Beyond the summons

annual appropriation on the said program.

Agriculture sources say modern research suggests the bamboo shoots have several medicinal benefits, from cancer prevention and weight loss to improving appetite and digestion.

It is also low in sugar and therefore can be used for treating hypertension, hyperlipemia and hyperglycemia, according to these sources.

Japanese scientists recently discovered that bamboo shoots contain anti-cancer agents and making them a regular part of the diet effectively eliminates the free radicals that can produce dangerous carcinogens.

Experts say with the economic development and the improvement of people’s living standards, demand for natural foods, especially organic food, has greatly increased.

Official estimates suggest there are a total area of bamboo stands in the Philippines which ranges from 39,000-53,000 ha, mainly naturally growing sporadically or in patches in backyards and riverbanks in forest lands and some private lands and rarely in pure commercial stands.

There are 60 known bamboo species in the Philippines and their number is increasing because of the newly-introduced species by plant collectors and bamboo enthusiasts.

Botanists say the bamboo grass family, Poaceae, includes about 12,000 species, with approximately 1,500 species of bamboo belonging to around 100 different genera.

It belongs to the family of grasses, Gramineae or Poaceae, and is a high-value crop given its many uses involving food and material for buildings, bridges, and furniture.

With its ability to mitigate flood and soil erosion, bamboo has various economic and ecological benefits.

Experts say bamboo has a lower carbon footprint due to its fast growth rate, meaning that it is more sustainable than traditional materials such as wood, plastic, and steel.

Additionally, bamboo is highly versatile and can be used in many different ways both indoors and outdoors.

It also provides food and nutrition

YAZD, Iran—Tall, chimney-like towers rise from centuries-old adobe houses in Iran’s desert city of Yazd, drawing in a pleasant breeze for residents of one of the hottest cities on earth.

The wind catchers, called badgirs in Persian, are just one of the engineering marvels inhabitants have developed in this ancient city in central Iran —where temperatures reach well over 40 degrees Celsius in the summer.

And, unlike energy-guzzling air-conditioners, they’re cost and carbon-free.

“For centuries, before we had electricity, they made it possible to cool dwellings,” said Abdolmajid Shakeri, the provincial deputy of Iran’s cultural heritage and tourism ministry.

The oldest of the city’s 700 wind catchers dates back to the 14th century, but the architectural feature is believed to date back as far as 2,500 years when the Persian Empire ruled over much of the Middle East.

“The badgirs played a key role in the city’s prosperity,” said Shakeri about the desert city that was a caravan stop on the ancient Silk Road.

“Thanks to them, people lived at ease,” he security as food and animal feed. Bamboo is earthquake-proof, has greater tensile strength than steel, and withstands compression better than concrete – which is why it is so valuable in construction.

Used as substitute for concrete, bamboos also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

Many of the grasses we are most familiar with are annuals, such as rice, corn, wheat and other grains, which flower, go to seed, and die in a single year.

But all varieties of bamboo are perennial, meaning that they live on year after year, more like a tree. Many other ornamental grasses are also perennial, such as fescue and pampas grass.

Experts have identified four bamboo species—Bambusa blumeana, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendroclamus strictus, and Guadua angustifolia—are some of the most economically important bamboo species now being cultivated in the Philippines

Experts say Bambusa blumeana or Kawayang Tinik is recognized for its structural grade properties when mature and is frequently available within the country.

Kawayan tinik is one of the most important bamboo species in the Philippines, where it is well-distributed geographically, according to researchers, who saythis is the most desirable bamboo species for construction because the mature culms have high specific gravity and lower shrinkage when dried.

Kawayan tinik is an important bamboo resource for the Philippine rural population.

Aside from being a premium species for edible shoot production, it also provides materials for construction, furniture, handicraft, and other novelty items.

In the Philippines, bamboos are intertwined with the environment, economy, and culture.

From construction, furniture and handicraft manufacture, food, cooking, etc., bamboos have been popularly used by many communities.

Bamboos also play a protective role in decreasing soil degradation, including the reduction of biodiversity, soil nutrient depletion, and soil erosion

Researchers, botanists and industry experts say challenges in promoting bamboo cultivation can be multifaceted.

The main challenge, according to them, lies in that bamboo is a long-term investment and requires more care and attention than other crops.

The lack of accurate knowledge about the market potential of bamboo is another obstacle to its proliferation.

Furthermore, governments often lack the capacity or resources to provide farmers with adequate support and technical assistance throughout the entire planting process, from start to finish.

The absence of an organized supply chain for quality raw materials further hampers this process as well.

Finally, farmers require time and capital to properly nurture their plants, making it difficult for them to turn a profit in any reasonable time frame. With all these challenges in mind, strategies need to be implemented that effectively address each issue in order to drive greater adoption of bamboo as a longterm investment.

