REGINO, John Kyle U.

3AR6

STS Mr. Daniel Albert E. Castillo

Activity 1: News and Scientific Method

‘NO WORRY’ Villar says farm land conversion for malls, factories is “progress”

1. Discuss what you understand about each of the case.

Senator Cynthia A. Villar, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food
and the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources since 2013, said during
24th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in 2017 that there is
nothing to worry about land conversion as it means progress. She believes that farmers
do not need big lands to earn and live but rather, it is high time for them to be introduced
to technology because it can solve their income-related problems.

On the other hand, in 2016, Sen. Francis Pangilinan filed Senate Bill 256 or The
Land Administration Reform Act Of 2016 which aims to halt conversion of farmlands to
other uses as the agricultural sector is suffering. This bill also aims to demand approval
from the departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, and Environment and Natural
Resources, and local government units before land conversions may be done. Until now,
the bill has not yet been passed.

2. What UN sustainability goal/s is/are being addressed by each?

This topic addresses the eighth (8th) Sustainable Development Goal of the United
Nations which is decent work and economic growth. This goal promotes “sustained,
inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent
work for all.” (United Nations, 2015)
3. Before arriving at a certain decision on the issue, was there any consideration about the
application of the scientific method? Explain.

Unfortunately, the issue at hand wasn’t viewed from a scientific standpoint but
rather, purely economic. Sen. Villar was more concerned about how the farmers will be
able to earn income consistently while Sen. Pangilinan, on the other hand, talked about
the issue on food security and shrinking of agricultural lands alone.

4. How would you judge/evaluate regarding each case? Are the decisions valid? Give your
own opinion.

I would side with Sen. Pangilinan’s views on this case because farmers do not need
technological advancements that we are benefitting from to earn income but rather, what
they need are farmlands to cultivate. I believe that land conversions will do more harm
than good to the farmers and it would also only benefit big corporations and the private
sector. According to Magcamit (2020), conversions of land led to displacement of
thousands of farmers rendering them homeless. Moreover, as per the Selected Statistics
on Agriculture in 2019, there are 10 million people employed in the agriculture sector
which represents 24.30% of the national employment thus, land conversions would also
cause our unemployment rate to rise. However, more than the aforementioned, and loss
of farmlands, land conversions also led to the depletion of our country’s forest cover as
said by researchers. Furthermore, a study in 2008 entitled “Land Use Changes: Economic,
Social, and Environmental Impacts” said that urbanization of farmland decreases
available land for food and timber production. These reasons altogether put emphasis on
how detrimental Sen. Villar’s standpoint is not only to the present time but to the future
as well.
5. What is the most urgent need of our society in each issue, and what can you do to educate
others in this regard?
I believe that this specific issue calls for us to give much more importance to our
farmers and the agriculture sector. This only proves how most, if not all, people in power
could easily overlook them. Thus, it would be beneficial for all the citizens, most especially
to the affected workers and farmers, for others to be informed regarding this matter and
I would do this through educating others about the problems that our agriculture sector
is facing and why it is important to defend them.

6. References
Magcamit, Y. (2020). Is there really nothing wrong with converting farmlands for
commercial use? Retrieved from https://nolisoli.ph/85971/converting-farmlands-
for-commercial-use-ymagcamit-20200902/
Roque, E. (2017). ‘NO WORRY’ Villar says farm land conversion for malls, factories is
“progress” Retrieved from https://punto.com.ph/no-worry-villar-says-farm-land-
conversion-for-malls-factories-is-progress/
Simeon, L. (2019). Bill Stopping Agri Land Conversion Filed. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/08/26/1946425/bill-stopping-agri-land-
conversion-filed
United Nations (2015). The 17 Goals. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Wu, J. (2008). Land Use Changes: Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts. Retrieved
from https://www.choicesmagazine.org/UserFiles/file/article_49.pdf
 A village in Cebu discovered a win-win-win tourism formula, thanks to whale sharks

1. Discuss what you understand about each of the case.

Tanawan, a small village in the municipality of Oslob, Cebu Province, found a way
to attract local and foreign tourists through the whale sharks that free swim its shores.
Due to these “gentle giants”, the fishermen of Oslob collectively earned a total of Php 958
million in a short span of six years. This means of income for them fascinated researchers
as it is considered sustainable because to maintain the attraction and tourism within the
municipality, they are compelled to protect the environment of the whale sharks and
coral reef resources.

