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Silliman Journal
Vol. 56 No. 3 (2015)Welcome to Silliman Journal’s third issue for 2015. If you are searching for something new to debate about, you’ll find plenty in this issue. Our first paper is by Silliman University Divinity School Dean Lope Robin whose thesis is set in the context of numerous natural disasters taking place around the world in recent years—what he refers to as an “ecological crisis”—and the theology of creation espoused by the Protestant reformer John Calvin. Robin says that Calvin had a strong contention that God cares for all creatures, but that Calvin failed to emphasize human responsibility towards the world of nature in ensuring that creation will continue to serve its purpose as originally intended by God. Robin suggests for one, therefore, reclaiming and promoting subsistence agriculture. More revolutionary, however, he calls for doctrinal change, for a re-articulation of Calvin’s thought (finding it wanting) in order to produce a contemporary model of Reformed theology of creation that is relevant and responsive to the sad state of the natural world. Indeed, Robin adds, every generation of theologians must write their own theology for their own time and place. Lily F. Apura similarly writes about “A Heartbroken God”—towards a theology of calamity based on the flood story in the Old Testament book, Genesis. Lily’s own thesis is based on the Old Testament understanding that natural calamities are acts of God in judgment of a world that has turned against God, “transforming a corrupt world towards wholeness and wellbeing, “ although, Lily adds, “not without pain and grief on God’s part.” This argument is debate number two in this SJ issue. For our third article, and referring to Philippine revolution, Rowell Madula of De La Salle University-Manila, writes about “Gay Comrades” in efforts to historicize the Communist Party of the Philippines and its sexual struggle. In writing about the history of Philippine revolution as a history of contradictions, Rowell highlights the sexual struggle experienced by members of the Communist Party and how the Party responded and resolved this “contradiction”. This is debate number four. Fourth, the academicians Renato Maligaya, Ma. Luisa Mamaradlo and Feorillo Demeterio III, analyze writings of Filipinos to determine how Filipinos viewed Japan over a century ago. It is a timely discussion in the midst of Asianization and globalization and as we increasingly look to our neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region formalizing agreements and establishing vital links. Closer to home, Stella Britanico and colleagues describe the challenges in securing land tenure and property rights in Southern Philippines. The issue has to do with ownership and concerns migrant groups (who possess land titles) and indigenous peoples (who have a tax declaration). The authors acknowledge what they refer to as “contentious” issues in protected area management and suggest information campaigns, equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, and collective action, among other initiatives. The sixth article is borne of classroom experience in literature instruction—a study that began with the simple question: “What do you look for in stories?” Alana Narciso indicated that students explicitly look for lessons in stories, suggesting that literature teachers should constantly provide opportunities for ethical engagement and confrontation. Our final full-length article is also one on literature, this time on the writings of Sillimanians. Realizing that Visayan literature is largely missing from the nation’s literary history, Ian Casocot began looking into the literary history of Silliman University (located in the Visayas, or Central Philippines), stating that it “established Dumaguete as an important place in the Filipino literary geography”. Ian argues that there indeed exists a “Sillimanian” tradition of writing. And this, to say the least, constitutes debate number seven. In an SJ issue in 2006, we began the tradition of a Readers Forum whereby a submission to SJ is sent out to others to critique and essay. In this particular issue, we have chosen the article by the Filipino psychologist Allan Bernardo entitled “Poverty, Privilege, and Prejudice: Social Psychological Dimensions of Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Philippines.” SJ associate editor Myla Patron introduces you to both the article and the essays. I acknowledge with gratitude both Allan and the readers of his paper for their thoughts and insights. In particular, the readers are philosophy professors Renante Pilapil (of Ateneo de Davao University) and Jeffry Ocay (of Silliman University), psychologists Gail Ilagan and Fr. Gab Gonzales of the Ateneo de Davao, and the theologian-philosopher Vic Aguilan of the Silliman University Divinity School.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 56 No. 2 (2015)Welcome to a special issue dedicated to service-learning (S-L). Much of what you will read in this issue were presented at a twoday international gathering at Silliman University in September 2014, sponsored by the Asian Christian Faculty Fellowship (Philippines chapter) in cooperation with the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. The conference focused on “Ethics and Human Protection Issues in the Conduct of Service-Learning.” Since the mid-1990s, the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia has been instrumental in the popularization of S-L as an approach to teaching (McCann, 2014). Through several institutional grants for faculty exposure and training, partner universities and colleges in Asia learned about S-L. Service-learning was the focus at the first two national conferences of the Asian Christian Faculty Fellowship (ACFF) in the Philippines. In the gathering on 23-24 July 2003 held at Silliman University, then trustees of the United Board, Ms. Shanti Manuel and Dr. Willi Toisuta, led a panel that expounded on the significance of service-learning in higher education. The ACFF members saw its relevance to institutions that adhere to the mission of care and service to the community. On 14-15 April 2004, the second national conference held at the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City pursued the theme “Promoting Service Learning in Philippine Higher Education.” The Philippine Commission for Higher Education (CHED) endorsed the event and encouraged faculty members to adopt the methodology of S-L. This forum deepened the discussion on the general prospects of S-L in higher education as well as specific mechanics related to conceptualizing and institutionalizing service-learning. Since then, several colleges and universities in the country have applied S-L in the teaching of their courses. Articles have been written documenting the practice of service-learning in some institutions of higher learning. In 2002, Silliman Journal devoted a special issue on S-L as experienced by the early adopters of this methodology. Recently, the collective Philippine experience in the conduct of S-L was highlighted in a series on the social commitment of universities in the world in a book report “Higher Education in the World—Knowledge, Engagement & Higher Education: Contributing to Social Change” (McCann, 2014). Over a decade of S-L application necessitates a review of the processes involved in