Mabuhay Issue No. 915

PPI Community Press Awards •Best Edited

Weekly 2003 and 2007

•Best in Photojournalism

1998 and 2005

Mabuhay LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

ISSN–1655-3853 • ABRIL 10 - 16, 2009 • VOL. 30, NO. 15 • 8 PAHINA • P10.00

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EASTER: MOTHER OF ALL Page 5

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Mabuhay

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ABRIL 10 - 16, 2009

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

EDITORYAL

Earth Hour at Water Week ILANG oras lamang ang pagitan ng isinagawang paggunita sa Earth Hour at Philippine Water Week sa bayan ng Marilao noong Sabado at Linggo, Marso 28 at 29. Layunin ng pagsasagawa ng Earth Hour sa pangunguna ng SM City Marilao ang makatipid sa konsumo ng kuryente sa pamamagitan ng isang oras na di paggamit nito. Sa ganitong paraan, malaki ang mababawas sa ibinubugang greenhouse gas ng mga planta ng kuryente at mga pabrika, na sinasabing malaki ang kontribusyon sa global warming dahil napipigil nito ang init ng araw na dapat magbalik sa kalawakan, kaya’t nagiging mabilis ang pagtaas ng temperatura ng mundo at nalulusaw ang mga niyebe, bukod pa sa nababago ang ihip ng panahon. Layunin naman ng paggunita sa Philippine Water Week ang pagpapayaman at pagpapanatili ng limitadong yamang tubig ng mundo sa pamamagitan ng tamang pagliligpit at pagsisinop ng basura. Kapuri-puri ang dalawang gawain sapagkat sa pagsasagawa ng mga ito mabubuksan ang isipan ng marami sa lumalalang kalagayan ng mundo. Sa gayong paraan, sinumang mabuksan ang isipan ay mas magiging responsable sa kanilang susunod na kilos. Ngunit ang dalawang gawain ay mawawalan ng kabuluhan kung ang mensahe nito ay hindi isasabuhay ng bawat isa. Totoo. Mawawalan ng halaga ang Earth Hour kung minsan lamang isang taon isasagawa iyon at lalo pa kung tanging SM City Marilao lamang ang magtitipid sa kuryente. Gayundin ang paggunita at pagdiriwang sa Philippine Water Week. Mawawalan ng halaga ang paglilinis ng basura sa Prenza Dam ng mga residente ng Marilao kung ang mga naninirahan naman sa gawing kaitasan ng Ilog Marilao ay patuloy na magtatapon ng basura sa nasabing ilog. Ito ang hamon hindi lamang sa bawat Bulakenyo, kundi sa Sambayanang Pilipino, ng Earth Hour at Philippine Water Week. Upang makaahon ang ating lahi at lipunan sa kumunoy ng kahirapan at makaahon sa pampang ng kaunlaran, disiplina ng bawat isa ang susi. Magtipid tayo sa konsumo ng kuryente at tubig. Isabuhay natin ang regular na pagasasagawa ng Earth Hour sa mga tahanan at tanggapan. Tiyakin nating hindi tumatagas ang ating mga gripo at ang ating basura ay sinupin. Tandaan natin: ang maliit na matitipid ng bawat isa kapag pinagsama-sama ay malaki ang halaga. Ang basura namang sininop natin ay isang hakbang patungo sa higit na maaliwalas na kinabukasan ng susunod na henerasyon. Kaibigan, may oras pa para sa pagbabago. Magkaisa tayo at disiplina ay ugaliin natin!

Mabuhay LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Jose L. Pavia Publisher/Editor Perfecto V. Raymundo Associate Editor Anthony L. Pavia Managing Editor e-mail [email protected] PPI-KAF Community Press Awards

Best Edited Weekly 2003 + 2008 Best in Photojournalism 1998 + 2005 A proud member of PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

WEBSITE

http://mabuhaynews.com

EDITORIAL Alfredo M. Roxas, Jose Romulo Q. Pavia, Jose Gerardo Q. Pavia, Joey N. Pavia , Jose Visitacion Q. Pavia, Carminia L. Pavia, Perfecto Raymundo Jr., Dino Balabo

ADVERTISING Jennifer T. Raymundo

PRODUCTION Jose Antonio Q. Pavia, Jose Ricardo Q. Pavia, Mark F. Mata, Maricel P. Dayag, Charlett C. Añasco

PHOTOGRAPHY / ART Eden Uy, Allan Peñaredondo, Joseph Ryan S. Pavia

Buntot Pagé

PERFECTO V. RAYMUNDO

Ika-221 kaarawan ni Balagtas TAUN-TAON ay ipinagdiriwang ng mga Bulakenyo ang araw ng pagsilang ng Dakilang Anak ng Panginay na si Francisco Balagtas tuwing sasapit ang ika-2 ng Abril. Si Balagtas ay isinilang sa Barangay Panginay, Bigaa (ngayo’y Balagtas) noong Abril 2, 1788. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay sina Juan Balagtas at Juana Dela Cruz. Ang pagdiriwang ay sa pamamagitan ng isang parada mula sa munisipyo hanggang sa bantayog ni Balagtas sa Barangay Panginay na lalahukan ng iba’t ibang samahang sibiko at mga mag-aaral. Si Balagtas ang itinuturing na Pinakadakilang Makatang Tagalog na siyang sumulat ng walang kamatayang Florante at Laura. Sa nasabing aklat naibulalas niya ang kanyang sinapit na kabiguan sa pag-ibig kay Maria Asuncion Rivera na siyang napangasawa ng taong nagpakulong sa kanya na si Mariano Capuli. Tama ang kanyang sinabi: “Pag ang isinalubong sa iyong pagdating ay masayang mukha’t may pakitang giliw, lalong pakaingata’t kaaway na lihim, darating ang araw na kakabakahin.”

Panahon ng pagtitika BAWAT taon tuwing sasapit ang tinatawag nating Semana Santa, ginugunita natin ang pagpapakasakit ng ating Panginoong Hesukristo alang-alang sa kasalanan ng sanlibutan. Sa ating paggunita sa Pasyon ni Hesukristo sana’y matanim sa ating mga puso at diwa na sa kabila ng pagiging Diyos ng ating Panginoon ay tinanggap niya ang kanyang kalbaryo, pasan-pasan ang krus na pagpapakuan sa kanya. Sana ay magising ang ating mga pinuno at kahit ngayon man lamang Semana Santa ay tularan nila ang mga dakilang Pilipino na nagpakasakit at nagsipagbuwis ng buhay alang-alang sa ating bayan. Ngayon man lamang Semana Santa ay magsipagtika sila na bayan muna bago ang sarili ang kanilang pairalin sa kanilang panunungkulan. Balitang pulitika MARAMI ang nagpapalagay na hindi kayang awatin si Bise Gob. Willy Sy-Alvarado sa pagtakbo sa

Kastigo

pagka-gobernador sino man ang makakalaban. Matatandaan na noon pa ay nais na ni Alvardo na tumakbong gobernador, ngunit napakiusapan siya ni dating Gob. Obet Pagdanganan na mag-bise na lamang at hintayin ang 2010. Nagwagi si Alvarado na bisegobernador, ngunit di pinalad na manalo si Pagdanganan sa pagkagobernador. Sa ngayon, marahil ay wala nang makapipigil kay Alvarado para tumakbong gobernador. Tiyak na makakalaban niya si kasalukuyang Gob. Jon-jon Mendoza na balitang naghahangad na manatili sa kanyang puwesto sa kapitolyo. Si Alvarado ay mula sa Ika-1 Distrito, samantalang si Gob. Mendoza ay mula sa Ika-2 Distrito. Sa sarili kong palagay ay walang itulak kabigin sa kanilang dalawa. Patas ang laban. Ayon sa ilang mapanuri sa takbo ng pulitika sa lalawigan, malaking bagay daw kung hindi na tatakbong kinatawan ang asawa ni Alvarado na si Kinatawan Marivic Alvarado ng Ika1 Distrito.

BIENVENIDO A. RAMOS

Analohiya sa Semana Santa NAPAKALAPIT ng pagkakatulad ng panahon ng pagkabuhay, pangangaral at pagpapahirap at pagpapako sa krus kay Jesucristo at ang magsasampung taon nang pamamahala ni Gng. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo — kaya naganyak akong gumawa ng analohiya. Ang Palestina noon ay binubuo ng tatlong probinsya — ang Judea (siyang pinakamalaki at kinaroroonan ng Lungsod ng Jerusalem), ang Samaria at ang Galilea, (kung nasan ang bayan ng Nazareth na kinikilalang sinilangan ni Jesucristo). Ang Pilipinas ay binubuo rin ng tatlong malalaking pulo — ang Luzon, pinakamalaki at kinaroroonan ng Maynila, (na kinaroroonan naman ng Malakanyang), Bisayas at Mindanao. Ang Palestina ay nasasakop noon ng Imperyong Roma, at inilagay ng Roma, bilang prokurador at gobernador ng Palestina, si Poncio Pilato. Ang Pilipinas, bagama’t nakamit sa Estados Unidos ang pagsasarili (1946) ay patuloy na namamanginoon pa rin sa Amerika (kahit pinalayas na sa Pilipinas ang mga base militar nito noong 1991). Sa panahon ni Jesucristo, ang lungsod ng Jerusalem ang luklukan ng gobyerno, kinaroroonan

ng palasyo ni Herodes, na tetriarka o pinakahari sa Judea, pero nasa ilalim siya ni Poncio Pilato. May kapulungan din o kongreso na tinatawag na Sanhedrin ang pamahalaan sa Jerusalem, binubuo ng mga eskriba at pariseo at ng matataas na saserdote. Ang kongreso sa Pilipinas ay binubuo naman ng mababang kapulungan o camara de respresentantes at senado. Camara at Sanhedrin NAKABALISA sa mga eskriba at pariseo at matataas na saserdote ang nababalitaan nilang pagkakalat ni Jesus ng bagong doktrina at mga aral na sa palagay nila’y salungat sa pinaiiral nilang mga batas at kaugalian na anila’y mula pa kay Moises. Kaya nagpulong ang Sanhedrin, at pinlano nila ang pagpapahuli at pagpatay kay Jesucristo. Ang namuno sa kanilang miting ay si Annas, ang punong saserdote at ang manugang nitong si Caiphas. Nang mabunyag ang “Hello, Garci” tape nagsimula ring mabalisa at matakot si Gng. Macapagal-Arroyo at karakang ipinatawag niya ang nakararaming miyembro ng camara de respresentantes. Kailangang patayin kaagad ang ano mang sumbong (impeachment complaint).

