Want some noni juice?
Tired from school, the first thing I wanted to do was to have a big gulp of ice cold water. But as I open the refrigerator door, two bottles of Tihitian Noni Juice were in front of my very eyes. I smiled Dad has done it again. He always wants to try what's "in". And Noni Juice happens to be the newest name and the fastest grow
ing health supplement in the market today.
I have heard and read several good words on Noni , most of them too good to be true. A certain Chiropractor, Dr. Roger Soard said" Tihitian Noni Juice is a must fro anyone con
cerned about their well-being I've noticed so many benefits and I feel so great. Given one supplement ofany t 0 keep , I'd k e e p
Tihitian Noni Juice , even if it meant moving to Tahiti!" Whoa! How about this from a microbiologist, r Jake Savage, " I love Noni uice It is an absolutely phenomenal product and I take pride on recommending it to everyone ." Hmm
BL.Jrr,
*Ofelia Clarissa San Pedro, IV-Copernicus
You may have heard about Xenical. I know you have. Every artificial drug produced for the benefit of having a fatless and "bile"-less body has been without a doubt tried by each and every person in the world. In which case, those who can afford to buy it Filipinos can never be far behind.
With the rage sweeping over Manila about this-once more-new wonder drug Xenical, what a surprise indeed.
Xenical is an oral prescription weight loss medication used to help obese people lose weight and keep this load off It works in their intestines, where it blocks some of the food they eat from being absorbed without requiring appetite suppression. It was approved for use in the US last April after a struggle to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States.
Xenical has a trade name orlistat, recommended by physicians to block about one-third of the fat ever being digested in a meal. Xenical changes one's eating habits. The outcome of weight loss is gradual in most cases. In the end, one can say that it's a job well done. Manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals of Basel, Switzerland, Xenical is the latest miracle diet pill to hit the Philippine market. Xenical may be right for you ifyou are considerably overweight, at least 30% above ideal weight or a body mass index of30 or greater. Xenical may also be right for you if you are overweight, at least 20% above ideal weight or a body mass index of27 or greater, and also have other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes.
You must use Xenical with a recommended mildly reduced-calorie diet. You should also follow a program of regular physical activity, such as walking and running. However, before you undertake any activity or any exercise program, be sure to speak with your doctor or health care professional.
But like all the supposed-to-be perfect fat reducer drugs, Xenical has its uncomfortable side effects. Since it blocks about one-third of the fat in the food one eats, one may experience gas with oily discharge, increased bowel movements, the urgency in having bowel movements and the inability to control them. These generally occur after the intake ofa meal containing a huge amount of fat. These symptoms are often temporary; with the continuous use of Xenical, they may lessen or even disappear.
Xenical is strictly prohibited to people who have food absorption problems, reduced bile flow or even taking cyclosporine, especially to pregnant and nursing women. It reduces the absorption of vitamins, therefore, it is recommended to take daily multi-vitamins with a balanced diet.
With the recent craze over Xenical, it is surely expected in the future that this pill will cause negative effects until its days are finally over in the world market. From the trend in Mecidia, Viagra, Bangkok Pills, Proprecia there's not doubt in the possible future of this wonder drug. These drugs consistently undergo transitions adaptable to the ever-changing Filipino lifestyle, wherein they desire to be more attractive and more physically fit.
Still, with the capability of today's society, there's still more to come. Maybe in a few years or so, unisex Viagra won't be surprising!
*Rhiza T. Sanchez, IV-Newton Now get this from a veterinarian, Dr. Gary Tran, " Noni Juice has made my job easier, especially for my fourlegged patients. In my thirty-five years ofpractic e,! have never seen anything like Tihitian Noni Juice " For animals too? This must be something! So, it is a juice. So why is there such a big fuss about it? And what does it have? Why do we have to pay PhP 2,000 for just a 946 mL bottle ofit?
The Tihitian Noni Juice is extracted fro the tropical fruit Noni ( Marinda critifolia) and for your information, it is acure to more than 100 health problems. Noni, like aloe vera, is just an herbal plants that has been used for over 2,000 years in Polynesia, China and migrated to places where there is a pollution-free volcanic soil. It has been proven to cure and improve a variety ofhealth conditions from regulation of blood temperature , mood cycles and sleep to lowering of high blood pressure It has antibacterial properties that can protect against digestive and heart damage. It acts to enhance the immune system involving the body's natural defenses. It also stops the growth of cancer tumors by allowing abnormal cells to functin more normally. It alleviates pain It acts as anti-inflammatory and anti-histaminic agent. It increases body energy, treats arthritis, aids in blood clotting, and the list goes on and on and on
Researchers have discovered
a phytonutrient in Noni called Scopoletin This mineral is said to be the agent which aids in lowering high blood pressure and dilating constricted heart vessels There's also this Proxeronine which, as the researchers say, " helps the body heal itself" by activating the recptor proteins. Studies are still being conducted to find the minerals, nutrients and substances that make Noni juice a wonder medicine
Days have gone by and our m e dical and health technology has been improving. But the most surprising of all is that it is improving because of ancient herbs and plants. How ironic could that be? Well , may it be safe or not, the Tihitian Noni Juice has done wonders and has made a difference in our current health problems. So, how about you? Want some Noni Juice?
