US Thanksgiving Day, Last Thursday of November. Yes, there is also Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines

US Thanksgiving Day,

Last Thursday of November, End of American Civil War

Researched and organized for avrotor.blogspot.com  

TATAKalikasan AdMU Radyo Katipunan, and Usapang Bayan 

radio programs, by Dr Abe V Rotor

Ever since the pilgrims, Americans have celebrated days of thanksgiving, but until 1863 there was no one day of the year that people thought of as

thanksgiving day.

Sarah Josepha Hale who wrote the nursery rhyme, "Mary has a Little Lamb,") thought there should be.  Starting in 1827, she wrote to every president, urging him to establish one, but no one listened until Abraham Lincoln, after the victory at Gettysburg, issued a proclamation setting aside the last Thursday of November as a day to give thanks for the survival of the nation. 

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US Thanksgiving Day marks the end of the American Civil War 

The American Civil War was the culmination of the struggle between the advocates and opponents of slavery that dated from the founding of the United States. This sectional conflict between Northern states and slaveholding Southern states had been tempered by a series of political compromises, but by the late 1850s the issue of the extension of slavery to the western states had reached a boiling point. The election of Abraham Lincoln, a member of the antislavery Republican Party, as president in 1860 precipitated the secession of 11 Southern states, leading to a civil war.

The Union won the American Civil War. The war effectively ended in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The final surrender of Confederate troops on the western periphery came in Galveston, Texas, on June 2.

It is estimated that from 752,000 to 851,000 soldiers died during the American Civil War (more than all US soldiers combined who died in WW1 and WW2 and other wars America was involved, including Vietnam war*). This figure represents approximately 2 percent of the American population in 1860. The Battle of Gettysburg, one of the bloodiest engagements during the Civil War, resulted in about 7,000 deaths and 51,000 total casualties.

Reference: Who was Abraham Lincoln? By Janet Pascal, illustrated by john O'Brien, Grosset & Dunlap 2008; Internet

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. Date: Thursday, November 28, 2024; Observed for: 403 years

Yes, there is also Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines.

As an American colony from 1898 to 1946, the Philippines celebrated Thanksgiving on the same day as the United States. President Manuel Quezon even declared it an official local holiday in 1935. Commemoration paused during the Japanese occupation, although locals still celebrated secretly. The tradition returned during the administration of former President Marcos, who even moved the date to September 21. It ended after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

Today, though Thanksgiving is no longer an official holiday in the Philippines, many Filipinos celebrate it as a cultural tradition. Some restaurants even create special menus featuring classic dishes, like (lechon or roasted pig*) in lieu of turkey with cranberry sauce, pecan pie, and stuffing. Even if it’s not a major event anymore, you can still enjoy a good feast with your loved ones. Internet (*parenthesis supplied by the author)

 DON'T CUT THE TREES, DON'T - 5 selected poems 

Book Foreword 
Ophelia A. Dimalanta, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Creative Writing and Studies; University of Santo Tomas 

  What makes this poetry collection by Abercio V Rotor specially significant is its ecological slant which gives it an added dimension rarely attributed to other poetry collections. Poet Rilke reminds the contemporary poet to “get out of the house” and bond with nature. 

 Most of the poems written today are introspective or retrospective written in the privacy of one’s room, smelling of deep dark crannies not only of the room but of one’s heart. 

 There is nothing wrong here. But we welcome this attempt to indeed “get out of the house” and establish kinship with every creeping, floating, flying creature outside our private nooks. It is a substantial collection, departing from the usual stale air of solitariness and narcissism which permeates most poetry today. 

 It is therefore, a welcome contribution to Philippine poetry in English, livened by visuals that add color to the poetic images. The oeuvre is not only pleasurable because of this. The poetic ability of the poet himself enriches the whole exciting poetic experience, a blurring of the line separating man from the rest of the living creatures outside. Every poem indeed becomes “flower in disguise” using the poet’s own words. Author's Note: The late Dr. Ophelia Dimalanta was Writer-in-Residence, and former Deam Arts and Letters, University of Santo Tomas

                          Ode to a Tree that Wears a Veil

                     

Acacia tree in its deciduous stage, is loaded with epiphytes,

 Ateneo de Manila University QC campus

                 

A veil to shield the sun,
A veil to keep from rain,
A veil to buffer the wind,
A veil to hide the view around,
A veil to muffle sweet sound,
When you wear your crown.

A veil to let the sunshine in,

A veil to welcome the rain,

A veil to dance in the wind,

A veil to view far beyond,

A veil to free those in bond,

When you lose your crown.

A veil to clothe the naked,

A veil to comfort the lonely,

A veil to feed the hungry,

A veil to house the lost.

A veil to welcome the dawn,

When you gain back your crown.

                  Leafless Tree by the Window

                                                                 Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches QC

I am a passing wind, I knock on the window pane,
The door is closed, the wall in deathly pallor;
The roof of rusting crimson, eaten by sun and rain.
I knock again - only silence returns my call.