Promdi

At upang mapalawig ang kanilang panunungkulan at manatili pa sa kapangyarihan — na paglaganap ng katiwalian, pamamaslang, pag-aabuso at pagpapabaya sa tungkulin — patuloy na isinusulong sa kamara ang cha-cha o pagbabago ng Konstitusyon. Samantala’y naghahanap ang mga eskriba at pariseo ng taong mababayaran, at magtuturo sa kanila kung sino si Jesus. Si Judas Iscariote ang taksil na nasuhulan nila ng 30 pirasong pilak. Ang pagsuhol kay Judas ng mga eskriba at pariseo ay siya ring ginagawang pagsuhol ng Malakanyang sa nakararaming Judas sa camara de respresentantes. Ito ang mga eskriba at pariseo sa Sanhedrin (Kongreso) na nagpapataw ng buwis, nagpatibay ng Oil Deregulacion law, nagsisingit ng dagdag na pork barrel sa pambansang badyet at iba pang pahirap sa mamamayan. At nang ipasa ni Pilato sa madla kung sino kina Jesus at Barrabas ang dapat palayain, nanguna sa pagsigaw ang mga eskriba at pariseo: Palayain si Barrabas! Patayin si Jesus sa krus!” Sa ating bayan ang Cristo na patuloy na pinahihirapan ngayon sa pagkabayubay sa krus ay ang Sambayanang Pilipino!

DINO BALABO

BUSINESS / ADMINISTRATION Loreto Q. Pavia, Marilyn L. Ramirez, Peñaflor Crystal, J. Victorina P. Vergara, Cecile S. Pavia, Luis Francisco, Domingo Ungria, Harold T. Raymundo,

CIRCULATION Robert T. Raymundo, Armando M. Arellano, Rhoderick T. Raymundo The Mabuhay is published weekly by the MABUHAY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES — DTI Permit No. 00075266, March 6, 2006 to March 6, 2011, Malolos, Bulacan. The Mabuhay is entered as Second Class Mail Matter at the San Fernando, Pampanga Post Office on April 30, 1987 under Permit No. 490; and as Third Class Mail Matter at the Manila Central Post Office under permit No. 1281-99NCR dated Nov. 15, 1999. ISSN 1655-3853 Principal Office: 626 San Pascual, Obando, Bulacan 294-8122

Subscription Rates (postage included): P520 for one year or 52 issues in Metro Manila; P750 outside Metro Manila. Advertising base rate is P100 per column centimeter for legal notices.

Pagbabanta sa buhay ni Gob Jon-jon TUMANGGAP daw ng sunodsunod na mga death threat o pagbabanta sa buhay si Gob. Joselito “Kuya Jon-jon” Mendoza dahil sa utos niyang harangin sa isang checkpoint sa San Miguel, Bulacan ang mga trak na humahakot ng marmol at ihulog ang mga marmol mula sa trak gamit ang isang backhoe noong Lunes, Marso 23. Sino kaya ang nagbabanta sa buhay ni Kuya Jonjon? Nagimbestiga kaya ang pulisya? *** Ayon kay Kuya Jon-jon hindi niya alam kung sino ang nagpahatid ng mga pagbabanta sa kanya sa pamamagitan ng mga text message. Dati na rin daw si-

yang nakakatanggap ng mga death threat, ngunit mas dumami mula nang ipag-utos niya na ihulog ang mga marmol sa trak. Aba, hindi simpleng kaso ito. Buhay ng Punong Lalawigan ang nakataya. Bakit hindi niya paimbestigahan sa pulisya ng Bulacan. *** Kailangang matukoy ang pinagmulan ng pagbabanta. Sa sitwasyong iyan, tiyak na maaasahan ang pulisya ng Bulacan dahil sila ang may kakayahan at may sapat na kasanayan para mag-imbestiga. Bukod diyan, hindi ba’t halos P70 milyon ang intelligence fund ni Kuya Jon-jon bilang gobernador? Aba, sayang naman iyon

kung hindi magagamit para matukoy ang nagbabanta sa kanyang buhay. *** Itinaggi naman ng Rosemoor Mining and Development Corporation (Rosemoor) na sa kanila nagmula ang pagbabanta. Ang Rosemoor ay ang kumpanyang nagpapamina ng mamamahaling tea rose marble sa mineral reservation area ng Biak-na-Bato sa Barangay Kalawakan, Donya Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan. Ayon kay Kenneth Radaza, abogado ng Rosemoor, imposibleng sa kanyang mga kliyente nagmula ang pagbabanta. Puro daw babae ang namamahala ngayon sa Rosemoor.

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LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Depthnews

JUAN L. MERCADO

Regarding Henry

‘Home-made monster’ SENATOR Panfilo Lacson, and “Bigote” — whoever he is — twist in the wind over the murder of PR man Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver. There’s now buckpassing. But isn’t the gutting of accountability the root issue here? A democratic society is built on free men and women accepting personal accountability. Man must account for even his idle words, we’re told. “The blood of your brother Abel calls out to Me,” Cain heard. Law and custom, since then, have been anchored on personal accountability. They’ve never accepted the dodge: “Am I my brother’s keeper”? In a snatch that involved 22 Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) operatives, Dacer and driver were hustled to Cavite, interrogated and strangled. Lacson says he was “not the most senior official” then. Was President Joseph Estrada most senior?, Inquirer asked. Former PAOCTF commander Lacson ducked. “I had nothing to do with the Dacer-Corbito case,” he insists.

This denial underscores how the international community built, over the centuries, today’s principle of command responsibility. A commander must ensure subordinates conduct themselves in a civilized manner in conflicts, Sun Tzu wrote in 6th century BC. The “Lieber Code”, in the American Civil War, assigned criminal responsibility to commanders who directed wounding or killing of those disabled. In 1907, the Hague Convention, codified command responsibility on international levels. At Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita’ trial, in Los Baños, the tribunal expanded responsibility to include acts of omission. Units of Japan’s 14th Area Army massacred thousands of civilians, notably in the Battle of Manila. Yamashita was hanged for failing “to control acts of members of his command.” In the parallel trial of Nazi war criminals, at Nuremberg, justices unanimously ruled: “a lesser level of knowledge than actual knowledge may be sufficient to impose criminal responsibility.”

Cebu Calling

The My Lai massacre in Vietnam, amplified the “Yamashita standard”. A commanding officer, “aware of a human rights violation or a war crime, will be held criminally liable when he does not take action” ruled the court martial of U.S. Army Captain Ernest Medina. This checkered history is, of course, taught at Philippine Military Academy. This principle’s role, in saving lives, is documented in genocides from Rwanda, Darfur to Zimbabwe. Thus, the international community set up the International Criminal Court. Article 28 of the Rome Statutes clamps, on military commanders, individual responsibility for crimes committed by forces under their effective command. When? If they “either knew or, owing to the circumstances at the time, should have known that the forces were committing or about to commit such crimes.” The Philippines didn’t signup with the ICC. Hounded by the Arroyo regime’s tolerance — some say: support — of extracontinued on page 7

FR. ROY CIMAGALA

The inner man WE need to be more aware of our inner man, and more so of our duties and responsibilities toward that core of our being. I get the intuition that with all the rush of developments we’re having, with their pressures and concerns, we are neglecting this fundamental aspect of our life. The other day while reading the papers and going through cybernews, I noticed that while it’s understandable to package all these info outlets with pictures and stories of stars, celebrities, new products, etc., there’s practically nothing about how all these items relate to our inner being. They appear to cater only to our external and material needs. Nothing wrong there as long as they don’t stop there either. This is the problem we are facing these days. We are constantly massaged, tickled, stimulated in our outer layer, but somehow starved and left to atrophy in our inner self. This is a dangerous situation. Our inner man refers to our spiritual life. To be aware of our

inner man is to be a spiritual man, as opposed to an unspiritual or carnal man. St. Paul practically interchanges these two terms. In his Letter to the Ephesians, he says: “According to the riches of his glory, may he grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (3,16-17)

The immediate corollary of this passage is that our inner man ought to be fed by the Spirit of Christ. It should not be fed by any other pabulum. We are what the spirit in us is. We behave according to how the spirit in us moves us. This truth is reiterated in St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. “The unspiritual man,” he said, “does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. “The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” (2,14-15)

Forward to Basics

Many practical conclusions can be derived from these words, all pointing to the importance of caring for our inner man or our spiritual self. We have to be wary of the strong and pervading tendency to treat ourselves simply in a physical or material sense, without going deep enough to our very core, our soul. We cannot underestimate this danger. Nowadays, many people’s idea of beauty, strength, success, triumph, for example, is stuck in the physical or economic level, measuring things in inches and in pesos and in popularity. In late Pope John Paul II’s words, we tend to assess ourselves in terms of “having” rather than in “being.” That is to say, if we have more, then we are ok. We don’t bother about being more, or being better as a person and ultimately as a child of God. When our inner man is weak, we would be at the mercy of our biological hormones and would start acting like any animal, or we would become easy prey to passing fads, commercial or ideocontinued on page 7

FR. FRANCIS B. ONGKINGCO

‘Momtivating’ our children A GROUP of mothers sat around a table chatting over tea and pastry. One remarked, “Tomorrow, I will have my son inoculated against polio, tetanus, smallpox, flu and heaven knows what else.” “That’s awful! The poor boy will suffer so many injections,” a concerned mother lamented. “Oh, didn’t you hear that you can get all that in less than three shots?” the mom replied confidently. “Really?” the other mothers exclaimed. “If that’s so, then I’ll have all my kids vaccinated too! Where did you say this clinic was?” another one said. “How I wish,” one of them suddenly interrupted the group, “that someone could devise a vaccine against failure and unhappiness when my children grow up?”

