The Republic

Media

Part of The Republic

Title: The Republic
Issue Date: Volume III (Issue No. 6) 1-30 June 1978
Year: 1978
Rights
extracted text: REPUBLIC Vol. Ill, No. 6 FOR GOVERNMENT MANAGERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS 1-30 June 1978 New boon to teachers Executive Order No. 500-embodying a new position of Master Teacher-opens new doors to career advancement for overworked and underpaid teachers. Filipino public school teachers have long been among the most overworked and underpaid of government servants. No more. President Marcos has opened new doors to career advancement for thousands of teach ers by enabling them to win higher salaries and posi tions while remaining classroom teachers. ' ’ Under the new system—embodied in Executive Order No. 500-a new position of Master Teacher, equivalent in rank and pay to those of Head Teacher, Principal, Supervisor or other school administrative officials, was created to provide new areas of promo tion into which deserving classroom teachers may be moved while continuing to serve where their capabilities are best suited: in the classrooms. The new system eliminates the problem of good teachers being forced to accept administrative posts in order to qualify for higher salaries. By keeping ef fective teachers in the classrooms, the new system ex pects to raise teaching standards in the public schools. Limited opportunities Pre\ik>slypublic school t-'.vherekau lir.tited>wha.<*.cC^' to advance to higher positions with correspondingly higher salaries. The narrow field of promotions tapered off at the top to 126 Division Superintendent positions-the ultimate goal of the country’s 264,000 teachers. Executive Order No. 500 directed the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Education and Culture to provide the machinery for screening school teachers for master teacher positions. It also directed the Budget Commissioner to create for school year 1979-80 (when implementation of the new sys tem starts) over 15,000 new master Teacher I positions, the equivalent in rank and pay of Head Teachers. In anticipation of subsequent promotions to higher M-T brackets, the Order also provides for the creation of an adequate number of Master Teacher II, III and IV positions, beginning with the school year 1980-81. The new classes or ranks in the Master Teacher group shall have the following equivalent ranks in the School Administrative group: District Supervisor-Master Teacher IV Elementary Principal Hi-Master Teacher HI Elementary Principal II-Master Teacher H Head Teacher (Elementary Principal I)-Master Teacher I Career line A deserving teacher may be promoted initially either to Master Teacher I or, as under the old practice, to Head Teacher or Elementary Principal I. Once he opts for either career line, there is no switching to the other line unless it is clearly demonstrated that he possesses all the necessary qualifications for the other career line and that these qualifications exceed those of individuals.who otherwise might be considered for the vacancy. Whether the promotion be in the School Ad ministrative grouper in the Master Teacher group, the J. - e s.' J»H« *fBwSMRRB administered jointly by the CSc «nu uie' DEC. This re quirement provides a further guarantee of the capabil ity of the individual concerned and acts as a deterrent to political patronage. There is no doubt that the new system of career advancement, prescribed in Executive Order No. 500, will give public school teachers a greater pride and security in their jobs, and more than this, an assurance that they can look forward to continuing opportuni ties for self-improvement and higher pay. P20 million for barangays okayed President Marcos has authorized the release of P20 million to be distributed among the 40,000 barangays all over the country to enable them to undertake priority projects. The amount, P5,000 per barangay, was earmarked for distribution before the April 7 election, but the release was delayed at opposition candidates’ insistence that public works expenditures be suspended during the political campaign. The ap propriation is in line with the government policy to shift development from urban to rural areas. RP rejects “Law of Sea” text The Philippines has rejected the United Nations preliminary negotiations text on the “Law of the Sea” as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and ter ritorial integrity. Foreign Undersecretary Jose D. Inglis, in a report to Foreign Secretary Carlos P. Romulo, said the Philippine group refused to endorse the com mittee report of the on-going UN Conference on the Law of the Sea because of the omission of certain pro visions which would give “archipelagic states” con trol over overflights and underwater passage through their waters. The present provision, instead of con firming the basic unity of the archipelagic land and waters, he said, “becomes an instrument of its frag mentation and dismemberment and violates its terri torial integrity.” School loans to benefit more The Department of Education and Culture announced that 1,050 more students stand to benefit from the government’s study-now -pay-later program with the increase of the program’s fund from P25 million to News briefs P40 million yearly The additional slots will be awarded to poor but deserving high school graduates who will enroll in technical/technician courses in agriculture, trade and fisheries. The 1,050 openings will bring to 3,500 the total number of slots now available to student applicants. Some 3,629 students have been assisted since the program was started in 1976. RP population almost double by 2000 Latest projections by the World Population Bureau (WPB) in Washington estimate that the Philippines will have a population of 84.7 million by the year 2000, almost double the current 46.3 million. The WPB was established in 1929 and is considered the best available source of information on world pop ulation trends. Research on seedless fruits Experiment at two farms in Laguna and Bulacan Provinces by researchers of the University of the Philippines have resulted in the “deseeding” of several Philippine fruits, including watermelons, mangoes and lanzones. Through treatment with alkaloid extracted from herbs, fruits produced more abortive or imma ture seeds than fully developed ones. RP tourists up by 25 percent Visitor arrivals in the Philippines during the first quar ter of 1978 rose by 25 percent-213,804 arrivals com pared to 172314 during the same period last year. As in the preceding year, the Japanese were the largest group-70,646, or 7.6 percent more than last year’s figure of 65,604. Second biggest groups were Amer icans (24,911), British (24,654) and overseas Filipinos (24,688). More benefits for workers President Marcos has signed a decree providing addi tional disability benefits for workers. Under the new decree, a worker who suffers work-connected perma nent total disability will be paid a lifetime pension instead of for a limited period of five years, even if the sum involved is in excess of the maximum allowable amount of P12.000. The same decree also provides for an increased minimum monthly pension from P51.75 to Pl 00 and an increased maximum cash allowance for temporary disability or sickness from P16 to P20 a day. No travel ban President Marcos reiterated that he would not reim pose the travel ban, thereby quelling speculations which had developed mainly as a result of his cancelling the foreign trips of cabinet secretaries and senior govern ment officials. Mr. Marcos explained that the travel restriction on government officials was intended to prevent the dislocation of urgent development proj ects and that it did not include those who are travel ing to fulfill urgent international commitments. The President lifted the travel ban, along with curfew, in August last year, when he addressed the World Law Conference here. He has not reimposed any of these restrictions since THE REPUBLIC Protecting the Filipino consumers Detect the defects in the products you buy. by Juanita G. Trinidad There is today a growing awareness of, and concern for, the plight of the Filipino consumer. In government, there is in the Bureau of Domestic Trade (BDT) a Con sumer Protection Division charged with the responsibil ity of protecting the rights of consumers. The BDT, says Director Epifanio Castillejos, vigorously pursues a program of consumer education. “The only way consumers can get fair value for their money is to develop an expertise-to discern what is worth buying and what is not. The consumer must be made aware of the national standards set for the products he buys or the services he pays for,” Mass production, says Bienvenida JaramilloMiran, special assistant on consumer matters in the Bureau of Commerce, gave rise to the need for con sumer education. “With the tremendous spur to pro duction given by n ;w inventions and technological ^^rogress. the limrle and d1-—* re!atio*>ship,bejgveen ■^Snoauct « flconsuw? and ma,./pioblems of consumer welfare arose. And as the iid,..Ler, variety and complexity of consumer goods and services rapidly multiplied, intelligent buying became a more difficult process, especially with the advent of highpressure advertising.” All this plus a proliferation of shoddy goods on the market gave rise to the consumer movement and a growing awareness that only concerted action with other consumers could provide protection. Educating the consuming public has become a major concern of the BDT. Last year it held 28 sympo siums designed to inform consumers all over tne Philippines of their rights and of existing consumer protection laws and to train them to be perceptive and discriminating enough to detect the defects in the products they buy.“After all,’’said Castillejos,“the best informed consumer is the best protected consumer.” The BDT is responsible for enforcing fair trade laws. Only recently, Castillejos recalled, theBDT ex posed several corporations using the so-called “pre need purchase plan,” a device that has victimized many unsuspecting and gullible people. Under the scheme, a corporation offers an ap pliance or similar product for which the buyer is asked to put down 10 to SO pesos a week for, say, three to five years, after which he would come into possession of the article. The corporation or seller also promises automatic insurance, a scholarship and a refund of payments after three years if the buyer changes his mind. As it usually happens, however, after receiving .payment for two to three years, the co. 