Dr. Alan Cajes: Portrait of a Filipino as a Data Scientist

This article  is published on 1 January 2021 at <https://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/news/latest-news/412-dr-alan-cajes-portrait-of-a-filipino-as-a-data-scientist>

With love and devotion for his country and its citizenry, this Filipino expert finds what Leonardo da Vinci called “the joy of understanding” in a bulk of data.

Born in the banana capital of the Philippines, Davao del Norte is the hometown of this prolific and versatile Vice President and Senior Executive Fellow of Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and Project Leader of the Smarter Philippines through Data Analytics R&D, Training and Adoption or SPARTA, Dr. Alan Cajes.

For Cajes, being a data scientist was more of necessity as his job requires him to deep dive into the huge volumes of data including Framework Formulation and Study of Spatial Development, Forecast-Based Emergency Preparedness, and Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment, which according to him use some degree of data science.

“This happens when we collect data the best way we can and allow such, using an acceptable method, to reveal to us new information that leads to new insights, and then new knowledge that can be used to improve the way we do things in the public, business, and civil society sector,” he shared.

In an email correspondence, Cajes revealed that his typical workday as a data scientist often involves reviewing literature and previous projects; discussing and framing questions with colleagues and project team members; designing, pre-testing, and enhancing the data collection instruments; printing the final version of these instruments and training the enumerators on how to administer such; as well as data cleaning that includes detecting, removing or correcting errors. Next is tabulating, interpreting, analyzing, and presenting the data, putting together the findings, reflecting on the recommendations, writing, and presenting the report. Then, celebrate success in project task achievement that contributed something new to the body of knowledge, and hopefully helps, no matter how little, to improve the Philippine society.

He virtuously described Filipino data scientists as keen observers, able to swim in an ocean of data, and find timely as well as reliable patterns among them. He continued, “they are artists who are creative in presenting their discoveries so that the intended users will appreciate and make informed decisions, be it in the form of policies, products or services that create public and customer value.”

“Filipinos can benefit from data science through employment opportunities for our data scientists and harnessing their expertise in solving socio-economic problems at the national and local levels, as well as creating public and customer value through new products, improved services, and evidence-based policies,” he said.

Recognizing the high demand for data scientists, he urged all Filipinos to seize this exceptional opportunity to become SPARTA scholars and live out the core values of Dangal (honor and integrity), Galing (smart and innovative), and Tatag (stable and future ready).

“But more than turning raw data into valuable insights,” Cajes says “data scientists are expected to have the skill set (e.g., data mining, data visualization, among others), mind set (e.g., curiosity and synoptic thinking) to provide meaningful and useful insights to decision makers and executives, and a patriotic calling of using data science to solve some of the challenges that we are facing such as infectious diseases, limited access to potable water, poverty, climate-related disasters, corruption, inefficiencies in the delivery of services, and many more.”

Recalling these traits that a data scientist must possess, he was reminded of an experience he had long ago with some of his trailblazing projects that the DAP conceived, designed, and implemented in the 70s including the Social Indicators Project (1974-75) that gave birth to the idea of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), and the Population, Resources, Environment, and the Philippine Future (PREPF), a forward-looking project in 1975-77 that explored historical trends in Philippine society and their implications for the future – 2000 A.D.

“Our pioneer data scientists showed us that there is an alternative way of probing the future – evidence-based analysis,” he explained. “That is why in 2016, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) tapped the DAP to design and implement a project like the PREFP. This is a Framework Formulation and Study of Spatial Development under the new normal with the idea to explore data and analyze their implications on safer settlements in the future.”

The life of a data scientist is quite like a roller coaster ride and even the Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP) and Coursebank recognized that one must face the challenges in exponential growth of data and the limited number of data literate workforce.

"The estimate this year is that every person generates about 1.7 megabytes of data per second. This trend will increase with the emergence of smart city initiatives nationwide. If we don’t have the appropriate infrastructure support, big data warehousing and data mining won’t be easy," Cajes remarked. "APEC estimates 340,880 data science and data analytics workers will be needed in the Philippines by 2022. So, we have a huge demand compared to the supply, which is likely less than 20% of the demand."

He supported the claim of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) about scarcity of DSA competencies in the current workforce and a misalignment between the demand and supply of DSA professionals in the country. Specifically, it revealed that the 10 DSA-related programs in the Philippines produced 176,597 graduates but only 38% or 62,583 workers were considered fit for the DSA field. Also, the International Labor Organization concluded that there is a risk posed by automation on about 49% of the workforce in the BPO industry.

This Filipino data scientist holds the notion that the country can become one of the “high potential” and then “leading” nation with the right policies and investments in appropriate infrastructure despite the World Economic Forum declaration that the Philippines fall under the “legacy” archetype in relation to Industry 4.0. Bold, albeit cautiously optimistic, he uttered that it is possible to become one of the global leaders in data science.

"Although we are about two years behind Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand in preparing for data science, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) remains steadfast in providing the required support. We have a good number of schools that offer degree programs in statistics compared to other Southeast Asian countries. We have a younger generation that we can train on data science and be mentored by experienced data science academics and practitioners," Cajes expressed.

Supported by the DOST, through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), and led by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the Project SPARTA seeks to produce 30,000 data scientists through a massive online training program in data science, analytics and its related fields. It creates necessary online education, R&D mechanisms and infrastructure enabling data science and analytics to strengthen smart governance practices.