When the other mothers heard this, they became very quiet and pensive. Most of them nodded in agreement: this was indeed something to want for their children, more than just their health. *** This demonstrates how parents naturally want only the best for their children now and in the future! But for our children to be truly happy, that is, a happiness that transcends mere material and biological security, we must be ready to give them a daily dose of the effective medicine of our good example and timely advice. Here are some ideas that may guide us to help our children become personally and academically motivated, responsible and cheerful. • Be Pro-parent: I am a parent before being a businessman/

woman, cook, saleslady, etc. Have a clear awareness of your identity and your marvelous responsibilities. Be confident about your authority as a parent, and explain serenely why your children must respect it. This responsibility is enormous, and must be exercised lovingly, understandingly and coherently. Your children’s confidence in your firm and affectionate guidance will help them see your parental vocation before God. • Have a Clear End in Mind: Remember you are raising children to become mature and responsible adults. Think of what they will be, not just what they will do or what they must have. Think about their future, not only their careers, but their character as well. Your job is not to only keep them amused and continued on page 7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO

Have faith IF there’s one person who truly had faith in himself, it was Thomas Alva Edison. This American inventor had only three months of formal schooling. And history records show that he knew more failures than successes. For 13 months, Edison kept on searching for a filament that would stand the stress of electric current. As he pondered whether he would be able to discover the elusive thing, he got a note from people backing his experiment that they would no longer be giving additional funds for what he was then doing. News like that may bring a person to quit, but not Edison. In fact, it did not deter him from continuing his work. He refused to admit defeat and worked without sleep for two more days and nights. Eventually, he managed to insert one of the crude carbonized threads into a vacuumsealed bulb. “When we turned on the current,” he recalled, “the sight we had so long desired finally met our eyes!” Before that, however, Edison had to endure a string of failures. “What a waste! We have tried no less than 700 experiments and nothing has worked. We are not a bit better off than when we started,” a couple of men who were working alongside him said. He just shrugged this comment, telling them, “Oh yes, we are! We now know 700 things that won’t work. We’re closer than we’ve ever been before.” However, the story did not end there. When Edison finished making the first electric bulb ever, he handed a finished bulb to a young helper. The lad carried it nervously up the stairs step by step. At the very last moment, he dropped it. The whole team had to work another 24 hours to make another bulb. When it was done,

Edison looked around and then handed it to the same boy. The bulb changed history but the confidence the inventor had given to that boy definitely changed his life forever. Edison knew that more than the bulb was at stake. He had given the boy a second chance. That faith in him probably changed the boy’s life. “We live by faith or we do not live at all,” said Harold Walker. “Either we venture — or we vegetate. If we venture, we do so by faith simply because we cannot know the end of anything at its beginning. We risk marriage on faith or we stay single. We prepare for a profession by faith or we give up before we start. By faith we move mountains of opposition or we are stopped by molehills.” The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary defines faith as “belief without proof.” It also means “confidence” and “reliance”. To William Wordsworth, “Faith is a passionate intuition.” Having a hard time understanding what faith really is? Martin Luther King, Jr. describes: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Poet Rabindranath Tagore has this view: “Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.” “To me,” said John Dewey, “faith means not worrying.” The late Bishop William A. Quayle used to tell of an experience during a sleepless night. After rolling and tossing far into the night, he said that he seemed to hear God’s voice telling him to go on to sleep and let God run the world the rest of the night. Faith can move mountains, but don’t be surprised if God hands you a shovel. In his book, The Edge of Adventure, Bruce Larson tells a story about a letcontinued on page 7

Fair & Square IKE SEÑERES

Global poverty INTERNATIONAL agencies are already warning that global warming will increase global poverty and this should also be taken as a warning to our national agencies to move double time on poverty reduction here in the Philippines. Add to that the effects of the global meltdown on local poverty, and that should be enough to push them to move triple time. Despite the fact that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are also victims of the global meltdown because many of them have lost their jobs abroad, they are still considered to be the saviors of our economy. It is a sad reality that we have to rely on the labor trade to sustain our economy, but that is the way it is now. Since the trend of job losses abroad is already established, the government should now look for another sector that could continue to “save” our economy, if that is at all possible. There could be other sectors that could do this, but I personally see the potential of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector, as it is now responsible for about 90% of the business being generated in this country. In gratitude to the service that the OFW sector has done for our economy, why not help them to become SME owners as they re-

turn? I understand that the Overseas Workers Welfare Authority (OWWA) is already giving loans to OFWs who are taking this direction, but it takes more that just one government agency to make this happen. Do you know that farmers still represent about 15% of our labor force? As a matter of fact, no other group comes close to farmers as a labor block in our national statistics. While the statistics may be right, it still counts farmers as “farm laborers” and I think this is where we have to make a fundamental move, to start treating farmers not as laborers but as entrepreneurs. If only we could “upgrade” our farmers so that they could become new entrepreneurs instead of laborers, their numbers now representing 15% of the labor force could drastically swell the numbers of SME productivity way beyond the present 90% more or less. I think that it is for the wrong reasons that we practically abandoned our agricultural economy to supposedly jump into the more “classy” and more “dignified” industrial economy. And now, it seems that we also want to set aside what remains of our industrial economy in order to jump into the more “glitzy” and more continued on page 7

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LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Buhay Pinoy MANDY CENTENO

Biyahe ng taga-Santor Mga magsasaka sa Barangay Santor Lungsod ng Malolos, sumasakop doon Marso disisyete nagkaro’n ng “Field Tour” Sa PhilRice CES, Science City iyon. Ganap ikaapat sa madaling araw Mga magsasaka ay natipon na daw Sa Baliuag Transit sila’y nagsisakay Handog ni Al Tengco aircon na sasakyan. Tatlumpo’t dalawa naging sakay nito Komportableng lahat maluwag pa ito May “Pulis Probinsya” nagtaguyod dito Sikat na FPJ sa nasabing video. Ganap ikapito’t kalahati naman PhilRice Maligaya, nasabing barangay Sa Lungsod ng Muñoz, Nueva Ecija lugar Marami nang tao doo’y naghihintay. Alas otso singko ay sinimulan na Itong paglilibot nang upang makita Ang “Palayamanan” ito’y unang-una “Diversified farming,” palay, gulay at iba. “Wind pump irrigation” isinunod dito Tapos ay “pest control”, ito ay pangatlo Ang pagpapatubig mahalaga ito “Bio fertilizer,” ang panglima nito. Dami pang istasyon ang pinag-aralan Kaya nang magutom balik sa sasakyan Agang nananghali doon sa damuhan Makapamahinga balik sa tanghalan. “Farmers’ Field Day Forum” sinimulan dito “Welcome remarks” ito, Atty. Ronilo Beronio Executive Director ng PhilRice ito Senador Dick Gordon inintrodus nito. Sabi ni senador, di siya pandangal Mga magsasaka dapat parangalan Sila’y matalino masisipag naman Ang nagpapakain sa ’ting sambayanan. Hindi pa daw tapos malaking problema Tungkol kay Bolante fertilizer scam pa “Di ako titigil paghabol sa kanya Hanggang sa makulong at siya’y magdusa.” Ganap alas dose diyes tanghalian Inabot ang “lunch pack” sagatok ang ulam Lahat ay nagbalik doon sa sasakyan Hinintay ang iba tapos ay lumisan. Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Ito ay tinungo kahit walang permit Mabuti na lamang kami ay inadmit Iba’t ibang isda doon ay nasilip. Dito na sa BFAR tanghali/merienda Sa natirang ulam, kanin marami pa Pook ay nilisan alas tres y medya Pagbalik sasakyan tuloy ay uwi na. Ganap ikawalo ng gabi’y dumating Sa pinanggalingan na barangay namin Salamat sa Diyos, ang aming dalangin, Pagsubaybay Niya ang “Field Trip” ay okey. Ang mga technician, kasamahan dito Carmencita Capule mula sa P.A.O. Felomina Manlapig, Bureau of Soil ito Rebecca Hernandez, Malolos L.G.U. Mga kasamahang kagawad barangay Konsi Larry, Danny at Konsi Rody man Si Konsehal Francis, Konsi Glo Catajan Palagi pa sila sa pagseseminar. Mga magsasaka kanilang pangulo Pinakamasipag si Ka Mel Domingo Pinasalamatan Ginoong Al Tengco Naging matagumpay, ang “Field Tour” na ito.

Kid’s Corner MARVIC KAIZZ SOBREVIÑAS

How to enjoy life BY looking at the standard of your life today, can you say that you are enjoying life? Well, I could say that I am enjoying my life today even if we are a middle-class family. If you want to enjoy life, you must have the capacity for its enjoyment. To fully understand this concept, I will tell you a short story. There was once a businessman who went to the beach for his vacation. While riding on his yacht, he was disgusted to see a fisherman who was resting on his boat. “Why aren’t you fishing?” said the business man. “Because I have caught enough fish for this day,” said the fisherman. “Why won’t you catch some more?” “What would I do with it?” replied the fisherman. “So that you can earn more money and have a big business. Then, you will be a very rich person, just like me.” “What would I do then?” asked the fisherman. “Then you would really enjoy life, just like what I’m doing.” “What do you think I’m doing now?” said the fisherman. As the story states, even if the fisherman was a poor fellow, he really enjoys life more than the businessman. He doesn’t need material things to enjoy. Now, will you be the businessman or the fisherman?

