Bright future for our country

The Filipino scholars at the University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan rejoiced upon learning, through the Internet, that fellow scholar Dr. Noel Roble, now back at the University of San Carlos, reaped top honors for a research paper that he, Dr. James Ogbonna, and Prof. Hideo Tanaka worked on together while in Tsukuba.

Noel was and remains as everyone's big brother. Even before the program became popular, Noel was already known to be very generous with his time and attention. You needed someone to meet you at the airport with his car, Noel would be there. You needed a driver, Noel will be the guy. You need help to transfer from the dorm to a new home, Noel will again be there. You name it, Noel was everyone's tig ( tig-tabang, tig-drive, tig-karga, tig-pamati, etc etc). He was most popular not only among Filipinos but also among his Japanese friends and classmates.

One would think he hardly had serious time for his research given this generous disposition. But no, Noel always had time for his research. The proof of that is his earning a Phd and now, reaping honors because of their invaluable research about ethanol, then from loofa and back home at USC, from cassava, ethanol being a very important fuel additive, gasoline enhancer and alternative fuel source.

Imagine the lowly cassava producing precious ethanol. Noel and his ethanol from cassava research remind us all that pure hearts produce invaluable gifts and that precious gifts come from simple creations from the Lord. Noel and his research also remind us that no matter how bad our present situation is in our country and this world, there is a bright future ahead, given the sincere love and care of Filipino scholars like Noel, Norman, Rey and more.

You must already have read the story of Norman Secreto, the 22-year-old chemist and people's scholar at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños. Like Noel, Norman discovered that ethanol can be extracted from molasses (from distillery slops, which is the main waste of the distillery industry).

In the acknowledgement portion of his Agriculture Engineering thesis, Norman wrote: "To my countrymen, the Filipino people, who subsidized my schooling in this University; may you reap the true worth of the taxes you paid when I graduate. It is my pleasure to serve you all in my own little ways. Mabuhay ang Pilipino! I keep on praying, 'Babangon ang Pilipinas.'"

For his great discovery, Norman would have reaped much financial rewards which he would have loved to share, as eldest child, to his big family back in General Santos City. Sadly, Norman fell off a jeep where he was hanging on the running board, suffered a fatal blow to his skull, dead at 22. You can read the rest of the story about Norman at http://www.bic.searca.org/news/2006/mar/phi/13.html.

Norman, however, did not keep his research to himself. He shared his discovery with his fellow researchers Irene Gabrido, Francisco Elegado, Catalino Alfafara and with his professor and thesis adviser, Dr. Fidel Rey Nayve, another scholar from the University of Tsukuba like Noel Roble.

While Rey mourned the loss of a very brilliant and nationalistic scholar, Rey is confident Norman will live on because of his very important discovery related to ethanol production, much needed by this struggling country of ours.

In UPLB Rey Nayve's hands, and with Rey's patriotic concern for our people, together with serious, generous scholars like USC Noel Roble and more offering to work for this nation, we can go beyond our corrupt officials and leaders and really leap in faith and complete trust that there will truly be a bright future for our country and our people. As Norman so confidently wrote: "Babangon ang Pilipinas."