Mabuhay News Issue No. 901

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 • ENERO 2 - 8, 2009 • VOL. 30, NO. 01 • 8 PAHINA • P10.00

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Mabuhay

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ENERO 2 - 8, 2009

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

BALIK-TANAW

Suriing mabuti ang iluluklok na pinuno (Ang artikulong ito tungkol sa marapat na pagpili sa mga iniluluklok nating mga pinuno sa ating bansa ay unang inilimbag ng Mabuhay bilang editoryal sa sipi nito noong Enero 26 – Pebrero 1, 1997.)

NALALAPIT na naman ang halalan sa taong 1998 at liligawan na naman ng mga pulitiko ang mga botanteng mamamayan, na ang iba ay hindi na sinusukat ang kakayahan ng mga pulitikong lumalapit sa kanila. Tatlong taong magtitiis ang mamamayan kung ang kanilang iniluklok na pinuno ay walang inaalagata kundi ang kanyang sariling kapakanan. Sa pagkakataong darating ay dapat nang mamulat ang mga mamamayan sa pagpili ng mga pinunong bayan na kanilang ihahalal. Isang magandang halimbawa ang ginawa ni Mayor Aurelio Plamenco ng Pulilan na nagsimulang manungkulan sa kanyang bayan nang siya ay unang nahalal noong taong 1989. Palibhasa’y naging manager o tagapamahala bago napasok sa pulitika, madali niyang napaunlad ang bayan ng Pulilan sa pamamagitan ng tamang pamamahala sa pangangailangan ng bayan. Una niyang isinaayos ang mga lansangang naguugnay maging sa mga liblib na barangay. Sinundan niya ito ng pagpapatayo ng pangalawang mataas na paaralan na ang mabibiyayaan ay ang mga anak ng mahihirap na magsasaka sa mga malalayong barangay. Sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-ugnayan sa pandaigdigang institusyong pampananalapi (World Bank) nakautang ang Pulilan ng pondo na kanilang ipinagpagawa ng palengke sa Barangay Cutcut noong 1991. Dahil sa kanyang matiyagang pamamahala, nagawa niyang maipon ang halagang pambayad sa utang na ginamit sa palengke at handa na niyang bayaran ng buo ang kanilang pagkakautang, ngunit ito ay tinanggihan ng World Bank na nagsabing masisira ang kanilang interest repayment schedule. Ang ganitong mga pinunong bayan ang kailangan natin sa ngayon. Mga pinunong bayan na ang laman ng puso’t kaisipan ay kapakanan ng mamamayan. Ilan kaya sa kasalukuyang pinunong bayan ang may pagmamalasakit na katulad ng pinapamalas ni Mayor Plamenco para sa mga mamamayang nagtiwala sa kanya. Sana’y mamulat na ang mga mamamayan sa pagpili ng mga pinunong bayan na kanilang iboboto sa darating na halalan sa Mayo ng susunod na taon.

Mabuhay LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Jose L. Pavia Publisher/Editor Perfecto V. Raymundo Associate Editor

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

PRODUCTION

Anthony L. Pavia Managing Editor

Jose Antonio Q. Pavia, Jose Ricardo Q. Pavia, Mark F. Mata, Maricel P. Dayag

e-mail [email protected]

Eden Uy, Allan Peñaredondo, Joseph Ryan S. Pavia

PPI-KAF Community Press Awards

BUSINESS / ADMINISTRATION

Best Edited Weekly 2003 + 2008 Best in Photojournalism 1998 + 2005

PHOTOGRAPHY / ART

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

CIRCULATION Robert T. Raymundo, Armando M. Arellano, Jess Camaro, Fred Lopez 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 A proud member of PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE on April 30, 1987 under Permit No. 490; and as Third Class Mail Matter at the Manila Central Post Office under permit No. 1281-99-NCR dated Nov. 15, 1999. ISSN 1655-3853 Principal Office: 626 San Pascual, Obando, Bulacan  294-8122

WEBSITE

http://mabuhaynews.com 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.

Buntot Pagé

PERFECTO V. RAYMUNDO

Pagkaraan ng Pasko at Bagong Taon NGAYONG nakaraan na ang Pasko at Bagong Taon, panibagong pagsisikap na naman ang ating dapat na gawin, upang maaliwalas ang landas na ating tatahakin sa pag-usad ng panahon. Ngayong buwan ng Enero ay nararapat na pag-isipan natin kung ano ang mabuti nating gawin para sa ating hinaharap sa taong ito. Una sa lahat ay manalangin tayo sa Poong Maykapal na gabayan tayo sa ating mga gawain at ilayo sa tukso at kapahamakan. Patawarin ang mga nagkasala sa atin at ipanalangin na bigyan sila ng tamang pag-iisip para maging kapaki-pakinabang ang kanilang mga gawain. Sana’y pagsisihan ang anumang pagkakamaling nagawa nitong nakaraang taon at iwasto ang pagkakamali tungo sa isang maaliwalas na hinaharap. Manigong Bagong Taon sa ating mga giliw na mambabasa. Mga lady mayor at solon TATLO ang lady mayor sa lalawigan ng Bulacan sa kasa-

lukuyan. Sila ay sina Mayor Evelyn Paulino ng Dona Remedios Trinidad, Mayor Tessie Vistan ng Plaridel at Mayor Joan Alarilla ng Meycauayan. Sa kanilang tatlo tanging si Mayor Alarilla ang hindi biyuda. Si Mayor Paulino ay biyuda ni dating Mayor Steve Paulino at si Mayor Vistan ang biyuda ng namayapang Mayor Jaime Vistan. Napag-usapan na rin lamang ang lady mayor dito sa Bulacan ay alamin na rin natin ang mga lady solon sa lalawigan ni Gat. Marcelo H. del Pilar. Sila ay sina Kint. Lorna Silerio ng Ika-2 Distrito; Kint. Neneng Nicolas ng Ika-4 Distrito at Kint. Marivic Sy-Alvarado ng Ika-1 Distrito. Tanging sa Ika-3 Distrito barako ang kinatawan, si Kint. Pedro Pancho. Sa mga lady mayor at solon, Happy New Year sa inyong lahat. Sumakabilang buhay HINDI naging maganda ang pagpasok ng Bagong Taon sa pamilya ng aming pangalawang kapatid na si Cristeta “Titay”

Promdi

Raymundo San Antonio na binawian ng buhay dahil sa kanyang karamdaman noong ika-5 ng kasalukuyang buwan sa kanilang tahanan sa barangay Rueda, Plaridel, Bulacan. Naulila ni Cristeta ang kanyang mga anak na sina Yolanda, Alicia, Bong, Alfred at Medy at mga apo. Sa pagpanaw ni Cristeta ay ipinagluksa rin ng kanyang 10 kapatid na sina Perfecto, Ernesto, Luisa, Romulo, Juanito, Dalmacio, Carmelita, Carmencita, Maurillo at Rosa Maria. Nakatakda siyang ilibing sa Sabado, ika-10 ng Enero sa libingan sa Barangay Rueda sa Plaridel matapos ang isang misa sa kanilang tahanan. Sa iyo kapatid na Cristeta, malamang na salubungin ka nina Amang at Inang diyan sa Kaharian ng Diyos sa langit. Sa aming 11 magkakapatid ay si Cristeta ang sumunod na pumanaw sa aming mga magulang na sina Alejandro at Monica na naunang nakipagkita kay San Pedro noong Disyembre 16,1998 at Hunyo 13, 1985.

DINO BALABO

Sulyap sa hinaharap ng mamamahayag ISA sa mga bunga ng katatapos na mahabang Christmas vacation ay ang pagkakaroon ng bawat isa ng pagkakataon upang magsuri sa mga nagdaang araw at hinaharap na panahon. Bilang isang mamamahayag, hindi maiwasan ng Promdi na sumulyap sa mga posibleng maging kalagayan ng pamamahayag kahapon, ngayon at sa mga susunod na panahon. Sa mga nagdaang panahon, naikuwento sa Promdi ng mga beteranong mamamahayag sa Bulacan tulad ni Benjamin “Tatang Ben” Gamos kung paano sila nagpapahatid ng kanilang mga balita at mga kuhang larawan sa kanilang pahayagang sinusulatan na nakabase sa Maynila. Ayon kay Tatang Ben, noong dekada ’60 at ’70 ay personal nilang inihahatid ang kanilang sinulat na balita sa Maynila. Sa mga sumunod na panahon ay ginamit nila ang pamamaraang “phone-in” o pagtawag ng long distance collect sa tanggapan ng pahayagang kanilang sinusulatan, at idinidikta ang sinulat nilang balita. May mga pagkakataon din na ipinahahatid nila ang kanilang

balita sa pamamagitan ng telegrama, ang mga larawan ay sa pamamagitan ng bus na biyaheng Maynila kung saan iyon ay pinipick-up ng mensahero mula sa kanilang tanggapan. Sa pagdaan ng panahon, umunlad ang teknolohiya at nauso ang mga facsimile (fax) machine. Ito ay inabutan pa ng Promdi nang magsimula sa pamamahayag sa Bulacan noong taong 2000. Ang balita ay karaniwang isinusulat ng mamamahayag noon gamit ang malaking typewriter, pagkatapos ay isinusubo sa fax machine upang ipadala sa Maynila. Ang pamamaraang ito ay nagbigay buhay din sa “snowpaque journalism” kung saan ang pangalan ng mamamahayag na naunang nagpadala ng balita ay binubura pati na ang pangalan ng kanyang pahayagan ng kasunod na mamamahayag gamit ang liquid paper na kung tawagin ay snowpaque. Pagkatuyo ng ipinahid na snowpaque, isusubo ng kasunod na mamamahayag ang papel na sinulatan ng balita sa typewriter upang i-type ang kanyang pangalan pati pangalan ng kanyang pahayagan.

