Love the "Talipapa," center of people's economics

Biking through, like drive in buying.

Love the talipapa 

Market's birthplace,

the primordial concept of commerce,

beginning of exchange of goods by barter, 

where barter evolved into trade; 

flea market, local version, unique,

beautiful, distinctly Filipino; 

a place for thrifty spending, 

classless marketing; 

it's people's economics, 

family enterprise, 

where business is unlimited - 

outlet of farm surplus 

so with home made crafts; 

where transaction is by bargaining, 

the suki system as an institution; 

it's the "nerve center" of daily activities,

growth center of social and economic life

on the grassroots, 

fallback of the economy in crisis,

where the ordinary vendor, 

like the unknown soldier

is an unsung hero. ~

Ecology in Miniature Dioramas

 Ecology in Miniature Dioramas

Dr Abe V Rotor

Faculty Curator, Former St Paul Museum, SPUQC

These mini-dioramas have been removed to give way to a new project in the former Museum. This lesson is dedicated to the students who made them, and to visitors who appreciated the value of these masterpieces.

Coral Reef

The idea of miniaturized dioramas depicting ecological scenes was pioneered by students taking up ecology subject at St. Paul University QC. Their works - two dozen mini-dioramas depicting major ecosystems - were displayed for 15 years at the school museum, then the centerpiece of natural history.

A diorama is a “view window” reproduced from an actual or imagined event or scene made by artists who have a background of painting, architecture and sculpture combined, and of course, history. In this particular case, the diorama artists must have a working knowledge of ecology and biology.

One who may have visited any of the following museums has a better understanding as to what a diorama is in terms of structure, content and medium: National Museum in Manila, Ayala Museum at Greenbelt in Makati, and National Food Authority Grain Industry Museum in Cabanatuan. But the dioramas in these museums are large and spacious. It gives him the feeling that he is right on spot where the event is taking place or where the scene is located. This is enhanced with the right ambiance of lighting, musical background, narration or dialogue and the like.

The mini-dioramas at SPUQ are much simpler and smaller. They are works of amateurs but nonetheless exude the quality an artist cum ecologist can best show with the help of faculty members and the museum staff. Here are seven mini-dioramas depicting the Tropical Rainforest, the Ocean, Pacific Lagoon, Coral Reef, Alpine Biome, Savannah and the Desert,

1. Tropical Rainforest

The earth once wore a broad green belt on her midriff – the rainforest – that covered much of her above and below the equator. Today this cover has been reduced - and is still shrinking at a fast rate. The nakedness of the earth can be felt everywhere. One place where we can witness this is right here in the Philippines where only 10 percent of our original forest remains. Even the great Amazon Basin is threatened. As man moves into new areas, puts up dwellings, plants crops, becomes affluent, increases in number, the more the tropical rainforest shrinks. Our thinking that the forest as a source of natural resources is finite is wrong. Like any ecosystem, a forest once destroyed cannot be replaced. It can not regenerate because by then the soil has eroded, and the climate around has changed. It is everyone’s duty to protect the tropical rainforest, the bastion of thousands of species of organisms. In fact it is the richest of all the biomes on earth.

Tropical Rainforest

2. The Ocean

Scientists today believe that eighty percent of the world’s species of organisms are found in the sea. One can imagine the vastness of the oceans – nearly 4 kilometers deep on the average and 12 km at its deepest - the Marianas Trench and the Philippine Deep - and covering 78 percent of the surface of the earth. Artists and scientists re-create scenarios of Jules Verne’s, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” such as this diorama, imagining man’s futuristic exploration in the deep led by Captain Nemo, the idealistic but ruthless scientist. Such scenarios are no longer fantasy today – they are scenes captured by the camera and other modern tools of research. And the subject is not one of exploration alone, but conservation, for the sea, limitless as it may seem, is facing the same threats of pollution and other abuses man on land, in water, and air. The sea is man’s last frontier. Let us give it a chance.