I must have missed summer when everything here -
A single tree, a patch of grass - is a garden;
Long was my way fighting the dark heavy sky,
And autumn lulling all into deep slumber.

Fall is beautiful, but where are the good poets now?
Sleep and the flowers will come one by one;
But I am just a passing wind and soon I'll be gone.
I knock again - only silence returns my call.

                                       Deciduous Trees

                                                         Deciduous Trees in Acrylic AVR 

You lose your crown that you may gain
Freedom to reach out for the sky;
For the sun to bathe your whole being,
To raise the lowly where they lie.

The sky and ground now become one,
Renewing faith in new life to beam;
Rises the sun the prime mover all,
To flow through the living stream.

You litter the floor, keep in the rain,
Feed the microbes, the brute you tame,
Breaking the carbon back to its form,
And the genie for the next game.

Seasons may come and go, obedient
And humble are your ways untold;
Your old gene, it’s the key to loving
Your kin, and fighting the bold.

Against the wind and scanty rain;
The inner signal comes around
Ticking, then it comes, it is fall;
You have earned a bigger crown. ~

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Book Message
Armando F De Jesus, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Letters
University of Santo Tomas

"Don't Cut the Trees, Don't" is a collection of ecology poems and paintings of nature. The tree is taken to represent the environment. Each poem and each painting is like a leaf of a tree each revealing a little of the many marvels of this unique creation. Each poem and each painting is a plea on behalf of this new vision and of this new ethics.

Agoho Trees

Agoho Trees mural by the author and children: Marlo, Anna and Leo Carlo, SPUQC 2000

Each tree a mark of time,

From past to the age of space;

Of deeds, passing wind a chime,

Spreading peace and grace.

In handshake they seek across

The seas and to the stars,

For some brethren long lost

Bearing hurt and scars.

Strong against the storm,

Their timber will not give

Only to time and reform;

They stand as long as they live.

And many a man well in thought

Walks, arch above his head;

To honor what he had fought,

For the tears he had shed.

Walk to the gate, hurry,

The Sentinel will not wait;

Night falls, dark and dreary,

Go before it’s too late.

                  Ecology Prayer

Upland wall mural, author's residence San Vicente, Ilocos Sur 

                                                When my days are over,

let me lie down to sleep

on sweet breeze and earth

in the shade of trees

I planted in my youth;

and if I had not done enough,

make, make my kind live

to carry on the torch,

while my dust falls

to where new life begins –

even only an atom that I shall be;

let me be with you,

                                                 dear Mother Earth. ~

Dr Abe V Rotor and Dean Ophelia Dimalanta hold trophies won by the author’s previous books – Gintong Aklat Award (The Living with Nature Handbook, 2003) and National Book Award (Living with Nature in Our Times, 2008) in the presence of Fr Regent, and Dean Armando De Jesus of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters.

Environment: Preserve the environment by leaving Nature alone

Environment: 

Preserve the environment by leaving Nature alone

Reflection by a lake atop Mt.Pulog mural, St. Paul U, QC

Dr Abe V Rotor

I met an old man living by a lake atop Mt Pulog in Benguet, living like Henry David Thoreau, the great American philosopher who left town to live alone by the Walden Pond in a nearby forest. Sitting by a small mountain lake with him, I asked, “What is the best way to preserve nature?”

His answer was unexpected.“Leave Nature alone.”

I expected a different answer because I thought man is the guardian and custodian of living things – and all creation for that matter. Apparently, man has not succeeded.

“Before, the enemy of man was Nature;
Today the enemy of Nature is man.”

Direct assault of man on nature has been without respite throughout the ages –
from hunting-gathering, to agriculture, and ultimately to today’s accelerating
Industrialization.

“Good bye,” said the fox to the Little Prince, “And here is my secret.”

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery’, The Little Prince)

Life is Beautiful. Let’s make it truly one. It is the best offering we can give to our Creator. ~

Posted by Abe V. Rotor at 7:18 AM


4 comments:

Mechelle said...

sadly, people who benefit from the nature are who destroy it. Maybe, it is better that we LEAVE ALONE the nature, like when no man live in this earth the world seems like so beautiful. - 3CA3 (Mechelle)October 9, 2011 at 10:54 AM
Jeanne said...

We should leave nature alone. One of the main reasons why we experience sudden weather changes is that because we are destroying nature. We've hurt mother nature enough, it's time to give back by leaving nature alone.
Jeanne Ann Edillon (3CA3)October 9, 2011 at 8:31 PM
Francesca Concepcion said...

If I were to ask the same question to a person, I would also never expect an answer same as the man's “Leave Nature alone.”

I always thought of complicated things to solve that problem, but the answer would be the easiest act. I believe that the nature would still be restored if we start leaving nature alone, right now.

Enough of all the destruction that man has created, we have destroyed so much that we are all suffering and we will surely suffer more as man continues to destroy the nature and the environment for his selfish needs.

