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."
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.
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.
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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