Kakampi mo ang Batas

Sa kasalukuyan, electronic mail o e-mail na ang ginagamit ng karaniwang mamamahayag sa lalawigan upang ipahatid ang kanilang sinulat na balita sa Maynila pati na ang mga larawan na kanilang nakunan gamit ang kanilang digital camera o kaya’y cellular phone na may camera. Mapapansin na sa loob lamang ng walong taon ay malaki ang pagbabago sa pagpapahatid ng balita sa Maynila ng mga mamamahayag sa Bulacan, bunsod na rin ng pag-unlad ng teknolohiya. Fax machine noon, e-mail ngayon. Maging ang mga gamit sa pagkuha ng mga larawan at gamit sa paggawa ng balita. Kamerang de mano noon, digital camera ngayon. Typewriter noon, desktop at laptop computer ngayon. Ang tanong, tuluyan na bang mawawala ang mga pahayagan dahil sa patuloy na pagiging popular ng telebisyon at internet ngayon, lalo pa’t nasa panahon tayo ng 24 na oras na pagbabalita hatid na rin ng internet wire services at istasyon ng telebisyon na puro balita ang hatid tulad ng Continental News Network (CNN).  sundan sa pahina 4

ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

Employer na di nagbayad ng sahod TANONG: Good day. Gusto ko lang po sana itanong kung meron po bang batas na nakaukol sa paghold ng last pay ng isang empleyado? Kasi hanggang ngayon po ay di pa rin po naibibigay last pay ko almost tatlong buwan na. Nagset po sila ng schedule na sa ganoong araw na ma-release yung last pay ko tapos pag nagfollow up ka ulit inuurong na naman ulit ’yung schedule ng release. Tsaka po pala yung mga hulog ng empleyado sa SSS, meron po bang batas kapag ang employer mo ay hindi nahulugan ang iyong benepisyo bilang miyembro ng SSS? Maraming salamat po. — Daryl ([email protected])

SAGOT: Daryl, maraming salamat sa e-mail na ito. Sa ilalim ng Labor Code of the Philippines, ang anumang trabahong nagam-

panan o napagtrabahuhan na ay kailangang mabayaran na. Ibig sabihin, ang sinumang manggagawang nakapagtrabaho na ay kailangang mabayaran ng kanyang napagtrabahuhang oras o araw. Kung hindi ito babayaran ng employer o ng kanyang mga opisyales, magkakaroon ng pananagutang kriminal ang employer at maaari itong makulong mula tatlong buwan hanggang tatlong taon. Upang maumpisahan ang pananagutang kriminal na ito, kailangang magpadala ng sulat ang manggagawa sa employer na humihiling ng kabayaran sa kaukulang sahod o benepisyong napagtrabahuhan na, at kung hindi pa din magbabayad ang nasabing employer matapos matanggap ang sulat na ito, maaari na siyang masampahan ng kaso sa piskalya.

Sa kabilang dako, kapag ang mga manggagawa ay nakakaltasan ng kanilang mga kontribusyon sa SSS pero hindi ito nairemit ng mga employer sa SSS, maaari din silang magsampa ng hiwalay na mga kasong kriminal ukol dito. Dalawang hiwalay na kasong kriminal ang maaaring isampa sa mga employer na nagkaltas ng mga SSS contribution pero hindi ito nagremit. Ang una ay ang paglabag sa Republic Act 1161, as amended by Republic Act 8282, ang Social Security Law (na may parusang pagkakabilanggo ng anim na taon isang araw) at ang pangalawa ay ang paglabag sa Art. 315 ng Revised Penal Code sa kasong estafa, na may parusang pagkakabilanggo ng anim na taon isang araw din.  sundan sa pahina 7

Mabuhay

ENERO 2 - 8, 2009

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LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Depthnews

Regarding Henry

JUAN L. MERCADO

The elusive star EVERY Christmas reignites an ancient argument. What really was the Star of Bethlehem? It led the Magi, as Filipino historian Horacio De La Costa put it, “to go on a fool’s errand, to a Prince they have not seen, in a country they do not know.” This Christmas was no exception. The old questions came up again. Was the Star a comet? Perhaps, a supernova? Maybe an alignment of planets? Or just a myth? “Star of wonder, star of might / Star of royal beauty bright …”, we sing in the 1857 carol. Today, “modern science is unraveling the mystery behind one of the most famous astronomical stories in history,” says a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) special report. “New technology allows astronomers to map ancient night skies with extraordinary accuracy. They’re looking at several unusual astronomical events that the wise men could have seen.” Experts now challenge a traditional claim: that the star was a comet. Chinese and Korean stargazers, around 5 BC, did report a

blazing object. For over 70 days, it didn’t budge. Was that over Bethlehem? Halley’s Comet appeared about 12 BC. Was this what the Nativity story referred to? Mark wrote the sparsest of the Gospels (circa AD 60). But his account begins with an adult Jesus baptized in the Jordan. John’s Gospel (circa AD 90) goes before Bethlehem — into eternity. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Luke’s Nativity account makes no mention of a star. “Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?’,” Matthew wrote. “For we have seen His star at its rising and have come to worship Him.” Matthew provides few details. Inheriting Spanish tradition, Filipinos call them Gaspar, Melchor and Baltazar. They were probably astrologers from Persia. The Magi combined science with faith to predict the birth of a new Messiah. In the process, they

Cebu Calling

HENRYLITO D. TACIO

upset the elite of that day. “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him,” Matthew adds. The Star continues to upset today. The Star of Bethlehem could have been one of a rare “triple conjunction” of planets in 7 BC, says Dr. David Hughes of the University of Sheffield. Jupiter and Saturn came together thrice over several months that year. This happened in the constellation of Pisces. “There is evidence that Persian astronomers predicted this conjunction. An ancient clay tablet, now in the British Museum, describes this merging,” BBC’s Rebecca Ellis adds. “A particularly striking conjunction occurred in June 17, 2 B.C,” Ed Krupp of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles told Andrew Fazekas of National Geographic. “For skywatchers at the time, it looked like a massive, single starlike object in the western evening sky.”  continued on page 7

FR. ROY CIMAGALA

Our different languages WE may not notice it, but we actually use different languages with different people and in different occasions. Just the same, we need to know how to integrate all of them into one that’s consistent with our human condition and goal. I remember that as a kid I talked with my parents in different ways. With Papa, I had to use reason a lot, I had to make and defend my points. I had to make a score most of the time, otherwise I would not get on well with him. I had to be careful with my words. But I adored him, since I learned a lot from him. With Mama, there hardly was any word needed. I used a completely different language. Since she was invariably affectionate and sweet, I had to be tender also with her. She understood me always, and I didn’t have to explain anything to her. My love for her could not be compromised. But when I overstepped, her injured glances were more painful than my father’s very explosive reprimands. Thankfully, there were just a few of them. Well,

that’s part of growing up in the family. With her, I tended to be an instant penitent. But with him, I usually turned into a rebel, adept at reasoning and wrangling, because my father always wanted me to explain my mistakes. He had reasons, I also had mine. In fairness, he made sure that at the end of the day, there was always peace and reconciliation, and I managed to do my part. I learned, especially from my mother, that peace was more important than settling issues. It has to be above differences. Nowadays, with all the developments around us, we need to learn the lingos and idioms of the different fields we get involved in — academics, legal, sciences, cultural, sports, entertainment, technological as in the Internet and other gadgets, etc. One time, a friend texted me something that I didn’t quite like. I failed to get the joke it was meant to be. So I tried to be delicate in wording my reply. Just the same it came out negative. His answer was, LOL. It de-

pressed me in the thought that I offended him. I also was surprised how my friend could have overreacted to my response and could go to the extent of calling me “fool,” as in “ulol”. I learned only later that LOL meant “laugh out loud.” From that time on, I resolved to update myself with some of these abbreviated responses that are now common among gadget users. There’s just one language which I hold most dear, because I consider it the most important, the most basic, the one that ranks and gives meaning to all the languages we use. This is the language of the heart, the language of faith, of our beliefs, of piety. It’s the one that involves all aspects of our life. It tackles the very essence of life, of love and freedom, truth and justice, and the like. It can use words, but it can go far beyond them. It can plumb deep into mysteries, going beyond reason. It’s for these reasons that I consider it the most delicate, one that must be protected and defended  continued on page 4

