On the campaign trail

We’ve been doing our own campaigning to promote the AGHAM Party List, and, to our pleasant surprise, from up north, in La Union and Pangasinan, to down south, to Zamboanga, Davao, Misamis Oriental and Occidental, and Central Mindanao local scientists and students responded positively to the possibility of their being represented in Congress. How their declared commitment is going to be translated into votes is to be seen, of course in the coming elections in May.

Dr. Emil Javier, national president of AGHAM, is undaunted by the noise made by some sectors about certain party lists’ not being credible. In a statement, he said he welcomes the opportunity to clarify AGHAM’s qualifications as a sectoral organization..

The operational definitions of "underrepresented and marginal" need to be clearly articulated by Congress itself and by the COMELEC, he said. "AGHAM intends to be the voice of the science and technology sector particularly of the country’s science workers who for the most part are rank-and-file, research, farm and laboratory workers and assistants, rural technology extension and development workers, science and mathematics teachers, investors, and science journalists."

"The AGHAM party list is very transparent and clear about our identity, agenda and the qualification of our leadership. The name itself, ‘AGHAM,’ meaning science, does not leave any room for doubt of our identity and purposes."

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I’m sure Michael T. Defensor of Team Unity draws a lot of attention when he talks about his legislative agenda once he is elected to the Senate. His main concern is "to provide every Filipino with a decent house he could call home." He says human dignity is often associated with shelter. "Give (a man) a house and he will live in dignity. Everything else will follow from there." Mike or "Tol," knows whereof he speaks, having served as presidential adviser on housing, and chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. These posts preceded his congressional stints (Third District, Quezon City), in the 10th and 11th Congress.

Of interest, too, is his pushing home offices for 930,000 handicapped Filipinos. He urges funding to support a special micro-financing program for the home offices of handicapped persons. He says the concept of home offices has become popular in the US, where some 20 million people run small businesses from home offices.

The former secretary of environment and natural resources says the next Congress should pass new legislation that will provide compensation to farmers who promote preservation while cultivating their land. The idea is to encourage environment-friendly farm practices while boosting farm incomes and easing rural poverty. The cash rewards to be given by the government should be drawn from a special "green fund" for agriculture.

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It’s not everyday that the once highly influential and powerful Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo would confer royal titles on ordinary mortals. But recently, the Sultanate broke tradition, and for the first time, bestowed royal titles on a truly deserving couple.

So to the sound of ancient and ethnic Muslim gongs and kulintang, Yolanda Ortega Stern, president of the US-based Federation of Philippine-American Chambers of Commerce, was given the royal title of "princess" and made ambassador-at-large and extraordinaire and plenipotentiary. She also assumed the royal name of Dayang Dayang Sitti Fatimah Tasmira Yolanda Mandi Kiram or Princess Yolanda Mandi Kiram for short.

Yolanda ’s husband, Dr. Thomas Stern, president of the One World Institute and author of several significant books, was made "Prince" or "Datu" and appointed the Sultanate’s special representative in the US.

During the conferment, the Stern couple – who has given donations of medicines, wheelchairs and medical missions to the Sultan’s Mindanao constituents and some parts of the Philippines, was also made adopted son and daughter of Sultan Kiram.

Highlighting the Muslim coronation of the couple was a magical, enchanting interplay of Tausug music such as the dalling-dalling and sindil, and, of course, the popular Tausug dance called the pangalay and suwah-suwah.

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The Center for the Promotion of Peace and Development continues its mission of promoting better Christian-Muslim relations by staging another forum called "Journey to Peace: Understanding Muslim and Christian Commonalities" in cooperation with the Southern Philippines Development Authority on April 30 at the Astoria Hotel in Zamboanga City. CPPDM Director General Saeed A. Daof says the format will be round-table discussion on the role of science and technology in nation-building and enhancing peace and development in Mindanao. SPDA Administrator Zamzamin Ampatuan will keynote the focus discussion. Sponsors of the event are PAGCOR and Philippine Airlines.

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University of the Philippines alumni will converge at the Bahay Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City to celebrate the 99th year of the university’s existence on June 23. Alumni from the different corners of the archipelago and the world are expected to join the celebration.

Regent and UP Alumni Association president Gari Tiongco declares the event as "pay-back time." Acting UPAA President Ponciano Rivera heads the committees preparing for the reunion, and Essen Perez chairs the Jubilarians Committee.

Contact persons for the celebration are Justice Emilio A. Gancayco or Gen. Florencio F. Magsino (Diamond chair); Prof. Carmelita C. Ramirez and Atty. Federico I. Ples (Golden chair and vice-chair); Mayor Jejomar C. Binay and Dr. Marilyn C. Alentajan (Ruby chair and vice-chair), and Dr. Manuel I. Alido and Eden T. Bautista (silver chair and vice-chair).

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