The Ilocos Times

By Carlos V. Cornejo There is this best-selling book of Carol Dweck entitled “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” that classifies people into two groups, those that have a fixed mindset and those that have a growth mindset .   The fixed mindset group would think that they have a talent in some areas but zero in others.   I am good in English but bad in Math.   Or I can dance but not sing.   I can play basketball but not soccer.   Carol Dweck said that the problem with this thinking is that it limits our persistence in overcoming obstacles.   If you have held that long belief that you are not good in math for example you wouldn’t care studying harder in math because you’ve already given up even before the fight.   You would then end up contented getting a barely passing grade when there was that untapped potential of being good in math within you.   You just needed a more persevering effort to bring it out.   The growth minded peopl...

WHEN Christ sent his apostles to proclaim the Gospel , he did not simply give them a mission. He gave them a way of life. "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Then came the startling instruction: "Take no gold or silver or copper in your belts; no bag for the journey, no extra tunic, no sandals or staff." ( Mt. 10:8-10 ) Those words were radical then, and they remain radical today. Jesus was teaching his followers to let go of self-sufficiency and place their confidence entirely in God. Their mission was not to be driven by comfort, possessions, or financial security, but by faith , generosity, and an unwavering commitment to bringing God's kingdom to others. That challenge was not meant only for the Twelve Apostles. It extends to every Christian who sincerely wants to follow Christ. While not everyone is called to abandon material possessions literally, all are called to cultivate the same...

Cancer is not just a disease—it is a systemic failure. In the Philippines today, we see this reality drawn in stark numbers: over 180,000 new cancer cases reported yearly, and 466,000 Filipinos living with cancer within the last five years. Every day, we lose more than 300 Filipinos to cancer, according to recent cancer-summit data. These are not just statistics—these are lives undone, families saddened, and dreams stunted. What’s worse, these may be conservative figures: many cancer cases among the poor go unreported, uncounted. Yet, for all this burden, we lack a national cancer institution at par with the Philippine Heart Center for heart disease or the Lung Center of the Philippines for respiratory illness. Instead, cancer care is fragmented. Yes, we have several cancer treatment centers—but none fully symbolizes the unity, capacity, and recognition of a national “cancer hospital.” At the heart of the nation’s public cancer fight is the PGH Cancer Institute , part of the Uni...

By Carlos V. Cornejo A good book on making big decisions, reveal blind spots and come up with creative methods in solving problems is that of Shane Parrish entitled “The Great Mental Models”.   It makes use of the acronym I.F.S to recall the mental models of Inversion , First Principle Thinking , and Second-Order Thinking . Inversion means if you are having a hard time solving a problem, try to look at that problem in another perspective by solving the opposite problem.   Instead of asking, “How can I make a really good presentation video?” ask, “How can I make a really bad presentation video?”   If you come up with a list of how to make a bad video it might be using a PowerPoint with no images and just pure texts, use a monotone voice that makes the presentation boring and put your audience to sleep, and make it longer than it needs to be.   Since you’ve imagined what a bad presentation looks like you can now come up with the criteria of a good one if you inv...

MUSIC has always been more than entertainment. It is woven into the fabric of human life and, more importantly, into our spiritual journey . The Bible alone testifies to this truth, containing hundreds of references to singing, musical instruments, and songs. From the Psalms to the heavenly choirs in Revelation , music has long been a powerful expression of faith and worship . In everyday life, music speaks a language that words often cannot. It comforts us in moments of sorrow, lifts our spirits when we are weary, energizes us during physical activity, and calms us after stressful days. It has an extraordinary ability to reach the heart, making it one of humanity's most universal forms of expression. Music also brings people together. Whether in worship, celebration, or shared moments of grief, singing creates a common rhythm that unites individuals into a community. It strengthens relationships and even rekindles memories. A familiar melody can instantly transport us to a ...

