Proactive measures needed to address impending El Niño

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Dec 19, 2023 07:17 AM

  

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The recent warning from Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum about the anticipated impact of a strong El Niño, “affecting around 65 provinces with drought and six provinces facing a dry spell by the end of May (of 2024),” is a call for swift and proactive action.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the necessity for “closer collaboration” between the government and the private sector to address the potential consequences of El Niño.  

“I do not mean to frighten anyone… but it is a serious problem. We are familiar with the capabilities of both the private sector and public sector. Put us together and there's much that we can do,” the President said. “Let us continue to work together so that we can provide our people with the best quality services that they truly deserve.” 

In light of El Niño's projected persistence until the second quarter of 2024, Marcos stressed the need to prioritize the repair of water pipes to prevent leakages and complete ongoing water supply projects. He also called for intensified vigilance from concerned government agencies overseeing the construction of water supply facilities, particularly in regions grappling with water scarcity.

“What we need to do is to prepare, further capacitate …so that should the El Niño extend to the second quarter of next year, we are still at the very least able to supply potable water, especially in the urban areas; (and) we are able to supply our agriculture,” he said. “We also have to be thinking about our hospitals. Hospitals cannot operate without water and with the onset of a drought, that will become more important as it goes on.”

Aside from calling on the support of the private sector, the President also reported that the El Niño Task Force has been reorganized, as part of the extensive efforts to ensure food, water, and power security amid the weather phenomenon. 

“I have created under the Office of the President a Task Force El Niño. There already exists one… but we will change its structure,” Marcos said. “I think [of] a more serious and a more extensive effort because we really have to get everybody involved to be able to prepare, to make sure we can minimize, alleviate, and adapt to climate change.”

The El Niño Task Force was reconstituted in May this year, in response to the President’s call for a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-nation” approach to address El Niño. He emphasized the importance of public awareness and education on El Niño, encouraging an info campaign to inform people about the situation. He also called for collective action at the household, farm, and industrial levels, urging citizens to contribute to water conservation efforts.

“I call on the Department of Agriculture, the NIA (National Irrigation Administration) to assess the farmers’ needs to accelerate the construction of irrigation facilities from existing water sources. We must be prepared to address the effects of El Niño,” Marcos said.

This early call for preparedness is a crucial step to mitigate the potential disastrous consequences of El Niño. History has shown that lack of preparation can risk lives, livelihoods, and food security. In an era where technology provides the tools to anticipate challenges and there is enough data to assess the situation accurately, there are no excuses for being unprepared, such as acting “wet behind the ears” when the dry spell starts.

What is one food that only Germans eat?

Lou Coury

Music fan, chemist

454 followers

983 following

Chemist and progressive rock fan

Name one food that only the Germans eat?

The last time I visited Hamburg, I ordered the "typical Hamburg" dinner at a restaurant near our hotel.

The entree was white fish with bacon and mustard gravy served over steamed pickles.

This combination is not something I have encountered elsewhere (Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic). So while I am not qualified to say this is something only eaten in Germany, it is what I think of when I think of northern Germany. And let me just say, this meal was delicious.

For dessert, I had Rote Grütze, a northern German dessert dish made from red currants and served with quark cheese or vanilla sauce. It was originally made with groats (hence the name), but is sometimes made with potato starch instead.

I am aware that there is a similar Danish dessert called Rødgrød, so this dish probably does not qualify as “something only Germans eat.” But I believe the version typically found in Hamburg has some unique aspects. There are also apparently blue and green versions, as well, made from blackberries and gooseberries/kiwi.

If it is true that only Germans eat these dishes, that’s a shame! The rest of us are missing out!

Sports as preparation for Christmas

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

CHRISTMAS being the birth of Christ our Redeemer, we should be properly prepared for it in both body and soul. The spiritual preparation, of course, takes precedence over the bodily preparation, but the latter also needs to be given due attention, otherwise our spiritual readiness to receive Christ on Christmas Day would be undermined.

One good way to make ourselves bodily prepared for Christmas is through sports. If its true purpose is understood and lived well, sports can give us a tremendous help in properly welcoming Christ into our lives.

We have to understand that sports should not just be a matter of winning in a game or in a race. While that is the immediate intention of anyone who plays, we should go beyond that level and capture the more important purpose of sports.

Sports should train our body and all its faculties—the senses, emotions, passions, imagination, memory, etc.—to be properly aligned to the true dignity of man which is that of being the image and likeness of God, children of his, sharers of his divine life and nature. 

In short, sports should make us like Christ, the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. How? By seeing to it that we regard our life here on earth like a sport too, where we have to train ourselves, submitting ourselves to a certain discipline, etc.