The complexity of overcoming these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that focuses on providing farmers with access to accurate market information, technical assistance, and quality raw materials while offering incentives such as subsidies or grants that make it easier for them to turn a profit.

The development of effective policy and regulation, as well as improved infrastructure to support the industry, are also key components in promoting bamboo cultivation, the experts have said.

THE note by the Senate Committee on Public Works chairman to summon heads of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority following floods in the metropolis raises regard.

The chairman, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., wants, in his words, to demand answers from DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and MMDA Chairman Romando Artes on the still unresolved flooding in the country that continues to recur every downpour. Revilla Jr. instructed the DPWH and the MMDA to immediately identify the factors behind flooding in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

He said people are looking for the 13,224 flood control structures the DPWH said they have prepared nationwide, adding this kind of problem should not happen anymore so it should be fixed fastest.

At the height of super typhoon Egay last week, many parts of Metro Manila, some of which are below sea level, were flooded which disturbed vehicular traffic and stranded thousands of commuters.

Revilla mentioned the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 425 flooding incidents during Egay’s onslaught, now chased by the “expansive wind field” of typhoon Falcon,whose 175

We are also trying to look at at the possible timeline when Revilla would summon the DPWH and MMDA officials kms maximum winds are hitting northern Philippines Tuesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.

Official figures suggest persons affected by Egay have risen from 1.02 million to 2.39 million on Monday or 654,837 families nationwide.

Revilla rebuked what he called the ineffectiveness of the agencies’ flood control programs despite receiving hefty amounts of

Cuba libre

WE SHARE with the far-off island of Cuba a long history of Spanish colonial rule that spanned more than four centuries. We also freed ourselves from the same colonial master at about the same time in the late 19th century. We likewise share a history of fierce resistance against tyranny and oppression.

Today, this shared historical experience against colonialism and tyranny finds concrete expression in the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association or PhilCuba, which, as the name suggests, seeks to foster solidarity with the Cuban people and supports their struggle to defend their national sovereignty.

The group recently issued a press statement to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Moncada Barracks Attack on July 26, 1953 that started the Cuban Revolution and eventually achieved victory in 1959 under the leadership of Fidel Castro.

PhilCuba pointed out that at present, despite economic difficulties, Cuba has shown the world how its people benefit from a system which considers the welfare of the people its primary concern.

“Cuba guarantees free education, from preschool to tertiary, to the entire population. It continuously trains medical and health professionals and improves its health system that caters to the entire population all throughout their lives. It has a very low infant mortality rate, even lower than those in some rich countries,” it emphasized.

The association also noted that in the last six decades, a total 605,698 Cuban health professionals have served in 165 countries in five continents. Since 2005, Cuba has sent medical brigades to various countries to assist in combating the dreaded Ebola virus as well as COVID-19.

It has also trained thousands of medical doctors worldwide, and made significant advances in biotechnology and pharmaceutical development.

In fact, Cuba is the only Caribbean nation that has produced five candidate-vaccines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped it cope with the pandemic despite the US-imposed blockade.

Cuba could have contributed immensely in responding to health crises and pandemics, the group said, if the blockade had been lifted.

The blockade and the “tightening of the sanctions make it almost impossible for Cuba to procure primary materials for its pharmaceuticals, to sell its products, especially the medicines and inventions in biotechnology, and even to allow people to freely travel to Cuba to conduct business.”

Under the annual General Appropriations Act from 2019-2023, DPWH received a total P594.62 billion appropriation for their flood control program while MMDA received P6 billion.

Revilla, in a press release, also expressed disappointment over DPWH and MMDA’s inadequate response by merely releasing press statements every time the country would be submerged in flood.

Adding distress to the people, still in a state of unease following the wrath of Egay, is the announcement by the Department of Health there is a rise in leptospirosis and dengue cases, advising the public to take precautions and avoid wading through floodwaters.

Cases of leptospirosis – acquired through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with urine-contaminated environment – and dengue are expected to increase during the rainy season, especially after heavy rainfall or flooding.

The DOH reported 182 cases of leptospirosis from June 18 to July 1 – a 42 percent increase from 128 cases logged two weeks previously.

Since January 1, a total 2,079 leptospirosis cases and 225 deaths have been recorded.

While we read the latest figures on the destruction and death caused by Egay, we are also trying to look at the possible timeline when Revilla would summon the DPWH and the MMDA officials.

Much worse, PhilCuba said, after the Trump administration, Cuba was again included in the list of countries supporting terrorism, which further aims to strangle the Cuban people.

The Biden administration, on the other hand, recently announced a $1-million campaign to counter Cuba’s medical collaboration.

Since 2005, Cuba has sent medical brigades to various countries to assist in combating the dreaded Ebola virus as well as COVID-19

PhilCuba also emphasized that “as the Cuban people fight US sanctions that have gotten more cruel even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lesson of Moncada that they should dare resist an unjust rule or dictatorship is one source of strength.”