For decades , we looked at plastic as the villain of modern life — polluter of oceans, killer of turtles, clogger of esteros. And rightly so. Traditional plastics last for hundreds of years, break down into microplastics , and only a tiny percentage ever gets recycled. So, the logic was simple: replace plastic with something biodegradable — seaweed, bagasse, hemp, rice straws, bamboo woods, anything natural. But what if what’s better than plastic… is also plastic? Out of nowhere comes a new material called Lyfecycle , a proprietary “self-destructing” plastic. At first, rumors claimed it was made of seaweed. But as it turns out, it is plastic after all — but the good kind, if there is such a thing. Developed by UK-based Polymateria , Lyfecycle behaves like regular plastic during its useful life. It’s strong, durable, recyclable, and compatible with existing waste systems. But the magic lies in the additive built into it. If it escapes collection —meaning if it ends up as waste, i...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Any pursuit on worldly things such as money, fame, power and pleasure will always end up making the pursuer wanting for more but never getting satisfied.  On the other hand, pursuit for knowledge, skills and loving others makes us full and would happily still want more.  With the former it makes the pursuer unhappy.  The latter makes the pursuer thankful.  What’s more the latter gets to multiply his joy because what he additionally acquires feels like a bonus.  In contrast the former may get more but feels he still has less.  This reminds me of Bill Gates , Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk .   They are all very famous people and have altered the world with their inventions.   They too are all very rich.    They’re worth billions and yet they have not retired.   They could have just stopped working, went on a world tour, savored everything that money could buy and still have much money left.   But they are ...

There are laws that everyone seems to know about, yet almost nobody bothers to obey — until the floods come, homes disappear under water, and the same officials who ignored these laws suddenly blame “climate change.” One of the most violated laws is the protection of easement zones along our rivers, streams, lakes, and shorelines. Maybe it’s less of a problem along beaches, where resorts at least pretend to follow regulations. But in riverbanks? In creeks? In small tributaries that nobody pays attention to? There, the violations are massive — and endlessly tolerated. The law is clear. Article 51 of Presidential Decree 1067 (Water Code of the Philippines) strictly prohibits building any structure within the easement zones: 3 meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural areas, and 40 meters in forest areas. These spaces are meant for public use: for fishing, navigation, safety, and environmental protection. No one is supposed to occupy these zones, much less privatize them with ...

NOWADAYS, mental health clinics are becoming more common. More people, especially the young, seek help for anxiety , depression, stress, trauma, and other emotional struggles. This growing need should concern us all. These clinics perform an important service. Professional counseling, therapy, medication, and other psychological interventions have helped many recover balance and hope. They deserve our appreciation and support. But there is one truth we should never overlook. Mental health and spiritual health are deeply connected. One affects the other. A troubled mind can make prayer difficult, weaken hope, and drain one's desire to do good. At the same time, a neglected spiritual life can leave the mind more vulnerable to fear, loneliness, despair, and confusion. They constantly interact because the human person is both body and soul . Yet we should also keep our priorities clear. Our spiritual life has primacy. It is the soul that gives ultimate meaning to everything...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Karma is a justice belief held mostly by Eastern religions that for every moral action we do there is a corresponding reaction.   If we show goodness, we reap goodness.   If we do evil, we reap evil.   Karma usually is not instant but nevertheless it will come.    It is supposed to teach us life’s lessons and to help us be better people.   Grace on the other hand is love and mercy given to us by God, something that we don’t deserve but God out of His goodness freely gives it.   Grace can also mean a divine influence to inspire us to do good or to practice the virtues and a kind of aid or strength to endure trial and resist temptations to commit sin.   Divine grace enlightens the mind and strengthens the will (our power to make choices) to do the right thing.   Grace can be availed from the sacraments such as Confession and Holy Eucharist .   Karma is attractive to our beliefs because it appeals to our sen...

It’s an idea whose time has truly come: carbon credits for plastic waste recycling . At long last, we’re seeing formal mechanisms that reward recovery, not just emissions reductions. And for the Philippines—a major contributor to ocean plastics—this could be a game-changer.   What is plastic-based carbon credits? These “ plastic credits ” are units representing a specific amount of plastic that has been avoided, collected, or recycled. The new wrinkle: they’re now being tied directly to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation . By preventing plastic from leaking into the environment or being incinerated, these credits convert circular action into real climate value. One of the leading models is from “ Plastiks ”, partnered with the carbon verification firm ECOTA and recovery organization Ocean Integrity. Together, they’ve committed to certify 100,000 metric tons of recovered plastic for carbon credit issuance by December 2025. Their system is rigorous: every kilogram recovered ...