3. Pacific Lagoon

The vastness of the Pacific Ocean is disturbed now and then by the presence of islands – big and small, singly or in groups - that appear like emerald and pearl strewn on the dark blue water, presenting a most beautiful scenery that attracts people to experience true communion with nature. Originally these islands were the tips of volcanoes, at first fierce and unsettled, but later became tame to the elements that fashioned them through time into lagoons, and other land forms of varied geographic features. As seen in this diorama, this island typical of Boracay is rich in vegetation, coconut trees grow far into the water and on the white sand that cover the shores. The coral reef teems with many kinds of marine life, from rare shellfish to aquarium fishes. In fact the whole island is a sanctuary of wildlife. It is a natural gene bank, a natural museum of biological diversity.

Tropical Lagoon

4. Coral Reef

Second to the Tropical Rainforest in richness in species diversity is the coral reef, often dubbed as a forest under the sea. Corals are simple animals of the Phylum Coelenterata, now Ctenophora, that live in symbiosis with algae. Algae being photosynthetic produce food and oxygen that corals need, and in return receive free board and lodging, and carbon dioxide. Within this zone grow many kinds of seaweeds, some reaching lengths of several feet long as in the case of kelp (Laminaria), and Sargassum, the most common tropical seaweed. As a sanctuary it cradles the early life stages of marine life until they have grown to be able to survive the dangers and rigors of the open sea. Coral reefs are formed layer upon layer through long years of deposition of calcareous skeletons of Coelenterates which is then cemented with sand, silt, clay and gravel to form into rock. Limestone is a huge deposit resulting from this process Scientists believe that without coral reefs islands would disappear and continents shrink. Above all we would not have the fishes and other marine organisms we know today.

5. Alpine Biome

Isolated from the lower slopes and adjoining valley, this ecological area has earned a distinction of having plants and animals different from those in the surrounding area. Because of the unique climate characterized by an intense but short summer and extreme cold the rest of the year, the organisms in this biome have acquired through evolution certain characteristics that made them fit to live in such an environment. Alpine vegetation is dramatic owing to its ephemeral nature. Here annual plants bloom with a precise calendar, attracting hordes of butterflies and other organisms. The trees are gnarled as they stand against the howling wind, mosses and liverworts carpet the ground, streams are always alive, and migrating animals have their fill before the cold sets in. We do not have this biome in the Philippines, but atop Mt. Apo in Davao and Mt. Pulog in Benguet, the country’s highest mountains, lies a unique ecosystem – a combination of grassland and alpine. This could be yet another biome heretofore unrecorded in the textbook.

Alpine 

6. Savannah

Home of game animals in Africa, the Savannah has the highest number of herbivores of all biomes. It had always been the “grand prix” of hunters until three decades ago when strict laws were passed prohibiting poaching and destruction of natural habitats. The diorama depicts the shrub-grass landscape, a stream runs into a waterhole where, during summer, attracts animals from the lowly turtle to the ferocious lion which stakes on preys like zebra and gazelle. Beyond lies Mt. Kimanjaro, Hemingway’s favorite locale of his novel of the same title (Snows of Kilimanjaro). It is said that the beginning of the Nile River, the longest river in the world, starts with the melting of snow atop Kilimanjaro, right at the heart of the savannah.

7. The Desert

Scenes of the Sahara flash in our mind the moment the word “desert” is brought about to both young and old, in fantasy or reality. Here lies a wasteland, so vast that it dwarfs the imagination. 

Deserts are found at the very core of continents like Australia and North America, or extend to high altitude (Atacama Desert) or way up north (Siberian Desert) where temperature plunges below zero Celsius. In the desert rain seldom comes and when it does, the desert suddenly blooms into multi-faceted patterns and colors of short-growing plants. Sooner the desert is peacefully dry and eerie once again, except the persistent cacti and their boarders (birds, insects and reptiles), shrubs and bushes that break the monotony of sand and sand dunes. But somewhere the “desert is hiding a well,” so sang the lost pilot and the Little Prince in Antoine de St. Exupery’s novelette, “The Little Prince.” I am referring to the oasis, waterhole in the desert. It is here where travelers mark their route, animals congregate, nations put claims on political borders. Ecologically this is the nerve center of life, spiritually the bastion of hope, a new beginning, and source of eternal joy particularly to those who have seen and suffered in the desert. The desert is not a desert after all. ~

Chicken Soup is Best for Convalescent; If Dust Gets into Your Eyes, Blow Your Nose. ^

Chicken Soup is Best for Convalescent; If Dust Gets into Your Eyes, Blow Your Nose  

                                        

                                                Abercio V. Rotor, Ph.D.

