Pandora's Nuclear Men by Ronan S. Estoque, MA (November, 2006)

Pandora, in Greek mythology was the first woman on earth, sent by Zeus as a punishment for Prometheus crime of stealing fire in Olympus. Zeus gave Pandora a box, which when opened, will let out all the ills that befell mankind.

Historically, nuclear weapons were first developed during the Second World War under the code name of Manhattan Project. The first atomic bomb was exploded in New Mexico in 1945 and after a month, two atomic bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing an estimated 100,000 people outright, which precipitated the closure of the world war.

The two bombs that ironically ended the war were known as "little boy" (a uranium bomb) and "fatman" (a plutonium bomb). The Soviet Union exploded its own nuclear bomb in 1949 while the United Kingdom followed in 1952. Suddenly, an arm's race was on and before anyone realized it, the era now known as the "cold war" was upon mankind. Somehow, somewhere, common sense prevailed and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty were born and the spread of nuclear technology and weaponry was controlled and arrested.

Right now, North Korea has announced that it is now a nuclear newborn country. The ramifications of a nuclear North Korea have so many dimension that all possibilities are staggering to the status quo of nuclear equation.

Scenario Number 1 - With a nuclear North Korea, it could now bully its nearest neighbors (e.g. South Korea, Japan, and even the Philippines) to submit to its demands and imperatives. The threat of a nuclear weapon is a powerful equation especially if one is negotiating for a certain parochial advantages.

Scenario Number 2 - Because of a nuclear North Korea, Japan and South Korea might pursue their own nuclear development program where the possibility of a nuclear arms race might commence in the northern rim of the Asia-Pacific region. It is currently estimated that Japan could produce its own nuclear weapon within six months while South Korea could come out with its own weapon of mass destruction as easy and early as within the timeframe of two years.

Scenario Number 3 - Using the same tried and tested arguments for the American led invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq; USA might go directly and attack North Korea for a preemptive strike. America could hide under the banner of human rights violations, to the toppling of a dictator or to the establishment of democracy of North Korea. The United States of America doesn't even have to pretend to search for a weapon of mass destruction. Such is confirmed in North Korea.

Instability in the Korean Peninsula will result in a strain in the flow of economic trading and will surely make life more difficult for the average Filipinos. The current peso appreciation might stop and might even begin to depreciate again further aggravating the economic stress of the republic. Forget about the possibility of an outright nuclear war in the Korean Peninsula, which will produce losers on all fronts - the mere possession of a nuclear weapon in the hands of a North Korean dictator is certain to spell trouble and disaster for the country.

In Pandora's box, hope remains the only unreleased element that is still a comfort to mankind.


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Achievements for the First Semester 2006-2007

Published 4 books, College Psychology, College Sociology, Jose Rizal (A Hero's Life) and Art Appreciation: Introduction to Humanities.

Outreach Program, Cooperative Management for the adopted barangay.


Celebration of Buwan ng Wika.


Film showing re: Dakilang Lakan.


Technical Seminar: Peter Wallace, Raising the English Proficiency of Students - From the Perspective of Employers.