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BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT
Mga Kuwento ni Juan Tamad premieres on Nov. 10, 2024, 10 AM, and 4 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater as part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Children’s Biennale.
Mga Kuwento ni Juan Tamad is the latest addition to Alice Reyes Dance Philippines' expansive repertoire of Filipino works, this time designed specifically for Children's Dance Theater.
This new offering marks a significant milestone for one of ARDP’s talented choreographers, Erl Sorilla, who has crafted both the book and his first full-length choreography.
The production is brought to life with a captivating musical score by award-winning singer-songwriter Toto Sorioso, and magical sets and costumes designed by the renowned Filipino Director and Broadway Designer, Loy Arcenas.
Under the mentorship of National Artist for Dance, Alice Reyes, and ARDP Artistic Director, Ronelson Yadao, this production promises to be a magical experience for young audiences.
The story follows the adventures of Juan Tamad, the misunderstood boy in town, and his loyal monkey companion, Matsing. Aided by Juan’s unique ability to converse with animals and his innate love for nature, they set out to find the village’s most prized treasure, the fruit of all their hard-work and labor stolen by the greedy ‘Buwaya,’ the ‘Gintong Niyog.’ A challenge he must complete to win the hand of Maria Masipag.
Along his journey, Juan encounters a variety of animals, including those from the stories of ‘Pagong at Kuneho,’ ‘Ang Gamu-gamu at ang Lampara,’ and ‘Buwaya at ang Paboreal.’ Through these encounters, Juan learns valuable moral lessons that guide him on his path. With the help of the animals, Juan grows in character, and ultimately finds the ‘Gintong Niyog.’ Inspired by the classic Filipino children’s stories of ‘Juan Tamad,’ this production brings a new twist to the beloved tales.
The new work will feature ARDP company dancers Renzen Arboleda as the titular Juan Tamad, with Karla Santos as Maria Masipag. Dan Dayo will take on the role of Juan’s trusted sidekick, Matsing, with John Ababon as Pagong, Monica Gana as Kuneho, Earl John Arisola as Buwaya, Krislynne Buri as Paboreal, and Francia Alejandro as Lampara,. Also featured are ARDP trainees Gianna Hervas and Crizza Urmeneta as the Gamu–gamu.
This production is specifically created for students, as it aligns with Grade 1-10 and High School subjects, including Filipino, Arts, Music, Humanities, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao, Personal Development, Araling Panlipunan, Physical Education. Through dance and storytelling, Mga Kuwento ni Juan Tamad offers an enriching, multidisciplinary educational experience.
Mga Kuwento ni Juan Tamad premieres on Nov. 10, 2024, 10 AM, and 4 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater as part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Children’s Biennale. Admission is on a Pay-What-You-Can basis. Please stay tuned on Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Social Media Pages for registration links.
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By Fr. Roy Cimagala
Chaplain
Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)
Talamban, Cebu City
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
WE need to realize this truth about ourselves more deeply and stably. We are meant to be living cooperators of Christ’s continuing mission of human redemption. And this is not only for a few, but actually for all of us. Of course, this truth of our faith can be acted on in stages. We cannot all of a sudden be active cooperators of Christ’s mission. It takes time, effort and, of course, God’s grace for us to achieve this ideal and dignity.
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest,” Christ told his disciples, and is now telling us. (Lk 10,2) Despite the limitations and inadequacies we think we have to carry out this mandate, we should just try our best to respond to it.
We cannot deny that especially these days, there is a great need for these “laborers for the master’s harvest.” Today’s mission lands are not so much those places and people who are far away from the mainstream, those who still are kind of primitive in their culture and deprived even of the basic material necessities, as those who are in developed countries but very far in their faith.
More than far from the faith and from God, many people today look more resistant and even against God and anything that has to do with religion. They are more challenging since the attention and evangelization to be given to them require a more complex strategy.
In a sense, these places and people can constitute as the new peripheries that Pope Francis likes to talk about. And when he said that the Christian missionaries as shepherds should be ready to acquire the smell of the sheep, to be sure it will be a different smell from what we usually expect from poor, underdeveloped places and people. But just the same, it will be the smell of the lost sheep, even if the smell is sweet to the senses.
We therefore have to make some drastic updating of our understanding of what a missionary is. We should not get stuck with the common textbook idea that a missionary is usually a priest or nun who goes to a far-away place, and literally starts a settlement there.
