PAGASA declares onset of rainy season in PH

(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) declared the start of the rainy season on Wednesday, May 18, citing the widespread rains during the last five days.

“The presence of frontal system and the occurrence of severe thunderstorms have brought widespread rains during the last five days in areas under Type I climate and other parts of the country,” PAGASA said in a statement.

PAGASA defines areas under Type I climate classification as those with two pronounced seasons—dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. These include Metro Manila and the western sections of Luzon and Visayas.

“Moreover, southwesterly surface wind flow was also observed during the past few days. This satisfies the criteria of the start of the rainy season over the western sections of Luzon and Visayas,” it said.

PAGASA noted that intermittent rains, associated with the southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat,” will affect Metro Manila and the western sections of the country.

However, it pointed out that breaks in rainfall events, also known as monsoon breaks, which can last for several days or weeks, may still occur.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said the ongoing La Niña may still affect some parts of the country, which may increase the likelihood of above-normal rainfall conditions in the coming months.

The State weather bureau added it will continue to monitor the day-to-day weather and long-term climate situation and provide updates when significant changes occur.

Let’s always feel God’s constant love for us

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“AS the Father loves me, so I also love you.” (Jn 15,9) Words of Christ that are worth engraving indelibly in our mind and heart. They clearly show us how much God loves us. Imagine, the love that God the Father lavished on God the Son is the same love that is also lavished on us!

This truth of our faith should drive us crazy as well as move us to learn to love God in return and to love everybody else with the same love God has for all of us. And Christ gives us the secret of how we can have such love that, according to him, will give us our complete joy. (cfr. Jn 15,11) 

And that is to keep God’s commandments. “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,” he said, “just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” (Jn 15,10)

Given the way love is understood by many of us, we need to learn to distinguish between what is genuine love and fake love, between what is objectively good and evil and what may just be our own ideas of them that do not conform to the truth.

Nowadays, the ability to distinguish these essential elements in our life is most needed since we are in very complicated times and many people, especially the young, the so-called millennials, are unfortunately thrown into deep confusion and ignorance. Some people have even described such sad phenomenon as invincibly irremediable.

But I believe there’s always hope and that we can still manage to get to the truth. And so, the first thing that we can say with regard to this issue is that to distinguish between truth and falsehood, between good and evil, between genuine love and fake love, we need to have a close, intimate relationship with God.

After all, he is the creator of all things, the first and ultimate lawgiver, the very foundation of reality. Without him, we go out on a limb, and expose ourselves to many dangers. Not that with him, we are free of dangers. In fact, with him, we will always be hounded by temptations from inside us and outside us. But at least with him, we are sure of the path we are taking, and the choice we will be making.

Our love, to be true, can only flow from God who loves himself. And that love is shown to us and is made available to us by Christ who commanded us precisely to love one another as he himself has loved us. (cfr Jn 13,34)

This love that comes from God through Christ in the Holy Spirit will always be in the truth, will always be consistent irrespective of our conditions and circumstances, will always know how to adapt itself to different situations without getting lost.

And given our human condition that is prone to confusion and error, we should realize that we need to always renew and purify our love. That’s simply because of the tension between our nature and our supernatural goal, not to mention our present wounded human condition that is prone to temptation and sin and to all kinds of weaknesses. We unavoidably contend with these conditions in our earthly life. 

We can always start with good intentions and the best of our efforts in anything that we do. But if we do not constantly renew and purify our love for God and neighbour that should inspire all our actions, we simply cannot go the distance.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Filipinos continue to rule dancesport

By Jean Malanum

GOLDEN PERFORMANCE Mark Jayson Corales Gayon and Mary Joy Guiao Renigen of the Philippines compete in the slow foxtrot category of the dancesport event at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, on Monday, May 16, 2022. PHOTO BY NHAC NGUYEN/AFP

GOLDEN PERFORMANCE Mark Jayson Corales Gayon and Mary Joy Guiao Renigen of the Philippines compete in the slow foxtrot category of the dancesport event at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, on Monday, May 16, 2022. PHOTO BY NHAC NGUYEN/AFP

THE country's successful campaign in dancesport at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Hanoi, Vietnam, has proven once again that the Filipinos are the best in the region.

After winning five golds, five silvers and two bronzes, the Philippines retained the overall title it won during the 2019 edition held at Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.