We should echo what St. Paul once said: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly. I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” (1 Cor 9,25-27)

This discipline required in sports and in our life is somehow indicated in the readings of the Mass of December 19 where we are told about Samson whose hair should not be cut (cfr. Judges 13,2-7.24-25), and about John the Baptist who would not take strong drinks. (cfr. Lk 1,15)

The real victory that our sports should give us is not so much a matter of winning a particular game, or of making a lot of points, etc., as in making us more a child of God, filled with love for God and for everybody else, whether we win or lose in a game.

Aside from a strong sense of self-discipline and submitting ourselves in a continuing training program, an indispensable ingredient of this healthy sporting spirit is the sense of acceptance and abandonment that we need to deliberately cultivate. This does not come automatically, as if it’s part of our genes. We have to develop them.

We have to be sport and adventurous in facing the different conditions of our life. And it would greatly help if we too can have an abiding sense of humor. Otherwise, we would just fall into states of sadness, pessimism and despair which actually are unnecessary and are avoidable.

This we can do if first of all we have a strong and deep faith in God, our Creator and Father. If we have that faith, we know that God holds everything in order through his providence. He takes care of everything, irrespective of how things go. Ours is simply to relate everything to him and to go back to him everytime we go astray, especially at the end of the day.

Tropical cyclone ‘Kabayan’ tracker

BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

Dec 18, 2023 11:51 AM

  

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Tropical depression Kabayan’s track and intensity forecast (PAGASA)

11 a.m., Dec. 18

“Kabayan” weakened into a tropical depression after its landfall over Manay, Davao Oriental.

Based on the 11 a.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Kabayan was almost stationary near the vicinity of Caraga, Davao Oriental. 

It is expected to continue to traverse the rough terrain of Mindanao and emerge over the Sulu Sea between Monday afternoon and evening.

9:30 a.m., Dec. 18

Tropical storm Kabayan has made landfall over Manay, Davao Oriental.

8 a.m., Dec. 18 

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over six provinces in Mindanao as tropical storm “Kabayan” (international name: Jelawat) is about to make landfall over Davao Oriental on Monday morning, Dec. 18.

PAGASA located the center of the tropical storm over the coastal waters of Manay, Davao Oriental.

It has maintained its maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph.

5 a.m., Dec. 18

Tropical storm Kabayan was over the coastal waters of Caraga, Davao Oriental.

It has maintained its maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph, while moving west-northwestward at 15 kph. 

Longing for more Pinoy book-to-screen adaptation titles

Philippine literature deserves to be seen in all audio-visual forms

BY RICA AREVALO

Dec 18, 2023 08:34 AM

  

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Our goal for 2023 was to attend film festivals and film markets from Europe to Asia and look for partnerships to aid our young filmmakers and creative talents in their cinematic development.

From these film markets, we have learned that there was one untapped opportunity that local producers and publishers should take notice—the book-to-screen adaptation market.

Book Adaptation Rights Market in Venice Production Bridge copy

There are a lot of Filipino films that was adapted from comics, novels, and even short stories. The House of Zapote Street by Quijano de Manila (Nick Joaquin) was the inspiration of Mike de Leon’s iconic film, Kisapmata. 

Lualhati Bautista’s feminist novels Dekada ’70 and Bata, Bata, Pa’no ka Ginawa? were commercial box-office hits in the theaters.

The comic series, Trese, by Budgette Tan and Kaio Baldismo produced by BASE Entertainment, a film production company in Indonesia, had a global-wide release
on Netflix.

'Trese'

Wattpad, an online platform where users can publish and read stories was a favorite site among production companies. Among the Wattpad titles produced into film were She’s Dating the Gangster, Diary ng Panget, Just the Way You Are, and Ex with Benefits. 

We believe there is a growing demand from the producers who are on the lookout for original intellectual properties (IP). 

'She's Dating The Gangster'

Last May at the Cannes Film Festival, they organized Shoot the Book! which was “a collaborative initiative, bringing together French and European publishers and agencies with international producers seeking future projects.”

The “stars” of the 10th anniversary edition were the publishers. They presented their books to film and television producers who were seeking projects for screen adaptation. One-on-one meetings were also held to discuss strong, potential projects. 

Producers were not only interested in financing but investing in the material’s development. The owners of the adaptation rights play a crucial part in this partnership but there is always a global demand for rich content, looking for the right story, distributing with proper timing. Shoot the Book! fostered this adaptation business.

'Ang Panday'

At the 80th Venice International Film Festival, the 8th  edition of the Book Adaptation Rights Market was held last September. A branch of the Venice Production Bridge, 34 international publishing houses and literary agencies were selected to participate in the market. Sadly, there was no representation from any Philippine publishing house.

We did meet writer Geraldine Solon, who was trying to sell her book, Indigo, to the foreign publishers. Geraldine is known for her debut novel, Love Letters which reached the overall Top 100 Amazon Bestseller List. She writes romance, women’s fiction, mystery, suspense, fantasy, and psychological thriller.

Indigo was published in 2019. It is the story of two soulmates in heaven brought to Earth unexpectedly. Grace must bring Michael back to Heaven, but Michael has lost his memory. On Earth, he is a married family man. Will Grace be successful with her quest?

'Darna'

In a study, films based on books comprise 70 percent of the top grossing film worldwide. Fiction titles as part of a series are most likely to become the most successful adaptation. Also, publishers can anticipate additional income from the books once the movie is released in cinemas.

Think of Jurassic Park, Twilight, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Fantastic Beasts, The Da Vinci Code, and Fifty Shades of Grey—all were the highest-grossing film adaptations in history.

The works of our National Artists F. Sionil Jose, Cirilo Bautista, Virgilio Almario, Bienvenido Lumbera, and N.V.M Gonzalez, among others, deserve to be produced and watched by the young generation in cinemas, television and streaming services.

We hope that in the future, our local publishers will be able to present their entire collection or catalogue for film adaptations of novels, dramas, short stories, children’s literature, biographies, comics, graphic novels, and even essays to a foreign film adaptation market. 

Darna or Ang Panday invading Hollywood or the European market? That is our wishful thinking. Let us push our homegrown stories and talents to world! 

Philippine Fairy Tales (XII) - Philippinische Märchen (XII)

 

Warum die Sonne heller scheint als der Mond
Why the sun shines brighter than the moon

Der Schöpfer der Welt, Bathala, hatte einen Sohn, Apolaki und eine Tochter, Mayari. Die klaren Augen der Kinder Bathalas erleuchteten die Welt. Die Menschen, alle Tiere, auch die Fische konnten gut sehen und waren Apolaki und Mayari dankbar.

Bathala liebte seine Kinder und begleitete sie auf ihren Spaziergängen durch die himmlischen Gefilde. Die Augen der Kinder strahlten ohne Unterlass, und deshalb war auf Erden ewiges Licht.

Eines Tages aber verließen den alten Bathala die Kräfte, und er starb. Nach seinem Tod begannen Apolaki und Mayari miteinander zu streiten, denn jeder von ihnen wollte die Welt alleine beherrschen. "Ich bin ein Mann, und deshalb werde ich meines Vaters Nachfolger sein",erklärte Apolaki. "Ich werde üner die Welt herrschen, ob es dir gefält oder nicht."

Vor Wut sprühten die Augen Mayaris Funken, und sie begehrte auf: "Ich bin meines Vaters Kind wie du. Ich werde ihm auf den Thron folgen, ob es dir gefällt oder nicht."

Die Geschwister zankten sich immer heftiger und waren einander böse. Schließlich packten sie Holzklötze und fingen an sich zu schlagen. In der Hitze des Gefechts schlug Apolaki Mayari ins Gesicht, sodaß sie auf einem Auge erblindete.

Als Apolaki sah, was er getan hatte, bedauerte er alles und sprach: "Schlagen wir einander nicht mehr, Schwester. Teilen wir unseres Vaters Königreich unter uns auf. Wir wollen abwechselnd herrschen und Freunde sein."

Mayari stimmte zu und seither Apolaki , den wir Sonne nennen, tagsüber die Welt. Mayari, die wir Luna oder Mond nennen, herrscht in der Nacht. Wenn Apolaki den Thron besteigt, überflutet die Welt ein warmer Schein, der von seinen klaren Augen ausgeht. Wenn Mayari herrscht, hüllt sich die Welt in einen kühlen, matten Glanz, denn Mayari ist auf einem Auge blind.

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The creator of the world, Bathala, had a son, Apolaki and a daughter, Mayari. The clear eyes of the children of Bathala illuminated the world. The people, all the animals, even the fish, could see well and were grateful to Apolaki and Mayari.

Bathala loved his children and accompanied them on their walks through the heavenly realms. The eyes of the children shone continually, and therefore there was eternal light on earth.

But one day old Bathala lost his strength and died. After his death, Apolaki and Mayari began to argue with each other because each of them wanted to rule the world alone. "I am a man and therefore I will be my father's successor," declared Apolaki. "I will rule the world whether you like it or not."

Mayari's eyes sparked with anger and she demanded: "I am my father's child like you. I will follow him to the throne whether you like it or not."

The siblings bickered more and more and were angry with each other. Finally they grabbed wooden blocks and started beating each other. In the heat of the moment, Apolaki hit Mayari in the face, blinding her in one eye.

When Apolaki saw what he had done, he regretted everything and said: "Let us not strike each other any more, sister. Let us divide our father's kingdom between us. Let us rule and be friends in turn."

Mayari agreed and since then Apolaki, who we call the sun, the world during the day. Mayari, which we call Luna or Moon, rules at night. When Apolaki ascends the throne, the world is flooded with a warm glow emanating from his clear eyes. When Mayari rules, the world takes on a cool, dull glow because Mayari is blind in one eye.

Christian confidence amid mysteries

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

WE are now days before Christmas. Our longing for the birth of Christ is heightened, thanks to our tradition of the Simbang Gabi that up to now enjoys vast popularity especially among the simple people who are gifted with a lot of faith. Let’s hope that this tradition continues “sine fine” or “in aeternum.”

In the readings of December 18, we are told about a branch of David that will be raised up, a king who is wise and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (cfr. Jer 23,5-8) This is, of course, referring to Christ himself. We should feel the excitement of his coming.

Thus, in the responsorial psalm, we are made to declare with joy, “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.” (Ps 72,7) Obviously, that’s what Christ would accomplish, although his kind of justice and peace may not coincide with our own ideas of them.

The gospel of the day talks about Joseph who thought at first to divorce from Mary when he found her with a child in her womb even before they lived together. But a special divine intervention was made to clarify the matter to him. And he immediately changed his mind and followed what God had wanted him to do and to be. (cfr. Mt 1,18-25)

All these readings somehow tell us that we have every reason to be confident and happy even amid some mysteries and unpleasant circumstances, as long as we stick to God in his will and in his ways. This trust in God should always be nourished by us.

We need to realize that our life always has more to offer to us than what we can understand, let alone, cope. In the face of all this, I believe the attitude to have and the reaction to make is to be calm, pray hard, and while we do all we can, we have to learn to live a certain sense of abandonment in the hands of God.

In this life, we need to develop a sportsman’s attitude, since life is like a game. Yes, life is like a game, because we set out to pursue a goal, we have to follow certain rules, we are given some means, tools and instruments, we train and are primed to win and do our best, but defeats can always come, and yet, we just have to move on.

It would be unsportsmanlike if we allow ourselves to get stuck with our defeats and failures, developing a loser’s mentality. That would be the epic fail that puts a period and a finis in an ongoing narrative, when a comma, a colon or a semicolon would have sufficed.

We need a sporting spirit because life’s true failure can come only when we choose not to have hope. That happens when our vision and understanding of things is narrow and limited, confined only to the here and now and ignorant of the transcendent reality of the spiritual and supernatural world.

This should be the attitude to have. It’s an attitude that can only indicate our unconditional faith and love for God who is always in control of things, and at the same time can also leave us in peace and joy even at the worst of the possibilities.

We have to follow the example of the many characters in the gospel who, feeling helpless in the many predicaments they were in, earnestly rushed to Christ for some succor. They went to him unafraid and unashamed and they got what they wanted.

How did you learn German quickly?

Florian

432 followers

155 following

Hi.

I was born in Germany, so I cannot tell anything other than I have learned it since birth, so German came naturally to me.

But maybe I can give you some insight on how to quickly learn the language as a foreigner:

• Speak with German people
• The Internet is filled with German speaking folks, just choose a community that fits your interests.
• Make an account on Quora in German (Quora auf Deutsch)
• In my honest opinion, even as someone who has a great standard even by the means of a German citizens, I learned a lot on the Website.
• Additionally I sincerely believe Quora is the best place to learn a new language
• Buy German literature
• And start small!! There is no shame in starting with children´s books, the more time you invest in learning the basics, the less effort you will have to put into the “higher” fields of German
• German is very hard to learn, but relatively easy to master
• Visit a German speaking country
• I can´t stress this enough, as I firmly believe that anyone can only truly speak a language when they visited the country it is natively spoken in.
• Have fun
• Anything is learned faster when you have fun while doing so
• Listen more, speak less
• If you have the ability to listen more than you speak, you have the world´s knowledge at your feet.
• If not, try your hardest to achieve this skill
• Rest enough
• Someone who chooses quantity over quality, e.g. learning a lot without taking regular resting phases, will actually forget most of what he/she has learned.

Thanks for reading, and good look with learning such a beautiful language.

Mit freundlichsten Grüßen,

~Flo