Christ and the social media

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THAT beautiful prayer of praise by Zachary, father of John the Baptist, contains a message that, while directly meant for his son, is actually also meant for all of us, especially the Church leaders, who have the duty to “prepare the way of the Lord.” (cfr. Lk 1,67-79)

In this regard, while not neglecting the traditional means of evangelization, Church leaders should realize the importance and the currently and strongly felt need to avail of the social media where most people, especially the young ones, are actively engaged.

Yes, Christ should be made present in the social media in ways adapted to the temper and culture of the times. After all, Christ always tried to adapt himself to the ways of the people during his time by, for example, using literary devices like parables, metaphors, allegories, hyperboles, allusions, aphorisms, etc. We should continue the trend, this time, using our new and powerful technologies like the social media.

Definitely the social media can offer tremendous benefits for everyone. They enable Church leaders to have direct connection with the faithful, sharing ideas and building some kind of a very personalized link with the people. In a word, they foster a tighter communion among ourselves.

They definitely can amplify the gospel messages that are truly needed these days, what with all the complications and confusion around. They can easily spread gospel messages and other Church items of public interest. They also give us an effective feedback system where the faithful can easily raise whatever concerns they have with respect to their faith and the Church in general.

Of course, the recourse to the social media should be handled delicately and with due expertise. We cannot deny that messages can easily be misinterpreted and taken out of context. Things should be studied well before putting them out in the social media. In this regard, a system of reviewing the content by a competent body before it is put out should be put in place.

It’s important also that there be rectitude of intention in availing the social media. Just gaining popularity and feeding on one’s vanity should be totally put out of place. To put it bluntly, Church leaders should always remember that it should be Christ, not they, who should be known, loved and followed by the faithful.

To manage the use of the social media well, Church leaders should clearly define the goals they wish to pursue which is nothing other than to make Christ more known and loved. They also have to be clear about the specific target audience they want to reach. 

That’s because while Christ’s messages have a universal appeal, they definitely need to be expressed in ways that are attractive to the different sectors and in different conditions in life: young and old, intellectuals and workers, etc. The content, therefore, should be properly planned, considering the appropriateness of the tone, format and frequency.

And since the social media can facilitate feedback, Church leaders should also be quick to respond and to engage, showing genuine interest in the feedback of the people. This will help keep the engagement alive and hopefully lead to some welcome changes in the spiritual lives of the people.

It would also be good if there is also a way to monitor and track the performance of the use of the social media. There should be some clear standards set for this purpose.

Let’s hope that with the social media, Christ can truly be made alive, loved and followed by the faithful all over the place.

Giant lanterns light up Christmas in Catholic Philippines

 

This photo taken on December 14, 2025, shows people watching as the giant lantern lights up during the Giant Lantern Festival in San Fernando, Pampanga.FP / Jam Sta Rosa

Cecil Morella - Philstar.com

December 20, 2025 | 9:57am

SAN FERNANDO, Philippines — In the Christmas-mad Philippines, thousands cheer as hand-crafted lanterns towering six meters (20 feet) high light up the night sky in San Fernando, northwest of the country's capital.

The dazzling display of lights, accompanied by religious and festive imagery and soundtracked by Filipino rap and Christmas carols, is part of the annual Giant Lantern Festival.

Held mid-December each year, the festival acts as a platform to highlight the region's famed lantern industry, which first started more than 100 years ago.

Local designer Karl Quiwa, 31, told AFP it takes a team of 20 over a three-month period to build a light display, adding that he sees the effort as a "religious obligation".

Quiwa's ancestors built their first piece for the inaugural 1908 festival -- which has continued to this day and was only interrupted by war and the pandemic.

The giant lanterns, submitted for competition at the festival, use 12,000 50-watt bulbs synchronised by 15 kilometers (9.2 miles) of electric cables and symbolise the Star of Bethlehem.

The massive light pieces can weigh up to a tonne, with costs soaring to a million pesos ($17,000).

Smaller versions are also produced by the city's craftsmen and adorn lamp posts, office buildings and homes across the archipelago nation of 116 million which is home to Asia's largest Catholic population.

A sixth-generation descendant of San Fernando's pioneer lantern-maker, Quiwa said apart from religion, he was proud to carry on the family tradition of "cheering people up during Christmas".

'Cheer, light and hope'

Fellow designer Edmar David echoed this sentiment, telling AFP that his company sells thousands of lanterns each year -- including to the country's massive overseas worker community.

"Lanterns bring cheer, light and hope. Without them, life is sad," David, 41, whose 2024 entry won best in show, said of the craft.

The lantern-making tradition evolved from nighttime processions held by Spanish friars during the 300-plus years of Madrid's colonial rule, the city government said.

"It's really beautiful and shows the importance of our communities in making Christmas meaningful," local student Ria Hipolito, 16, told AFP as she and other members of her family watched the competition last weekend.

Her uncle, Rodel Hipolito, who was attending the festival for the first time since ending a 15-year stint working in the Middle East, told AFP "lanterns are symbols that light up people's lives".

As the light show unfolded, the lantern's blindingly bright facades concealed a flurry of activity behind, as teams of people turned large metal barrels called rotors by hand to produce a kaleidoscopic effect.

Firefighters carrying extinguishers could be seen patrolling the area, as sparks flew from the rotors of at least three lanterns, AFP journalists at the event saw.

"Almost all the lantern-makers here are related to each other or are friends with the others," said Florante Parilla, 55, who has been designing the giant lanterns for 30 years.

Despite their popularity, those involved in the festival worry technology and apathy could bring the tradition to an abrupt halt -- as fewer young people are learning the craft.

"We're always on the lookout for young people to train, because nowadays, most have not shown any interest," said Parilla.

Quiwa said that only one other lantern-maker at this year's competition was as young as him.

"Most of today's children are introverts who do not play outside and are attached to their cell phones and (computer) games. Maybe that's the reason they cannot appreciate lantern-making," Quiwa said.

"We may be the last of our kind."

Break, break!

 

By Jullie Y. Daza

Published Dec 20, 2025 12:05 am | Updated Dec 19, 2025 04:20 pm

MEDIUM RARE

That’s what a referee would be shouting inside the ring as two boxers cling to each other in what looks like a fight to the death.

Break, break! That’s also what we should be telling ourselves in the middle of the week – get away from work even before the weekend comes along. As they do in certain towns and cities in Western Europe, where kids stay away from school to do their own recharging in the middle of the week.

Break, break, so I took last Wednesday off to go malling, where the malls are wall-to-wall in the city where I live, to observe the traffic on the road – it wasn’t bad at all, not at 4: 30 p.m. – as well as the foot traffic going into and out of the malls. I couldn’t believe my luck! There was a bit of a slowdown as we approached the parking building, but no problem finding a space to park. Seven days before Christmas Eve? I felt like pinching myself.

One week before Christmas Eve, yet the reality was contrary to the expectation. Either the working class are smarter and thriftier now, and they don’t make their purchases during the high season, or I was in the wrong mall. Good thing about this mall was that it was where I found — without looking for it — a pair of purple sandals! Where in the world could you find shoes in such a color, a sparkly shade between lavender and violet in – of all places – the children’s section? I could not believe the price tag: those shoes designed for partying and dancing cost just a bit more than a day’s wage.

Start or end of the week, our department stores carry such a humongous shoe section that, the last time I toured a visitor at the mall nearest my house, she went crazy buying not only sandals but also high heels and bedroom slippers, for herself and her sisters-in-law.

It’s true, based on experience, that tourists, Balikbayan, and other types inevitably find themselves wishing they had more time to shop and spend their money in Mega Manila. Take them to a department store and our supply of foreign exchange will instantly put a smile on the face of Bangko Sentral.

Sleep is more important for longevity than diet, exercise, social ties, study says

 

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Sleep is possibly the most important factor for longevity, research shows. Image credit: Maria Korneeva/Getty Images

• Insomnia is a disorder characterized by experiencing difficulty falling or staying asleep, or waking up too early.
• Past studies have linked inadequate sleep to several health conditions, all of which can negatively impact a person’s life expectancy.
• A new study found that insufficient sleep had a more significant impact on decreased life expectancy than other lifestyle factors, such as diet, physical activity, and social isolation.

If you struggle getting a good night’s sleep, you’re not alone. Researchers estimate that about 16% of the world’s population lives with insomnia, while a recent survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that six out of every 10 adult Americans report they don’t get enough sleep.

Past studies have linked inadequate sleep to several health conditions that can negatively impact a person’s quality of life and life expectancy, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal issues, and dementia.

“Sleep plays a vital role in nearly every biological process within our body, yet it is still one behavior that I think we commonly take for granted,” Andrew McHill, PhD, associate professor and director of the Sleep, Chronobiology, and Health Laboratory in the School of Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), told Medical News Today.

“It is something that is easy to put off until the weekend or deprioritize based on work or social events, but getting shorter sleep truly has ramifications for our health and wellbeing,” McHill added.

He is the senior author of a new study recently published in the journal Sleep Advances, which found that insufficient sleep had a more significant impact on decreased life expectancy than other lifestyle factors, such as diet, physical activity, and social isolation.

