Philippines: Church warns against 'holy alcohol' for COVID-19

Churchgoers in the Philippines have been urged not to fall for products advertised as being "holy" to protect themselves from COVID-19. Besides alcohol, church leaders said there's "no such thing" as a holy face mask.   

The Catholic Church in the Philippines warned against buying "holy alcohol" and other products claiming to protect against the coronavirus.

"There is no sacramental holy alcohol that we should make the sign of the cross with when we rub it to ourselves," the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said in a statement on Monday. "Moreover, it should not be sprinkled on the faithful."

They likewise warned that there is "no such things" as holy face masks, holy face shields, holy hand sanitizer and holy personal protective equipment.

"This is an irreverent marketing strategy or gimmick," the statement added.

They issued the warning after an archdiocese outside of the capital Manila flagged "fake news" reports about the church replacing holy water with "holy alcohol," news agency DPA reported.

The CBCP said that many churches emptied their holy water fonts in recent months to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but that the holy water had not been replaced with rubbing alcohol.

Churches across the predominantly Catholic country were closed for months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, although some restrictions have eased starting in June. 

Some Catholic churches reopened to worshippers over the weekend, although the number of people allowed to attend mass is limited.

In Manila where the number of COVID-19 cases is higher, only 10 people are allowed to attend a mass at a time. In other areas of the country, churches are allowed to have up to 50% of their seating capacity, DPA reported.

The country has logged 22,474 COVID-19 cases so far as well as 1,011 deaths.

(C) by DW 2020

SMASHED!

My column in Mindanao Daily, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Cagayan de Oro Times.

Smashed? Drunk? Or in another words: "If alcohol becomes a scourge. ..."

"Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long on the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines? Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse words. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in he mist o the sea, or like one, who lies on top of  the mast, saying: 'They have struck me, but I wasn't hurt; they have beaten me, but I didn't feel it. When I shall awake, that I may seek another drink!'" (Proverbs 23:29-35).

When I recopied this part from my bible I got (again!) the idea writing about this topic. The writer of these proverbs expressed very well the effect of alcohol.

Alcohol is, as we all know, a depressant. It slows down the function of all the body's parts. Vital functions can be slowed down to the point of death. Under its influence people choke to death at family picnics, drown at the beach, fall asleep while driving a car, hurt and even kill other people.

The devil alcohol creates a feeling of freedom without worries and euphoria. Our feelings are really free flowing, everyday worries are replaced with a carefree spirit. Wow, I really feel on top of the world today... .

I joined the circle of many other fellows around, more or less regular social drinking, and/or habitual drinking drinking with meals (beer or wine!). When I stayed in France, I couldn't believe that for many Frenchmen a breakfast consists of bread (baguette), cheese, coffee - and red wine! Anyway, social drinking also means occasional drinks to relieve stress or boredom.

Once we reach the addictive stage we are already in danger. Gulping drinks and secret drinking daily to relieve stress makes one lose control, and being unable to stop drinking creates drinking habits, Danger is with us, if we lose control over when, where and how much we drink. The memory blackouts don't let us remember any more, where we had been or how we get home. We loose our self-respect and the performance of our work is seriously affected. Loss of interest in everything (except in drinking) means loss of jobs, conflicts with the law, mental deterioration, and even death. The sad consequences should let us tremble with fear.

A few people who decide to stop drinking find it easy. Having made the decision, they simply never drink again. And honestly, every time I enjoy a drink in really acceptable measurements I am trying to ask myself, if I could stop drinking right now. And I am pretty sure, the answer is YES. That's how I quit smoking almost 35 years ago... .

One drink a day

My column in Mindanao Daily - the Mindanao-wide circulated paper.

A study of drinking around the world warns that even an occasional glass of wine or beer can increase your chances of disease and an early death. Scientists say there's no such thing as a "safe level" of alcohol. Alcohol consumption caused almost 3 million premature deaths in 2016, according to the results of a major study of drinking in 195 countries.

The research, published yesterday (August 24, 2018) in the medical journal The Lancet, found that drinking was the leading factor in deaths of people between the ages of 15 and 49. It also concluded that any amount of alcohol consumption, even one drink every now and again, increased the risk of health problems like cancer, cardiovascular disease and tuberculosis.

One additional big reason: alcohol guidelines may not be safe in many countries, the study says. The health risks associated with alcohol are enormous. I quoted Emmanuela Gakidou, senior author and director at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle.

The researchers drew on more than 1,000 studies to compile a picture of alcohol's health impacts and drinking habits among men and women around the world. 

