The Ramadan for 2024 will start on Tuesday, March 12 and go for about 30 days. It is then followed by the three-day celebration of Eid.

Significance of Ramadan in Islamic history

Prior to becoming a messenger of God, Muhammad used to withdraw to the Hira mountain top cave. He would meditate in solitude, away from the polytheistic culture of tribal Mecca for the whole month of Ramadan. We are not sure if this retreat involved fasting at the time.

In 610, when he was 40, he again went to the same mountain top to meditate. Several weeks into the retreat, he experienced an angelic form appearing before him, commanding him to read. He replied he did not know how to read. The angelic form squeezed him tight and repeated the command to read. This continued three times, after which the first five verses of the holy Qur’an was revealed:

Read in the name of your Lord who created humans from a piece of flesh. Read, for your Lord is Most Generous. Who taught humans with the pen. Who taught humans what they do not know.

Muhammad still was not able to read in a conventional way, but he understood that he was being asked to read the book of the universe and learn from it, and also understand that it points to its creator.

This incident marked the beginning of Islam, revelation of the Qur’an and the prophetic mission of Prophet Muhammad.

In 624, when Muslims migrated to Medina to escape persecution, the month of Ramadan was declared holy by virtue of the start of the mission of the Prophet and revelation of the Qur’an. Fasting was instituted in this month as one of the five pillars of Islam as a way for believers to show their thanks to God and reflect on the teachings of the Qur’an and its importance for believers.

Who observes Ramadan fasting?

The Ramadan fasting involves stopping eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. Practitioners can engage in all these acts once fasting is broken and restart fasting the next dawn. The cycle continues for a whole month.

Ramadan fasting is one of the most observed of all the pillars of Islam, with 70-80% of Muslims practising it. It is obligatory for all Muslims, men and women, from the age of puberty. Parents encourage their children to fast for half a day from the age of ten to condition them to fasting.

There are exemptions. Travellers, elderly, sick, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are exempt from fasting on the condition they make up missing days at a suitable time after Ramadan. The elderly and chronically ill compensate for days not fasted by making a small donation to charity for each day, if they can afford it.

Since fasting is from dawn to sunset, the duration of fasting time changes depending on the season and where a Muslim is located in the world. Near polar regions, fasting can be almost 22 hours in summer or just a few hours in winter.

Spiritual significance and benefits of Ramadan fasting

What may seem to some to be a self-inflicted ordeal has profound meaning for human beings and God, and their reciprocal relationship. God exhibits the perfection of lordship, grace and mercy by making the surface of this Earth a table of blessing, and placing all kinds of sustenance on that table for every creature to enjoy.

In Ramadan, believers show a collective act of worship in the presence of the mighty and universal Mercy as they wait for the divine invitation to the table of blessings at the time of breaking the fast. As the Earth revolves around its axis, the jubilant timeframe is repeated in a continuous manner for the whole month.

Many people forget the fact God is the source of all sustenance. While they readily thank agents of delivery, they forget to remember and thank God as the one who ultimately meets all their needs. God expects the price of thanksgiving for the sustenance he has provided.

True thanksgiving is to know that all sustenance comes directly from God, to acknowledge its value and to feel our own need and dependence on that sustenance.

A fasting person physically feels the value of, and their need for, basic sustenance when they experience the pangs of hunger and thirst. Since a believer fasts for the sake of God, they acknowledge the sustenance, which may be taken for granted, actually comes from God. Therefore, fasting in the Islamic tradition is the best way to show a true and sincere thanksgiving.

Fasting tames the desires. The constant exercise of willpower not to eat, drink or have sexual relations sends a strong message it is the human will, hence the spirit, that is in control.

Fasting is not just about staying hungry or thirsty, it is also to struggle to contain other harmful behaviours. Prophet Muhammad remarked:

Whoever doesn’t give up lying and acting on lies during fasting, then God has no need for him to give up food and drink.

Therefore, the fundamental spiritual benefit of fasting is to exercise the will-power and attain self-control, essential for success in every part of life.

Eid celebrations at the end of Ramadan

Fasting has other personal and social benefits. Through fasting, the rich know what it means to be hungry. Hence, the rich will be more inclined to give charity when they fast. The annual Islamic alms (zakat) are usually paid in Ramadan.

Muslims often invite friends and family members to join in the celebration of the break-fast dinners (iftar). The rich organize dinners for the poor.

In the past few decades, Muslim minorities in western countries have started to invite their non-Muslim friends to iftar dinners. Muslim organizations have annual iftar dinners for their associates and supporters.

In Australia, the NSW premier, for example, has been holding iftar dinners for members of the Muslim community and other faith leaders since 2004. Presidents of the US have also held iftar dinners in the White House.

Ramadan has become a cultural event for everyone.

Ramadan culminates in a three-day celebration (Eid al-Fitr), where Muslims offer a special morning prayer, then visit family and friends. Charity, called fitr, is given to the poor to ensure no one is left out of the celebrations and the joy of success that comes with fasting. – The Conversation/Rappler.com

Mehmet Ozalp is an Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University.

This article was first published in The Conversation.

WATCH: How start of Ramadan is determined through moonsighting

Researchers said on Wednesday, March 6, the stone tools – the most primitive kind known – were initially unearthed in the 1970s near the town of Korolevo in the Carpathian foothills along the Tysa river, close to Ukraine’s borders with Hungary and Romania. But their age had remained unclear.

The new method determined the age of the sediment layer containing the stone tools, making this site critical for understanding how humans first spread into Europe during warm spells – called interglacial periods – that interrupted the Ice Age’s grip on the continent.

