FORIners, Happy Golden Anniversary to our beloved FORI, now the ERDB! & To Dr Filiberto S Pollisco, Founding Director Of FORI , You Proved To Be A Guardian Angel 3 Times!

This is Frank A Hilario’s official sharing, via Facebook, on the 50^th founding of the Forest Research Institute (FORI), now the Ecosystem Research & Development Bureau (ERDB), in College, Laguna – starring Dr Filiberto Saavadra Pollisco, Founding Director of FORI, FORI was born on the 18^th of December, 50 years ago.

Pete Bueno recruited me as Information Officer early 1975.– many thanks, Pete! After that, I slowly and determinedly fathered the 3 FORI publications: monthly newsletter Canopy, quarterly technical journal Sylvatrop, and quarterly color magazine Habitat. There was drama with those publications, if only you knew!

Canopy – monthly newsletter. In the absence of writers of FORI, first I wrote almost all the contents! How did I do it? Many times, I rewrote the Introduction and/or Discussions of technical papers of FORI people, with them as authors.

Sylvatrop – quarterly forestry research journal. The contents had to be unpublished reports of forestry researches. As the first issue was being planned, a paper from the University of Ibadan was submitted by Professor Ephraim Enabor of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

Objection to the inclusion of the Enabor paper by the FORI Asst Director, Martin Reyes, who with pride wanted all papers in the maiden issue of Sylvatrop to be authored by those affiliated with FORI. I did not agree, but did not say so loudly – instead, I went to see Dr Pollisco personally, and argued that if we published Enabor’s paper in the maiden issue of Sylvatrop, it will add prestige to our journal, because Enabor was already a published author. Dr Pollisco said, “Publish.” When Mr Reyes learned of it, he called me to his office and, banging his fist on his table, shouted at me: “Why did you do this to me?!” Meaning I went over his head. I said nothing except, “Sorry.”

Sylvatrop – I published the Enabor paper in the maiden issue of Sylvatrop. (Mr Reyes, I understand, suffered a heart attack later, related or not related to his objection to Enabor and my going over his authority as Chair, Board of Editors of Sylvatrop.) Question – “In the first place, how did Enabor learn of Sylvatrop being published?”” Via Canopy – we distributed free copies to libraries in forest-related universities & offices in the Philippines as well as abroad, where in one issue we announced that Sylvatrop was welcoming papers from FORI and FORI outsiders.

Habitat – Which I patterned after the US National Geographic. A lady, Sharon Codamon, submitted an article that fit the requirements of Habitat. However, a FORI lady with a PhD to her name, objected, saying in so many words that Ms Sharon’s paper was not up-to-standards. I disagreed without telling her, and again went to Dr Pollisco for advice, and he said, “Publish.” And so the paper was published in the first issue of Habitat.

Thank you Dr Pollisco. You were a beacon of light and guardian angel in the publications of FORI!!!@517