service-learning. Thus far, articles on S-L mostly deal with the basics of its application—its nature, content, college-community tie up, and in a few cases, measurement of learning outcomes. Fewer still, if at all, are articles reflecting on the higher-order dimension of protection of human subjects or of the general ethical issues in the conduct of S-L. Given this lack of articulation on the value of ensuring human fairness and dignity of people in local communities that serve as hosts to this teaching-learning pedagogy, the ACFF-Philippines deemed it right and proper to provide a venue for the discussion of matters in this area. To start us off, Hope Antone and Betty C. McCann put the discussion of S-L in the context of the international S-L program as it confronts the realities of ethics in academic-community work. This introduction is followed by “Agenda of Higher Education Gets Accomplished Through Service Learning” by Mercy Psuhpalatha of Lady Doak College in India, “Sustaining Service-Learning” by Silliman University extension director Emy Ligutom, and “Employing Typologies of Learning for a Holistic Evaluation of ServiceLearning Students” by long-time S-L advocate and Silliman University research director Ike Oracion. Lady Doak College Principal Pushpalatha traces community work at her institution from the 1960s through service-learning programs in the 2000s and the latest development—“life frontier engagement”—with a corresponding look at the ethical problems confronted at every step. Emy Ligutom outlines the principles or phases of service-learning, namely preparation, engagement, reciprocity, reflection, and dissemination/ celebration, but underscores the importance of sustainability of S-L programs. Ike Oracion suggests utilizing Howard’s ten principles of S-L to help ensure that students engaged in S-L are evaluated fairly for their work. Academicians Andrea Soluta, Gina Bonior, and Richard Salter then look into S-L in literature, in reading, and in religion, respectively. Soluta’s “Challenges in Reconciling Cultural Beliefs with Christian and Nationalist Values in the Context of Common Ghost and Malevolent Spirit Narratives” is a particularly interesting look at how literature is taught in communities where cultural beliefs predominate. Bonior’s and Salter’s papers were not part of the S-L conference but are relevant to the conference theme. In particular, Bonior reflects on the experience of training reading teachers and attempts to answer the following questions: 1) What are the merits, limitations, and challenges of using reflective journals in pre-service education students’ initiation to the practice of teaching through a service-learning activity? and 2) How may I, as a pre-service teacher educator, improve my practice particularly in facilitating reflective thinking among pre-service education students who are engaged in S-L activity? For his part, in “Promises and Pitfalls of Moral Formation in American Civil Religion,” Salter argues that, while S-L seems like a positive thing to do, “there can also be unintended consequences of service that may undermine the very goals that service intends to achieve.” In examining this argument, Salter’s focus is on the United States and the role that service plays in American Civil Religion.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 56 No. 1 (2015)As we transition from biannual to quarterly publishing, welcome to the first of four issues of Silliman Journal for 2015—our 61st year. Although we continue to be a multidisciplinary publication, majority of this issue’s papers are in the natural sciences and they convey to us the rich variety in the work that academic scientists are doing in their respective fields. This issue begins with “Rethinking How We Do Environmental Science” by Silliman University President Ben S. Malayang III who was invited to participate in the 6th International Conference on Environmental Future on the theme ”Interdisciplinary Progress in Environmental Science and Management” held at Newcastle University, UK on 18-22 July 2011. The conference was organized on the premise that “at this time, 'interdisciplinary' thinking is considered key to solving environmental problems, but it is unclear what this thinking is or would be and how it might be progressed in future.” For this essay, Malayang studied 17 conference papers and discusses interdisciplinarity according to its epistemological bases, methodological possibilities, and emerging challenges and opportunities in environmental science. In the second paper, biologist Robert Guino-o and colleagues investigate the quality of Pagatban River in Negros Oriental, Philippines, 30 years after the closure of mining operations in its vicinity. According to the authors, conditions have improved, but there are still heavy metals in bottom sediment higher than acceptable levels. Similarly, frequent SJ contributor Annie PazAlberto and fellow researchers investigate another environmental indicator—plant diversity in the forest ecosystem of a confined area in the Philippines—the Carranglan Watershed in Nueva Ecija, Luzon. The authors found many endangered species (four critically endangered), but there were also three species that could serve as potential biodiversity indicators due to their abundance. Still, many threats to the ecosystem were identified. These studies are followed by one made by agriculture researcher Lito Naldo and associates who study pig diets, in particular the supplement β-mannanase enzyme supplementation of grower-finisher pig diets with copra meal. The authors say that the Philippines is the top producer of copra around the world, but use of copra meal for pig diets is limited due to its high-level non-starch component that acts as an anti-nutritional factor. Supplementation, therefore, was necessary and found to significantly reduce costs. Our fifth paper, a team-up of University of the Philippines professor Eric Manalastas and Nicolo Cabrera who is affiliated with Stroger Hospital in Chicago, USA, looks into cigarette smoking among Filipino sexual-minority men. Eric previously discussed cigarette smoking among LGBT Filipino youth (SJ 2012 1) and the paper in the current issue provides further evidence of disparities in the Philippine population. The next paper by Rosiana Rayanti and colleagues deals with post-stroke patients in Tomohon, Indonesia. The authors acknowledge the changes in eating habits and daily activities of the study participants after stroke, and lament the lack of specific programs in Tomohon to help stroke survivors and their families. The final full-length paper in this issue is by Dave Marcial who investigates the use of information and communication technologies among teachers at higher education institutions in Central Philippines. Dave has found that teachers are familiar with ICTs, in general, but are not really taking advantage of them in instruction.