Why we need to pray “I BELIEVE in prayer,” admits Josephine Baker. “It’s the best way we have to draw strength from heaven.” Francis Cardinal Spellman suggests, “Pray as if everything depended upon God and work as if everything depended upon man.” No day should be spent without talking with God first. For, as James Montgomery, puts it: “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed; the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.” “Seven days without prayer makes one weak.” That’s what Allen Vartlett said. But I have known a lot of my friends who don’t know how to pray. Yesterday, while attending a party, the master of ceremony asked my seat mate to lead us in prayer. But he whispered to him that he doesn’t know how. Jesus Christ Himself showed us how to pray. He even instructed how we need to pray. “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Yes, prayer is like talking with your loved one. The only difference is that you cannot see that Someone you talk with but He hears you — no matter how simple your prayer is and how low is your voice. “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,” wrote Alfred Lord Tennyson. “Prayer is the language of a man burdened with a sense of need,” said E.M. Bounds. According to P.J. Wingate, “Give us this day our daily bread” is probably the most perfectly constructed and useful sentence ever set down in the English language. But the trouble with our praying is, “we just do it as a means of last resort,” to quote the words of Will Rogers. Whether you are in good health or in sickness, having success or facing trouble, pray. Many people pray when there is storm but after the storm is over, they forget to pray. “Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude,” Walter A. Mueller urged. Many people come to God in

prayer only when they are in need. The British playwright was right when he said, “Most people do not pray; they only beg.” And if God won’t answer their demands, they claim God is fake. “Some people think that prayer just means asking for things, and if they fail to receive exactly what they asked for, they think the whole thing is a fraud,” observed Gerald Vann. Why do you think God doesn’t answer your prayer? “What we usually pray to God is not that His will be done, but that He approve ours,” Helga Bergold Gross believes. Alan Redpath agrees, “Before we can pray, ‘Lord, Thy Kingdom come,’ we must be willing to pray, ‘My Kingdom go.’” “The reason why we obtain no more in prayer is because we expect no more. God usually answers us according to our own hearts,” Richard Alleine states. Dr. Robert Schuller argues that God always answers prayer. God has four options: no, slow, grow, and go. When what you pray is not right, God says, “No.” He explains that God resorts to this decision when your idea is not the best or it is absolutely wrong. Another reason: “What you pray may help you but it could create problems for someone else.” If the time is not yet right, God’s answer is: “Slow.” Dr. Schuller points out, “What a catastrophe it would be if God answered every prayer at the snap of your fingers. Do you know what would happen? God would become your servant, not your master. Suddenly, God would be working for you instead of you working for God.” God’s delays are not God’s denials. God’s timing is always perfect. What you need is patience. The third answer is: “Grow.” Why is this so? “The selfish person has to grow in unselfishness. The cautious person must grow courage. The timid person must grow in confidence. The dominating person must grow in sensitivity. The critical person must grow in tolerance. The negative person must grow in positive attitudes. The pleasure-seeking person must grow in compassion for suffering people.” If your prayer passes those three options, then that’s the time God will say, “Go.” The miracle will happen: A hopeless alcoholic is set free. A drug addict finds release. A doubter becomes as a child in his belief. Diseased  continued on page 7

Jakarta Declaration on safety of journalists (Editor’s Note: Following is the full text of the Jakarta Declaration on the Safety of Journalist in Asia-Pacific. It was crafted and issued by the delegates from 11 countries who participated in the regional conference on Creating a Culture of Safety in Media in Asia-Pacific in Jakarta, Indonesia last December 15-16, 2008. Issued at the conclusion of the conference it is a fitting testament to the continuing struggle to make the practice of journalism safer so that the free flow of information remains unhampered.)

THE first safety conference for the news media in the Asia-Pacific region, convened by the International News Safety Institute in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 15-16 December 2008, Asserts

• On this 60th anniversary of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, freedom of expression is a basic right for all • Freedom of expression and a free press are critical to the sustained development of nations, to the end of corruption and to the alleviation of poverty

Noting The deaths of more than 1,400 journalists and other news media personnel at work around the world between 1996 and 2008, at least 125 of them in countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Deplores The casualties and all physical attacks on and unwarranted detentions of journalists and other news professionals in the region And Declares

• Governments are primarily re-

sponsible for the safety of all of their citizens, including the news media. They must act to end the culture of impunity where journalists are murdered and observe in letter and in spirit United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 of 2006 on the safety of journalists in conflict. • News organisations should observe their Duty of Care for all news personnel they engage and provide appropriate safety and trauma training, equipment and insurance or

other financial provision for death or disability when they cover dangerous stories such as wars and other conflicts, crime and corruption, natural and man-made disasters and health emergencies. Such provisions must be non-discriminatory and cover staff, freelancers, stringers, media support staff and other contract workers, males and females. • News organisations must not allow the world economic downturn to affect adversely the standard of safety protection they offer their news personnel. They must set the cost of safety care against the incalculable costs to their societies and economies when journalists are forcibly silenced. • Safety must be an essential component of all international media development programmes, as one cannot progress without the other. International aid must be made available to smaller news organisations that lack the resources to provide adequate protection for their staff and stringers. • Journalists, professional orga-

nisations and media owners should discuss and agree together on appropriate operational procedures governing safety and trauma. They should consider setting aside normal competitive issues where the lives of news staff are in danger. • Journalists and other news media staff and freelancers must help and assist one another in hostile environments. • Journalists must work to the highest standards of their craft to provide to the best of their ability ethically balanced and accurate news coverage for the societies they serve. Concludes This conference agrees to monitor the safety situation in Asia-Pacific throughout 2009 and report back to the International News Safety Institute in December 2009. INSI will include the information in its annual world review of the safety of journalists provided to the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations who reports back to the Security Council under terms of Resolution 1738.

Mabuhay

4

‘Economic tsunami’ ang tatama sa libong pamilya ng mga Overseas Filipino Worker

Buhay Pinoy MANDY CENTENO

The King and I

(2)

Habang nasa wheelchair, itinutulak ko Taimtim ang dasal, ginagawa dito Sa ‘Search for Lolo King’ sana ay manalo Pagpapahalaga sa araw ding ito. Butihing maybahay ay aking inakay Sa pagkukumonyon patungo sa altar Bawat masalubong, siya’y kinamayan May humahalik pa, ang pagbati’y tunay. Mga anak, apo ay binati siya Pagdating sa bahay lahat ay masaya Sa konting pagkain, nagkasama-sama Naging maligaya ina’t lola nila. Ganap ika-isa ay bihis na ako Ang Bulwagang Bayan, pinuntahan ito Ang ‘semi-finalist’ sa ‘search for King Lolo’ Labinglima kami, dito’y kandidato. Pag-akyat sa stage, ipinakilala Di na nagsalita, itong labinglima Ang naging ‘finalists’, apat ang natira Salamat sa Diyos, ako ay kasama. ‘Talent portion’ naman, unang kandidato Ang daming sinabi pagkat pulitiko Ang ‘Portrait of my Love’ ay inawit nito Ngunit di natapos, hindi kabisado. Ang ‘Portrait of my Love’ ay inawit ko din Subalit Tagalog sariling kathain Kap Renan Marcelo sumaliw sa akin At itong awitin, naging madamdamin. Candidate No. 3 may dalang minus one Ang pag-awit niya ay bigay na bigay Matapos kumanta ay pinalakpakan Sa ganda ng boses, lahat nasiyahan. Ang pag-apat naman damit pinalitan Seksi ang kapartner, sila ay nagsayaw Ballroom dancing ito, kay gandang pagmasdan Naging masigabo, itong palakpakan. Sa ‘question and answer’, tanong iba’t iba Mayroong madali at may mahirap pa Suertihan lang dito, pagsagot okey ba At hindi nagtagal ito ang resulta.

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Ang 2nd runner-up kategorya’y media Sa pamamahayag kilang-kilala Lungsod ng Malolos ang tirahan niya Amando R. Centeno, Jr. ang pangalan niya. Civic organizer, 1st runner-up dito Chemical Engineering ang tinapos nito Sa bayang Guiguinto, nakatira ito Serafin O. Villones, Jr. pangalang totoo. Doctor of Education ang pinagtapusan Division supervisor sa DepEd Bulacan Sa bayang Baliuag ang pinagbuhatan Dr. Alejandro S. Cruz, LOLO KING na tunay. Ipinagkaloob ni Gob. Jon-jon Mendoza Sash, tropeo’t pera, gantimpala niya Ss mga LOLO KING pagpapahalaga Ang maging huwaran, angkop sa kanila. Salamat sa Diyos, itong nasabi ko Naging gantimpala, nagmula kay Kristo Siya ang KING of KINGS sa balat ng mundo ‘The KING and I’ naman na lubhang totoo. ○

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Cebu Calling

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Promdi

Naging 3rd runner-up isang ‘public servant’ Kagawad, Kapitan, Konsehal ng bayan Sa bayan ng Pandi kanilang tirahan Rodolfo V. Parulan Sr., ang kanyang pangalan.

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na magpapalubog sa libo-libong pamilya ng OFW dahil sa global financial crisis,” ani ng batang Ople nang siya ay dumalo sa ikalawang anibersaryo ng pahayagang NewsCore noong Disyembre 19. Ang dating labor undersecretary ang pangulo ng Blas Ople Policy Center na nakabase sa Maynila, Ayon sa bunsong anak ng yumaong Senador Blas Ople, ang problema ng kawalan ng trabaho ng libo-libong OFW ay hindi na maitatanggi. Si Ka Blas Ople na taga-Hagonoy ang umakda ng Labor Code ng Pilipinas at isa sa humubog ng 1987 Constitution. “Nandito na ang problema, tahimik lang pero totoo,” ani Toots Ople sa Mabuhay at sinabi na noong nakaraang linggo ay kasama siya ni Overseas Worker Welfare Administrator Carmelita Dimzon sa Taiwan kung saan ay sinabi sa kanila ng mga opisyal ng Manila Economic Cultural Office (MECO) doon na umabot na sa mahigit 2,000 OFW ang umuwi mula Oktubre at tinatayang 4,000 OFW pa sa Taiwan ang mawawalan ng trabaho. Ayon kay Toots, karaniwan sa mga OFW na nawalan ng trabaho ay ang mga nagsisipagtrabaho sa mga kumpanyang gumagawa ng semiconductors, textiles, auto parts at electronics na nagbebenta ng kanilang produkto sa Estados Unidos na unang tinamaan ng financial crisis. Sinabi niya na dapat pangunahan ng pamahalaan ang pagtugon sa mga problema ng OFW upang patunayan ang pagkalinga sa mga ito na itinuturing na bagong bayani o “economic savior” dahil sa kanilang remittances na umaabot sa $14 bilyon. Ang nasabing halaga ay ang isa sa nakatulong sa pagpapanatiling matatag ng ekomoniya ng Pilipinas. “Isantabi muna ang Cha-Cha dahil we are facing bigger problems with the displacement of the OFWs. Delubyo ang hinaharap natin,” ani ng batang Ople. Sinabi rin niya sa Mabuhay na sa bawat mapapauwing OFW, tatlo hang-