Philippine Dancesport Federation president Becky Garcia commended the Standard and Latin teams for making their country proud.

"They did their best because they are focused and passionate in their dancing," Garcia told The Manila Times on Wednesday.

Ana Leonila Nualla and Sean Mischa Aranar produced three gold medals in Standard Viennese Waltz, Standard Tango and Standard All Five Dances, the same three events they ruled in 2019.

In the Viennese Waltz event, they defeated Thailand's Anucha Wijitkoon and Pasraporn Phandech while Vietnam's Minh Vu Hoang Anh and Xuan Nguyen Truong won the bronze.

They triumphed in the Tango event, beating Thailand's Thanawan Yananun and Issaparung Duangkaew (silver) and Vietnam's Duc Hoa Nguyen and Yeu Nguyen Thi Hai, while in the All Five Dances, they conquered Anucha and Pasraporn (silver) and Duc Hoa and Yeu Nguyen (bronze).

"Our fighting spirits are high during the competition. We are determined to give them three gold-level performances," the 30-year-old Nualla, a licensed chemist who is now a full-time athlete, said.

"We never stopped training even during the pandemic. We're always thinking about the SEA Games. In our own way, we made sure that we will be ready for the competition," Nualla, who has been dancing with Sean for nine years, added.

Mary Joy Renigen and Mark Jayson Gayon also retained their title in the Standard Slow Foxtrot event, beating Thailand's Anucha Wijitkoon and Pasraporn Phandech (silver) and Malaysia's Leonard Jie Ren Hoh and Ning Huan Mu (bronze).

They claimed the silver medal in the Standard Quickstep event won by Thailand's Thanawan Yananun and Issarapong Duangkaew with Vietnam's Minh Vu Hoang Anh and Xuan Nguyen Truong placing third.

In the Standard Waltz, Renigen and Gayon lost the gold medal to Thanawan and Issarapong while Vietnam's Duc Hoa Nguyen and Yen Nguyen Thi Hai secured the bronze medal.

"I can say that our performance as partners has gone to another level because we trust each other more. I know in my heart that my partner is more confident this time, he's the one telling me to relax because we are competing outside of the country," the 27-year-old Renigen from Taguig City said.

She graduated from University of Makati with a physical wellness degree majoring in dance and is currently dancesport head coach of Rizal Technological University in Mandaluyong City.

Renigen and Gayon stopped dancing for two years during the pandemic and resumed only in October last year.

"Before the SEA Games, we trained in London, United Kingdom from April 14-26. We fund-raised a budget for it and by God's grace and with the help of many generous people, we were able to pursue it. We also trained in Cebu from April 30 to May 4, with Italian coach Paolo Bosco, a seven-time world champion in Standard. This training is through the generosity of Pagcor chair Andrea Domingo," Renigen shared.

Renigen and Gayon have been dancing partners since 2014. They joined the national team in 2017.

"These are great help for us in winning these medals and of course, all the people behind us who never stopped believing and trusting us, despite all the struggles," she added.

Coach German Enriquez is all praises for the Standard dance team, saying "the team performed very well. Better than in practice."

He also observed that the dancers from other countries "have also improved in terms of power."

The country's only gold medal in the Latin category was delivered by Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo in the Cha-cha event.

Vietnam's Kien Nguyen Trung and Anh Pham Hong took the silver medal while Thailand's Shinawat Lerson and Preeyanoot Patoomsriwiroje won the bronze medal.

Marquez and Sabalo placed second to Vietnam's Doan Minh Truong Nguyen and Huong Dang Thu in the Jive event. Thailand's Jettapon Inthakun and Apichaya Kuptawanith were third.

They also finished second to Doan and Huong in the All Five Dances event, while Thailand's Lerson and Patoomsriwiroje walked away with the bronze medal.

Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Caneda won the silver medal in the Samba. Kien and Anh Pham Hong got the gold medal while Thailand's Jettapon Inthakun and Apichaya Kuptawanith took the bronze medal.

Kien and Anh beat Jettapon and Apichaya for the gold medal in Rumba while Aunzo and Caneda picked up the bronze medal.

Aunzo and Caneda also bagged the bronze medal in the Paso Doble, where Vietnam's Doan Minh Truong Nguyen and Huong Dang Thu pocketed the gold medal while Lerson and Patoomsriwiroje won the silver medal.