If only, every man would think of the future generations who would include his grandchildren, suffering from too much heat or coldness brought by global warming caused by the irresponsibility of man in our generation today - the world would be saved.October 10, 2011 at 1:52 AM
Nicole De Leon said...

"Leave Nature Alone" was the best answer I heard for that question. What we did with the environment caused it to deteriorate. The more we are in touch with nature, the more we do things with the environment, the more greedy and possessive we are with it, causes its depletion and destruction.

So I think leaving nature alone is the best way to preserve it. The more we put our hands on it, the more we harm them.

We are surrounded by numerous changes caused by globalization, technology, industrialization, etc. We are so focused with the positive changes it brings us and we don't notice that these changes that do good to humans, do bad effects to the environments. We are becoming selfish that we neglect nature. Yes, it is true that our nature needs us to care for them but instead of caring for them, the opposite of it happens. We've caused too much pain to our Mother Nature and it is already enough and we have to put a stop in it. Let us just leave nature alone and let it heal alone.

-Nicole De Leon (3CA5)October 11, 2011 at 10:20 PM

Green Madonna and Child

 Green Madonna and Child

"Our Holy Lady and Child, please help us
       save our dying Mother Earth."

Dr Abe V Rotor

Relief painting of Madonna and Child in acrylic AVR 2015 

  

Faceless, shrouded with smog, seated on a volcano,

    this Madonna and Child of my imagination

moved my fingers, and touched my heart and soul.

    Forgive me for my irreverent interpretation.

I am a humble artist seeking meaning of art to life,

    a new consciousness, a re-birth,

to bring prayer to action, our Lady and Holy Child

    in saving our dying Mother Earth.~

Aesop fables live on in zoos and gardens

    Aesop fables live on in zoos and gardens 

"The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted."- Aesop

Dr Abe V Rotor 

A stone hippopotamus greets visitors at Bangkok's Safari World. 

Author's daughter Anna playfully poses for souvenir. ca 2005

Hippo, a fiend or a friend,

when alive, and in stone;

can we conserve the wild

in memory of stone? 

Bangkok's Safari World, ca 2005. 

A duo with dumb faces  and sultry eyes,

greets guests at feeding time,

a herd watches at  a distance, awaits;

to give or not to give a crime.

  

Sea eagle, La Union Botanical Garden, ca 1986

What a reputation you have and your kin,

hawk, kite, owl - all birds of prey;

keen eyesight, sharp claws, hooked beak,

yet the most endangered today

Iguana, Avilon Zoo, San Mateo Rizal, ca 2005

Fierce looking, yet shy this iguana

when hungry and begging,

darts on any thing, food-like thrown,

Aesop lesson in the offing. 

Philippine Crocodile, Tagaytay Zoo, ca 2005

It's a log!  It's a rock!

 No, it's a crocodile!

in the swamp or hall,

it's the biggest lie.

 

Skipper - relative of the moth and butterfly, 

yet neither nocturnal nor diurnal;

no wonder it's seen only at dusk time,

breaking away, never fraternal.

The skipper belongs to Lepidoptera like the moth and butterfly.  It is crepuscular, active only at dusk.  It has pairs of false eyes, a pair distinctly large on the front wings, designed to scare predators. 

* Aesop was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Born: 621 BC, Nessebar, Bulgaria, Died: 565 BC, Delphi, Greece

Chinese Ancient Fable: The Fighting Oxen

 The Fighting Oxen

Researched by Dr Abe V Rotor

Chinese Ancient Fables

A great artist painted a picture of two oxen fighting. Everybody praised it.

"Look! How spirited they look, like live ones."

Two oxen fighting in real life.

The artist swelled with pride.  He had the painting mounted on precious silk hung from jade rods, and put it away in a cedar chest.  Rarely would he show it to anyone except those who could appreciate fine work. 

One day he took the painting from the chest, unrolled it, and hung it in the sun, as a precaution against bookworms.

Just then a cowherd entered the courtyard, stood before the picture and smiled broadly.

"Do you know anything about painting, boy?" asked the artist. "What do you think of the oxen, aren't they lifelike?"

"They look like oxen," said the cowherd, still smiling.

"And is there anything that strikes you as being wrong?"

"When oxens fight and butt with their horns," said the boy, "they keep their tails tucked between their ramp.  Now in this picture, they're flicking their tails about.  I've never seen oxen fighting like that before."

The great artist had no answer to this. (Dong Po Zhi Lin)

Chinese philosophies are engrained ingeniously in simple stories

 Chinese philosophies are engrained ingeniously in simple stories

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Living with Nature - School on Blog

Our Lesson: Chinese philosophies are engrained ingeniously in simple stories that take the form of anecdotes, jokes and fables. They are people's stories. Here are old Chinese stories that lead the reader to philosophies of ancient China, which are as relevant today as the time they were written and taught.

Compared, Western stories generally emphasize entertainment, often through action and drama, and convey lessons that are equally valuable, but not necessarily on the level of philosophical thought.

