The poor rich young man

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

YES, he may be rich, young, and faithful to the commandments, yet he remains poor in the deepest sense. Though he had accomplished many good things, he still lacked the one treasure that truly matters—to surrender himself entirely to God, letting go of everything so that he could follow Christ without reserve and with joyful freedom.

At first glance, such surrender appears like loss, even defeat, as though everything precious has slipped away. Yet this holy emptiness becomes the doorway through which God enters completely, filling the soul with his own life. There, and only there, do we discover the perfection for which we were created.

Keeping the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, is truly necessary, for it forms the solid foundation of a good life. Yet it can bring us only to a certain perfection within the natural order. We are called beyond that, into the supernatural life where we become one with God himself.

The lesson is gentle yet demanding: authentic love for God is measured not by how much we offer but by how completely we let go. Only a heart freed from earthly attachments can belong wholly to him. A divided heart may seem possible, but before God it can never truly exist.

There is no middle path in our friendship with the Lord. We either belong to him completely or we remain partly turned toward ourselves. Even if we imagine giving him ninety-nine percent while quietly keeping one percent, the gift is still incomplete and our peace remains fragile.

God asks for everything, because he desires not merely our possessions but our very selves. He invites us to place our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our strength into his hands. As Christ reminds us, we must love the Lord “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Mt 22,37)

May we one day echo the beautiful words of an old song: “I have no use for divided hearts. I give mine whole, and not in parts.” Let that become the quiet prayer of our lives. The journey is demanding, yet with grace and humble perseverance, it is always within reach.

Because of our human weakness, we grow only little by little, learning each lesson in its proper season. Every day becomes another invitation to loosen the grip of earthly attachments. Little by little, we offer ourselves more fully until nothing remains outside God's loving embrace.

The Lord never forces this surrender upon us. He patiently waits for our generous response, gently inviting us to trust that his plans are always greater than our own. Every act of detachment, however small, widens the space within our hearts for his love to dwell more deeply.

We must often remind ourselves that nothing given to God is ever truly lost. What seems like sacrifice becomes abundance beyond measure, for the Lord is never outdone in generosity. Let Christ’s promise remain alive within us: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (Mt 6,33)

Our faith and trust in Christ’s words must grow ever stronger. The more generously we give ourselves to him, the lighter and freer our hearts become. It is a beautiful mystery understood only through faith, a reality that belongs to the supernatural life and fills the soul with lasting joy.

Little by little, we learn to release our possessions, our preferences, our opinions, our ambitions, and even our cherished plans. At last, we discover the freedom of giving our whole selves to God alone. In that total self-offering, our lives become one with his, and our deepest identity and lasting happiness are finally found.

Glaiza de Castro gets emotional remembering the late Ricky Davao at '58th' screening

 

By Neil Ramos

Published Aug 15, 2026 02:00 pm

At A Glance

• Glaiza de Castro gets emotional while remembering late actor Ricky Davao after the Philippine premiere of "58th" at Cinemalaya.

Glaiza de Castro was visibly holding back tears as she talked about Ricky Davao after the special screening of “58th” at Cinemalaya Thursday night.

The actress had just watched the film with us at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, and she was beaming as she shared how proud she was to be part of such a meaningful project.

But when the questions turned to Davao, the night became personal for her.  

Davao plays her father in the film, but their relationship went beyond what viewers will see on screen.

“Lagi kong naaalala sa kanya, he’s just so jolly sa set,” De Castro told us.

She smiled as she recalled how they worked together on “58th” while also doing “Encantadia Chronicles: Sang'gre” and “Sinagtala.”

At one point, she even teased him about taking on so much work.

“Direk, ang sipag mo naman, parang lahat na ginawa mo,” she recalled telling Davao.

Then there's the belt.

Davao had given her one while they were shooting “58th,” showing her how to use it to secure her lapel microphone. It was something he had picked up from his theater experience.

She eventually misplaced it.

But when she finally found it again, it was also when she learned that Davao had passed away.

Davao died on May 1, 2025 at 63 after battling cancer.

De Castro also shared what Davao's daughter, Rikkie Mae, told her.  

She said De Castro was one of her father's favorite actors to work with.

That was when the actress started getting emotional.

“Naiiyak ako kasi special sa akin si Direk Ricky,” she said, noting how Davao had been her director in "Grazilda," her first  titular lead role.

“Naging director ko rin siya sa ‘Sang'gre,’” she said.

“Hindi lang siya co-actor for me, siguro siya yung natuturing kong tatay sa showbiz.”

It was ironic, considering that Davao's final screen role was that of her character's father.

In “58th,” Davao plays Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, a photojournalist who was among those killed in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

His remains were never found.

His daughter, Reynafe, played by De Castro, continues the fight to have him recognized as the 58th victim.

The film has already been screened abroad, including at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and Doc Edge in New Zealand.

