The Only Hope for the Philippines

by Father James Reuter, S.J.

By her own admission, GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) rightfully assessed that over the last decades; our republic has become one of the weakest, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors.' Forty years ago, we were only second toJapan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore , HongKong , Malaysia , andThailand . Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is.

1. A population of 160 Million;
2. Of those, 70 to 90 million (equivalent to our current population) will live below the poverty line;
3. Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$28B when Marcos fled, and US$53B today);
4. We will be competing, not against Thailand or even Vietnam , but againstBangladesh ;
5. We will be the most corrupt nation inAsia , if not in the world (we're already ranked 11th most corrupt nation byTransparency International) ..

The signs are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We've seen many men and women of integrity in and out of government, NGOs, church groups & people's organization devote themselves to the task of nation-building, often times against insurmountable odds.

But not even two people's revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward.

We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm... It's time to claim GOD's promise of healing of the land for His people. It's time to gather GOD's people on its knees to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation.

Is prayer really the answer? Before you dismiss this as just another rambling of a religious fanatic, I'd like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history.

England 's ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation, a spiritual revival fueled by intense prayers.

The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today - a strong faith in GOD and a disciplined prayer life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movement swept across the land.

In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today, led by Rev. Paul Yongi Cho. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering.

Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here there is genuine humbling & seeking of GOD through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows. And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. YES, we believe prayer can make a difference. It's our only hope.

Today, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. We do not ask for much. We only ask for 5 minutes of your time in a day, to fwd this email to your close friends and relatives.

This is the kind of unity which can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting your own prayer group or prayer center.

We have tried people power twice; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it's time to try prayer power. GOD never fails. Is there hope? YES! We can rely on God's promise, but we have to do our part. If we humble ourselves and pray as a people, GOD will heal our land. By GOD's grace, we may yet see a better future for our children.

'If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land...'(2 Chronicles 7:14).

If you care for your children and grandchildren, PLEASE pass this on.
Let's not just abandon our Philippines

If you want change, SAY YES TO CHANGE!

Everyone, please join me in this campaign:

Let us all be part of the youth that cry for a CHANGE.

------

Here's how to win your free trip to YES2009. 500 FREE trips to YES2009 worth over 1,000,000 USD are up for grabs!

When you win a trip to YES2009, your flight, hotel, and summit pass worth USD2,500 will be paid for. You will be joining 500 Southeast Asian youth to meet global change icons in Kuala Lumpur.

For more information click here.

The World in the Eyes of a Chemical Engineer(ing Student)

Chemical engineering is a discipline dealing with processes (industrial and natural) involving the transformation (chemical, biological or physical) of matter or energy into forms useful for mankind, economically and without compromising environment, safety, or finite resources. This definition makes chemical engineering a very broad field –encompassing various disciplines such as biology, physics, economics, environment, etc. And as the boundaries of different branches of science become indistinct and fuzzy, chemical engineers tend to adapt to the changes brought about by such fusion. Chemical engineers are the most familiar (among the other engineers) with how, for instance, organic chemistry, molecular physics and biology are joined in biotechnology or how solid-state physics fuse with microelectronics. However, according to J.M. Prausnitz, a chemical engineer and professor in the University of California, the fuzziness extends much farther and further. For instance, engineering, biology, and chemistry mix up not only with themselves but also with law and public policy. That is why, while chemical engineering is continuously changing and progressing, it is also observed that the importance of environmental and safety issues are not compromised. And thus, chemical engineering is now stretched to environmental engineering. They expand the job of the environmentalists to creating technological innovation in solving environmental issues and concerns.

Moreover, given the wide range of applications of chemical engineering, the discipline is fast becoming the center of the sciences that tries to solve the problem of the unprecedented demands of the growing population of the world. At present, researches and innovations in the field of chemical engineering is focusing on two areas that are now humanity's highest priority-- clean and renewable energy and health care. These issues also paved the way for the new frontiers of chemical engineering-- nanotechnology, biochemical engineering and solar energy research.

First is the nanotechnology, defined as the study and use of structures between 1 nanometer and 100nanometers in size. Applications of nanotechnology in medicine are now being developed. The use of engineered nano-particles to deliver drugs, heat, light and other substances to specific cells in the human body allows detection and/or treatment of diseases or injuries within the targeted cells, thereby minimizing the damage to healthy cells in the body. Application of nanotechnology to fuel and fuel cells also reduces the cost of catalysts and production of fuel. Research is also being conducted to develop nanocapsules containing nutrients that would be released when nanosensors detect a vitamin deficiency in your body. Basically this research could result in a super vitamin storage system in your body that delivers the nutrients you need, when you need them.

Next, biochemical engineering may be defined as an engineering discipline that is concerned with the economic processing of materials that are of biological origin and that are processed and designed for biological application to serve useful purpose for the benefit of mankind. Materials engineered from biological origin can be used in a variety of ways. Applications of biochemical engineering include pharmaceutical compounds and artificial organs and devices of medical importance. (source: Biochemical engineering-Trends and recent advances --Doo young Ryu--journal)

And lastly, solar energy research is continuously encouraged as it is a very promising source of renewable energy. In the Philippines, research and development in energy and environment includes solar PV, solar thermal and solar cooling in its priority initiatives. (Source: Priority Initiatives as of 28 May 2009Congressional Commission on Science & Technology and Engineering)

All of those new disciplines aforementioned can really create a big impact on our society and can radically change our lives. However, some chemical engineers tend to focus on new applications of the field alone. If you observe, the real keywords are “solve the problem” and “unprecedented demand”. And what are these demands? It has become an evitable fact that chemical engineers should comply with the demand of the so called postmodern world with regard to accepting the responsibilities brought about by the intersecting disciplines, as aforementioned, and interaction between such fields. It is never an issue of what chemical engineer should need and what he thinks to respond to the problems but on what the world expects from them to respond. Chemical engineers, whether they like it or not, have social responsibilities. And that is what people expect them to comply with. Yes, it is great to go beyond the traditional technical and technological domain, but chemical engineers should not take for granted their unavoidable task – to serve society. More often than not, chemical engineers are taking for granted the imperfections and flaws of the innovations they are creating, which the public is suffering from. They also must try to reach out for people. There is a need to have the people well-informed about the contributions of chemical engineering how it manage to uplift the community through responsible research in science and engineering. It is very important since the public has barely known about what chemical engineering is, who chemical engineers are and what they do. And worse, they only focus on the things that chemical engineers are taking for granted, their flaws and imperfections. Also, in as much as they try to clear out the boundaries of different science disciplines, they also must try to erase the line between scientists and nonscientist, engineers and non-engineers, which become analogous to knowledgeable and non-knowledgeable, or rational and irrational.

Therefore, in general, there are five requirements as suggested by Prausnitz for effective chemical engineering in the postmodern world: 1. Focus on quality control to assure process and product safety; more green chemistry to avoid pollution; 2. Focus to human needs of employment and co-workers; 3. There should be an open honesty whenever there is a public concern problems; 4. Stretch-out magnitude of communicating through media of what chemical engineers do, how they do it and why; and lastly, 5. Build bridges to nonscientists or non-engineers: try to erase the uneasiness and fear of these people to science and technology and “do not assume that “you” are smarter than “they”.

With those in my mind of a chemical engineer, he, sure, can make a big difference not only to himself but also to the world he is in.

If you want change, SAY YES TO CHANGE!

Everyone, please join me in this campaign:

Let us all be part of the youth that cry for a CHANGE.

------

Here's how to win your free trip to YES2009. 500 FREE trips to YES2009 worth over 1,000,000 USD are up for grabs!

When you win a trip to YES2009, your flight, hotel, and summit pass worth USD2,500 will be paid for. You will be joining 500 Southeast Asian youth to meet global change icons in Kuala Lumpur.

For more information click here.

Uhm, What do I do next?

Beyond Saturation. What's next, hence?

Repost: How to Buy Gold.

Marketing is both an art and a science. This is one of the many things I learned after a marketing workshop I attended last Saturday. I was overwhelmed with the different creative but practical, and crafty yet refined tactics one can use in marketing. So I thought, at present, to market one's products (apparel, food, services etc.) there is no better place than to use the internet!! An accessible and convenient place for target audience and marketers to meet

As I was surfing the net, looking for a good product (using my newly-gained marketing knowledge), I saw this interesting site (www.goldcoinsgain.com) where you can , guess what, buy gold!

The site is actually an online resource for gold coin and gold bullion acquisition. Once you open the website, it directly shows the gold coin and gold bullion available for the buyers. As a first-time guest, I like the short description of the different types of gold coins. The prices also influence my idea of which gold type is more beautiful than others. Different sections like Gold Investing Info, Gold IRA Transfer and 8 Reasons to Own Gold also caught my curiosity. It gives me ideas on why and how to buy gold bullion.

I don't really like scrolling down, so I didn't actually read most of the details found at the bottom. Also, I think it's better to read something more stimulating than the history of gold coin found below the homepage. I would also appreciate if the font is bigger and varied. But it actually surprised me that I can effortlessly understand the terms and content of the site, although I'm not really into the gold business (yet)…

Oh well, I just wish I have enough money to buy gold coins! Anyway, internet is really a good place to market your stuffs because it broadens your target audience and effectively connects them to you!!

PLEASE HELP, if you can...

I personally witnessed the real situation of the casualties brought on by typhoon Ondoy! I got to volunteer to help in cleaning a friend's house in one of the most affected area (Provident Village), and the scenes that flashed to my sight were very very devastating. People there really need help, so if you can, please please spare some time to reach out to these people. Anyway, this post is not about my volunteer work nor about the effect and after effect of Ondoy's wrath. I will make another post about that one of these days....

It just saddened me when I heard a lot of stories of children being helpless in the flood or infants being trapped with his/her family on the roof of their house that was submerged in flood. Without food nor water. Without anyone who could save them. Helpless and hopeless.

Thank God, many had survived. I call for people who can give these surviving infants some things they need because their parents were not able to save their baby's stuff. So, people, they need prams, nappies, toys, cots, baby food, or whatsoever things that a baby needs.