NI DINO BALABO HAGONOY, Bulacan — Halos isang taon pa lamang nagtatrabaho si Cynthia (di tunay na pangalan) sa Taiwan bilang isang factory worker, ngunit ngayon pa lamang ay nangangamba na ang kanyang mga magulang at apat na kapatid. Ito ay dahil sa posibilidad na bigla siyang mapauwi na hindi tapos ang dalawang taong kontratang pinirmahan. Ang maaaring sapitin ni Cynthia at daan-daang libong kapuwa Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) ay dulot ng pandaigdigang krisis pampinansiyal na nagsimula sa Amerika noong nakaraang taon. Ayon sa mga magulang ni Cynthia, inutang lamang nila ang perang ginamit na placement fee ng kanilang anak upang makapagtrabaho sa Taiwan. Ang utang ay hindi pa halos nababayaran, kaya’t isang malaking dagok sa kanilang pamilya kung mapapauwi ang panganay na anak. Batay na rin sa huling mga text message na ipinahatid sa kanila ni Cynthia, marami nang kapuwa niya OFW ang pinauwi na mula noong Oktubre dahil nagsipagsara ang mga pabrikang kanilang pinagtatrabahuhan. Bukod sa bayaring utang, problema rin ng pamilya ang pag-aaral ng tatlong kapatid ni Cynthia na kanyang sinusuportahan. Ito ay dahil na rin sa kinakapos ang pamilya sa kabila ng pangongontrata ng kanilang ama bilang steel fabricator sa bayang ito. Ayon kay dating Labor Undersecretary Susan “Toots” Ople, ang sitwasyon ng pamilya ni Cynthia ay nakakahalintulad ng libo-libo pang pamilyang Pilipino, partikular sa Gitnang Luzon, ang pinagmulan ng pinakamaraming OFW batay sa ulat ng National Statistics Office (NSO) at Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). “Kalimutan muna natin ang Charter Change (Cha-Cha), dahil ang dapat tutukan ay ang ‘economic tsunami’

Ika-labing anim sa Disyembreng buwan Ay kapanganakan ng aking maybahay Pitumpu’t dalawa taon kanyang gulang At sa pagsisimba kami’y magkasabay.

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ENERO 2 - 8, 2009

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

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 continued from page 3

always. Thus, I get nervous with any undue misuse of it. One time, someone gave a theological discussion about a certain topic. It was brilliant, and I agreed wholeheartedly with almost all of it. The only problem was that it was presented as if it was the last word on that topic. All other views, especially the differing ones, appeared anathema. That’s when I felt my blood boil. I was convinced it was a case of a theological view exaggerating itself, such that it sounded to me like it was emptied of charity and understanding for those who for one reason or another could not agree with it or would just have a different take. It could not come from God, I remembered telling myself. For I remembered that our Lord’s words, for all their forcefulness and precision, were, and are, always full of compassion and mercy. It’s always good to go to the maximum potentials of our reason and theological reflections. But let’s always remember that these are not supposed to be the last word, claiming for themselves the very essence of faith. They are mere tools and servants of faith, of our direct conversation with God that takes place in our heart. They have to recognize their true condition and behave accordingly.

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Hindi. Sa halip, mananatili ang mga pahayagan at mga mamamahayag. Ngunit patuloy ang pagtaas ng antas ng hinihingi sa mga mamamahayag na ang kanilang balita ay higit na mabigyan ng perspektibo, at ang mga pahayagan ay patuloy na maging kasangkapan sa pagsasatinig ng daing, saloobin at pananaw ng bawat bumubuo ng pamayanan. Ayon sa Italyanong mamamahayag na si Vittorio Sabadin, katulad ng musika ang pamamahayag ay mananatili kahit mawala pa ang mga pahayagan. Inihalimbawa niya na noong dekada ’70 siya ay nakikinig sa mga tugtugin gamit ang mga long playing (LP) album, di nagtagal lumipat siya sa mga compact disc, at ngayon ay may MP3 player siya. Inayunan naman ito ni Lourdes Simbulan, ang umakda ng artikulong “Future of Newspapers” na inilathala sa Philippine Journalism Review (PJR), isang reference journal ng Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) na inilabas noong Hunyo 2007. Ayon kay Simbulan, “Good journalism will probably not disappear with the loss of the medium; it will just find its way in others.” Totoo na hindi maglalaho ang pamamahayag. Ngunit patuloy naman ang pagtaas ng hinihingi sa mga mamamahayag. Kung sa mga nagdaang panahon ang palaging dala ng isang mamamahayag ay ang kanyang press card, ballpen, maliit na notebook para sulatan ng kanyang mga notes, o kaya’y tape recorder, pati na kamera at cellular phone, sa darating na panahon mas higit na madadagdagan ang mga gamit na dala ng isang mamamahayag. Kailangan niya ng mini-laptop computer na may internet access na bukod pa sa wi-fi ready ay may bluetooth capability at multiple card readers; digital camera; isa hanggang tatlong cellular phone na may transistor radio, TV signal capability, at voice recording capability; at flash

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gang sampu pang kapamilya ang apektado. “Problema ng pamilya ang pagbabayad sa inutang na placement fee, pang tuition ng mga anak na nag-aaral, pampagamot nina lolo at lola, pambili ng pagkain at pamasahe ng mga estudyante sa pag-aaral araw-araw,” ani Toots. Ipinayo niya na dapat magtayo ang mga pamahalaang lokal at nasyunal ng mga one-stop-shop assistance center bilang pagkalinga sa mga mapapauwing OFW. Ang mga nasabing assistance center ay bubuuin ng mga kinatawan mula sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan tulad ng DOLE, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at iba pa. Sinabi rin niya na hindi kakayaning mag-isa ng DOLE ang pagtugon sa problema sa OFW at inihalimbawa ang tanggapan ng labor attaché sa Kaoshiung, Taiwan na wala pang 10 ang tauhan na tumutugon sa may 200 OFW na pinauuwi bawat araw. Patungkol naman sa mga lokal na pamahalaan, sinabi niya na dapat tukuyin at imapa ang mga pamilya ng OFW na maapektuhan ng krisis. “They must come out with focused, coherent, cohesive, concrete and measurable programs to address the impending crisis in their levels,” ani Toots. Sa ganitong paraan, aniya maiiwasan na masayang ang limitadong pananalapi ng gobyerno. Para naman kay Bokal Christian Natividad, ng Ika-1 Distrito, dapat maghanda sa pagtugon sa problema ang mga lokal na pamahalaan partikular na sa Gitnang Luzon na tinukoy ng NSO at DOLE na pinagmulan ng pinakamalaking bilang ng mga OFW. Ipinayo rin ni Natividad ang pagtitipid sa panahon ng krisis. “I don’t think, we can afford a bail out like the United States has done, kaya dapat mag-shift muna tayo sa tight belt mode,” ani Natividad na anak ng yumaong si Kint. Teodulo Natividad. — Dino Balabo ○

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 mula sa pahina 2

drive na dalawa hanggang apat na gigabyte ang storage space. Simple lang ang dahilan kung bakit kakailanganin ng mga mamamahayag ang mga kagamitang ito. Ang mini-laptop ay kailangan sa pagsusulat at pagpapahatid ng balita at mga larawang nakunan gamit ang digital camera, saan man naroon ang mamamahayag. Hindi maaaring idahilan ng isang mamamahayag sa darating na panahon na bukas na lamang niya susulatin ang balita dahil lingguhan naman ang kanilang pahayagan. Ito ay dahil sa darating ang panahon na ang mga pampamayanang pahayagan ay magkakaroon ng mga website na halos oras-oras ay magkakaroon ng update. Malaki rin ang posibilidad na ang mga update sa mga balita sa mga lokal na pahayagan ay ipadadala na rin sa mga cellphone subscriber sa kanilang lugar. Sa ganitong paraan, mas higit na magiging makahulugan ang mga katagang “information communication technology”. Ang flash drive naman ay magsisilbing storage na dala ng mamamahayag kahit saan, na maaaring isaksak sa laptop upang ang lumang

balitang nasulat ay maging batayan ng mga susunod na balitang susulatin. Ang cellular phone naman na may radyo, TV, at recording capabilities ay magagamit sa pagmomonitor ng balita sa radyo at TV, bukod pa sa magagamit din sa pagrerekord ng interbyu. Magagamit din ang cellular phone sa pagtawag sa mga kontak ng mamamahayag upang kumpirmahin ang balita o kaya’y sa pagkakalap ng dagdag na impormasyon. Ang lahat ng ito ay pawang dagdag na gamit ng isang mamamahayag na makatutulong sa kanya sa pagsusulat at paghahatid ng balita. Kaalinsabay nito ay kailangan din ng mamamahayag ang pagpapaunlad ng kanyang sariling kakayahan sa pamamagitan ng pagdalo sa mga pagsasanay o training workshop/seminar; at sa patuloy na pagbabasa at pagsasaliksik. Walang kapalit ang mga pagsasanay at patuloy na pagbabasa at pagsasaliksik, lalo na sa panahong ito kung kailan nauuso ang specialized reporting tulad ng science and biotechnology, business and economic, human rights and extra-legal killings, at iba pa.

http://mabuhaynews.com

Mabuhay

ENERO 2 - 8, 2009

5

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Pope Benedict XVI asks people to reflect on the theme ‘Fighting poverty to build peace’ (cf. Rom 2:14-15). Does not every one of us sense deep within his or her conscience a call to make a personal contribution to the common good and to peace in society? Globalization eliminates certain barriers, but is still able to build new ones; it brings peoples together, but spatial and temporal proximity does not of itself create the conditions for true communion and authentic peace. Effective means to redress the marginalization of the world’s poor through globalization will only be found if people everywhere feel personally outraged by the injustices in the world and by the concomitant violations of human rights. The Church, which is the “sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race”11 will continue to offer her contribution so that injustices and misunderstandings may be resolved, leading to a world of greater peace and solidarity.