Published by University of Santo Tomas, launched 2008 Manila International Book Fair, SMX Mall of Asia, 220 pp. "The book is a compendium of indigenous technical knowledge complemented with modern scientific thinking. The narratives offer an exploration into the world of ethno-science covering a wide range of practical interest from climate to agriculture; medicine to food and nutrition..: (Excerpt of Foreword by Dr Lilian J Sison, dean UST Graduate School).

" For the science educator and communicator, here is a handy volume to help you reach the popular consciousness. You will find here more than ample number of examples for making connections between lived experience and scientific information." (Dr Florentino H Hornedo, UNESCO Commissioner)

----------------------

    

Some time ago a good old friend asked me, Abe  how can you go back to nature? Are you going back to the farm.  Don’t you like to live anymore in the city? Are you selling your car.

     Yes, I answered.  No not my car, that’s my only car. Yes, I can live with nature. Oo nga naman.  We talked and talked, until we were back in our childhood – I mean, childhood.  This was when my father got sick.  And this is how I came to learn that chicken soup is good for one who is convalescing, yon’ galing sa sakit - nagpapagaling. 

 

     True. Totoo. Chicken soup is good for the convalescent. However, there are specifications of the kind of chicken to be served. First, it must be native chicken. Karurayan is the term in Ilocos for a pure white native chicken which does not bear any trace of color on its feathers. It is preferably a female, dumalaga or fryer, meaning it has not yet reached reproductive stage. It is neither fat nor thin. Usually the herbolario chooses one from recommended specimens. He then instructs and supervises the household in the way the karurayan is dressed, cut, cooked into tinola (stew) and served to the convalescent. He does not ask for any fee for his services, but then he takes home one or two of the specimens that did not pass the specifications. (The more affluent the patient is, the more chicken the herbolario takes.) 

AVR Books are available at UST Publishing House, C and E Publishing, and selected National Book Stores

     Chicken soup as a convalescent food is recognized in many parts of the world. Because of its popularity, chicken soup has become associated with healing, not only of the body – but the soul as well. In fact there is a series of books under the common title Chicken Soup -  for the Woman’s Soul, Surviving Soul, Mother’s Soul, Unsinkable Soul, Writer’s Soul, etc. Of course, this is exaggeration, but nonetheless it strengthens our faith that this lowly descendant of the dinosaurs that once walked the earth of its panacean magic. 

     Try chicken soup to perk you up in these trying times - with all the rush, tension, various ailments, and expensive medication. Ika nga, bawal ang magkasakit.  

    But first, be sure your chicken does not carry antibiotic residues, and should not be one that is genetically engineered (GMO). By the way, I was a participant in the rituals made by this good herbolario.  I was then a farmhand and I was tasked to get the karurayan.  Our flock failed the test, but I found two dumalaga with few colored feathers. I plucked out the colored feathers and presented the birds to Ka Pepito.  They passed the criteria. Three days after I asked my convalescing dad how he was doing. “I’m fine, I’m fine, now.” He assured me with a big smile. 

    Writing a book such as this needs advice.  This time I needed one outside of the farm, and away from the village.  There’s no one else to my mind but someone in the academe. I went to Dr. Lilian Sison, dean of the Graduate School of UST.

Winner of National Book Award 2007, Living with Nature in Our Times, a sequel to The Living with Nature Handbook Winner of Gintong Aklat (Golden Book) Award 2003)

Dean Sison went over the manuscript and after a few days, I went to see her again. In the message for the book she said the most beautiful things that encouraged me a lot to continue writing about Nature. She said, and I quote. 

“Living with Nature in Our Times can be lumped up into one word - awareness.  For today’s trend in progress and development, spurred by science and technology, and spun by globalization cannot undermine the need to answer a basic question, “Quo vadis?” (Where are you going?) To where are we headed as a civilization?”

