Short Comment on the House Bill No. 1022: Buhayin Baybayin? (English)

Commonly mislabeled as “Alibata”, the ancient Filipino script Baybayin may now become the official national writing system of the Philippines if the National Writing System Act is approved by the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture.

While I am open and receptive to this move to reintroduce Baybayin, I believe that this revival of Baybayin seems to be a superficial "love our language and culture" move. Why? No one has pointed out that we can’t (this is different from “don’t”) even speak our Filipino languages in a straight manner in our daily lives... nor do we think of Filipino as a language of the sciences, reasoning, and logic. (Remember that math book in Taglish with "deep Tagalog"? Remember that Asian Boss video[1] where those pitiful teens can't even speak straight Tagalog? Remember that comedic-sounding Taglish Bible[2]?)

You may point out that the use of language is to simply communicate. I believe it is also a reflection of our culture. Spanish loanwords are more compatible to Tagalog (and English loanwords are fine as well as long as it is formally Filipinized). We are losing vocabulary in both languages if Taglish continues. It decays people's ability to speak straight English let alone straight Tagalog (though the former is more important to many). Sure Taglish is convenient, I speak it daily too, but when in formal writing/correspondence it is annoying when people can't render straight English or formal Tagalog. I am pretty much a person who wants formality and order in the right situation.

Of course, I bade time before I released this statement. I might be viewed as a reklamador or whiner if I reacted too soon without sensing the netizens’ pulse. In the end, I have an optimistic view: The use of Baybayin might simultaneously engage the users to think of more “original” (I refuse to use the word “pure” since it cannot be defined) Filipino and this more already decaying words will be resurrected to common use.

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[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYLFoUTJuGU

[2] http://www.manilatimes.net/bible-soon-available-in-conversational-filipino/394104/

Zero Waste Conference 2018 Themed “No to Incineration”

I attended the Zero Waste Conference 2018 held last 26 January at the QCX Museum, Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. The event was graced by speakers from non-government organizations like Greenpeace and Buklod Tao, some local government units, and some government-run institutions like the Philippine Heart Center. These experts in the field of solid waste management, anti-waste incineration, urban farming, models for zero waste, and climate change presented presentations involving challenges and sustainable solution towards zero waste society.

Outside the seminar hall, a fair was held in which participating/supporting companies were given a booth to present their products and/or services.

"Pairalin RA 9003" (Enact R.A. 9003) was one of the rallying cries of the conference.
(Republic Act 9003 is the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.)

I also laud the organizers for being faithful to the cause by using natural sunlight in the seminar hall and using reusable cutlery when serving lunch. The discussions can be summarized succinctly as follows: We are living in the age of overshoot – mindless growth and consumption strains the Earth’s carrying capacity. In an audit conducted by volunteers, 49.33% of garbage floating around Manila Bay is single-use plastic. Waste-to-energy solutions may seem to make waste disappear – but it does not solve the problem of overconsumption in the first place. The rest of discussions focused on some of the efforts done by sincere LGUs to combat the waste problem.

On Waste-To-Energy (WTE)

The main point of those who are fully-against incineration is that it "brainwashes people" into believing that the waste problems have been solved and they are free to consume carelessly. When I had a casual discussion about this with my friends who are also taking up Environmental Engineering, they agreed that the previous statement has a point.

A concern-causing statement shared by these groups is their claim that all waste-to-energy processes produce dioxins and furans. Not all WTE processes directly produce dioxins and furans as some non-burn processes like gasification and pyrolysis rarely produce especially when optimal conditions are set. (There are academic journals that can be cited, but I will reserve it for a more technical article.) We should be just as concerned about most burning processes in incineration (waste-to-energy), the most common of which is open burning. The latter is rampant in the Philippines especially in places with little or no solid waste management. I would go for an approach that is more realistic, that is, considering what is already happening. I agree with EcoWaste Coalition's stance in intensifying zero waste campaigns and information drive that aim to steer people away from wasteful practices. Pressuring big companies to reduce plastic from packaging is one of their ongoing efforts. However, let us also consider that unless we have some sort of green authoritarian regime, we cannot force all people to abandon their wasteful practices. In a weak state like the Philippines, where law enforcement is spotty, it’s no surprise that even laws against littering are rarely enforced.