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 55 No. 2 (2014)Welcome to thE second issue of Silliman Journal’s 60th anniversary. This is the last biannual issue as we revert to publishing quarterly in 2015. The journal has come a long way since its founding in 1954. Its 50th anniversary was celebrated with a special science issue, a special humanities issue, an index project, and a volume of Abstracts (1954-2004). In this issue’s Notes Section, I write about SJ’s developments in its first 60 years. The first article in this issue is a comparative analysis of the language policies and practices of the Philippines and Thailand. Demeterio and Liwanag of De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines set the context of their analysis in countries that are both multicultural and multilingual and who are “gearing for regional integration/cooperation and globalization.” The ASEAN emphasis is both crucial and imperative. In the next paper, Matthew Oseka looks into Protestant Sacramentology (i.e., baptism and the Lord’s Supper), saying that “the idea of interpreting the phenomenon of religion in philosophical terms propounded by Hegel may contribute to the public theology based not on the category of a supermundane revelation but on human rational endeavour.” The next two papers look into the teaching-learning process, though certainly in very different fields. Theresa Guino-o and colleagues conduct an evaluation of the learning benefits of using a “high fidelity human patient simulator” among Filipino nursing students. Positive results support the continued use of simulation as a learning strategy. Meanwhile, Lapis and Jamias of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños evaluate an e-learning program for out-of-school youth, termed “eSkwela” and find positive results from enrollees in the program as well as from teachers. The last two full-length research papers are by sports psychologists—Valbuena and colleagues study the Filipino athlete and Pagaduan and Kritz investigate ratings made of the movement competency screen. In particular, Valbuena et al. found that Filipino athletes were very similar to New Zealand and Canadian athletes in athlete engagement (i.e., in confidence, dedication, vigor, and enthusiasm). Pagaduan and Kritz also studied athletes, stating that “movement competency and subsequent production of muscular power is a fundamental concern for sport and health professionals when considering an athlete’s injury prevention and long-term athlete development.” The study proves valuable prior to exercise prescription.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 55 No. 1 (2014)Welcome to another issue of Silliman Journal—the multidisciplinary university journal that tells you what academics are doing and studying in their varied fields of expertise. But first, our cover art is by Dumaguete resident visual artist Jana Jumalon-Alano. Jana was born and raised in Zamboanga City where she finished AB Communications. In 2001, she launched her solo music concert at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University and was awarded as one of the Top 10 Finalists for Visayas in the 2011 Philippine Art Awards. Her works have been featured in several international and local exhibitions, the most recent ones being Bae Mindanaw (Italy, 2011), Habagatan (Altromondo Gallery, 2012), All Together Now (Yuchengco Museum, 2012), 50 Ilonggo Artists (Ayala Museum, 2013), and Everything About This Girl (Silliman University Cultural Affairs Committee, 2014), which is her first solo exhibition. With the support of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, she is currently writing the songs for an all-Chavacano musical to
be launched this year. In the first article in this issue, the philosophy professor Elenita de la Rosa Garcia reviews Riverscapes—an exhibit on Southeast Asian Rivers and examines the views articulated by the artists in the context of Western (e.g., Nietsche and Heidegger) and Japanese (e.g., wabi-sabi) philosophy. Leni’s essay is both insightful and thought-provoking, almost as if one is not simply talking about art. The next paper is also about water, though from a totally different perspective. Pecks Nolasco and her colleagues survey the status of water supply in Cebu City. Health protection and access to water are basic human rights, but this study also shows how water has become a serious socio-political and economic issue. Similarly, Dhanicca Domingo and Serlie Jamias conducted a study of our physical environment, but from the perspective of mass communication. In particular, the authors wanted to look at how news reports covered biodiversity changes and whether or not these were connected to climate change. Results were not very promising. The fourth article is an investigation into the diet of piglets by Lito Naldo and colleagues in the field of agriculture. Studying 630 newly-weaned piglets, the authors experimented with an alternative diet—yeast protein—even though soybean meal combined with dried whey and plasma protein have been the usual protein sources in diets for newly-weaned pigs. The successful experiment has cost-saving implications for farmers. In the fifth paper, we shift our attention to the historianphilosopher Jeffry Ocay’s attempts at connecting American colonial domination with present-day Filipino consciousness and work attitudes. Jeff raises many points of argument and makes one wonder if that was part of the motivation—to engage the readers in debate. The final full-length article is by English teachers Alana Narciso and Lady Flor Partosa who evaluate their students’ responses to the work of Filipino Gregorio Brillantes, the short story entitled “Faith, Love, Time, and Dr. Lazaro.” The class assignment was brought about by the concern to “bridge the gap between the reader and the text.” The exercise, known as reflective reading—an intellectual and personal experience, comes highly recommended. -
Silliman Journal
Vol. 54 No. 2 (2013)Silliman University’s reputation as the university home of writer-teachers Edilberto and Edith Tiempo has a long and rich history, wrought by the Silliman University National Writers’ Workshop, the creative writing institution they established in 1962, which has flourished uninterrupted all through more than five decades. Institution-building is a visionary task and Dr. Edilberto K. Tiempo, together with Dr. Edith Tiempo, believed in providing young writers of the country a nurturing environment where their creative writing work could be read seriously by experienced writers, and where they could expect well-considered critical responses from those who were invited to sit with the Tiempos in the panel of critical readers. At the Silliman University National Writers’ Workshop, many a fledgling writer has gone through what is still considered as the serious young writer’s most difficult rite of passage. The stronger ones among them have endured in the craft, and have published their poems, stories, creative nonfiction essays, and literary criticism in various literary journals and anthologies, as well as single-author collections. Such a flourishing of literary talent even after the passing away of the founder-mentors is a heritage that Silliman University is proud to uphold and honor. This special literary issue of the Silliman Journal, dedicated to Drs. Edilberto and Edith L. Tiempo, is a tangible proof of their valuable legacy. The editors have gathered in this special literary issue the works of writers who, in some way or other, have ties to the university, specifically to its National Writers’ Workshop, either as workshop fellows or panelists. The response to the call for contributions was so astounding in quantity and quality that space and deadline limitations had to be included in the editorial protocols of the peer-reviewed selection process. As editors and alumni of the university, as well as lifelong students of the Tiempos, we are