2. What UN sustainability goal/s is/are being addressed by each?

This topic addresses the fourteenth (14th) Sustainable Development Goal of the
United Nations which is life below water. This goal aims to “conserve and sustainably use
the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” (United Nations,
2015)

3. Before arriving at a certain decision on the issue, was there any consideration about the
application of the scientific method? Explain.

There have been various concerns about the environmental impact of such kind
of tourism in Oslob however, according to a study conducted by Lowe and Tejada in 2019
entitled, “The role of livelihoods in collective engagement in sustainable integrated
coastal management: Oslob Whale Sharks”, the local whale shark tourism provides
alternative livelihood to the fisherfolk in the municipality to prevent harmful fishing. They
also established the Tanawan and Oslob Sea Wardens and Fishermen’s Association to
enact policies that would manage the community tourism. With this, no scientific
methods were done however, rules were put into place to address scientific concerns.
4. How would you judge/evaluate regarding each case? Are the decisions valid? Give your
own opinion.

The community is committed to protecting the whale sharks and preserving the
biodiversity in the waters of Oslob. This is evident in the protective measures that they
enacted to safeguard the whale sharks and the various species in the municipality’s
waters which, in turn, preserves their source of income. However, despite the laws in
place, the endangered whale sharks might still be at risk. According to Warne (2018),
these migratory animals become conditioned to stay in one place which could expose
them to survival risks. Moreover, the shrimp that they’re being fed with is not deemed to
be a sufficient and healthy for their diet. In relation to this, they also easily associate boats
with food which could possibly put them in danger as they might approach shark-fishing
vessels, making them an easy target. With this, I firmly believe that the whale sharks,
being endangered species, should be left alone. According to National Geographic, of the
650 identified whale sharks in the Philippines, a quarter can be seen in Oslob. Thus,
making them an “attraction” and exposing them to more people could put them and their
kind’s survival to so much risk.

5. Laudato Si calls on everyone to recognize the effects of the environmental crisis on the
poor, and to remember that any true ecological approach is always also a social approach
to the issues. In relation to the ecological-related issue(s), how can we be part of the
dialogue to which he is calling everyone?
Laudato Si tells us that ecological deterioration is a man-made symptom of our
world today that affects all of us, but most especially, the poor or the most vulnerable. I
believe that the issue on the Oslob tourism is not simply an environmental one, but
rather, it is a social issue that raises concerns about equal opportunity. The people in
Oslob is highly reliant on tourism not that they want to but because it is one of their
primary, if not sole, source of income. I believe that if only the fisherfolk in the community
 had equal access to education and other livelihood, then maybe they wouldn’t depend
on the whale sharks to increase tourism in their area and subsequently, earn money. As
the ones with voices, we could help fight for the rights of the underprivileged so that they
would have access to the same opportunities that those in the upper class experience.
This is the social approach that Laudato Si urges us to undertake—to care for the poor
and the underprivileged.

6. References

Adel, R. (2019). A village in Cebu discovered a win-win-win tourism formula, thanks to

whale sharks. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/09/13/1950672/village-cebu-
discovered-win-win-win-tourism-formula-thanks-whale-sharks

United Nations (2015). The 17 Goals. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Warne, K. (2018). Inside the Chaotic World of Whale Shark Tourism. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/whale-sharks-tourism-
philippines-benefit-harm-news
 DOH: Dengvaxia can prevent future dengue epidemics

