On behalf of the Editorial Team, I am pleased to present this first issue of Silliman Journal 2020. Contained in this issue are articles from diverse fields – from the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. What seems to be the thread that binds them together is the theme on stewardship. The first article is a collaborative study on Mottled Rabbitfish or what is known locally as danggit by National Scientist Dr. Angel C. Alcala and his team composed of Abner Bucol, Lily Bucol, Lilibeth A. Bucol, Edwin F. Romano, Zoe Ruben, Micah Bachner, Giselle Ann A. Alvarez, Chris Bird, Beth A. Polidoro, and Kent E. Carpenter. The study examines not only the status of this species as a popular fish product in Negros Oriental but also its threats, particularly microplastics and overfishing. The next article is by Cynthia V. Almazan and Annie Melinda Paz-Alberto. It assesses the conservation programs implemented in the aquatic ecosystems traversing Pampanga River by looking into how these programs protect the environment, change people’s social behavior, promote economic benefits, and inspire policy formulation. In the third article, Nina Arra DJ. Rivera and Annie Melinda PazAlberto assess the diversity of fauna in Mt. Tapulao, Palauig, Zambales. Their evaluation focused on identifying and determining the conservation status, endemism, and population trends of animals in the area. The fourth article surveys the birds of five small islands in Palawan. Using a combination of methods, Lisa J. Paguntalan, Philip Godfrey Jakosalem, Bernard Bonares, and Maria Feliza Janet Oquendo record bird species found in these areas. The fifth article is a study conducted in Malaysia. Megawati Soekarno and Sue-hi Ting write about the impact of a 13-week training course on culinary students’ communication strategy use. The last full-length article is by artist Niccolo R. Vitug who writes about making space for contributions and critique of the Tiempos and the Silliman University National Writers Workshop (SUNWW). In this paper, Niccolo re-examines Conchitina Cruz’s “The (Mis)education of the Filipino Writer: The Tiempo Age and Institutionalized Creative Writing” and explains gaps left by the paper. Aside from these five full-length papers, two articles are included in the Notes Section of this issue. The first one, written by Jan Antoni A. Credo, attempts three questions on governance in the Philippine context; hence, it is a brief note on local governance and politics. The second note is by writer Karlo Antonio G. David who sees the need to examine Mindanao’s Tagalog creolized languages. The cover art, “Dharma Mandala: Nucleus of the Mystic Sea,” is by international artist Elle Divine. The painting is part of Ocean Dharma, her third solo exhibition. She writes, “Our lives wheel around the infinite Circle – floating in the cradle of the mystic sea.”

Warlito S. Caturay Jr., PhD
Editor