'oration vanish ed into thin ai i, leaving the buyer empty landed, with several hundred hard-earned pesos irretrievably lost. The BDT has created an inter-agency committee pre cisely to handle frauds of this sort and to prosecute the offenders. The Price Stabilization Council, another agency charged with the task of protecting the rights of con sumers, is responsible for the effective implementation of the Price Cor trol (now Stabilization) Law. The BDT often is asked to cooperate in this matter by monitoring current market prices. Indeed, as part of its regular routine, the BDT lists daily the prices of around 4,000 retail trade commodities; these data are compiled, analyzed and disseminated in daily and weekly price reports for the guidance of the public and policy makers. Formalizing protection in a Consumer Code The BDT, in conjunction with other related entities, has drafted a proposed Consumer Code of the Philip pines which, after a nationwide public hearing, was submitted to President Marcos for final approval. The proposed Code provides for the establishment of a Consumer Affairs Commission devoted solely to the interests and the protection of consumers. Hopefully, the Code, once approved, says Castillejos, would make the Philippines the first country in the world to adopt such an instrument of consumer protection. The Code and its bylaws would protect consum ers against hazards to health and safety and against deceptive or unfair practices, provide a mechanism for redress, promote consumer education and informa tion, and encourage the involvement of consumers in the formulation of policies affecting them. The private sector is an active partner of govern ment in combatting unfair trade practices. One of the most militant proponents of consumerism in the country today is the Kiiusan ngMamimili ng Pilipi nas, Inc. (KMP1X which was organized in 1971. Its offi cial organ, AngMamimili, features informative articles particularly useful to housewives and consumers. Each issue carries at least one test report on a prime com modity or product. The results of KM Pi’s tests, usually conducted in government or private laboratories, are surprising and often prompt people to take a long, hard, questioning look at certain products they had generally taken for granted. Among the many products so far tested and re ported about in A ngMamimili are canned milk, comed beef, carbon paper, pencils, nylon stockings and dressed chicken. The tests, incidentally, are often the result of complaints submitted to the association by consumers who had become unhappy or disillusion ed about certain products they had been buying. The BDT takes appropriate action on these complaints, once the facts have been ascertained. Another private consumers group is the Con sumers Union of the Philippines, which concentrates more on consumer protection than on consumer education. With the help of the government’s Perfdrmafnee Audit Action Group, which includes almost all law-enforcing agencies as members, the CUP avails of its own facilities in the prosecution of erring manu facturers and traders. The CUP is also one of 15 agencies selected by the Department of Education and Culture to handle the Youth Civic Action Program (YCAP) for high school and college students. These students are utilized in conducting market surveys of prices, in research and in manning stations that monitor consumer complaints. These stations are found in strategic places in super markets, schools, churches and government offices. Bienvenida Jaramilio-Miran, special assistant on con sumer matters, Bureau of Commerce, lists the follow ing as among the important laws that have been enacted to protect Filipino consumers: □ The Food and Drug Act. Prohibits the importation, manufacture and sale of adulterated or misbranded foods or drugs. Implementing agency: Bureau of Standards. □ R.A. No. 166. Discourages the unlawful use or un fair competition in the use of duly registered trade marks and trade names as a protection against fake products. Implementing agency: Philippine Patent Office. □ R.A. No. 623. Regulates the use of duly stamped or marked bottles, boxes, cases, kegs, barrels and other containers registered with the Philippine Patent Office to avoid misrepresentation of products. Im plementing agency: Philippine Patent Office. □ The Tariff and Customs Code (Sec. 303 of Admin istrative provisions). Requires all articles of foreign origin (or their containers) imported into the Philip pines be marked legibly, indelibly and permanently to indicate the country of origin to ensure that only legitimate products are imported and sold in the domestic market. Implementing agency: Bureau of Customs. □ Sections 298 and 299 of the National Internal Rev enue Code. Makes unlawful the possession or use of weighing machines, linear measures and similar instru ments that are not sealed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Implementing agency: Bureau of Internal Revenue. □ R.A. No. 71. Requires price tags to be placed on Laws protecting consumers all articles of merchandise displayed on store counters to facilitate trading and enable the consumer to know the actual prices of the goods on sale. Implementing agency: Bureau of Commerce. □ R.A. No. 3595. Makes imported or locally manu factured galvanized iron roofing, barbed wire and nails subject to inspection to determine whether they conform to labelling requirements. Implementing agency: Bureau of Commerce. O R.A. No. 3596. Makes paints and paint materials subject to inspection for the same reasons. Implementing agency: Bureau of Commerce. O R.A. No. 3740, as amended. Punishes fraudulent advertising, mislabeling or misbranding of any product, stocks, bonds and the like. Implementing agency: Bureau of Commerce. 1-30 June 1978 3 By Lilia C. Galang Second of a series on the regions Although Region II is almost invariably referred to as Cagayan Valley, there are other components of the region quite apart from the Valley itself. There are, for instance, the scattered islands on the northernmost tip of the archipelago, collectively named the BatanesBabuyan group. These islets, along with Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and of course Cagayan itself, make up Region II. The Cagayan Valley, bounded on all sides ex cept the north by continuous mountain ranges, the volcanic islands of Batanes and the coral atolls of Babuyan, have a total land area of 26,838 square kilo meters, making Region II the second largest of the 12 regions throughout the country. Region IV, which in cludes Metro Manila, is the largest. Ironically, though one of the largest, Region II is the least populated, having only some 1,462,723 people as of the latest census, or an average density of 54 persons per square kilometer. In recent years, how ever, the growth rate has perceptibly risen, a fact attrib utable in part to migrations into the region from neighboring provinces. This explains why there are today more Tagalog- and Bocano-speaking residents of the region than the original inhabitants who belong to the ethnic tribes of the Ibanags, Gaddangs, Itawis, Yogods and Isnegs. Way of life Agriculture is the main source of livelihood, and the region ranks first in log production within the Luzon area. The region also boasts of being the second “rice bowl” of the Philippines, sometimes surpassing Central Luzon in rice production. Aside from rice, the people of the Valley produce com, vegetables, fruits, legumes, coconut, sugarcane and tobacco. The rich resources of the region, however, have yet to be fully exploited. Large tracts of arable land remain uncultivated and a vast area of timberland remains unexplored. The region is also rich in mineral resources like copper, nickel, manganese and iron ore, mostly found in Isabela and Cagayan. Aside from its dependence on agriculture and forestry products, the region has 16,185 hectares of lakes and swamps, some of which have been converted into fishponds. Transportation lack The relatively slow development of the region is chief ly attributable to the lack of transportation facilities. Many places within the region are inaccessible by mo tor transport. Where roads are available, maintenance has not been up to par. The chief agricultural crops of the region, like rice, com and tobacco, have difficul ty reaching their markets. The forest regions are esti mated to contain a million cubic meters of timber, a rich resource indeed if roads could only make all tim berland areas accessible. This fact, nevertheless, has not prevented denudation of the western side of the Sierra Madre mountains. With the construction of mads and bridges, agro products will reach their markets. CagayantLush valley The only overland connection between the Caga yan Valley and Central Luzon is Highway 5, a gravel road 322 kilometers in length, extending from a point south of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, to Aparri in Cagayan. The Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway, which was constructed as a Philippine Japan highway loan project, will, of course, eventually extend the mobility of tfte people from this region to the next. Travel via the Cagayan River,- on the other hand, is limited to small bancas, thus cancelling out bulk shipments of commodities via the river. Five national ports, six municipal ports and one private port pro vide wates transport facilities butin a lirfiited capacity. " Air transportation is also available, the region having six national airports and two private airports. Mqor urban centers are Tuguegarao, the region’s capital, Basco in Batanes, Aparri in Cagayan, Ilagan in Isabela and Solano in Nueva Vizcaya-in short, the capital towns of the provinces. Power projects and infrastructure Increase in agricultural output of the region will be dependent to a large extent on the harnessing of the region’s river basins the Cagayan, Magat and Chico river basins. The Magat and Chico river irrigation proj ects, due for completion in 1984 and 1983, respec tively, are expected to increase the irrigated hectarage to 150,813 by 1982 and 208, 895 by 1987. Ranking next in priority are other proposed power plants at Upper and Lower Abulug and the Siffu River. An on-going project which will expand the Caga yan region’s development is the construction of the Magapit suspension bridge in Lal-lo, Cagayan, which is expected to be completed and inaugurated later this year. It will be the first bridge of its kind in the country, patterned after the famous Golden Gate bnagTSf-SanFraHosco. IrwWiinkireponsTafidlL*‘ With the near completion of the Northern Luzon portion of the Pan Philippine Highway, prospects of the region being a principal supplier of farm produce to the Metro Manila area and nearby regions will be enhanced. Meantime, the petroleum potential of the region is also being exploited. The five-year development program being jointly implemented by the Philippine National Oil Company and the National Economic and Development Authority is aimed at drilling 21 ex ploratory wells in the