Aggie chief interested in young Nadya’s study

Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap called about my piece on the mean treatment of child scientist Nadya Sauza at the recent National Science Quiz-Fair in Baguio (Gotcha, 19 Feb. 2007). Attracted by Nadya’s research on "Bio-diesel from Waste Animal Fats in a Meat Processing Plant," Yap publicly is requesting Nadya, with her parents and coach, to present the study to the National Meat Inspection Board. This is no longer a school match or a game of chance by unscientific organizers, but the real thing. Yap, a believer in technology for progress, anticipates huge benefits to the country from 12-year-old Nadya’s report.

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Following, meanwhile, is an excerpted reply to the letter of Nadya’s mother Ester from one of the competition judges, Dr. Paulina Bawingan. While it clarifies Bawingan’s role, it also confirms the unscientific palabunutan (drawing of lots) used to purge some contestants:

"Impliedly in your letter, the judges were the ones who made the palabunutan. A committee did it, composed of officers of the Association of Science Educators of the Philippines, including some judges. I was not a member. The decision to draw two entries out of the four from your Region 6 was done before I arrived for the judging.

"The judges got hold of the write-ups of only ten entries before the Fair. It was a shock to find out during the Fair that there were actually 23 entries. The rest of the write-ups were given to us on the spot. Nonetheless we evaluated all the entries and took pains to interview all the pupils. I selected your daughter’s entry as one of the Top 10 because of the well-written research, which, honestly, I initially thought was not by an elementary pupil but because of her ability to answer my questions and the relevance of the study. This convinced me that she knew her research well. During the judges’ deliberations, I was informed that her entry was eliminated, and of the method used.

"You may view the method as unjust. I may not agree with the committee not informing the coaches beforehand. But the intention was good. There were four entries from your region, and the guidelines specifically stated only two per category would be accepted; the root of the problem was misinterpretation of guidelines. Who among the four should be chosen when all had traveled from the South and spent money to join the Fair? The choice of palabunutan was to give all four entries equal chance to enter again."

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Reader Jun B. Lintag then shares his story:

"They robbed not only Nadya of her little joys, but also the Philippines of a scientist. We hardly have scientists, mathematicians or engineers in government, including Congress. We have lawyers, but not job creators and product makers. Reading about Nadya reopened old wounds inflicted by the Dept. of Education in 1959. I was president of the brilliant Future Farmers of the Philippines at the Pampanga National Agricultural School. We were the most outstanding chapter in the country, and I won the award of Parliamentarian of the Year. Leadership training in the US was to be my reward. But while I was applying for a passport an education official replaced me without notice.

"Scientific farming was what I was aiming for then. Because of my frustration with the official, I resolved to go to America on my own. I now run a consultancy in college funding and retirement planning in California. Next year I will return to the Philippines and teach farming techniques I picked up in Central and North America."

Thanks to many other readers who reacted, especially to Michael Cuanzon, Reyland Chica and Dr. Rudolf Hocchauser.

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Some things need straightening out again about the recent Filipino panel that convinced the US-National Council of State Boards of Nursing to hold the NCLEX in Manila. This, because of falsities from the head of the Professional Regulation Commission and a lawyer of some passers of the fraudulent June 2006 nursing board test.

The lawyer complained to Labor Sec. Art Brion that the team of Dante Ang had visited in America the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools to blacklist the June 2006 passers. Wrong. I covered the delegation; it flew to the NCSBN headquarters in Chicago, then back to Manila, never to the CGFNS in Philadelphia two hours away by jet. Brion’s delegation rep, Atty. Ariss Santos, can attest to it.

PRC head Leonor Rosero said the CGFNS cannot blacklist the examinees because the Supreme Court already had ruled on the case. Hello? The SC ruling was to grant local licenses to the 17,000 passers. The CGFNS decision was to not process US Visa Screens because it still doubts the ability of passers in a tainted exam.

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