With iTalk . • • You Just Talk!
All Filipino Technology Research
Tean1 con1es up w·th ice- erated PC's
Lester Paolo J. Broma IV - Faraday
Iris Christine P. Orprecio IV - Roentgen
Another computer limitation had just been crossed out.
A new breed of"smart" computers will soon revolutionize the e-business of the local market. And this breed is that which you can talk to-and actually talks back.
A local version of an American invention, these smart computers have finally hit the local market last Septmeber. This computer system is called the iTalk.
, This next-generation computer system recognizes voice command, so this will initially enable users to record commands to operate simple basic applications such as browsing the Worldwide Web, checking and reading mail in operating MS Outlook and the user can also launch applications such as rd, Winmap, MS Excel and many others.
This P40,000 computer '3/S • , offering a Pentium III PC with an Intel • , ard and the voice command softwar11W!'!!!ll!lll!II oaded and complemented by 64 me , ory, 8 megabytes Intel i740 video sound card, internal 56K fax/mo OM drive, a 6.4
eakers and li-
voice commands for di e nt applications in the iTalk Command Properties where he can also set different parameters. The commands are keyed in by the user and are read byt text-to-speech software. For e:l(ample, in web browsing, when you type in the Words "browse web" at the voice command bar, ahd indicate the directory of Explorer and Netscape in the command line, the browser wilt thdn be activated when the system recognizes the spoken command.
True to its user-friendly product line, this breaktbrouglt in information technology even lets you custombe the spoken commands, like using "Paolo wfints to surf1" instead of"browse web" and "What's up?" instead of"Read mail".
Neverthel
ood. ds or ema iliar
as anyb~ ~an say "Dear .Iris'a I :rvf"ov over, human seer ries ! This 24-hour -holiday break no- kendrest no-wageing e-secretary drive your spe tinction.
And these
niences fit for gs are not enough, th 's more. In browsing, you don't have to type or even speak hole we icode or adeca ca nicknames , s You can, for examIJ Nucleus" in thenucleus.tri o •
Corporation years after gr Philippines degree in Com Massachusetts, ' to provide "cutt • • zations, firms, or • est in consulting s development.
iTalkus that ZTI develo microphone. into the comp dictated words currently has t Webbro • plorer launchi ~liilillili ingandrea m
The user can even choose different Information Technology
document using a word processor. ZTI is also considering bundling existing software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking. When this actually pushes through, letters will sure be composed
also ensures that they also pay attention to the artistic features of the system. The casings, the mice, and keyboards come in spots of tangerine
and blueberry. They are now even looking for a translucent moni r source.
But e most interesting fact is that this software was signed by an all-Filipino group, that is, the Ze Technologies Software Development Team.
ill excite the Information Techecause this will be the first usd computer. While iTalk is still 1age of development, this early, possibilities are endless. This orld, and will introduce a new eva said. "What's more excit• eople who developed this softpinos. It only proves that we Filipi ete with the world's best, espeomes to Information Technology."
*Mark Joseph Torrijos, IV-Roentgen
Mark Joseph V Torrijos
(Thefollowing essqy written by The Nucleus feature editor Mar'k Torrijos was one of the topfifiy compositio s that won in the "Who is the Most Important Person of the Century?" Essay Writing Co ntest sponsored by Time Magazine selected out of the more than 7,000 entries written by igh school students from countries all over sia.)
One hundied years a lifetime bears a hundred seeds of great souls. A hundred grains of noblest sp irits yield the fibers of humanity. A hundre threads of humanity shall spin the fabric ofm ind
A believer an achiever, and yet a prisoner-Rolihlahla ~elson Mandela. He is but an ordinary man, common face among the masses, and yetthr ugh extraordinary circumstances, he became a leader. Just when the goings are tough, d all that surrounds him lo es a sense of rec ognition of equality and respect, he stood ta and fought for his beliefs. Knowing that the ances of being heard are in their remotest, be still chose to take the road of sacrifices and sufferings. An oppressed, he may be, but not for ong.