Napapanahon

LINDA PACIS

Ospital ng Guiguinto: Mapagkawanggawa ISANG kapuri-puri at mapagkawanggawang proyekto ng isang kahangahangang Punongbayan ang ospital ng Guiginto. Kaisa-isang ospital pampubliko ito sa lalawigan ng Bulacan na ang munisipyo ang tumutustos sa taunang gastusin. Itong ospital na may 25-bed capacity ay kayang umubos ng humigit kumulang P14 milyong taontaon. Ngunit ito ay di alintana ng punongbayan dahil para sa kanya, “Ang kaban ng bayan ay nakalaan para matugunan ang pangangailangan ng kanyang nasasakupan.” Ayon kay Flor Cruz, municipal information at tourism officer ng Guiginto, ganyan katapat sa tungkulin at mapagkawanggawa si Mayor Isagani Pascual ng Guiginto. Binuksan ang ospital noong Enero 19, 2009 bilang Level 2 General Hospital pagkatapos pasinayaan ni pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo noong Disyembre 8, 2008. Unang araw pa lang ay dinagsa na ito ng mahigit 100 pasyente na nagmula hindi lamang sa bayan ng Guiginto kung di sa iba’t ibang panig din ng lalawigan. Tinatayang hindi bumababa sa 50-70 ang dami ng mga pasyente na nagpapacheck-up sa ospital araw-araw mula ng ito’y buksan. Ayon kay Gina Trinidad, hospital administrator, kung walang pera ang pasyente ang bibili ng gamot ay si Mayor. “Bawat pasyente ay may blue card (charged to indigency fund) na nagkakahalaga ng P2,000 para sa libreng gamot.”

Siya at si Julita Gatchalian, chief nurse, ang nagsama sa akin sa ospital na nasa Barangay Tiaong, pagkatapos nilang mag-attend ng flag ceremony sa munisipyo. Malaki ang ospital, presko at malinis ang lahat ng sulok pati mga silid, opisina, laboratory at pasilyo. May charity ward din para sa babae at bukod sa lalaki. Karaniwan sa charity ward ang mga nanganganak, pedia (mga batang maysakit) at general medicine. Ininterbyu ko si Dr. Carlito C. Santos, ang namumuno sa ospital. Dating Health Officer siya ng Bulacan Provincial Hospital. Nagsimula siya noong 1992 sa Gregorio Del Pilar District Hospital sa Bulacan, Bulacan, nalipat sa Emilio Perez District sa Hagonoy at sa Rogaciano Mercado District Hospital sa Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Noong 1998-2000 siya ay Management Consultant of Hospital ni Gob. Josie Dela Cruz. Ayon kay Dr. Santos, ang paglilingkod ng ospital ay sa larangan ng Pediatrics, General Medicine, Surgery at X-ray. Kumpleto din ito sa laboratory at pharmacy. Katulong niya sa ospital ang apat na doktor na sina: Dr. Resty Dela Merced (General), Dr. Jun Baguiran (General), Dr. Grace Bumanglad (Pedia) at Dr. Rica Marie Bernaiz (General Practitioner). Sa administration na pinamumunuan ni Gina Trinidad ay may Record Officer, si Pura Sumalabe, na nag-aasikaso din sa correspondence at pumapapel bilang secretary at si

Kakampi mo ang Batas

Elvira Reyes na nag-aasikaso sa billing. Si Gina ay supply officer at cashier din. Pinamumunuan naman ni Julita Gatchalian, chief nurse, ang walong nars , apat na nursing aide at walong health worker at utility worker. Sabi daw noon ni Dr. Santos kay Gob. Josie: “Pagkabinuksan ang Guiginto Hospital, pangako ko tutulungan ko kayo.” Ang 2,000 metro kuwadrado na ospital ay itinayo noong panahon ni Gob. Nacing Santiago, ginamit ng mga madre hanggang panahon ni Gob. Obet Pagdanganan. Ang doktor noon ay walang ginagawang evaluation at nalulugi lang. Pagkatapos, parang napabayaan na. Sa pakikipagtulungan nina Pangulong Gloria M. Arroyo, Kint. Pedro Pancho, Gob. Jon-jon Mendoza at Mayor Isagani C. Pascual, nabuksan muli ang ospital. Ayon kay Flor Cruz, kahit hindi sila magkakapartido, isinantabi ang pulitika upang unahin ang kapakanan ng mga nangangailangan. Kilala ang mga Pilipino sa bayanihan, pagkakaisa ng komunidad upang mapagtagumpayan ang isang mithiin. Ayon kay Dr. Santos, maganda ang feedback nila sa mga pasyente gaya ng mga isinulat nila sa checklist. Magalang ang pakikitungo at maasikaso ang mga nurse, midwife at nursing attendant; dumadating kaagad ang mga doctor kung kailangan sila; madaling lapitan ang mga nasa administration office; masarap ang pagkain at malinis ang toilet.

ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

Maternity benefits ng SSS TANONG: Dear Atty. Batas Mauricio, Good day! Isa po ako sa libolibong humihingi ng tulong sa inyo. Ang problema ko po ay tungkol sa SSS maternity ko. Noong buntis po ako, nag file ako ng maternity sa Tenement branch ng SSS pero hindi po ito tinanggap gayong member naman po ako, self-employed at 104 months na ang contributions ko. Dahil sa napanood ko po ang programa mo sa UNTV naglakas-loob po akong pumunta sa iyo upang humingi ng tulong at itanong ang problema kung ito.Tinanong ko po sa iyo kung mayroon akong makukuhang maternity benefits ang sagot niyo po sa akin ay mayroon akong makukuha. Kaya po nabuhayan ako ng loob at nagkaroon ng pag-asa. Pinapunta niyo po ako sa inyong opisina sa Teachers Village at pumunta naman po ako. Si Atty. Batas Leny ang aking nakausap sa opisina ninyo. Ang sabi po sa akin ay mag file daw ulit ako sa SSS branch (Tenement) kung saan malapit po sa aming lugar at ginawa ko po iyon. Hindi po ulit tinanggap yong maternity (MAT-2) file ko. Ang tanong sa akin kung active daw po ang hulog ko sa SSS kasi po isa akong self-employed. Dapat daw may hulog ako ng July-December 2003 at January-June 2004. Ang problema ko po ay wala akong hulog sa mga buwan na nabanggit. Ang hulog ko po ay mula June to September 2004. Atty. Batas, ano po ang dapat kung gawin para naman po makakuha ako ng maternity? Tulungan niyo po ako. Kasi ang pagkakaalam ko po basta member ng SSS entitled na po at qualified sa mga SSS benefits. Nais ko pong malaman kung may makukuha ba talaga akong maternity o wala? Pakisagot lang po nito through e-mail para hindi naman po ako pabalik-balik sa inyo at hindi masayang ang pagod ko. Maraming salamat po. Lubos akong umaasa na matutugunan ang problema kung ito. GOD BLESS and MORE POWER! Lubos na gumagalang, Lydia Romero. – [email protected]

Sagot: Lydia Romero, maraming salamat sa e-mail na ito, at maraming salamat sa patuloy mong pagtitiwala sa aming kakayahan upang tugunan ang iyong suliranin. Sa amin pong pakikipag-ugnayan sa Social Security

System, amin pong napag-alaman na ang pagkuha ng maternity benefit mula sa nasabing ahensiya ay nakabatay sa mga alituntuning ipinaiiral nito. Ang isa sa mga alituntuning ito ay ang pag-aadvance muna ng bayad sa benepisyo ng kompanya, at pagkatapos ang kompanya na lamang ang maniningil sa SSS na anumang naibayad nito sa empleyado. Pumapangalawa sa mga alituntuning ito ang pagkakaroon ng hulog ng isang babaeng kasapi ng SSS ng mga tatlong buwan sa loob ng anim na buwan bago ang eksaktong araw ng kapanganakan. Hindi natin alam kung ano ang batayan ng SSS sa ganitong alituntunin, pero dahil ito ang alituntuning ipinaiiral nito, kailangan itong sundin hanggang hindi ito nababalewala. Magkaganunman, hihingin po namin sa inyo na ipadala ninyo sa amin ang mga papeles na ibinibigay ng SSS sa inyo na nagsasabing denied o tinanggihan ang maternity benefits. Kailangan po namin ang mga papeles na iyan upang maging batayan namin sa pagsasampa ng motion for reconsideration, at, kung hindi pa rin maaayos ang problema, pagsasampa naman ng kaso sa Social Security Commission, isang ahensiyang nakakasakop sa ganitong mga problema ng paghahabol sa mga hindi nababayarang benepisyo. Mga tanong na walang kasagutan sa pagpapatupad ng R.A. 9255 TANONG: Itatanong ko lang po sana kung paano ko mapapagamit ’yung surname ko sa magiging anak ko kung ayaw naman pumayag ng parents ng babae na nabuntis ko, minor age po ‘yung babae, ako naman po ay nasa legal age na. Salamat po! – [email protected]

Sagot: Maraming salamat po sa e-mail na ito. Sa ilalim po ng Republic Act 9255, pinapayagan na po ang batang anak sa labas o anak ng mga magulang na hindi kasal sa isa’t isa na gamitin ang apelyido ng kanyang ama, sa ilalim ng ilang mga kondisyon. Ang pinakamahalaga sa mga kondisyones na ito ay ang pagkilala ng ama sa bata bilang kanyang sariling anak. Ayon sa batas, ang pagkilalang ito ay maaaring isagawa

ng ama sa pamamagitan ng pagpirma sa birth certificate ng bata, o sa isang sinumpaang salaysay, o sa isang pribadong sulat. Ang mahalaga sa pagpirmang ito sa anumang dokumento ay ang pagkilala ng ama sa bata bilang sariling anak. Kaya lamang, hindi maliwanag sa R.A. 9255 kung ano ang magiging bunga ng hindi pagpayag ng ina ng bata sa paggamit nito ng apelyido ng ama. Hindi rin maliwanag ang magiging epekto ng pagkilala ng ama sa bata sa paggamit ng kanyang apelyido — ang ibig kong sabihin, ang tanong ay ito: Magiging sapilitan na ba ang paggamit ng apelyido ng ama sa bata kung pumirma na ang ama na kinikilala niya ang bata bilang kanyang anak? In other words, automatiko ba ang magiging paggamit ng bata ng apelyido ng kanyang ama? Ang mga tanong na ito ay hindi sinasagot ng batas, at wala pang desisyon ang Korte Suprema ukol dito. Epekto ng nakakatatak sa titulo ng lupa na may problema TANONG: Dear Atty. Batas, tanong ko lang po ’yung sa lupa na nabili po ng mother kong namatay. Kasi encumbered po ’yun tapos yung lupa daw may kaso. Ano po ba ang puwede namin gawin kasi gusto na lang po ng father ko na ibalik ’yun dun sa realty na binilhan pero ang sabi po nila ay kung magkano lang daw po ang halaga ng pinagbayaran ay ’yun lang daw po ang makukuha namin. Tama po ba yun? Tapos ang isa pang problema namin ay nasunog ’yung original na titulo noong 1997 at di pa po naasikaso yung titulo pero binabayaran daw ng kapatid ko ’yung amilyar. Ano po ba ang dapat namin gawin. Mga magkano po kaya ang magagastos ng tatay ko para maayos namin ’yun. Pwede po ba kaming lumapit sa inyo? Maraming salamat po. Let Dela Vega. Sagot: Let Dela Vega, maraming salamat po sa e-mail na ito. Sa tanong ninyo kung puwede ba kayong lumapit sa amin o hindi, ang sagot po namin ay oo, pupuwede po. Lahat po ng may problemang legal ay welcome sa aming tanggapan sa BATAS, o ang Buklod ng mga Abogadong Tagapagtaguyod ng Adhikaing Sambayanan,