“We encourage them,” he says referring to the SPARTA scholars “to learn as much as they can on their own (through e-learning modules), and with their fellow scholars (through hackathons). They are the new breed of knowledge workers who can handle big data and provide useful ideas for new products, services, or policies to continually improve Philippine society.”

With experiential knowledge coupled with great fervor and incessant desire to solve complex problems, Dr. Alan Cajes becomes particularly adept at finding trends and obtaining insights from meaningful data.

“We look forward to the day when our SPARTA scholars become valued assets in their respective organizations, as well as coaches and mentors to a new generation of knowledge workers,” he says.

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Dr. Cajes is vice president and senior executive fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines. He is project lead of the DOST-funded SPARTA Project. This article  is published on 1 January 2021 at <https://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/news/latest-news/412-dr-alan-cajes-portrait-of-a-filipino-as-a-data-scientist>

Our Grandfather, Eutiquio Bigcas Salces (1918-2017)

by Alan S. Cajes

Our late grandfather was named Eutiquio, which means “Fortunate” in the Old Greek language. We remember his fourth death anniversary on March 1, 2021.

Bigcas, which is the surname of our grandfather’s mother, Gregoria, is Visayan term for “string or rope to snap apart”. It is not found in the list of surnames given by the Spanish Government in the Philippines in the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos published in 1849. Salces is also not included in that catalogue. This could mean that Bigcas and Salces were already used as surnames by our forefathers in the Philippines before 1849. It could also mean that the people who carried those surnames came to the Philippines after 1849.

It is not easy to trace the lineage of our Bigcas ancestors. The only information we have is that they came from Loboc, Bohol. How they end up in Batuan, Bohol is anybody’s guess. The same can be said about our Salces ancestors.

We fondly call our grandfather as Lolo or Tatay Tikyo. He was a veteran of the Second World War. He helped carry the food for the guerilla forces of Bohol, he once told me. The Bohol Area Command had its headquarters then in Barangay Behind the Clouds, a few kilometers away from Cantigdas, his home barangay.

I was five years old when I stayed with him and our Lola Alejandra (who deserves a separate article). He was the barangay captain at that time. I had the privilege of accompanying him as he performed some of his functions, such as conducting barangay hall meetings or just being present during activities like operation tuli, bayle, repair of classrooms, canvassing of votes during election days, as well as attending weddings and funerals.

Our old grandparents' house was near two streams that meet several meters away from the back of the house. During rainy season, the streams have constantly flowing clear water. Even during the dry season, the streams would not run out of flowing water. We used to swim every now and then in those streams. In the evening, the sound of the flowing water would serve as an apt background to lull us into sleep.

The stream at the right side of the house is where we had a large species of bamboo. He once harvested bamboo as fence (sasa) for my school garden. This stream is my favorite place for playing because the water is not too deep. It is where we could catch freshwater fish (hawan) and mudfish, as well as snails and crabs that our lola could cook to near perfection using a mixture of coconut meat and herbs that grow near the house. The stream at the left side of the house was the favorite swimming place of our uncles and aunties. The water was deep and its current was strong for my age then. This side of the house had a log that served as a bridge and link to a small farm or limbajan. This is also the side where we had a purple colored star apple (kaimito) tree, tambis, and a small coconut tree. I used to climb these trees until I was in college.

At the back portion of the house, about thirty meters away from our kitchen, the two streams meet in a circular pool. This part of the yard has a cave, a canal that is carved from stone to provide water to nearby rice fields, a small waterfall, and a mini forest. After lunch or when it is off season for school, I used to rest in a branch of a large guava tree directly under the cool shade of a large kaimito tree. Both trees have abundant fruits almost throughout the year. I used to invite my friends during the kaimito season. Some of the ripe fruits would just fall on the ground. Most of the time, I need not climb. I just choose the fruits that recently fell from the branches.

A natural phenomenon that made me fall in love with the beauty of the planet is the interplay of the two streams near our grandparents’ house and the subsequent creation of a whirlpool, in which water is somehow sucked underground. Several meters away from the whirlpool, the underground water gushes out, similar to a freshwater spring. When I was young, the whirlpool (huphupan) was so strong during the rainy season. I could see different debris being swallowed and taken underground, perhaps a crude version of a black hole. The bugwak or the other end of the whirlpool is a different story. Since the water gushes out from down under, it was a safe swimming pool.

In our grandparents’ house where I spent part of my childhood, everything was manually done – from planting crops like rice to cooking food like the delicious hinalang (chicken meat cooked with coconut milk). Planting and harvesting were a family enterprise. Most of the time, we had meals and snacks together. Because there was no television yet, we spent the evening singing, playing or sharing jokes and stories under the moonlight or while manually separating corn from cob.

Those were the days when I could tell the time by the radio dramas or programs; when our Lolo Tikyo helped in bringing water and electricity to homes; when fireflies were abundant and some native trees glow (amag) at night; when we share food with the household of Iyo Loloy and Inse Nanie, our close neighbors and relatives; when Nong Porin would share with us freshly collected tuba from the coconut tree near the house; when the mention of Santilmo and tiaw could trigger fear in our hearts; when Manok ni San Pedro was a favorite source of entertainment after dinner; when rice pounding was one of the household chores; when we go to Church every Sunday walking for about two kilometers wearing tsinelas and then wash our soiled feet in a stream near the Poblacion so we could put on our shoes; when our uncles and aunties had to leave to complete their studies, or work in other places.