They reported that imbibing one standard drink — equivalent to a small beer, glass of wine or shot of spirits — each day, boosted the odds of developing at least one of 23 possible health conditions by about 0.5 percent.

That might not sound like much, but — at a global level — that daily drinking habit translates to about 100,000 additional deaths every year, Gakidou said.

Alcohol and the unforgiving liver... . "There is no safe level of alcohol," Max Griswold, lead author and IHME researcher, told the AFP news agency. "Overall, the health risks associated with alcohol rose in line with the amount consumed."

In addition to the prevalence of alcohol-related disease, the study also looked at injuries and death resulting from alcohol consumption, such as road accidents and self-harm.

Two drinks per day increased the chances of disease and injury by 7 percent, the researchers wrote. The risk climbed to 37 percent with five drinks.

According to the study, drinking was the seventh leading risk factor for premature death and disease in 2016, accounting for around 2 percent of deaths in women and nearly 7 percent in men. Alcohol was the most lethal factor in the 15-49 age bracket, responsible for more than 12 percent of male deaths.

This is how a global picture looks like: of the more than 2 billion people around the world who consume alcohol, about 63 percent are men, the researchers wrote. The biggest drinkers in 2016 were men in Romania, who put away an average of eight drinks a day. Portugal, Luxembourg, Lithuania and Ukraine followed with seven "units" per day. Among women, Ukrainians led with four drinks a day, followed by Andorra, Luxembourg, Belarus, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and Britain, all averaging about three per day.

The most abstemious nations were those with Muslim-majority populations.

Alcohol is, as we all know, a depressant. It slows down the function of all the body's parts. Vital functions can be slowed down to the point of death. Under its influence people choke to death at family picnics, drown at the beach, fall asleep while driving a car, hurt and even kill other people.

The devil alcohol creates a feeling of freedom without worries and euphoria. Our feelings are really free flowing, everyday worries are replaced with a carefree spirit. Wow, I really feel on top of the world today... .

I joined the circle of many other fellows around, more or less regular social drinking, and/or habitual drinking drinking with meals (beer or wine!). When I stayed in France, I couldn't believe that for many Frenchmen a breakfast consists of bread (baguette), cheese, coffee - and red wine! Anyway, social drinking also means occasional drinks to relieve stress or boredom.

Once we reach the addictive stage we are already in danger. Gulping drinks and secret drinking daily to relieve stress makes one lose control, and being unable to stop drinking creates drinking habits, Danger is with us, if we lose control over when, where and how much we drink. The memory blackouts don't let us remember any more, where we had been or how we get home. We loose our self-respect and the performance of our work is seriously affected. Loss of interest in everything (except in drinking) means loss of jobs, conflicts with the law, mental deterioration, and even death. The sad consequences should let us tremble with fear.

A few people who decide to stop drinking find it easy. Having made the decision, they simply never drink again. And honestly, every time I enjoy a drink in really acceptable measurements I am trying to ask myself, if I could stop drinking right now. And I am pretty sure, the answer is YES. That's how I quit smoking almost 35 years ago... . 

Let's face it: one drink a day is one too many.

"Who was woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long on the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines? Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse words. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in he mist o the sea, or like one, who lies on top of  the mast, saying: 'They have struck me, but I wasn't hurt; they have beaten me, but I didn't feel it. When I shall awake, that I may seek another drink!'" (Proverbs 23:29-35).

 

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The terrible scourge

The terrible scourge

WED, AUGUST 2, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

By KLAUS DÖRING

“Who was woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long on the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines? Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse words. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the mist of the sea, or like one, who lies on top of  the mast, saying: ‘They have struck me, but I wasn’t hurt; they have beaten me, but I didn’t feel it. When I shall awake, that I may seek another drink!'” (Proverbs 23:29-35).

When I recopied this part from my bible I got the idea to write about this topic. The writer of these proverbs expressed very well the effect of alcohol.

Alcohol is, as we all know, a depressant. It slows down the function of all the body’s parts. Vital functions can be slowed down to the point of death. Under its influence people choke to death at family picnics, drown at the beach, fall asleep while driving a car, hurt and even kill other people.

The devil alcohol creates a feeling of freedom without worries and euphoria. Our feelings are really free flowing, every-day worries are replaced with a carefree spirit. Wow, I really feel on top of the world today… .

I joined the circle of many other fellows around, more or less regular social drinking, and/or habitual drinking drinking with meals (beer or wine!). When I stayed in France, I couldn’t believe that for many Frenchmen a breakfast consists of bread (baguette), cheese, coffee – and red wine! Anyway, social drinking also means occasional drinks to relieve stress or boredom.