(Editor’s Note: Following is the message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the celebration of the World Day of Peace on January 1.)

Fighting poverty to build peace

1 ONCE again, as the new year begins, I want to extend good wishes for peace to

people everywhere. With this Message I would like to propose a reflection on the theme: Fighting Poverty to Build Peace. Back in 1993, my venerable Predecessor Pope John Paul II, in his Message for the World Day of Peace that year, drew attention to the negative repercussions for peace when entire populations live in poverty. Poverty is often a contributory factor or a compounding element in conflicts, including armed ones. In turn, these conflicts fuel further tragic situations of poverty. “Our world,” he wrote, “shows increasing evidence of another grave threat to peace: many individuals and indeed whole peoples are living today in conditions of extreme poverty. The gap between rich and poor has become more marked, even in the most economically developed nations. This is a problem which the conscience of humanity cannot ignore, since the conditions in which a great number of people are living are an insult to their innate dignity and as a result are a threat to the authentic and harmonious progress of the world community.”

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In this context, fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the complex phenomenon of globalization. This is important from a methodological standpoint, because it suggests drawing upon the fruits of economic and sociological research into the many different aspects of poverty. Yet the reference to globalization should also alert us to the spiritual and moral implications of the question, urging us, in our dealings with the poor, to set out from the clear recognition that we all share in a single divine plan: we are called to form one family in which all — individuals, peoples and nations — model their behaviour according to the principles of fraternity and responsibility. This perspective requires an understanding of poverty that is wide-ranging and well articulated. If it were a question of material poverty alone, then the social sciences, which enable us to measure phenomena on the basis of mainly quantitative data, would be sufficient to illustrate its principal characteristics. Yet we know that other, non-material forms of poverty exist which are not the direct and automatic consequence of material deprivation. For example, in advanced wealthy societies, there is evidence of marginalization, as well as affective, moral and spiritual poverty, seen in people whose interior lives are disoriented and who experience various forms of malaise despite their economic prosperity. On the one hand, I have in mind what is known as “moral underdevelopment”,2 and on the other hand the negative consequences of “superdevelopment”.3 Nor can I forget that, in so-called “poor” societies, economic growth is often hampered by cultural impediments which lead to inefficient use of available resources. It remains true, however, that every form of externally imposed poverty has at its root a lack of respect for the transcendent dignity of the human person. When man is not considered within the total context of his vocation, and when the demands of a true “human ecology”4 are not respected, the cruel forces of poverty are unleashed, as is evident in certain specific areas that I shall now consider briefly one by one. Poverty and moral implications Poverty is often considered a consequence of demographic change. For this reason, there are international campaigns afoot to reduce birth-rates, sometimes using methods that respect neither the dignity of the woman, nor the right of parents to choose responsibly how many children to have;5 graver still, these methods often fail to respect even the right to life. The extermination of millions of unborn children, in the name of the fight against poverty, actually constitutes the destruction of the poorest of all human beings. And yet it remains the case that in 1981, around 40% of the world’s population was below the threshold of absolute poverty, while today that percentage has been reduced by as much as a half, and whole peoples have escaped from poverty despite experiencing substantial demographic growth. This goes to show that resources to solve the

3

– Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the complex phenomenon of globalization, says Pope Benedict XVI in his World Day of Peace message. problem of poverty do exist, even in the face of an increasing population. Nor must it be forgotten that, since the end of the Second World War, the world’s population has grown by four billion, largely because of certain countries that have recently emerged on the international scene as new economic powers, and have experienced rapid development specifically because of the large number of their inhabitants. Moreover, among the most developed nations, those with higher birth-rates enjoy better opportunities for development. In other words, population is proving to be an asset, not a factor that contributes to poverty.

4

Another area of concern has to do with pandemic diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. Insofar as they affect the wealth-producing sectors of the population, they are a significant factor in the overall deterioration of conditions in the country concerned. Efforts to rein in the consequences of these diseases on the population do not always achieve significant results. It also happens that countries afflicted by some of these pandemics find themselves held hostage, when they try to address them, by those who make economic aid conditional upon the implementation of anti-life policies. It is especially hard to combat AIDS, a major cause of poverty, unless the moral issues connected with the spread of the virus are also addressed. First and foremost, educational campaigns are needed, aimed especially at the young, to promote a sexual ethic that fully corresponds to the dignity of the person; initiatives of this kind have already borne important fruits, causing a reduction in the spread of AIDS. Then, too, the necessary medicines and treatment must be made available to poorer peoples as well. This presupposes a determined effort to promote medical research and innovative forms of treatment, as well as flexible application, when required, of the international rules protecting intellectual property, so as to guarantee necessary basic healthcare to all people.

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A third area requiring attention in programmes for fighting poverty, which once again highlights its intrinsic moral dimension, is child poverty. When poverty strikes a family, the children prove to be the most vulnerable victims: almost half of those living in absolute poverty today are children. To take the side of children when considering poverty means giving priority to those objectives which concern them most directly, such as caring for mothers, commitment to education, access to vaccines, medical care and drinking water, safeguarding the environment, and above all, commitment to defence of the family and the stability of relations within it. When the family is weakened, it is inevitably children who suffer. If the dignity of women and mothers is not protected, it is the children who are affected most.

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A fourth area needing particular attention from the moral standpoint is the relationship between disarmament and development. The current level of world military expenditure gives cause for concern. As I have pointed out before, it can happen that “immense military expenditure, involving material and human re-

sources and arms, is in fact diverted from development projects for peoples, especially the poorest who are most in need of aid. This is contrary to what is stated in the Charter of the United Nations, which engages the international community and States in particular ‘to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources’ (art. 26).” This state of affairs does nothing to promote, and indeed seriously impedes, attainment of the ambitious development targets of the international community. What is more, an excessive increase in military expenditure risks accelerating the arms race, producing pockets of underdevelopment and desperation, so that it can paradoxically become a cause of instability, tension and conflict. As my venerable predecessor Paul VI wisely observed, “the new name for peace is development”.7 States are therefore invited to reflect seriously on the underlying reasons for conflicts, often provoked by injustice, and to practise courageous self-criticism. If relations can be improved, it should be possible to reduce expenditure on arms. The resources saved could then be earmarked for development projects to assist the poorest and most needy individuals and peoples: efforts expended in this way would be efforts for peace within the human family.

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A fifth area connected with the fight against material poverty concerns the current food crisis, which places in jeopardy the fulfilment of basic needs. This crisis is characterized not so much by a shortage of food, as by difficulty in gaining access to it and by different forms of speculation: in other words, by a structural lack of political and economic institutions capable of addressing needs and emergencies. Malnutrition can also cause grave mental and physical damage to the population, depriving many people of the energy necessary to escape from poverty unaided. This contributes to the widening gap of inequality, and can provoke violent reactions. All the indicators of relative poverty in recent years point to an increased disparity between rich and poor. No doubt the principal reasons for this are, on the one hand, advances in technology, which mainly benefit the more affluent, and on the other hand, changes in the prices of industrial products, which rise much faster than those of agricultural products and raw materials in the possession of poorer countries. In this way, the majority of the population in the poorest countries suffers a double marginalization, through the adverse effects of lower incomes and higher prices. Global solidarity and poverty

8 One of the most important ways of building peace is through a form of global-

ization directed towards the interests of the whole human family.8 In order to govern globalization, however, there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity9 between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones. A “common code of ethics”10 is also needed, consisting of norms based not upon mere consensus, but rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the conscience of every human being

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In the field of international commerce and finance, there are processes at work today which permit a positive integration of economies, leading to an overall improvement in conditions, but there are also processes tending in the opposite direction, dividing and marginalizing peoples, and creating dangerous situations that can erupt into wars and conflicts. Since the Second World War, international trade in goods and services has grown extraordinarily fast, with a momentum unprecedented in history. Much of this global trade has involved countries that were industrialized early, with the significant addition of many newly-emerging countries which have now entered onto the world stage. Yet there are other low-income countries which are still seriously marginalized in terms of trade. Their growth has been negatively influenced by the rapid decline, seen in recent decades, in the prices of commodities, which constitute practically the whole of their exports. In these countries, which are mostly in Africa, dependence on the exportation of commodities continues to constitute a potent risk factor. Here I should like to renew an appeal for all countries to be given equal opportunities of access to the world market, without exclusion or marginalization.

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A similar reflection may be made in the area of finance, which is a key aspect of the phenomenon of globalization, owing to the development of technology and policies of liberalization in the flow of capital between countries. Objectively, the most important function of finance is to sustain the possibility of long-term investment and hence of development. Today this appears extremely fragile: it is experiencing the negative repercussions of a system of financial dealings — both national and global — based upon very short-term thinking, which aims at increasing the value of financial operations and concentrates on the technical management of various forms of risk. The recent crisis demonstrates how financial activity can at times be completely turned in on itself, lacking any longterm consideration of the common good. This lowering of the objectives of global finance to the very short term reduces its capacity to function as a bridge between the present and the future, and as a stimulus to the creation of new opportunities for production and for work in the long term. Finance limited in this way to the short and very short term becomes dangerous for everyone, even for those who benefit when the markets perform well.

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All of this would indicate that the fight against poverty requires cooperation both on the economic level and on the legal level, so as to allow the international community, and especially poorer countries, to identify and implement coordinated strategies to deal with the problems discussed above, thereby providing an effective legal framework for the economy. Incentives are needed for establishing efficient participatory institutions, and support is needed in fighting crime and fostering a culture of legality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that policies which place too much emphasis on assistance underlie many of the failures in providing aid to poor countries. Investing in the formation of people and developing a specific and well-integrated culture of enterprise would seem at present to be the right approach in the medium and long term. If economic activities require a favourable context in order to develop, this  continued on page 7

Mabuhay

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ENERO 2 - 8, 2009

LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

Guillerma “Ka Emma” Cruz

“Maganda na ang simoy ng hangin ngayon dito sa amin, wala nang usok.” — MABUHAY FILE PHOTO

Planta ng Ming Hong sarado na NORZAGARAY, Bulacan — Nakahinga ng maluwag ang mga residente ng Sitio Diliman, Barangay Partida sa bayang ito mula noong Nobyembre dahil tuluyan nang ipinasara ang Ming Hong Trading, ang plantang nagsusunog ng lumang gulong upang makatas ang langis.

Kaakibat naman nito ay may pangamba ang mga residente na muling magbukas sa taong ito ang nasabing planta na matagal nilang inireklamo, subalit tiniyak ni Mayor Feliciano Legazpi na hindi na makapagbubukas ang Ming Hong kung hindi susunod sa itinakda ng batas para sa operasyong hindi makapipinsala sa kalusugan ng tao. “Maganda na ang simoy ng hangin ngayon dito sa amin, wala nang usok,” ani Guillerma “Ka Emma” Cruz, isa sa mga residente ng Sitio Diliman na nanguna sa pagrereklamo sa operasyon ng Ming Hong

NI DINO BALABO

noong nakaraang taon. Si Ka Emma ay nakapanayam ng Mabuhay noong Disyembre 30 ng hapon nang siya ay sadyain sa kanyang bahay. Inabutan siya ng Mabuhay sa harap ng kanilang bahay na nalililiman ng mga sanga ng punong kahoy habang nakikipaglaro ng baraha sa dalawang kaanak na babae na may edad mahigit 50 anyos. “Wala na kayong naamoy na usok, ano,” ani Ka Emma sa Mabuhay bilang pagkukumpara sa simoy ng hangin sa kanilang lugar noong Hulyo na inilarawan nilang masakit sa dibdib sanhi ng usok na nagmumula sa sunugan ng gulong ng Ming Hong na halos ay 200 metro lamang ang layo sa kanilang tahanan. Ayon kay Ka Emma, ipinatigil ni Mayor Feliciano Legazpi ang operasyon ng Ming Hong noong Oktubre. Muling nagbalik ang operasyon nito noong buwan ng Nobyembre ngunit muling inireklamo ng mga residente, kaya’t ipinahuli ni Mayor Legazpi ang mga

taong nagsisipagtrabaho sa Ming Hong. Ayon kay Ka Emma, isang magandang pamasko sa kanilang mga residente ang pagtigil ng operasyon ng Ming Hong dahil nawala ang pangamba nilang magkasakit. Gayunpaman, nagpahayag siya ng pagaalala na baka muling magbalik ang operasyon nito. “May mga bali-balita kasi na magsisimula uli sa 2009, dahil may mga naglilibot daw sa bahay-bahay na nag-aalok ng pera kung sakaling magsimula uli,” aniya. Sinabi ni Ka Emma na hindi na sila muling papayag na magbalik ang operasyon ng Ming Hong. Inayunan naman ito ni Mayor Legazpi na nagsabing kahit bigyan ng permiso ng barangay ang operasyon ng Ming Hong ay dadaan ito sa butas ng karayom. Sinabi niya sa Mabuhay na isasailalim sa inspeksyon ang operasyon ng Ming Hong kung muling magsasagawa ng operasyon. “Subject for inspection iyan,” aniya at

iginiit na kung magsisimula ng operasyon ang Ming Hong, kailangang sumunod ito sa batas. Matatandaan na noong Hulyo 3 ay nagsagawa ng inspeksyon ang Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) sa Gitnang Luzon sa planta ng Ming Hong kasama ang mga mamamahayag sa Bulacan, bilang tugon sa reklamo ng mga residente. Ito ay nasundan pa noong Hulyo 31 kung saan ay nagsagawa ng air at water testing ang EMB sa pangunguna ni Inhinyero Raldy Pagador. Batay sa ibinigay na resulta ni Pagador sa Mabuhay noong Agosto 21, bagsak sa water test ang Ming Hong. Pinabulaanan din noon ng EMB na nagsumite sa kanila ng aplikasyon para sa Environmental Compliance Clearance (ECC) ang Ming Hong tulad ng sinabi ni Apolonio Marcelo, ang isa sa mga kasosyo sa pabrika at dating alkalde ng Angat. Batay sa resulta ng pagsasaliksik ng EMB, walang aplikasyon sa kanilang computer data base ang Ming Hong.

Mga kaso ng kriminalidad ipahatid ng text message sa 0927-2248271 CALUMPIT, Bulacan — I-text ninyo sa akin ang mga kaso ng karahasan at ilegal na sugal sa inyong lugar. Ito ang hamon ni dating Gob. Roberto “Obet” Pagdanganan sa bawat Bulakenyo dahil nagiging isang “cottage industry” ang bayarang pamamaslang sa lalawigan, samantalang ang ilegal na sugal ay inilarawan niya bilang “fastest growing industry.” Ayon kay Pagdanganan, maaari siyang i-text ng mga Bulakenyo sa numerong 0927-224-8271 upang ipabatid sa kanya ang iba’t ibang insidente ng kriminalidad sa Bulacan. Ang pag-aalok ni Pagdanganan ng kanyang numero

upang maging sumbungan ng mga reklamo ng mga Bulakenyo hinggil sa lumalaganap na kriminalidad sa lalawigan ay dahil sa walang napaparusahang kriminal at walang nagsasalita. “Nakakapangamba. Wala na halos Bulakenyo ang nagsasalita ngayon, dahil karamihan ay natatakot,” ani ng dating gobernador. Iginiit pa ni Pagdanganan na kailangan ng mga Bulakenyo na isatinig ang kanilang mga karaingan upang matawag ang pansin ng mga kinauukulan. “Kung hindi tayo kikibo, patuloy tayong aabusuhin,” aniya.

Hinahamon ni Obet Pagdanganan ang kapwa Bulakenyo.

Mabuhay

ENERO 2 - 8, 2009 ○

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Regarding Henry

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 from page 3

tissue responds to treatment, and healing begins. As Dr. Schuller puts it: “The door to your dream suddenly swings open and there stands God saying, ‘Go!’” God answers prayers in His own mysterious ways. In the gallery in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the sound of anything said in this circular area bounces back from the hard smooth stone walls. If you put your ear close to the wall, you can hear what is even whispered on the other side of the hall, many meters away. Some years ago, a poor shoemaker whispered to his young lady that he could not marry her because he could not afford to buy any leather for his work, and his business was ruined. The poor girl wept quietly as she listened to this sad news. A gentleman on the other side of the gallery, more than 60 meters away, heard the story and the shoemaker’s whispered prayer, and he decided to do something about it. The gentleman followed the shoemaker out of St. Paul’s and after finding out where he lived, had some leather sent to his shoe shop. Imagine how delighted the young man was! He made good use of the gift, and his business prospered and he was able to marry the girl of his heart. It was not until a few years later that he learned the name of his unknown friend. It was Prime Minister William Gladstone of Great Britain. To end this piece, allow me to quote the words of O. Hallesby: “There come times when I have nothing more to tell God. If I were to continue to pray in words, I would have to repeat what I have already said. At such times it is wonderful to say to God, ‘May I be in Thy presence, Lord? I have nothing more to say to Thee, but I do love to be in Thy presence.’” — For comments, write me at [email protected]

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7 Pope Benedict XVI asks people to reflect on the theme ‘Fighting poverty to build peace’ LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

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Kakampi mo ...

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 mula sa pahina 2

May batas na dapat sundin ang magkabilang panig sa mga mutual fund plan o pension contract TANONG: I want to refer to you for legal opinion the Mutual Fund Plan that I have purchased for a 5-year and 1-year holding period. It so happens that I have paid almost four years now and I want to withdraw my investment due to my financial needs. However, I was surprised that under the “plan proposal” the pre-termination value shall have 60% of remittances made representing reimbursement to the Mutual Fund Company of charges for insurance, documentation and bookkeeping. It means that I will only have 40% as investment proceeds. My question, Attorney, is that under the Philippine Law on Mutual Fund, is the 60% charges on the investor legal? Is there any government agency that regulates the mutual fund company? What is the legal remedy to recover my full investment? Thank you! — [email protected]

SAGOT: Thank you very much for this e-mail. In contracts of this nature, it must be understood by the planholder that a Mutual Fund Plan, or whatever other name contracts of this nature are called, is still a contract or an agreement covered not just by the Insurance Code or other laws on pension and other plans but by the Civil Code of the Philippines as well. Under the Civil Code, it is clear that the contract between two parties is the law between them as to their rights and obligations over the subject matter of that contract. Consequently, whatever is stated in the contract or agreement must be complied with. If one of the parties would not want to comply with what is provided for in the contract or in the agreement, the other party can ask the courts to compel compliance. Conversely, and in particular application to your case, if your plan says that you will be entitled to only 40 percent of the premiums or remittances that you have paid when you wanted to pre terminate the plan, that must be followed by you, regardless of your perception that it is unfair to you. The fact is that, when you signed the plan, and the provisions in question are already there, you are considered to have agreed to those conditions, no matter how unconscionable they may appear at a later date. The advice therefore is this: read your plans, read your contracts, before you sign them, and if there is anything that you do not conform to, ask that it be clarified, deleted or modified. If the other party refuses to effect such clarification, or modification, and you still proceeded to sign the contract, you will be bound by all those provisions. *** BATAS NG DIYOS: “Gayon na lamang ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa sanlibutan, kaya ibinigay Niya ang Kanyang bugtong na Anak, upang sinuman ang sumampalataya sa Kanya ay hindi mapapahamak, kundi magkakaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.” (Juan 3:16) *** PAALALA: Maaari po kayong tumawag sa aming mga landline, (02) 994-68-05, (02) 433-75-49 at (02) 433-7553, o di kaya ay sa aming mga cellphone, 0917-984-2468 at 0919-609-64-89. O sumulat sa aming address: 18 D Mahiyain cor Mapagkawanggawa, Teachers Village, Diliman, Quezon City. O mag-email sa website na ito: www.batasnews.com, o sa [email protected]. *** PARTY LIST: Maaari na po kayong maging kasapi ng BATAS Party List, o ang Bagong Alyansang Tagapagtaguyod ng Adhikaing Sambayanan. Ipadala po ang inyong mga pangalan at kumpletong address sa parehong mga address at telepono sa itaas.