How our grandparents managed to support their children is a good topic for discussion. But one thing that Lolo Tikyo cared about, other than Lola and the kids, was his faith. He respected the faith of his relatives and friends. Yet he was a devout Catholic. We were once classmates in a course that trained Catholic Faith Defenders. When discussions about the Bible happened in the house, he would explain his positions on the selected topics and I would reinforce him with the verses.

When we met during the ordination of Father Dante in Tagaytay City, after more than ten years of not seeing each other in person, he could no longer hear me. His sense of hearing already failed him. Yet we managed to have a conversation — he would read the text that I would compose on a cell phone and then he would say in a loud voice his response. As the eldest of the grandchildren, it would have been painful if he would no longer recognize me in his old age, as some of you may have experienced. I am glad that his memory did not fail him yet. The last time I saw him, I glimpsed the familiar twinkle in his eyes and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon just sitting around with him while enjoying tuba and the company of our uncles and relatives.

Yes, I learned a trick or two on how to put a smile on the face of our grand old man. Vaya con dios Tay Tikyo. Thank you for the memories of ricefields and simple rural living.

Virtue Ethics in Daily Life

By A. Salces Cajes, PhD

The focus of this article is the sub-field of Ethics called normative ethics (the other fields are metaethics and applied ethics). The objective is to answer the question: How can we use Ethics to ensure that we are doing the right thing? 

Broadly speaking, we can describe Ethics as the art and science of correct doing. It is an art because we can practice or apply it in our daily lives. It is a science since it has a specific body of knowledge and principles that can guide human decisions.

Normative ethics helps us in making a decision about what is right and what is wrong. There are three strategies to do this: one, through duty theories; two, through consequentialist theories, and three, through virtue theories or virtue ethics. This article is about the third strategy.

Some Notes on Duty and Consequentialist Theories

Duty theories, among others, require us to practice The Golden Rule: do to others what you require others to do to you. The negative formulation of this rule states that you should not do to others what you do not want others to do to you. These norms are embodied in two ethical principles: beneficence (do good or be merciful and charitable) and nonmaleficence (avoid evil or do no harm). The references for these principles are human rights, laws, customs, as well as categorical imperatives or obligations, such as justice and fidelity.

Consequentialist theories involve a cost-benefit analysis of the effects of our decisions. Thus a good decision implies that the consequence of a decision is more beneficial compared to the cost or the negative effect. The consequentialist theories cover ethical egoism, ethical altruism, and utilitarianism.

On Virtue Ethics

Virtue refers to attitude and behavior that is consistent with high moral standards. Thus a virtuous person thinks, feels and acts in accordance to the standards of excellence and morality. The natural or four cardinal virtues are prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. The Christian theological virtues are faith, hope, and love. In Buddhism, virtue refers to the right view. In Islam, it means righteousness.

One way to become a virtuous person is to practice what Aristotle calls as habits to control human emotions. This can be done by cultivating phronesis —moral or practical wisdom, which aims for the good of society by uncompromisingly pursuing excellence. Thus a phronetic leader is like the Gita’s Perspective of Hinduism, and the sage king of Confucianism who combines wisdom, virtue and authority. Or the King Solomon of the Old Testament who was wise and ethical.

Practical wisdom is a fundamental virtue. It is also known as common sense. Barry Schwartz describes it as doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.

How can we cultivate practical wisdom? The good news is that our DNA and RNA enable the transfer of information from one generation to the next. So one way to develop common sense is by introspection or reflection. The other ways include interacting with other people, by working together, by sharing contexts and stories through conversation, by reading books about history and the humanities, etc.

The art of practicing virtue ethics is not an easy task. To use the words of Dag Hammarskjold, it involves the longest journey, which is the journey inwards. As Socrates reminded us: “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” 

The Filipino concept of "loob" can help us in this journey. By listening to, and getting in sync with, our "loob" or will (other translations include inner self, spirit, consciousness), we can be grounded with our core values that can illuminate our process of decision making.

References

Hursthouse, Rosalind and Glen Pettigrove, "Virtue Ethics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2018/entries/ethics-virtue/>.

“Ethics,” by James Fieser, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, https://www.iep.utm.edu/, today’s date.

Life Skills of a Sustainable Consumer

by A. Salces Cajes, PhD

I had the opportunity to share in an online forum the life skills of a sustainable consumer. Given the time allotted, I came up with a list as shown in the picture. Let me briefly describe each one of these life skills.

Be a smart and wise spender. This a basic life skill that any one can practice at the earliest possible time. This simply means spending within one's means or income. Since we are now living in a VUCAD  (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, disruptive) world, our source of income is unstable, to say the least. Spending lower than what one earns is important to manage one's balance sheet. This can be done by applying sound financial management, such as buying only the essential items and saving for the future.

Invest in your future. Saving is not easy, especially if one has trouble making ends meet. But given an opportunity to save, this life skill is a must in preparation for one's future. The life expectancy among Filipinos is about 71 in 2020 compared to about 54 in 1950. Thus we need  safety nets as we advance in age, such as by investing in loan associations or cooperatives that provide higher annual interest earning, getting health insurance, creating a retirement fund, and by leading a healthy lifestyle. 

Reduce your ecological footprint. The country's supply of natural capital (biocapacity) is lower than the population's demand (ecological footprint). Thus, the Philippines has been on an ecological deficit since the 1960s. Our strategy under the new normal should include the "surgical operation" that Atty. Tony Oposa has been advocating -- CPR! This means conserving, protecting and restoring our life systems or natural resources. Some of the ways by which we can practice this life skill is by reducing, reusing and recycling products through zero waste management. Another way is by doing plant-based diet --more food derived from plants and less from animal products.

Practice ecocycle thinking. This is a higher form of life skill that builds on the previous ones. The reference document is nature itself and her laws. Francis Bacon said that "nature to be commanded must first be obeyed." Barry Commoner rephrased this as "nature knows best" in his four laws of ecology. Just as nature recycles every single drop of water, human beings should learn biomimicry to solve human problems. This life skill demands that the materials that society produces should be assimilated by the environment without damaging the natural capacities and services. It also challenges people to use more renewable resources and less non-renewable resources, to avoid stock wastes that require "garbage cemeteries" or landfills, as well as to turn away from a throw-away society that is driven by unbridled consumerism. 

Be a green consumer. Being a green consumer or a green purchaser is a life skill that requires a mindset that favors green products, eco products, products with green labels, organic products or products that have the lowest possible carbon dioxide equivalent footprint in the entire life cycle. As a sustainable consumer, one should avoid "willful ignorance" in choosing and buying items sold in the market place. Consumers have the power to influence the consumption and production patterns into something that approximate the infinity business model.

Invest in natural capital. One can develop this life skill through gardening, natural farming, tree planting, rehabilitating coral reefs, etc. As a sustainable consumer, one can also say no to products that are derived from environmentally destructive activities. At the community level, this can be done through sustainable development approaches like agroforestry, organic agriculture, community forestry, and by protected areas management, such as establishing marine sanctuaries and ecotourism sites. Investing in biocapacity or natural capital is a strategy that complements the reduction in ecological footprint.

Life Skill: Compassion

by A. Salces Cajes, PhD

Compassion is hard to practice because our default mode is self protection. Anger occurs as the brain releases catecholamines that trigger a short-term burst of energy. J. Blair (2018) defines anger as “a response to a perceived threat to oneself or to another. It is a response to frustration”.

Anger is neither a pleasant experience nor a proper moment to make decisions. For sure, no one wants to work with an unpleasant person - the bearer of anger. To overcome anger, we redirect (not suppress) it. One way to redirect anger is by distraction — read a book, go to a beach, take care of your plants, or write a letter to the concerned person to express your frustration and then burn the paper or delete your file.

Another way is by reappraisal - listen, check the context, understand the events, etc. Reappraisal can help us become more compassionate. In the process we also train our brain — the supramarginal gyrus of our cerebral cortex — to differentiate our own emotional condition from that of other people. Thus, we have the power to manage anger and the capacity to practice compassion.

Let’s keep in mind Aristotle’s words of wisdom: “Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.”

Life Skill: Personal Code of Conduct

 A. Salces Cajes, PhD

Also known as the moral code, code of honor, ten commandments or decalogue, the personal code of conduct states the ethical norms that guide you in deciding which decision or action is right or wrong. Such ethical norms represent the standards or ideals that you set for yourself. 

Your code serves as the terms of reference for your conscience when it makes an evaluation about the rightness or wrongness of an action, decision or behavior. If your code is consistent with your credo and values, then you gain confidence in the quality of your choices and actions.

Since your code represents the most sacred character of your being, it has a normative function --it regulates your conduct. In case you  violate your code, your conscience can trigger you to stop, repent or take a positive or affirmative action. It tells you to say sorry or repay an injury that has been done.

If there is such thing as honor among thieves, the right thing to do is for good men and women to have a superior set of moral compass to make this world or our communities, organizations, and homes better places to live in. 

Some examples of a code of conduct include the following:

• I shall abide by the principle of beneficence or ahimsa by doing good and avoiding evil;
• I shall protect my personal integrity at all times;
• I shall observe zero tolerance to corruption;
• I  shall treat and respect other people as my kapwa.

The True Decalogue by Apolinario Mabini is good source of a code of conduct:

First. Love God and your honor over all things: God, as the source of all truth, all justice and all activity; your honor, the only power that obliges you to be truthful, just and industrious.

Second. Worship God in the form that your conscience that God speaks to you, reproaching you for your misdeeds and applauding you for your good deeds.

Third. Develop the special talents that God has given you, working and studying according to your capabilities, never straying from the path of good and justice, in order to achieve your own perfection, and by this means you will contribute to the progress of humanity: thus you will accomplish the mission that God himself has given you in this life, and achieving this, you will have honor, and having honor, you will be glorifying God.

Fourth. Love your country after God and your honor, and more than you love yourself, because your country is the only paradise that God has given you in this life; the only patrimony of your race; the only inheritance from your ancestors; and the only future of your descendants: because of your country you have life, love and interests; happiness, honor and God.

Fifth. Strive for the happiness of your country before your own, making her the reigning influence for reason, justice and work; if your country is happy, you and your family will also be happy.

Sixth. Strive for the independence of your country, because you alone can have a real interest in her aggrandizement and ennoblement, since here independence will mean your own freedom, her aggrandizement your own perfection, and her ennoblement your own glory and immortality.

Seventh. In your country, do not recognize the authority of any person who has not been elected by you and your compatriots, because all authority comes from God, and as God speaks to the conscience of each individual, the person chosen and proclaimed by the consciences of all the individuals of a whole town is the only one that can exercise real authority.

Eighth. Strive that your country be constituted as a republic, and never as a monarchy: a monarchy empowers one or several families and lays the foundation for a dynasty; a republic ennobles and dignifies a country based on reason, it is great because of its freedom, and is made prosperous and brilliant by dint of work.