Dean Sison continued, “Living with Nature in Our Times gives us practical knowledge that elevates our awareness on three levels: that of our perception of the things around us by our senses, that of our perception of the inner stimuli that affect not only our physical being but our psyche and emotion, and the third which occupies the highest level of awareness – that which is beyond mere perception because it requires us to imagine, plan and anticipate the future.

“Living with Nature in Our Times cautions us while walking on the busy lane of change.  It reminds us to retrain our senses and to hone our sensitivity to better appreciate the best life can offer.  Only when we are close to nature are we able to truly appreciate its exquisitiveness; only when we heed the old folks’ good advice can we truly appreciate the beauty and bounty of nature.”

I could say no more, overwhelmed by Dean Sison’s message.  Then I realized.  Mataas nga ang expectation ng reader sa libro ko!  Did I write enough?  Am I understood as much as the listeners to my radio program, Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid do? Baka naman hindi ako maintindihan ni Ka Pepe at si Aling Maria.

It was a weekend and it was the tail end the monsoon – the best time to be on the farm.   I did the final editing of the book here – the farm where I grew up, where I got my stories, experiences I still remember, in a small town where I used to listen to old folks.  This time I am one of them.

 This same old good friend I told you earlier came to visit me. I took him out into the fields.  It was harvest time and a time of festivities of sort in the fields. The maya birds came by hordes, A gust of wind blew and my friend winked, apparently napuwing.  And he started rubbing his eyes.  Huwag, I said. Just blow you nose.  He laughed. 

“Just do it.” I said. He did once, twice, each for each nose, covering the other. Harder. He looked amazed.  The puwing is gone!  Success!  (You can try it later.)

My friend who grew up in the city complained again. “My tooth aches,” It’s  lunchtime.  Sayang.  We were going to have lunch, picnic style beside a farm pond we call alug.

“Sumasakit din ang aking ngipin,” I said, … “na hindi ko matikman lahat nito,” savoring the aroma of the food being cooked.  It’s like the proverbial grandmother’s pie.

“Hindi ako nagbibiro,” He said. 

 “Okay press the base of your jaw, like this,” and demonstrated how.  Open your mouth and feel the attachment of the jaw, it’s the hollow part. Press it long enough until the pain subsides.  He did it and held it there.

 “Okay ka na?”

 “Masakit pa rin.” 

 “Saan ba ang sumasakit?” Para akong dentista.

 “Doktor, nga si Dr. Rotor,” I heard a kindly old woman nearby.

 “Dito sa left.”  My friend opened his jaw. “Mali ang pinipisil mo, eh. Ang pinipisil mo as ang kanan mong jaw.”

A whole banana leaf was laid before us. We sat on the grass.  A tabo of water was passed on to each of us to wash his fingers before eating.  Then, like the old faithful Genie had arrived, we were partaking in a banquet no five-star hotel could match.

 There were hito, martiniko, broiled medium rare on uling, pesang dalag (mudfish stewed with green saba and a lot of tomato and onion, and kuhol with tanglad. Rice is newly harvested upland Milagrosa!  Miracle talaga sa bango at sarap. Everyone was quiet.  How could you with your mouth full? Now and then a dog would come from behind begging, licking.      

“How you eat this kuhol, my friend asked.  Ganito  lips-to-lips,” Matunog.  It tells your host you like the food very much. “Ayaw, eh” Pukpukin mo muna ang puit.”  Paano? Kumain ka lang. Then we had  ulang  (river crayfish). Hindi ba masakit kumagat yan?  He whispered. 

“Hindi naman alimango yan, eh. At patay na.  Sigue kumain ka lang.”  

With or without toothache, we had our fill.

Masakit pa ba ?

Ow.. Ouch.. Ow..  This time tiyan naman niya ang sumasakit.

Oo nga naman.  Pag meron kang kaibigan na katulad nito. Either you want to live long or … forget him. 

Living with nature is fun, live life best – it’s more than The Good Life. It is Renaissance Part 2. It is Postmodern Renaissance. It is Living with Nature in Our Times.

Fr James Reuter SJ opened a path for me to become as book author. He wrote in his own handwriting the message of my first book, Light in the Woods. That was in 1995, I was 50, quite late to start writing.  But I did.  Todate I have written a dozen books, singly and jointly, and edited journals, conference proceedings here and abroad. 