Once we reach the addictive stage we are already in danger. Gulping drinks and secret drinking daily to relieve stress makes one lose control, and being unable to stop drinking creates drinking habits. Danger is with us, if we lose control over when, where and how much we drink. The memory blackouts don’t let us remember anymore, where we had been or how we get home. We loose our self-respect and the performance of our work is seriously affected. Loss of interest in everything (except in drinking) means loss of jobs, conflicts with the law, mental deterioration, and even death. The sad consequences should let us tremble with fear.

A few people who decide to stop drinking find it easy. Having made the decision, they simply never drink again. And honestly, every time I enjoy a drink in really acceptable measurements I am trying to ask myself, if I could stop drinking right now. And I am pretty sure, the answer is YES. That’s how I quit smoking almost 25 years ago… .

A New Age for the Philippine Bar Scene

A New Age for the Philippine Bar Scene

By Icy Mariñas, Philippine Star

1

There is a rousing energy presently felt in the Philippine bar scene. The Philippines has been turning heads in the international bartending competitions for a few years now. Some of the best bartenders in the world come from the Philippines. This may come as a surprise to you, dear imbibers, but not to passionate personalities in our growing and exciting industry. After all, we have a long, rich history connected to alcohol. From the Spanish, we were taught how to make cerveza or beer. Also, we can’t deny the great influence Americans have had in our culture. They brought the cocktail culture here  (in army bases they had officers’ bars) and most likely taught Filipinos how to make cocktails the way they do. They passed on the skills and knowledge to Pinoy bartenders.

Go Ken!

The Prohibition (from 1919 – 1933) did not extend to the Philippines, thankfully. And of course the Americans living and stationed here during that time were able to take full advantage of that. They introduced us to the cocktail club and Nightclub culture. Another important cocktail history that Filipinos are a part of is the Tiki Bar movement which started as early as the 1930s in America. During that time, in a famous bar called Don The Beach Comber (Los Angeles), celebrities like Charlie Chaplin were regulars. If you ordered a Martini or an old fashioned in this bar, they would make it for you in plain sight. But if you wanted to have one of their “talk of the town” tropical concoctions, it would emerge from a hidden back bar. Guests never saw who made them; today we know them as the Don’s “Four Boys,” and one of them is the legendary Filipino American bartender named Ray Buhen.

Fast forward to the present. The past few years have seen some major developments in the bar and cocktail culture. Now is the dawn of a new era. New and exciting bars and restaurants are opening left and right, offering varied yet polished drinks to suit every mood. Bartenders are the new chefs (liquid chefs), the new superstars in the F&B world; they are the rock stars, celebrities in my eyes. Today, Filipinos need not hide while preparing a cocktail. Now, we are present at front, the stage is now set! The Philippines has sent representatives to international competitions and are making quite an impressive dent in the bartending realm. One of the rising talented Filipino bartenders who is making a name in the field is Kenneth Bandivas of ABV Bar. He is the Philippines’ representative to the 2015 Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year Finals in Cape Town, South Africa.

Happy Ken

The Diageo World Class is the most prestigious and respected mixology competition in the world. Fifty of the best bartenders from the finest establishments in the world come together to put their skills, technique and knowledge to the test, and duke it out in five days (August 31 to September 4) of what can only be described as a cocktail bonanza (each contender will have to make 23 cocktails in several challenges). I met with Ken at ABV to talk to him about the competition and to sample some of the cocktails he will make during the competition.

Ken is the embodiment of the Boy Scout. (I think I may have just given his nickname…) Motto: Always be prepared! He prepared well over 60+ signature cocktails! (Ken, here’s and idea… turn it into a book already! I’ll take my cut, okay? LOL) Apart from touching base with a variety of methods of making cocktails (stirred, shaken, etc.), as well as different flavor profiles (spirit forward, sweet, sour, etc.), his game plan is to be prepared. He has been practicing and preparing for this for months. Having the honor of representing the country has not gotten into his head. Like his favorite cocktail, the Old Fashioned, Ken is simple, straightforward, confident.

Elgin Bridge

One of the challenges is to concoct a cocktail that will pay homage to the participant’s country. The first drink he presented was his entry for this category: The Bitter Felipe. This is special to him because it contains an ingredient that he hated when he was younger: the dreaded ampalaya (bitter gourd, for those not from around here; I’m sure you can tell from the name alone why this vegetable is an acquired taste). “It represents Filipinos in general,” he says. “We can turn something negative into something positive.” He makes the best out of a bad situation, so to speak, by making his own ampalaya liqueur by macerating (soaking a fruit or any object to soften and extract flavor) it in sugar and Ketel One vodka. Added to Bulleit bourbon, lime juice, and Palawan honey (for added local flavor), the Bitter Felipe is a creative twist to the whisky sour. I took a long whiff to experience the nose of this original cocktail. The fresh zest of the lime first got my attention, like an old fashioned but with a deeper complexity. Notes of the bourbon, has hints of caramel, vanilla, smoky, taste of citrus, wood, just the right amount of bitterness from the ampalaya to complement the bourbon. To me, Bitter Filipe was a perfectly balanced drink that has definitely left a “Better” taste on my tongue!

