that it is no easy task to determine how much earlier boys might be developing.  Supposedly, the study reflects research on girls which show earlier breast development than in the past.

This study by the Academy of Pediatrics does not propose answers to what might be causing earlier puberty, although it mentioned changes in diet, less physical activity and other environmental factors as possibilities. Experts said that without further research, implications for boys remain nebulous.

African-American boys, in this new study, show experiencing puberty earlier than whites and Hispanics, a result that other studies have shown also applies to African-American girls. Researchers said that difference is most likely driven by the role of genes in puberty.

In The New York Times article, the author, Pam Belluck, mentions a Dr. Laura Bachrach, a professor of pediatric endocrinology at Stanford University, who warns that the results of this new study should not prompt “a magazine cover article that shows a 9-year-old boy shaving.”

Dr. Bachrach goes on to add, “And because some parents fear that early puberty is related to more hormones in milk — speculation that is unproven — I don’t want people to get up in arms and rush out and buy organic milk,” she said. “When patients ask me, I say, ‘Do that for political reasons or because you like the taste, but don’t do it because you think it’s going to influence puberty.’ ”

“This should perhaps set a standard going forward for being very attentive to puberty in boys and being mindful that they’re developing earlier,” said Dolores J. Lamb, a molecular endocrinologist at Baylor College of Medicine and president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. She was not involved in the study.

Praising the study as well done, she said, “Whether the difference is as large as what they say on some papers 40 years ago is not clear.” However, she added, “this is going to be incredibly useful to pediatricians and urologists.”

The new study also found that African-American boys began puberty earlier than whites and Hispanics, a result that other studies have shown also applies to African-American girls. Researchers said that difference is most likely driven by the role of genes in puberty.

On average, black boys in the study showed signs of puberty, primarily identified as growth of the testicles, at a little older than 9, while white and Hispanic boys were a little older than 10.

Several experts said the study should not be seized upon as cause for alarm, but rather as a way to help parents and doctors gauge what to be aware of in boys’ development and whether to start conversations about social issues sooner.

“It was an important study to do, and their methodology is improved over prior studies in that they based their assessment of puberty in boys on what I consider to be the gold standard: the size of the testicles,” said Dr. Laura Bachrach, a professor of pediatric endocrinology at Stanford University.

But the study should not prompt a magazine “cover article that shows a 9-year-old boy shaving,” Dr. Bachrach said. And because some parents fear that early puberty is related to more hormones in milk — speculation that is unproven — “I don’t want people to get up in arms and rush out and buy organic milk,” she said. “When patients ask me, I say, ‘Do that for political reasons or because you like the taste, but don’t do it because you think it’s going to influence puberty.’ ”

Thus, though scientifically unconfirmed, the growth hormones infused in he livestock and chickens whose meat we consume, as well as the pesticides in our food supplies, may in fact turn out to be the insidious culprits that are quietly wreaking havoc in our internal systems.

In this Natural Farming seminar I had attended, on its final evening, there was a guest speaker who gave a brief lecture on the adverse effects of chemicals to our environment and to ourselves.  Her name is Edna Sasing-Lao. She is a Fellow, Biological Medicine; Diplomate, Chelation Therapy; Diploma in Homeophathy, British Institute of Homeophaty; Member, American College for the Advancement in Medicine; National Chancellor, PAMS-AIM; Trustee, Philippine College for the Advancement in Medicine; and Past President, Philippine for the Advancement in Medicine.

In her talk, she basically underscored what Andry Lim had earlier claimed about estrogen as being a probable cause in the increasing rate of homosexuality among our children.  Dr. Lao claims sugar increases estradiol – the most potent form of naturally-occurring estrogen in men – that can cause homosexuality.

          

Goodness gracious! Milk, chicken and sugar happen to be among the prime choices of our children when it comes to meals and snacks.  What a tough world we are living in, indeed.

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Time

An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth.

                                      Bonnie Friedman

  

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Forgiveness in everyday life

I sometimes suspect the reason I was put here on earth is to learn and embody the essence of forgiveness.

It is indeed tempting to succumb to anger and wish malice on those who offend us; however, in the end of the day, I would still be fuming mad while the culprit has gone about his usual way unperturbed. I say unperturbed because if he were not, he would never even think of committing such things. My only choice in this matter is to simply forgive that person.

