THE Universal Peace Federation (Peace Federation) was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon on September 12, 2005, as a global alliance of religious, academic, political, and civic leaders, and organizations joined together to promote peace or a unified world in which all people live together in harmony, cooperation, and co-prosperity. The Peace Federation provides a mechanism for cooperative peace-building efforts among governmental, religious, cultural, education, and civil society representatives, all working together with mutual respect and a shared commitment to cooperation and good governance.

PHILIPPINES wins a sackful of medals at SEAG. It happened in the Year 2005 during the reign of President Arrovo.

LUCILLE Ball’s secret for staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. Elizabeth Taylor wouldn’t go for plastic surgery to remove her wrinkles because she earned them. Oliver Goldsmith loved everything that’s old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines.

SMILING faces are again seen on rubber planters. Five years ago the prices of rubber cup lumps were as low as five pesos a kilo, not enough to pay for the labor of tapping the trees. Now it is up to twenty pesos or more a kilo and steadily rising since the year 2000. For small and large farmers there are new opportunities in rubber trees. But this may not be true for subsistence farmers who need their daily food from their harvest. Prices go up and down and since it is a commodity this depends heavily on international prices. When prices are low, subsistence farmers are plagued by the temptation to cut the trees and plant cash crops like corn and bananas. In general in agriculture, you do not cut trees. This is a nono. Prices will come back even if it may take some time. But subsistence farmers often cannot wait. However, for small and medium farmers there is now a good opportunity in rubber.

"No man can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach."

ROMANIA, a country with a long history of contributions to the world’s cultural and scientific ideas, celebrated its National Day on December 1. Bucharest is the country’s capital.

THERE is a period of ten centuries between the classical age of Greek and Roman antiquity and the post-medieval Age of the Renaissance. Those thousand years were variously described as the Dark Ages, the Age of Barbarism, the Age of Decadence, the Feudal Age, and even the Age of Faith, of monasteries and grandiose cathedrals. The denomination depended of course on the pessimistic or optimistic proclivity and outlook of the observer who is attempting to write history instead of confining himself to the mere sketching of biographies. As astutely observed by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "There is properly no history, only biography."

WHEN it was founded 34 years ago on Dec. 2, 1971, the United Arab Emirates was largely a vast desert area on the Arabian gulf, with a population of about three million. Today, with a population of around five million, the UAE, composed of seven Arab emirates, is one of the most modern, environment-friendly and fast-growing economies of the Arab World.

(Speech delivered at the Spain-Philippines Tribune, Madrid, Spain, November 30-December 1, 2005.)

TODAY, the Laotians celebrate the 29th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). A close partner of the Philippines in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Laos has been experiencing not only political stability but also economic development.

THE Philippines has the distinct honor of being the last Catholic country in the world to give a fitting end to the Eucharistic Year, that was the Church’s last gift from the late Pope John Paul II. Whereas the Eucharistic Year ended last October 23, 2005 for the universal church, it is only this coming Thursday, December 8, when the Eucharistic-Marian Year will end for the Philippines.

THERE is no need at this time for the joint congressional committee investigating the "Hello Garci" tapes to conduct a new hearing on the controversy. This is so, because Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. has been quoted as saying that this poll commission will investigate the Garcillano case. If so, the congressional committee can then wait for the Comelec official findings. And whatever matter Garcillano will testify in the Comelec investigation that relates to such controversy may be treated as evidence to be tested at the hearings of the congressional committee as to its admissibility and veracity. That way, the Comelec investigation will save the congressional committee’s time by shorting its hearings and devoting such time to the Cha-cha.

IN Officer and A Gentleman’’ reads the epitaph on the historical marker placed at Tirad Pass, the site where he died fighting for the First Philippine Republic, by the National Historical Institute. It aptly describes the brief but fruitful life of the youthful General Gregorio H. del Pilar. His last entry on his diary before that historic battle on December 2, 1899, illumined his indomitable stand for his beloved Motherland. "I am resigned to the terrible fate which overcomes me and my valiant soldiers,’’ he wrote, "But I am happy to die fighting for my beloved country.’’ General Gregorio H. del Pilar was only 24 years old when he died.

JUST as everyone had given up on the BIR as virtually a hopeless case when its former chief joined the so-called Hyatt 10 that pressed for the resignation of President Macapagal Arroyo last July, today the tax collection agency of government is surprisingly performing beyond expectations.

WHEN Jesus passed on from Capernaum, two blind men followed [Him], crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to Him. Then He touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread word of Him through all that land.