AV Rotor with the late Fr James Reuter SJ, (May 21, 1916 – December 31, 2012), an American Jesuit Catholic priest who lived in the Philippines since he was 22 and taught at Ateneo de Manila University. He introduced Catholic programming to Philippine television and helped set up Radio Veritas. He received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism in 1989 and was granted honorary Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Congress in 2006. ~

Living with Nature in Our Times is a sequel to The Living with Nature Handbook published by the UST Publishing House in 2003. 

There are 35 chapters in this new volume grouped into four sections. Enjoying Nature’s Bounty has eleven chapters, which deal with such hobbies as Home Gardening, Landscaping and Hydroponics. The second section, Understanding Nature’s Ways, has nine chapters. Mystery of the Fig Wasp is a recent research, while The Mosquito is an update about this deadliest creature on earth.

The third section, Conserving Our Natural Resources has seven chapters which include The 7Rs in Pollution Management, and Farming Peat Soil, a frontier of agriculture in the Philippines. The fourth and last section, Harmonious Living with Nature, has eight chapters which remind us of the importance of maintaining good relationship of man and nature.  Topics include Health and Values and Walking with Nature. 

Many of the articles in this book were taken from the lessons presented on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People’s School-on-the-Air). This is in response to listeners requesting copies of the lessons. Like in the first book, Living with Nature in Our Times is distributed  by the publisher through popular outlets.

A Sequel to the Living with Nature Handbook (312 pp), it was launched at the Philippine International Book Fair. It won the 2006 National Book Award by the National Book Development Board jointly with The Manila Book Circle and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts. Published by UST Publishing House, the book has 35 chapters divided into four parts.

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*Response Book Launching

August 30, 2007

Silence of the Pond

Dr Abe V Rotor

Silence of the Pond, AVR Circa 1989

Here true silence lies,

not eerie, not deafening,

for silence is communion

of self and surrounding.

Here true silence lies:

leaves quiver in the breeze,

ripples gently rise and fade,

buzz the honey bees.

Here true silence lies,

in the rhythm of the sky,

the rainbow a huge harp,

music all that sing or cry.

Here true silence lies:

the sound of the pond,

not in its depth or breadth;

the trees on their bund.

Here true silence lies,

beyond the audible,

in magic waves in the air,

and the perceptible.

Here true silence lies,

giving in is acceptance,

the root of humility,

courage at any instance.

Here true silence lies,

when the heart longs, yet sings;

thoughts not to reason but flies

from the confines of living.

Here true silence lies,

sweet memories an art

in the silence of a pond,

throbbing in the heart. ~

Sand Towers

Sand Towers  

They leave indelible marks to a child to think 

and dream as he grows up.  

Photos by Dr Abe V Rotor

 Wonder what this child think of these monoliths;

 a world of fantasy awaits in his prime;

transported to the land of legends and myths, 

a Gulliver he becomes in his time.   

On a hill of sand and gravel, John Patrick 7, discovered a rare phenomenon: stones perched atop towers of sand.  I explained how rain washed out the sand around each stone, save the sand under.  Each tower appears like a monolith that has its own peculiar shape and size.  When grouped together they are like ruins of the Parthenon in ancient Greece.

The rains had stopped, and on the following day only few of the sand towers remained standing. Like sand castles they leave indelible marks to a child to think and dream as he grows up. ~  

Buena Mano is a happy disposition

Dr Abe V Rotor

Happy disposition - it's the best buena mano or first deal.

Laugh and the world laughs with you,
     Not last but first for the day;
Frown and you're likely all alone
     Even with the saints to pray.

The world makes it easier to laugh
     Than weep on misfortune;
And much easier too, to pass you by,
     For not counting your fortune.

Equation is the game in life;
     Others have what other's don't,
Yet all that matters in happiness,
     Take the chance, woe if you won't. ~

Your Garden and Your Sex Life 
Dell H. Grecia

Women’s Journal

Backyard Ventures

A tribute to the late Dell H Grecia, veteran journalist

Why bother with aphrodisiacs and Viagra when your vegetable garden might yield rich, bountiful - and, yes, cheap - sources of the vitamins that boost sexual vitality?