It said: “We in PhilCuba call on the Marcos government to resist US pressure to take its side on Cuba, and instead, see how the Philippines and Cuba could learn from, and help, each other.

“We call on governments and peoples to make a stand against unilateral sanctions…

Cuba has much to contribute to people’s development around the world, but instead of supporting the island-nation’s efforts, the US is tightening its sanctions. ” PhilCuba was organized in year 2000 by Dr. Francisco ‘Dodong’ Nemenzo, who remains its head up to the present.

The website of the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC), a private, non-profit organization of professional social science associations and social science research and instructional institutions in the country, describes Nemenzo as “one of the country’s

Iran’s ancient ‘wind catchers’ beat the heat naturally

added, describing how the wind catchers pull fresh air into buildings and allow hot air to ventilate out through large vertical slots.

Majid Oloumi, the head of Dowlatabad garden, home to a towering 33-meter wind catcherI—one of the tallest in the worldI—described the cooling method as “totally clean because it uses neither electricity nor polluting materials”.

UNESCO listed Yazd as a World Heritage Site in 2017, describing the city as a “living testimony to intelligent use of limited available resources in the desert for survival”. ‘Simplicity’

The bioclimatic architecture which provides thermal comfort for the people of Yazd has attracted interest elsewhere on a heating planet.

“Badgirs demonstrate that simplicity can be an essential attribute to sustainability,” said Parisbased architect Roland Dehghan Kamaraji, who has studied Iran’s wind catchers.

“It goes against the common misconception that sustainable solutions need to be complex or high-tech.”

At a sustainable urban community called

Masdar city in the United Arab Emirates, buildings have been “designed to make use of the natural ventilation for cooling, like badgirs,” he said. Similarly, ventilation inspired by “termite mounds, an approach similar to that of badgirs” were built atop Eastgate Center, a shopping mall and office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe.

However, Yazd’s unique architectural traditions have largely been abandoned at their birthplace.

“Unfortunately, our ancestral heritage has been forgotten,” especially since the emergence of air conditioners, said Oloumi.

Yazd’s old town is a labyrinth of narrow streets and roofed alleyways. Its centuries-old edifices made of clay, mud-brick and adobe all provide insulation against the torrid heat.

But the old houses stand in sharp contrast to modern cement buildings and multi-lane roads.

“Today, house architecture imitates that in other countries, and cement-based construction does not correspond to the climate of Yazd,” he added.

Kamaraji says bioclimatic architecture has waned due to economic constraints and modern construction methods that “largely favor the use of energy and fossil fuel intensive materials”.

Old but effective Another sustainable architectural feature of Yazd is its system of underground aqueducts most respected political scientists who, in his own words, ‘specialized in the study of unconventional politics.’”

Nemenzo pursued graduate studies at the University of Manchester in England, where he immersed himself in Marxist philosophy and political economy.

His scholarly works focused on the dynamics of revolutionary movements in the Philippines.

At UP, Nemenzo served in various capacities—as political science professor, college dean, Chancellor, and. finally, as University President.

During his stint at the helm of the premier State University, the council said, Nemenzo led the development of the Revitalized General Education Program which now allows students to choose their own general education courses which would lay the foundation of their college education; a special fund to support the academic growth of the faculty; and much-improved facilities and equipment that enhanced the learning environment in the University.

The PSSC concluded that “his contributions to the academic community prove his ‘commitment to education and belief in the Filipino youth.’”

Nemenzo was among those hauled to Camp Crame after the declaration of martial law in 1972.

Upon his release, he resumed teaching at UP.

I was among those who enrolled in his class on “Philippine Revolution” in the mid-70s.

I forget now what grade I obtained in his class.

What I do remember distinctly is that he smoked a cigarette while lecturing us on the theory and practice of revolution in the Philippine setting. I did likewise and so did a few others, if I remember right.

Amid the haze from the cigarette smoke in the classroom, we listened intently to what he had to tell us about ‘unconventional politics’ that got him into trouble with the military at the time and landed him in the stockade along with many others because of Proclamation 1081. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com) called qanats, which transport water from underground wells, aquifers or the mountains.

“These underground aqueducts have great utility,” said Zohreh Montazer, an expert on the water system. “They constitute a source of water supply and make it possible to cool the dwellings and to preserve food at an ideal temperature.”

Iran is estimated to have around 33,000 operational qanats today, a significant drop from the 50,000 in use in the mid-20th century.

UNESCO says the decline in qanats is driven in part by the drying up of underground water sources due to over-consumption.

Iranian authorities have in recent years sought to rehabilitate the qanat of Zarch—considered the longest and oldest, dating to some 3,000 years ago. The water network—which stretches over 70 kilometers across Yazd, and runs at a depth of around 30 meters—stands as a reminder for Yazd’s residents of the challenges ahead.

“The day when fossil fuels run out,” said Montazer, “we will have to return to these methods.” AFP