WOMEN comprise half of humanity. For thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, women cultivated crops that ensured a healthy diet and provided fuel and medicine for communities all over the world.

FROM Paris: In his eight-minute address before the UNESCO’s General Assembly here in Paris, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo appealed to the 191 member countries (our ASEAN partner Brunei Darussalam was the newest member state) to focus their energies on fighting poverty and building peace. He did this as he also shared some of the significant achievements made by the country along UNESCO’s programs in education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture and communication. Secretary Romulo who led the Philippine delegation) underscored the principles upon which UNESCO was founded — "that since wars begin in the minds of men, it is also in the minds of men that the ramparts of peace must be built." And further recalled the reminder made by his eminent uncle, Philippine Delegate to the UN Carlos P. Romulo who said: "Let us make this floor the last battlefield." Since then, he noted, UNESCO and the UN have been building stone upon stone, the edifice of peace.

HERE are two silences," according to Harold Pinter, this year’s Nobel laureate for literature. "One, when no word is spoken. The other when perhaps a torrent of language is being employed." Although he once said that he was "just" a writer and not any kind of commentator, he could just as well describing politics in this age of miscommunication.

THE first battle is won once we get ourselves to think also of the others, instead of thinking only of ourselves. But there is yet a second battle, and it is to think of others as the objects of our spirit of service. In fact, responsible citizenship is concerned with this second battle: It consists of looking at our fellow countrymen as people whom we must serve, whose welfare we promote, and whose genuine development we help bring about.

A STATE of emergency is not the same as a declaration of martial law and having argued the point among themselves, Malacañang legal luminaries have decided to end their cat-and-mouse game and come clean: Yes, a state of emergency is possible.

(Sponsorship Speech on Anti-Terrorism Act delivered in the Senate Session Hall, October 12, 2005.)

(Editor’s note: Building railroads in Rizal’s time was a lot easier as noted by the author.)

POLITICAL and government dysfunction may sound harsh to describe what causes our troubles but looking at how they occur day in and day out makes it less growling.

SHE’S been called cold, dowdy and uncharismatic. Add one more adjective: Triumphant.

IN the gospel episode in this 29th Sunday of the year, the Pharisees are asking Jesus a question.

JESUS said to His disciples, "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges Me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies Me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."