As you work in your backyard garden, get to know the plants or veggies you grow, especially the benefits your body can reap from including these in your diet.

Dita, Alstonia scholaris, tallest tree at the UST Botanical Garden

            A newly published book, Philippine Herbs to Increase Your Sexual Vitality, authored by three known biologists- Drs. A. V. Rotor, D. C. Ontengco, and R. M. del Rosario- discusses how vitamins are needed to enhance our sex life.

            What we eat greatly affects our energy and drive, according to these three biologists. There is a big difference between people who take food enriched with vitamins and minerals and those who don’t watch what they eat. Doctors observe, for instance that those who meet the requirements of a balanced diet are less inclined to indulge in smoking, drinking, and unhealthy eating habits.

            What happens to the body that is properly nourished, specifically with foods that contain the all-important minerals and vitamins? A healthy body pre-disposes one to a zestful sex life?

            What are these vitamins and what specific roles do they play in enhancing one’s sex life?

            Vitamin A is the secret to smooth skin and a healthy glow. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, broccoli and other crucifers, yellow fruits and green leafy veggies. Deficiency in vitamin A leads to poor production of sex hormones and predisposes tissues to inflammation and infection.

            Vitamin B can be derived from unpolished rice and other cereals, nuts and seeds.

          Among the sources of niacin or vitamin B3 are asparagus, mongo sprouts, lean meat and fish. This vitamin improves memory and, together with Vitamin A and minerals, is responsible for that healthy flush and glow.  A deficiency may result in skin eruptions and pellagra.

            There is also pyrodizine, which is vital to the functioning of our brain and nerves. A deficiency is manifested by a general feeling of weakness, neuritis and insomnia, which may all lead to loss of libido and failure to experience orgasm.

            Choline, which is related to vitamin B, enhances sexual arousal and performance. It is an ingredient of lecithin, a rejuvenator. Lecithin also contains Inositol.

            Dr. Jensen believes that Inositol, panthothenic acid, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) constitutes what he calls the “youth vitamin.” Sources of this vitamin other than those already mentioned are eggs, crucifers, liver, legumes, whole grain nuts, and seeds like sesame. These also provide another vitamin B member, biotin, the lack of which in our body could lead to depression.

            Mango, avocado, citrus, tomato, guava, and strawberry are among rich sources of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), When we lack vitamin C, we suffer from bleeding of the gums, poor digestion, slow healing of wounds, susceptibility to cold and infections, shortness of breath- the early symptoms. Poor sex life is also attributed to a deficiency. Prolonged lack of this vitamin may lead to scurvy. It plays a role as well in the absorption of iron.

            Iron, meanwhile, aids in oxygenation of the blood. A well oxygenated blood is efficient in carrying oxygen, hormones, and nutrients to the organs and tissues of the body.

            Although there is no known direct effect on sex., the lack of vitamin D, which is actually a hormone complex known as sterols, adversely affects calcium-phosphorus balance and metabolism. Bone deformity in children and osteoporosis are the chief manifestation of a deficiency.

            Regular sunlight exposure and calcium-phosphorus-rich food protect us from the symptoms of a deficiency in this vitamin. In later years, calcium supplements, mainly from milk, may be necessary.

            Vitamin E, besides slowing down the aging process, adds zest to one’s sex life. It prevents the oxidation of fatty acids, which are important in the production of sex hormones. Vitamin E is found in most of the vitamin-rich food, but some people may still need supplements often marked tocopherols (for childbirth).

            Vitamin F is very badly needed by the thyroid, adrenal, and prostate glands. It promotes calcium absorption, buffers cholesterol, and helps keep our hair and skin looking healthy. Most of the vitamin-rich foods provide us with adequate vitamin F.

            Vitamin B12 was discovered in papait, derived from the chyme of ruminant animals. The chyme is filtered and pasteurized (heated below boiling for a few minutes and filtered). It is mixed with medium rare meat of goat or beef. This is the effective against tuberculosis and anemia.

            Other food sources of this vitamin are fish, poultry, and seaweed like gamet, arusip, and gulaman. Chlorella and spirulina are rich in vitamin B12. Its lack is manifested by fatigue, irritability, paleness, muscle jerking, and mild mental problems- all of which can adversely affect one’s sex life.

            To maximize the vitamins present in the food we eat, we must remember that heat destroys vitamins. Thus, vegetables must not be overcooked.

            Alcohol and coffee prevent the absorption of nutrients, principally vitamins and minerals. It is also good to remember that even if we get the proper kind and amount of food, we must complement it with regular exercise and enough rest. A positive disposition won’t hurt either.

            Why not try working in your garden? It’s a good workout for your body, which will also benefit from fresh air and sunshine.

            Lastly, we advise you to grab a copy of the book, Philippine Herbs to Increase Your Sexual Vitality, and discover the many wonders that vegetables grown in your garden can give you, most specifically to increase your sex vitality.

The book Philippine Herbs to Increase Sexual Vitality- authored by Dr. Abe V. Rotor  and companions Drs. Delia de Castro-Ontengco and Romualdo M. del Rosario- has caught my undivided attention. Through this column, I wish to share more invaluable tips from the book. 

            Viagra became a byword when the United States’ Food and Drug Administration approved this first oral drug for “treating erectile dysfunction” in March 1998. It is not an aphrodisiac nor a miracle pill that endows all men with the capacity to have vigorous sex, however. It only works for men who are impotent, its manufacturer clarified. Besides, the drug is so expensive that only the rich can afford it.

            Being a new drug, Viagra must be used with caution because of its possible side effects. Thus, my friend Abe and his co-authors decided to write about “Philippine plants known to contribute to sexual vitality other than having common uses as food and as local health remedies. These herbs, among others, could bring about improvements in one’s sex life and general health as well.”

     Since the passage of Republic Act No. 8423, known as the Alternative Medicine Law, the effectiveness of herbal medicines has already been accepted by many. There are now herbal pills manufactured from lagundi, sambong, ampalaya, etc. which can be produced from big drugstores.

            According to the three authors, the aphrodisiacs mentioned in their book are those known in the Encyclopedia Britannica, 14^th edition, as “ant food, drink or drug which stimulates sexual desire and power. It is derived from the Greek word aprodisiakos (aphrodisiacs), after Aphrodite, who inspired both men and women with great passion. She was regarded as the ideal of woman beauty and is represented in great works of art.”

            Herbs such as avocado, amargoso, garlic, carrots, durian, cashew, kawayan-tinik (spiny bamboo), etc. can be easily grown in the backyard.

            Avocado is popular as a dessert. Its pulp or flesh has aphrodisiac properties. Avocado fruits resemble the shape of a man’s testicles.

            Dr. Paracelcius of the 16^th century, author of the Doctrine of Signatures, said that “a plant or plant parts shaped like the sexual organs of a man or woman would make the best aphrodisiacs.”

            As an agronomist, I know avocado is propagated either by seeds (sexually) or asexually (grafted or budded). Some of its phytochemicals are ascorbic acid, beta carotene, calcium, iron, fiber, fat, lecithin, phosphorus, protein, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin D.

            Banana comes in varieties as lakatan, latundan, saba or señorita. Its fruits are an aphrodisiac. It is eaten raw as a dessert.

            The variety saba is made into banana chips and, sometimes, flour. The lakatan is usually processed into banana cake.

            Banana is a perennial herb with rhizome used as planting material. The Bureau of Plant Industry’s lab services process it into wine. Countryside folks usually cook the saba variety (either ripe or unripe) as their breakfast or merienda. It is rich in ash, calcium, crude fiber, glucose, iron, moisture, phophorus, potassium, starch, and vitamin A, B and C.

            The leaves of carrots or remolacha in the form of a decoction from India are used as a stimulant. Its aromatic seeds, also in decoction, are an aphrodisiac. It is a refrigerant and an antiseptic and blood cleanser, capable of dissolving kidney stones and curing jaundice or yellowing of the skin as well.

            Carrots possess numerous phytochemicals. Some of these includes ascorbic acid, ash, carotene, camphor, bromine, boron, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, fiber galactose, and several betas and gammas.

            This root crop  propagated by seeds, is ideal to grow in the backyard, especially if planted in plots. In pots, one or two plants may afford you big roots.