His struggles to make his people realize that skin color is not a measure of a person's dignity and integrity has thrown him into prison. For 27 years, his cause remained with him even behind bars. But iron closure is a blockage never too hard to melt for a person burning with passion and determination. His message was still sent across to his people and even to other nations. Through his undying cause, the world, once hushed to sleep, has awakened and made its move. Racial discrimination was eventually lessened and individual rights were again recognized Through his efforts, the fabric of mankind, furnished with holes and openings, was again patched to its near perfection He may not have been able to turn tides, but his blood and sweat surely created little ripples that made the substantial difference.
A few footfalls to go, we are about to turn a new leaf. As we begin another l 00 and eventually, a thousand years oflife, may we develop into another great seeds of our times. May a new Mandela sprout within us that will have the courage to patch another hole In times to come, may we become a part of the fabric that define us-
ROCK
•
Looking through the barred window of this tiny room, the vivid events, moments, and memories of: Youcanclimbamounthe yesteryears just flashed before my eyes
• tain, but also a rock This new
One hundred years a time span- just how much is encompassed by this fraction of time alone? "So: sport is called rock climbing. much," said my N anay Ula
• Until now rock climb-
• Nanay Ula is my grandmother from my father ' s side She is a witness of what happened in the
• ing has been an edge in sports Philippines for almost a century. She lived for 80 years She had stayed with our family for such a • recreation, enjoyed by an inlong time that every moment with her feels like a memory from today or yesterday I have so many : creasing number of people. The fond memories of her. I can still remember the stories of her life that she had become so generous toe advent of indoor climbing rock share. : walls has changed the flexible
That's why it in extreme g in whicp sportclimbin
Usually involves either method alternates right, le the method of disregarded your feet altogether and pulling yourself wildly and letting your feet find their way. Either way, the spectacle of this sport is both exausting and exciting. What drives a person to seek the heights? Is it inborn? Is it the unurbanized environment? Is it just a fad waiting to fade away? Or is it this hyper-paced lifestyle we lead?
: what seems to be a phenom-
Hope--that is the morale of every story told , every story spoken. It would take her hours just to telle trend in sports leisure. Rock me, tell us, her prayers that everything would be alright. It would also take another hour or two to climbing has made climbing easexplain us why we should cling to this hope all throughout life. Hope , so surreal and yet her ily accessible and has given it a serving grace. And so I did. And so I hoped... higherprofile Theresultofthis For those eighty years of her existence, she told us how she lived. The Philippines before wasn't sport is gradually exploding exactly the kind of place that would cradle you to your own comforts It was a tough life, yet she into a main stram of balanced hoped it would be a bearable one. It did. activity. It mixes strength with I can still remember the times when she would tell us those stories of almost everything before we flexibility, power, grace, mind sleep. We grew so fond of them because of the touch of reality to them. We know how easily one control with enthusiasm of can fool a child and make some stories just to make us sleep; but with her, it was so different. It was achievement It gives such an like she was just relating to us her experiences as they happen before her very eyes. : appeal to young people. It's not She would tell us for instance the time when their home, our home now, became the first ever house• gender or physique-specific. in their community to avail a refrigerator, television , and a radio. I would really be amazed just : Anybody can participate and imagining how happy she was by looking at the expression of her face. She would really laugh and • enjoy their own level of climb~ marvel as she told me the wonders and miracles these appliances could do. As ifl didn't know! She: ing. would tell us again and again about her prayers of hope. Her wishes that they would in time have • Climbing rock walls all these. Her hopes came true. : have been going for quite someHer stories at times can also make us teary-eyed. I remember the time when she would tell us these • time that it seems to stay with stories of the Japanese Occupation. She would tell us how her best friend was captured and after : its attendances growing and disappearing for almost two weeks, reappeared. She would also describe to us how lifeless and how. growing in many dedicated rock scarred her entire body was due to the sexual abuses she had gone through. She'd cry telling us : "gyms" such as the one in Pasig her short prayers of healing, that her scars would be aided They healed in time and with it came thee and another in Makati City. In healing of her inner scars as well.
The stories of her life just keeps on getting better and better Too bad there are no more stories to • enon, this past decade has wittell. She died when I was seven. But before she departed, she gave me and my sisters this ring. She• nessed an overwhelming told us that through it, we could remember her by. It did bring us some memories of her, and her : growth in the number ofFilipiundying hopes.
