Seen Oble at UPLB Lately?

Change, of course, is not a single-aspect phenomenon.  It has component parts.  Some change very fast, but some don’t change fast enough.  Let’s take the case of the Oblation at the UPLB.  That it was put up at UPLB was a great idea; that it was erected in-front of the CAS building is something else.  It could have been better appreciated had it been erected at the Alumni Plaza, near the UPLB Gate, or at least in front of the UPLB Library where it could stand majestically.

Well, that’s water under the bridge now.  What is a bit disappointing at the moment is that the Oblation is standing there  and it doesn’t look like somebody is even thinking of landscaping its surroundings, or at least repainting it.  This was a very clear issue that former Regent Romulo Davide was trying to raise a few years back but which wasn’t even acted upon.  Today, the Oblation has not been cleaned, much less repainted.  Its head and shoulders are full of bird droppings.  Nobody pays attention to it, except some students when they gather at the steps of the CAS to prepare to demonstrate or rally.

Some observers, including former Regent Davide, who have actually inspected the UPLB Oblation have claimed that it isn’t as well taken-cared of compared to its counterpart at the UP Open University grounds.  And the Oble at UPLB isn’t that much older than the one at UPOU.  It’s just that the Oblation at the UPOU, many have commented, is probably the most beautiful among the oblation statues in the different campuses of the UP, including Diliman.  In fact, the Oble’s quadrangle at UP Diliman is so cramped even Oble himself isn’t able to even wriggle.  The Oblation at UPOU stands tall (23 feet in all) on a rotunda in the middle of an open space right along the national highway at the boundary of Los Banos and Bay in Laguna.  It’s a photo-ops area for passers-by.

Point is, the Oble at UPLB deserves better attention that it now gets.  Paging the Landscape Office of UPLB: can’t you at least landscape the base of the Oblation pedestal and repainted Oble itself?  The Oble deserves to be repainted every three years, at least, to maintain a clean statue that reflects the sunshine at various angles.  The Oble enhances more meaningful thoughts when it reflects the sunshine, rather than exhibit bird droppings on its face, head, and shoulders.

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By the way, have you been to the UPLB Campus lately?  You must have observed a new marker alongside the palms on the Royal Palm Avenue, stretching from the UPLB Gate to the CAS (formerly the UPCA Library) building.  There’s marker there proclaiming the Royal Palms as part of the list of century trees on the UPLB campus.  History tells us that the Royal Palms have been there since the presidency of Palma and have become a symbol of UPCA in the olden years and UPLB in recent times. 

The royal palms were planted perhaps during the period that the Palma Bridge was constructed.  I’m not sure about this and I need to be corrected here.  Some alumni should inform us about the year that the palms were plant and the bridge built.  What I’m certain of is that the bridge near the UPLB Auditorium was built in honor of UP President Palma, that’s why it’s called the Palma Bridge.

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I’m not sure, though, if the concrete tower with the traditional symbol of “education”, the torch, atop it is an appropriate part of the landscape in the area near the Gate.  Personally, I’d rather see the UP Oblation there.  It could be more meaningful.  But that’s me, and I’m not the conscience of the UPLB.  Just commenting on the structure (which is something I’ve always wanted to do since that structure was erected some years back, during the time of UPLB Chancellor Willy David).

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Talking of recent developments in Los Baños, at the former site of Agrix is the Los Baños Centtro, a shopping mall.  We’ve written about this sometime last year.  They’re now putting the finishing touches to it.  At the center is the Mall, but on both sides are wings that are probably going to either housing additional stalls or condos.  We’ll see how this goes.

Then, in front of the YMCA Dormitory is now rising the YMCA Condominium building.  For those with the financial base, I believe many units are still available.  I’ve looked at the facility, which I find very beautiful, but I can’t afford it.

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Remember the old Los Baños Municipal Hall?  It’s an old building on the shores of Laguna de Bay.  It’s a small building thaty has been unable to accommodate even the small government offices in Los Baños. Well, employees of the Los Baños Municipal Hall will soon have brand new offices. 

Right now, the finishing touches to a new Los Baños Municipal Hall are being made.  The new edifice is located on a space in the BPI Economic Garden Compound at the corner of the National Highway and the PCARRD Road.  It’s a beautiful building, and large enough to accommodate most of the government offices in Los Baños.

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I’ve commented about the elevated bridge at Calamba Crossing a couple of times in the past and I’d like to make another comment again.

The bridge was supposed to have been constructed to provide appropriate covered walk for people moving around the Crossing area, especially those going to SM or other parts of the Crossing Area, and to free the ground area of pedestrians so that vehicles could freely move relatively quickly.  As for this second idea, it’s clear that such was the purpose because there are signages on the posts of the bridge saying “No Jaywalking”.

The other day, I was driving through the intersection in front of the jeepney station across from SM when I saw a policeman stopping the traffic just so a woman could cross the street.  I shouted at the policeman, “That person should use the bridge” (they were standing at the foot of the bridge beside the sign “No Jaywalkiing”).  Of course they didn’t hear me, but the nerve!

So there’s an ordinance prohibiting jaywalking in the area, but if the police force doesn’t enforce it, then the ordinance is utterly useless and no problem is solved.

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When Good Karma Strikes

19 September, Jegs and I took our lunch at this eatery in Lecheria, Calamba City, known as Lutong Pilipino ni Aling Ely.   They serve a variety of food, like  lechon, various sea foods like ginataang tilapia, sinigang na karpa, laing, bbq, and many more.  We enjoyed eating there.  From Aling Ely’s, we proceeded to SM Calamba City, and then home.

At SM Calamba City, Jegs first got to the car at the SM parking lot to find the door on the driver’s side open.  Immediately, she said, she checked if her laptop was still in the car’s back seat, and it was.  How it got opened and thieves didn’t ransack it was really beyond us.  I also left my laptop in the car it was there when Jegs got to it.  Until now, we couldn’t explain why the car was open and why our valuables had not been stolen before we got back.

Then at home, in the evening, when I was preparing to go to bed I was shocked to find that my “card holder” which contains my two credit cards and three ATM cards, as well as other cards and important pieces of paper, was missing from my pant’s back pockets.  I told myself that it probably fell off in the car but didn’t bother to check as I was already sleepy.

The following morning, while preparing to go to the office, I inspected the car and didn’t find my card holder.  I told myself that it probably fell off from my pockets on my chair in the office, so I wasn’t bothered at all.  We had decided to take our breakfast at the IRRI canteen and while on our way to it  Jegs was practically lecturing me on how to be careful with cards like those in my card holder.  Of course, she had a very good point and I knew all of what she was telling me, and she meant well.

After breakfast, I dropped Jegs off at the IRRI Library then proceeded to the UPOU where I hold office.  When I got to my office, I was stunned to find that my cardholder wasn’t on my chair.  When I tried to reconstruct where I was the day before, it dawned on me that my card holder must have fallen off from my pockets when we took our lunch at Aling Ely’s.  I thought that was really the end of those cards.

Then I began doing what Jegs was telling me to do.  First, I informed our UPOU’s Cash Division that I lost my ATM card to which account the university deposits my salary.  I was relieved when I was told that they would do the necessary legwork with the bank.  I went back to my office and retrieved my credit card files.  Then I called the hotline of CitiBank.  Rather quickly, the guy I was talking to on the phone right away checked if there were some transactions since yesterday afternoon and I was relieved to find that there was none, so he proceeded to block off my account and report the loss of my card.  He informed me that I would get a replacement card in three days.

Then I called the hotline of BPI, but I couldn’t get through because I was calling from my office, through a PABX service, not a PLDY direct line. I decided to personally go to the bank to report my lost credit card and I was told that I really had to do the reporting through the hotline.  When I was told that, I went back to UPOU and used the direct line in the Office of the Chancellor to contact BPI.  I was able to transact my business and I’d be getting a replacement card in three day’s time.

I had decided to go personally to the Land Bank to report the loss of my two other ATM cards issued by the Land Bank, but before I could leave for the bank my cellphone rang.  When I answered, a female voice on the other end said, “may I speak with Dr. Librero?”  Immediately, it occurred to me that this was probably regarding my cardholder that most likely fell off from my pockets when we had lunch at Aling Ely’s the previous day.  I.answered, “yes, this is Dr. Librero speaking.”    Then the voice said, “this is from Aling Ely’s.  You left your cards here yesterday.”  I said, “yes, my cardholder fell from my pocket yesterday when we took our lunch there.  I’m coming over to pick it up.”