Mabuhay

ABRIL 10 - 16, 2009

5

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

‘Ito ang araw na ginawa ng Panginoon ... magsaya!’ ‘Ako ang Alpha PASKO NG PAGKABUHAY

NI FR. ANTONIO T. LEETAI, S.J. (Bilang paggunita sa Mahal na Araw, inilalathala muli ang artikulong ito na unang inilimbag ng Mabuhay noong Abril 19, 1981.)

“PASKO ng Pagkabuhay — ito ang araw na ginawa ng Panginoon; dapat tayong magsaya dahil dito.” Katulad ng Pasko, ang Pasko ng Pagkabuhay ay isang panahon ng pagsasaya. Ipinagsasaya ang Pasko para sa Banal na Sanggol na natutulog sa braso ni Maria; ipinagsasaya naman ang Pasko ng Pagkabuhay bunga ng pagkakahulagpos ng mananakop sa yakap ng libingan. Alam natin na ang Sanggol ng Bethlehem ay hindi palaging yakap ng Kanyang ina. Lumaki Siya bilang isang trabahador sa Nazareth at ipinangaral ang katotohanan ng Diyos sa isang daigdig na nagmamahal sa kasinungalingan, at tinangka Niyang isabog ang liwanag sa isang daigdig na nagmamahal sa kadiliman. Kaya isang gabi, hinuli Siya ng Kanyang mga kaaway habang nagdarasal sa isang halamanan, ipinako Siya sa krus, at matapos Siyang mamatay ay mabilis Siyang inilibing sa nitso ng isang di nakikilalang tao. Ito na, sa kanilang palagay, ang Kanyang wakas. Nguni’t sila ay nagkamali. Dahil si Kristo ay Diyos — sa ikatlong araw, Siya ay tumayo buhat sa nitso habang takot na takot at nagugulumihanan ang Kanyang mga kaaway sa Kanyang muling pagkabuhay. Pinili ang tagsibol Nararapat lamang, hindi ba, na piliin ng Diyos ang tagsibol upang parangalan ang Kanyang Anak. Dahil ang tagsibol ay ang panahon ng muling pagkabuhay ng ating kapaligiran, ang oras para sa bagong buhay, bagong awitin at bagong kagandahan. Kung paano ang isang munting binhi ay siniklot-siklot ng hangin ng taglagas, binulok ng ulan at yelo at inilibing sa lupa sa buong panahon ng taglamig upang muling mabuhay at tumubo sa panahon ng tagsibol — ganito rin ang katawan ng ating Panginoon. Bilang binhi ng Diyos, Siya ay pinarusahan at pinahirapan at pagkatapos ay ibinaon sa lupa nguni’t sa ikatlong araw, isang magandang araw sa tagsibol sa kabundukan ng Judea, ang Kanyang katawan ay humiwalay sa pagkakabilanggo sa kamatayan at dumaan itong tulad ng isang espiritu sa makapal na bato, bumangong matagumpay sa gitna ng pag-awit ng aleluya ng mga anghel at sa gitna ng malakas na lindol na siyang parangal ng kapaligiran sa Diyos. Simbahan ang pinakasalan At dahil sa ang simbahan ang pinakasalan ni Kristo, dapat itong magsaya sa tagumpay ng muling nabuhay na ang Panginoon. Dapat itong magbihis ng saya tulad ng isang marangyang trahe sa kanyang kasal. Dapat nitong isaisang tabi ang pag-aayuno, ang penitensiya at ang paghingi ng kapatawaran. Kapalit nito, dapat ni-

rai pavia

tong isigaw ang kanyang kasiyahan at sindihan ang kandilang Paschal na siyang simbolo ng kanyang paniniwala, pag-asa at pag-ibig. At kahit na saan, dapat nitong hingin sa kanyang mga disipulo na magsaya dahil ang Panginoon ay muling nabuhay tulad ng Kanyang pangako — at tagsibol na sa espirituwal na buhay ng Simbahan. Magsaya! Bakit? Unang-una ay para sa kapakanan ni Kristo. Dahil mahal natin Siya, dapat tayong magsaya para sa Kanyang kapakanan. Hindi na siya ang nilalait na karpintero ng Nazareth kundi ang Diyos ng bagong buhay na nakaupo sa kanang kamay ng Kanyang Ama. Hindi na Siya maaari pang saktan ng Kanyang mga kaaway, maaari lamang nilang saktan ang kanilang sarili. Hindi na kayang abutin si Kristo ng kalungkutan, pait at paghihirap. “Ako ay muling nabuhay,” ang sabi Niya, “at Ako ay makakasama ninyo hanggang sa katapusan ng mundo.” Magsaya? Bakit? Dahil ang muling pagkabuhay ni Kristo ang siyang modelo at garantiya ng ating sariling muling pagkabuhay. Dahil sa Kanyang pagkamatay sa krus, inihingi ni Kristo sa Diyos ng kapatawaran ang kasalanan ng tao at dahil dito ay naisaayos Niya ang kasiraan ng kaluluwa sa pamamagitan ng pagkakamit ng kapangyarihan laban sa ating mga kasalanan. Dahil sa Kanyang muling pagkabuhay, pinatay ni Kristo ang kamatayan at ibinalik Niya ang kasiraan ng ating mga katawan sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa atin ng kapangyarihan na magbangon sa libingan sa ikatlong araw. Tinukso si Kamatayan Ukol sa araw na ito, tinukso pa ni San Pablo ang kamatayan tulad ng isang tao: “O Kamatayan, nasaan ang

iyong tagumpay? O Kamatayan, nasaan ang iyong lakas? Ah, ang kamatayan ay kinain ng ating tagumpay!” Kinain nga ang kamatayan ng tagumpay ni Kristo dahil sa Kanyang muling pagkabuhay. Ang muling pagkabuhay na ito ni Kristo ang siyang garantiya na hindi katapusan ng lahat ang kamatayan kundi simula pa lamang ng isang matagumpay na buhay. At pagkatapos ng huling araw, ang lahat ng nitso ng mga namatay ay sinarhan ng marka ng krus at mababasa sa ganitong kataga na siya ring nakasulat sa libingan ni Kristo: “Siya ay wala dito, Siya ay muling nabuhay.” Buksan at itaas ninyo ang inyong mga puso. Ang pag-asa ng darating na muling pagkabuhay ay narito at hindi mawawala. Ang ating mga katawang lupa ay matutulad sa katawan ni Kristo. Ang pag-asang ito ang siyang ilaw na magbibigay liwanag sa kadiliman at kaguluhan ng ating mundo, ito ang lakas sa ating pakikibaka laban sa kasalanan at inspirasyon sa ating hangaring maging banal. Ngunit, hindi pa ngayon ang ating pag-akyat sa kalangitan; kailangan pa tayong magdusa sa Kalbaryo, magsuot ng koronang tinik at manatili sa krus ng ating buhay. ngunit kailangang buksan natin ang ating mga puso. Sa ibabaw ng Kalbaryo ay nagluluningning ang ating Pasko ng Pagkabuhay. Ang Kristo na nabubuhay na kasama ninyo ay ang Kristong muling nabuhay. Siya ang nangako ng inyong kaligayahan at katubusan. At ang kaligayahang ito ay hindi maaaring agawin sa inyo ninuman. Madalas ninyong tanggapin ang katawan ng Kristong muling nabuhay at itatanim Niya sa inyo ang darating na pag-akyat sa langit. ‘Ako ang daan’ “Ako ang daan,” ang minsang sinabi ni Kristo nang kanyang buhayin si Lazaro. “Ang sinumang kumain ng Aking katawan at uminom ng Aking dugo ay magkakaroon ng walang hanggang buhay at siya ay Aking itataas sa huling araw.” Bibigyan ni Kristo ng bahagi ang tao sa Kanyang paghihirap, nguni’t bibigyan din Niya ang mga ito ng bahagi sa Kanyang kaluwalhatian. At sa wakas, huwag nating kalimutang dalhin ang ating pagsasaya sa Pasko ng Pagkabuhay kay Maria. Sa panahong ito ng kaligayahan ay hindi natin maaring kalimutan ang nakagawian na nating tawaging “Ang Dahilan ng ating Kaligayahan.” Tiniyak sa atin na si Maria ay muli nang nabuhay at kasalukuyan nang nasa langit. Minamahal niya tayo, ipinagdarasal niya tayo at siya’y umaasa na darating ang araw ay yayakapin niya ang katawan ng lahat ng kanyang mga anak na muling nangabuhay. Ito nga ang araw na ginawa ng Panginoon; kaya maging maligaya at magsaya tayo.