grateful to Dr. Margaret Udarbe-Alvarez for asking us to be part of the gesture of gratitude to honor the valuable inheritance that Edilberto and Edith Tiempo, both outstanding Sillimanians, have left the university and the country. We believe that honoring the Tiempos with the best literary works from their colleagues and students, even from young writers who have not had the fortune of experiencing their physical presence, will speak of the depth and breadth of their literary influence. Their passion for the well-wrought work can be found shining here. And we have no doubt that as the Silliman University National Writers’ Workshop continues to grow and respond to the changes in the literary and social milieu in the 21st century, more and younger writers will benefit from the tradition of writing excellence that the Tiempos have set in place in the heart of the practice of creative writing. It is this tradition that emphasizes the individual writer’s work of cultivating her or his best gift, as well as the individual writer’s responsibility to nurture other young talents and continue building a community and country that values literature as a way of imagining a better, more meaningful life. We hope this special issue will give each reader many hours of reading pleasure.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 54 No. 1 (2013)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal. This year is special because we are celebrating the centenary year of someone who was part of the original SJ editorial board responsible for publishing the first issues of SJ in 1954. Dr. Edilberto K. Tiempo, along with his wife, the National Artist for Literature Dr. Abalos and others look into the quality of life of persons with diabetes. These papers are followed by another community impact study, this time by social scientists Annie Alberto and Annie Teñoso surveying marine protected areas along the coast in Luzon, northern Philippines. The next four papers are science research into the spider conch in reef areas in Central Philippines, the fruit guyabano, intercropping, and biogenic amines. In particular, Analyn Mazo and her colleagues recommend that because the Spider Conch is economically important, there should be, as a management measure, a “closed season for collection of the species” during the peak spawning season in order to allow sexually mature individuals to reproduce prior to harvest. Another important study by Ragasa et al. on Annona muricata Linn., commonly known as guyabano, reports diverse biological activities, including hypoglycemic, antiarrhythmic and antitubercular activities, inhibition of the proliferation and induced apoptosis in human solid tumors, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, cardioprotective effect and significantly suppressed colonic ACF formation and crypt multiplicity. Then, Sue Calumpang and others at the National Crop Protection Center in UP-Los Baños investigate the impact of intercropping lemon grass on fruit borers in eggplant, given that insecticide use in eggplant production is quite heavy. The team found, in particular, that the field and laboratory trials demonstrate repellency effects of intercropping lemon grass with eggplant, potentially reducing insecticide use in eggplant production as well as increasing farmers’ income. Equally important, Jonathan Barcelo and others at St. Louis University in Baguio City studied biogenic amines—non-volatile, nitrogenous, organic compounds produced from the microbial degradation of protein-rich food such as fish and fish products, meat and fermented foods. Adding that all food items basically rich in proteins or free amino acids promote bacterial production of biogenic amines, the authors felt that the manner of analysis of biogenic amines is important. Indeed, they found that thin layer chromatography coupled with image analysis can satisfactorily determine the concentration of biogenic amines in mixtures and food samples but the results may vary depending on the quality of the chromatograms and the appropriateness of image processing. Finally, Dr. Enrique Oracion looks into the issue of keeping quality faculty in Baylor University, Texas as well as Silliman University in Central Philippines. Ike also wrote about both universities in SJ 2012, volume 53, number 2, after having been assigned a fellowship at Baylor through a grant from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. Edith L. Tiempo—also part of SJ beginnings— will be honored in the second issue this year through the work of many writers. But prior to that issue, the current one is multidisciplinary, beginning with two studies done by faculty from the Silliman University College of Nursing. Prof. Rowena Turtal and colleagues describe responses from communities served by student nurses and Prof. Evalyn
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 53 No. 2 (2012)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal. Please don’t let the “irresolute individual” on the cover deter you from reading the variety offered by this issue. In addition to unpeace, peace is also discussed here. Our full-length papers begin with Silliman University research director Enrique Oracion’s essay on two higher education institutions— Baylor in Texas, U.S.A., and the other, Silliman in the Philippines. The paper developed during Ike’s four-month fellowship stint at Baylor University. While this article compares the two universities from a historical and academic perspective, a second article will highlight the quality of the faculty at both universities in SJ 2013. The paper is followed by Dr. Ruben Mendoza’s “Walking Humbly with the Moros towards the Kingdom: A Reflection on the Catholic Church’s Mission in Muslim Mindanao” and Dennis Solon’s “Toward a Pauline Hermeneutic of Dialogue.” Both papers tackle the matter of dialogue in Muslim Mindanao, despite the odds. Ruben says that the Catholic Church has been inadequate in responding to the Moro issue and suggests it “move out of its comfort zone.” For his part, Dennis uses Paul’s letter to the Romans, stating that “Filipino Christians can draw lessons from this letter about some significant and positive ways for dealing with peoples of other religious persuasions.” Then, Ike Oracion’s second contribution to this issue describes the service-learning involvement of undergraduate and graduate anthropology students in environmental monitoring. In particular, Ike and his students checked on the impact of a waste management center upon residents in Bayawan, a city south of Dumaguete City in the Visayas Region, Central Philippines, finding that service-learning can be a very emotional experience, yet beneficial for educational partnerships and changes in policy. The fifth article evaluates an anger management intervention program for applicability to a group of adolescents. The authors, psychotherapists Nelly Limbadan and Marge Udarbe found that emotion regulation and transformation can indeed occur in a brief period of time, with proper facilitation and supervision as well as direct counseling. The next three studies are all somehow related to marine and riverside conservation awareness, practice, and investigation. The first article describes how coastal residents in Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines perceive the implementation of coastal resource management programs in the area. Next, biologist Robert Guino-o specifically studies Philippine mullets, considered economically important food fish in the Philippines. Robert’s research reports for the first time the occurrence of the longfinned mullet Osteomugil perusii and the dwarf mullet Osteomugil engeli in Philippine waters. Finally, physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of a river in Central Philippines is looked into by Hermilita Paculba and colleagues.