The researchers concluded that the maker of the tools likely was Homo erectus, an early human species that arose roughly 2 million years ago and spread across Africa, Asia and Europe before disappearing perhaps 110,000 years ago.

“No bones were found at Korolevo, only stone tools. But the age suggests that Homo erectus was the only possible human species at the time. We know very little about our earliest ancestors. They used stone tools for butchery and probably used fire,” said Czech Academy of Sciences archeologist Roman Garba, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature.

Homo erectus was the first member of our evolutionary lineage with body proportions similar to our species, Homo sapiens, though with a smaller brain.

The tools, made of volcanic rock, were fashioned in what is called the Oldowan style. While quite simple – flaked tools such as choppers, scrapers or basic cutting instruments – they represent the dawn of human technology.

Until now, the oldest-known evidence of humans in Europe was about 1.2-1.1 million years old from a site called Atapuerca in Spain.

The Korolevo findings provide insight into the route of the first human expansion into Europe. Homo erectus fossils from 1.8 million years ago are known from a Caucasus site in Georgia called Dmanisi. Coupled with Korolevo, this suggests Homo erectus entered Europe from the east or southeast, migrating along the Danube river, Garba said.

“Korolevo is the northernmost outpost found so far of what we presume to be Homo erectus and is testimony to the intrepidness of this ancestor,” Czech Academy of Sciences geoscientist and study co-author John Jansen added.

It has been notoriously difficult to determine the age of Paleolithic sites like Korolevo. The study dated the tools, left by their makers on a river bed, by determining when the layer bearing the artifacts was buried under overlaying sediment.

“Earth is constantly bombarded by galactic cosmic rays. When these rays – mainly protons and alpha particles – penetrate Earth’s atmosphere, they generate a secondary shower of particles – neutrons and muons – that, in turn, penetrates into the subsurface,” geoscientist and study co-author Mads Knudsen of Aarhus University in Denmark said.

These particles react with minerals in rocks to produce radioactive nuclides, a class of atoms. The sediment was dated based on the ratio of two nuclides, thanks to their differing pace of radioactive decay.

Europe was later colonized by other now-extinct human species including Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthals. Homo sapiens evolved in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago, arriving in significant numbers in Europe perhaps around 40,000-45,000 years ago.

The Homo erectus pioneers encountered a Europe inhabited by large mammals including mammoths, rhinos, hippos, hyenas and saber-toothed cats.

“Most likely they were scavengers, looking for carcasses left by hyenas or other predators, but what attracted them to Korolevo was a source of high-quality volcanic rock, very good for making stone tools,” Garba said.

The researchers suspect evidence of European human occupation even older than Korolevo will turn up.

“The question is not ‘if’ but ‘when’ we will find a site of similar or older age somewhere else in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria or Serbia,” Garba said. – Rappler.com

Going through the usual motions of sluicing and panning inside the 24-hour processing plant, they will soon recover gold.

The ball mill makes an incessant noise while churning ore. Men haul sacks of ore and put them inside the mill, then shovel the crushed ore onto huge plastic tubs.

When not sluicing ore, Lingwa, along with the two other middle-aged women in the plant, take turns cooking for the other miners in the plant. Work in the Minahang Bayan (people’s small-scale mining area) is seasonal. They have work now because there’s gold to recover.

Over the years since mining activities started around 1986, Sagada miners have been working to make the most out of the gold mined in their area, without the use of harmful chemicals like mercury.

Outside, it’s dry and cold. Even at high noon, the mountain breeze is cool. The earth is loose going down the mining site. Some workers lie on sacks or on the earth to sleep under the shade of trees. 

High in the mountains surrounding the small-mining area are houses, paddies, and cemented stairs. A few miles away is Bomod-ok Falls; sometimes the sound of waterfalls can be heard from a distance. 

Women and gold work

Her father’s generation used mercury when they mined in the area once before, said Lingwa. Mercury is commonly used in small gold mines because it separates gold from other sediments and forms an amalgam. The amalgam is heated and mercury is released into the environment.

However, exposure to mercury puts people’s health at risk. It could enter water sources and contaminate food. 

The use of the chemical didn’t take off in Sagada. Miners said mercury is not compatible with the refined texture of Sagada’s gold.

While safer and more environment-friendly, the work remains physically taxing. Without mercury, miners have to sluice and pan for hours. But this paved the way to the employment of more women like Lingwa. It has helped increase household income.

“Noong nagkaroon na ng gilingan, nagkaroon ng mga babae. Mas matiyaga ang mga babae,” Lingwa told Rappler.

(When we had processing plants, women came. Women persevere more.)

Miners would use a pan to swirl ore with water until gold, because of its density, remains at the bottom of the pan free from other sediments.

Sluicing, meanwhile, makes use of an angled platform with carpets. Miners wash down ore through these platforms with running water. Gold particles are captured on the carpets.

Lingwa said that unlike in farming, they have the benefit of having a roof over their heads. They also have protective gear like boots and gloves. For every shift, they earn P300. It’s not much, Lingwa said, but it helps them get by.

Work inside the plant goes for 24 hours. There are three shifts. Miners are not restricted to one particular job per shift. Lingwa said she likes going at her own pace at work. The women, who often come in threes per shift, take turns cooking in the kitchen located at the corner of the plant. 

Etag, or smoked pork, hang on a strip of wood. Pots, covered in black soot, contain rice, fish, and corn cooked with condensed milk and buko pandan. Black coffee simmers in a kettle beside the rice. Boxes of vegetables and stacks of wood fuel lie beside sacks of ore. 