I felt so relieved that my cards didn’t fall into unscrupulous hands.  Through this entry in this blog, I wish to thank the staff of Aling Ely’s for taking care of my cardholder, informing me about it, and returning it to me.  Indeed, we still have good people around.  Well, you can find some of them at Lutong Pilipino ni Aling Ely.  You find this place along the national highway in Lecheria, Calamba City.  Do visit the place, you’ll like the food there.  And you can probably feel safe there, too.

Now that we’re into the “ber” months which is a signal that we’re quickly heading to the Christmas Season, more people are becoming active in various means of obtaining more money through less scrupulous means.  Let’s all be much more careful.

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Plagiarism Normal in the Senate?

About a couple of weeks ago, Senator Tito Sotto got perhaps the most extensive media coverage of his political career.  He was reported by all Philippine media, including and most especially the social media, to have plagiarized the content of a foreigner’s blog which he included as part of his speech against the RH Bill now pending before the Senate.  There was also Part II of his speech on the same topic and he was accused of having simply translated into Tagalog portions of the speech of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy. 

Philippine media also reported that members of the staff of the Senator (including perhaps the speech writer) had claimed that it was normal practice in the Senate to plagiarize when they prepare speeches of the senators.  Well, it could be true that they (in the Senate) have practiced plagiarism regularly because sometime back two senators were reported to have filed similar bills using the same words.  Still, this doesn’t make the act of plagiarism a correct act.  That it was made in the Senate by a Senator makes it even much more worse. 

In the Philippines, plagiarism isn’t a criminal offense because there’s no law criminalizing plagiarism.  However, in the academe, plagiarism is a very serious ethical offense.   I’ve written about it sometime in the past in this blogsite.  I’ve discussed it in more detail in a forthcoming book, Writing Your Thesis Manuscript, which should be off the press in the next few days. 

Academic institutions take plagiarism very seriously.  In fact, many students who have been found to have plagiarized their submissions in courses taken in the university have been severely penalized.  At least at the University of the Philippines, many years ago, a foreign student who graduated with a PhD degree, when it was found by the University that he/she plagiarized his/her dissertation, was stripped of his/her academic degree by the UP Board of Regents. 

Routinely, we keep reminding our students to always cite their sources but there are still many caught plagiarizing, which has become much easier to do today with the new technology of “cut-and-paste.”   

 Now, back to the issue against the senator.  I have made it clear in the past that I’d stay clear of political issues, including non-political issues involving political personalities because I don’t consider it constructive to write about such issues.  However, in the particular case of the plagiarism issue, I’d like to simply make a point.  Perhaps the best way to do this is to quote the columnist, Babe Romualdez, who wrote on September 9^th (Philippine Star, Sept. 9, p. 16), thus:

The desire to sound profound is admirable, and there really are people who have the natural ability – or are born with the gift – to convey their thoughts into reflective statements that hit a chord with readers/listeners.  While there is no such thing as a crime of plagiarism in this country, it can be a big offense – not to mention an embarrassment –for one to try to sound profound and intelligent (or if you’re a speech writer, make some one else sound profound and intelligent) when you know that you are deliberately deceiving people by borrowing words and passing them off as original – something which I can only surmise probably happened to Tito’s writers who knew this right from the start.

Babe Romualdez is absolutely right.

There’s nothing wrong with borrowing words and ideas from others as long as you provide appropriate attribution.  What is offensive is when you borrow words, phrases, ideas, etc. and pass them off as your own.  That is stealing, pure and simple.  Sometimes, to me at least, it is more profound to deliver your arguments by quoting others.  For example, in the case of the Senator, he could have said, “I do have profound arguments against this bill and to present such argument let me quote some else who said the same thing in the past,” then proceeded to deliver the quote.  This manner of delivery would have told his listeners that he, indeed, has studied the issues very well and has discovered that others have spoken so profoundly as well on the issue in the past.  People who wish to sound original don’t normally do this, but it’s far better to quote your source than be accused of having stolen some one else’s work and passed it off as yours.   

In all fairness to Senator Sotto, I don’t think it was all his fault.  His speech writer is the culprit.  Speech writers must know how to write good speeches without getting their bosses in trouble.  A speech full of plagiarized (or stolen) statements is not a good speech at all.  Incidentally, would this not affect the Senator’s influence on how others might vote on the RH Bill (which he opposes) now pending before the Senate?  I wonder. 