This is where WTE must be used in urbanized areas like Metro Manila. We must do a double approach, like focusing both on information campaigns to steer away from consumerist tendencies of people and improving recycling procedures with WTE as last resort. "May point naman sila." (They have a point.) my friend said regarding the conference's stance. As an engineer, I believe in a mixed middle ground solution considering what is really going on and what can we do to intensify information campaign. Eh, what do you do? As of now, here are some things I do and I encourage you to do the same:

• Segregate wastes at source. Even if “someone else” (like your local Materials Recovery Facility) will segregate the wastes (hopefully), it’s still good to at least have a separate waste bin for biodegradable wastes (like in your kitchen). Follow RA 9003.
• Compost (if possible)
• I live in a house with maximum airflow, thus we are able to maintain a 1.5K pesos electricity bill per month. This is around kWh consumption. (The only exemption is during the summer months.)
• We collect rainwater, and even our LGU does the same by having their offices and public schools collect rainwater.
• Reuse some plastics. As much as possible, do not use disposable straws.
• Don't buy clothes made from polyester and synthetic fibers. These fibers do not degrade and contribute to microfiber pollution.

A classroom chair made from waste plastic materials.

There are many other things we can do that may be beyond the scope of this post. Anyhow, the conference was great in allowing environmentalists and other eco-warriors to meet each other and forge friendships. May the lessons the speakers imparted be put to heart by the audience.

SHORT POST: Rappler Issue

ON THE RAPPLER ISSUE RE: SEC REGISTRATION REVOKED

"Kung mamamato ka, siguraduhin mong hindi ka nakatira sa bahay na gawa sa salamin."

Hindi ako laban sa malayang pamamahayag o free press. Kaso madalas kasi naabuso ang freedom na ito. Kita ko rin na biased o may kinikilingan ang Rappler. Bakit? Agad-agaran ang minsan misleading/clickbait ang kanilang headline. Isa na diyan yung tungkol sa ordinansa umano sa QC na dapat may English/Filipino translation ang pangalan ng negosyo. Hindi nilinaw doon na ang hinahanapan lang ay mga negosyong ang pangalan ay hindi Ingles o Filipino. Kaya nauso ang mga meme na isinasa-Tagalog ang mga pangalan ng mga kilalang negosyo tulad ng mga fastfood, tindahan ng damit, at iba pa.

Sa mga balita naman ukol kay Duterte at sa kaniyang makulay na administrasyon, nang una hindi ganoon kahalata ang kanilang bias. Ngayon naman nang inaatake na sila, bina-bash ng mga DDS, naging halata na ang kanilang bias kontra-Duterte. Kaya totoo naman na walang midya na walang bias, kahit subtle man yan o kapirangot may bias (kilingan) pa rin 'yan.

Kaya sa Rappler, you have the right to due process. Use it wisely and let us see who will prevail.

Rappler, hina-harass? Inuusig?

Oo. Naniniwala akong inaatake ang Rappler ng administrasyong Duterte. Ukol sa isyu kung bakit sila nakakalusot dati sa PDRs nila, ito ang masasabi ko: "Nakalusot (sila) dati kasi hindi mahigpit, ngayong hinanapan (sila) ng butas ni Duterte kaya sila nahuli."

On the Middle Ground: Traditionalist with Some Liberal Values

The Western world has been very divided lately. The great divide between the far-right (conservative) and far-left (liberal) groups has intensified especially in social media. In the Philippines, I don’t usually associate myself with millennials – whom I used to stereotypically view to be overly liberal, individualistic, socio-politically apathetic individuals engaging in grievous sins (like pre-marital sex). However, on the economic stance, I agree with some left-leaning stances such as universal healthcare and socialized tuition fee and housing. The balance, I believe, must be maintained. Greedy corporations run by capitalists have a tendency to worsen economic inequality. (Like what happened in the Paradise Papers scandal). Too much socialism eradicates the need for work and influences lazy tendencies in people.

In the Philippines, I began to appreciate liberal people especially during discourse of various ideas. Many of them willing to listen, and are open-minded about different ideas (ranging from economic protectionism to personal expression methods), the exact opposite sometimes exhibited by traditionalist. However, I, being a believer of the necessity of regulation in some aspects of life, side with traditional conservatives when it comes to religious beliefs, language preservation, and topics regarding the family and sanctity of marriage. I even believe in an elective constitutional monarchy I do not condemn or judge other people, unless they can be subject to judgement depending on the circumstances. Sometimes I find myself like posts relating to Crusader memes (e.g. “Deus vult!”) or Roman imperial memes (Ave Roma!) and discuss Catholicism with heavily conservative folks. On the other hand, I see myself liking posts regarding socialized housing, anti-American imperialism, LGBTQ rights (except same-sex “marriage”), and pro-Reproductive Health Bill (pro-RH) posts and memes (except those advocating abortion).

Being on the middle ground is not bad, as long as you’re not fence-sitting for a long time. At least, we can show that centrists still believe in careful balance and are least to be radical (which I believe is different from being passionate in a certain field).