The two other women during Lingwa’s shift were Fabiola Lay-os and Pacita Banluyan. Lay-os was manning the kitchen during lunch hour, while Banluyan was sluicing for gold.

Making the most out of gold

The problem with these manual methods is that the miners do not recover as much gold as they should.

Most of the gold they mine remain in the residues or tailings. Because of the traditional methods they use, Sagada miners can only extract free gold, or those that are not chemically bound. They sell the tailings to other parties who have access to processing equipment which can recover lingering gold.

In other parts of Cordillera, large-scale mines like Lepanto in Benguet profit from deposits of gold because they have the advantage of having the technical know-how and equipment. In general, the Philippines ranks 25th out of 123 countries with gold reserves around the world.

Meanwhile, the odds are stacked against small-scale miners working with what little they have. 

That’s why there’s a pressing need to give more attention to small-scale miners. Geologist professor Jill Gabo-Ratio said further research and knowledge-sharing would be beneficial to the community.

“If we can help them by studying gold textures, grain size, and refractoriness, we can avoid the trial-and-error system that only adds to pollutants and miners’ expenses,” she told Rappler.

Gabo-Ratio is the officer-in-charge deputy director for academic affairs at the National Institute of Geological Sciences in University of the Philippines Diliman. 

She said it’s also important to determine how much gold remains in the tailings – and then eventually find more efficient ways to extract the gold. 

“Yaman din lamang na kinuha na nila from the ground, mas maganda na masulit ‘yung efficiency of extraction,” she said. 

(Since they already extracted it from the ground, it’s better to get the most out of the extraction and make it efficient.) 

Legal and formal sector in the works

More than 30 provinces across the country are engaged in small-scale gold mining, employing 300,000 to 500,000 people, according to a report of the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. It gives livelihood to around two million people.

The gross production value of small-scale gold mining reached P21.86 billion in 2022. But the sector remains largely informal.

Most of them, like Lingwa, Lay-os, and Banluyan, mine to support themselves and their families with little discretionary income. 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has said that they are undertaking a review of laws to modernize the industry and protect small-scale miners.

“A properly regulated small-scale mining industry will benefit the community in terms of job creation and livelihood, and the country in terms of mining assets and taxes,” said Environment Undersecretary Carlos Primo David in a statement last October 2023. 

“More importantly, it will address the violation of environmental laws and mining regulations, and minimize environmental risks and promote mine safety.”

Mining in Sagada goes back decades, but it was only in 2021 that the Minahang Bayan was formally recognized by the Philippine government through a provisional contract.

Mathew Malicdan, the president of the small miners association known as the Northern Sagada Small-scale Miners Association Incorporated, started working in the mines when he was still a high school student. In the ’80s, Malicdan’s father worked in the mines when it was not yet allowed by the elders. 

At 53, Malicdan is now a tunnel owner in the Minahang Bayan after working in a gold mine in the Middle East and a diamond mine in Africa.

But his problem now is making sure Sagada miners do not endanger the legality of their operations by selling gold in the black market. 

The black market, according to locals, consists of both Filipino and Chinese gold traders. In other small-scale mines, some traders give away mercury for free to expedite gold recovery.

Other miners find these transactions in the black market simpler: no documents and permits are required. 

“Dahil nga ligal na tayo, lumugar tayo sa ligal,” he told Rappler. (Because we’re already legal, let’s do things legally.)

Malicdan recalls the long process of finally getting their operations legalized, when they started collecting funds back in 2018 to process documents needed for their application.

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During the pandemic in 2020, their application for a 10-hectare Minahang Bayan zone was approved. In 2023, their contract was regularized. It was the first Minahang Bayan to be approved in the Mountain Province.

Under Republic Act 7076, also known as the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991, gold from small-scale mining can only be sold to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). 

Abigail Ocate, project manager of planetGOLD Philippines, said there are many reasons why some miners prefer the old way of selling gold in the black market rather than to BSP. 

There’s a minimum processing fee of P1,600. The nearest gold buying station of BSP is in Baguio City, which is six hours away from Sagada. 

This is a pain point that BSP has acknowledged, said Ocate, which is why they are exploring partnerships with financial institution Cebuana Lhuillier which can be accredited to buy gold. 

The law has prescribed that the BSP should establish as many gold buying stations to “fully service” small-scale mines across the Philippines.

The planetGOLD Philippines is a project assisting artisanal and small-scale gold miners by non-profit organization Artisanal Gold Council, funded by the Global Environment Facility.

Their program helps mining towns like Sagada legally operate, such as in applying for a small-scale mining contract. They also aid miners organize into an effective association that can teach them how to improve gold production and recovery.

But this requires a lot of money, and small-scale miners subsist on low wages. Because of poverty, some miners get stuck in a vicious cycle, abetted by traders from the black market.

Ocate said some traders give loans to miners. “That’s what they use as incentives in the black market: ‘I’ll loan you money, then sell me your gold.'”

Funds are necessary to get permits and the equipment to mine gold, as well as comply with all the regulations.

In communities they’ve been engaged with, Ocate and her team found that some had pooled and spent millions to hire consultants to help them petition for a declaration of a Minahang Bayan.

“All the things we want to happen in the sector – to formalize them, to make them follow environmental and safety standards – for that to happen, they need capital,” said Ocate.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Sagada is a mountain town steeped in tradition. They hold their elders’ judgment with utmost respect. 

Previously, PlanetGOLD had proposed constructing a leaching facility within the Minahang Bayan, but the elders wouldn’t hear any of it because it would make use of cyanide. Any mention of chemical use and the elders shake their heads.