Ninth. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, because God has imposed on him and on you the obligation to help one another, and has dictated that he does not do unto you what he does not want you to do unto him; but if your neighbor is remiss in this sacred duty and makes an attempt on your life, your freedom and your priorities, then you should destroy him and crush him, because the supreme law of self preservation must prevail.

Tenth. Always look on your countryman as more than a neighbor: you will find in him a friend, a brother and at least the companion to whom you are tied by only one destiny, by the same happiness and sorrows, and by the same aspirations and interests.

Because of this, while the borders of the nations established and preserved by the egoism of race and of family remain standing, you must remain united to your country in perfect solidarity of views and interests in order to gain strength, not only to combat the common enemy, but also to achieve all the objectives of human life. (http://malacanang.gov.ph/8132-the-true-decalogue-by-apolinario-mabini/)

On Human Rights

by A. Salces Cajes, PhD

The concept of human rights is usually traced to the year 539 BC when Cyrus the Great declared the freedom of the slaves saying that all human beings are equal in race and that they could choose the religion to believe in and practice. Indeed, it has a long and tumultuous history, but some countries are able to advance and protect human rights better than others.

So, what are human rights and why are they important?

Human rights are ultimately derived from the natural wants of human beings. The natural wants are inalienable and fundamental to every person. An act to deny the fulfillment of such natural wants would dehumanize a person. 

People, for instance, will not survive for a long time without water to quench their thirst. Thus thirst is a natural desire and quenching the thirst is a natural want. When someone denies the fulfillment of this natural want, the person will eventually die or cease to exist as a person. If someone limits access to water, then the affected persons will not be able to fully develop and realize their potential. In the process, they will become weak, unhealthy, susceptible to disease, and their mental development is affected; hence unable to make intelligent or wise decisions.

Natural wants are needs, and needs are part of our being. But some needs are more important than others, as thinkers like Abraham Maslow suggests. Others think that needs are fundamental and interrelated, and that there are needs that are common to all people regardless of time, race or place.

Through the State, the human needs are positively recognized and protected; hence, these human needs become human rights. Some States, however, are better than others in formulating and implementing the policies and laws to protect and promote human rights.

"Right" in Pilipino means karapatan. This implies something that is due to a person (nararapat), which a rational person is duty bound or morally obliged to fulfill (dapat tuparin). In Visayan, "right" means katungod that also implies a duty or moral obligation (katungdanan) to fulfill.

The idea that some rights are more important than others is generally acceptable. The challenge is how to operationalize or live out the reality that there are different types, limitations and possible conflicts of human rights.

Life Skill: Statement of Core Values

by A. Salces Cajes, PhD

Your statement of core values naturally flows from the credo. Values are the bases by which you distinguish the right from wrong action. The core values are your “non-negotiables” regardless of the circumstance, time or place. As such, values can be understood as the ethical foundations of human actions, intentions and decisions.

One way of determining your core values is by listing down the major actions or decisions you have made in your life. Review the list and then identify the reasons why you choose such actions or decisions. These reasons are manifestations of your values, i.e., why you do the things you do.

Core values can help students in deciding the kind of future that they will create, the profession that they would like to pursue, or the organization that they would like to work for after graduation. For professionals, core values are determinants in choosing your lifestyle, workstyle, advocacy or friends.

Inventory of Core Values. Come up with a list of three to seven core values or your “non-negotiables”. Describe these core values so that they are clear to you and for other people. Make sure that these values are consistent with your credo. Examples of core values are the following:

· Catholic values: Sanctity of life; Fidelity in relationship

· Mulan (the Movie): Honor; Duty

· Knights (of King Arthur): Courage; Justice

· Leadership: Integrity; Empathy

· Islamic values: Honesty; Kindness

· Filipino values: Hospitality; Loyalty.

 Describe the Core Values.  By describing the core values, you articulate the meaning and implication of these values to yourself and to other people. Examples of descriptions of core value are the following:

·  Jose Rizal, Patriotism: "I wish to show those who deny us Patriotism that we know how to die for our country and convictions."

·  San Miguel Corporation, Sustainable Development: “We advocate sustainable development - We believe in using only what we need and integrating sustainability practices into our operations. Water stewardship, energy optimization and reducing waste are our key environmental priorities.”

·  Author, Obedience or Loyalty: “I will obey and follow the right management instructions to the best of my abilities. I will refuse and oppose instructions that my conscience could not accept.”

Life Skill: Personal Credo

by A. Salces Cajes, PhD

A personal credo is a set of beliefs guiding your thoughts, behavior, and attitude. It may also consist of principles to live in life. The credo can be distilled from your faith, culture, tradition, upbringing, lessons gained, and experiences.

A credo is important because it serves as one's center of being. When you are exposed to different individuals, groups, experiences and ideas, you will also become susceptible to beliefs and principles that are different from your own.

"Find your center" is a healthy reminder when you are unsure about the decision to make or the action to take. This is especially true when you are confronted with options or temptations that will affect your future. 

In the end, you will have to live and deal with yourself. So, make sure that your personal credo is grounded on ideas and ideals that are consistent with the best available sources of knowledge and wisdom. As a quote, which is attributed to the Vedas, say: "At the center of our being is a truth that shines brighter than a thousand suns."

You may refer to the examples below in crafting your personal credo.

• I believe in karma -- that good and bad actions will respectively yield positive or negative consequences to me in the near or far future. -- Author
• I believe in the inherent goodness of human beings, the beauty of our planet and her creatures, the grandeur of the universe and the wisdom of the Creator. -- Author
• I believe that life has meaning and my search for that meaning challenges me to live life to the fullest. -- Author 
• I believe that someday people will "live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

From time to time, you need to revise or enhance your personal credo. In my case, I do it at least every year, each time I am facing a major decision to make, or when I read something that catches my attention. This poem entitled "To Have Succeeded" by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a good source of a personal credo:

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived -- this is to have succeeded."

Life Skills

by A. Salces Cajes, PhD

Life Skill refers to the right combination of knowledge, skill, attitude, and behavior that will help a person in coping with what the World Health Organization (WHO) describes as the "demands and challenges of everyday life." In Filipino, it simply means "Kakayahang Mamuhay". The context is right or proper living or "mamuhay ng maayos, mabuti at matiwasay". These terms, of course, need to be properly defined. But at this point, let's just use these terms as we know them -- i.e., not in the bad sense.

As I gain experience and knowledge, including hopefully wisdom, I'm sharing some insights on Life Skills that anyone can apply in their respective professional or life journeys. The articles about this topic will be simpler and personal. The "label" is "life skills" for easy reference.

Most of the lessons that I've gained are products of my reading, studies, interactions with experts and ordinary human beings, training programs, professional experiences, etc. Let me then share with you some of the life skills that I've learned and gained with the hope that these may help you in coping with the demands and challenges that may come along your way.

In relation to this topic, my related professional experiences include managing programs and projects for more than 25 years, leading people for about the same number of years, conducting organizational studies, running training sessions on strategic, operational, and risk management for the public, private an civil society sectors. I have also served as assessor of the Philippine Quality Award for a couple of years.

Caveat: Let's learn from others, but let's think and act for ourselves.

Sustainable Development: Perspective from the Philippines

Click here

Weber’s Theory of Social Class

by Alan S. Cajes, PhD

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber

A social structure has different dimensions, namely, class, status, and power. These dimensions are key factors that cause social differences or social stratification. Social class refers to people who have similar economic interests. There are four social classes that serve as the means for people belonging to such class to gain a position in life or to attain satisfactions. Status is a recognized level of social esteem that can be ranked as high or low based on the status of other people. It can be positive or negative in its evaluation and consequences to people. Power is understood as organized power through a party. A party as organized power can refer to a political party, labor organization, business council, NGOs or professional association. A party holds and exerts influence in society.

The Weberian concept of a social class is a reaction and an extension to the Marxist theory of a social class that is mainly defined in economic terms. For Weber, social classes are not just defined by the presence or absence of private property, and the means and factors of production. People are not simply rich or poor, exploited or exploiter, proletariat or bourgeoisie. Weber did not remove the Marxist concept of social class from the equation. He recognized it, and then extended it. 

For Max Weber (1864-1920), a social class implies a group of people having similar economic needs, expectations, and interests. There are four social classes, namely, the privileged class (people who own property and have education), the intelligentsia (those with no property), the petty bourgeoisie (the farmers, shopkeepers, professionals), and the working class.

Class differences are factors in stratification in the sense that one can distinguish a higher class from a lower class. Similar to classes, status or the “effective claim to social esteem” can also be ranked as high or low based on the status of other people. It can be positive or negative in its evaluation and consequences to people. Although status could cut across social classes, it is usually the people who have high status who also belong to the higher classes. Moreover, organized power or party is a factor in social stratification. Just like status, party can cut across social classes. However, it is usually the privileged class who hold organized power.

Levels of social class, status, and party may differ from one person to another or from one society to another, but economic power (held by the privileged class) usually goes with organized power and high esteem or status. Social stratification should therefore be analyzed using the shades or dimensions of a social structure not just purely on Marxist economics.

Reference: 

Weber, Max, 1978, Economy and Society (2 vols) (edited by Guenther Roth and Claus Wittich) Berkeley: University of California Press.

From Domination to Stewardship: A Change in World View

By Alan S. Cajes, PhD[1]

One of the passages in the Bible that has perturbed me as a Christian Catholic and as someone whose work involves environmental management states: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth."[2]

When I was younger, this passage is alright because I have been taught in school that “man” is the apex of creation. As I gain more experience in undertaking environment-related teaching and research tasks, however, this biblical decree started to trouble me. Did God really command that we, human beings, subdue (to bring somebody/something under control, especially by using force)[3] our planet and have dominion (authority to rule; control)[4] over the non-human forms of life? If yes, is this a reason why we have the propensity to cause damage to our environment?

The usual answer that I get from persons I asked about my concern is that we need to understand the context of the passage and that the text should not be taken literally. This answer did not put a closure to what has been my concern for quite some time – to understand the meaning and implication of the biblical passage.

