The Ilocos Times

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 ...

WHEN the disciples asked Christ why he spoke in parables , his answer was simple and direct: "Because they look but do not see, and they hear but do not listen or understand." (Mt. 13:13) Later, he explained the deeper reason. They did not want to be converted. That answer should make us examine ourselves. Christ's parables are much more than memorable stories. They reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of God to those who approach him with faith and humility. At the same time, they test the disposition of every listener. Those who sincerely seek God receive light. Those who close themselves to him remain confused. The problem is not with the message but with the heart that refuses to receive it. The same principle applies to all the truths of our faith. Faith has to come first. Reason is indispensable, but it has to be enlightened by faith. Human intelligence, no matter how brilliant, has its limits. Left on its own, it can only grasp what is visible and measura...

One of the simplest, cheapest, and most practical solutions to flooding is something we often overlook: retention ponds . These man-made basins hold water permanently and manage stormwater before it wreaks havoc in our communities. And unlike mega- infrastructure projects that take years and billions of pesos, retention ponds are so easy to build that even our barangays can do them. In other words: Why aren’t we building more of them? A retention pond slows down stormwater, traps sediments, improves water quality, and prevents erosion downstream. It functions like a community-level buffer against the increasing intensity of rainfall we experience due to climate change . Unlike detention ponds —which dry out between storms—retention ponds always contain water. They look like real ponds, with vegetation around them, attracting fish, birds, and other wildlife. But what makes retention ponds truly compelling is how multi-purpose they can be. With proper filtration, they can becom...

MODERN society often associates addiction with alcohol or illegal drugs. Yet an increasing number of psychologists, pastoral counselors, and spiritual writers recognize another destructive addiction that has spread quietly through the internet and digital media: pornography. Available at the touch of a screen and often consumed in secrecy, pornography has become what many describe as the "new drug." Its effects reach far beyond the individual, damaging marriages, families, friendships, and one's relationship with God. From a Catholic perspective, pornography is not merely a moral failing but a distortion of God's beautiful plan for human love. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that pornography "does grave injury to the dignity of its participants" because it reduces persons to objects of pleasure instead of recognizing them as children of God created in His image (CCC 2354). Rather than fostering authentic love , pornography trains the mind ...

All ideas in this column come from Dr. Clarita Carlos. I am merely echoing them because I fully agree with her. After I wrote about the job mismatch problem, my former professor at UP—Dr. Clarita R. Carlos—sent me what I can only describe as a clinical, no-nonsense diagnosis of our education crisis. As always, she went straight to the point: skills mismatch is only a symptom. The disease lies much deeper. And because I believe her analysis deserves wider public attention, I am putting her commentary front and center here. This column is merely my humble attempt to amplify her voice.     A system gone awry Professor Carlos begins with a stinging indictment: The mismatch problem is the result of an entire educational system gone awry—from preschool to postgraduate and onward. In her words, we have allowed an entire lifetime of learning to rest on a shaky foundation. Our reforms have been piecemeal — “a patchwork of this and that” — with no real philosophy of le...

THAT part of the Gospel about the ruler whose daughter had died and the woman suffering from a long illness (Mt. 9:18–26) offers us a powerful lesson on faith, hope, and complete trust in Christ. Though their situations were different, both individuals shared one thing in common: they turned to Christ when all human solutions had failed. Their confidence in Him transformed their desperation into deliverance, something that we should learn to do also. The ruler publicly pleaded with Jesus to restore his daughter to life, despite the seemingly impossible situation. The woman, on the other hand, quietly approached Him through the crowd, convinced that simply touching His garment would bring healing. Both acted with unwavering faith, and both received the miracle they sought. Their example reminds us that whenever we encounter trials beyond our strength, our first response should be to seek Christ. Rather than allowing ourselves to be consumed by sadness, self-pity, or discouragemen...

By Carlos V. Cornejo Growth in the intellect is achieved through reading books, studying for a course, attending seminars, etc.   Emotional growth follows our intellectual growth.   Emotion is an internal bodily reaction we would have as a consequence with whatever we perceive in our minds.   If I perceive you as a friend, I will feel comfortable being with you.   Emotionally I am glad to see you.    However, if I perceive you as an enemy, my physical reaction will be one of fight or flight.   My muscles will grow tense and my heartbeat will accelerate.   Perhaps, I feel afraid of you and don’t want to be in your presence.   In short, whatever dominates our thoughts would likewise be the prevailing emotions.   If we think of good thoughts, good feelings will follow.   If we think of bad thoughts, like imagining ourselves having failed, bad feelings would follow.   That’s why many self-help books would recommend to control ...

Is this what our future is going to look like? With climate change accelerating, sea levels rising, and floods becoming the “new normal,” I think we should at least entertain the possibility. And if that future does come, it won’t be entirely unfamiliar. After all, floating gardens and houses on stilts already exist—not only in faraway places, but right here in the Philippines. In many ways, these designs are not futuristic at all; they are ancient, time-tested responses to living with water rather than against it. The Bajau Laut in the Sulu Archipelago have lived in stilt houses above coral-rich shallows for centuries. In Bangladesh, floating gardens—known as dhap—keep food production going even during months of flooding. In Myanmar’s Inle Lake, floating tomato farms stretch across the horizon. And in Mexico, the Aztec chinampas remain as living proof that agriculture can thrive on water. So, if others have done it, why can’t we? But here’s the bigger question: Should we ch...

THAT’S what we can learn from that gospel episode about Christ’s disciples caught in a storm while in the middle of the sea. (cfr. Mt 8,23-27) They, at first, were gripped with fear, a very understandable reaction. And when they noticed Christ simply sleeping in the boat, they woke him up, expressing their fear. That’s when Christ simply stood up and calmed the turbulent sea, leaving them greatly astonished. But Christ faulted them for their lack of faith. Yes, we too can easily be frozen in fear when we encounter the different forms of life’s storms. But like Our Lord’s disciples, we should just go immediately to him and ask for his help. And to be sure, he will always be there to help, but maybe in ways that may escape our understanding. In this, we should not be surprised and start to loosen our faith in God’s powerful and wise ways. There’s really no reason to be too worried and anxious when we encounter some difficulty in our life. In fact, we have every reason to be conf...

By Carlos V. Cornejo The third kind of anger is the good one.   It’s sometimes referred to as just anger or rightful anger.   The Psalmist implies this when he writes, “Be angry, and sin not” (Psalm 4:4).   It is the kind of anger of a parent for example to a child who has not done his school work because the kid was busy playing computer games the whole day.   The parent has to express clearly his or her emotion of anger so as to send the message to the kid that what he has done was very wrong.   Otherwise, if the mother will just put on a sober face while reprimanding the child, it could be misinterpreted by the kid that mommy is not angry after all and therefore I could do it again.   St. John Chrysostom says, “He who is not angry when he has cause to be, sins.” If we don’t get angry when we are supposed to be angry, more bad things happen.   If the mother had tolerated the misdeed of her child, it would have made the kid lazier. The same sa...