But De Castro had been waiting for the film to finally be shown in the Philippines.

“It’s different when it’s shown here in the Philippines. The impact is different,” she said.

“58th” is not an easy story.

The Nov. 23, 2009 massacre claimed 58 lives, including 32 journalists. But because Momay's remains were never recovered, only 57 victims were included in the court's murder convictions.

That is where the film gets its title.

De Castro knows some people may find the subject difficult to watch, but she believes that is also why it needs to be seen.

“I know it’s not a light story, but it’s one of those stories that we shouldn’t forget,” she said.

She is particularly proud that the film can introduce the tragedy to a new generation.

“I’m proud to have been part of it and to be able to share with the new generation what happened.”

“I know na telling this story served its purpose at bilang isang aktor, isa yun sa mga goals ko na makapagsabi rin kung ano yung totoo,” she added.

That is what made the Cinemalaya screening different for De Castro.

She was there to celebrate “58th” finally being shown to Filipino audiences, but she was also watching the final screen performance of someone she considered more than a co-star.

Someone she called her “tatay sa showbiz.”

My Philippines by Mattes

 

My Philippines by Mattes

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Das Koffer-Paradoxon: Warum manche Expats auch im Paradies nicht ankommen

Es ist eines der faszinierendsten und gleichzeitig nachdenklichsten Phänomene der Auswandererwelt: Menschen, die ihr Heimatland verlassen, weil sie dort sprichwörtlich überall angeeckt sind, nur um auf den Philippinen genau denselben Teufelskreis zu wiederholen. Psychologen nennen dieses Verhaltensmuster oft eine „geografische Flucht“. Die Hoffnung dahinter klingt zunächst verlockend: Ein neues Land, Palmen, ein angenehmes Klima und freundliche Menschen – da muss doch alles besser werden. Doch der entscheidende Haken liegt im Reisegepäck. Denn die eigene Persönlichkeit, tief sitzende Verhaltensmuster und ungelöste innere Konflikte reisen ausnahmslos mit.

Blickt man psychologisch hinter die Fassade, zeigt sich bei diesen Personen häufig ein ausgeprägtes narzisstisches Muster. Ihr Selbstwert speist sich nicht aus innerer Zufriedenheit oder echter Gelassenheit, sondern fast ausschließlich aus permanenter Aufmerksamkeit und dem Gefühl von Überlegenheit. Wenn das Leben im Heimatland nicht die erhoffte Bewunderung einbrachte, wurde die Schuld schnell beim „System“, den Nachbarn oder der Gesellschaft gesucht. Auf den Philippinen angekommen, hält die anfängliche Begeisterung meist nur so lange, wie der Neuheitswert trägt. Sobald der Alltag einkehrt und Flexibilität gefordert ist, bricht die alte Dynamik wieder durch.

Im Gefühlserleben einer solchen Persönlichkeit brodelt eine schmerzhafte Mischung aus tief verunsichertem Ego, Unzufriedenheit und ausgeprägtem Neid. Jeder Erfolg anderer – sei es ein gelungenes Projekt, ein beliebter Reisebericht oder ein harmonisches Auswandererleben – wirkt auf sie wie eine stumme Bedrohung. Weil ihr eigenes Selbstbild so fragil ist, gönnen sie anderen Menschen den Erfolg schlichtweg nicht. Was sich nach außen hin als ständige Besserwisserei oder als giftiger Hate-Kommentar unter Facebook-Beiträgen entlädt, ist in Wahrheit ein Schutzmechanismus. Das Abwerten anderer dient dazu, die eigene innere Leere kurzfristig zu überdecken und sich selbst gedanklich wieder aufzuwerten.

Die Konsequenzen für die Umwelt sind spürbar toxisch. Ein solches Auftreten vergiftet die Atmosphäre in Online-Gruppen, spaltet Communities und raubt denjenigen Energie, die sich ehrlich ein neues Leben aufbauen oder informative Inhalte teilen wollen. Auf den Philippinen, wo eine respektvolle, gesichtswahrende und ruhige Zwischenmenschlichkeit im Zentrum der Kultur steht, wirkt dieses laute, verbitterte Muster besonders deplatziert.

Erkennen lässt sich ein solches Verhaltensmuster an ganz typischen Signalen. Die betroffene Person sieht Fehler grundsätzlich nur bei anderen und zeigt eine ausgeprägte Unfähigkeit zur Selbstreflexion. Während einerseits maßlos über die alte Heimat geschimpft wird, wird im selben Atemzug die philippinische Lebensrealität herabgewürdigt, sobald etwas nicht nach den eigenen Vorstellungen läuft. Zudem fällt eine ständige Abwertungsstrategie auf: Hinter dem Erfolg anderer wird sofort Betrug, Naivität oder reine Selbstdarstellung vermutet.