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 53 No. 1 (2012)Welcome to this issue of the Silliman Journal, a familiar mix of science and the humanities. Mix? Ouch, the scientists might say. To distinguish science from the humanities is a “tired old point,” says blogger Greg Frost-Arnold (2007), continuing: Both the sciences and the humanities seek understanding; both offer explanations of various bits of the world. At a very abstract level, though, the kind of things each tries to explain is different. Obviously, for example, piano pedagogy is a very different kind of thing than pest incidence and certainly, for example, emancipation psychology is very different from E. coli. But we have all these in this issue, and more. We begin with two papers from scientists—the first on pests in vegetables, the other on peanut extract. First, the agricultural chemist Prof. Susan Calumpang and colleagues at the National Crop Protection Center in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines investigate the incidence of pests and natural enemies in rice-tagbak and vegetable cropping systems, without the use of insecticides, with the premise that indigenous cultural practices in pest management provide a valuable resource for sustainable agriculture. In the second paper, Jonathan Barcelo of Saint Louis University in Baguio, Philippines also has some good news, finding specifically that “peanut anthocyanin extract reduces cell surface hydrophobicity and inhibits the hemagglutination of E. coli in a time-dependent and dose-dependent mechanism through nonspecific interaction with the bacterial cell membrane.” Our third piece of research is by the social psychology professor Eric Manalastas who studies nationwide cigarette smoking among lesbian, gay, and bisexual Filipino youth and strongly recommends a gender x sexual orientation intersectional analysis of health risk behaviors such as cigarette smoking, after finding that young lesbian and bisexual Filipina women had higher rates of ever-trying tobacco, had higher prevalence of current smoking, and smoked more cigarette sticks per day, compared to heterosexual women. Eric also found that Filipino gay and bisexual youth had the highest cigarette smoking prevalence of all four subgroups and discusses possible implications for tobacco use intervention. This research is followed by two papers related to the academe— one on the use of e-learning tools among faculty members and the other paper on an alternative approach to teaching piano. College of Computer Studies Dean Dave Marcial finds a high level of familiarity with e-learning tools, but that integration of these into teaching is rare. College of Performing and Visual Arts Dean Sue Suarez samples eight piano students who are on probationary status and suggests that a practice before theory approach provides better learning than does the more traditional theory before practice model. Then, Filipino philosopher Jeffry Ocay “revolutionizes Freud” in analyzing Herbert Marcuse’s ideas on domination, resistance, and emancipation. Jeff argues that “Freud’s theory of instincts provided Marcuse with a model for a psychology of domination and resistance, and a model to think anew the philosophical conditions of emancipation: the agent of social transformation is the biological individual” and that Marcuse’s appropriation of Freud’s theory of instincts explained why the transition from capitalism to socialism did not happen, why, especially in the 1930s, the revolutionary class had been dissolved and became conformist, and how this conformism was even extended into the postwar era. I invite readers to consider Jeff’s arguments. Finally, historian Prof. Regan Jomao-as analyzes the Roman Catholic Church in a Philippines under Spanish rule and speaks of the “discontents” of Philippine society. Regan also cites Freud, particularly his views of religion and theories of aggression.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 52 No. 2 (2011)In this new, wonderful issue of Silliman Journal are interesting topics of research and viewpoints. First, the poems from or about old age of T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Wilfredo Pascua Sanchez, Wallace Stevens, and Jose Garcia Villa are discussed in Ian Rosales Casocot’s essay entitled “A Gerontologist’s Idea of the World, Time, and the Cure for the Present.” The poet Myrna Peña-Reyes (in this issue’s Notes Section) says a fitting epigraph for this article would have been the Oliver Wendell Holmes line, “Poets are never young … their delicate ear hears the far off whispers of eternity.” And this is why I say this is a wonderful issue! Next, Nursing Associate Professor Evalyn Abalos qualitatively studies the lives of male sex workers (MSWs), daring—through her respondents’ lens—to experience the realities of living dangerously and illegally. The study recommends intensive information dissemination and formulation of policies related to health practice and disease prevention as well as the creation of multidisciplinary teams to address MSW concerns. Third, Silliman University Instruction Director Pablito dela Rama investigates test construction with special focus on the rules commonly observed and violated by college teachers. Interestingly, sex of teacher and instructional workshops attended correlated significantly with rule adherence and Prof. de la Rama recommends more in-service training on test construction primarily for male teachers. Next, Abner Bucol, Esther Carumbana, and Leonardo Averia investigate vertebrates at Pagatban River, Negros Oriental, Philippines and find 82 species of birds, eight species of amphibians, fourteen species of reptiles, and nine species of mammals as well as report on the population estimates of the endangered Limestone Frog Platymantis spelaeus. The paper is then followed by three studies on another river, this time on the neighboring island of Siquijor. The vertebrate fauna are described by biology assistant professor Michael Alcala and colleagues who found forty species of birds, five species of amphibians, thirteen species of reptiles, and ten species of mammals. The same biologists studied, in particular, the Green Tree Skink Lamprolepis smaragdina philippinica (Scincidae), signaling a need to monitor the population of this arboreal skink because most of Siquijor’s forests have been converted to open agricultural lands, mainly for corn and cassava. The third study, again by Abner Bucol and Rosalina Catid, reports thirty-three species of icthyofauna (fishes) in 22 Families and four species of shrimps, nine species of crabs, and six species of mollusks. The authors also state a first record of the Spotted Barb (Puntius binotatus) of the Family Cyprinidae in the Visayas region of the country. These three studies, with funding from the Commission on Higher Education-Grants-in-Aid, are part of a larger research project; six other papers will see print in a later issue of SJ. The full-length papers are rounded off by a study of mangrove management areas elsewhere in the country, in Pangasinan, Luzon region by Professor Annie Paz-Alberto and Annie Teñoso. This research included an assessment of mangrove diversity and other biological, physical and chemical conditions of four coastal areas. A strong recommendation for cooperation, coordination, and involvement of key stakeholders was made by the authors.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 52 No. 1 (2011)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal with cover art, “Siquijor Beach in the Twilight,” by Dumaguete/Bacolodbased painter and performance artist Razceljan Salvarita. Our first article is by outstanding Filipino social psychologist and researcher Allan Bernardo of the De la Salle University Manila. In “Lost In Translation?” Allan questions the validity of foreign-made psychological tests for Filipino respondents, discusses issues of translation and equivalence, and suggests possible courses of action by the Filipino psychology community. Then, self-proclaimed poster boy for the Facebook generation Ian Rosales Casocot describes “The Literary Facebook”—“a virtual community where things happen.” Writer Ian solicited other writers’ thoughts on FB with two questions: How do you use Facebook as a writer? What do you think Facebook means for readers? The responses provide varied and interesting insights, whether or not you love social networking. Third, in writing about “The Constraints School toward Good Local Governance,” Aser Javier of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños cites Goldratt’s theory: “the constraints school is like a chain with a weak link such that in any complex system at any point in time, there is most often one aspect that limits its ability to achieve the goal.” Further, “for that system to attain a significant improvement, the constraint must be identified and the whole system must be managed with it in mind.” Aser presents three cases to show that three-level dynamics influence the shape of local institutions. The next three papers relate to important environmental issues. The first paper, entitled “Potential Impact of Climate Change on Marine Mammal Biodiversity of Southeast Asia,” is by biologists Louella Dolar and Edna Sabater. The study identifies numerous threatened species as well as numerous threats, including “high human population growth rates typical of the coastal areas in Southeast Asia, increased dependence on the ocean as a source of food as the intensifying El Niño brings drought into inland areas, and lack of regulation or enforcement of fishery and conservation laws.” The second paper, by Rodelio Subade and Evelyn Galero, observes that the socioeconomic life of a fishing community in Guimaras, Central Philippines was drastically affected by an oil spill in 2006, and suggests how both local and national government may provide assistance. Third, the case of a mangrove reserve in Siquijor Island is used to illustrate participatory conservation in the Philippines. The study was done by scientist-researchers Marla Chassels and Abner Bucol. The final full-length article by psychologists Betty McCann and Margaret Udarbe and philosopher-theologian Dennis McCann investigates religiosity among Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong, finding that, among other results, the God they know is primarily Tagapagligtas (Savior), Ilaw (Light), and Kasama (Companion). The SJ Readers Forum IV is ushered in by Editorial Board member Muriel O. Montenegro who describes the article under review— “Recovering the ‘Body Politic’: Racialized and Gendered Diaspora in Accredited Graduate Theological Education,” by SJ frequent contributor and member of our overseas editorial board, Lester Edwin Ruiz. I wish to thank Lester personally for allowing this paper to be read and critiqued prior to its publication in SJ. The paper is published elsewhere in similar form and appears here courtesy of Regnum Press. I am also extremely grateful to Karl Villarmea who is currently doing post-doctoral studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary, Dennis McCann (another one of our hardworking overseas editorial board members), and Mark Lewis Taylor of Princeton Theological Seminary for their critiques of Lester’s paper.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 51 No. 2 (2010)I welcome all of you to the latest issue of Silliman Journal, one that is as diverse as it could possibly get, with contributions from theology and the humanities, social and natural sciences, and literature and the arts. The cover art entitled “Egghead” is by Paul Benzi Sebastian Florendo who is currently with the Creative Design Department of Foundation University in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Aptly, our first article is entitled "Identity As Not–[Im]Possibilities of an Interreligious Dialogue from the Fringes” by one of Silliman University’s visiting researchers/lecturers Giovanni Maltese from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Gio sets his thesis on a backdrop of ideas by the philosopher Giorgio Agamben as applied to interreligious dialogue, but concludes that his “essay does not claim to have any original solutions, but wishes to be an essay in its most literal sense: an attempt to operationalize different instruments which may allow a fresh naming of the new old problems and which may help us to describe them, guessing that this might inspire us to “pagtuo, paglaom ug gugma” [faith, hope, and love]. Maltese’s paper is followed by “Dynamics of Battered Filipino Women” where psychologists Alicia Estrellado and Rose Marie Clemeña attempt a validation of an “abuse model” developed in a previous study published in the Philippine Journal of Psychology in 2009. The qualitative study of twenty women shows that the model can be useful for understanding the concerns of women survivors of abuse. Third, psychologist Emmanuel Hernani describes therapeutic adventure programming as utilized with a mixed clientele of 302 participants in Cebu City, central Philippines. The program included, among others, risks excercises with debriefing, Gestalt therapy, focused group discussion, and interviews. The full-length articles are rounded up by three studies from the natural sciences. First, Racquel Chua describes the “Antioxidant
Potential of Selected Indigenous Fruits Using In Vitro Lipid Peroxidation Assay.” Kel studied indigenous fruits grown in the Cordillera region such as ayosep, bitungol, kalamondin, marble tomato, native lacatan,
native passion fruit, pinit, rattan, tamarillo, and tumok. All the fruits exhibited greater antioxidant potential than Vitamin E with native passion fruit and rattan exhibiting the greatest antioxidant potential.
Finally, Abner Bucol and colleagues report on two researches done at the Gigantes and Sicogon Islands of Iloilo Province, central Philippines---- the first is a study on vertebrate biodiversity , the other on the areas’ forest resources. -
Silliman Journal
Vol. 51 No. 1 (2010)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal. The full-length articles in this issue are products of research on
two Philippine river systems—Bago River in Negros Occidental and Jalaur River in Iloilo. The research project was funded by a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Grant-in-Aid (GIA). Both settings included biological, hydrological, physico-chemical, and socioeconomic studies of the river systems.
The Bago River system research team was represented by Bacolod City academic institutions: La Consolacion College as the lead institution, the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), Visayas Maritime Academy (VMA) Global College, and University of San Agustin in addition to Central Philippines Adventist College in Murcia, Negros Occidental. The Jalaur River system was studied by researchers from Iloilo institutions, namely Central Philippine University (CPU), Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF), and Saint Paul's University as well as from the province of Negros Oriental: Silliman University in Dumaguete City. The issue begins with the Bago River studies ------ first an assessment of its physico-chemical and bacteriological aspects by Joji Linaugo and colleagues, followed by an avifaunal survey by Abner Bucol and others and a discussion of its fishes and macroinvertebrates by Jessica O. Pacalioga and associates. Then, there are specific investigations of the skink Brachymeles by Ely Alcala and colleagues, Anguilliform eels by Abner A. Bucol and others, and finally, the Bago rivers terrestrial vertebrate fauna by Rogie Bacosa and associates. Carmen Menes and her colleagues then look at the socioeconomic aspects of living along Bago River. This paper is followed by a transition article that is a checklist of the introduced aquatic fauna of both the Bago and Jalaur River systems, annotated by Joji Linaugo and others. A hydrological study was done of the Jalaur River system by Nelson Golez, Ilda Borlongan, and Felizardo Lorque. Also at the Jalaur River research sites, Ely Alcala and colleagues studied the invertebrate and vertebrate biodiversity, Borlongan and others conducted a physico-chemical assessment, Imelda Olaguer and colleagues investigated seasonal changes and coliform load, and Reynaldo Dusaran and Randy Pabulayan assessed socioeconomic conditions. A look at the "Macrofloral Diversity of Balugbog-Putian Natural Park, Dingle, Iloilo, Philippines” by Ernesto Elefan and Nicolas Guanzon rounds out the full-length articles in this issue. -
Silliman Journal
Vol. 50 No. 2 (2009)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal where our cover showcases the work of local artist Hersley-Ven Casero. If you look closely, you may appreciate the intricacy and even the meaning behind such a painting, but I leave the interpretation up to you. Hersley-Ven is one of Dumaguete’s upand-coming artists and photographers, with works starting to get noticed in publications as diverse as the Los Angeles Times and the Lonely Planet Magazine. He is Instructor in the Fine Arts Program of Foundation University in Dumaguete City, but his first shows as a painter and as a photographer have been with Silliman University’s Cultural Affairs Committee. The mixed media painting “Money Rain” comes from his collection of works titled The 365 Project: Incipient Ideas. This issue then aptly begins with an article on “Procurement of Foreign-Funded Projects through Executive Agreements,” by our colleagues at the College of Law—Atty. Myrish Antonio and Atty. Ramon Ruperto who endeavor to guide us through the legal intricacies of how corruption may be prevented in the enactment of Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reforms Act. The discussion is helpful especially to the lay reader who wants to understand government, policy, and transparency beyond what we read in the newspaper. This first paper is followed by two studies in the natural sciences— on waterbirds in Negros Occidental and freshwater ecosystem species in Luzon. Biologist Abner Bucol and co-researchers—Rogie Bacosa, Renee Paalan, Jojie Linaugo, and Carmen Menes—tell us about the plight of waterbirds, lamenting the fact that most previous studies have been done on forest birds. Interestingly, they have found this area to be considerably rich in waterbirds, rivaling those of other wetlands in the Philippines in terms of species diversity. Hunting, however, continues. Annie Melinda Paz and colleagues Erlene Castro, Vincent Flores, and Angelee Romero, in their study of endemic, indigenous and introduced species in the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Pampanga, also alert us to the negative effects of environmental degradation on freshwater ecosystems. They found that introduced species (foreign species “introduced and dispersed by direct or indirect human activity to a region or location outside the limits of its natural range”) are in great numbers—something to be concerned about because this may lead to endemic and indigenous species displacement and extinction as well as loss of biodiversity in the freshwater ecosystems. Meantime, in efforts to address the needs of mathematically under-prepared college entrants at Silliman University, mathematics professors Millard and Alice Mamhot report results of their research on “Learning Styles and Intelligences,” and find that students generally prefer sensual thinking and recommending that an “excitement factor” be included in the teaching of mathematics. Our final full-length article is based on a study by education professor Gina Fontejon-Bonior on “The State of Research and Publication” among faculty members at Silliman University. Strategies suggested for the development of an institutional-wide research and publication culture—i.e., through capacity building via mentoring, strengthening incentive systems, providing more dissemination opportunities, and identifying funding agencies—are both concrete and doable.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 50 No. 1 (2009)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal. You may have elected to pick up a copy of this issue because of the contents. More than likely, however, you were intrigued by the cover art which, I daresay, has both appeal and impact. A 2009 13 Artist awardee of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines at the University of the Philippines as a painting major. We are grateful to him for allowing us to showcase his portraits of his parents on this issue’s cover. Entitled “Equilibrium,” the paintings convey a personal message that one will find not only in this SJ’s first article, but in later sections as well. We have published qualitative research reports before, most of them relegated to the Notes section. In this issue, however, we elevate this genre by starting with a paper that highlights the identity dilemmas that researchers struggle with in the pursuit of knowledge. In “Self-Reflexivity in Ethnography: Positioning an Ambiguous Ethnic Identity,” English professor Andrea Soluta describes how, in the process of writing a dissertation in Philippine Studies, she paused countless times to examine her roots and identity. Confronted by queries from those she hoped to learn from, she finds that she learns more about herself. The paper is followed by one written by another English mentor, Warlito Caturay Jr., who documents “Students’ Motivation to Write,” in basic communication courses at Silliman University. Based on responses from both students and their teachers, Warly examines attitudes towards writing and writing classes and contextualizes these in light of teacher observations. He ultimately concludes: “Writing is cognitively challenging and may de-motivate or discourage students to learn. However, if appropriate strategies are used, students’ attitudes become favorable, making the teaching-learning of writing meaningful.” The third paper by regular SJ contributor Abner Bucol is set in Siaton, Negros Oriental province, Central Philippines, particularly in forested Mt. Haponhaponon. Abner documents almost a hundred species of birds in the area, cautioning readers, however, on the dangers of forest-clearing for agriculture purposes and calling for conservation programs. Meantime, in neighboring Bayawan City, researchers Robert Guino-o, Antonio Aguilar, and Enrique Oracion (research director of Silliman University) do collaborative work with local government officials in order to evaluate the “constructed wetland” of this coastal community, some 101 kilometers south of capital city Dumaguete. Believing that efficiency and social acceptability are twin issues of concern because of the financial investment in such a project, the authors’ recommendations revolve around the areas of wastewater treatment, bio-fertilizers, the planting of aromatic vegetation, continuing education and communication drives, and personnel training whose work has been auctioned by Sotheby’s and Christie’s, Winner Jumalon has trained at both the Philippine High School for the Arts and Similarly, researchers from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB)—professors Anna Quimbo, Linda Penalba, and Merlyne Paunlagui—explored the impact of industrialization (in the form of the establishment of industrial estates) on a local Philippine community and its surrounding areas in their paper entitled “Spill-over Effects of Rural Industrialization on Community Transformation.” Effects were mostly beneficial, but there were also negative effects particularly rapid increase in population that eventually gave way to the conversion of lands to settlement sites for housing and to commercial use to cater to the service needs of migrants as well as temporary settlers. The cyclical process has serious implications for policy making and local governance. Finally, among this issue’s full length articles is a paper that takes us beyond Philippine shores, to the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao describing “Coffee Farming Practices Introduced by Government and the Private Sectors.” UPLB professors Baconguis, Dizon and Jamias team up with Vanthieng Phommasoulin of the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery and find little difference between governmentsupported coffee farming and private-led coffee farming. They strongly suggest, however, strengthening farmer power by providing government support in terms of standard setting so that private persons may compete in the global market.
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Silliman Journal
Vol. 49 No. 2 (2008)Welcome to this issue of Silliman Journal. Without conscious intention, this issue has turned out to be a collection of ideas that address unique social concerns, from biological, sociological, and psychological perspectives. This second issue of SJ 2008 begins with biologists Ma. Rio A. Naguit, Hilconida Calumpong, Janet Estacion, and Wilson Tisera collaborating in a study on “The Siphonal Mantle Morphology of Tridacna crocea.” According to the authors, Tridacna crocea is the smallest among the eight species of Family Tridacnidae and the most abundant tridacnids in reefs around the Philippine archipelago. The study identified 13 mantle patterns in the tridacnids of six reef areas: Pamilacan, Tañon Strait, Carbin, Camiguin, Southeastern Samar, and Spratlys; and analysed mantle morphs and genetic structure. A somewhat related paper is an analysis of “Marine Protected Area-Based Tourism” by Silliman research director Dr. Enrique G. Oracion. Dauin, Negros Oriental has been the location of much of Oracion’s research work while coastal resource management has been an important personal research interest. In this particular study, he highlights the role of marine protected area-based tourism—that is, recreational diving and snorkeling—as a variant of coastal ecotourism that operates in a critical equation that is both very fragile and controversial. This type of tourism, he said, is particularly vulnerable “if not regulated or tempered by the actors of the tourism system composed of brokers, locals and tourists.” Then, biology professor Brigitt Villordon’s thesis entitled “Prevalence and Risk Factors of Enterobiasis Among Pre-School Children in Selected Barangays in Dumaguete City,” brings about concern over our children’s health and well-being. As knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) scores increase, prevalence decreases, and Villordon recommends continuing health education programs. Just as important to residents’ welfare, “A Profile of Street Noise in Dumaguete City Streets” by Physics professor Dr. Hope Bandal, considered data on sound pressure level, traffic density, and construction layout such as width of the street, make and construction type of buildings, and the presence of trees and open spaces beside the streets. The results indicate that there is a high correlation and thus, a marked relationship, between sound pressure level and traffic density, and Bandal points to the worthiness of considering how noise pollution may be minimized in urban planning. In the final paper among our full-length articles, Michele Valbuena, associate professor in women’s studies, asks “Who is Happy? Who is Not Happy?” in her study of technology mediated communication among Filipina domestic workers in Hong Kong. In addressing life satisfaction among overseas workers, Valbuena contributes to family and women’s issues research as well as to a greater understanding of the diaspora experience. We have an interesting mix of essays in this issue’s Notes Section, beginning with biologist Abner Bucol’s observations of folk medicine for toothache relief using toob in Siquijor Island, Philippines. This is followed by “Asian Christologies: Images and Metaphor” by theologian and women’s studies educator Lilith Usog. The section is rounded off by Prof. Betsy Joy Tan’s essay on “Teaching as Service for Knowledge Work.” Finally, this SJ includes a book review by writer-poet Bobby FloresVillasis of The Folk Healers: Sorcerers of Siquijor, Isla del Fuego, published in 2004 by Silliman professors Rolly and Evelyn Mascuñana. Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire) is the old name of Siquijor Island and the anthropologists Mascuñana tell of the island’s yearly pangalap (search for materials that are used as ingredients in concoctions for their traditional practices). Villasis’ review is both personal and informed and it is a joy to read. I would like to thank all contributors to this issue—authors, reviewers, SJ Editorial Board (including our colleagues overseas) and SJ editorial staff. Special thanks go to history and fine arts professor, Jutsze Pamate, whose artwork graces our cover. As told by another local artist Muffet Villegas, Jutsze is versatile in using different media, his latest passion being the use of ancient coffee beans to bring back the past in his captivating landscapes. Of Jutsze’s work, Villegas says: “The coffee stains become the time machine which does not only promote the ancient feeling of the theme, but it becomes the color that spells magical memories to the young and the old.” I join the rest of the Silliman community in inviting contributions to Silliman Journal, for “one’s life is a quest,” so states Jill Ker Conway, editor of a collection of autobiographies Written by Herself (1992), “…to realize one’s vision of beauty, to see more deeply into nature, to escape from Egypt into the Promised Land.”