To succeed, I would have to remind myself that I do not want to fill my consciousness with negative thoughts about him and his action. Also, I have to say to myself silently, “Whatever he has done, that’s his problem.”

I learned about this practice when I came across a book by Emmet Fox in which he argued that if you saw a little child unable to reach a high shelf, you wouldn’t condemn him for it, because you know that in due time he would gain the height. 

So it is with spiritual infants — we have to give them time to grow. And for not condemning but instead understanding them, we help them in the process. And by helping them, we free ourselves.

To quote Emmet Fox:

"Setting others free means setting yourself free, because resentment is really a form of attachment. It is a Cosmic Truth that it takes two to make a prisoner; the prisoner and the jailer. When you hold resentment against anyone, you are bound to that person by a cosmic link, a real, though mental chain. You are tied by a cosmic tie to the thing that you hate. You must cut all ties, by a clear and spiritual act of forgiveness. You must loose him and let him go. By forgiveness you set yourself free; you save your soul. And because the law of love works alike for one and all, you help to save his soul, too, making it just so much easier for him to become what he ought to be.”

Perhaps, in one way or another, this is what “letting go and letting God" is all about. Only problem is, although we may have already forgiven the person who had offended us, certainly, angry thoughts would come back to nag at us. In this case, what I would do is say the following silently to myself:

The good in me salutes the good in you. The good in me understands the good in you. Therefore, I forgive you. I bless you. I free you. I understand you and you understand me. I release you to your highest good.

Another that helps is silently saying to myself as I think of the offending party, “Go to God. Go To God.”  I would keep repeating this like a mantra until I have cleansed myself of negative thoughts about that person and what he had done.

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Abaniko

Anahaw pamaypay: only 10-to-15 pesos each

In Metro Manila and Bohol, especially during the torrid summer months, I always carry an anahaw fan (pamaypay). It’s not only good for temporary relief from the sweltering temperatures, but it’s also handy as a shield against the blistering sun or a light drizzle. 

The folding fans (abaniko) in the picture below are of the cheap kind; usually sold by street vendors in church vicinity for no more than twenty pesos. Made with less than durable materials, they don’t last that long. They’re about as good as those cheap folding umbrellas from China.  Be that as it may, having one is better than having none at all.

The affordable folding fans: 20-to-25 pesos each

During the early 2000s, the only ones who use folding fans in public besides the women were gay teens and gay men. However, nowadays, a lot of straight guys — from high school students to businessmen — can be seen with a folding fan in public instead of using a notebook or a manila envelope. 

And since folding fans can be easily stashed in brief bags and back packs, they have since gained further public acceptance as a necessary accessory for both men and women; not to mention that they'd make effective self-defense weapons.

Personally, I’d rather stay dry and comfortable than get soaked in sweat. Thus, I always carry a fan in my bag — either the large plain anahaw or a folding fan — to use when needed despite how others might perceive or discount my masculinity. Same as with an umbrella; I never ventured outside without one whenever it was raining or about to rain.  No veiled messages attached to these items – they are merely necessities.

The pricier folding fans by Casa Mercedes -- San Juan, Metro Manila

Speaking of veiled messages through one’s accessories, during the more prudish zeitgeist in local culture, as instituted by the Spanish friars during the Spanish rule, the folding fan and another must-have accessory, the handkerchief, were effective tools of communication used by women in the affairs of courtships. Such visual lexicon was expressed silently and discreetly.

From the Spanish era up to the early 1960s, courtship in the Philippines was an extremely arduous undertaking, because women were born and raised to be one of only three things: nun (to serve God), housewife (to serve a man) or spinster (to serve her family). It was also difficult for a man to meet a woman, unless he was fully accepted and welcomed by the woman’s parents.

At social gatherings, at the sala or ballroom, the women were usually seated at one side, while the men on the other. The most a man would get from a woman he desired were shy smiles or monosyllabic responses, lest she wanted to be perceived as "loose,” so to speak.  If the man was lucky enough to know someone close enough to the woman, then he would be used as a “bridge.” Without such middle person -- for a woman to subtly disclose likewise interest to the awaiting suitor -- the use of a folding fan or handkerchief would be the next best thing.

