METROPOST DOMINIQUE GERALD M. CIMAFRANCA


VILLAGE IDIOT SAVANT


villageidiotsavant@hotmail.com


skills, I’ve also tried to keep an open ear to how my wife E-- and I were talking to her. I’m happy to say we’ve largely avoided the trap of the cutesy infantile babbling, though -- who knows? -- that may largely be a myth. We’ve tried to make it a point to speak to D-- in as straightforward a manner as possible.


A


long with observing ourdaughter D--’s developing language


do otherwise. Internally, we must have taken into account the inadequate comprehension of a child, and so adjusted our manner of speaking accordingly. Short words, spoken slowly, somewhat drawn out. That was from a year


ago, though. Now that D-- is older and more facile with language, E-- and I have also made subtle changes, again


Still, I can’t help but notice the little alterations that make their way into our speech when speaking with D--. When she was younger, we’ve tended to drop articles “the” and “a/an” when referring to objects. Similarly, we tended to avoid pronouns, sticking instead to just names. Example: “Mama will give D-- ball, okay?” It’s not something we consciously contrived to do, it was just something that came naturally; in fact, it may have been harder to


Baby talk


unconsciously. Pronouns and articles have come into use and our conversations with D-- are more natural. I think the adjustment comes from the responses we’re getting from D--, indicating to us, again unconsciously, that there is greater comprehension. Strangely, though, our preferred language with D-- is English, and again, this is something that just comes out. Between E-- and myself, we speak a mish-


WILLIAM E. ABLONG EYE OPENER wea_129@yahoo.com


Care for God’s creation is one of the principles of Catholic social teaching. We believe that God created the world and all living things. John Carr, founder and director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, said that both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, who was known as the Green Pope, put an increasing emphasis on environmental themes. Pope Francis previously dedicated an entire encyclical, which is a letter sent to all bishops in the church, to the topic of environmental protection. Pope Franc is ’


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example of “ecological sin.” Marian Z. Codilla of the Cebu Daily News reported on June 17, 2015 that National scientist and former Environment Secretary Angel Alcala said that reclamation projects would only worsen the decline of fish catch and strain the livelihood of municipal fisherfolk. “Reclamation is generally


organizations, businesses and the financial sector, academia, civil society, the youth, indigenous peoples, and local communities must have a role to play in delivering biodiversity outcomes. There is no denying the


encyclical Laudato Si (‘Praise be to you’), On the Care for Our Common Home, is the Catholic Church’s most profound and comprehensive statement on caring for creation and the poorest. It is addressed to everyone in the entire world, not just Catholics, and not just Christians. It captures the interconnectedness of social, economic and environmental justice in building and protecting Our Common Home. Pope Francis said that human activity is at the root of climate change and our ‘ecological crisis’ - and that therefore, the solution also lies with us. In his speech during the 20th World Congress of the International Association of Penal Law, Pope Francis said it was a “duty” to add the “ecological sin against the common home” to the church catechism. He told the crowd of legal experts that ecological sin is an “action or omission” against God, the community and the environment. “It is a sin against future generations and is manifested in the acts and habits of pollution and destruction of the harmony of the environment,” he said. I believe that the existing 1.7 ha. coastal reclamation, dubbed as a shoreline protection project at the Rizal Blvd, and the proposal to add 1.9 ha. reclamation in the coastal carangay of Tinago, Dumaguete City have destroyed the harmony of the environment. This is an


bad. When you reclaim an area, you convert marine areas into land and it becomes a minus or negative for the marine environment,” Alcala told journalists attending a US Embas sy-sponsored seminar on Media for Marine Conservation in Coron, Palawan. “Reclamation will change the course of the currents. The result of that is erosion in some parts of the coastal area (near and within the reclaimed area) to somewhere else. And when the direction of the current is changed, it will cause a reduced amount


of larvae or juvenile fish being nursed along the coastal area,” Alcala said. Pope Francis calls for nothing less than a revolution of our hearts and minds, for a transformation of our societies and individual lifestyles, to live in harmony with God’s creation. He asks us to redefine our notion of progress and rethink our current public values which put financial and economic growth before ecology and the needs of the most vulnerable communities and people. The disaster confronting nature has never been more obvious. The costs to humanity of what we have done to the natural world have never been more evident. Fortunately, there are several talks of meaningful responses in the form of post-2020 global biodiversity frameworks. But, for these agendas to succeed, governments must guarantee extensive involvement in its formal processes. Non-state actors such as quasi-government


urgency of the challenge. WWF’s Living Planet Report found that global wildlife is in freefall. Estimates from the IPBES Global Assessment says that one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction.