The use of cyanide in a leaching facility helps extract gold more efficiently by turning gold into liquid. Through adsorption, gold is made to stick to coal. The coal undergoes a cold wash to remove impurities, then a hot wash. The solution from the hot wash goes through electrolysis leading to recovery of pure gold.

Out of respect for the elders, the mining association is trying workarounds to improve gold recovery.

The association is exploring a possible partnership with a leaching facility in Itogon, Benguet, used by the Loacan Itogon Pocket Miners’ Association (LIPMA). 

During a February 13 meeting in an inn along Sagada-Besao Road, Malicdan and Emy Dongail talked about identifying the people who still prefer the black market so they can have discussions with them.

Dongail is one of several women in the mining association where she serves as secretary-general.

Even among miners, there is apprehension about using the leaching facility in Itogon. Dongail said that according to miners, the design of the facility may not be appropriate for their tailings which are of a different nature compared to those in Benguet.

Ocate explained that the design of the facility does not matter; it’s the length of processing time and the amount of cyanide to be used that matter. These are factors that can be adjusted when they use the leaching facility.

The night ended with two important resolutions: talk to hesitant miners prior to a bigger association meeting; quell people’s concerns over the leaching facility by telling them that they are to transport and process the tailings themselves because they own the wealth.

One of the most fulfilling parts of the job for Ocate is seeing communities identify with the work they do.

Their program started just when the mining town decided to have their mine declared as a Minahang Bayan. There is so much to do and many things to think about.

But they’ve come a long way now.

Mining started without the elders’ approval and without permits from bureaucratic government institutions. 

Now they’re talking about how best to extract all the wealth from the sediments they mined, sluiced, and panned with their hands. – Rappler.com

Seven groups of women took part in the ritual which is said to drive away evil spirits and where participants pray for happiness. Despite its name, those taking part are not naked.

Many women wore “Happi Coats” (robes that reach to the hips) and shorts that are typically worn at Japanese festivals, although men just wore loincloths similar to those worn by sumo wrestlers.

“I heard that women could participate so I definitely wanted to take part to help bring excitement to this town and festival,” said 59-year-old civil servant Emi Tachibana, one of the participants.

Naruhito Tsunoda, a priest at the shrine, said there had never been a ban on women participating, and some had even made small offerings as individuals before. However, when a women’s group inquired last year if they could join, saying ‘yes’ was easy.

“I believe the most important thing is for there to be a fun festival for everyone. I think God would be happiest about that too,” he said.

The women did not join the festival’s main event where a large group of men clash together to drive away evil spirits. Tsunoda said it would be difficult to open up that part of the festival to women due to the physical aspect.

Japan’s government last year said it would push to improve women’s participation in society, after an annual report showed the country was struggling to narrow the gender gap.

The World Economic Forum report measuring gender parity ranked Japan 125th out of 146 countries in 2023, down from 116th in 2022. – Rappler.com

The Lunar New Year usually starts sometime between late January and mid-February. In mainland China, official celebrations last for seven days as a public holiday. This Lunar New Year, which falls on February 10, is the Year of the Dragon.

I’m a scholar of Chinese religious history and culture who was born in a Year of the Dragon. What fascinates me the most is how the celebrations are a reminder of the longevity and vibrancy of traditional Chinese culture.

Food, gifts, and celebrations

At its core, the Lunar New Year is a celebration that brings the family together. Preparations start a week in advance and include cleaning and decorating the home, as well as shopping, especially for gifts and provisions, and food preparation.

A central event is the family dinner on the eve of the new year. The choice of dishes varies, reflecting family customs and local culinary traditions. Often it includes dumplings, spring rolls, cakes, fish and pork dishes. There is also a fair amount of drinking, especially traditional wines or liquor. Many of the dishes are assigned symbolic meanings. For instance, dumplings are given the shape of gold ingots to invoke good fortune.

Other customs associated with Lunar New Year celebrations include the giving of red envelopes containing money, usually by elders to younger members of the family. The red color, which is also featured prominently in Lunar New Year decorations, symbolizes prosperity and good fortune.

Traditionally, families and local communities burn firecrackers to mark the new year and ward off monsters. According to legend, the origin of the practice goes back to a story about a monster called Nian, who is believed to have been causing great harm to some villages. In response, the villagers are said to have set off explosions to scare off the monster, and the practice caught on. However, more recently the Chinese government has been cracking down on this traditional practice on the grounds of its being dangerous and polluting.

Year of the Dragon

Traditionally, the dragon is an auspicious symbol of strength and power. It is also associated with good fortune, wisdom, success, protection and masculinity. In pre-modern China, it was associated with imperial rule and was prominently featured on the first Chinese flag, initially instituted by the Qing dynasty in 1862. To this day, a dragon image is often used to symbolize China itself.

Because of the dragon’s auspicious associations, dragon years tend to bring upticks in fertility rates. Considering China’s current shrinking population and deepening fertility crisis, some are expressing hope for a baby boom during the coming year, as certain parents may be motivated to bring dragon children into the world.

According to the Chinese zodiac signs, each year in the lunar cycle is associated with a particular animal. This is a 12-year cycle that repeats itself. Thus, there are 12 animals, each associated with a year in the cycle: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

Among the popular myths about the origins of the Chinese zodiac is one about a great race initiated by the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven, in order to measure time. As the rat won the race, it came to be listed first among the 12 animals of the zodiac. The order of the other 11 animals reflected their final position in the race. Each of the 12 zodiac animals came to represent certain characteristics believed to shape the personalities of individuals born in those years, with the dragon often considered to be the most auspicious of all.

Origins of the lunar calendar

Traditionally, the Chinese have followed their native lunar calendar, which is based on observations and measurements of astronomical phenomena. While modern China adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1912, traditional festivals such as the Lunar New Year still follow the old lunar calendar.

The origins of the lunar calendar may go back to the dawn of Chinese civilization, traditionally associated with the legendary Xia dynasty, said to have ruled from 2070 to 1600 B.C. The origins of the Lunar New Year celebrations are also not entirely clear; some scholars believe they likely go back to the rule of the Shang dynasty, which lasted from 1600 to 1050 B.C.

Religiosity and Lunar New Year galas

While the Lunar New Year is generally centered on the theme of family bonding, religious observances are also an integral part of the festivities. These include domestic rituals associated with popular Chinese deities, such as the Kitchen God and the God of Wealth. Family members also make offerings and engage in other rituals related to ancestor worship. Commonly, these include food offerings and the burning of incense at home altars.

During this period, many people go to Buddhist or Taoist temples, as well as other places of worship. They engage in traditional forms of piety, including offering incense and praying for good luck and fortune.

A modern element in ushering in the Lunar New Year is watching the New Year’s Gala, a popular variety show that features singing, dancing, comedy and drama. It first aired in 1983, and ever since it has been broadcast countrywide by CCTV, the national TV broadcaster. It is the most-watched television program in the world, with an audience that can reach as many as 700 million viewers.

Largest human migratioin

In recent decades, China has experienced drastic demographic changes, especially the migration of large rural populations into big urban centers.

Additionally, China’s one-child policy has had far-reaching effects on family structures and, consequently, on traditional customs and observances.

Millions of rural children are living with their grandparents or relatives while their parents work in faraway cities. As a result, the Lunar New Year brings about the largest human migration in the world, as students and migrant workers do their best to get back to their families.

During this period, trains, buses and planes are packed with travelers, and tickets must be booked well in advance. That still remains the case this year, despite China’s gloomy economic outlook.

Celebrations outside China

The Lunar New Year is also celebrated in other parts of Asia, including Vietnam and Singapore, as well as in East Asian communities across the world. Usually, these celebrations have some unique features or assume local character. For instance, in Vietnam, where the festival is known as Tết, there is the preparation of various local dishes, along with parades and public performances.

In the US and Australia, where there are substantial ethnically Chinese populations, Chinese New Year festivals and parades are held each year. Some of them feature the traditional dragon dances, which highlight the communal aspect of Lunar New Year festivities.

Over the centuries, the coming together for the Lunar New Year celebration has remained an important part of the cultural heritage for Chinese families, connecting the past to the present, wherever they happen to be. – The Conversation/Rappler.com

This is an updated version of an article first published on Feb. 1, 2022.

Mario Poceski is a professor of Buddhist studies and Chinese religions at the  University of Florida.

This article was originally published in The Conversation.

Then, the world would be blanketed by dark soot. Temperatures would drop, and there could be no sunny days in over a decade.

On the off chance that you survive all of these, you still have to contend with nuclear winter, political and economic instability, and the third horseman of the apocalypse: famine.

Enter the humble seaweed.

Seaweed, the food for survival

With its ability to thrive with little sunlight and less resources, seaweed can prove to be a resilient crop in the aftermath of a nuclear war, when the food supply chain is disrupted.

In a peer-reviewed study recently published in the science journal Earth’s Future, researchers found that post-nuclear seaweed production could be ramped up to 45% of the global food demand in a short amount of time.

What’s most surprising is that the more severe the nuclear war is, the faster seaweeds can grow. Talk about grace under pressure.

“It’s surprising that the seaweed grows better the worse the nuclear catastrophe is,” Michael Roleda, professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), told Rappler in an interview. “Because actually, we expected the opposite.”

Roleda, who has been studying seaweeds for the past 30 years, is a co-author of the study.

When the world cools after a nuclear war, colder and nutrient-rich water from below rises to the ocean’s surface, Roleda explained. These nutrients would help seaweeds grow faster.

While the algae can survive with low light, Roleda noted that, of course, growth is better if seaweeds are given more than the bare minimum. He said they simulated the growth of seaweeds in a reduced sunlight setting, when the atmosphere is covered by dust in scenarios of a nuclear war or a volcanic eruption.

“The amount of light that could pass through the atmosphere, it’s enough to make the seaweed photosynthesize and grow,” he said. “Basically, that makes seaweed a resilient crop during some catastrophic event.”

Aside from that, seaweed is not reliant on arable land, fertilizers, and pesticides – resources that people may be hard put to get in a time of war.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters, Louisiana State University, University of Canterbury, and the UP MSI.

It envisioned a future after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia, with a world dealing with 150 trillion grams of soot. A separate study in Nature Food saw that this scenario would decrease calorie production from crops up to 90%, three to four years after the war ended.

In the interim

Roleda, who has dedicated much of his academic career in the study of seaweeds, hopes people would appreciate what seaweed has to offer. He studies seaweed as a source of protein and carrageenan.

Carrageenan is extracted from seaweeds and is used as an emulsifier and thickener in different products.

Seaweed can be found from the toothpaste in your bathroom to the canned meat products stocked in your pantries. Even chocolate milk and ice cream has seaweed component.

Seaweed is good for gut health and is rich with vitamins. It has antioxidant and anti-obesity properties, and is a staple in some Asian cuisines. Roleda lamented that despite the popularity of seaweeds in neighboring countries, this enthusiasm for the algae doesn’t translate as much in the Philippines.

“Despite that, very few people appreciate seaweed,” he said. “And the name in itself, ‘weed,’ has a misnomer because if it’s a weed, it’s something unusable, masakit sa mata (It’s an eyesore).”

According to the Philippine Seaweed Industry roadmap, the country used to be a lead exporter of seaweeds, selling to China, the United States, and some European countries. However, the degrading quality of seedlings set back the country.

That’s why Roleda and his team is working on an in-vitro gene bank where they are cultivating different strains to see which has the most superior quality for seaweed farming.

The scientist attributed the underdeveloped industry to the available areas in the country for cultivation, the frequency of typhoons, and the lack of support for research and development in the multimillion dollar industry of seaweeds.

For Roleda, it’s time the government puts forward more support for the seaweed industry – even before a nuclear war erupts in other places in the world.

“We don’t need to wait for a nuclear war to happen or a big volcanic eruption covering all our atmosphere before we appreciate that seaweed is a resilient crop that could maybe help us thrive,” he said. – Rappler.com

The triumphal arch was discovered in December at the site of Viminacium, a Roman city near the town of Kostolac, 70 km (45 miles) east of Belgrade.

Miomir Korac, the leading archaeologist, said the discovery was made during excavation of the main street of Viminacium, the capital of the Roman province of Moesia.

“This is the first such triumphal arch in this area…. It can be dated to the first decades of the third century AD,” Korac told Reuters on Monday, January 22.

Viminacium was a sprawling Roman city of 45,000 people with a hippodrome, fortifications, a forum, palace, temples, an amphitheater, aqueducts, baths, and workshops. It existed between the first and sixth centuries.

“When we found square foundational footprints made of massive limestone pieces…there was no doubt that this was a triumphal arch,” Korac said.

A fragment of a marble slab with letters reading CAES/ANTO suggested that the arch was dedicated to Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, known as Caracalla, who reigned from 198 to 217 AD.

It is believed that Caracalla was elevated to emperor in Viminacium, said Mladen Jovicic, an archaeologist.

“We are hoping to find more pieces…. We have found one finely made pillar, beams, but we would like to find more from the inscription on the arch,” Jovicic said.

Excavations of Viminacium have been going on since 1882, but archaeologists estimate they have only scoured 5% of the site, which they say is 450 hectares – bigger than New York’s Central Park – and unusual in not being buried under a modern city.

Discoveries so far include two Roman ships, golden tiles, coins, jade sculptures, religious items, mosaics, frescos, weapons, and remains of three mammoths. – Rappler.com

As the holiday season brings with it the familiar surge of traffic, my recent travel experiences became even more poignant. The traffic congestion and vibrant hustle and bustle, particularly in our metropolises, make the “ber” period in the Philippines a crucial time to consider the efficacy of our public systems.

Ripple effects of international travel delays

In preparation for my international trip, I left Makati at 2:30 pm for a 9 pm flight, only to find myself caught in the thick of holiday traffic. What was usually a 20-minute drive to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) became an exhausting multi-hour ordeal.

The congestion on the roads was just the beginning of a cascade of delays. Upon arrival at the airport, I was greeted with unexpectedly long queues for a simple bag drop-off at the check-in, and the “priority lanes” at immigration proved to be a misnomer, offering little relief from the lengthy wait. Talk about a domino effect. (Un)surprisingly, we arrived at our boarding gate with less than an hour to spare before departure, only to face an unforeseen twist: we were deplaned – but that’s a story for another time.

Systemic inefficiencies in domestic travel

My domestic travel experience mirrored the same challenges and complexities. Anticipating potential delays, I left Makati well ahead of time for a flight scheduled to board at 3 pm. However, despite my proactive measures, I was soon entangled in a web of inefficiency that seemed all too familiar.

At the airport, I headed straight for the check-in counter, expecting a quick bag drop-off. I was met with another lengthy delay due to systemic inefficiencies. 

The line at the check-in counter was not just due to the usual rush, but was exacerbated by cascading delays from international flights. These delays had spilled over into our domestic system, creating a significant bottleneck even for those of us simply dropping off bags.

It took at least an hour to navigate through this congested process – another stark reminder of how interconnected and vulnerable our systems are to disruptions, even those originating from different segments.

Comprehensive approaches in public service

Ironically, my recent journeys served as a clear demonstration of what I have been advocating for all along – the need for a Complexity Science perspective in strategic planning.

When considering Complex Systems, it’s essential to recognize that the whole is not only more than the sum of its parts but also fundamentally different. This is particularly applicable in systems like city transportation or airport operations, where the interactions between individual components can lead to emergent behaviors that are unexpected and often exceed what each part can achieve independently.

Understanding this perspective is critical in realizing that simple cause-and-effect solutions rarely work effectively in such complex systems. Instead, a multi-faceted approach that considers the myriad variables and their interactions is needed.

This becomes especially critical in public service, where systemic improvements are essential. Merely enhancing individual components of our public infrastructure, such as check-in lines at airports, toll roads, or airport runways alone, is insufficient for addressing the broader issues. Integrated solutions that take into account the complex interplay between various public services are necessary.

For instance, consider the queuing problem at airports – a classic example of a complex system challenge. Mechanism-based modeling helps us understand the fundamental aspects of queuing dynamics, such as the rate of passenger arrival, service times at check-in counters, and the impact of these factors on queue lengths and waiting times.

But while this understanding is crucial for designing efficient queuing systems and managing passenger flow effectively within the airport, it forms just one part of the broader system. Addressing airport efficiency comprehensively requires extending our focus beyond internal dynamics to include external systems, such as the traffic congestion on adjacent roads.

For instance, AI-based predictive models can analyze historical data of passenger traffic, both inside and outside the airport, to forecast peak times, variations in queue lengths, and potential bottlenecks. This broader perspective enables airport management to make more informed, data-driven decisions. For example, anticipating heavy road traffic and its impact on passenger arrival times could lead to adjusting check-in processes or coordinating with city traffic management to mitigate delays.

This integrated approach illustrates the need for a whole-of-systems perspective in managing complex environments. Solving the internal challenges of the airport, while crucial, is not sufficient. A comprehensive strategy must also consider external factors, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience from the journey’s start to its end.

Integrating complexity science for future solutions

The lessons learned from my travel experiences underscore the necessity of embracing a Complexity Science approach in strategic planning and public service. This approach, which includes the utilization of tools in network science, artificial intelligence, and agent-based modeling, among others, is crucial for developing strategies that are not just reactive but also proactive and comprehensive.

By understanding the interplay of various factors in complex systems, such as the cascading effects of delays in air travel or the intricacies of urban traffic during the holiday season, we can move beyond merely alleviating symptoms to addressing the root causes of these issues. Complexity Science empowers us to anticipate potential challenges and craft policies that are adaptable and resilient, improving the quality of life for individuals, particularly during high-stress periods like the holidays.

This perspective is not just about tackling current problems; it’s about preparing for future challenges and ensuring sustainable solutions. It involves looking beyond the immediate, understanding the deeper, interconnected nature of the challenges we face, and appreciating the broader impact of our decisions. – Rappler.com

Erika Fille T. Legara is a scientist and educator interested in the study of complex systems and artificial intelligence. She is an associate professor and holds an Aboitiz Chair in Data Science at the Asian Institute of Management.

Among the most common Christmas traditions are small sets of figures depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus that are displayed in individual homes, and live reenactments of the manger scene in communities and churches. While Nativity sets focus on the holy family, they can also include an angel, the three wise men bringing gifts, shepherds or some barnyard animals.

Around the world, it is common to see particular cultural and religious traditions incorporated through the materials used, the types of gifts presented to Jesus, or the people and animals present at the manger.

The Marian Library at the University of Dayton has over 3,600 Nativity sets, also known as “crèches,” the French word for cribs. These Nativities are used to promote the study of culture and religion. Since one of us is a curator for this collection and the other is a religious studies scholar, we often notice how Nativities can be used to both depict the birth of Jesus and convey unique cultural beliefs.

Troublemakers in Scandinavia

In Nordic folklore, “the tomte,” or “nisse,” is a small creature that looks rather like a garden gnome figurine. These long-bearded, red-capped little lads are associated with Yule, the celebration of the winter solstice in pre-Christian northern Europe.

While these folklore figures were often believed to be quite helpful around a farm, even doing chores in secret at night, they also have a mischievous or sometimes even scary side. For example, in one legend a young farm girl decides to put butter at the bottom of the porridge bowl left out for the nisse, instead of on top. The nisse was so angry he immediately went and killed the farm’s best cow. Once he discovered the butter at the bottom, he felt remorse, and to remedy the situation he stole a cow from the neighboring farm.

In Iceland, the mythical creatures are called Yule Lads, and they visit children’s homes in the lead-up to Christmas. A 2003 Nativity scene by Icelandic crafter and artisan Kristin Karolina blends the two holiday traditions, depicting the birth of Jesus with a band of troublemakers. Made of knitted wool and sheepskin, the mischief-makers are licking the porridge spoon and stealing the Christmas meal through the chimney with a fishing pole.

The devil is in the details

Across the Atlantic, a different type of troublemaker can be found in Nativities: Devils are a common feature in Christmas rituals across Latin America.

Devils at the Nativity are a physical representation of evil in the world, even in the presence of the Christ child. They sometimes specifically represent what Catholic teachings consider “the seven deadly sins”: lust, greed, pride, envy, gluttony, sloth and wrath.

The devil can be found in other popular religious traditions of the Advent and Christmas seasons. One of these practices is the appearance of the devil as a character in a “pastorela,” a popular Mexican dramatic portrayal of the shepherds making their way to visit Jesus. In these Nativity plays, a devil character plays tricks and sets obstacles in the shepherds’ path, trying to keep them from Bethlehem.

Some pastorelas are set in modern times, with the devil role highlighting human sinfulness. But these plays end with a hopeful message: the love, peace and joy in the church’s teaching that God became human.

Another practice called “la quema del diablo,” or “burning of the devil,” is held in Guatemala. Individuals and groups set fires in front of their homes and around their communities to symbolize cleansing the world of all evil. It is held on December 7, in anticipation of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. This feast celebrates the church’s teaching that the Virgin Mary herself was conceived without sin, preparing her to become the mother of God.

Alike in the eyes of God

Contrasted against the vivid colors and expressions in the Latin American depictions, Nativities representing the Amish culture in the United States often feature faceless figures in plain clothing. Amish teachings highly value humility and simplicity – many churches, for example, forbid individuals to pose for a face-on photograph, as this can be seen as a form of pride. Even Amish dolls for children are often created without individual faces.

While each Nativity set incorporates a different set of values and beliefs surrounding the birth of Christ, they are all examples of taking tenets of faith, which can often be abstract ideas, and representing them physically. And for many Christians, such traditions help represent their beliefs in a particularly powerful way: by picturing Jesus within their own culture. – The Conversation/Rappler.com

Kayla Harris is an associate professor and archivist for the Marian Library at the University of Dayton.