Insufficient sleep affects health outcomes

For this study, researchers analyzed data from the 2019-2025 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys to look for a link between insufficient sleep and life expectancy.

“While sitting in on a research advocacy meeting with government officials, someone mentioned that if you want your research to truly make an impact, you need to look at how it affects people in your local community and state,” McHill recalled. “It got me to thinking, ‘how do people in Oregon sleep?’ and it set me and my team off on an adventure.”

“We first examined the relationship between insufficient sleep and [the] number of health outcomes in Oregon, to which there were robust relationships, particularly with life expectancy, which was somewhat surprising that the relationship was so strong,” he continued.

“So we thought, let’s look at other states. And time and time again, when we analyzed the relationship between rates of insufficient sleep and life expectancy at the county level, regardless of state, there were strong relationships across the country.”

– Andrew McHill, PhD

Inadequate sleep one of the most powerful drivers of lower life expectancy

At the study’s conclusion, McHill and his team discovered that when compared to common behaviors associated with life expectancy — such as diet, physical activity, and social connection — inadequate sleep was a more powerful driver of lower life expectancy than any other factor other than smoking.

“These findings really highlight the importance of sleep among all other behaviors that we commonly think of being essential for health — the food we eat, the air we breathe, or how much we exercise,” McHill said.

Additionally, researchers found that not getting enough sleep was significantly negatively linked with life expectancy in most U.S. states from 2019-2025.

“These findings really deliver the message that regardless of where you live, whether it be rural, urban, north, south, east, or west, sleep plays a vital role on our health and wellbeing,” McHill emphasized.

“Moreover, because we had multiple years of data, these findings also highlight that even when faced with extreme circumstances (i.e., COVID pandemic), sleep still plays a key role in our health,” he added.

“We are hoping to really dive into the specific reasons as to why sleep is associated with shorter life expectancy,” McHill continued. “We are currently doing this through tightly-controlled in-laboratory studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, but we are also hoping to get into the local community and different pockets across America to identify specific mechanisms by which sleep impairs health.”

‘Sleep is not a luxury, it is a biological necessity’

MNT had the opportunity to speak with Pakkay Ngai, MD, medical director for the Sleep-Wake Center at Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey, about this study.

“As a doctor who regularly treats patients struggling with sleep, my first reaction to this study is one of profound validation, yet also surprise at the sheer magnitude of the findings,” Ngai, who was not involved in this research, commented.

“In the medical community, we have long understood that sleep is a critical pillar of health, affecting everything from mood and cognitive function to the immune system and cardiovascular health,” he told us.

“However, to see that insufficient sleep outweighs the impact of diet and exercise as a predictor of life expectancy is a stunning and powerful confirmation of what we often try to impress upon our patients,” Ngai continued.

“It reinforces the message that sleep is not a luxury or something to be sacrificed; it is a biological necessity on par with, and in some ways more impactful than, other cornerstone health behaviors.”

– Pakkay Ngai, MD

MNT also spoke with Jimmy Johannes, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, likewise not involved in the study, who made similar comments about its findings.

“This study supports existing evidence that inadequate sleep is associated with a shorter lifespan,” Johannes said. “It’s not a surprising finding since this association has been described previously, but is nevertheless sobering. I am curious if there is a minimum duration or frequency of sleep deprivation that is needed to affect lifespan.”

How can I get sufficient sleep each night? 

For those who may be struggling to get enough sleep each night, Ngai and Johannes shared some tips

First, prioritizing sleep is an important first step to getting sufficient sleep, Johannes said: “Often, we sacrifice sleep for various life responsibilities, duties, or even fun things. This study reminds us that getting adequate sleep is important for our health, and prioritizing sleep is one way to prioritize health.”

He advised that creating a sleep environment that promotes sleep — a quiet, cool, and dark environment — can help improve sleep quality and duration.

Furthermore, consistency is key, Ngai suggested, recommending to “go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to regulate your body’s internal clock.”

Ngai also suggested establishing a relaxing pre-sleep routine, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing meditation, to help clear your mind. It is also crucial to be mindful of what you consume in the hours before bed, he said — “avoid caffeine, large meals, and alcohol, as they can disrupt sleep patterns.”

Finally, Ngai advised limiting exposure to blue light from electronic devices like smartphones and computers for at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. “This light can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy,” he explained.

“Mental illness and excess stress can be important barriers to adequate sleep, so getting help for mental illness and improved stress management can help improve sleep,” Johannes emphasized. “Further, inadequate and poor sleep can be a sign of a sleep disorder, so exploring with your doctor why you might have poor sleep can be quite important.”