Ecological Sin


natural world has unswerving effects on human society and prosperity. According to the World Economic Forum’s Nature Risk Rising report, over half of the world’s total gross domestic product, or $44 trillion, involves activities that are reasonably or highly reliant on nature. In the meantime, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has triggered the ultimate blow to the global economy has exposed our exposure to zoonotic diseases jumping from stressed animal populations, habitat and ecosystem loss. Action to end this crunch is of course at the top of local, national, and international policy agendas. I am quite confident that


This predicament in the


mash of English, Bisaya, and Hokkien, technically called “code-switching”; so why do we revert to just English when speaking with D--?


My theory is that we have an ingrained aversion to code-switching because -- again, unconsciosuly -- we don’t want to confuse the child with too many language options. Then there’s also the efficiency of English words, which tend to have fewer syllables than their Filipino counterparts Bolstered by her regular


diet of YouTube music videos, D-- expresses herself mostly in English and with a twang. That had E-- and I worried early on, because that can be a disadvantage when she starts school. Then again, mayeb we shouldn’t be. D-- continues to surprise us, recently she has already started to switch seamlessly between Bisaya and Hokkien as well. Ah, to have the plasticity of the brain of a child!


or most of us, wearing an apron prevents our food coming into contact with the dust, dirt, hair, germs etc and this is the apron I grew up with. Deriving from the French


F


word ‘naperon’, meaning a small table cloth, aprons have been symbolic of different things throughout history. In ancient times, the apron was worn for practical, decorative, and ritualistic purposes. Nowadays, they might be used to protect clothes or as a fashion statement. Some thoughts from the Radical Tea Towel


been viewed through the lens of sexism. After the Second World War, the


Aprons have also


stereotypical image of women was wearing an apron and looking after the house, which is what you’d often see in adverts for household goods and cleaning products. This was later criticized for suggesting a woman’s only ambition should be to stay at home and any kind of professional dreams were out of the question.


on significantly since those adverts. While we have by no means reached equality, more is now possible and acceptable for both sexes. So now it’s time for everyone to embrace the apron! Let’s take a step back in time… The history of the


Yet times have moved


apron A pro ns


fascinating history, both have a


FEBRUARY 28 -MARCH 06, 2021 OPINION 5 MARISSA NGAN-DAMES


FOOD FOR THOUGHT


in relation to the people who have worn them and symbols they have represented.


that early historical figures used aprons. The Bronze Age Minoan civilization of ancient Crete had a fertility goddess which is said to have worn over her skirt, a front and back apron decorated with a geometric diamond design…” Ancient Egyptian pharaohs and Assyrian priests are also thought to have had aprons. It was in the Middle


There is some evidence marissa.dames@dtcpromos.com.ph


goddess and stay-at-home mum, which those fighting for equality lashed out against.


apron is a fashion item, an expression of personality, a representation of healthy eating, and a vintage buy. What different types of apron are there? Firstly, there’s the half


In modern times the


Ages when the apron first became a domestic symbol, and was associated mostly with homemakers, workers, and also artists.


Certain trades started wearing distinctive aprons to showcase their profession. Bakers had the checkered ones while cobblers chose black ones to prevent the black wax they used on shoes from ruining their clothes. Aprons were first considered fashion items in the 16th century but in the years following they symbolized an array of ideas. This included a cultural icon, a symbol of entrapment and sexism, and a stylish accessory which promotes health and nutrition. After the Second World War, the apron represented an intact family: something everyone was yearning for. Yet it quickly came to symbolize the domestic


MICHAEL O’RIORDAN


OUTSIDE LOOKING IN


4


sleep but don’t know why. Then I recognize the familiar sounds of thunder and lightning exploding across the sky. Almost immediately, waterfalls of rain cascade from on high, then violently pound our house. This rain is extreme in its intensity. Examples of Nature’s power are, for me, always humbling. I love it and wonder if, while wrapped warmly under the blankets, my sense of security is similar to being back in mother’s womb. In my warm, dry bed, I feel safe, secure, immune from all this world’s harm. Because I’ve been homeless, and, who


despite the many flaws, governments are capable of putting up a shared, determined, quantifiable vision for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use that can inspire transformational change. I also believe that such vision will integrate intermediate goals and mechanisms that could quantify progress. I also believe that these goals will take into consideration people’s livelihoods and sustainable development and that the objectives and mechanisms are efficiently channeled into domestic policies.


