Peña: Biodiversity and Culture
I KNOW that biodiversity is related to health, food security and a host of other factors. I never thought that biodiversity is linked to culture as well, specifically to languages. There’s a research about this linkage which was reported in the May 7 early online edition of the Proceedings of...
Peña: Thank You, UPOU
LEARNING is a lifelong process. Albert Einstein once said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
While the pursuit of knowledge can be done in many ways, it has always been my desire to go back to formal schooling and acquire a master’s degree. My work schedule however would not...
Peña: The Month of May
WHEN I was a kid, I was told by elders to collect water from the first rain of May. I should put this water in my forehead and stomach to avoid headache and stomachache. I recall that in those days (which is not too long ago), the first rain of the wet season is sure to come on the first week...
Peña: Zero Waste Movement
IN THE early 70s, when garbage disposal is not yet a national concern, Dr. Metodio Palaypay, a resident doctor at the UP Health Services, started a movement to eliminate waste through simple steps like composting and recycling. In 1978, this movement was formally organized into the Zero Waste...
Peña: Graduation Season
IT’S graduation season. From March until the end of this month, thousands of students will walk the stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas.
Graduation is a milestone in the life of an individual. It is a step closer to an ultimate goal, usually a stable job or a promotion. It is a...
Peña: Important developments we missed
TWO important environmental events happened just before the long Holy Week break. As such, not much media attention was given to them. Let me highlight these developments for us to appreciate their importance.
First is the Earth Hour which took place last Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 8:30...
Peña: Greening the Holy Week
OUR observance of the Holy Week will be more meaningful if we make it eco-friendly.
After all, we are the stewards of the Earth. As what Bishop Iñiguez of Kalookan said, “Holy Week is a timely call in response to the wastefulness and greed that is blatantly trashing our fragile...
Peña: Plastic industry reacts
PLASTIC makers are probably feeling the impact of plastic ban imposed by LGUs. Their industry association recently released a statement urging the reconsideration of such ban. It is their right to air their sentiments. I disagree though with the way they presented their side. They thumbed down...
Peña: Food Waste
WHENEVER I attend parties, I will surely see some guests leaving the banquet table with so much food on their plate. And as expected, there’s plenty of wasted food which could have fed a few more guests. The waste is either left intentionally as a statement that the eater is not “patay-gutom”,...
Peña: Sinkholes
AFTER the Earthquake that hit Cebu last February 6, sinkholes of varying sizes appeared in some barangays in the province.
According to geologists, the sinkholes may have occurred after the roof of an underground cave collapsed because of the earthquake. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (...
Peña: Thinking Forward
I WAS a chess player in my younger days. I even placed third in our school tournament. I was in fifth grade then. I was defeated by a fellow fifth grader and by the Champion who was a sixth grader. After that tournament I stopped playing. Recently my interest for the sport was resurrected. I’m...
Peña: Here We Go Again
WE HAVE not fully recovered from typhoon Sendong, and here we are faced with another disaster. A magnitude 6.9 Earthquake hit Negros Oriental last February 06 and caused widespread devastation. As of February 09, there were 26 confirmed dead, 52 injured and 71 missing according to NDRRMC.
...Peña: Pushcart Boys
IN TODAY’S high-tech society, we still see the pushcart boys (and girls) roaming our streets buying everything from bote-dyaryo to garapa. This informal collection system for recyclable materials is still very much at work. In fact, each junkshop has its own network of kariton collectors in...
Peña: Pine Trees
MANY PEOPLE go to Baguio because of the cold weather. It's the country's summer capital. The man-made attractions are just a bonus. The chilly environment makes flowers so beautiful and strawberries grow. And yes, the Pine Trees add charm to the place. They are an indispensable part of the...
Peña: Reusable bags
ONE of the simplest ways to reduce packaging waste is to use reusable bags. My guess is that we can avoid using (and throwing) at least five plastic bags for every trip to the grocery store. My wife started using reusable bags a few years ago, and I estimate that we have already avoided using a...
Peña: A Year of Disasters!
AS 2011 bids goodbye, it leaves behind a trail of destruction. Natural disasters here in the Philippines and elsewhere took many lives and destroyed properties. Some are being linked to man’s activities, like greenhouse gas emissions which trigger Climate Change. Here are some of major disasters...
Peña: Typhoon Sendong
IN A forum on Climate Change Adaptation held a few months ago, Pagasa made a presentation on weather patterns including typhoon occurrences.
Peña: Good News and Bad News
GOOD NEWS. The Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, is about to expire. Countries met in Durban, South Africa recently to discuss their next move. After earlier attempts failed, there’s a bit of good news. There’s a breakthrough on the future...
Peña: The Native Parol
AS A grade schooler, one of our projects during Christmas is lantern making. The task usually starts with getting bamboo poles from our neighbors or from the banks of the Sapang Balen creek. Afterwards, we go through the arduous task of splitting, cleaning and shaping the bamboo into a star. The...
Peña: Hopeless Case?
IN A story published in the website of the National Geographic, the International Energy Agency warned that the world is hurtling towards irreversible climate change and will lose the chance to limit warming if it doesn’t act strongly in the next five years. The report said that after 2017, we...
Peña: Tilapia Skin
THEY say that tilapia has replaced ‘galunggong’ as the poor man’s fish. I don’t quite agree with that statement. I believe that this fish is served even in the rich man’s table especially here in Pampanga. In fact, one of the specialties of restaurants here is Pinaputok na Tilapia, the price of...
Peña: Evidence of Global Warming in the Philippines
I’VE written a number of articles about global warming and climate change. My references are the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which are released every four years. The comprehensive reports are backed up by data from experts and reliable research institutions...
Peña: Undas and the Long Weekend
IT WILL be a long holiday beginning tomorrow. It’s an extended semestral break too for students as November 7 was declared a non-working holiday.
Expect heavy traffic at the toll booths of expressways starting tonight. Heavy traffic too on Monday and Tuesday as multitudes of people flock...
Peña: Urban Air Pollution
METRO Manila and Central Luzon suffered the wrath of typhoon “Pedring”. Some said it is worse than Ondoy. Aside from dumping heavy rains, its strong winds uprooted trees and destroyed portions of the seawall along Roxas Boulevard. The winds were so strong that water from Manila Bay spilled over...
Peña: Minors
FOR the past few days, minors are in the news. First was the "batang hamog" kids who snatch personal belongings from taxis that ply the traffic congested roads of Metro Manila. Next came the shocking report on the death of an elementary pupil in Baguio City allegedly caused by his classmate....