Rentenpaket kann zum 1. Januar in Kraft treten – Bundesrat billigt Gesetz von Schwarz-Rot

nd: 19.12.2025Lesedauer: 3 Minuten       

Der Bundesrat hat dem schwarz-roten Rentenpaket, dem neuen Wehrdienst, der Pendlerpauschale und der Steuersenkung in der Gastronomie zugestimmt. Reporterin Dorothea Schupelius berichtet.

Der Bundesrat billigt das Rentenpaket von Schwarz-Rot. Das Rentenniveau wird bis 2031 bei 48 Prozent stabilisiert, die Mütterrente ausgeweitet. Neu sind steuerfreie Zuverdienstmöglichkeiten für Rentner und eine Stärkung für Betriebsrenten.   

Der Bundesrat hat den Weg für das heftig umkämpfte Rentenpaket der schwarz-roten Koalition freigemacht. Das Gesetz zur Stabilisierung des Rentenniveaus und zur vollständigen Gleichstellung der Kindererziehungszeiten kann somit nach Ausfertigung durch den Bundespräsidenten am 1. Januar in Kraft treten. Eine neue Steuerbefreiung wird mit der Aktivrente eingeführt. Verbesserte Regeln kommen für Betriebsrenten.

Die Beschlüsse im Überblick:

Eine Haltelinie beim Rentenniveau galt bisher nur bis dieses Jahr. Nun bleibt sie bis 2031 auf Höhe von 48 Prozent. Bei dieser Größe wird eine Standardrente ins Verhältnis zum Durchschnittseinkommen gesetzt. Mit Bundesmitteln werden die Renten jährlich so angepasst, dass das Sicherungsniveau vor Steuern nicht unter die Haltelinie sinkt. Zum Beispiel fällt dann laut Regierung eine Rente von 1500 Euro zum 1. Juli 2031 um 35 Euro pro Monat höher aus.

Das kostet ab 2029 zunächst jährlich Summen von 3,6 Milliarden Euro bis zu 11 Milliarden 2031, aber auch danach zweistellige Milliardenbeträge. Das Rentenniveau sinkt zwar ab 2032, aber von einem höheren Niveau aus. Die Niveaustabilisierung war der SPD besonders wichtig. Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns Ministerpräsidentin Manuela Schwesig (SPD) betonte im Bundesrat, es sein „ein Kern des Sozialstaats“, dass sich Arbeit lohnen müsse.    

Die Mütterrente ist die Anrechnung von Kindererziehungszeiten bei der Rentenberechnung. Die für die Rente anrechnungsfähige Zeit wird für vor 1992 geborene Kinder um sechs Monate auf drei Jahre verlängert. Ab 2027 soll Erziehung durch Mütter oder Väter in den ersten drei Lebensjahren der Kinder ohne Unterschied gewürdigt werden, für das erste Jahr erst im Folgejahr rückwirkend. Kosten: 5 Milliarden Euro jährlich. Das war vor allem ein CSU-Anliegen. Bayern Ministerpräsident Markus Söder (CSU) lobte das Rentenpaket als wichtiges Signal für die Anerkennung von Lebensleistung.   

Weiterbeschäftigung eines Arbeitnehmers ohne Sachgrund über das Rentenalter hinaus. Kombiniert wird das mit dem auch beschlossenen Aktivrentengesetz: Ab kommendem Jahr können Rentnerinnen und Rentner in einer Beschäftigung 2000 Euro pro Monat steuerfrei verdienen. Laut Regierung könnten 168.000 Menschen in Rente arbeiten. Der freiwillige Steuerbonus war eine Idee aus der CDU.

Zudem beschloss der Bundesrat ein Gesetz zur Stärkung der Betriebsrenten. Auch sie bleiben freiwillig, sollen aber attraktiver werden. Vor allem bei kleineren Unternehmen sowie Geringverdienern sollen sie ausgebaut werden. Der steuerliche Förderhöchstbetrag steigt.

Auf die Bürger sollen unter Schwarz-Rot noch weitere Rentenreformen zukommen. Zwei Tage zuvor hatte das Bundeskabinett eine Rentenkommission eingesetzt. Sie soll Vorschläge machen, wie die Altersvorsorge gesichert und eine Überlastung von Beitrags- und Steuerzahlern vermieden werden kann – auch nach dem immer zahlreicheren Renteneintritt der Babyboomer. Ab Mitte 2026 soll Gesetzgebung folgen.

dpa/jho

Mindanao Weather Update

 Mindanao Weather Update

THE potential LPA embedded along the ITCZ to bring rains over the Visayas and Mindanao this week between December 17-21, 2025.

Keep monitoring for udates.

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