1. Discuss what you understand about each of the case.

Dengvaxia, a vaccine against dengue, is reportedly banned in the Philippines due

to the death of more than a hundred children after getting the said vaccine. This, however,
remains to be an assumption as there are no evidences that would link the deaths to
Dengvaxia. Despite being licensed in 20 countries, according to the World Health
Organization (WHO), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) still decided to ban the use of the vaccine in the country. However,
due to the rise of dengue cases in 2019, President Duterte expressed his openness in
allowing the usage of the vaccine again. On the other hand, the WHO also advised that
pre-screening of patients should be conducted to ensure that only those who have had
dengue before will receive the vaccine as the manufacturer, Sanofi-Pasteur, admitted that
those who didn’t have past dengue infection could develop severe dengue once they get
infected with the said disease after receiving Dengvaxia.

2. What UN sustainability goal/s is/are being addressed by each?

This topic addresses the third (3rd) Sustainable Development Goal of the United
Nations which is good health and well-being. This goal aims to “ensure healthy lives and
promote well-being for all at all ages.” (United Nations, 2015)

3. Before arriving at a certain decision on the issue, was there any consideration about the
application of the scientific method? Explain.

I believe that no scientific methods were considered in deciding on the issue

despite it being a scientific concern. The vaccine was banned despite lacking proper
investigation on the matter; there were no sufficient evidence that the deaths of the
 children were directly caused by Dengvaxia. The decision made by the people concerned
were purely based on assumption.

4. How would you judge/evaluate regarding each case? Are the decisions valid? Give your
own opinion.

In a press conference attended by Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo in

February 2, 2018 due to 14 deaths of children associated with dengue, 3 of them
apparently received Dengvaxia and 2 of these 3 may have died due to vaccine failure. This
claim however wasn’t proven because their tissue samples still need to undergo further
studies. Domingo also said that according to UP-PGH, another 6 cases developed other
diseases 30 days after receiving the vaccine, just the same, there were no sufficient
evidences yet that their deaths are linked to Dengvaxia. I agree with their decision to halt
the use of the vaccine but only to a certain extent; I believe that it was the right course of
action to undertake due to the suspicious deaths of children however I do wish that
further thorough investigations were conducted immediately so as to verify whether
these deaths were really linked to the usage of the said vaccine.

5. What is the most urgent need of our society in each issue, and what can you do to educate
others in this regard?

I believe that many people, most especially those who do not believe in the
efficacy of vaccines, might have used this situation to spread misinformation. According
to Dr. Lulu Bravo, Professor of Pediatric Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the College of
Medicine in University of the Philippines Manila, the Dengvaxia issue heightened vaccine
hesitancy in the country. Online misinformation caused by influential bloggers and the
media also amplified the panic (Skopeliti, 2020). With this, it is important for us to educate
others about the efficacy of vaccines, especially in this time of pandemic, and that the
issue with the Dengvaxia vaccine is an isolated case with no thorough investigation yet. It
 would also be of huge help to present facts and figures about how we can all benefit from
vaccines.

6. References

Cepeda, M. (2018). 3 out of 14 kids died of dengue after Dengvaxia shot – UP-PGH panel.
Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/children-dead-dengue-
dengvaxia-up-pgh-panel

Gregorio, X. (2019). DOH: Dengvaxia can prevent future dengue epidemics. Retrieved
from https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/8/12/DOH-Dengvaxia-prevent-
dengue-epidemic.html?fbclid=IwAR0ib5I8x9gNgKJEoPo5ex48YF-
44blLpzTK01qdx2Y83CwbY0RY8htKOUs

Isoux, C. (2019). Are Philippine children’s deaths linked to dengue vaccine? Retrieved
from https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-
reads/article/3006712/philippines-suspicion-dengue-vaccine-linked

Skopeliti, C. (2020). Why the Dengvaxia controversy was so effective at spreading vaccine
hesitancy in the Philippines. Retrieved from
https://firstdraftnews.org/articles/why-the-dengvaxia-controversy-was-so-
effective-at-spreading-vaccine-hesitancy-in-the-philippines/

United Nations (2015). The 17 Goals. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals