Category Archives: Science and Environment

Religion, Science and Environment

PHILIPPINE ARCHBISHOP: NO MORE IVORY FOR RELIGIOUS IMAGES

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Villegas
Villegas

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) , has issued a “pastoral guidance” prohibiting priests from receiving or blessing religious images made of ivory and any material derived from protected and endangered species.

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Ivory image, wooden cross

However, he said that those statues and images of ivory already in use prior to the issuance of the pastoral guidance, should be safeguarded, and may remain in use for purposes of devotion and in recognition of their historical value.

“The Catholic Church must do its part. No matter the beauty of a work of art, it cannot justify the slaughter of wildlife, the use of endangered organic forms and the lending of a seal of approval to the threat posed to biodiversity by poachers and traffickers,” Villegas said.

Citing Pope Francis’ acclaimed encyclical on the environment, Villegas said: “Every instance of beauty is a reflection of the infinite beauty of the Creator.  We cannot, without offending the Creator, deface his creation.”

Asked by reporters why the pastoral guidance did not include wooden crosses which are mostly derived from trees,  the uprooting and cutting of which cause deforestation, which ultimately harms both animal and human species, as well as the environment, Villegas simply said, “next question, please!”

Talk about opening a Pandora’s box!

Government, Health & Medicine, International, Science and Environment

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT AQUINO PLEDGES AID TO NEIGHBOR COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY HAZE

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People rest in the backdrop of private residential estates shrouded by haze in Singapore October 25, 2015. Indonesia is preparing warships as a last resort to evacuate children and others suffering from smoke inhalation from slash-and-burn fires, a minister said on Friday, as the country struggles to contain fires expected to continue for weeks. Southeast Asia has suffered for years from annual
People rest in the backdrop of private residential estates shrouded by haze in Singapore (Photo credit: Edgar Su/Reuters)

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – On many occasions, the Philippines has been on the receiving end of international financial and humanitarian aid following devastating natural disasters like 2013’s Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Now, the country, most recently described as Asia’s ‘Rising Tiger,’ is poised to be on the giving end, providing much-needed relief to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian nations experiencing a region-wide haze brought about by agricultural fires in East and South Sumatra.

The haze has been blamed for deaths in Indonesia and respiratory illnesses in around 500,000 people. Elsewhere, it has prompted school closures, flight cancellations and virtual shutdowns of towns and cities.

The Philippine donation will come in three colors: yellow, black and red
The Philippine donation will come in three colors: yellow, black and red

President NoyNoy Aquino, in one of his proudest moments in office, announced to the world that his government is donating One Million portable electric fans to be distributed among the affected countries in Asia. In addition, Aquino said the Philippines will be shipping twenty containers of surgical face masks to these countries.

“This is our way of reciprocating the generosity of our Asian neighbors and other foreign governments when it was the Philippines that was needing help and humanitarian relief,” Aquino said.

“The fans will help blow away the haze and the masks will prevent further respiratory illnesses.”

Indeed, a great gesture from the Rising Tiger. No long the ‘Sick Man of Asia.’

Science and Environment

MATT DAMON SIGNS UP FOR NASA’S FIRST HUMAN MISSION TO MARS

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Damon in
Damon in “The Martian”

HOLLYWOOD, California (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Is it film imitating life, or life imitating film?

Following Monday’s earth-shattering announcement by NASA that scientists have discovered flowing water — ergo, life — on Mars, the space agency unveiled its new spaceship  scheduled to head for the red planet in mid- 2016, with human crew members.

In addition to two astronauts still to be selected and named, NASA has offered a seat on the spaceship to private individuals who would cough up  five million dollars for the experience.

It didn’t take long for that seat to be filled.

Actor Matt Damon who, incidentally, stars in a new Hollywood film, “The Martian,” just sent NASA a cashier’s check for $5 Million.

The film, to be released by 20th Century Fox, opens in theaters worldwide starting in October.

Damon says that his portrayal of an astronaut left for dead after a botched mission on Mars, was so realistic that he felt it was almost like the “real thing.”  “So, to complete the experience, I would like to be part of a human mission to further explore life on the red planet,” Damon stated in his application to NASA.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump also expressed interest in the human mission, but he wanted to wait and see if he gets his party’s nomination for president in the 2016 elections. “I am prepared to pay one billion dollars for the experience,” Trump said.

(We hope that if Trump is selected, it would be a one-way ticket to Mars!)