The question is, how will this vision be realized? Spot lessons, consolidate progress, connect dots The way I see it, the effort to look after the whole of nature is not yet at the same level as


TO PAGE 6


knows, could again be in the future, I’m always grateful for basic comforts others take for granted.


as it appeared, the sounds and deluge move elsewhere across the sky. Silence returns. But not for long. 4.30 AM Just as I’m drifting back into sleep, the Rickey Rooster All Star band starts warming up for its early morning session. The noise begins in the distant hills sounding like a badly out of tune base guitar with two broken strings before picking up speed and a quirky loudness while questionable rhythms drift over the fields coming ever closer by the millisecond. After a brief pause, all hell breaks loose. A cacophony of shrill sounds explodes inside my head. I’m the only foreigner


Suddenly, just as quickly


AM This day begins early even by island standards. I’m woken from a deep


here, so am the only one in our neighborhood who is disturbed. Dingo, the well- known rooster soloist who is strutting less than 15 meters from my bed, begins singing Early Morning Rooster Blues, a song for which he’s become renowned in barangays throughout Dumaguete. He’s supported by his Rooster All Star band who unashamedly try to outdo each other, all going full blast in a futile attempt to claim ascendency over Dingo. But, for now, he’s clearly still top rooster! A variety of dogs with


apron, which is the one that goes from the waist usually to the mid-thigh but it can also be longer. A full or ‘bib’ apron is the most popular and common type. It covers the chest and loops or ties at the back then ties at the waist. Slip on aprons are far less likely to be seen in a kitchen. They’re the ones


Aprons: Practical garb or a symbol of Sexism


that look a bit like hospital gowns. (These are just too impractical and hot in a tropical country like the Philippines).


pinafore was originally a type of apron. They differed from the more traditional apron by including more fabric over the shoulders than their counterparts. Pinafores were also traditionally worn by young girls as a practical yet smart piece of clothing.


Little did you know, a


Why should you wear an apron?


wearing an apron is just a ‘nice to have’ accessory which might be useful in keeping your clothes from getting dirty. However, you should


Many people think that TO PAGE 10


irishauthormichaelcassidy@gmail.com


would ever replace the quiet satisfaction of leisurely turning the pages of any newspaper. And horses are faster than trains. Now the internet is my only option to gather news because I don’t have, or want to have, a TV that spews 95% rubbish.


dubious ancestry raise their collective faces skyward and vigorously howl. I’ve no clue if they’re happily participating


or angrily complaining. 5.15 AM I drift back to sleep and dream in bright colors. My dreams are exciting, vivid, and action packed. But, when I wake, I can’t recall anything. 6 AM I open my laptop, and check emails. They come from the Philippines, America, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. I respond to some, and postpone replying to others. I read parts of the Irish


A day in the life of an expat


and, while Rickey and his band blast out a collection of his greatest hits, I meditate as best I can for a half hour. I’ve got challenging issues to deal with tomorrow. Although I try and detach myself from any of the possible outcomes, I’m unwilling to fully let go. I end the meditation by thinking of a wise saying: “Great Spirit, please help me accept the things I cannot


6.30 AM I close my eyes


change, have the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 7.05 AM I crush beans,


Times, then the New York Times. Being the superficial snob that I am, I subscribe to both newspapers but don’t read much of the content. My guilty secret is I also read a provincial newspaper called the Irish Examiner. Please don’t tell anybody.


Many years ago, I swore I’ve never “read” any newspaper online. Back then, the internet seemed a preposterous concept that would never last! Nothing


mix honey into the freshly percolated coffee, then sit outside and enjoy the flavor. Having previously lived in Costa Rica and Brazil, I’ve got a deep appreciation for good coffee and even this coffee. As always, a pleasant emotion stirs inside as I watch the tall coconut trees gently swaying in the morning breeze. They always remind me I’ve successfully fulfilled my lifelong dream of living in the tropics. 7.15 AM I hear the sounds of


laughter and excited shouting coming from the living room. Although it’s hardly an ideal venue, Vie and Sunshine are


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