Among the native plant life in the Philippines, the bamboo is one tree that thrives in abundance, especially in certain areas where the soil and climate are just right for its growth and sustenance. There are 4 bamboo species that are recognized to be commercially and economically important: Dendrocalamus (Bambusa species) merrillianus, Shizostachyum lima, S. lumampao and (Bambusa spec. 2) philippinensis.

It is remarkable to see how the Philippine island bamboo tree sways with the wind. The taller the bamboo tree is, the lower it is able to bend down and then up again accordingly. With the multitude of issues facing the world right now, ranging from the financial events at Wall Street (eg, bankruptcy of the investment bank Lehman Brothers and bailout by the US government of the big insurance company AIG) to the reality of rising prices of oil and energy to the problems of poverty, unemployment, and even food shortages (which are felt more acutely in developing nations), the resilience of the human spirit (including that of the Filipino) can be likened to that of the bamboo tree.  In these times, the need to keep a positive keel and adapt to the situation at hand becomes all the more compelling.

(Video from youtube.com; posted by andrewpacumio 10.17.08)

Past crises both large and small have been hurdled before so there should be no reason big enough to curtail the advance and betterment of society. Hope springs eternal, as with the case of the Philippine island bamboo, but the work has to begin within the individual first. Easier said than done, but back to basics never sounded so good as now.