EASTER: MOTHER OF ALL BY MSGR. DEOGRACIAS IÑIGUEZ D.D. EDITOR’S NOTE: The following was first published by the Mabuhay in its issue of April 4-10, 1999. Msgr. Iñiguez was then the bishop of Iba, Zambales. He is now the bishop of Caloocan City.

APRIL 4, 1999 — Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection: This is the peak not only of Holy Week but of the whole Liturgical Year. This celebration varies every year; at the earliest it is celebrated on March 12, at the latest on April 25. To be more exact, the celebration of the greatest Christian event and reality is the Easter Triduum. Triduum is a period of three days. Technically the Sacred Triduum covers the evening of Holy Thursday and ends with Easter Day. This three-day celebration may be compared to a drama with three acts: Jesus, obedient to the Father, accepts his destiny; he empties himself up to his crucifixion and burial; he is glorified. This is the pash of the Lord; hence we have the paschal mystery, the pascua or pasko. Easter is our cel-

ebration during the liturgical year of the Paschal mystery. It seems that “Easter” derives from the goddess Eostre; the celebration of the Pash falls on the month dedicated to this goddess (Easturmonth). The word “east” may have come from Eostre. Easter is our annual solemn celebration of the passing over of Jesus Christ from sinfulness (which he experienced in his passion, death and burial) to the new existence (which was inaugurated in his resurrection). What is the significance of this event or reality to us now? Why is Easter a relevant celebration and event for us Christians today. In the present celebration of the Paschal or Easter Mystery we find an emphatic connection between what happened in Jesus then and what it should mean for us today. The celebration of Eater is a celebration of baptism. The period of Lent is a period of preparation for baptism; many prayers in the Eucharistic celebration dur continued on page 6

at ang Omega’ NI ZENY CRUZ BURGOS

ANG kasaysayan ng tao ay nagsimula sa paraisong nilikha ng panginoong Diyos para kina Adan at Eba. Sa simula ay naging maganda ang takbo ng mga pangyayari sapagkat umayon sa kalooban ng Dakilang Lumikha hanggang sa dumating ang pagsubok na naging batayan ng pananatili o pag-alis ng tao sa paraiso. Nakilala ng tao ang kahulugan ng kasalanan kaugnay ng mga bagay at pangyayari sa kanyang pang-araw-araw na buhay. Napatunayan ng tao na may mga sangkap nga ng kabutihan at kasalanan sa kanyang paligid at ang paglalaban ng dalawang ito ay patuloy sa paglipas ng mga araw na walang iwanan sa pagsikat at paglubog ng araw. Matagal nang naglalakbay ang tao sa tinatahak niyang landasin ng buhay. Mula nang siya ay mapaalis sa paraiso ay sinimulan na niyang harapin ang isang masalimuot na uri ng buhay na puno ng paghihirap at pagtitiis. Sa gitna ng kanyang paglalakbay ay natutunan na rin niyang tanggapin ang katotohanan hindi gawang biro ang mabuhay sa daigdig sapagkat napatunayan niyang ito ay daigdig ng mga pagsubok na nagsisilbing hamon sa kanyang kakayahan magtiis. Napaalis man ang tao sa paraiso ay hindi naman siya pinabayaan ng Dakilang Lumikha. Ang Dakilang Lumikha ay pag-ibig — pag-ibig na walang katulad sa kabanalan at kadakilaan. Siya ang simula at wakas ng lahat sa daigdig na ito kaugnay ng pag-ibig. Pag-ibig na walang katulad para sa tao ang dahilan bakit nilikha Niya ang tao bilang kalarawan Niya. Makukuha ba Niyang pabayaan ang taong kalarawan Niya? Makukuha ba Niyang talikuran ang tao na siyang dahilan ng pagkakalikha Niya sa daigdig? Biyaya ng Kanyang kaharian Ang Panginoong Diyos na rin ang gumawa ng paraan upang muling maging karapat-dapat ang tao sa biyaya ng Kanyang kaharian. Hindi Niya pinayagang maging panghabambuhay ang pagkakasara ng pintuan ng kalangitan sa mga taong kalarawan Niya. Ipinasiya Niyang iligtas ang tao sa makasalanang buhay na umaalipin dito maski mangahulugan ito ng kamatayan ng Kanyang pinakamamahal na Anak sa krus. Naganap ang banal na kalooban ng Dakilang Ama sa langit. Nagkatawang tao ang Kanyang kaisa-isang anak sa pamamagitan ng misteryo ng Encarnation. Isinilang, lumaki at namatay ang Panginoong Hesukristo sa daigdig ng mga taong labis ang pagiging makasarili na siyang kabaligtaran ng tunay na kahulugan ng pag-ibig na itinuro ng Panginoon sa bawat henerasyong biniyayaan ng buhay sa daigdig na ito. Matagal nang naganap ang pagkamatay sa krus ng Dakilang Mananakop ngunit ang kahulugan at kahalagahan nito sa buhay ng bawat isa sa atin ay walang iniwan sa isang salamin na kakikitaan ng naging tiyak na bunga nito sa landasin ng buhay na tinatahak ng bawat isa sa atin sa kasalukuyan. Kahulugan ng pag-ibig Ang kamatayan sa krus sa kamay ng mga taong malulupit at walang pakundangan sa tunay na kahulugan ng pag-ibig ay hindi isang kabiguan kundi isang tunay na tagumpay sa panig ng panginoong Diyos. Ang pagkabuhay ng Panginoong Hesukristo matapos mamatay sa krus ay tagumpay ng buhay sa kamatayan. Isang katotohanang hindi mapapasubalian ninuman na ang pagkamatay Niya sa krus ay kinailangan talaga upang bigyang daan ang buhay na walang hanggan — isang uri ng biyaya na walang katulad mula sa Dakilang Lumikha na ang taglay na pag-ibig para sa tao ay wala ring katulad kung kadakilaan ang pag-uusapan. Ang makahulugang pangyayaring ito sa kasaysayan ng Kristiyanismo ay nangangailangan ng matibay na pananalig sa panig ng bawat nilikhang naniniwala sa salita ng Diyos. Ang pagkakatawang tao Niya sa sinapupunan ni Maria, ang pagsilang Niya sa katauhan ng Diyos at tao, ang paggawa Niya ng mga milagro noong kapanahunan Niya na hindi natin nasaksihan kundi nabasa lamang, ang paghihirap at pagkamatay Niya sa krus at ang muling pagkabuhay niya ay mahalagang pangyayaring mapapahalagahan lamang sa ngayon kung taglay ng tao ang walang katulad na pananalig sa kapangyarihan at kabutihan ng Diyos. Bagay na may katapusan Ang muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoong Hesukristo ay nagpawalang halaga sa mga bagay na materyal sa daigdig na ito, sapagkat ang mga bagay na may katapusan ay walang bahagi sa ikalawa o kabilang buhay na patutunguhan ng tao. Sa pagdating ng tiyak na sandali, ang mga bagay na pahahalagahan lamang ay ang paraan ng pagpapatulo ng pawis na iyong ginawa upang mabuhay ng marangal; ang paraan pakikipaglaban na iyong ginawa bilang pagtatangol sa katarungan. Dahil sa muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoong Hesukristo kung kaya’t tayo ay malaya na sa kapangyarihan ng kamatayan kaugnay ng buhay na walang hanggan. Ang nalalabi na lamang sa ngayon ay ang paghihintay sa ating panig kaugnay ng kaganapan ng Kanyang pangako sa mga naniniwala sa Kanyang salita. “Ako ang Alpha at Omega, ang Simula at ang Katapusan. Ang sinumang nauuhaw ay bibigyan ng tubig mula sa balon ng buhay; ito ang karapatdapat na pamana sa sinumang nagkamit ng tagumpay sa buhay na walang hanggan; at Ako ang kanyang Diyos at siya ang Aking anak.” (Rv 21: 1-7). — Ang pagsariwang ito sa Mahal na Araw ay unang inilimbag ng Mabuhay noong Abril 11, 1982.

Mabuhay

6

ABRIL 10 - 16, 2009

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Astonishing exchange EDITOR’S NOTE: The following was first published by the Mabuhay in its issue of April 13-19, 2003. Fr. Arevalo teaches at the Loyola House of Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, Diliman, Quezon City. The full text of this reflection is published by Claretians in the book: “They Shall Call Him Emmanuel”.

HOLY Week is a time when the mystery of God confronts us at a depth which we usually do not enter, maybe at a depth we do not want to move into. “It brings up things I’ve pushed into the backroom of my consciousness,” a retreatant told me. “Holy Week is an intrusion into my life, into business as usual.” It was like that with Jesus too, about Good Friday that is. Read what the Gospels say about his coming face to face with imminent death. They tell us of Jesus’ dread. “Sadness came upon him … sudden fear and great distress.” But he went on, nonetheless. His bottom line was being faithful to the One who sent him.; trusting him. Now, he clung — there under the dark trees — to the hand that was Abba’s, his Father’s, with a grip that was trusting still, even in terror, face to face with death. We have a man here, flesh and blood like us, weak like us, even unsteady — for moments at least — tempted in all ways like us, yet without sin. (Heb. 4:14) There is no heresy we’re more at home with than that Jesus wasn’t really and truly human, like us. Already, the 5th century Cyril of Alexandria thought unthinkable that God’s Son should have to go to the bathroom. We don’t believe in the Incarnation, not really. It’s so hard to believe that God’s Son was made, in Jesus, in wholly human likeness: that his human life was truly like ours, really free with all that true freedom implies; with no way out but pain and death at the end. The Incarnation meant (Phil 2:6ff) that God had emptied himself into us

BY

CATALINO G. AREVALO, S.J.,

… It would be the second fall: the fall of God into our human estate.” It was the French thinker, Leon Bloy, who wrote: the secret every one of us above 40 knows is : there isn’t much happiness on earth. Every human being knows the passion, if not Christ’s, at least our own. It’s as much of us as anything we can think of. If we would never know sorrow or fear or pain, no woman would ever bring a child to birth, or walk him through adolescence. No one would ever become a physician or a poet. We would be a race without Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela or Bishop Ben De Jesus. We would never accomplish anything worthwhile. For sure, we would never truly love. (Remember Leslie Caron’s song in Lili: “The song of love is a sad song…”?) For Jesus dying on the cross was because of our sins. St. Paul tells us this, as does the Creed. But there is a deeper “because”, as the theologians tell us: because God so loved us from the beginning that He wanted his Son to share our lot, our life, our human circumstance. (John 3, 16-17)