In this country, the only law close enough to plagiarism in terms of coverage is the IPR law.  Some lawyers say that plagiarists can be prosecuted under the IPR law.  Fine, but if you ask me, I’d like to see a test case filed in court.   Who could be the sample accused?   Start with the politicians, did I hear some one say?

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The Book Had To Be Written

Yesterday, I attended the launching of a new book, Ecology, Environment, and Sustainable Development: Reflections Spanning Five Decades, written by Dr. Percy E. Sajise, an internationally known ecologist.  Written in the first person, the book tells of  the wide range of experience of the author presented as case stories analyzed through the lens of interacting disciplines and dishing out significant lessons learned aptly termed “messages.” 

There are many insights one can gain from this book.  During the launch, however, Dr. Sajise shared with the audience some of the more interesting insights he had.  For example, he said that it takes some 25 years for results of research to finally get into actual policy.  Twenty-five years is way too long for research results to actually affect policy, but the fact remains that policy makers are not always aching to consider decisions based on scientific study.  Many formulate policies out of personal agenda.  Sometimes policies that get formulated and officially put in place wee not studied carefully.

Out of the many messages that the book carries, three issues stuck out as far as I’m concerned:  first,  we always make a lot of mistakes, but we rarely gain any lesson from these mistakes; second, we talk too much, we do too little; and third, what we teach is inconsistent with what we do.

There’s one more thing about the over-all message of the book that I wish to highlight.  The Sajise book reminds us very clearly that we frequently fail to think holistically.  For example, Dr. Sajise told his audience a story about firewood gatherers in Yunan, China.  One time, together with other scientists from other parts of the world, he visited a mountainside where Yunan farmers cut their firewood.  The farmers planted acacia (good fire wood material) trees and when the time came they’d cut the tree at about 8 feet from the ground.  Intrigued, the visitors asked the farmers, “do you cut the tree at 8 feet because it was the best height for the trees to grow the most number of branches that could increase the amount of firewood you can harvest?”  The farmers’ answer: “No.  We just don’t want others to steal our firewood.”  At 8 feet, it’s a bit more difficult to harvest in haste.

The visitors were, of course, all technical people (foresters, plant physiologists, plant ecologists like Dr. Sajise himself) who were unable to make sense out of the farmers’ comments that had substantial social underpinnings.

The blurbs on the back cover of the book say different significant points.  Here are three of them:

From the publishers, SEARCA and UPLB:

The book underscores the importance of the interdisciplinary approach and networking to effective environmental management, enhanced sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation.  The notion of the primacy of people’s well being in development work runs throughout the book.  Students and practitioners of environmental science, ecology, and development would find many golden nuggets of wisdom in the book.

Dr. Delfin Ganapin, Jr., Global Manager, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, said:

I find the book good reading … the message of the book is that in fact, action can be done and things can be changed for the better.

Dr. Ben Malayang III, President of Silliman University, said:

This book talks of things that matter to us … and it does so in a way that exudes the deep soul and commitments of Percy as a person, a scientist, an educator, and a human being.

During the open forum that followed Dr. Sajise’s remarks, Dr. Gelia Castillo, an internationally reknown Filipino rural sociologist and one of Dr. Sajise’s mentors, profusely thanked the Author for pointing out that what experts at UPLB are teaching their students is not consistent with what they are doing.  Dr. Castillo’s clincher: “I have an assignment for you, Percy.  Head a group that would do something about the point you raised regarding the inconsistency of what UPLB experts are saying and what they are teaching their students.”  Dr. Sajise, more or less, accepted the challenge if Dr. Castillo, herself, and perhaps including Dr. Willy Padolina and others would be willing to join the group.  Percy clarified that he would be willing to be part of a team that would work on the issue if the officials of UPLB identified the issue as an important one that needs attention right away.

Let’s see what happens.  UPLB Chancellor Rex Victor Cruz was in the audience.

The book was co-published by SEARCA and the UPLB, and expertly edited by Lily L. Tallafer.  The 151-page book, paperback edition, sells at P600 and the hardcover edition at P850, and may be  bought directly from SEARCA.  I understand this is the student price.

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