The Rangers
Media
Part of Forestry Leaves
- Title
- The Rangers
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1952
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- THE RANGERS* By Dr. VmAL A. TAN President, University of the PhilipPines . I wish. to congratulate the graduates this morning not .only for finishing the course of study that they have chosen but also for having chosen a profession which offers one of the widest latitudes for public service. To. be a ranger is not a glamorolis job. It does not give one much public recognition and applause; It will not make him rich. But· notwithstanding. all these, it is .one of the most important because the work of a forest ranger involves the conservation and wise utilization of one of our richest national possession..-our forests. . Our forests are among:the richest in the world and their careful use will benefit the people for ·generations .and· generations. On the· honest and wise attehtion given by our forest_. rangers. will depend the preservation of 'this _national wealth to be ·enjoyed by • our . people. On the other· hand, careless .and dishonest performance of their duties will _not only : destroy a nation's patrimony ·but will even endanger our agricultural lands and eventually our very existence. I do not believe one can ever overemphasize the importance of forest conserva-· tiOn and. wise utilization, and it would be an understatement : to say that our forest represents· one Qf .our. greatest assets. But to ·be able to render full service to the country,· our forest rangers must keep up· the traditional·honesty and integrity for which graduates of- this College are known all over the Philippines. They. must never let up on their vigilance and never hesitate to perform their . duties according to the · highest traditions ·of the institution from . . .. . . .. * Address at the Moving-Up Day Ceremonies, Col.' lege of Forestry, March 29, 1952~ · GaADUATlON '~April, 1952 which they graduate and the Bureau in which they work. I grant that at times the going may be tough and the remuneration meager, but we should not feel unhappy because we are poor, for there are many blessings that go with poverty, which the rich will have a most difficult time in enjoying. I like the graduates to know that being poor has many advantages. As long as one earns enough to be able to live simply arid modestly and to send his children to school, there is really very little need for money. Rich .living in many cases deteriorates character, makes the body soft and more susceptible to certain ailments, and exposes the individual to dangers arising from jealotisies. . Riches have also a way of blinding people, of making them more greedy, more desirous of having more and more, unmindful of their neighbors' plight. Rich people are more in danger of missing the higher and more lastirig values of life, of forgetting their idealism and of1osing even their souls. The ranger's life is not meant to be easy nor to be rich in material things, but with a proper·· attitude· 'it could ·be made infinitely richer-richer in the higher things of life and richer in service to our fellowmen. ... A national forest policy, like any national economic policy governing the natural wealth of a country, must aim ·at a rational exploitation of ·the forest resources on the principles of the greatest good to the greatest possible number. of the people. -T. Francois . •· . . Wihats~v~r thy_ hand. findeth to do,' do it with thy_ might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wiSc:lorii, iii tlie grave, whither thou goes~. . -. . -Bible Page 15