Here’s a sampling of the signals and their corresponding meaning according to The Prewar Lovers’ Guide by Ambeth Ocampo:

Through a handkerchief:

Brush against the lips = I’d like to exchange letters

Brush against one eye = I feel a sense of sadness

Brush against the left hand = I think I like you

Brush against both cheeks = I love you

Let if fall = Let’s get to know one another

Press against the right cheek = Yes

Press against the left cheek = No

Brush against the shoulder = Follow me

Fold = I’d like to speak with you

Fold the ends = Wait for me

Twist with both hands = It matters not

Twist with right hand = I love someone else

Twist with left hand = I don’t want to meddle in your affairs

Tie against the index finger = I have another sweetheart

Tie against the ring finger = I am married

Tie against entire hand = I am yours

Play with the handkerchief = I care not for you

Through a fan:

Carry it dangling from the right hand = I’d like to have a boyfriend

Carry it dangling from the left hand = I already have a boyfriend

Fan constantly = I love you a lot

Fan slowly = You don’t mean anything to me

Fold suddenly = I like you

Let it fall = My aim is true

Cover half the face = Follow me

To not carry or hide in one’s pocket = I am not interested in your courtship

Nowadays, courtship is a lot more relaxed and less stressful, especially since the advent of cellphones and text messaging. There’s also Facebook. It is now also an acceptable norm for a woman to initiate and pursue a man she desires. 

And for those intrepid lovers unable to curtail their urges, the fans and handkerchiefs have become even more necessary accessories — but this time for their original purpose — especially after a heated rendezvous in one of those cheap motels without air-conditioning that abound in Manila’s university belt area.

Performance troupe in early 20th-century regalia

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Hearing one's self

It is not the roar of the ocean that we hear when a seashell 

is placed next to our ear, but rather the sound of blood surging 

through the veins in the ear.

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The human ear is the envy of even the most sophisticated acoustic engineer. Without a moment’s thought or the slightest pause, you can hear the difference between a violin and a clarinet, you can tell if a sound is coming from your left or right, and if it’s distant or near. And you can discriminate between words as similar as hear and near, sound and pound.

Nearly everyone experiences trouble hearing from time to time. Common causes include a buildup of ear wax or fluid in the ear, ear infections, or the change in air pressure when taking off in an airplane. And a mild degree of permanent hearing loss is an inevitable part of the aging process. Unfortunately, major hearing loss that makes communication difficult becomes more common with increasing age, particularly after age 65.

Testing, 1, 2, 3

How do you know if you need a hearing test? If you answer yes to the questions below, talk with your doctor about having your hearing tested:

Are you always turning up the volume on your TV or radio?

Do you shy away from social situations or meeting new people because you’re worried about understanding them?

Do you get confused or feel “out of it” at restaurants or dinner parties?

Do you ask people to repeat themselves?

Do you miss telephone calls — or have trouble hearing on the phone when you do pick up the receiver?

Do the people in your world complain that you never listen to them (even when you’re really trying)?

You can also ask a friend to test you by whispering a series of words or numbers. After all this, if you think you have a hearing problem, you should have a test.

What does a hearing test involve?

Thorough hearing evaluations start with a medical history and examination of your ears, nose, and throat, followed by a few simple office hearing tests. An audiogram is the next step.

For an audiogram, you sit in a soundproof booth wearing earphones that allow each ear to be tested separately. A series of tones at various frequencies are piped to your ear. The audiologist will ask you to indicate the softest tone you can hear in the low-, mid-, and high-frequency ranges. People with excellent hearing can generally hear tones as soft as 20 decibels (dB) or less. If you can’t hear sounds softer than 45 to 60 dB, you have moderate hearing loss, and if you don’t hear sound until it’s ramped up to 76 to 90 dB, you have severe hearing loss.

Hearing tones is nice, but hearing and understanding words is crucial. The audiologist plays tape-recorded words at various volumes to find your speech reception threshold, the lowest dB level at which you can hear and repeat half the words. Finally, you’ll be tested with a series of similar sounding words to evaluate your speech discrimination.