Travelogue 2016: Our Field Trip to the Republic of Singapore (Q&A)

The UST Chemical Engineering Class of 2016 Educational Tour

Crossroads: Unfold Impending Chemical Engineering Grounds in Singapore

Travelogue 2016

Author's Note: The following post was submitted by the author to the University of Santo Tomas Chemical Engineering Department in line with the requirements of a particular subject course covering field trips and seminars.

Prologue

On 5 April 2016, members of the University of Santo Tomas - Chemical Engineering (ChE) Batch 2016 embarked on an international field trip to the Republic of Singapore, the first in ChE history.

This international field trip was in line with the requirements of the course ChE 524 – Field Trips and Seminars, the latter being a course offered to all 5th year graduating students of the chemical engineering program.

The field trip, which ended on 10 April, was supervised by six members of the faculty, including the department chair.

In what way did the field trip help further your understanding of professional and ethical responsibility?

Upon our landing at Changi Airport in Singapore, I already felt a change in atmosphere. Many people whom I assume to be Singaporeans appeared to be very orderly even while walking. Also, they fall in line (queue) in an orderly fashion. They are very disciplined, especially about time management. Comparing this with Filipino stereotypical work ethics, I believe that merely comparing their work ethics with ours contributed greatly in understanding professional and ethical responsibilities, the latter being a goal of the chemical engineering program. We must use this observation as a lesson and apply it to our work ethics.

Our professional responsibility was also tested during the plant tours since we had to strictly follow the set timeline in our itinerary. Also, I have personally observed that long restroom breaks, slow walking pace of my batchmates have raised eyebrows among the ethnically Chinese Singaporeans working in some of the factories we visited. The naturally carefree Filipino work ethic may not always compatible with Singaporean counterparts. 

Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) was also a test of our communication skills. I can say that their rail transit system is around fifty times more efficient than the Philippines’ ailing railway systems. Even the awesomeness of the relatively spacious and efficient Philippine LRT-2 which I [used to] ride to school is diminished when compared to this.

In what way did the tour improve your ability for effective written, visual, and oral communication?

Since we were in a foreign country, our oral communications skills were put to the test as our Taglish, or Filipino proficiency were obviously of little or no use among most Singaporeans. The most challenging for me was understanding Singaporean-accented English, since although they’re using grammatically correct English, the accent makes it harder for us to hear and immediately understand them properly. Visual communication skills were also highly appreciated since Singaporean public transportation has a knack for using icons alongside quadrilingual word signs.

Two members of ChE Batch 2016 reading the information board at a bus stop.

This tour emphasized the importance of an engineer’s ability to communicate, for what is the use of an amazing idea if one cannot share it to the world’s development? Thus, I believe that awareness on globalization should be used as a reason to improve our language skills, especially with English and Filipino. (I separated the two languages since I have observed than in Metro Manila, the colloquial lingua franca even among academicians is actually Taglish, or heavily code-switched Filipino.)

The author at Newater.

Concluding Statements

The theme of the field trip also suits well with this objective, as it reminds us that learning is not limited to the four corners of the classroom. Not only that, many things are learned from experience, not from academic classes.

Overall, I can consider the trip to be an enlightening and one-of-a-kind experience. I have learned many things in this five-day trip. After seeing the development of the city without jeopardizing the environment because of their sustainable development skills, I could not help but compare it with our homeland the Philippines. The next challenge is to see and try to emulate the good aspects of their professional work ethics and apply it to our work ethics. Also we could or should try ("try" because ideally it is possible) to help develop the Philippines into a country that has a high human development index like Singapore. 

Short Post on the LTFRB and Uber Issue

To quote an internet commentator: "Uber continued accepting applicants even if there were instructions from LTFRB to put on hold all applications for Uber and Grab franchising. Grab on the other hand complied. That's why Uber was suspended for a month"

This is why I was kinda neutral on this issue. You see, I'm not against Uber per se, but did anybody notice that it exceeded its supposed goal in reducing traffic while providing safe mode of transport to their patrons. Instead of having cars share their rides, it has become a glorified millennial-driven "taxi" service (for upper-middle class people) with...well better service than most taxis. Having too much private Uber cars plying around Manila will aggravate traffic (though the blame should not lie on them). 

Short Status Post #1 Series 2017

Note: I will be posting random "thoughts for the day" posts from now on. This is similar to what I do on Facebook but with a more public scope.
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I don't know, but I never ever really liked jeans (denim pants). I find them heavy and uncomfortable (unless I'm a worker or in the field). I always prefer classy slacks, and other pants.