Ang tubig ay buhay. Pag-ingatan natin ito.

 continued from page 5

must not distract attention from the need to generate revenue. While it has been rightly emphasized that increasing per capita income cannot be the ultimate goal of political and economic activity, it is still an important means of attaining the objective of the fight against hunger and absolute poverty. Hence, the illusion that a policy of mere redistribution of existing wealth can definitively resolve the problem must be set aside. In a modern economy, the value of assets is utterly dependent on the capacity to generate revenue in the present and the future. Wealth creation therefore becomes an inescapable duty, which must be kept in mind if the fight against material poverty is to be effective in the long term.

12

If the poor are to be given priority, then there has to be enough room for an ethical approach to economics on the part of those active in the international market, an ethical approach to politics on the part of those in public office, and an ethical approach to participation capable of harnessing the contributions of civil society at local and international levels. International agencies themselves have come to recognize the value and advantage of economic initiatives taken by civil society or local administrations to promote the emancipation and social inclusion of those sectors of the population that often fall below the threshold of extreme poverty and yet are not easily reached by official aid. The history of twentiethcentury economic development teaches us that good development policies depend for their effectiveness on responsible implementation by human agents and on the creation of positive partnerships between markets, civil society and States. Civil society in particular plays a key part in every process of development, since development is essentially a cultural phenomenon, and culture is born and develops in the civil sphere.

who live in a profoundly fraternal way and are able to accompany individuals, families and communities on journeys of authentic human development. Conclusion

14 In the Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, John Paul II warned

of the need to “abandon a mentality in which the poor — as individuals and as peoples — are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced.” The poor, he wrote, “ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all.”15 In today’s globalized world, it is increasingly evident that peace can be built only if everyone is assured the possibility of reasonable growth: sooner or later, the distortions produced by unjust systems have to be paid for by everyone. It is utterly foolish to build a luxury home in the midst of desert or decay. Globalization on its own is incapable of building peace, and in many cases, it actually creates divisions and conflicts. If anything it points to a need: to be oriented towards a goal of profound solidarity that seeks the good of each and all. In this sense, globalization should be seen as a good opportunity to achieve something important in the fight against poverty, and to place at the disposal of justice and peace resources which were scarcely conceivable previously.

13

As my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II had occasion to remark, globalization “is notably ambivalent”14 and therefore needs to be managed with great prudence. This will include giving priority to the needs of the world’s poor, and overcoming the scandal of the imbalance between the problems of poverty and the measures which have been adopted in order to address them. The imbalance lies both in the cultural and political order and in the spiritual and moral order. In fact we often consider only the superficial and instrumental causes of poverty without attending to those harboured within the human heart, like greed and narrow vision. The problems of development, aid and international cooperation are sometimes addressed without any real attention to the human element, but as merely technical questions — limited, that is, to establishing structures, setting up trade agreements, and allocating funding impersonally. What the fight against poverty really needs are men and women ○

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Depthnews

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Today’s astronomers grapple with two other theories. One is an eclipse of Jupiter. And the other is a supernova explosion. Few things are more stunning than the explosion of a star. European Space Agency astronomer Dr. Mark Kidger pinpoints a candidate: DO Aquilae. This erupted as late as 1927. It had erupted several times previously. Radio telescopes, in the future, may detect a faint bubble of expanding gas around Aquilae and calculate when exactly it erupted If Aquilae erupted 2,000 years ago, “the Magi would have seen it just above the horizon, in the east. A star entering its supernova phase, rather than unusual planetary movements, would have persuaded seasoned astronomical experts to travel to Judea.” On the second theory The Magi may have seen “an occultation, or eclipse, of the moon with Jupiter on 17 April 6 BC,” speculates Dr. Mike Molnar of Rutgers University. “Jupiter would have risen in the east, just

tative growth in the understanding of man and the needs of the human family. For this reason, while attentively following the current phenomena of globalization and their impact on human poverty, the Church points out the new aspects of the social question, not only in their breadth but also in their depth, insofar as they concern man’s identity and his relationship with God. These principles of social teaching tend to clarify the links between poverty and globalization and they help to guide action towards the building of peace. Among these principles, it is timely to recall in particular the “preferential love for the poor”,17 in the light of the primacy of charity, which is attested throughout Christian tradition, beginning with that of the early Church (cf. Acts 4:3236; 1 Cor 16:1; 2 Cor 8-9; Gal 2:10). “Everyone should put his hand to the work which falls to his share, at once and immediately,” wrote Leo XIII in 1891, and he added: “In regard to the Church, her cooperation will never be wanting, be the time or the occasion what it may.”18 It is in the same spirit that the Church to this day carries out her work for the poor, in whom she sees Christ,19 and she constantly hears echoing in her heart the command of the Prince of Peace to his Apostles: “Vos date illis manducare — Give them something to eat yourselves” (Lk 9:13). Faithful to this summons from the Lord, the Christian community will never fail, then, to assure the entire human family of her support through gestures of creative solidarity, not only by “giving from one’s surplus”, but above all by “a change of life-styles, of models of production and consumption, and of the established structures of power which today govern societies.”20 At the start of the New Year, then, I extend to every disciple of Christ and to every person of good will a warm invitation to expand their hearts to meet the needs of the poor and to take whatever practical steps are possible in order to help them. The truth of the axiom cannot be refuted: “to fight poverty is to build peace.”

15

The Church’s social teaching has always been concerned with the poor. At the time of the Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, the poor were identified mainly as the workers in the new industrial society; in the social Magisterium of Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II, new forms of poverty were gradually explored, as the scope of the social question widened to reach global proportions.16 This expansion of the social question to the worldwide scale has to be considered not just as a quantitative extension, but also as a quali○

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— Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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 continued from page 3

as Matthew wrote. Then, as the moon passed directly between Earth and Jupiter, the kingmaker planet was hidden from view.” A 2,000-year-old coin, minted north of Judea, buttresses this theory, BBC adds. The coin depicts Aries the ram leaping across the sky and looking back at a star. Aries then ruled over Judea, with Jerusalem as the capital of the Near East . Astronomers looking for a spectacular event that modern technologies can pinpoint. Are we “completely missing the cultural impact and importance of the story itself?” asks Marvin Bolt of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. “You have to look at what people 2,000 years ago might have thought was significant to their lives. The more nuanced approach attempts to peer into the minds of ancient skywatchers. “Herod and his court saw the Star. So did the high priests who even knew where the Messiah would be born. But

they didn’t move out of their comfort zones. They did nothing. It was business-as-usual. “The same Star, however, led The Magi on a journey where they, like the shepherds, found the Child. And life could never be the same again. Old values, old ways were upturned. It was nothing less than a death, as T.S. Eliot was to write in The Journey of the Magi. “Were we led all that way for / Birth or Death? There was birth certainly / But … this birth was death, our death / We returned to our places, these kingdoms / But no longer at ease here … / With an alien people clutching their gods ….” After glimpsing the Star of Bethlehem this Christmas will we be like Herods and courtiers and return to business-as-usual in 2009? Or did the Star lead us to birth through death? And like the Magi, as Matthew says, do we “return to their country by another way”? — [email protected]

Mabuhay LINGGUHANG PILIPINO MULA PA NOONG 1980

VOL. XXX, NO. 01 • ENERO 2 - 8, 2009 • PAGE 8

Biktima ng Rizal Day bombing ‘nakarating’ kahit naputulan ng paa NI DINO BALABO HAGONOY, Bulacan — Naputulan man ng dalawang paa sa malagim na pambobomba noong Rizal Day 2000, tuloy pa rin ang pagsisikap ni Joel Atienza ng bayang ito. Bukod sa kanyang dalawang naputol na paa at mga peklat ng nasunog na balat sa mga braso, sa mukha ni Joel ay halos walang palatandaan ng mapait na karanasan makalipas ang walong taon. Sakay ng kanyang wheelchair, nakangiti si Joel habang nagbebenta ng electronic load mula sa kanyang cellular telephone sa kanyang mga kapitbahay sa Barangay Sto. Niño ng bayang ito. Kadalasan ay nasa loob lamang ng bahay si Joel na ang edad ngayon ay 35, ngunit kapag hindi masyadong masanting ang araw ay madalas din siyang makihalubilo sa mga kapitbahay sa labas ng bakuran. Ang tawag sa kanya ay “Bro. Joel”, partikular na ng mga bata. Ito ay dahil na rin sa matapos ang malagim na karanasan, nabaling ang pananaw ni Joel sa pag-aaral ng Bibliya o ng Salita ng Diyos at pagiging aktibo sa isang simbahang Kristiyano. Para kay Joel, ang Diyos at pag-aaral ng Bibliya kasama ang pamilya at mga

INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY — Ang pagaaral ng Salita ng Diyos, suporta ng pamilya at mga kaibigan ang nagsilbing inspirasyon ni Joel Atienza ng Hagonoy walong taon matapos maputol ang kanyang dalawang paa sa malagim na Rizal Day bombing sa Light Rail Transit noong 2000, kung saan ay kabilang ang kanyang kaibigan sa mga nasawi. — Dino Balabo

kaibigan ang kanyang inspirasyon sa pag-ahon sa kanyang karanasan at harapin ang buhay ng may pag-asa. Sa pakikipanayam sa kanya ng Mabuhay noong Disyembre 30, ang ika-walong anibersaryo ng pambobomba noong Rizal Day 2000 kung kailan ay marami ang nasawi, sinabi ni Joel na sa mga unang buwan matapos ang insidente ay may pait siyang nadama. “Naisip ko noon, sa dami ng tao bakit kami pa,” aniya. Ngunit may paraan ang panahon at Diyos sa paghilom ng bawat sugat. Gayumpaman, may mga bagay pa ring nagpapaalala kay Joel sa kanyang sinapit katulad ng kanyang mga peklat sa katawan at dalawang naputol na paa, at ang paulit-ulit na insidente ng pambobomba sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa. Sinabi niya sa Mabuhay na nalulungkot siya sa mga nasabing pambobomba dahil maraming inosenteng tao ang nadadamay. Hinggil naman sa mga reponsable sa pambobomba noong Rizal Day na, ayon sa gobyerno’y nahuli na, sinabi ni Joel na mabitay man ang mga taong iyon ay hindi magbabago ang kanyang kapalaran at nakaraan. Si Joel ay 28 taong gulang at naglilingkod bilang isang waiter sa Makati nang maganap ang pambobomba sa LRT noong Disyembre 30, 2000. Pauwi na siya noon kasama ang kanyang kaibigan at sumakay sila sa Buendia Station. Bababa sana sila sa Doroteo Jose Station sa Maynila ngunit nalibang sila sa kuwentuhan. Ipinasya nila na sa Fifth Avenue sa Grace Park, Caloocan bumaba kung saan ay may mga bus silang masasakyan pauwi ng Bulacan, ngunit hindi sila nakarating doon. Isang bomba ang sumabog sa sinasakyan nilang LRT na agad na kumitil sa buhay ng kanyang kaibigan at mga kasakay. “Dapat ay sa MRT kami sasakay, pero sa LRT kami nasakay, tapos nalibang pa kami sa kuwentuhan kaya hindi nakababa sa Dorotheo Jose,” ani Joel. Ikinuwento niya na lubhang masakit ang kanilang karanasan dahil ang kaibigan niya ay isang hiyaw lang ang nasabi at namatay nang biglaan nang maputol ang katawan sa pagsabog. Nakaligtas si Joel na apat na buwang nagpagaling sa Chinese General Hospital, ngunit ang mga sumunod na araw sa kanyang buhay ay hindi niya makakalimutan. Ito ay dahil sa kasama ng kanyang dalawang paa na naputol ang kanyang mga pangarap at plano sa buhay kabilang ang pag-aasawa. Sa kabila nito, sinabi niya na natanggap na niya ang kanyang kapalaran sa tulong ng Diyos pamilya at mga kaibigan. Ayon kay Joel, “May plano ang Diyos sa bawat isa sa atin. Kailangan lamang nating tangggapin iyon ng bukas ang kalooban upang maging magaan.”

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KUMPISKADO — Nagkaubusan ng tindang paputok sa Bocaue, Bulacan sa mga huling araw ng 2008 kahit halos nadoble ang presyo ng mga ito dahil sa mababang produksyon sanhi ng mataas na presyo ng mga raw material. Ipinakikita sa larawan ni Supt. Ronald De Jesus ng pulisya ng Bocaue ang mga nakumpiskang paputok na ilegal dahil walang mga tatak kung sino ang may gawa. Kuha ang larawang ito noong Nobyembre. — DINO BALABO

Paputok: 3 patay, 92 nasaktan sa Bulacan L UNGSOD NG M ALOLOS — Tatlo katao ang namatay at 92 naman ang nasugatan sa magkakaibang insidenteng may kaugnayan sa paputok sa Bulacan mula Disyembre 24 hanggang Enero 5, ayon sa Provincial Disaster Management Office (PDMO). Ang nasabing bilang ay mas mababa sa naitalang 100 katao na nasaktan sa pagsalubong ng Bagong Taon noong 2008, ngunit, ayon kay Liz Mungcal, ang punong tagapagpatupad ng PDMO, hindi mapagkukumpara ang mga tala ng insidente sa magkasunod na taon dahil magkaiba ang nasasakop nilang panahon. Ito ay dahil sa halos 10 araw o mas mahaba ang panahong nasasakop sa pagtatala sa mga nagdaang insidente, kumpara noong Enero 1, 2008 na ang nasasakop na panahon ay halos dalawang araw lamang. Bukod dito, sinabi ni Mungcal na mas malawak ang kanilang isinagawang pagtatala sa bilang ng mga nasaktan sa katatapos na pagsalubong sa Bagong Ta-

on dahil mas napaghandaan nila ito. “Unang bahagi pa lang ng Disyembre ay may koordinasyon na kami sa District Hospitals, municipal disaster councils, PNP at maging sa mga NGO na may disaster response teams,” ani Mungcal. Batay sa tala ng PDMO, ang mga namatay sa katatapos na pagsalubong sa 2009 ay si Prince Arjay Laurente, 9 na taon, residente ng Barangay San Juan, San Ildefonso, at sina Ogie Asero at Pedrito Torcino na kapwa manggagawa sa E&B Fireworks factory sa Sitio Balubaran, Barangay Duhat, Bocaue. Ang tatlo ay nangamatay noong Enero 2 ng hapon o mahigit 48 oras matapos salubungin ang Bagong Taon. Ayon sa ulat ng pulisya, si Laurente ay namatay nang may sumabog sa kanal na nasa likod ng pabrika ng paputok. Ang biktima ay nakaupo noon sa bakod katabi ng kanal. Ayon sa pulisya, malaki ang posibilidad na mga itinapong paputok sa kanal

ng mga residente ang sanhi ng pasabog. Sina Asero at Torcino naman ay namatay nang masunog ang kanilang tinutulugan sa loob ng compound ng E&B Fireworks. Ayon kay Supt. Ronald De Jesus, hepe ng pulisya ng Bocaue, ang pagsabog ay naganap bandang 10:30 ng gabi nitong Enero 2. Bukod sa mga nabanggit na biktima, 92 katao pa ang naitalang nasaktan sa lalawigan mula Disyembre 24 hanggang Enero 5. Ayon sa mga opisyal ng Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., (PPMDAI), ilan sa mga dahilan ng pagbaba ng bilang ng mga nasaktan sa paggamit ng paputok sa pagsalubong ng Bagong Taon ay ang pagulan, patuloy na kahirapan at ang mababang produksyon ng paputok sanhi ng mataas na presyo ng mga pulbura. Sinabi naman ng opisyal ng Department of Health sa Gitnang Luzon na nakatulong din ang kanilang kampanyang “Iwas Paputok.” — Dino Balabo

Balik puhunan lang ang benta kahit nagkaubusan ng paputok BOCAUE, Bulacan — Naubos ang mga panindang paputok ng mga tindahan sa bayang ito bago sumapit ang Bagong Taon, ngunit halos balik-puhunan lamang ang kanilang benta kumpara noong 2007 na nagtapos sa pagsabog at pagkasunog ng mga tindahan. Ayon sa mga opisyal ng Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., (PPMDAI) na nakabase sa Bulacan, halos umabot lamang ng 10 porsiyento ang itinaas ng kanilang benta sa taong 2008 sa kabila na halos nadoble ang presyo ng mga paputok bago matapos ang taon. “Mababa ang production nitong 2008, kaya sold out ang produkto sa Bocaue sa kabila ng kampanya ng Department of Health (DOH),” ani Celso Cruz, ang tagapangulo ng

PPMDAI. Iginiit niya na ang mababang produksyon ay nagresulta sa mababang benta. Gayundin ang naging pahayag ni Vimmie Erese, presidente ng PPMDAI na nagsabi rin na ang mga retailer o nagsipagtinda sa labas ng Bulacan ay hindi nakaubos ng panindang paputok. “Kawawa ’yung sa Metro Manila at other parts of the country, kasi halos 50 percent ang natira sa kanilang paninda,” ani Erese. Bukod sa mababang produksyon nitong 2008 ay nakaapekto rin ang pagbuhos ng ulan sa mga huling araw ng 2008 sa kanilang benta, ayon kay Erese. “Umulan kasi before and during the New Year,” aniya nang siya ay makapanayam sa telepono ng Mabuhay. Hinggil sa mababang

produksyon, sinabi niya na iyon ay bunsod na rin ng mataas na presyo ng pulburang gamit sa paggawa ng paputok. Inihalimbawa niya na noong Enero 2008, ang presyo ng isang bag ng potassium nitrate na may timbang na 50 kilo ay umaabot lamang ng P1,250, ngunit pagdating ng buwan ng Hunyo, tumaas ang halaga nito sa mahigit P5,000 bawat bag. “Sobra ang taas ng raw materials kaya halos 10 percent lang ang increase sa sales kahit halos nadoble ang presyo ng paputok before New Year,” sabi ni Erese. Ayon pa sa pangulo ng PPMDAI, kahit halos nadoble ang presyo ng paputok bago matapos ang 2008 ay mababa pa rin ang kanilang kinita dahil mataas na presyo ng raw materials. — Dino Balabo