For more on diagnosing and treating hearing loss, check out Hearing Loss by Harvard Medical School.

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Diff'rent Strokes: What to do with Manila?

A  Monday read featuring excerpts from articles on Culture, Art, Music, Film, Books, Architecture and various pop and avant-garde creations as published by online literary periodicals.

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What to do with Manila?

by Ivan Anthony Henares

Rappler

Architect Daniel Burnham, in preparing the general plan for Manila in 1905, made this observation: "Possessing the bay of Naples, the winding river of Paris, and the canals of Venice, Manila has before it an opportunity unique in the history of modern times, the opportunity to create a unified city equal to the greatest of the Western World with the unparalleled and priceless addition of a tropical setting."

Truly, Manila must have been such a beautiful city. Historical accounts before its devastation during the Second World War talk about grand avenues, magnificent architecture, an efficient public transport system, clean waterways (oh yes, the esteros of Binondo were bustling with commercial activity), elegant parks, gardens and open spaces, all of which that have become nothing but memory, if people even remember that the city had those before.

Are we not all tired of hearing how depressing Manila has become? How a succession of mayors has effectively contributed to the ugliness and urban blight of Manila continues to remain a mystery to many. One mayor demolished not a few of its architectural landmarks, massacred its civic center, open spaces and forest parks to build a park and ride facility, school buildings that could have been located elsewhere, and allowing the construction of shopping malls that stick out of the grand architecture.

Another mayor proudly claims that he is the reason why buildings taller than 19 floors are now sprouting like mushrooms all over the city, forever marring Manila’s classic skyline. As if the historic centers of Naples, Paris and Venice ever needed skyscrapers to become progressive. And then there is the infamous proposed reclamation of Manila Bay. Does Metro Manila even need to consume more of Manila Bay with all that reclaimed land remaining idle in the name of speculation?

And don’t those kitsch street lamps add insult to injury, rub salt on the wound, contribute to the continued demise of whatever is left of the city’s beauty, making one ask why mayors allow just anyone, possibly the city’s garbage collector, to pick tacky lamp designs from second-rate catalogues instead of delegating style responsibilities to the many talented Filipinos who truly have taste.

Glorious past

We can go on ranting about Manila-in-the-doldrums or down-in-the-dumps. But now is not the time to do that. If apathy allows this well-meaning but unfortunate misconception of progress among property developers and the local government to continue, we might be too late to save the city.

All over the world, historic districts are prime property, not only because of their central location, but more for the elegant architecture that defines their character. Manila is no stranger to character, with remnants of its glorious past still evident in the pre-war and early post-war buildings of Escolta, Ermita, and Malate.

The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines advocate the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings as a means to preserve the character of our cities, instill pride of place, and serve as a catalyst for progress through the revitalization of historic districts.

According to the HCS, “Adaptive re-use is a creative mode of conservation that gives heritage structures new and alternative functions other than the original ones that may no longer be required. Most often than not, built heritage resources are found on premium real estate property so developers are in a hurry to demolish rather than restore and recycle. Today, there is a growing awareness that adaptive re-use can enhance property value.”

And slowly, heritage advocates are sending the message across that our future is in our past. One prime example is BPO@Escolta. For close to a year now, stakeholders in Escolta have been meeting quite regularly to plan the comeback of our country’s former center of commerce, giving it a new lease on life by hosting business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in the district’s storied architectural gems. Escolta hosts some of the finest examples of Philippine architecture of the early and mid-20th century. And with this effort, its future seems bright.

Read more here.

Manila's old and new intertwined

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Suggested read:

Inquirer News: Don’t blame me; ‘ugly’ Manila spots under nat’l gov’t

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God's will

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by 
the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and 
approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.


                                                  Romans 12:2 



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Ej De Guzman: A rising proponent of Natural Farming

Enjoying a carefree life of a typical youngster, Efren Joseph De Guzman, otherwise known as Ej, never saw himself engaged in farming.  

That can be surprising indeed, since he hails from a family with very successful farmlands in Compostela Valley Province in Mindanao.  Perhaps, it was because the kind of farming he was exposed to was one of arduous conventional methods.

So, instead of spending some free time in the family farms – to learn the rudiments of agriculture – his days back then mainly evolved around school activities and playing basketball.  

In high school, at St. Mary’s College in Tagum City, he actualized his dream to become a varsity player.  Henceforth, he immersed himself in the joys of traveling with the team to many places to play in various varsity competitions.  And along the way, the lessons he treasured the most were the virtues of being a true team player.  This he would take to his adulthood.

Ej was born in Quezon City in 1990. At the age of four, the entire family moved to Mindanao to focus on their farming endeavors.  It was there he began his schooling until earning his B.S. Aircraft Technology degree at the famed Mindanao Aeronautical Technical School in Davao.  Upon  graduation from college, he set his sight on pursuing a rewarding career as an aircraft  maintenance engineer in Singapore.

While waiting for the approval of  his working papers, he visited Bohol where his parents had established a new integrated working farm – Bohol Coco Farm.  It was there he took notice of the many trials and tribulations involved in farm operations.  Meanwhile, his papers for a working visa in Singapore kept hitting inexplicable snags, which kept him in Bohol longer than intended.

In the interim, from friends back in Davao, he started to hear the buzz on Natural Farming and its innovative technologies.  On July 2010, exuding infectious enthusiasm, he convinced his parents to send him to Andry Lim’s Natural Farming Seminar in Davao.  And on the following month, armed with newly-acquired knowledge on natural farming, he started to experiment and apply its methods at the Coco Farm.

It is said that at any given arena, neophytes will surely encounter hits and misses. Ej certainly has his share of those to date.  But he remains patient and observant; never allowing disappointments to deter his expectancy to come up with effective solutions, A recent challenge to such attitude was when five of his piglets recently suffered from severe diarrhea.  With dogged determination, he eventually developed an all-natural cure that is devoid of chemicals.  Needless to say, losing those five piglets would have been devastating to his limited finances; worse, providing them with chemically-concocted antibiotics would have ruined the entire concept of naturally-raised livestock.

Consequently, Ej’s affable personality and zest for continued learning won the attention of notable stalwarts in the Natural Farming industry.  Besides Gil Carandang and Andry Lim, Ej also attracted the support of Jojie Gamboa, wife of Andry Lim, who introduced him to Warren Tan.  And with both Gil Carandang and Andry Lim fast approaching retirement, Jojie Gamboa sees both Warren Tan and Ej as the next lead proponents of  the Natural Farming industry.

At present, Ej at age 22, had assumed the tasks of being Coco Farm’s general manager; overlooking every aspect of its operations – from the all-natural raising of livestock and free-range chickens to the production of  pesticide-free vegetables and fruits.  In addition, Warren Tan immediately noticed his being a true team player and thus, took him on as his protégé; assigning him in the Farm Management side of his business, which is designing and building natural farm projects.

Moreover, Ej has been conducting one-day Awareness Seminar on Natural Farming.  This coming weekend, in tandem with Warren Tan, they will present a 3-day Next Level Seminar on Natural Farming at Coco Farm.  Its highlight will be the introduction of a breakthrough technology in hog raising,

As for the call he was waiting for from Singapore Airlines, it finally came but Ej was already much too entrenched in the challenges of natural farming.  For now, he has to put this opportunity on the back burner, so to speak, though much to the apprehension of his parents.  They really wanted him to make use of what he learned in college for at least a few years.  However, they have become impressed and proud of  his growing accomplishments in natural farming, and are now ardent supporters of his surprising shift in career path.

Ej envisions in the future a totally safe, nutritious and life-supporting food supply for all.  He also strives to be of significant influence to the country’s youth – for them to gain as much knowledge about the health benefits of natural farming and apply its methods even in their backyard gardens.

And these ambitions, as always, shall be guided by the light of his motto: “I don’t want to be a man of success, but a man of value and worth.”

Ej with Warren Tan (in red shirt) at Coco Farm

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Buhay Bukid: Babuyan

All piglets were 20 days of age when photos were taken
at Bohol Coco Farm


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Invisible hands

Bill Moyers: "Do you ever have the sense of... being helped by hidden hands?"

Joseph Campbell: "All the time. It is miraculous. I even have a superstition that has grown on me as a result of invisible hands coming all the time -- namely, that if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."

                                             Excerpt from The Power of Myth

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