As it turned out, there are others who find the passage problematic. Thomas Berry, in a paper that he read at Harvard University said:

“The university can be considered as one of the four basic establishments that determine human life in its more significant functioning. These four are the government, the church, the university and the commercial-industrial corporation - the political, religious, intellectual and economic establishments… They all presume a radical discontinuity between the non-human and the human with all the rights given to the human to exploit the non-human.”[5]

Berry did not say that the Church committed an error because of its interpretation of Genesis 1:28. He also did not criticize the wording of the passage. He said that “the creation story in Genesis 1 is the story of the victory of the Heavenly Father God over the Mother Earth God. The first commandment, therefore, is ‘Thou shalt have no Mother Earth God.’”[6] This was Berry’s response to the questions asked by Daniel Spencer, who “was struggling to make sense of the Genesis creation accounts’ themes of human dominion and stewardship in light of my geological understandings of Earth’s origins and my concerns for how dominion interpreted as domination had contributed to massive ecological degradation.”[7]

In 1966, Lynn White delivered a lecture entitled “The Historic Roots of Our Ecological Crisis” at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. White claimed that the roots of the ecological crisis could be linked to the Judaeo-Christian theology, which separated humans from nature and then made humans dominate nature. He said:

“Christianity inherited from Judaism not only a concept of time as nonrepetitive and linear but also a striking story of creation. By gradual stages a loving and all- powerful God had created light and darkness, the heavenly bodies, the earth and all its plants, animals, birds, and fishes. Finally, God had created Adam and, as an afterthought, Eve to keep man from being lonely. Man named all the animals, thus establishing his dominance over them. God planned all of this explicitly for man's benefit and rule: no item in the physical creation had any purpose save to serve man's purposes.”[8]

White pointed out that modern Western science, which enabled humans to exploit nature, “was cast in a matrix of Christian theology” and that the impetus for the “dynamism of religious devotion” was “shaped by the Judeo-Christian dogma of creation.” He said that the “implications of Christianity for the conquest of nature would emerge more easily in the Western atmosphere… The Christian dogma of creation, which is found in the first clause of all the Creeds, has another meaning for our comprehension of today's ecologic crisis.”[9]

In 1972, Arnold Toynbee wrote “The Religious Background of the Present Environmental Crisis’ stating that the solution to the environmental problems is possible if humans revert from the Weltanschauung[10] of monotheism to the Weltanschauung of pantheism, an older and universal world view. He asserted that the present-day assault against nature is due to the influence of a religious cause that gave rise to monotheism. He claimed that the command to have dominion over other creatures in Genesis 1:28 allowed the directed humans to exploit nature. In a 1973 article, he said:

This doctrine is enunciated in one sentence in the Bible. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis I, 28)… Genesis I: 28 gave the license; Genesis III: 19 provided the incentive. In 1663, this read like a blessing on the wealth of Abraham in children and livestock; in 1973, it reads like a license for the population explosion and like both a license and an incentive for mechanization and pollution.”[11]

In 1975, John Passmore wrote “Attitudes to Nature” saying that the predatory attitude against nature is present in the writings of St. Paul. To Passmore, the Graeco-Christian arrogance became Christianity’s official position until recent times. This attitude of Passmore is based on his reading of Romans 8:21 “that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (New International Version).” Passmore takes on the position that Paul considers creation as merely an instrument for human liberation.

A year before White’s classic paper, Pope Paul VI promulgated Guadium et Spes  (Joy and Hope"), the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, on December 7, 1965. The document stated:

“For man, created to God's image, received a mandate to subject to himself the earth and all it contains, and to govern the world with justice and holiness; a mandate to relate himself and the totality of things to Him Who was to be acknowledged as the Lord and Creator of all. Thus, by the subjection of all things to man, the name of God would be wonderful in all the earth.”[12]

This declaration did not sit well with some people, who were concerned about the anthropocentric slant of this passage. Emeka Obiezu expressed disappointment that “…the Second Vatican Council continued this apparent arrogant and dominion theme…that excludes any ecological concern.”[13] Joseph Xavier was cautious: “It may not be an exaggeration to say that there is an ‘anthropological concentration’ in Gaudium et Spes.”[14] He explained, however, that this “anthropological orientation… is very important for fundamental theology today.”[15] Thirty years later, the same theme was noted by Larry Rasmussen in John Paul II’s encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life). It states:

“Everything in creation is ordered to man and everything is made subject to him: "Fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over ... every living thing" (1:28); this is God's command to the man and the woman... We see here a clear affirmation of the primacy of man over things; these are made subject to him and entrusted to his responsible care, whereas for no reason can he be made subject to other men and almost reduced to the level of a thing.”[16]

The issue that I am trying to resolve is whether the passage in Genesis 1:28, specifically the terms “subdue” and “dominion”, can be interpreted as a license to destroy the natural environment. As has been shown earlier, there are scholars who consider the anthropocentric slant of the passage as the root cause of the current ecological crisis, and that the Catholic Church has been reluctant to give up such anthropological orientation. Despite this reluctance, it should be pointed out that the Catholic Church has always placed Genesis 1:28 in the context that humans are beings created in the image of God, thus humans have the responsibility to take care of the Earth as the “co-operator with God in the work of creation.”[17]

In 2015, the Church finally addressed the issue squarely when Pope Francis issued an encyclical, "Laudato si', mi Signore," or "Praise be to you, my Lord. It states:

“We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man “dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures. The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations. “The earth is the Lord’s” (Ps 24:1); to him belongs “the earth with all that is within it” (Dt 10:14). Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Lev 25:23).”[18]

Pope Francis emphasizes that human dominion “over the universe should be understood more properly in the sense of responsible stewardship.”[19] He explains, “Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very foundations of our life begin to crumble.” This is possible, he said, quoting John Paul II’s Cenesimus Annus, because “instead of carrying out his role as a cooperator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature.”[20]

Incidentally, the Hebrew word khabash (subdue) is used when one is dealing with a hostile enemy. When used in relation to the environment, it could mean that “we subdue the earth because without such subjugation the harshness of nature would yield death for us rather than life.”[21] In this sense, “subdue” becomes synonymous with an Old English word tammian (Latin, domare; Greek, daman) which means to tame or to make nature “not afraid of people, and used to living with them.”[22] On the other hand, the Hebrew word radah (dominion) is used in the royal sense (kings have dominion over their subjects and territories). It means “to have dominion, rule, dominate”[23] or “authority to rule; control.”[24] The same word, however, is used in the Scriptures to mean something else:

· “You shall not rule over him with severity;”[25]

· “…of Israel, you shall not rule with severity;”[26]

· “And the upright shall rule over them in the morning;”[27]

· “May he also rule from sea to sea.”[28]

Of particular interest is Psalm 72 (A Psalm of Solomon) entitled “The Reign of the Righteous King.” It depicts a ruler (one who has dominion) as righteous, just, and savior.[29] Thus dominion can be taken in a positive sense or what Pope Francis calls “stewardship” because the Earth belongs to God and we are the stewards of God’s creation.