Take your pick. The thing is, there are more to being stressed out in everyday's busy life. There is a life heightened by this rocky sport. Youdon'thave to climb up the top, but this is about the climbing itself. The thrill felt in exerting effort to lift your body through rocks. Hopefully, we can allure more and more Filipinos, especially to downtown people, to go out and experience greater heights, the creative boosting of the great outdoors, on the rock walls.
your time in gyms and waste your strength in climbing rocks? For one thing, it doesn't waste your strength, it even develops your strength and stamina. It gives a person a sense of greatness once he is at top. The only downside to this burning passion for the outdoors, to the rocks, is that it makes a gear bigot out of you and it could murder one's pocketbook. Once again, this proves lifestyle's continuous addictive drug imposed on society, not only in trends and fads but also in sports.
• nos venturing out into the ex-
Now that I have grown and experienced life, I know how she survived all those years The hope : treme territories as evidence by once so fancy to me has become a solicft the budding of outdoor clubs, ground on which I can stand on. I'll : mountaineering service and renever be lost nor put down by al! of m~ tail organizations Due to the endeavors for I have her hope with me.• fun and exitement generated by Looking through the barred window of• the sport it is able to attract a this tiny room, the blurred vision of my: diverse ;ange of competitors future just flashed before my eyes. As • and spectators. Overseas, rock the new millennium approaches, I do : climbing has exploded into a not fear anymore what my legacy • fully professional world touring would be. I have my own stories to : circuit which draws crowds of tell - my stories of hope.
But as with every sport, this climbing may cause a person injuries mild and extreme. From rashes to abrasions, to fractures arms and legs, one can be prone to these if not properly fitted with protective gears and equipment in climbing the wall. There are rarely cases about serious injuries in this sport.
• up to hundreds of thousands.
•
What can be achieved in this endeavor? Why spend
Looking right now, it appears that the times and the trends dictate, to a large extent, people's preferences, inclinations and even simple appreciation for the natural world, or in this case, artificial rock walls. And while many are lured in this recreational activity, few just care As high school students, we find that Indiana adventure in our everyday lives We seek excitement and fun That's why even in this young age, we can impart ourselves in a sport great enough to lift our spirits it's like climbing the mountain only under a;oof.
So go out there, my friend, and discover what a wonderful thing climbing is, to reach higher.
Ofelia San Pedro
* Ofelia San Pedro IV - Copernicus
While beepers were the craze in 1996 , tucked into jeans pockets of businessmen as well as students, and while the internet surfed its way towards civilization in 1997, sending huge waves to computer advocates through e-mails, endless chatting, "eyeballs", spamming and the like, we really didn't know what was in store the next year. 1998 once again proved the efficiency of technology at its finest, when an invention became the "in" thing. The cellular phone.
What we really know about this cellular phone is simply for phone calls. But funny as it seems, the latest craze today with its use is text messaging, not talking anymore. Endless movements with the use of the thumb to punch his or her message to send it to his or her co-cellular advocate. And not only do we see this gadget with businessmen, but also with the whole population. A lot of students now own this thing and for one reason only, text messaging Needless to say, text messaging has evolved to be the fashion of the 90's With the colors ranging from ROYGB IV to metallic colors. Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse, Taz Mania have accessorized these units. The excitement each person feels every time they come out of their network outlets and proudly say, "I have text! I have text!" what's more to them than this latest addiction?
With the pre-paid services or monthly statements from famous networks like Globe Telecom, which leads in text messaging, Smart and Islacom and cellular units like Nokia, which leads in mobile phones, Ericsson and Motorola, people really do have a variety to choose from.
Text messaging has been endlessly compared to an addicting opium and has continuously reigned the minds of the public. From dirty jokes to jokes about Erap Estrada and April Boy Regino, to touching messages reminding the texters from morning until evening, these users have imparted themselves into this undenyingly addicting drug that many should avoid , or else get hooked and never be unhooked. The overrated message tones and ringing tones in the tune of "samba" and "that's it" , have spread its hounding sound throughout the land. From models 5110to9110 ofNokia, or from d-138 to
Bel's Vance!
By: Ofelia San Pedro IV - Copernicus
Dancing has many them more in dance sport
liliiil~ii·fferent rhythms, kinds of music
For the last 70 years, efforts """'...,...ud styles, while providing recre- have been made to standardize tional activity. And in dances like techniques in ballroom dancing, its , ive or jitterbug, rhumba, tango, cha- steps, forms, style and transform it cha-cha, they are what we call into a sport. And to day, it can be ballroom dancing. But when this said that it has developed into a free, expressive, smooth dance highly physical and demanding takes on a more serious format and activity, requiring a period of follows particular steps and moves coaching, training and practice to are judged by a criteria, ballroom succeed in this sport. Not only is dancing becomes dance sport this a sport for the professionals and Dance Sport is also known as the old but also for the young ones , competitive ballroom dance , in from the amateurs to the graceful which ballroom dance is recognized ten-year olds. as a sport.
With the Philippines'
Competition dance sport is official dance sport body, the Dance divided into two categories: Latin , Sport Council of the Philippines which is made up of the rhumba, (DSCP), accredited with the Internasamba, paso doble and cha-cha- tional Dance Sport Federation cha; and modern, which includes (IDSF), more and more Filipinos are tango,jive (also called as boogie), growing enthusiastic in learning waltz, foxtrot. In competitive dance steps in classes and workballroom dance, one needs to be shops organized by the DSCP with fast and fit, and yes it requires grace its president Becky Garcia. Even if in and skill. For dancing involves the coming Sydney Olympics in Year using muscles one never knew 2000 , a gold in dance sport will be existed before like calfs, deltoids, one of the prizes for international one can truly expect to develop dance athletes, the Philippines can't
Cthe VIP Series of Motorola, or from Twist to Genie of Phillips, you name it, people allover the Philippines truly got it.
Text messaging has contaminated almost all of the population that even students, not to mention elementary students, into fad. are this That recently, it has been strictly banned in schools, for it would be an accessory for cheating and the like. Had Sen. Flavier not proposed this, text would turn out to be an illegal drug. And the new metering system of Globe, for 15 million messages have been flowing its service centers everyday, it's undeniable that text has invaded people's lifestyles. See how once it is used, it is merely abused.
On the contrary, text messaging is just a form a communication. The simple hi's and hello's and the how are you's are quite what this is all about. Technology always has its way of making thing "hi-tech."
But a question still rises and sinks. Has technology really facilitated human communication? Besides sentences and words becoming shorter- "good morning" to "gud a.m." and portable communicating devices, and the lovable graphics that people adore, it has made our lives easier and more convenient, as
still hope to capture the gold for it is only an amateur in competitive ballroom dancing.
Dance athletes wear colorful and elegant costumes to emphasize their grace and beauty. And their body frames must be accurate to deliver a perfect performance of the steps in their dance In relation with other sports, dance sport is like basketball, people wear their club colors with pride, and people turn up from all over the country to follow their favorite dancers and teams. Dance sport makes athletes very aware of their body, they stop slouching, they walk more gracefully and hold themselves correctly. They become elegant, less clumsy and more poised
Dance sport is a real sport and a fun one. Dancing is not just for old times and the socially inept, it's for everybody in a general sense Dancing is about expression, it's about romance, dominance and submissiveness. Dancing is earthy, it's about the vertical expression of horizontal desire. What other sport offers all that?
nfessions of an anti-t xt
*Erwin Drussel Garrido, IV-Faraday
I never did like text messaging. I know I never will.
Since the beginning I never got used to the sight of students walking around campus with their cellular phones on one hand exchanging messages with other students who are probably at the other side of the school doing exactly the same thing, which is to say, NOTHING!
If you know me, I am the type of person who is really concerned with my grammar and spelling. This is one of the big reasons why I despise this whole texting idea (there goes that red line under the word texting-which reminds me, there was no such word till now) Looking at the messages, it takes me a long time to decipher them because these people have really murdered their English with the way they've simplified their words and sentences. And I ask myself, "Why do they have to do that? To save time?" Well, in the first place, the mere fact oftexting is an awful means of wasting time!
with beepers and the internet, by not only faster communication but also wholesome entertainment. Yet, the old fashion , greeting cards and conversation modes, are not erased from human interest. Even the pro's and anti's of this text messaging cannot fully justify their sides, it's up to the people to experience the advantages and disadvantages of this vogue to truly know whether it's for them or not. Does it make their lives easier or more complicated?
Honestly, texting has made people's interests linked to one another Even though "Message Failed" gives a frustrating face, this doesn't hinder them to try and try. "There's only one goal in their minds, to get a reply and go on with a conversation that would satisfy their day.
For sure, 2000 will not be a surprise for another innovation that would flood people's minds.
Get hooked or be crooked with text.
Besides, this whole fad is eating our tradition When I receive letters, I savor that "suspended-in-suspense" feeling of trying to determine whose handwriting it is on the envelope, a feeling deprived of texters (again, the PC says there's no such word!), as they can immediately identify their senders, one "state-of-the-art" feature (duh!) of text messaging. Also, I keep my special letters under my pillow when I sleep within the first week of receiving them-and how cold its translation is when phone owners can only save their special texts!
