Inquies Summer Course 2009 Day One

The idea was generally simple. The world that we know today is actually getting older and the world population is in a steady decline. Various European countries are suffering from this rapid decline in population attributed to its citizens prioritizing careers and individual corporate advancement over settling down and having a family. Many other social issues came into play, all of which contributed in triggering this steady decline in fertility rates that is now threatening their economies and the very existence of their nations.

This is the premise of "Demographic Winter", a collection of video interviews and statements from people from various academic and private institutions: social scientists, sociologists, psychologists and economists. Shown on the morning of the first day of the Inquies Summer Course (ISC) last May 26, it helped the participants get an overview of the importance of human life to nations and economies.

Through the film, the ISC participants learned the gist of the conference theme "Culture of Life". Life, as it is, has many facets that need to be joined well to each other to achieve success. As such, each of the facets must be sanctified and mastered, so that the perceived unity of life needed cannot be shaken.

The participants related this lesson in the lecture given by Philippine Daily Inquirer Cartoonist Jess Abrera in the afternoon session. Titled "Kultura ng Buhay, sa mga guhit ng isang kartunista", Mr. Abrera's talk was greatly admired for being delivered in Filipino, a task he did with his sporadically occurring wacky-antics.

Mr. Abrera started his talk by describing his life as a young student at the College of Fine Arts at The University of the Philippines, Diliman. As a cartoonist, photographer, journalist , and activist during his younger days, he would always look for a way to give essential morals in his works.

Mr. Abrera then described where his work touched responsibility, family and individual values. These were followed by his words: "Dapat sa totoo tayo, para sa bayan ito e!"

Also very noticeable with Mr. Abrera's works were his many labeling of his drawings. Very uncharacteristic for an artist but an issue he immediately defended by saying that: "May label ang mga drowing ko para malinaw ang mga ideya sa mga mambabasa, simple, malinaw". This great conviction and purposeful living as a cartoonist and servant to the Filipino people was the great image impressed on to the audience. For sure, had the students been wearing hats, many would have been tipped for Mr. Abrera.

The talk then went on through the role of media in proliferation of ideas, and moral values. Very striking among Mr. Abrera's words were his criticism of vast sexual themes promulgated by the media spanning from explicit billboards to that of the considered fashionable Coca-Cola Shirts. Mr. Abrera was largely pushing the idea of condemning such themes, not that they seemed apparently inappropriate, but more so because they defy moral and religious laws. It make us lesser beings.

"Malaki talaga ang factor ng media dahil ito ang nagpapakita ng mga bagay-bagay sa mundo" Kapag kayo ay naniwala na lang, pumapayag ka na na kontrolin ang mundo mo," he said.

Mr. Abrera, thus, taught the participants to utilize God-given skills, to live a life of values and, above all, to live a purposeful life for fellow countrymen.