Analyze each story and find out the corresponding philosophy involved. Relate it with a real situation and explain. This is applicable in class, in preparing papers and speeches , and in sharing during conferences and gatherings.
Liu Zongyuan, Liu Tsung-yüan, courtesy name (zi) Zihou (born 773, Hedong [now Yongji], Shanxi province, China—died 819, Liuzhou, Guangxi province), Chinese poet and prose writer who supported the movement to liberate writers from the highly formalized pianwen, the parallel prose style cultivated by the Chinese literati for nearly 1,000 years. A talented writer from his youth, Liu Zongyuan served as a government official for most of his life, acting with integrity and courage despite his politically motivated exile to minor positions in isolated regions of China. Encyclopedia Britannica

1. The man who liked money better than life

In Yongshu there were many good swimmers. One day, the river swelled suddenly. Braving the danger, about half a dozen people started across in a small boat. While they were still in midstream, the boat capsized. Whereupon, they started to swim. One, though using his arms vigorously, seemed to make small progress.

"You're a better swimmer than any of us, why are you lagging behind?"
asked his companions.

"I have a thousand coins tied around my loin," said the man.

"Why don't you throw them away?" urged the others.

He made no answer, shaking his head, although he was clearly in difficulties.

The others reached the shore and shouted out to him: "Off with the coins, you fool! What's the use of the money to you when you are drowning?"

Still the man shook his head. In a few moments he was drowned. - Collected Works of Liu Zongyuan

2. Short-sightedness

Two men were short-sighted, but instead of admitting it, both of them boasted of keen vision.

One day they heard that a tablet was to be hung in a temple. So each of them found out what was written in it beforehand. When the day came, they both went to the temple. Looking up, one said, "Look, aren't the characters 'Brightness and Unrighteousness''?

"And the smaller ones. There! You can see them, they say, 'Written by so and so in a certain month, on a certain day'!" said the other.

A passerby asked what they were looking at. When told, the man laughed. "The tablet hasn't been hoisted up, so how can you see the characters?" he asked. - Xiao Lin Ya (Selected Jokes)

3. Will you flatter me?

A rich man and a poor man were talking together,

"I have a hundred ounces of gold," said the rich man. "If I give you twenty, will you flatter me?"

"It would not be fairly shared, so how could I flatter you?"

"Suppose I give you half, would you flatter me then?"

"We would be equal, I would not flatter you."

"If I give you all the gold, how then?"

"If I had all the gold, I would have no need to flatter you." - Ai Zi Wai Yu

4. A Weak-Minded Old Peasant

An old peasant had a few mu of land (one-tenth of a hectare). He was feeble character who chose to regard himself as a peaceable man.

One day, a man came to him, "You neighbor let his ox trample your paddy field," he said.

"Oh, maybe it is only an accident," said the old peasant. "Don't bother about it."

The next day another man came to him, "Your neighbor is cutting the rice in your field," he told him.

"They are short of food," said the old peasant. "Let them take it. What does it matter?"

His meekness merely served to whet the appetite if his neighbor, who proceeded to encroach upon his land and cut off some branches of the tree over his ancestral grave.

This was more that the old peasant would stand. He went to his neighbor and demanded to know why he had encroached upon his land.

"What do you mean?" cried his neighbor. "We reclaimed this land together, but we never marked the boundary. You say I'm encroaching on your land, but actually it's the other way around."

"All right! Then why did you cut off the branches of the tree on my ancestral grave?"

"Why didn't you move your ancestral grave farther off?" retorted the neighbor. "The roots of that tree have run into my field and its branches hang over my field. I only cut a few twigs that hang over my field. What's that to you?"

The old peasant shook with rage. But being feeble-minded, he could not really rally his wits. "Oh, well!" he said. "It's all my fault! All my fault! I shouldn't have chosen you as my neighbor!" -  Pu Li Zi

NOTE: I had a chance to visit China in 1982 and in 1986 and saw the rapid transformation of the once "sleeping giant" into a modern country. In spite of modernism that is changing the lives of the younger Chinese, the philosophies of ancient China and teachings of great Chinese teachers like Confucius are very much alive and respected. Acknowledgment: Chinese Ancient Fables, translated by Yang Xianyl, Gladys Yang, et al; Google photo credit, Encyclopedia Britannica, Internet. - avr

* Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB-AM, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Chinese Ancient Fables: SUSPICION and THE CRUMBLING WALL

Chinese Ancient Fables:

SUSPICION and THE CRUMBLING WALL

Researched by Dr Abe V Rotor

1. Suspicion 

"Suspicion is the cancer of friendship." - Francesco Petrarch

A man who lost his axe suspected his neighbor's son of stealing it.  He watched the way the lad walked - exactly like a thief.  He watched the boy's expression - it was that of a thief.  He watched the way he talked - just like a thief.  In short, all his gestures and actions proclaimed him guilty of theft.