region. Typhoon Islands To many Filipinos the Batanes Islands are synony mous with storms and typhoons. Little wonder, for Batanes—a group of ten islands at the northernmost tip of the archipelago-lies directly in the path of Pacific howlers: approximately 90 percent of the storms that enter the Philippines exit through this area. Batanes is the country’s smallest province (20,928 hectares) and also its least populated (11,360). In addition to these diminutive distinctions, Batanes is the only province in the country where rice or corn is not the staple product The reason for this is ob vious: both crops are vulnerable to Batanes’ tem pestuous weather. Batanes folk depend mainly on small-scale farming-root crops, vegetables and fruit trees—and fishing for their livelihood. Income is supplemented by raising dairy animals, hogs and poultry. The people of Batanes are heavily dependent on water transport. The province has several ports that serve passenger and fishing boats, but the island group remains relatively isolated from the rest of the coun try. Because of this and because it is virtually inacces sible for the four months of the rainy season, Batanes has sometimes been referred to as the Philippines’ “Forgotten Islands.” During the early Spanish era, an isolated Batanes enjoyed freedom from colonial control. Dominican missionaries reached the islands in 1685 and colonized the native Ibatans. It wasn’t until 1791, when then Governor-General Jose Basco sent an expedition to the islands to explore the tobaccogrowing possibilities, that Batanes felt the benefits and the burdens of colo nial rule. Basco is well remembered until now. The provincial capital of Batanes, located on Batan Island, one of the largest and most economically important of the ten islands, is named after him. Toward the end of Spanish rule, Batanes was made part of Cagayan but in 1909, after the Americans came, the island group was organized into an inde pendent province. Because of its strategic location, the Batanes group was one of the first points occupied by the invading Japanese forces at the outbreak of the Pacific war in 1942. Untouched by urbanization, Batanes remains completely rural. Waters surrounding the island group are ideal for deep sea fishing, making this an impor tant industry-and a tourist attraction—of the province. THE REPUBLIC Agrarian reform: Progress report Sec. C. F. Estrella Land reform is an important issue throughout most of Asia. Here in the Philippines we have a short history of land reform legislation and an even shorter history of land reform results. Most of the progress made in the battle for agrarian reform has been achieved since 1972, and while Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) officials are legitimately proud of what they have done so far, they know much work remains. Below The Republic talks to DAR Secretary Conrado F. Estrella about past accomplishments and future plans. The Republic: President Marcos recently announced a new government policy for the disposition of cer tain tenanted plantation lands. There appears to be some misconceptions about it in a number of cir cles. Would you please clarify the policy for us. Secretary Estrella: The new policy, announced on the fifth anniversary of agrarian reform last October 21, 1977, provides that tenanted plantation lands devoted BBiugg, baPizas-xid thefe.jyitlrs-eas — 25 hectares, shall be covered by the agrarian reform program. Under this new policy, the President said, “The tenants shall immediately become the co-owners of these particular lands through a corporation, and they shall immediately be given participation in the form of equity and participation in the profits on the basis of such sharing in the ownership of such funds.” There are three basic conditions for the imple mentation of this policy: (1) the land must be tenanted; (2) it must have an area of more than 25 hectares; and (3) the tenants therein will become co-owners through a corporation. I have already directed the speedy listing of plantations other than rice and com for purposes of implementing this policy. The planta tions will not be divided, as in the case of rice and com lands, but will be maintained by the landowners, to take advantage of their management expertise. Under the program, landowners would be required to sell stocks on their lands to their tenants and the tenanted plantations converted into corporations to enable tenants to be co-owners of the lands.” Q: There have been some reports on an apparent slow down in the organization of compact farms, a measure meant to benefit small fanners. Is this tree? A: Yes, there was a slowdown, but this was due to the emphasis given to Operation Land Transfer, where the greater bulk of the field personnel were concentrated. We’ve begun picking up again. During the past year, 12 compact farms were organized, bringing the overall total of farms organized in the five years since the start of the program to 330, covering 16,660 hectares and involving 10,180 farmer-members. In these farms the average palay production per hectare is 70 cavans. Q: Just what is a compact farm and what particular bene fits does it afford its farmer-members? A: Compact farms are essentially voluntary groupings of farmers organized to enable them to properly combine and utilize their energies and resources for greater productivity and efficiency.Cultivation,harvesting and other farm activities including marketing are super vised and directed in accordance with a carefully pre pared farm plan and budget. Sharing in the costs and returns of production is pro-rated among the farm members according to their individual farmlots. Compared to family-operated farms, compact farms are larger and can better achieve economies of scale in production. They were established primarily for greater productivity. They are farm units of conti guous or adjacent farmlots with approximately equal productive capabilities, fully irrigated by gravity or by pump, grouped for purposes of consolidating separate individual resources, methods and activities, and culti vated under a single management. Compact farms can be expected to gain significance as they emphasize the concept of “cooperative cultivatorship” and spread the economic view that farming is a business enterprise. Q: A related project of DAR is land consolidation. How much has been accomplished along this line? A: Land consolidation, as you know, involves the con centration and restructuring of farmlots which are comparatively irregular, small, fragmented, or scat tered, for better management and efficiency of farm operations and production. Such farmlots whose phys ical shape and structure are unfavorable to modem farming need to be consolidated. Land consolidation was started on a pilot basis as early as 1974. The DAR initially launched in suc cession three consolidation projects covering lands earlier acquired for the purpose. It is now consolidating 587 hectares comprising Hacienda Leet in Sta. Bar bara, Pangasinan; 1,500 hectares of Hacienda Yulo in Floridablanca, Pampanga; and three landed estates in Bula and Binalabag, Camarines Sur. Q: What progress has been made in leasehold opera tion and land transfer? A: By law, all of the 622,972 tenant farmers in the country are under the leasehold system of tenancy. What the DAR has been doing is assisting the lessees toward perfecting their leasehold status into written and registered contracts. In 1977, some 44,207 farm ers were assisted by the DAR in this regard, bringing -the-number -&f fenafft-farmcrs with perfected contracts to 304315, or 48.8 percent of the total number, at the end of five years. On the other hand, as of February, 1978, DAR had completed the documentation of the transfer of 676,988 hectares to 383,962 tenant-farmers. These figures represented 89 percent of the total hectarage involved in landowner-to-tenant land transfers and ap proximately 95 percent of the total number of tenantfarmers involved in such transfers. The total number of Certificates of Land Transfer (CLTs) issued during the period was 261,037, or 64.4 percent, working on 450,000 hectares, or 59.2 percent of total hectarage involved. In addition, some 1,153 hectares tilled by 1,250 tenants are now covered by 1 ,933 emancipation patents. This number includes the agrarian reform beneficiaries who have accelerated and accomplished full payment of their lands before the end of the 15-year repayment deadline. Q: How is agrarian reform faring in the South? A: Last year, DAR concentrated its efforts in the reset tlement of evacuees and ex-rebels in Mindanao. Em phasis was on the continuing development of ten newly proclaimed settlements, six of which are in Financial help in the field from PNB staffer. Mindanao and Tawi-Tawi. These are- part of the development package for the restoration of peace and order and the rehabilitation of rebel-returnees in Mindanao. Last year, some 204 families were resettled, bringing the number of rehabilitated families between 1972 and 1977 to 9,416. DAR now administers a total of 40 settlements with an aggregate area of709363 hectares and a population of 48348 settler-families. Q: Outside of the projects and programs that DAR has already undertaken, what new programs have been adopted, if any, to complement on-going projects and activities? A: DAR has recently launched several projects to sup port the main objective of land tenure improvement. Among these are: □ Intensive farming project. This concerns a new sys tem of rice culture, now operational in the 12 regions of the country, designed to provide year-round em ployment to small farm family members while at the same time maximizing production and income per unit area. □ Integration of agrarian reform into the school system. This project was undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Education and Culture and the University of the Philippines. Learning materials on agrarian reform were prepared for the different educational levels: posters for kindergarten, readers in Pilipino for the first three elementary grades, and lesson plans for teachers in the rest of the elementary and secondary classes, dealing with subjects like com munication arts, social studies, history, youth de velopment, etc. □ Small farmer development field action project. This is a new project aimed at developing and strength ening the capacity of small farmers and landless agri cultural leaders to “receive” and government agencies to “deliver” services in the rural areas. □ Agrarian reform communications unit. This is a joint project of DAR with the National Media Produc tion Center and USAID to provide information-educ ation-communication support for Operation Land Transfer, particularly in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Leyte. This project also provides support to the information needs of DAR in other areas where its manpower and resources are required. Q: Can you give a capsule summary of what the agra rian reform program has accomplished thus far in improving the lot of the average Filipino fanner and of the Filipino people in general? A: The program has gained much headway toward changing for the better the social, economic and political life of a dynamic sector of society. It has given dignity to the tillers of the soil and, with government help, placed into their hands the oppor tunities to work out for themselves a destiny worthy of the Filipino race. And it has challenged the landed gentry to get into the mainstream of economic activ ity by actively participating in the industrial develop ment of the country. 