Am Ende führt dieses Handeln in die logische Konsequenz der Isolation. Die einheimische Bevölkerung zieht sich höflich, aber bestimmt zurück, und auch die Auswanderer-Community distanziert sich von der ständigen Negativität. Die betroffene Person verbleibt in ihrer selbst geschaffenen Blase aus Groll und Unverständnis. Sie hat zwar den Kontinent gewechselt, steht emotional aber noch genau an demselben Punkt wie vor der Auswanderung.

Wie nehmt ihr diese Dynamik im Auswanderer-Alltag oder in den sozialen Medien wahr? Habt ihr solches Verhalten schon beobachtet und wie geht ihr am besten mit destruktiven Kommentaren um – konsequent ignorieren oder sachlich Grenzen setzen? Lasst uns dazu in den Kommentaren austauschen!

Revisit Manila Bay reclamation projects before floods worsen

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 16, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 15, 2026 04:59 pm

The flooding that has battered Metro Manila and nearby provinces in recent days should prompt the government to look beyond the immediate causes of the disaster. Heavy rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon, compounded by other weather disturbances, undoubtedly overwhelmed communities. Garbage clogging waterways has also aggravated the problem.

The causes, while valid, should not become convenient excuses for avoiding a more fundamental question: Where is the floodwater supposed to go?

Metro Manila’s flood-management strategy cannot be reduced to clearing drains, widening waterways, building pumping stations and constructing flood-control structures. These measures address the movement of water inland. But they do not fully answer the equally important question of where that water will ultimately be discharged.

For decades, Manila Bay has functioned as the region’s natural drain for runoff from rivers, esteros, and drainage systems. Yet reclamation has progressively altered portions of the bay’s physical character, reducing open water and changing the coastline.

This does not mean every reclamation project can automatically be blamed for a particular flood. Nor does the Archimedes principle, by itself, establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between reclamation and inland flooding. But its fundamental lesson is difficult to ignore: when physical space in water is occupied, displaced water must go somewhere.

In a shallow, semi-enclosed body such as Manila Bay, changing the bay’s geometry can affect water movement, circulation, tidal exchange and drainage. If reclamation reduces available water space or obstructs natural pathways, the displaced water and altered flows may increase pressure on already vulnerable shorelines, river mouths and drainage outlets. Those consequences deserve rigorous, cumulative scientific assessment—not assumptions made after disasters occur.

That is why the Department of Environment and Natural Resources must fast-track its cumulative impact assessment of Manila Bay reclamation projects.

The need is hardly theoretical. The DENR has previously acknowledged the necessity of examining reclamation projects collectively because their combined environmental effects cannot adequately be understood by assessing each undertaking in isolation. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has required government agencies under its continuing writ of mandamus to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay.

The Court has also specifically required government agencies to report on ongoing reclamation projects and their environmental impact assessments in connection with Manila Bay.

Government agencies charged with enforcing that continuing mandamus therefore cannot afford complacency. Rehabilitation and protection of Manila Bay must mean more than improving water quality and removing trash. It must also mean protecting the bay’s capacity to perform its broader environmental and hydrological functions.

The proposed garbage master plan and more efficient flood-control projects are necessary and welcome. But they represent only half of the solution.

The other half is the receiving end.

It is not enough to ask how quickly floodwater can be moved away from homes and roads. Policymakers must also answer where millions of cubic meters of water will go once they reach the drainage system.

If Manila Bay is the natural receiving basin, then the government must determine whether reclamation is diminishing that capacity—and, if so, by how much and with what consequences.

Development has its place. Reclamation may generate economic activity, create land, and support urban expansion. But no development should be allowed to externalize its environmental costs onto flood-prone communities.

The government should therefore revisit Manila Bay reclamation projects now, while there is still time to correct the course.

The question is no longer simply how to control the flood, but where to let the floodwater go.

𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟏 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲

 We have worked hard to build this unity and to ensure that every tribe is recognized, respected, and heard. Let us never allow words or actions to divide what generations have worked so hard to bring together.

Different cultures, traditions, and faiths, but one Davao, one community.

This is what being Davaoeño means: we respect each other’s dignity, we protect one another, and above all, we stand together.

My respect and salute to the 11 tribes. Your unity is Davao’s strength.

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Davao City Muslim Affairs Office

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𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟏 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲

We, the 11 Ethnolinguistic Tribes of Davao, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞. The true strength and beauty of our city live in the unbroken bond between our Moro and Indigenous Peoples—a harmony that defines who we are.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. They have no place in Davao, where safety, dignity, and honor are sacred. Pride that relies on putting others down is not true pride; honor built on another’s humiliation is not real honor.

Our ancestors taught us that true heritage is measured by how fiercely we protect the dignity of our neighbors. Let us hold fast to these values. Let us choose words that heal, uplift, and unite. Kindness costs nothing, but it safeguards the peace of our shared home. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬—𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬.