Against the backdrop of earthshaking events and momentous political and economic developments, it is sometimes difficult to remember that life goes on. We are too far removed in time to recall when it took days if not weeks for “The News” to travel around the world.
Spain proclaimed the autonomy of colony Puerto Rico on November 25, 1897, although the news did not reach the island until January 1898.
While it is important to read the “Front Page,” we are limiting our knowledge and missing out on other important issues, and that is not beneficial for the individual or the nation. There is no excuse for this information deficiency, and it is the fault of journalists who ignore less “sexy” stories. The primary purpose of journalism—forgotten by many news organizations—is to make the world a better place by creating more well-informed citizens. And “well-informed” does not mean only about “advocacy issues.”
The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PNRI), just “began the loading of TRIGA nuclear fuel in the core of the Philippine Research Reactor-1 Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education, and Research [PRR-1 SATER], signaling the start of the nuclear commissioning as the country’s sole nuclear reactor training facility” (https://www.pnri.dost.gov.ph/).
The PRR-1 facility was shut down in 1988, leaving the country without an operating nuclear facility for the last 34 years. This may not seem like an important issue. However, the purpose is to give the research and academic community access to further knowledge and education on the nuclear science. Yes, there will be real-world applications for this specifically if and when the Philippines looks closer at nuclear power generation in a world that is rejecting “dirty” fuels to maintain a modern healthy lifestyle.
While ignoring this event, we also have not been told about the accomplishment of one of our own nuclear researchers. “Dr. Thomas Neil B. Pascual, S&T Fellow of DOST-PNRI, won the International Best Abstract Award 2022 from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging [founded in 1954]. Dr. Pascual’s abstract thoroughly detailed the result of his systematic review of 18-FDG PET/CT, used to evaluate brain tumors, diagnosis, and response to treatment.” This might be more important than which starlet is being cheating on by which husband.
Another story that has yet to penetrate the local news has direct relevance to the Philippines. The deadliest animal on Earth—humans excluded—is the mosquito because of the wide variety of illnesses it spreads including malaria and arboviruses West Nile, yellow fever, Zika, chikungunya and our own scourge, dengue. New research from the University of Leeds has identified a way to protect against multiple different mosquito viruses by vaccination or even using an ointment against mosquito saliva. By targeting a specific molecule in mosquito saliva called sialokinin, the researchers believe it could be possible to protect against mosquito-borne diseases.
The “Gallup Global Emotions 2021” survey found that we were on top of the world for the question “Did you learn or do something interesting yesterday?” Filipinos ranked number one with 78 percent saying “YES.” Half of us are stressed out but 75 percent of Filipinos were both well rested and enjoyed the day before.
While not new news as it was from late 2020 and early 2021, the Philippines ranked number two on “Highest Positive Experiences Worldwide,” a survey of how people felt on most days. Not all the important news are negative.