1-30. June 1 p78 A work- oriented system Present curriculum is work-oriented. by Iluminado Varela Jr. The opening of schoolyear 1978-1979 in June signals the implementation of some major programs outlined in the Ten-Year Educational Development Plan (1978-1987). Designed to support the socio-economic growth and development goals of the New Society, the TenYear Plan has been revised to focus on the role of educ ation and manpower development as a major income redistribution mechanism. The plan’s major thrust is to bring about quali tative and quantitative educational development. Qualitative improvement would insure the achievement of regional and national goals and the maintenance of desirable educational standards. Quan titative expansion, on the other hand, would increase the outreach of educational services and facilities for school children and out-of-school youths and adults. The thrust of the plan for the next ten years falls under the following major areas: basic education, tertiary education, nonformal education and cultural development. The DEC is funding the projects and programs under the plan with assistance from international agen cies like the IBRD, UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO. A major project this year is the development of a learning continuum which will emphasize the three R’s-Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic-and cultural development subjects. Known as “The Experimental Elementary Education Program, 1977,” the project was approved by the National Board of Education and will be tried out for two years beginning school year 1978-1979 from Grades I to VI in selected public and private elementary schools. A total of 126 public and private elementary schools, 45 from urban areas and 81 from rural areas, are participating in the project. The program is the response of the DEC to a sur vey on the outcome of elementary education (the SOUTELE Report) in June, 1976, which gave a “dismal picture of the situation in elementary education.” In the revision of the elementary curriculum, a “return to the basics” is needed so that even students who leave school before graduation will be equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes to make them productive and respectable members of society. This points to a simplified curriculum in which fewer subject areas are offered and more time is allot ted to the development of learn-to-learn skills, specif ically the three R’s. The other projects and programs outlined in the Ten-Year Educational Development Plan are: □ Provision and distribution of textbooks in 1:2 ratio, or one set of textbooks for every two students. As of school year 1977-1978, the Educational Development Projects Implementing Task Force (Edpitaf) had com pleted F.2-million copies, or 16 percent, of the target 7.8 million copies of 17 titles for mass use. □ Development of barangay high schools into commu nity centers to function bdth for the educational and socio-economic development of the community. The centers will also serve as training and marketing cen ters. Initially, Pl million is earmarked for this project. , □ Establishment of learning resources centers to,serve as multi-purpose centers for communities (library, audio-visual rooms, nontraditional learning spaces). □ Research and study program for the improvement of education on all levels, both private and public. □ Planning and management projects to serve as effec tive instruments for carrying out educational policies and reforms and linkages to society at large. Curriculum reforms. Reflecting the government thrusts in social and economic reforms, dec’s curric ulum reforms focus on the integration into the curric ulum of such subjects as agrarian reform, cooperatives development, population and nutrition education, food production, green revolution, environmental education, taxation, tourism, drug eradication and consumer education. “Each of these areas reflects a current problem, some with alarming consequences for the country un less responded to in a timely way by the citizenry," Secretary Manuel said. The curricular enrichment is designed to make students understand better the conditions around them and respond in a responsible way. To develop in children an awareness of the value and dignity of work, the DEC will pursue this year on-going and new work-oriented programs. Aside from correcting prevailing attitudes which do not recognize the value of work, the work-oriented programs are also designed to correct the imbalance in a large number of unemployed liberal arts graduates and a large number of job requirements in technical and skilled fields. The DEC has allowed teachers to institute pro grams requiring considerable time—up to 40 percent of the total school time-in actual productive work. For example, children who do work like helping in planting or harvesting are credited for such work in work education. An important feature of the work-oriented pro gram is the development of a core curriculum based on community resources or activities which are workoriented. For example, in a coconut region, lessons in science would be tailored to facts that have to do with propagation of coconuts; themes in communica tion arts would be on activities or industries related to coconuts; and practical work would utilize raw mate rials from coconuts. Reforms in higher education The lack of a national system to regulate admission into the higher educational level has resulted in over crowding in certain college courses, poor quality of graduates, and consequently, unemployed or unem ployable graduates. To achieve the objective of quality education in the tertiary level, the National College Entrance Ex amination was instituted in 1973 under P.D. 146. Initially, the DEC entered into agreement with the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE) to prepare and admister the first NCEE in 1973. In 1974 the-D£CJiad-gteaiei-particip^t4en.in, the- test prepara-----tion and administration. Today, the NCEE Center, now the National Educational Testing Center, has full charge of the college entrance examination. Already a marked trend has been noted in the post-seco nd ary enrolments. More and more students are taking vocational and technical courses. In government vocational and technical schools, the number of enrollment doubled from 5,637 in school year 1971-1972 to 11,875 in SY 1974-75. Enrolment in private technical schools increased from 111,904 to 128,699, or 4.5 percent, during the same period. The other major programs for reforms in higher education are the survey of existing recruitment and staff development policies of private institutions, and the private higher education development plan. Involved in these programs are 495 higher edu cational institutions, 43 chartered universities and colleges, and 52 vocational and technical colleges. Out-of school youths While the Philippine public school system serves 11.3 million youths in the acquisition of a formal educa tion, there are close to 5.7 million who unfortunately do not share in educational benefits. These are the out-of-school youths. To give substance to the government’s goal of equal opportunities for all Filipinos, President Marcos directed the Department of Education and Culture to institute a system of “nonformal education” to serve children, youth and adults who, for economic or other reasons, cannot avail of the benefits of formal educa tion. The program is headed by a special Undersecre tary for Nonformal Education. Nonformal education has been defined as any “organized systematic educational activity carried on outside the framework of the formal educational-sys tem.” The programs involved in this system do not re quire any credentials or qualifications, and partici pants can enter and leave the program at any time. And now DEC will give credits for knowledge and skills gained outside the formal school system. Among recent developments in the area of non formal education are the joint program of DEC and the National Electrification Administration called TANGLAW (Toward Aggressive National Growth Through Light and Water) and Lingap ng Pangulo sa mga Barangay, a school-on-the-air program designed for out-of-school youths, housewives and farmers who are organized into listening groups by their respective barangays with the help of a teacher-coordinator. Educational innovations The DEC has launched several other important inno vations, particularly to benefit out-of-school youths and needy students. Among these are: □ Distance Study System. This program seeks to de liver development-oriented educational programs to people who have no access to formal schooling. It uses a multimedia approach -radio, television, self-learning modules, etc.), with most students getting instruction in radio broadcasts supplemented by printed materials. □ The In-School, Off-School Approach. Under this method, a teacher cah handle as many as 80 pupils, half of whom, forming one group, stay in school for one week and are taught by the teacher, with the other group meanwhile studying on their own in their homes with self-learning kits. This arrangement is in tended to insure maximum use of classrooms, teachers and community resources. □ Project IMPACT. This project-“lnstruction Man aged by Parents and Teachers”-calls for programmed teaching in Levels 1 and 2, where teachers use special ly prepared materials. In the elementary and higher levels, the community’s human resources- high school students, home tutors, parents and other skilled re source persons-arc used. Project IMPACT was launched ’by the Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH), one of seven research and development centers of the Southeast Asian Minis ters of Education Organization (SEAMEO). □> Study-Now-Pay-1.ater Plan. Another innovative approach as provided for by PD 932 (Educational Assistance Act of 1976) this is designed to further broaden assistance to needy but deserving students. Initially funded by the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System, the plan start ed with a PIO million appropriation. In selecting bene ficiaries of the plan, priority is given to the brighter students with relatively low family income. 