The next cocktail he prepared was the Heart and Soul, meant for the final showdown with the last top six contenders of the completion who will be advancing to the finals. Made with Kettle one vodka as base with paprika, homemade ginger syrup, lime, sage and egg whites. This to me was a beautiful symphony of flavors; fresh, savory, spicy. Shaken to perfection, resulting in a lovely foam that provided this libation a very smooth mouth feel. This drink was such a delight I could hear Tchaikovsky’s “The Nut Cracker” playing in the background! 

Heart and Soul

He moved on to his favorite drink, the Elgin Bridge. It’s an intense, spirit forward drink that pairs well with something heavy, like meat. He uses something that isn’t something you normally see in cocktails: homemade cigar liqueur. Using local Tabacalera Coronas. He extracted the cigar flavor by macerating it, resulting in a bittersweet, intense flavor. It’s mixed with Bulleit bourbon, chocolate absinthe liqueur, and poured over a Marasca cherry (instead of a sugar cube) into a glass smoked with bourbon barrel chips; isn’t this drink exciting?! I was so excited to try this drink! I was getting thirsty just watching him make it! But to my surprise, “MY” drink was stolen from me! It did a Houdini! Seriously, whoever took my drink knew what he was doing. I turned to Ken and he said with much empathy that that’s the last drink he will be doing as he has to save the rest for the competition. If I were a guy, I would be claiming blue balls! I will still be expecting to try this drink when Ken returns.

Whatever the results of the competition are, Ken, you already make us proud!

We may be lagging behind in the bar and cocktail industry, but something is definitely brewing. That our bartenders are making a mark in the international scene is certainly a sign of great things to come. You can see it in all the restaurants and cocktail bars mushrooming all around town. You can taste it in the more complex and sophisticated drinks being offered. New premium liquor brands are coming here because they can see that the market is ripe and ready for what they have to offer. You can feel the momentum of something forming, emerging, evolving. It’s a privilege for me to be part of it, a witness to it and to be surrounded by this energy. Sure, we’re trailing behind other countries. We are 5th in Asia right now, but hear this – this energy in Manila presently is comparable to the horse races. Like each owner is getting their horses to enter the gates, just waiting for that bell to ring! Exciting, isn’t it? World, we are knocking on your door! To all my fellow imbibers, Manila is a great place to be right now. Let’s all raise our cocktail glasses and drink to a bright, exciting cocktail scene in the Philippines! Cheers!

The Depressant Alcohol

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complains/ Who has wounds without cases? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long for the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines? Do not look at the wine, when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse words. ... When I shall awake, that i may seek another drink!" (Proverbs 23:29-35)

When I recopy this part of the bible several years ago, I got already the idea to write about this topic. I joined, and I am still joining circles of many other fellows around me - Filipinos AND expatriats more or less (?) with regular social drinking and/or habitual drinking with meals (beer or wine!). Imagine, when I stayed in France, I couldn't believe that for many Frenchmen a breakfast consists of bread (French baguette), cheese, coffee - and read wine! 

For many among us (and I learned it from several expats living in the Philippines) social drinking also also occasional drinks to relieve stress and boredom. Doing nothing can become stress! And a lot of expats are getting bored even in this beautiful country Philippines, because they have nothing to do!

Suddenly the devil alcohol creates a feeling of freedom without worries and euphoria. Feelings are free flowing: stress and/or boredom have gone! Suddenly gulping drinks and daily secret drinking might relieve stress  but makes one loose also control. Yes guys, alcohol is soooo cheap in the Philippines!!!

Suddenly loss of interest stays at any corner, conflicts with the law, conflicts in the family, accidents, mental deterioration, even death...! Hold on guys, the sad consequences should let us  tremble with fair! That's not the reason staying in the Philippines!

Every time I enjoy a drink in acceptable measurements I try asking myself: Am I drinking too heavily? Do I sneak drinks? Do I drink because of frustrations or just because the world is so nice and pink tinted? Can I stop drinking right now?

Wait, yes, it's true! Since several years I avoid joining circles of heavy drinking people - no matter circles of Filipino or expat friends... .