But later he found the axe himself when he went out to dig.  And after that, when he saw his neighbor's son, all the lad's gestures and actions looked quite unlike those of a thief. ~

2. The Crumbling Wall

"Labeling automatically leads to false conclusions and wrong assumptions about others."- Alan G. Fields

There was once a rich man in the state of Sung.  After a downpour of rain his wall began to crumble.

"If you don't mend that wall," warned his son, "a thief will get in.

 An old neighbor gave the same advice.

That night, indeed, a great deal of money was stolen.  Then the rich man commended his son's intelligence, but suspected his old neighbor of being the thief. ~

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* Researched by the author during his visit to the People's Republic of China on October 2 to 8, 1982. Acknowledgement: Chinese Ancient Fables, Foreign Languages Press Beijing, China; cartoon images from Internet

A Walk with Nature - Leisure and Therapy

 A Walk with Nature - Leisure and Therapy

Leisure and therapy. When was the last time you took a nature's trail? Camping in the wood? Walking down the beach? Nature invites you to relax, to find peace of mind - and to be healed. 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Author walks among pine tree saplings. Tagaytay 2008

Walking is leisure and therapy when you combine and harmonize your body, mind and spirit with nature. It is an exercise that restores gait and adds strength, and it brings inner peace. The mind becomes sharper; sensitivity is honed. And just like what the Greeks believed to be the fountain of youth, it could be the missing key to “a healthy mind in a healthy body.”

They say that to keep yourself healthy and active you must exercise regularly. It is one way to keep yourself fit with their environment. But more than physical fitness, the psyche must be given equal treatment. They must be exercised altogether. And the catalyst is Nature.

This is particularly true to one approaching middle age or old age. It is important to slow down, harmonizing the body and mind. Slow down in the same way jogging comes to the pace of easy walking. Make exercise not as a task but leisure.

To achieve this, first you must condition yourself to
• have peace of mind,
• be positive,
• be keen with nature’s presence and rhythm, and
• remember, it’s your day.

While the body responds to the physical world such as the condition of the road, and presence of people and objects, the mind is keen with the beauty of the surroundings and creates images that only the person concerned personally experiences. Here environment and imagery become one.

Listen to the Songs of Birds
One morning on the grounds of the University of Santo Tomas I heard a Philippine black-headed shrike or tarat or panal (Lanius schach nasutus). Its crispy calls signal the arrival of the Siberian High. It tells of harvest time and kite flying. The chilly air is exhilarating to breathe. Listening to its rhythmic calls, I soon found out that its kin had arrived at the same tree, and soon I became an audience of their concert. I stopped walking to hear and watch them until they moved to another tree.

At one time I saw another bird – pandangera (Rhipidura javanica nigrotorquis), named after its tail that constantly moved and opened like a fan. I searched for it in a nearby fire tree about to shed its leaves, and while it sang and danced, sent showers of yellowing leaves to the ground. Happier and more musical than that of the tarat, it also came with the annual migration of birds as the Northern Hemisphere approached  winter.

What an unusual experience to find these rare creatures in the heart of a crowded metropolis –  indeed a sanctuary in a concrete jungle. To me there is nothing sweeter than recollecting of farm life, giving zest to urban living.

Take time to appreciate the creatures of the air - the epitome of freedom. Watch them soar and ride on the wind. Play hide-and-seek with them among the trees. Listen intently to their songs. Pick up a tune, imitate and put them into notes. Observe their kinship. Search their nests. Birds are among the most beautiful creatures, especially the males. Study their plumage. Marvel at how nature engineered them for flight and arboreal life. Reflect on this, “If I have wings, will I find  freedom and peace?”

Understand the Ways of Nature
While strolling along the water edge of the man-made lake at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, I stopped to rest beside a mudflat where water had earlier receded. Seeds had begun germinating while minute snails combed its the slimy surface, leaving trails glistening in early sunshine. Holes suggested there were creatures living underneath it. And yet the mudflat looked like a wasteland – a paradox, because there was much water around.

Not far away was another mudflat, much older than the first because plants have colonized it and were vigorously competing for sun and space. I saw grasshoppers trapped in spider web, a house lizard stalking for its prey, beneath it was a toad, eyes half open. It was a mini forest of sort.

Taking the same route in the weeks that followed, the bare mudflat turned into greenery, while the older mudflat become part of the lakeshore which was to become part of its bank. I pondered on the gradual transformation of the mudflats every time I took the same route.

The ways of nature are mysterious. Learn to adapt to its laws and order continuously and without end. While you will never fully understand them, you will find them useful to living in many ways, enriching it with so many blessings.

Some years ago I wrote a verse and I quote:

“You are alone at your lowest ebb.

At low tide the sea reveals her shore

That bathes under the sun to its edge.

Go to the sea and learn its chore.”

                                       - A.V. Rotor, Nymphaea: Beauty in the Morning

Learn the realities of life as may be gleamed from the mudflats – or from the seashore in this poem. You realize that renewal is a fact and is happening everywhere. There is renaissance everyday. The cycle of nature is dynamic aimed at rebirth and stability - so with your life.