Moreover, everyday that I go home and ride an FX I am practically surrounded by people with their phones in front of their faces making them look like conspirators who are working on a secret mission. And I can't bear to see them highly manipulated by this technology. Every time someone disturbs my thoughts with the beeping of his phone I desperately want to grab it from him and throw it out of the vehicle and turn to him with one victorious smile
Text messaging, as far as I know, is intended for the sake of saving time in exchanging very important messages. Unfortunately, it has become more of a fashion to people today. And I'm really worried what I'd do if this would continue
Passing of Clean Air Act
11th Congress Biggest Feat
from page 8
vate sector, will prescribe the emission reduction goals using permissible standards, control strategies and control measures to be undertaken within a specified time period, including cost-effective use of economic incentives, management strategies, collective action, and environmental education and information.
The DENR will also formulate and implement an air quality control action plan which aims to attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards with their respective airsheds.
Air Quality Control Techniques, simultaneous with the issuance of the Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values and Standards, will be published to protect public health and safety, and general welfare.
In coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), other agencies, the private sector, the academe, NGOs and Pos, National Research and Development Program for the prevention and control of air pollution, will be established. This will give special emphasis to research on and the development of improved methods having industry-wide application for the prevention and control of air pollution. Such a research and development program shall develop air quality guideline values and standards in addition to internationally accepted standards. It shall also consider the socio-cultural, political and economic implications of air quality management and pollution control.
Clearances and Permits
DENR will authorize permits and clearances that shall cover emission limitations for the regulated air pollutants to help maintain the ambient air quality standards. They will also allow each regional industrial center that is designated as special airshed to allocate emission quotas to pollution sources within its jurisdiction that qualify under an environmental impact assessment system programmatic compliance program pursuant to the implementing rules and regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1586. Financial guarantee mechanisms to finance the needs during the implementation of programs will also be established. Liability for damages will still continue even after the termination of a program or project. This Financial Liability Instrument may be in the form of trust fund, environmental insurance, surety bonds, letters of credit, as well as self-insurance.
Action on Stationary Sources
Within the first two years of the implementation of this law, and every two years thereafter, DENR will review, revise and publish emission standards, to further more improve the emission standards for stationary sources of air pollution. Another important provision of the act is the ban on incinerator use or open burning of wastes. But the prohibition shall not apply to traditional small-scale method of community sanitation "siga", traditional, agricultural, health, and food preparation and crematoria.
In accordance with this proposition, local government units are mandated to promote, encourage and implement in their respective jurisdiction a comprehensive ecological waste management that includes waste segregation, recycling and composting. DENR will also promote the use of the state-of-theart, environmentally-sound and safe non-bum technologies for the handling, treatment, thermal destruction, utilization, and disposal of sorted, unrecycled, uncomposted municipal, bio-medical and hazardous wastes.
Action on Mobile Sources
It was shown in studies that 80 percent of air pollution in Metro Manila is from motor vehicle emissions. With this law, standards of emission from motor vehicles will be reviewed and revised every two years and DTI, DOTC or its authorized centers, whether new or old, will inspect every vehicle, within 60 days prior to the date of registration.
It is also stated under Section 22 that any imported new or locally-assembled new motor vehicle shall not be registered unless it complies with the emission standards set pursuant to this law, as evidenced by a Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued byDENR
Any imported second-hand motor vehicle engine shall not be introduced into commerce, sold or used unless it complies with emission standards set by DENR.
Limitine Fuel Additives
The Department ofEnergy (DOE), co-chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in consultation with the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) of the DTI, the DOST, the representatives of the fuel and automotive industries, academe and the consumers, will set specifications for all types of
fuel and fuel-related products to improve fuel composition for
increased efficiency and reduced emission.
After 18 months of the effectivity of the Act, no person will be allowed to manufacture, import, sell, supply, offer for sale, dispense, transport or introduce into commerce unleaded premium gasoline fuel which has an anti- knock index (AKI) of not less than 87.5 and Reid vapor pressure of not more than 9 psi. Automotive diesel fuel which contains a concentration of sulfur in excess of 0.20% by weight with a cetane number of index of not less than forty-eight will be also be prohibited. The same will be implemented to industrial diesel fuel, which contains a concentration of sulfur in excess of0.30% (by weight).
Other pollutants, which will also be controlled, are: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter
What do you do with a mountain of problems? Proposals
to Flatten the Growing Smokey Mountain Problem
Iris Christine P. Orprecio IV-Roentgen
How do you tum a dump of national shame to a monument of international fame?
The public can't guess, but these particular words were spoken in a promise by the government voiced by project engineer Oscar Barrientos.
Made bigger and uglier by garbage accumulated over the decades ever since the 1950s and reaching a height of eleven storeys, the refuse heap gained the name "Smokey Mountain" and became one of the most notorious eyesores in Manila. Considering it a symbol of the nation's wrenching poverty and a monument to the growth of Philippine un-progress, the government finally closed the mound in 1995, hoping to drive away the poor scavengers who lived on it, working its slopes and finding a way of living by gathering scraps of metal and plastic to sell.
For years, officials have been planning to convert the dump into "a showcase of compassion and economic progress" by leveling it and using the land to erect rows of apartments for the more than 2,700 scavenger families who had learned to cope with the way ofliving on Smokey Mountain.
• The first of the plansjumpstarted by the government officials was to allow a private developer, R-11 Builders Inc. to reclaim nearby land in Manila Bay to construct a harbor and commercial center that could provide jobs for the unfortunate dump dwellers under the original P6-billion development plan. Probably to keep the heap folk from coming back to their old scavenging ways, R-11 was also to dispose about 130,000 truckloads of filth by burning the trash slowly in an incinerator to be installed in the refuse dump.
Of course, as with other similar attempts, environmental groups protested against the said plan until the proposal was finally aborted last June when President Estrada signed the Clean Air Act, banning the use of incinerators. In another try to resurrect the plan, Barrientos said about 6,500 truckloads of garbage were bulldozed off the knoll and expelled elsewhere, but communities with landfills in Manila refused to take more.
Following this scrapped idea were a series of new-literally and figuratively new-proposals. And, ahem (pardon the pun)-get a load of this:
One proposal involved dumping the garbage in Manila Bay as landfill to serve as the hub of the harbor project.
Another proposal envisioned converting the filth into a "mountain park" completed with benches, trees, and manicured lawns.
Hey, a few more brainstorming and they just might come up with loading the trash into a spacecraft and dumping the entire thing to Mars!
Well, they are probably seeking better ideas quickly now, if they still want to comply with their plan of opening the apartments for occupancy later this year.
Having a rent fee of P700 a month, 21 of 30 apartment buildings of 32 square meters of floor space have already been completed; the next are underway. These pink, green and blue structures consists of a loft with two small, low-ceilinged bedrooms.
Nevertheless, some critics still question the idea of transforming Smokey Mountain into a residential area. Methane gas produced by decomposing waste, says Congressman Carlos Padilla, is turning the buildings a "ticking time bomb". However, Barrientos argues that the gas emissions are minimal.
With the birth of another idea, the developers installed a network of plastic pipes to release methane into the air and keep it from gathering under the surface, after three large oil companies said that they ought to collect the escaping methane and convert it into cooking gas, even though findings had shown that the emissions were not enough.
In the midst of all such proposals-some brilliant, some just simply unthinkable and un-implementable-this road to lete eradication of poverty or the total flattening of the world's top symbol ofit can never be a smooth one. One third of this word still holds a third of the 74-million Philippine population, and the government has faced the truth that solving the ountain problem is a daunting task.
11, there's none to do but keep the ideas coming in
Citizen Suit and Penalties
To help enforce the measure, the Act allows any citizen to file civil actions against those who violated any provision of the law.
A fine of not more than P 100, 000 for every day of violation against the owner or operator of a stationary source until such time that the standards have been complied with will be strictly imposed. Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) will prepare a fine rating system to adjust the maximum fine based on the violator's ability to pay, degree of willfulness, degree of negligence, history of noncompliance and degree ofrecalcitrance.
Motor vehicles which fail emission tests or are caught smoke-belching on the road will be immediately impounded until such time that they comply with emission standards. In addition,
drivers and operators of the apprehended vehicle have to undergo a seminar on pollution control and management and will be fined up to P 1, 000 for their first violation.
The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 is indeed, a momentous and significant step taken by the Estrada Administration in the control of air pollution in country for its betterment and development. It may have not won the approval of everybody during its birth. But atleast, the long awaited answer to this deteriorating problem we 're facing is finally here.
The right to breathe clean air and enjoy all natural resources, and the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature finally come to reality.
Pres1
ent Estra a s1gne as ugust the bill creating the Philippin mployment Service Offices (PESO)
he new agency that will be the one top-shop of the unemployed It COV rs all provinces and cities and coor inates with employers to advertise jo acncies It also provides semiaars ualification exams and job apprecia •on workshops to the unemployed an derem lo ed.
Passing of Clean Air A 11th Congress Biggest
* Rhiza T. Sanchez, IV-Newton
* Joseph Cagalingan, IV-Roentgen
After ten years of unsuccessful attempts, Republic Act No. 8749, better known as Clean Air Act was passed by the 11th Congress of the Philippines.
This landmark legislation is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, and is only the second in the whole of East and South Asia after Japan. In fact, only industrialized nations such as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden and the former USSR have similar laws regulating air polluton.
Due to the approximately 1 million tons of pollutive emissions per year, Metro Manila was named one of the twenty (20) most polluted megacities in the world in 1990. Since then, major sources of pollution such as motor vehicles, power plants, and factories have continued to increase in number and occupied greater areas in the country in spite of the government's numerous projects, campaigns, operations, propositions and proposals to control air pollution. Adverse health impacts from high levels of air pollution which include respiratory ailments and lung cancer from hydrocarbons, TSP, PM, NO4 and poor concentration, fatigue, nervous disorders, especially in children, from exposure to CO and lead have also increased.
The first year of the 11 th Congress of the Philippines may come to its end but it has already made its mark to our country's history as the one that passed House Bill 6216, "An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Air Pollution Control Policy and for Other Pur-
poses," most pop l larly ,mown as Clean Air Act of 1999, that has been put into debate for over a decade. Philippine government's initiative to formulate and enforce a system that shall promote and protect the global environment to attain sustainable development while recognizing the primary responsibility oflocal government units to deal with environmental problems is nothing new to our country. As early as the Marcos regime in 1976, a similar law called Presidential Decree No. 984 or the Pollution Control Law which regulates both air and water pollution was signed. But this decree proved to be inadequate to answer the country's worsening environmental condition. In 1998, the 8th Congress filed three (3) Clean Air Act Bills. However, these were never passed in the 9th Congress in 1992 and 10th Congress in 1995.
This year, sponsored by Reps. J. R. Nereus Acosta (1 st Dist.,Bukidnon), Heherson Alvarez (4th Dist., Isabela), Dante Liban (2 nd Dist., Quezon City), Alfredo Abueg (2 nd Dist., Palawan), Marcial Punzalan (2 nd Dist., Quezon), and other legislators and government agencies, the Clean Air Act of 1999 was approved on the third and final reading last March 22, and was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives last May 13, 1999 and May 10, 1999, respectively. And on July 22, President Joseph Estrada signed the Clean Air Act into law under Rep u blic Act No. 87 49 and shall be known as the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.
The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, which was hailed as the "land-
mark achievement" of the Estrada administration and the 11 th Congress as well, proposes a comprehensive air pollution control policy that will rationalize, within a sustainable development framework, government efforts to effect significant and timely reduction of toxic and hazardous emissions from stationary and mobile sources for the protection ofhuman health and the environment.
This landmark achievement is the first in Southeast Asia and second in the whole of East and South Asia after Japan. Around the world, only industrialized nations such as United States, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden
and the former USSR have similar laws like this.
General Provisions Under Chapter 2 (Air Quality Management System) the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, being the primary government agency responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this Act, shall prepare an annual National Air Quality Status Report which will be used as the basis in formulating the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework. This framework, which will be established with the participation ofLGUs, NGOs, POs, the academe and other concerned entities from the pri-
Swipe cards in, tokens out As MRT opens December 8
Jean
Carla Aloe, Joy Ann Eusebio and Rhiza Sanchez
Metro Rail Transit Corpora-
tion will start selling prepaid cards instead of the usual tokens when the MRT system starts serving a stretch of EDSA from Buendia Avenue in Makati City to North Avenue in Quezon City when it opens on Dec. 8.
Paul Daza, senior vice president for legal and corporate affairs said his firm would start selling prepaid cards to the public after a review by the transport department of the systems who proposed fair structure.
Upon entering an MRT station, an MRT computer swipes his prepaid card at the booth and boards the train. The commuters' station of origin and destination is recorded in the swipe card's memory, thus enabling the main computer system to deduct the appropriate fare from the card. Once a card is used up the commuter can just approach an MRT booth and have the card reloaded.
Based on the transpor department's plan, the new rail system must use one common prepaid card for the convenience of commuters using the rail systems.
Daza added that prepaid cards are now in use in all rail systems in deve loped countries and should be the standard in the Philippines. Various denominations of prepaid cards are now being prepared. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by various quarters on the MRT fare. The operators of the EDSA MRT are proposing a minimum fare rate of twe:,ty pesos and a maximum of forty-four pesos for the full route. Robert John Sobrepena, head of the MRT consortium, thinks that the proposed P 44.00 charge for the five-station, 16.09 km trip from North Avenue to Buendia and P 20.00 for a station to station ride is a reasonable price since the MRT offer~ 1 more convenient and faster way of traveling. But President Estrada has already given a memorandum dated November 11 to DOTC secretary Vicente Rivera Jr. to come up with a more affordable price so as not to add up to the high cost of living.