Even the issue of our sin, he would take unto himself, take even our pain and passion, take them into his own pain and his own Passion, his own dying, so that he might, in the end, bring them all in his glory, at the right hand of the Father. Deus nostra sumpsit ut sua nobis daret. “God made his own what is ours, so that he might make ours what is his.” “Astonishing exchange,” the liturgy cries out, following in this the Fathers of the Church. Theologians tell us that this astonishing exchange, this sharing in love come what may — come Gethsemane, come Pilate, come Calvary — was prior in the intent of God, prior in the overall design that is called the history of God’s love for us. That is why he came, and why, even coming to face with death, did

not retreat, did not try to make a way out for himself. The via dolorosa and the nakedness of Calvary — all were consequences of that loving, carried to its final inevitable outcome. Peter spoke rightly at the footwashing (John 13, 6-11) : If being washed meant being part of him, then “not just our feet Lord” — but all of the rest of us: our body and our spirit, all of the bittersweet story we call our lives; our laughter and heartbreak; our shortsightedness, our asthma and cancer; our aging; our failing; our fading; our Alzheimer’s; the rattle in our throats and final spasms at the hour of our death. All of it Lord, since you wanted it all, because you loved us. Because you love us still. This is the dread we meet when Holy Week comes around. But the breakthrough we know is love. There is no way out but the Cross, no way out but love, love that can not be killed, there on the Cross. It is the Cross that brings our sinfulness and its ruin into full clarity; that shows up our shabbiness, our cheap compromise, the rot in our souls. And we will not get past our dread and come to peace unless we own our guilt and receive forgiveness, mercy as gift, given without our merit, conferred prodigally without condition. The kiss of Judas can only be wiped out by our kiss on the wood of the Cross. The kiss of Easter morning is possible because we have touched with our lips the wounds of the Crucified. This is what Holy Week is about. The “astonishing exchange”: God’s humanization for man’s divinization. Holy Week tells us why we needed, and need, his Cross. Love is its meaning. That is why Holy Week matters, why we must live it in our souls. “O King of the Friday / Whose limbs were stretched on the cross … / Beneath the shield of thy might / Some fruit from the tree of thy passion / Fall on us this night.” (An Irish prayer)

EASTER: MOTHER OF ALL from page 5

ing this preparatory period allude to baptism; during the Sundays of Lent, there are portions of the baptismal process that may be celebrated; the original baptismal time is the Easter Vigil. In the Easter Vigil celebration there is the blessing of the baptismal water and renewal of baptismal promises. The Paschal Candle, a symbol of the risen Christ, is part of the baptistry; during the baptismal ceremony the candle of the baptizand is lighted from the Paschal Candle to symbolize that by virtue of baptism a person enters into a relationship with the Risen Lord. The water blessed for baptism on the Easter Vigil is used for baptisms during the Easter Season. All of these should lead us to appreciate to connec-

tion between our baptism and the Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery was inaugurated by Jesus for all of us; the Paschal Mystery includes us. The Risen Jesus is the first fruit of the new creation of the Resurrection; we are the next fruits. In the Paschal Mystery, Jesus as the Second Adam (that is our representative) passed over from the state of flesh or sinfulness to the state of the spirit or grace. The person who believes in Jesus is empowered to become the person that God creates him to be and become. In Jesus we become persons truly created to the likeness and image of God Who is Love. In the Risen lord we become persons who recognize God as Father

and listen to His Word and live by His Word and who live not for self but for others. Easter is our celebration of the realization of God’s plan of creation, a world reflecting His life, hence a world of unity and communion, peace and fullness of life. Easter is a celebration of God’s dream come true and of the kind of dream that exists in the heart of every person that is unfolding in realization. Easter should be a true celebration, not just external pomp but an experience of a reality that is already present but which we must collaborate with God and with one another towards its full realization, the new heavens and new earth new I and new we, new humanity.

Mabuhay LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

30 2010 sa

Maraming Salamat Mabuhay ang malayang pamamahayag!

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Depthnews

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from page 3

judicial killing, the military lobbied against Philippine membership. There’s been a dip in the number of salvaging and disappearances since. Yet, Malacañang and the Senate aren’t interested in joining, “No snowflake, in an avalanche, ever feels responsible.” Parallel shredding of accountability, in the civilian sector, is seen in an Ombudsman, subservient to Malacañang, now facing impeachment. The Supreme Court and Senate (Report No. 44) found sleaze tainted the Commission on Elections’ purchase of P1.3 billion of flawed computers from Mega-Pacific, says the impeachment charge sheet. The court scrubbed the deal. Recover payment, it directed the Ombudsman. Her Honor Merceditas Gutierrez did nothing of the sort. Massive graft studded the deal, she ruled. But nobody was liable. This one is for Ripley: Crime without criminals or felony without felons. The lady has been skewered for this ruling “down to it’s last crooked syllable”, as an Inquirer editorial aptly put it. But what is now becomng clear is this ruling spawned monstrous clones. Remember those 2,062 street lamps bought for Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities? They were to light up the 12th Asean Summit. Government shelled out P83,300 to P224,000 for each unit. Actual market costs were a tenth of that. Those lamps are now lightless. Scavengers have ripped up some of them. State Prosecutor Danilo Lopez, out of the blue, declares the Visayas Ombudsman had no case against 19 city and government officials and employees accused. Lopez would jettison the graft case against Fabmik Construction and Equipment Supply Co. Explain a furious Visayas Ombudsman said. Nothing for the State Prosecutor to explain. It’s simply massive graft without grafters. This clones the Mega Pacific monster created by the Ombusdman. It recycles crime without criminals and felony without felons. “Men are forever finding themselves the victim of their homemade monsters,” Aldous Huxley once wrote. “Joc-Joc” Bolante squandered over P723 million in the fertilizer scam. That was another crime without criminals, not even the 193 officials who got the loot. It’s been over five years now since Girl Scout funds ended in the personal account of then Rep. Clavel Asas Martinez. Was this a felony without felons? And what about overpriced computers bought by Lapu-Lapu city. Graft without grafters? No one is accountable. “Vice is a monster, of so frightful mein,” Alexander Pope wrote. “Yet, seen too oft, familiar with her face, we first endure, then pity, then embrace.” — [email protected]

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Kakampi mo ...

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mula sa pahina 2

sa 18 D Mahiyain corner Mapagkawanggawa, Teachers Village, Diliman, Quezon City. Dalhin lamang po ninyo ang mga papeles na may kinalaman sa inyong kaso. Sa inyong problemang legal, maliwanag naman po ang batas ukol dito. Kung alam ng mother ninyong encumbered ang property bago pa man niya binili ito, sakop siya ng encumbrance, at hindi niya pupuwedeng sabihin na hindi siya dapat maapektuhan ng encumbrance. Kung hindi naman niya ito alam bago niya binili, hindi nga siya masasakop ng encumbrance, at maaari niyang demandahin ang nagbenta sa kanya ng panlilinlang, sa ilalim ng Art. 315 ng Revised Penal Code. Maaari din siyang magdemanda ng kasong sibil upang pilitin ang nagbenta sa kanya na ayusin na ang encumbrance para matapos na ito. Kung hindi niya maaayos, maaari ding hilingin sa kasong sibil ang pagbabalik ng lahat ng kanyang ibinayad, pati na ang danyos perhuwisiyos. *** BATAS NG DIYOS: “… Magalak kayo at tumalon sa tuwa kung gayon ang mangyayari sa inyo, sapagkat malaki ang inyong gantimpala sa langit. Gayundin ang ginawa ng kanilang mga ninuno sa mga propeta…” (Lucas 6:23)

*** PAALALA: Panoorin po si Atty. Batas Mauricio sa worldwide TV sa Internet, sa YouTube, metacafe at iGoogle, at pakinggan siya sa kanyang mga programa sa radyo: DZRB RADYO NG BAYAN 738 khz. Sa Luzon, Lunes hanggang Biyernes, ika-5:30 ng umaga (at sa www.pbs.gov.ph); DZRM RADYO MAGASIN, 1278 Khz. sa Luzon, Lunes hanggang Biyernes, ika-6:45 ng umaga (at sa www.pbs.gov.ph); DYKA 801 khz. sa San Jose, Antique (at sa www.wowantique.com, o www.kiniray-a.com), Lunes hanggang Biyenes, ika-10:00 ng umaga; at DYMS Aksiyon Radyo sa Catbalogan City, Samar (at sa www.samarnews.com), Lunes hanggang Biyernes, ika11:00 ng umaga. Abangan din ang kanyang pagbabalik sa telebisyon.