The mudflat became part of the shoreline and soon enough, became strong to protect the lake from erosion and siltation. How do we compare this with life? Similarly the foundation of life undergoes an orderly process, seasoned with time, and aimed at a goal. Stop now and then, and reflect on the dynamic evolution of the landscape and life itself.

A Short List for Sharing
How do we share our experiences with others?

Take these practical clues. Take notes and seize the moment. A scribble here, a scribble there will certainly refresh thoughts and memories. They enshrine feelings and capture imagery. Here is a list I made from my observations on the UST campus and while strolling at the Parks and Wildlife Center.

1. I discovered germinating seeds along the sidewalk and under the trees, pale green in the early sun rays, shy and delicate but daring to meet the world. Get close to them and observe the beginning of life.

2. It is the olfactory sense that works this time: the white, clustered flowers of dita (Alstonia scholaris) are most fragrant at dawn and dusk. They are inconspicuous during the day. Stop and smell their fragrance.
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As the mind keeps us up in our work, so does it makes walking with nature an enjoyable experience.
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3. Nymphaea water lilies come in white, yellow, red and purple, and are most beautiful if they come out spontaneously in the same pond. The flowers open slowly with sunrise. Sit down by the pond and observe them. Bees hover and alight on the open flowers, taking time to gather pollen, and kissing the dew and nectar.

4. The fire tree (Delonix regia) casts a dainty veil in the sky. What a contrast with the fire it breathes in summer! Shy, the veil is the finest of all foliage, filtering the morning sunlight into long fine rays converging in the misty air below. Such are the contrasting characters of this tree – one associated with fire and blood, the other of calmness and humility.

5. The traveller’s palm (Ravenola madagancariensis) is supposed to guide a lost traveler, providing him direction and precious water. But the fan-like arrangement of its leaves are in disarray, apparently because it has lost its sense of direction in the crowded garden. How many of us have also lost direction in our lives in crowded cities?

6. A giant African snail (Achatina fulica) leaves a slimy trace during the night, and remains docile during the day. Introduced by the Japanese soldiers during WW II, it has become an orphan and a pest, an enemy of gardeners. What a way to live!

7. A house lizard darts on flies and gnats. Either it is a late or early feeder. For the house lizard is nocturnal and sleeps during the day. But early morning finds them still on their prowl. Creatures have different biological clocks.

8. Balete (Ficus benjamina) – I find it a villain, strangling its host tree with massive prop roots. The parasite uses its host as prop and trellis until it has gained enough body to stand by itself like any tree. Man can be as cruel as the balete. Don’t get within the strangler’s hold of the balete.
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Being a biped is an advantage of man over all other creatures, for at this level we are most keen to what is happening around.

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9. The Philodendron is kinder, it is a soft vine, it snakes up into the branches to catch the sun, its roots clinging on its host, but not harming it. As summer arrives, it retreats, leaving but some stems from which new buds grow the next season.

10. Old camphor trees are as old as two generations, I saw them for the first time I came to Manila in the sixties. They were already mature trees then. Now they senile and dying. It is the polluted air that is killing them. So with the agoho trees (Casuarina equisitifolia). I don’t find the old ones anymore.

Oasis: Fancy or Myth?
It used to stroll at the Sunken garden of the University of the Philippines in Diliman. On a couple of occasions I conducted an on-the-spot painting contest for a summer workshop here. Even during summer this one place remains like an oasis in the desert. It is because it is the basin of the surrounding watershed. The ponds are always full. Ducks are friendly to picnickers, cicadas sing in the trees unafraid, and frogs even croak in the day. Some people throw something in the water, a coin perhaps, wishing for something.

I looked at the calm water. It was perfect mirror. I took a piece of paper and wrote my thoughts.

Tell me your throes,

Worries and woes;

And to the fishes

Your wistful wishes.

I laughed at what I wrote and threw a pebble. Ripples erased my thoughts.

Now and then you look for a “oasis” because there is drought around. Here you feel detached, even while others suffer, even if the world is in trouble. While you prefer the lighter side of life, you can’t remain in the comfort zone of the oasis forever. Otherwise you miss the many challenges of life that bring about its true meaning.

Walking is not a means of escape. It is not one when there is trouble at home, or when we want to evade responsibility. It is not recourse either. You simply can’t reason out, “Sorry it’s time for my leisure.” Even if it is in keeping with good health and groom. There must be something bigger that should aim at.

Keep on walking. Pass through the UST botanical garden, walk on the banks of the Parks and Wildlife lake, and promenade in lush greenery of the Sunken Garden. While you take time in these places, keep on walking into a bigger world to meet people, to share with them the great experience of walking with nature. It is yet the best walk you did on earth. ~

Teachers on field trip follow nature trail on Mt. Makiling, Laguna

13 Researches pave new uses of plants (UST Faculty of Pharmacy)

13 Researches pave new uses of plants

(UST Faculty of Pharmacy)

Dr Abe V. Rotor

Professor, UST

This article is reprinted in memory of the late Professor Eduardo de Leon of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas. These 13 researches were conducted during his administration as head of the Department of Botany, with the author as thesis adviser. This post is also dedicated to the thesis students who are now professionals in the fields of medicine, education, science and technology. UST Pharmacy Garden; symbol of pharmacy PHOTO

These researches explore the vast uses of plants as food and source of useful products for pharmacology and industry. They offer alternatives to natural healing as well as in tapping the hidden wealth of plants as antibiotics, elixir and many other uses.

1. Yes, you can grow pechay and tilapia in an aquarium. Del Rosario L, De La Calzada GR, Javillonar C, and V Roquero

This research is based on palay-isdaan, an indigenous practice in low lying ricelands where rice and fish naturally grow together during the monsoon months. Thus, the researchers experimented on growing pechay (Brassica chinensis) in an aquarium medium, which can at the same time sustain the normal growth of tilapia (Tilapia nilotica). The result promises another aspect of urban green revolution where hobbyists can combine the growing of fish in home aquarium with the production of vegetables. The idea may be the answer to having fresh and safe food supply for the home and neighborhood, and in maintaining a balance aquarium with lesser cost.

2. Beware of Ganoderma food supplement

Africa MA, Abulencia HM, Bautista A and AM Bebanco

This shelf fungus comes as food supplement, mainly as pre-packed coffee and tea, and advertised in several names. White mice fed freely with the raw fungus died after a few days. Even those given with limited amounts showed adverse physiologic effects like loss in weight, thinning of hair, and progressive weakness. Many died after two or three weeks. The results indicate that the fungus has toxic effect. It will be recalled that among the most poisonous materials occurring in nature come from fungi, the classical example is the Amanita mushroom which when mistakenly eaten by humans can cause instant death. There is no known antidote of mushroom poisoning. At minimal dosage however, not exceeding 10 mg per 1 kg body weight, the test animals gained weight faster than those not given with Ganoderma. Thus the researchers recommend judicious use of the food supplement, as it may be deleterious to health contrary to the claims of its manufacturers and distributors.

3. Make your own Marker Ink from Mayana
Galang E, Cu MV, Constantino A and C Flores

Marker inks or colorants come in bright green, pink, blue and in different hues and shades. They are used to highlight keywords and sentences, terms or simply for arts and graphics. Commercial highlighters as these markers are commonly called, are imported from Japan, US, Germany and China. Local brands make use of imported colorants. Mayana (Coleus blumei) is a colorful annual plant, dominantly red, maroon, green pink, yellow in various patterns and combinations. The researchers extracted the pigment using volatile solvents. Comparing the different cultivars of mayana, they came up with two dominant colors. Flesh to brown color appeared to be the best among the colors tested. Drying time compared to the commercial brands is the same. The researchers recommend other possible plant colorants such as Carissa, duhat (Syzygium) and bright petalled plants like Hibiscus.

4. Is it true that Caulerpa seaweed eaters live healthier and longer lives?
Chua AG, Fancubit AL, Flores F and MR Liwag


Ilocanos in particular, who love to eat lato or ar-arusip are known to enjoy healthy and long lives. Is it a myth? The researchers found out that this green seaweed sold commercially in two species, C. lentelifera and C. racemosa, possess antibiotic properties. Raw extract has been found effective in destroying bacteria, such as Pseudococcus and Escherischia coli, common pathogens causing human ailments. Aside from this property, Caulerpa contains caulerpine that to many people has relaxing effect, but excessive intake of the vegetable may cause dizziness. It is the only known edible seaweed that causes this symptom. This active principle may be tapped for its tranquilizing effect.

5. Alginate from Sargassum can increase the shelf life of fruits
Tumambing K, Santok G, Seares A and V Verzola

If you happen to be walking along the beach those dry brown seaweeds washed ashore could bring in a lot of profit, not only as source of algin and alginic acid which are extracted for food conditioner and for industrial use. The researchers found out that by extracting the alginate substance by ordinary means, the extract is effective in delaying the spoilage of fruits such as mango, papaya and banana. The extract is diluted 5 to 10 percent with water before the ripe or ripening fruits are immersed, then allowed to dry. The alginate compound leaves a coating on the fruit that delays ripening from two to four days, at the same time protects it from microorganisms that cause rotting and spoilage.

6. Makabuhay and Neem tree extracts are effective in control cockroach (Periplaneta Americana)
Tenorio RW, Nudo L, Roxas R and AC Uichanco

Neem tree

Macabuhay (Tinospora rhumphii) is a liana that grows in the wild. Previous experiments proved that its extract is effective in controlling common rice insect pest and the golden kuhol. Could it be effective in controlling the tough and elusive cockroach? The same question was raised on Neem (Aziderachta asiatica), known as insecticide tree that was introduced into the country from India in the sixties. According to the researchers, extracts of both plants proved effective as direct spray on cockroach. Comparative effectiveness showed that the diluted extract of makabuhay gave a higher mortality that the pure extract, indicating the synergistic effect of water solvent, but only for makabuhay. Neem extract at low level dilution is more effective than that of makabuhay at the same level. While synthetic chemical sprays are more effective than these herbal extracts, the advantage of the latter is their being safe to humans and the environment and does not leave toxic residues.