Neomi De Anda is a tenured associate professor in the University of Dayton Department of Religious Studies.

This piece was originally published in The Conversation.

This tradition is what the local government, the Department of Tourism (DOT) for Central Luzon, and local researchers are trying to safeguard by nominating the Pamagduman to be a UNESCO-inscribed Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Currently, the Philippines only has five protected ICH despite being a diverse multicultural and multiethnic nation.

Pamagduman is a unique method of cultivating glutinous rice in Pampanga – as well as some parts of Central Luzon – predominantly in Sta. Rita, Pampanga, through an intergenerational practice transferred within families. As written in its dossier, it “entails a long, segmented, and arduous reaping, sorting, threshing, cleaning, roasting, cooling, and winnowing that starts at dawn and lasts until midnight, depending on the yield.”

Renell Bucud, more fondly known as “Mang Galang,” took over as the head Magduman, or Mamuntuk in the local language, when the patriarch of the Galang family, Victor Galang, died in 2022.

Mang Galang, who married into the Galang clan, said that what’s interesting about the duman (the glutinous rice grain or finished product) is that you could only harvest it after the Amihan winds arrive, regardless of whether you planted your seeds in April, May, or even later in August.

The seasonality of this unique grain, coupled with intricate and laborious preparations, are only among the few factors why it is commonly priced at Php 4500 per salop (6 small cups).

Dr. Jonathan Niones, the Chief Science Research Specialist of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), answered through an email interview with Rappler that the Duman is among the traditional rice varieties (TRVs) of rice, specifically from the glutinous type called lakatan.

“I think the advantage of [the] Duman rice is [that it is among] glutinous and pigmented TRVs, which makes it more nutritious and healthier for the consumer. The added value of [having a] viviparous (pre-harvest sprouting) trait makes it different and unique from the other rice varieties,” Niones said.

Agriculture, family, and culture

Ruston Banal, the principal investigator, local champion, project convenor, and visual ethnographer/media specialist for the Duman, said that Pamagduman is the genesis of grassroots farming.

The way they use ethnoecological knowledge in cultivating Duman by allowing the cool northeast wind to let it bloom to its finest perfection and intervening at the perfect moment before it matures to produce the final product is what the locality and the researchers are trying to protect with their UNESCO-ICH element nomination. The right intervention in harvesting happens during the dawn when the wind is still cold and the sun has not yet hardened the grains.

After it is harvested from the libluban, the Magdumans bring it to the palbibewan, which is the multi-purpose roof-covered open space in the house used for milling, sorting, threshing, roasting, pounding, winnowing, and selling of the Duman. It is also where the instruments for Duman processing, some of which are decades old, are set up from November to December.

Pamagduman also represents strong familial bonds and a sense of responsibility for family members. This heirloom tradition is passed down to families, each having their seeds as a prized family possession and a signifier of their identity. Since 2022, only two families, Galang and Cuenca, out of the original 5 clans have been continuing the Pamagduman in the entire Central Luzon. Both families are located in Santo Monica, a barangay in Sta. Rita, Pampanga.

“There’s an astronomical aspect to it…It’s unique, it’s beautiful, it’s artisanal…it’s cultural, it’s musical,” said the Pampanga Provincial Tourism Officer Randy Del Rosario, explaining the importance of the Pamagduman not just in their annual Duman festival but for their town. He also said that they wanted to bring back the tradition where people sing chants during the Babage or the music produced during the pounding of Duman.

Challenges affecting the Pamagduman

Several factors continue to hinder the Pamagduman tradition, requiring safeguarding practices that they hope to get from becoming a UNESCO-inscribed ICH element. The depreciating number of clans harvesting Dumans is proof that the strenuous effort of sustaining this heritage is not economically satisfying.

With TRVs as naturally low-yielding and due to the Duman’s seasonality, the Magdumans can only produce a limited harvest. Most family members working on the farm up until its final product normally receive Php 500 for their 2 days of work, as most of the sales go to the expenses of preparing and ensuring the Duman’s growth.

“This is the irony of Duman. It is made by common farmers but they do not get to enjoy it or eat it,” Del Rosario mentioned, as these Magdumans would rather sell even a small amount of their products than consume it for themselves.

Unfortunately, most long-term consumers have also complained about the Duman quality, some of it losing its milky consistency. Niones told Rappler that there are various factors affecting its purity, including the lack of quality checks, exposure during seed growth, environmental factors, and many others.

“The Varietal Purity is very critical in the production of high-quality seeds (like Duman rice), satisfactory germination, and vigor. Maintaining true-to-type variety and seed quality produce of Duman rice will be sustainable throughout the generation of planting,” Dr. Niones clarified.

While the air is still fragrant during the harvest season and the Pamagduman process, older family members mentioned the current Duman is not as aromatic as it was before.

While there is no specific research for the Duman rice yet, Niones believes that PhilRice’s technical assistance and seed quality production training to the community could help in bringing back the true-to-type and high quality of the Duman seed to the community. It also aims to increase production which could help families economically and bring back some of its lost traditions during the Pamagduman.

Although currently limited, research funding has been helpful in steering awareness and protection for the Pamagduman. Aside from the DOT Region III, The Nanay Foundation, a local NGO, has helped this initiative by providing the initial funding for the research.

Del Rosario said that their efforts to secure the Pamagduman as a UNESCO-inscribed ICH element would not only ensure the longevity of this cultural heritage but also break socio-economic barriers by making the Duman more affordable. Buying from the farmers and visiting the town during its Duman festival every first Saturday of December are among the things Filipinos could support their cause. – Rappler.com