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF MICHAEL ROBERT CLARE NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the deceased MICHAEL ROBERT CLARE who died intestate on November 23, 2007 in Angeles City left personal property consisting of his one-half (1/2) conjugal share before expenses and taxes of 1) Account with the Yorkshire Guernsey, P.O. Box 304 Yorkshire House Le Truchot, St. Peter Port, Guernsey, United Kingdom with an account balance of Pounds 270,576.45 and 2) proceeds of his life insurance in the amount of Pounds 13,534.15 from Scottish Provident, 301 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5HN, Scotland, executed by his heirs before Notary Public Nepomuceno Z. Caylao; Doc. No. 84; Page No. 18; Book No. III; Series of 2009. Mabuhay: March 27, April 3 & 10, 2009

For orders call: (02) 477-0238 (02) 438-6201

Mabuhay

ABRIL 10 - 16, 2009 ○

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Promdi

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Huwag magkalat sa lansangan. Bayan mo’y hindi basurahan!

mula sa pahina 2

*** Pero sagot ni Kuya Jonjon, “Wala akong tinutukoy na tao o kung sino nagbabanta sa akin.” Sagot naman ng Rosemoor, “Kami lang naman ang nagpapamina sa mineral reservation area ng Biak-naBato.” *** Para sa Rosemoor, hindi patas ang pahayag ni Mendoza na may nagbabanta sa kanya na may kaugnayan sa pagpapaharang nito ng trak ng marmol na dumadaan sa bayan ng San Miguel, dahil sila daw ang napuputukan. Iginiit pa ni Zenaida Pascual, isa sa mga opisyal ng Rosemoor, sila ang agrabyado dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nabibigyan ng katarungan ang pamamaslang sa kanyang esposo na si Inhinyero Constantino Pascual na pinaslang noong Hunyo 8, 2008. *** Kaugnay nito, sinabi naman ng mga residente ng Barangay Marungko sa bayan ng Angat na wala pa ring tigil ang pagku-quarry sa kanilang barangay ng graba at buhangin. Halos 40 taon na raw ang operasyon ng nasabing quarry at noong pang Oktubre nila inirereklamo kay Kuya Jon-jon. *** Ani ng isang residente ng Barangay Marungko, kung ipinaharang ni Kuya Jon-jon at ipinahulog mula sa trak ang mga bloke ng marmol para mapigil ang operasyon noon, wala kayang magagawa si Kuya Jon-jon sa kanilang reklamo. Payo ni Father Pedring ng Leighbytes Computer Center sa Malolos, baka puwedeng ipaharang na rin lang ni Kuya Jon-jon ang mga dump truck na humahakot ng graba at buhangin sa Angat at butasin ang mga gulong niyon para matigil. *** May punto si Father Pedring, ani ng isang dating kapitan ng barangay sa bayan ng Baliuag. Ayon sa kupitan, este, kapitan, kung seryoso si Kuya Jon-jon na pangalagaan ang kalikasan ng Bulacan, dapat din niyang patigilin ang operasyon ng quarry sa bayan ng Angat. *** Gayundin ang hinaing ng mga residente ng dumptruck San Sebastian sa bayan ng Hagonoy kung saan isang dating palaisdaan ang kasalukuyang hinuhukay o kinuquarry. Ayon sa mga residente, hindi sapat ang pahayag ng opisyal ng Kapitolyo na may permiso ang nasabing quarry sa Hagonoy. Dapat itong inspeksyunin upang malaman kung sumusunod sa patakarang nakatakda sa permiso ang nagsasagawa ng operasyon. *** Hinggil naman sa daloy ng pulitika sa bayan ng San Miguel, usap-usapan sa mga umpukan sa mga barangay ng nasabing bayan ang posibilidad na pagkandidato ni Kuya Jon-jon doon bilang alkalde sa 2010 elections. Ito ay dahil sa nagpagawa na raw ng bahay sa nasabing bayan ng Kuya Jon-jon na kinumpirma naman niya. *** Itinanggi naman ng kampo ni Kuya Jon-jon ang balitang tatakbo siyang alkalde ng San Miguel. Ngunit may lumulutang ding balita na baka tumakbong kongresista sa Ika-3 Distrito si Kuya Jon-jon. Siyempre ang kanyang makakatunggali ay si Mayor Ricardo Silverio ng San Rafael, na siyam na taong nagsilbing kongresista ng nasabing distrito, bago siya nakipagpalit ng posisyon sa kanyang maybahay na ni Kint. Lorna Silverio na dating alkalde ng San Rafael. ○

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7

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

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Fair & Square

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from page 3

“fashionable” knowledge economy. All reasons told, I think that what is more practical for our country is a healthy mix of the agricultural, industrial and knowledge economies, powered by an army of SMEs, each one with a globally competitive line of business, each one contributing aggressively to national productivity. To be more specific, I think that we should build an agriculture based industrial economy that is also strengthened by the newer information and communications technologies. I understand the national fascination now for automating the elections but, more than that, we should really focus more on automating our farms and industries. I also understand our fascination for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry that is part of the knowledge economy, but we should now temper our fascination that BPO industries are really dependent or I should say over dependent on the success or failure of foreign clients that are now being battered by the global meltdown. I am advocating an agriculture-based industrial economy, because that way we do not have to rely on imported raw materials to produce goods that may not be globally competitive in price, because of the high cost of these materials. The bottom line in all of this is our capability to produce our own materials and the truth of the matter is agriculture and forestry or should I say agro-forestry is the only way that we could produce these materials. When I say agro-forestry, I do not just mean the rural areas, because urban agro-forestry is now a practical option. I am now organizing the SME Business Club for the purpose of helping everyone, including OFWs, and farmers among others, to become SMEs.

Ther oad whic eac hes God Theree is but one rroad whichh rreac eaches and tthat hat is Pr ws yyou ou Praayer er.. If an anyyone sho show ano ou ar ed. anotther her,, yyou aree being deceiv deceived. — SSt.t. Ther esa Theresa

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Foward to Basics materially comfortable, but to lead them to become competent, responsible, considerate, generous, and ready to commit themselves to live by principles of integrity. • Parents First: Learn to prioritize by teaching them great character strengths (the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, and charity). This is done in three ways: by your personal example, directing their behavior, and your verbal explanation of right and wrong. But we have to teach mostly by example — parents first! This includes the four great pillars of civilized dealings with others: “please,” “thank you,” “I’m sorry,” and “I give my word …” Making use of these habitually in speech becomes the bases for recognizing the respecting the rights of others. • Win-Lose-Win: Realize that “no” is also a loving word, and they must hear it from time to time in order to acquire self-control. Children who never experience loving parental control cannot form the concept of self-control — and this can later ○

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ter found in a baking powder tin, which was wired to the handle of a pump. It offered the only hope of drinking water on the seldom-used trail across a desert. The letter in the tin read as follows: “This pump is all right as of June 1955. I put a new leather sucker washer into it, and it ought to last several years. But this leather washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock, I buried a bottle of water. There’s enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour in about one-quarter, and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You’ll get water. The well has never run dry. Have faith.” If you were the person who found the letter, what would you do? You are very thirsty and there’s immediate water. Will you do what you had been instructed to do? A postscript of the letter reads: “Don’t go drinking up the water (in ○

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Cebu Calling

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logical propaganda, etc. We would fail to get hold of the objective essences of things that would determine our moral judgments and behavior. We would miss the proper values that are supposed to govern us. Instead of loving, we’d simply be using people and things. We actually would become dehumanized. The possibility of degrading ourselves is unique to us since we are thinking and free creatures.

Ang tubig ay buhay, huwag aksayahin!

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ily. Always involve everyone in the material concerns and maintenance of the house. Explain to them how their respective chores are of a great importance in keeping the bright, cheerful and warm ambiance necessary to harbor the proper ambiance for work, prayer and service. Foster in them a spirit of “togetherness” by acquainting them with the family’s traditions, customs, ancestry and friends. Show them too that you count on their prayers and efforts. • Reheating the Soup: Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Never be discouraged. Be ready to rectify immediately and to take advantage of this situation to show them that you also count on their help and understanding. Thus, “negative” fields can easily be positive occasions to talk things over with them, distinguishing between the objective and the subjective. Be ready to have the initiative to awaken in them new lessons from family experiences and social events. Never take things for granted (i.e., that it’s the school’s role, the tutor, the teacher, etc.) ○

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from page 3

the bottle) first. Prime the pump with it first, and you’ll get all you can hold.” Hebrews 11:1 states: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Joshua was a hard-headed person, so to speak. When a flood hit his area, he climbed to his roof. A rescue boat came by but Joshua called back to their offer of help; “No, thanks. I have faith in the Lord. He will save me.” The waves came higher and Joshua scrambled to the highest part of his roof. Another boat came by to save him, but Joshua waved them off, professing his faith that the Lord would save him. When the waves began lapping his feet, he pulled himself to the tip of the roof. A helicopter swooped down to save him, but Joshua was still depending on the Lord. Of course you know what happened next. Joshua drowned. When he stood before the Lord, he complained, “Lord, I had such faith in ○

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from page 3

spell disaster. Teach them to wait and earn something they want. Raise them to be producers and not consumers, born to serve, not to shop. Practice “affectionate assertiveness” by correcting the fault and not the person. Teach them the meaning of the word “integrity” (both internally and externally) means the unity of intention, word, and action — that we mean what we say, we say what we mean and we keep our word. • Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood: Listen and communicate with your children sincerely without the interruption of any third-party individuals or gadgets (i.e., T.V., cell-phone, Internet, sport, and sometimes homework). When you keep the media under your control, you will have much more time to dialogue with them. Learn what is going on in their developing minds, and guide them with your own responsible judgment. Live as a responsible adult who’s on top of life, and let them learn what this means. • Synergize – Be Family: Do things as often as you can as a fam-

Regarding Henry

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you. Why didn’t you save me?” To which the Lord replied, “What more do you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter?” A famous heiress keeps her priceless collection of jewels in the vault of a large bank. One of her prize possessions is a very valuable string of pearls. It is a scientific fact that pearls lose their original luster if not worn once in a while in contact with the human body. So once a week, a bank secretary, guarded by two plainclothesmen, wears these priceless pearls to lunch. This brief contact with the human body keeps them beautiful and in good condition. Our faith is a lot like the pearl. It must be used in order to be useful. It must be worn out among the masses of mankind where faith and hope are needed. As someone puts it: “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith.” — [email protected]

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from page 3

Other creatures do not have to worry about this possibility. Of course, by the same reason, we are also capable of elevating and upgrading ourselves. In this, the sky is the limit, since with the help of grace we can never exhaust the possibilities of being God’s children, created in his image and likeness. We have to help one another in this business of taking care of one’s inner man or spiritual self. We have to know the relevant doctrine, ac-

quire the skills and the virtues. In short, we have to avail of the necessary formation, which actually is a continuing affair. We need to help everyone keep one’s true humanity, and to check the trend to empty ourselves of our inner man, leaving us with a plastic substitute, a façade, a mask, an empty suit, a scarecrow, and other manifestations of the unspiritual or carnal man. — [email protected]

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Mabuhay LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

ABRIL 10 - 16, 2009