7. Rat Poison from the Seed of Botong (Barringtona asiatica)
Perez R, Dela Cruz K, Rivera M and J Santos
If botong (Barringtona asiatica) is effective as fish poison, could it be effective as rat poison just as well? The researchers found it to be effective, but the problem to lure the rodents to eating the bait is a problem. This is because of the shy nature of rats and their oliphagous characteristic that is they eat a wide range of food under natural field condition. When starved rats may consume any available food and this may include poison baits. The advantage of using plant poison is its safe nature to humans and the environment. Presently used compounds include arsenicals, anticoagulants under the brand names Dethmor, Racumin, Dora, and the deadly “1081” a zinc phosphide compound which is now banned in the market.

8. Botong (B. asiatica) is safer poison against fish pest
Dequina MJ, Castro JC, Limtin R and J Patawaran

This is the rational of the experiment: Is there a safer compound than synthetic pesticides to clean up fishponds in order to eliminate fish predators at seeding time? It is a known practice among fishpond owners to use Malathion, Endrin, and other chlorinated hydrocarbon, as well as phosphate compounds to eliminate fish such as tilapia, dalag, and Poecillia after harvesting a fishpond. These remaining fish pose danger as predator of bangus fries raised in the next season. The researchers found out that the extract of botong seeds (Barringtona asiatica) is an effective substitute. Like other plant extract, it is environment friendly and leaves non-toxic residue to the incoming fries and fingerlings.

9. Antibiotics from papaya seeds
Casas JM, Cadiz RI, Calvelo AM and MC Cremen
With the increasing resistance of bacteria to the group of Penncilium antibiotics, scientists are looking into more potent antibiotics. Modern antibiotics however, are expensive and are not readily available particularly in the countryside. But natural antibiotics abound in nature. One such source is the ordinary papaya, specifically the native or solo variety. The researchers claim that the papain in papaya has an antibiotic property and the most likely part where the active compound is concentrated is the seeds, which are thrown away for no use except as propagation material. The seed oil is potent against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus. . This explains why papaya is a health food. Although the oil has also shown anti-fungal effects, the researchers recommend further studies in this aspect. They also recommend further studies in the preparation of the seed oil as antibiotic drop or ointment.

10. Mosquito repellant from bottle brush (Salix sp)

Clemente R, Landan RP Luquinario MI and P Padua

If there is a way to rid mosquitoes from attacking us without net or special paraphernalia, it is that advertised “Off” mosquito repellant. But the commercial products are synthetic compounds and reports claim that they are carcinogenic affecting not only the skin but internal organs as well since poison can be absorbed by the skin and into the blood stream and other tissue of the body. The researchers collected the volatile oil of the weeping willow which is also known as bottle brush for the formation and shape of the leaves. With ethyl alcohol as solvent, the preparation was tested against house mosquitoes (Culex pipens) in the same manner as the advertised commercial product is used. The results are positive.

11. How good are commercial organic fertilizers as claimed by their manufacturers? - Olivenza CR, King A, Reyes CJ and A Young

There are a number of organic fertilizers in the market manufactured from various raw materials. As such there is no standard set particularly for their nutrient content. They are advertised with various advantages which the researchers in this study say only by experimentation on at least one plant indicator can resolve – pechay (Brassica chinensis). The results of the experiment are varied and therefore support the theory that organic fertilizers in the market do not have standard effects on the growth and development patterns on the test plant. The researchers believe that fortification of organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers improves the formula and helps solve nutrient deficiency.

12. Bunga de Jolo is a potential bacteriocide.
Villaluz MC, Enebrad K, Garcia R and V Guzman

Vetchia merillii, a palm relative of the bunga (Areca catechu) was found to have a unique potency against the bacterium, Bacillus proteus as well as others pathogens causing infection. Direct extract from the seed showed potent inhibition against the test organisms, a feat the control (Penncilium type) failed to show. This explains the usefulness of bunga de jolo as a substitute of Areca in the absence of the latter. Both produce nuts, which are used by older people for mastication with or without the betel leaf and the occasional lime that goes with the preparation.

13. Common moss as a practical source of antibiotics
Nabong W, Aquino M, Orlino C Ramos J and H Sumabit

The common moss often used in its dried form as substrate for orchids has a puzzling characteristic. It resists rotting and does not arbor the breeding of microorganisms that are pathogenic to the orchid. From this observation coupled by the fact that indigenous people use dried moss to cover wounds and skin diseases, led the researches to conduct an experiment on the antibiotic properties of mosses. The results are positive to bacteria causing skin infection, but the range of antibiosis has yet to be determined. The researchers recommend that further studies be conducted on methods of extraction, other than the use of ethanol, in isolating the active principle which is the key to the antibiotic property of mosses. ~