Welcome to the first issue of Silliman Journal 2021! The six full articles and two notes featured in this issue seem to revolve around the theme of interconnectedness between humans and many different systems. The first full article investigates the use of pesticides in farming. Jose Edwin C. Cubelo and Teodora A. Cubelo explore the extent of farmers’ use of pesticides and how these leave residues in the vegetables, soils, and water samples in the province of Negros Oriental. The next article is by Khris June L. Callano who notes a gap in research in the Philippines. In his paper, he makes a phytochemical study on eggplants and their wild relatives. The third article is a collaborative research by academics in Cebu City. Kristine Mae L. Jumonong, Angela C. Barliso, Mariejayn C. Lempio, Henry Clint D. Ricaborda, Jake Joshua C. Garces and Jay P. Picardal do a floristic inventory and survey the distribution of trees in the urban streets of Cebu. They contend that doing these leads to more efficient planning and designing of a sustainable city. Climate change is among the big topics in the high school curriculum. In the fourth article, Kenneth B. Pael explores high school students’ level of knowledge and behavioral responses to climate change so informed instructional interventions can be made. The fifth article talks about gastro diplomacy, a concept that examines closely the relationships formed around and propagated by food. Jason Troy F. Bajar and Renia F. Dela Peña examine the sociodemographic factors that affect the attitudes toward gastrodiplomacy among local government employees. The last full article of the issue analyzes the complaints lodged against health workers with the Professional Regulation Commission. In their paper, Alvin B. Caballes, Ivy D. Patdu, and Joel U. Macalino attempt to describe the complaint patterns, identify the source of complaints, among others. The notes section features the articles of Joseph and Corazon Padilla and Jan Antoni Credo. In their paper, Joseph and Corazon review an article on communicative language teaching in the postmodern era. Jan’s article, on the other hand, talks about the applicability of western political theories in the Philippine context. The cover art for this issue is courtesy of Rodney Meg Fritz Balagtas, a teacher in Hanoi, Vietnam. The picture, which he shot using his phone, captures the boatmen in Hanoi at dusk. He said that the dramatic shot was a result of good timing, as he was able to take it when “the boatmen and their vessel aligned with the dying light of the sun.”

Warlito S. Caturay Jr., PhD
Editor