            Ampalaya is bitter gourd or bitter melon in English. Its leaves, flowers and fruits are used as an ingredient in aphrodisiac preparations. Man greatly benefits from these preparations.  A one-half-cup leaf decoction, preferably with honey, is suggested once or twice daily.

            Its other properties are anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, astringent, anti-leukemia, antibiotic, laxative, purgative and refrigerant.

            In China, Ghana and Mexico, bitter gourd is considered an aphrodisiac. It is propagated by seeds and is planted from July to August.

            The shoots of spiny bamboo, locally called kawayan-tinik, are made into popular lumpiang sariwa, pickles or achara, or used as an ingredient for dinengdeng. Harvested ten days after emergence, the shoots contain protein, fat, ash, carbohydrates, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine and ascorbic acid.

            It is used as anti-asthma and anti spasmodic agents, and as stimulant, astringent, tonic and cooling brews. Reproduction is mainly by tillers or shoots- and cuttings, too.

            The rhizomes of ginger or luya in Filipino are boiled into a hot beverage called salabat. Powdered rhizome makes an instant salabat.

            Sliced fresh ginger root is added to stews, sauces, and other Oriental dishes. When ground, it is used in making gingerbread, cakes, biscuits, others. It is also used in wine, liqueurs, and cordials.

            In Asian medicine, it is a digestive aid, stimulant and diuretic. I t is also recommended for rheumatism, asthma, colds and cough, diarrhea, colic or sharp, sudden abdominal pain and indigestion. For reproduction, the rhizomes are used.

                  Okra is called lady’s finger in English. Both young tender fruits and seeds are mucilaginous or watery-sticky substances. They are used to thicken soups, stews, and sauces. Seeds may be used as coffee substitute.

Sampaguita, Jasminium sambac, the country's national flower 

            
It is the mucilage that has an aphrodisiac effect. It is a stimulant, tonic, diuretic, carminative, and anti- spasmodiac.

            Okra contains ash, calcium, fat, linoleic acid, magnesium oxide, mucilage, nitrogen, pectin, starch, vitamin C, and, of course, water. It is propagated by seeds and is recommended in the backyard for it fruits prolifically.

            Onion, commonly called sibuyas bombay, is used as an article of food and condiments. Its juice, when mixed with honey, ginger juice and ghee, is an aphrodisiac. Its other properties are as stimulant, diuretic, colic, anti-dysentery, spleenic, anticholesterollemic and antimicrobial. It cures sore throat, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), boils, anthrax and hemorrhage.

            Onions have carbohydrates, essential oil, fructans, inulin, protein, vitamin C, and others. Seeds are used for reproduction.

            Garlic or bawang, as it is locally called, is a flavoring agent rather than a veggie. I use fresh garlic cloves to maintain my good blood pressure. Others buy garlic capsules for the same purpose.

            The pungent-smelling volatile oil cleanses the blood, tones the organs generally, and builds up stamina and strength, doubtlessly contributing to its aphrodisiac property. Among the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Japanese, Swedish, and Germans, garlic is widespread among them as an aphrodisiac.

            The east German pharmaceutical journal Du Pharmazie says that “garlic is especially suited for men and women of climacteric age because it contains compounds related to sex hormones.”

 B. Other Herbs for Sexual Vitality

For lack of space, we merely enumerate here other herbs to boost sexual vitality. These are anis, balanoi, balete, batau, bunga, clove, cocoa, dilau, durian, hasmin, ikmo, kapok, cashew, kintsay, langka, linga, makahiya, paminta, pandan mabango, pitogo, sabila, saffron, sarsa, parillang-Chine, takip kuhol, talong-puti, and watercress.

                         Symbol of the former UST Pharmaceutical Garden

Drs. Rotor, Ongtengco, and del Rosario explain: “While immediate effects may be produced in our bodies by purified drugs such as Viagra, herbal treatments may take some time before one sees positive results. The latter’s advantage is that the body’s systems are reached more deeply by the vital components of these herbs, resulting in the development of more lasting health. One must develop a liking for these herbs and be patient in using them. Their proven effects have been cited in researchers and books, locally and abroad.”

 Former EcoSanctuary of St Paul University QC