The rise of Pope Francis is, in a way, a fulfillment of Lynn White’s proposal that was included in his 1966 paper. He said:

“Possibly we should ponder the greatest radical in Christian history since Christ: Saint Francis of Assisi…Francis tried to depose man from his monarchy over creation and set up a democracy of all God's creatures.

…The greatest spiritual revolutionary in Western history, Saint Francis, proposed what he thought was an alternative Christian view of nature and man's relation to it; he tried to substitute the idea of the equality of all creatures, including man, for the idea of man's limitless rule of creation. He failed….Since the roots of our trouble are so largely religious, the remedy must also be essentially religious, whether we call it that or not. We must rethink and refeel our nature and destiny. The profoundly religious, but heretical, sense of the primitive Franciscans for the spiritual autonomy of all parts of nature may point a direction. I propose Francis as a patron saint for ecologists.”[30]

At last, a new version of Saint Francis put an end to the controversy. I am pleased to be a witness of this unfolding. Toynbee did say that “only a change in world view[31] could heal the planet.”[32] This new world view brought about by the new interpretation of the Genesis 1:28 approximates what Berry calls the ecozoic era or “the geologic era that Earth is entering – when humans live in a mutually enhancing relationship with Earth and the Earth community.”[33] As Berry said:

"In this new context every component of the Earth community would have its rights in accord with the proper mode of its being and its functional role. In each case the basic rights would be for habitat and the opportunity of each being to fulfill its role in the natural systems to which it belongs. Humans would be obliged to respect these rights." [34]

---

[1] Associate Member, National Research Council of the Philippines; Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science

[2] Genesis 1:27 “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them;” 1:28 God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." (NAB).

[3] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/subdue.

[4] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/dominion?q=dominion.

[5] Thomas Berry, "The University: Its Response to the Ecological Crisis", a paper delivered before the Divinity School and the University Committee on Environment at Harvard University.

[6] Quoted by Daniel T. Spencer in “Thomas Berry: An Overview of His Work,” http://thomasberry.org/assets/attachments/Worldviews_ThomasBerryReviewEssay_Spencer_2017.pdf.

[7] Daniel T. Spencer, “Thomas Berry: An Overview of His Work.”

[8] Lynn White, “The Historic Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” https://www.cmu.ca/faculty/gmatties/lynnwhiterootsofcrisis.pdf

[9] Lynn White,  “The Historic Roots of Our Ecological Crisis.”

[10] “A particular philosophy or view of life,” https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/weltanschauung?q=weltanschauung.

[11] Arnold Toynbee, “The Genesis of Pollution,” The New York Times (September 16, 1973).

[12] Guadium et Spes: 34. This passage cites as references Gen. 1:26-27; 9:3; Wis. 9:3; Ps. 8:7 and 10.

[13] Emeka Christian Obiezu, Towards a Politics of Compassion: Socio-Political Dimensions of Christian Responses to Suffering (AuthorHouse: August 14, 2008.

[14] Joseph Xavier, “Theological Anthropology of ‘Gaudium et Spes’ and Fundamental Theology,” Gregorianum Vol. 91, no. 1 (2010): 124-136.

[15] Ibid., p. 133.

[16] Evangelium Vitae: 34.

[17] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus: 37, http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus.html.

[18] Laudato si': 67.

[19] LS: 116; Love for Creation. An Asian Response to the Ecological Crisis, Declaration of the Colloquium sponsored by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (Tagaytay, 31 January-5 February 1993), 3.3.2.

[20] John Paul II, Centesimus Annus.

[21] Genesis 1:28, To “Subdue” and “Have Dominion Over” Creation, https://christopherbrown.wordpress.com/2009/01/03/genesis-128-to-subdue-and-have-dominion-over-creation/. See also https://biblehub.com/str/hebrew.

[22] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/tame_1?q=tame.

[23] https://biblehub.com/str/hebrew/7287.htm.

[24] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/dominion?q=dominion.

[25] Leviticus 25:43 (NAS).

[26] Leviticus 25:46 (NAS).

[27] Psalm 49:14 (NAS).

[28] Psalm 72:8 (NAS).

[29] Psalm 72: 1-4 .

[30] Lynn White, “The Historic Roots of Our Ecological Crisis.”

[31] In simple terms, it refers to “a person’s way of thinking about and understanding life, which depends on their beliefs and attitudes”, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/world-view?q=world+view.

[32] Arnold Toynbee, “The Genesis of Pollution.”

[33] What does Ecozoic mean?, https://ecozoictimes.com/what-is-the-ecozoic/what-does-ecozoic-mean/.

[34] Thomas Berry, “The Great Work: Our Way into the Future.”(Bell Tower: New York, 1999), 80.