6 THE REPUBLIC Emphasis on work In conformity with the government’s new social and economic directions, the public school curriculum has started focusing on such subjects as agrarian reform, nutrition, food production, handicrafts, etc. These practical courses are not meant to supplant but to supplement the liberal arts curriculum which had been the backbone of the educational system. New work-oriented programs being pursued in public elementary schools are designed to develop in children an awareness of the value and dignity of work. This attitude is impressed upon the pupils early in the grades as the photos above and at right show. Below, dress making and other home crafts are among the vocational subjects taught in the revised curriculum. I 1-30 June 1978 Adult education is as important a part of public instruction as is the conduct of the regular courses of study for schoolchildren in our pub lic schools. Photo at left is a class in adult education, taught by regular public school teachers. Out-of schoolyouths (bottom, left) are also helped along in useful trades. THE REPUBLIC by Marcos D. Agayo Ever since it was founded in 1960, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Bafios has spearheaded the drive to produce better and higher-yield ing strains of rice. Through a variety of methods including cross-breeding and radiation, IRRI scientists have been able to produce rice varieties that are not only higher yielding, more nutritious and more resistant to diseases and pests but also able to be grown in cold tempera tures, toxic soils, deep water and almost no water. Moving the results of IRRl’s research from the lab to the paddy is Seedboard, the government entity that has the final say on which of IRRl’s high-yielding varieties (HYV) should be recommended to farmers for planting. So far 22 HYVs have met Seedboard’s standards. None of the 22 HYVs are well-suited to all areas of the country. But most of the 22 flourish, in varying degrees, when grown in lowland areas. Sixteen of them are moderately or completely resistant to major plant blights like lodging, blast, bacterial leaf blight and tungro and to pests like the brown planthopper. Only six are moderately susceptible to these rice scourges. All 22 HYV rice strains mature in from 105 to 145 days, thus allowing a minimum of two harvests a year. Higher incomes for highland farmers Eager to have upland farmers share in the benefits HYVs have brought to lowland farmers, IRRI and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) are devoting increased attention to developing HYVs for the country’s 400,000 hectares of upland rice fields. Presently, little or no chemical fer tilizers and pesticides are being used by upland rice farmers. Yields are conse quently low-about 15 to 25 cavans of palay per hectare compared to Masagana 99’s lowest national average yield of 56 cavans per hectare. To correct this, IRRI and BPI are testing 26 HYVs for possible upland cul tivation. Of the varieties being tested, one known as RP KN-2 seems the most promising. It is resistant to cold-like the native upland varieties-and can yield as much as most of the present recom mended varieties do in lowland paddies. The search for better rice strains Many Banaue farmers are not now receptive to innovations in farming tech niques. They seem to prefer the triedand-true and much-less-costly methods of old. But Rene Mondragon of BPI says many farmers will change their minds when they see the significantly higher yields produced by Banaue farmers who are testing new rice varieties and using modem fertilizers and pesticides. Using our HYVs may cost farmers a bit more in the short run, says Mondragon, but we’re convinced they will find it well worth their while in the end. Does this mean that old rice varieties which have satisfied the needs-and taste buds-of generations of highland people will disappear? “Not at all,” says Mon dragon. He explained that IRRI maintains a germ plasm bank containing 30,000 of the world’s rice varieties-including Banaue types. Native strains are pre served so that some of their superior traits might be bred into new varieties. Thus while present HYVs require a lot of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to produce to full capacity, future varieties may combine the strengths of upland na tive strains (which require relatively lit tle fertilizer or irrigations and no pesti cides) with the high yield capacities of laboratory-developed rice types. Fanning by computer? Another proposed method for improving rice production suggests farmers leave the thinking and worrying to agricultural ' technocrats. The method-dubbed “Agrometrix” because it is based on exact measure ment of inputs and plant growth processes-is the brainchild of a professional project management, marketing and communications organization known as The Group. According to a Group explanation, Agrometrix requires of farmers “no spe cial skills or knowledge, no implements or rice varieties other than what they are using under conventional methods.” All they have to do is “follow simple direc tions on fertilizer inputs and water man agement emanating from a central organ ization implementing the technology, which is embodied in a set of formulae.” The “central organization” mention ed is needed to do the computing and evaluating for farmers who are “in no position to grapple with the complex and semi-complex mathematical and sta tistical derivations.” The Group’s proposal may sound a bit snobbish, but the recommended method has produced results in Orani, Bataan, where The Group tested it. According to The Group’s findings, fields using the Agrometrix method had an average yield of 166 cavans per hectare. This is nearly 70 percent higher than Masagana 99*s highest average yield bf 97 cavans per hectare. Agrometrix essentially consists of “an integrated series of formulae which, applied to prevailing field conditions, such as the available solar radiation level, give the quantity and the timing of appli cation of necessary water, fertilizer and other standard production inputs.” By enhancing or retarding certain character istics which appear defined stages of the rice plant’s life cycle, the plant’s yield is maximized. The Group gives this rough example of an Agrometrix technique: At a certain stage in the rice plant’s life, it requires a specific amount of solar radiation in order to produce the desired number of spikelets which will eventually mature into grains: In order to absorb the op timum amount of solar radiation, a plant should ideally be of a certain size with a certain amount of leaf area. Too large a leaf area means the plant will ab sorb too much solar radiation, grow too fast and too large. The result is mutual shading and, in the end, a low grain yield. Too small a leaf area, on the other hand, results in inadequate solar radia tion, a smaller number of spikelets and fewer ripened grains. While still being evaluated, the Agro metrix method’s chief value is that it suggests that precise control of the var ious stages of a plant’s growth can, by itself, lead to higher yields. The organic methods of Japan and Taiwan, demon strate that costly fertilizers and pesticides are not necessary to increase production. For those who worry about ecological balance and find the old unadulterated rice the tastiest whether as sinangag na kanin or rice wine, that is welcome news indeed. From steam to power Geothermal power will solve the oil crisis. by Marietta B. Arinto Leyte, the island of firsts, has done it again: it is now the site of the first com mercial geothermal power plant in the country. The inauguration of the Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant last July 21, 1976 was a triumphant culmination of efforts started late in 1973, when the Philippine National Power Corporation (NPC) and New Zealand’s Kingston Rey nolds Thom and Allardice Limited (KRTA) began drilling exploration holeS. Seven wells were completed. The first three produced only hot artesian water, in stead of the coveted steam, but they were instrumental in locating the steam reservoir. With the creation in September 1976 of the Department of Energy, manage ment of the Tongonan Geothermal Proj ect passed from the NPC to the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC). The drilling of the deep wells started under the PNOC-EDC Management. Steam to power The first production well, Mahi-ao I, spurred by the First Lady on October 21, 1976, was completed January 13. Three months later it was ready to draw steam. The construction of the power plant, along with the setting up of a 20-kilometer transmission line from the plant to Ormoc City, was started on May 2. Exactly two months later, on July 2, the plant was running. By July 12, Tongo nan was supplying power to Ormoc City. Mahi-ao 1, which can generate up to 10 megawatts, is only the beginning of a five-year geothermal power develop ment program for Leyte, the goal of which is to have 100 megawatts geother mal power generation capability by 1982. The program will involve drilling of 24 production wells with depths of 5,000 to 6,000 feet, laying approximate ly 30 kilometers of steam ducts and an effluent disposal system and construct ing two 50-MW power plants consisting of two 25-megawatt units each. The estimated cost is US$90 million. For all these the Philippine govern ment hopes to realize by 1981 savings of $7.6 million per year in foreign ex change from the operation of the first 50 MW plant, and another $7.6 million per year by 1983 when the second plant is operational. For the people of Leyte there are even more tangible benefits. Foremost of these is cheap power. In geothermal power generation the cost of fuel-which makes up 80 to 85 percent of the total cost in conventional (or oil-based) power generation-is eliminated. This means that all PNOC will shoul der is the cost of drilling, piping and maintenance. To be sure, the materials required in geothermal power produc tion are rather special-steam being what it is—but engineers maintain that, all things considered, geothermal costs are more than competitive. Just how cheap Tongonan power will be for its consumers is not yet known as PNOC-which sells the steam to NPC, which converts it to power and delivers it to the consuming public-has yet to determine its selling price. But it will definitely be much cheaper than non geothermal power, both PNOC and NPC sources say. First in the country The Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant is the first ever in the country to pro ducepower in commercial quantities. Its completion has put the Philippines in a class with the very few countries in the. world-notably New Zealand, Italy and the United States-which have availed themselves of geothermal energy to meet part of their power requirements. 1-30 June 1978 9 by Dr. Joseph Precker There are two extreme ways of looking at stress. The first places responsibility on individual personal characteristics. One frequently hears of the man (or woman) who “just couldn’t take it,” as if there were, of necessity, some built-in flaw in the individual. A second and quite differ ent approach places the burden on the situation and the problems-whether it’s an impossibly demanding boss, an un yielding market, technological inadequa cies or government restrictions. Psychologists and others interested in the problems of executive stress usual ly find that there’s a balance between individual susceptibility on the one hand and situational difficulties on the other. In most instances in which stress leads to diminished effectiveness, it is the inter action between individual and organiza tion which makes the difference. Recent research tends to show the organization is usually much more responsible for stress response than other factors. Many of the manifestations of stress do not take the form most laymen ex pect, and often, therefore, are not seen as responses to stress. What are the gen erally accepted manifestations of stress? A summary of recent intensive scientific studies of organizations and their tech nical, managerial and executive staff has identified five specific stress syndromes, each with its very special characteristics. □ Emotional distress. This is easily un derstood by all managers and executives, since it’s a rare bird who has never ex perienced pangs of fear, anxiety, uncer tainty, anger, excessive competition, dis appointment, jealousy, envy, neglect, unfair “setting aside,” lack of promotion and so on. □ Medication use and hypochondria. This category is wider than it’s generally thought to be. Go to a man’s home, open the medicine chest, and count the bottles of tranquilizers, sleeping pills, “waker-uppers,” and other medications. Or count the number of visits to physi cians, acupuncturists, shatzu experts—or even massage parlors! One can begin to develop an index not only of the extent to which a manager is concerned over his own health (which, in perspective, is quite proper) but also the extent to which he or she is overly concerned, and dependent on external “modulators” to keep in shape and to remain capable of proper action. In many a man’s thinking, there is little clear-cut realization that he is manifesting stress reactions and that his responses tend not to be adaptive. In other words, he is not gaining headway in the race to control himself or others, but is falling behind and endangering both his own health and his chances of effective response by becoming control led by external supports and pacifiers. In this day and age, the use of drugs like cannabis (marijuana) and more se rious hard drugs is considered in some places a sign of sophistication, and be ing “in.” This is particularly dangerous. Many a psychotherapist is aware of breakdowns among the talented, the wellplaced, the respected and rich, as a result of drug abuse. Sadly enough, in this res pect physicians have a particularly poor record in the United States and the United Kingdom where a larger proportion of physicians than others tend to become addicted to drugs. Another form of drug abuse, which usually masks stress responses, as well as creating untold havoc in many a per sonal life, or family, or organization, is the relatively free use of alcohol. The one-drink-to-relax at lunch, or before dinner or sleep increasingly becomes two or three or four-or uncountable. And the earlier stages of control (“I can take it or leave it”) are gradually abandoned until the individual becomes victim and slave. □ Cardiovascular disturbance. High blood pressure, palpitations, migraine headaches, poor circulation, varicose veins, angina and all other cardiovascular symptoms frequently associated with and experienced by the aging executive are becoming increasingly widespread among younger people. The typical lay man does not attribute these symptoms and disease-entities to stress, but thinks of them as physical, outside the realm of the tensions and pressures of life and work. Specialists in the field, however, have found rather clearcut evidence that some-indeed perhaps all-of the above are directly related to tension and stress, and the inability to relax. Dr. Benson at Harvard, among others, has developed relaxation techniques which can bring down high blood-pressure which had been shown to be beyond the reach of modem medication. Biofeedback ap proaches have also been successful, dem onstrating that somehow the central ner vous system can mediate and control functions of those parts of the body pre viously believed to be automatic and beyond personal control. One of the dangers of the typical manager with cardiovascular symptoms transient or lasting—is the usual refusal to see these symptoms as indicators of stress, and to seek medical intervention as the only way of dealing with the problem-and even then, the visit to the physician can be delayed too long. □ Gastro-intestinal disturbance. Peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers, stomach spasms and colitis are sometimes recognized as indicators of overwhelming stress, though more often than not they are primarily attributed to medical bad luck. Increas ingly, psychosomatic research has dem onstrated the relationship between con flict, incompatible roles at work or at home, anger and many other psycholog ical needs and various gastro-intestinal disorders. □ Allergy and respiratory disturbance. Here again, experts have shown that stress is a major factor behind these com mon disorders. More than a medical problem Thus,many people believe stress is pri marily a medical problem. In part, it is. On the other hand Hans Selye, the pio neering physician and physiologist, has demonstrated that stress partly increases resistance to the so-called “stressor,” whether physiological or psychological. But, if stress persists over long periods ' of time, the organism reaches a state of exhaustion. Much stress is psychological and organizational in origin. There seem to be four major causes of stress, ex perienced and manifested (consciously or unconsciously) by the manager: □ The maturity effect. Putting someone without appropriate training and sup port into a position of excessive respon sibility or demand can lead to stress, and eventually, in extreme cases, to breakdown-or at the very least to diminished effectiveness. □ The vulnerability effect. This response depends somewhat more on an indivi dual’s personal makeup and background. For example, a manager may be very skilled in dealing with equals and subor dinates, but unconsciously may develop strong stress responses to a demanding, angry, non-rational top executive, who may remind him (still outside of the realm of consciousness) of a difficult, irascible and cruel father. □ The bureaucratic effect. Bureaucracies exist for good reasons. At best they automate decisions and the procedures involved are pre-determined and sup posedly designed to deal with the prob lems in hand as effectively as possible. However, bureaucracy tends to turn men into machines, and often winds its way senselessly through a maze of activities which frequently become ineffective, and even serve as barriers to meaningful response and activity. Bureaucracy tends to lead achieve ment-oriented men into stress reactions of all sorts, particularly as bureaucratic practices lead to feelings of helplessness, lack of control over events and vulnera bility to nonrational forces. These are all precursors of anxiety, and many man agers experience tremendous anxiety, up setting them psychologically and physio logically, and preventing them from making their best efforts. While a rebel lious American may be somewhat aware of the source of his anxiety, an Oriental or a European from a culture which places a high premium on hierarchy, ac ceptance of superiors, and willingness to function within the “establishment” may very well find him-or-herself in dis tress without recognition of the source and unable effectively to deal with it. □ The power effect. This last of the four organizational elements is often given attention in films or on TV, in terms of “the power struggles in the executive suite.” It is, however, far more prevalent than is commonly believed, and at every level of organization. It occurs in the typist-pool and among yayas, as well as within groups of ambitious ycung men and women hopefully destined to take on greater responsibility, greater rewards, and more prestige. We humans are social animals and human interaction plays a major role in our enjoyment and interpretation of events. Organizations can play a major role using competition effectively to everyone’s advantage, or they can create dilemmas which can only increase the stress reactions of the pec pie they touch. All stress is not bad. A reasonable amount can be very productive and some thrive on it. However, undue stress, or stress which cannot lead to positive action or resolution, or stress which re mains unconscious both as to source and to form of expression, can lead to break down of men, of organizations, of plans, of hopes, of rewards. *Dr. Precker is a psychologist and psy chotherapist who has lived and worked in Asia for more than a decade, both as psychologist and executive. He currently teaches in the graduate programme in clinical psychology at the University of Hongkong and his article is adapted from Insight magazine. 10 THE REPUBLIC mMarihgT. Bautista MaSAYA ang buwan ng Mayo. Ito ang panahon ng pamumukadkad ng mga bulaklak. Mayo rin kung isagawa ang mga santacruzan na lalong kilala sa tawag na “Santacruz de May o.” Ang santacruzan ay prusisyon sa look ng siyam na sunudsunod na gabi na tinatampukan ng mga sagala: mula sa mga batang babae hang gang sa mga kadalagahan. ho’y nilalahukan din ng mga beauty queens at artista Mayo rm ang panahon ng katuwaan at lakwatsa: ang pinakamaliligayang sandali sa buhay ng isang estudyante. Sa mga panahon ding ito puno ng buhay at “pakikipagsapalaran" ang Antipolo, Rizal. Drto dinarayo tuwing Mayo ang Nuestra Sra. dela Paz, ang birhen ng kapayapaan at mabuting paglalakbay. Ang araw ng paggawa o labor day tuwing unang araw ng Mayo ay rpmag diriwang sa pamamagitan ng mga parada at programs na alay sa mga manggagawa. Hindi rin malilimutan ang kagitingan ng mga Pilipino sa pagtatanggol sa Corregidor tuwing ika-6 ng Mayo. Siyempre'y may nakalaang pagdiriwang sa araw na ito. Marami ring pista tuwing Mayo. tpv nagdiriwang ang pista ng Holy Cross tuwing ika-3 ng Mayo sa Vig^n, Ilocos Sur, gayundin sa Sta. Cruz, Laguna at Marinduque. Sa Obando, Bulacan, Mayo rin kung gunitain si San Pascual Bay Ion at Sta. Clara. Sa panahong ito nagsasay aw sa mga prusisyon sa Obando ang mga mag-asawang walang anak para makahingi “sana" ng kahit isa lang. Tuwing Mayo 14 at Mayo 15, idinaraos naman ng ilang bay an sa Bulacan, Nueva Ecija at Rizal ang pista ng mga kalabaw: isang malaking atraksiyon sa mga dumaray o at mga turista. May laso ang mga kalabaw habang may hatakhatak na mga karitong may matitingkad na kulay. Ipinaparada ang mga ito sa mga plasa. Ang mga magsasaka sakay ng kani-kanilang kalabaw ay nagtitipon sa simbahan at hinihindisynnan ng pari. Kasunod ay karera at paligsahan ng mga kalabaw at ang walang tigil na kasayahan at katuwaan ng lahat. “Pahiyas” Natatangjng Pista sa Quezon Mayo 15 rin kung ipagdiwang sa Lucban at Sariaya, Quezon ang ban tog na “pahiyas,” isang espesyal na pista ng anihan. Tampak sa araw na ito si San Isidro Labrador, ang patron ng mga magsasaka. Tulad ng maraming bayanbayan sa Pilipinas, may “kakanyahan" ang Lucban at Sariaya sa pagdaraos ng Paano ipinagdmwang ang pahiyas? Umagang-umaga pa lamang ng Mayo 15, may dekorasyon na ang lahat ng bahay na daraanan ng prusisyon. Ngunit hindi lobo o bandera ang makikitang nakadisplay. Ani ang naglawitsa mga bintana palay, gulay, prutas. May hawig ang pahiyas sa “pabitin” na idinaraos sa mga pista. Ang kaibhan lamang ng sa huli, hindi sa bin tana kundi sa gitna ng kalsada milalagay ang pabitin at doon ipinaaagaw sa mga tao. Malagintong himaymay ng butil o matatabang sako ng giniling na palay ang idim-display ng mga nagtatanim ng pa lay. Inihihilera naman ng mga nagtatanim ng kamatis ang kanilang ani habang ikinakalat ng mga nagtatanim ng prutas ang ani nilang pinya, black berries at mangga. Ang mga pula, puti at itim na beans ay idim-dekorasyon. At hindi basta ani. Ang pinakamahusay at pinakamagandang ani lamang ang idini-disp/ay sa mga bintana. May nakalaan kasing premyo o gantimpala sa may pinakamagandang display. Ang pahiyas ay di lamang isang pikitmatang pakikisunod sa agos ng nakapamihasnan. Ito ay isang dagdag na insentibo sa mga magsasaka ng Lucban at Sariaya. Laging pinagpupunyagiang magkaroon ng masagana at magandang ani lalo’t nalalapit ang nasabing pag diriwang. May isa pang espesyal na atraksiyon angpahiyas: ang “kiping,” isang espesyal na pagkain mula sa galapong (ground rice) na inihahanda lamang tuwing pahi yas. Isang uri ito ng malagkit na iniihaw para maluto. Matabang ang lasa nito. Ito ay kinokorteng dahon at may iba’t ibangkulay. Idini-disp/ay din ito sa mga bintana. Ang mga lawa-lawa (buntings) sa mga kalsada ay nagdadagdag pa rin sa makulay na pagdiriwang. Walang iniwan sa kanal ang lawa-lawa. Kaya lang, mas maluluwang ang mga ito, sementado ang ilalim at malinaw ang umaagos na tubig na nagmumula sa bundok Banahaw. Ang pahiyas, ang kiping at ang lawalawa ay sapat nang bumuo ng isang napakagandang tanawin: masaganang ani at espesyal na pagkain sa mga bintana, sariwang tubig sa ibaba ng mga kabahayan. May isa pang nakatutuwang bahagi ang pahiyas. Matapos mailakad ang pru sisyon ni San Isidro sa hapon, mahihingi sa mga may-ari ang mga display na talaga namang ipinamimigay. May katwiran ngang dayuhin ng marami ang nasabing pahiyas sa Quezon. Bukod sa kaakit-akit ang makulay na pagdiriwang, bawat namimista ay may pagkakataong malasap ang di kumukupas na Filipino hospitality. kahili ng sapatos ay *yong mabubutas na. Sabi nga noong isa kong kakilalang laborer, iisa raw ang pinagpapalit-palit niyang sapatos, minsan daw ‘yong kaiiwa ay isinusuot niya sa kanan at ‘yong kanan ay isinusuot niya sa kaiiwa. * * * * May mga estudyanteng dala ng pangangailangang pinansiyal ay nagtatrabaho ha bang nag-aaral. Nagtatrabaho sa umaga, nag-aaral sagabi. Mahirap pero masarap kumita ng pera habang nag-aaral. Pero ang karaniwang nangyayari ay ganito: ang mga estudyanteng nakakatikim ng suweldo ay hindi na bumabalik sa eskuwela. Ang ikinakatuwiran nila, nag-aaral sila para makapagtrabaho, ngayong may t rabaho na ay bakit kailangan pang mag-araL Maganda sanang pangangatuwiran, kaso, ang mga empleadong walang tinapos kahit magaling ay mahihirapang umasenso. Malakas pa kasi ang gayuma ng diploma. • • • • Dahil sa pagiging sobrang magastos ng buhay, iilang empieado ang nakapagiipon. Paano pang makapag-iipon, gayong dalawa-tatlong araw pa lamang matapos ang suweldo’y naghahanap na ng mauutangan. Ku wen to nga noong isa kong kumpare, nagbukas daw siya ng savings ac count sa isang kilalang banko, pero hindi rin siya makapag-ipon dahil ganito ang nangyayari: araw-araw deposit, araw-araw withdraw. 1-30 June 1978 11 Lagi na, ang buwan ng Hunyo ay iniuugnay sa pag-aasawa. Bagamat maaaring mag-asawa ang isang tao sa kahit anong panahon, marami pa rin ang nagtatakda ng kasal tuwing Hunyo. Ang mga Pilipino ay may mayamang kaugalian ukol sa panliligaw at pagaasawa. Bagamat karamihan sa mga ka ugaliang ito’y bahagi na lamang ng kahapon, ang ilan ay umiiral pa rin hang gang sa kasalukuyan. Sipagang puhunan ng isang Tagalog upang makamit ang babaingitinatangi. Sa kaugaliang tinatawag na paninilbihan, obligadong laging bumisita ang lalaki sa bahay ng babae. Tutulong siya sa ilang gawaing-bahay sa tahanan ng babae, tulad ng pag-igib ng tubig (na kadalasa’y mula sa balon), pagsisibak ng kahoy, pagbubunot ng sahig. Tapang naman at lakas ng ioob ang puhunan ng mga Ibilaos at ilang tribu ng llongot. Madugo at puno ng pakikipag sapalaran ang paghahandog nila ng pagibig sa nililiyag. Sinusubukan ang kakayahan ng llongot sa paggamit ng pana o “bow and arrow.” Pinatatayo sa isang maiuwang na lugar ang babaing minimithi habang nakaipit sa kili-kili nito ang isang buko nj kawayan na bukas sa gitna. Sa layong 50i metro, kailangang lumusot ang palasong pakakawalan sa dulo ng buko. Kapag nasaktan ang babae, papatayin ng mga kamag-anakan nito ang lalaking llongot. Ayon sa pinakahuling pag-aaral, isinasagawa pa rin ang praktis na ito sa ilang mga lugar sa Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya at Mountain Province. Ang tungkol sa kasal sa mga llongot ay una munang inihaharap sa ama ng babae para pagkasunduan. Kabilang sa kasunduang ito ang ukol sa dote at iba pang bagay. Ang puno ng tribu ang nagsasagawa ng seremonya sa pamamagjtan ng pag ta tali sa kamay ng lalaki at babae at pagpapakain sa mga ito sa iisang pinggang yari sa kahoy. Habang isang mabigat na tungkulin ang panliligaw at pag-aasawa para sa Tagalog at llongot, ito ay hindi problema sa mga kalalakihan ng tribung Subano sa Mindanao. Hindi sila, kundi ang kani lang mga magulang ang nagsasagawa ng mga pangunahing hakbang mula sa pagKaugaliang Pilipino sa pag aasawa hahanap ngkarapat-dapat na marram ugangin hanggang sa pagtatakda at pagkakaloob ng dote. Dahil dito, mas malamang na sa araw ng kasal unang magkikita ang ikakasal. Ang pinuno rin ng tribu ang nagsa sagawa ng seremonya ng kasal. lsinasabay rito ang pag-aalay ng dote. Sumasayaw ang mga sponsor ng babae sa tunog ng gongs at drums. Nagsasayaw tin ang lalaki bilang pagtugon. Dalawa ang umaawit ng ballad bilang pag-asam sa isang matagumpay at mabungang pagsasama. Pagkatapos nito, magsasay aw ang mag-asawa bilang katunavan ng pagiging kasal na. Sa Bicol, mga magulang dm ng la laki ang gumagawa ng pangunang hakbang. Ipinahahayag ng mga ito ang hanga rin ng kanilang anak sa pamamagitan ng pagsulat sa mga magulang ng babae na maaaring makipag- usap n ang harapan o tumugon din sa sulat. Ang kaugaliang tumugon din sa sulat. Ang kaugaliang ito ay kilala sa tawag na “lagpitaw” o “slingshot practice.” Malalaman lamang ng lalaki na tinanggap ang kanyang pro posal sa araw na mismo ng kanyang kasal Pambihira ang pamamaraang ginagamit ng Batak ng Palawan sa pagkakamit sa babaing nililiyag. Hindi sila nanunuyo o naninilbihan tulad ng Tagalog at hindi rin nagpapakita ng tapang tulad ng llongot. Ang pamainaraan nila ay naaay on sa tinatawag na “bandi system” na walang iniwan sa isang public bidding: ang pinakamataas magpresyo ang kukuha sa babaing kursunada. Napakadali kung gayon sa isang Batak ang mag-asawa at mag-iba ng asawa. Kung ang babaing kursunada niya ay may asawa na, babayaran lamang niya nang doble ang halagang binayaran ng kasalukuyang asawa nito. Ang pag-aasawa ng Samal ng Sulu ay karaniwang kasunduan din. Malayang pumili ng mapapangasawa ang isang la laking nasa hustong gulang ngunit ang babae'y hindi. Kailangang mayroon sivang kaukulang pahintulot mula sa ama, o sa lo]o kung ang ama’y palay na o sa pinakamatandang kapatid na lalaki o sa pinakamalapit na kamag-anak na lalaki. Itinatakwil ng lipunan ang magasawang nakasal nang walang kaukuiang paliintulot. Hindi rin sila kikilalanin ng kanilang mga magulang. Maibabalik lamang ng mag-asawa ang pagtanggap at pagkilala kung sla'y pahahagupit nang limampung ulit mula sa pari. Hangga't hindi sila naaabsuwelto, hindi sila kinikilalang Mohammedans. ' Ang seremonya ng kasal ay malimit na isinasagawa ng ama ng babae. Nasa lalaki na ang desisyon kung gusto niyang kunin ang serbisyo ng pari. Ang ikinakasal ay sumasailalim ng tinatawag na “ceremonial washings” bago hahawakan ng pari ang kanang kamay ng lalaki at magsasalita ng ilang partikular na mensahe mula sa Koran. Panghuli ang pagtatanong sa lalaki kung tinatanggap nito ang babae bilang asawa. Tradisyon pa rin sa ikinakasal na babaeng Samal ang pag-aahit sa kanyang mga kilay bago pintahan ang kanyang mukha ng ma dilaw na bagay. Inilalagay siya pagkatapos sa isang silid na hindi siya agad makikit a ng lalaki. Halianapin ng lalaki ang asawa na magtatangkang tumakas. Isang larong walang iniwan sa “hide-and-seek” ang magaganap. Kapag nahuli ng lalaki ang babae at naipadaan niya ang kanang hint ut uro sa noo nito, itinuturing na silang kasal. Sisimulan lamang nila ang pagsasama bilang mag-asawa pagkaraan ng pitcng araw mula sa araw ng kanilang kasal. Hindi lamang sa pamamaraan ng pagligaw o pag-aasawa nagkakaiba-iba ang mga Pilipino. May mga kaibahan din maging sa pagdaraos ng handaan sa araw ng kasal. Tulad na lamang sa Benguet. Dito, binabalikat ng lalaki ang lahat ng gastos at iba pang pangangailangan sa araw ng kasal. Ang lalaki ay kailangang magtaglay ng dalawang kalabaw man lamang at iba pang hayop upang isuporta sa babae. Ganito kasi ang tradisyong sinusunod nda-mabigyan ng isang kilo ng kame o higjt pa ang bawat bisit ang dadalo sa handaan. Hu wag nang idagdag pa na bigay-todo ang ganitong uri ng salu-salo. Sa Waray, bagamat magarbo rin ang kasalan. hindi naman pinapasan ng lala ki ang lahat ng gastos. Nakagawian na nila ang pagtulong ng mga kamag-anak ng babae sa lahat ng pangangailangan sa handaan. Pj^ksnapos ng kasal. dumKleretso ang mag-asawa sa bago nilar.g tahanan para sa isa pang mas maliit na salu-salo na tinatawag na “pagdara.” Sa lahat ng pagkakaiba-iba ng kauga lian sa pag-aasawa iisa lamang ang kahulugan nito: ang pag-aasawa ay isang naiibang uri ng responsibilidad na dapat harapin at panindigan ng mag-asawa. —MTB Salubungin ang bagong Pilipina ni Myrna M. Castro Noon ... alipin si Maria ng paniniwalang siya ay mahina, mahiyain, mapaniwalain. Gapos siya ng paniniwalang ang lugar ng isang babae ay salikuran ng isang lalaki; na ang lalaki ang siyang hari at siyang nasusunod. Sapat na sa kanya ang mayroong nangangalaga, nagdudulot ng kaginhawahan at nagkakaloob ng pagtingin. Isa siya sa maraming Pilipinang ang tanging pinagbuhusan ng panahon, bukod sa kanyang pamilya, ay ang pagdarasal, pakikinig ng mga kuwentong punungpuno ng superstisyon o kaya nama’y pakikipagkuwentuhan sa kanyang kabaro. Pagkaraan ng maraming taon, nanatili siyang isang bilanggo. Bilanggo ng itinakdang mga batas ng lipunan. Makitid ang saklaw ng pananaw. Maliit ang ginagalawang daigdig. Kailanman ay hindi niya sinubukang pakilaman ang gawain ng sinasabing “mas malakas na sakarian.” Nang siya ay magkanobyo, bumagal lalo ang kanyang pagsulong. Ang maliit niyang daigdig ay lalong lumjit. Hindi na siya maaaring bumarkada sa iba. Kinakailangan muna ang pahintulot ng kan yang nobyo. Kadalasan, pinagkakaitan niya ng la yaw ang kanyang sarili. Ang kasal ang katuparan ng lahat ng kanyang pangarap. Umiikot ang kan yang daigdig sa kanyang asawa. Isinasalalay niya rito ang kanyang kinabukasan. Ang paniniwalang ang babae ay para lamang sa bahay ay mariing nakaukit sa kanyang isipan. Ngayon ... narito si Marie, ang bagong Pilipina! Produkto ng 70s. Lista, malaya, mapagisip. Ipinahahayag ang kanyang kaisipan. Iginigiit ang sariling karapatan. Hari siya ng kanyang sarili. Hindi siya nadidiktahan. Hindi tumatahak sa isang kawalan. Hindi bilanggo ng mga batrs ng lipunan. Hindi bulag sa kanyang mga limitasyon. Pinasok na niya ang dating daigdig na para lamang sa kalalakihan. Humahawak siya ng matataas na puwesto sa gobyemo, sa larangan ng negosyo, at maging sa sining. Sa larangan ng musika, ang mga Pili pinang tulad ni Marie ay hindi napadadaig. Kung mayroong Prima Donna ang ibang bansa, tayo man ay mayroong Jovita Fuentes, Isang Tapales al Felicing Tirona. Nagsilitawan ang mga Dali say Aldaba, Conchita Gaston at ngayo’y s Evelyn Mandac, ang unang Pilipinang kasali sa Metropolitan Opera sa New York. Mayroon din tayang mga concert soloista sa piano, violin at cello. Ilan sa kanila ay sina Caimencita Lozada, Maria Luisa Lopez Vito at Cecile Licad. Ilan sa mga tanyag na o^anisasyon na pinangungunahan ng mga kababaihan ang League of Filipino Composers, Na tional Music Council of the Philippines, Music Promotion Foundation, Philippine Society for Music Education, Philippine Choral Society, Piano Teacher's Guild of the Philippines at ang Philippine Theater of the Performing Arts. Samantalang sa larangan naman ng pagsasayaw, mayroon t ayong isang Fran cisco Reyes Aquino na siyang nagpasimula ng pag-aaral sa Philippine Folk Dance Forms. Nagsisunuran sina Leonor OrosaGoquingco, Lucretia Reyes Urtula, Paz Cielo Belmonte at Alice Reyes. Hindi rin natin malilimutan ang mga artista sa entablado bago dumating ang ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig, tulad nina Maria Carpena at Atang de la Rama. Nariyan rin sina Daisy Hontiveros Avellana ng Barangay Theater Guild, Naty C'rame Rogers ng Arena Theater at Zeneida Amador ng Repertory Philippines. Ilan naman sa ating mga manunulat ng maikling kuwento ay sina Paz Latorena, Paz Marquez Benitez, Trinidad Tarrosa at Estrella D. Alfon. Samanta lang sa prosa sina Kerima Polotan, Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, Edi th Tiempo, at Gilda Cordero Fernando. Kupg ating pagbabalikan ang nakaraan, ipinakikita ng statistics na mula noong 1946 hanggang 1969,11 kababai han ang nahalal bilang kongresista, pito bilang senador, anim bilang gobemador at ang ilan ay bilang bise-gobemador, bokal, alkalde, bise-alkalde at mga konsehal. Nangibabaw rin si Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma, ang unang babaeng naging nriyembro ng Supreme Court. Sa foreign service naman, mayroon tayong mga Ambassador tulad ni Rafaelita Hilario-Serrano at Leticia Shahani. Hindi naiiba si Marie sa mga babaing nabanggit. Ang pagiging asawa at pagi ging ina ay hindi naging hadlang sa kan yang mga gawaing pangsibiko. tulad ng paglahok niya sa Barangay Ladies’ Auxil iary Brigade. Ilan sa mga ginagampanan niyang tungkulin ang pagsasagawa ng kampanya ukol sa paglikom ng pondo upang matustusan ang mga proyektong pangkomunidad tulad ng cottage industries at mga socio-cultural center. Makikita mo siyang tumutulong sa mga proyektong tulad ng kampanya sa pagpapalaganap ng impormasyong family planning, green revolution, beautifica tion, cleanliness at iba pa. Madaling matatagpuan ngayon ang mga Marie, ang bagong Pilipina. Isa la mang siya sa nulvun-milyong Pilipinang may misyong ginagampanan. hindi la mang sa kapakanan ng kanyang sarili kundi maging ng buong sangkatauhan. 12 THE REPUBLIC GCAA walkathon contest Taking the cue from President Marcos’physical fitness Association (GCAA) held a walkathon contest last (extreme right) fired the gun to start the race. The program, the Government Corporations Athletic month. Minister of Public Works Alfredo Juinio walkathon was from the NLA compound to Balara Filters. People on the move Emilio Aguilar Cruz Dr. Felicita G. Bernardino Nilda Diokno Reyes Atty. Rogelio San Luis Journalist, essayist, artist and art cntic, Emilio Aguilar Cruz has been appointed as the new Philippine Perma nent Representative to the United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). A native of Pampanga, the 63-year old Cruz had had twin careers in writing and painting. A newspaperman since the mid-1930's (feature writer for the Graphic, editor of the Sunday Times Magazine and Editor in Chief of the Daily Mirror), Cruz has taught journalism and the humanities at the University of the Philippines, Centro Escolar and Manuel L. Quezon University. An avid painter, Cruz was one of the artist-founders of the Dimasala ng Group and has participated in some 20 group shows in Manila. Now an ambassador extra ordinary plenipotentiary, Cruz took up his post in Paris in June. Lt. Col. Juan A. Sison has been appointed Chief State Prosecutor of the Department of Justice. Bom in Pangasinan, the 48-year old Sison began his public career in 1954 as the private secretary to the late Justice Fernando Hernandez of the Court of Appeals. Following advanced studies at Harvard Law School, Sison served as research attorney and bar relations assistant to Chief Justice Cesar Bengson of the Supreme Court. He later held various positions in the Depart ment of Justice and most recently led the prosecution panel in the subversion trial of ex-Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. At the Department of Education and Culture, two regional directors received new postings. Dr. Feli cita G. Bernardino, who headed DEC Region III, has been appointed Undersecretary of Education for NonFormal Education. A new position created under P.D. No. 1139, Dr. Bernardino’s job will be to take charge of organizing pro grams for adults who were earlier deprived (mostly for financial rea sons) of a formal education. Pablo T. Mateo, Jr., formerly in charge of DEC Region IV, is the new President of the Philippine College of Com merce. One time Assistant Director of the Bureau of Private Schools, Mateo had for the past year been officer-in-charge of the PCC. Meanwhile, at the Development Pablo T. Mateo Academy of the Philippines, the office of DAP Presi dent O.D. Corpuz announced promotions for Jose P. de Jesus and Nilda Diokno Reyes. De Jesus, formerly DAP Senior Vice President for Operations, is now the Executive Vice President of the Academy. He is con currently Executive Director of the Career Service Board under the Civil Service Commission. Ms. Reyes has been promoted from Fellow in to Fellow n at dap’s Career Executive Service Board. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines and is now completing work for her Ph.D. in the same field. Enrique Velez has been promoted from Officer-inChaige to Director of Management Administrative Services. A certified public accountant, Velez is a grad uate of De La Salle University with twin majors in accounting and political science. Grants / Scholarships The Director of the Technology Resource Center’s Information Services Department, Lemuel M. Miravalles won a Parvin Fellowship to Princeton University. Along with participants from Peru, Bangladesh, South Korea, Indonesia and India, Miravalles will study developmental planning, urban economics, technology transfers and development information. The scholar ship includes an extensive observation tour of the United States. Three Filipinos have been awarded grants by the German Foundation for International Development for a ten-month course on inland revenue administra tion. The grantees are Cream Gilda Luis and Linda Nicolas, Chief of Economics and Tax Researcher II, Cream Gilda Luis respectively, of the Revenue Administration and Im provement Branch of the National Tax Research Cen ter, and Rogelio San Luis, Trial Attorney I, Litigation Division, Bureau of Internal Revenue. The training seminar will be held in Berlin, West Germany. Also on her way to Germany is Imelda C. Baun, an External Debt Analyst at the Central Bank. Her 18-month scholarship, from the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, will include courses and on-site training in German and international banking procedures and pol icies, German investment operations, particularly in less-developed countries, and technological transfers as a means of accelerating economic development. REPUBLIC ■ sangbansa.isarK,>w<: :______ Board of Advisers Chairman: Francisco S. Tatad Members: Lorenzo J. Cruz, Floreatino S. Dauz, Amante Bigomia Board of Editors Managing Editor: Manuel Abad Gaerlan Associate Editor: Marcos D. Agayo Filipino Editor: Jose C. Umali, Jr. Editorial Staff: Marilag T. Bautista, Evangeline N. Carillo, Myrna M. Castro, Lilia C. Gala ng, Rowena M. Lumen, Virginia B. Paculan, Rosa linda G. Roxas, Juanita G. Trinidad, Lynda Buen-Valenda Photo Editor: George S. Gascon Production Supervisor: Marcelino N. Palisoc Circulation Manager: Bruno R. Dabu THE REPUBLIC is published fortnightly by the Department of Public Information, Malacafiang, Manila, for government managen. The Editors welcome contributions of manuscripts and pho tographs which should be sent to: THE REPUB LIC, BNfl, UPL Building, Intramuros, Manila, Tel: 49-87-61. While they will take reasonable care, the Editon assume no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts. Entered as second-class mail matter on March 5, 1973 at the Manila Central Post Office.