While this concept of a missionary is still valid—it will always be—it now cries to be expanded to reflect its true character, especially given today’s fast-moving and more complicated world.
We have to understand that everyone, by virtue of his sheer humanity and much more, his Christianity, is called to be a missionary, and that he does not need to go to distant lands because his immediate environment already needs a more effective, down-to-earth evangelization.
Yes, even the ordinary guy in an office, the farmer, the businessman, the politician, the entertainers, artists and athletes, are called to be missionaries. That’s simply because as persons with a prominently social dimension in our life, we have to be responsible for one another.
And the biggest responsibility we can have for the others would be their moral and spiritual welfare, much more than just their economic or social wellbeing, though this latter concern is also very important. It is this responsibility that we have to learn how to be more serious about and more competent in fulfilling. This is the current situation and challenge to all of us.
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By Fr. Roy Cimagala
Chaplain
Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)
Talamban, Cebu City
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
WE should never forget that we are meant to live our life with God. Our life therefore should not simply be purely natural and human. It has to be supernatural and divine. The standards we use should not just be human. They should be, above all, divine.
We are reminded of this truth of our faith in that gospel reading of the Mass on Monday of the 4th Week of Easter (cfr. Mk 5,37-42) where Christ told his stunned disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.”
And clarifying what that would mean, he said: “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles…”
Definitely, if we are to consider these words according to our human standards, we would find them crazy. But precisely these words of Christ are an open invitation for us to enter into his supernatural and divine way of life. We can only observe them if we have faith in Christ and do our best to follow him and identify ourselves with him, who after all is the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity.
We have to learn how to drown evil with an abundance of good. That’s how things should be. Instead of responding to evil with evil, hatred with hatred, we should rather respond to evil with good, hatred with love. That way we turn things around, rather than plunge into the spiral of evil and hatred.
This was specifically articulated by St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans where he said: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Rom 12,17-20)
We have to try our best to erase whatever disbelief, doubt or skepticism we can have as we consider this teaching, since most likely, our first and spontaneous reaction to it would precisely be those reactions. We can ask, even if done only interiorly, “Is Christ really serious about this? Can this thing that Christ and St. Paul are telling us, possible, doable?”
With God’s grace and our effort, let us learn to live with unavoidable evil in this world. “Let them grow together until harvest.” That was the answer of the master in one of the parables about the kingdom of heaven. (cfr Mt 13,24-43) He was telling the servants to let the weeds down by his enemy to grow together with the wheat. Pulling the weed out now would just endanger the wheat, he reasoned out.
This parable is an image of how our life now, with all its good and bad elements, is already the beginning of the kingdom of heaven. We have to learn how to live in this condition, where evil is unavoidable, without getting confused and lost.
“Be still and know that I am God,” the first half of Psalms 46:10, is a popular verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord. This interpretation promotes a healthy rest in the presence of the Lord.
This command—“Be still…”—is written in a time of trouble and war; therefore, we should consider the verse with that context in mind. The phrase “Be still and know that I am God” calls us to pause and reflect. It reminds us that God is still in control no matter what happens in our lives.
Like many Bible verses, this one is often ripped from its context to declare something not intended in the passage itself. Well-meaning Christians may use this as a consolation in times of worry and frustration – as if God is saying, “relax, I got this.”
In other words: Be still and stop your running to and fro. Slow down. Slow down long enough!
We have been conditioned to feel guilty whenever we are not “productive.” Stillness, even for the purpose of rest or prayer, can feel like wasted time to someone who lives in a world that values wealth, competition, high productivity, full schedules, and general self-importance.
Why is it important to be still? Being still is like replenishing the stores. It allows us time and space. It gives us time and space to self-reflect and actually hear our thoughts.
Yes, we are living in a noisy and hectic world. We also become noisy and hectic, many times. No time for rewinding and turning off the daily din and racket. We all become noisy people and troublemakers. Have you noticed it already?
Making time for moments of stillness can have powerful mental health benefits.
Today, stillness can be hard to come by. There’s just so much going on. So much noise both inside and outside our brains, so many tasks on our to-do lists, and at least several screens within reach.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, stillness is “the quality of being quiet and not moving.”
Moments of stillness are possible even on the busiest of days. They are within our reach whenever we need them.
So many times, our relationships with partners, friends, relatives, work mates and neighbors get cracked.
Be still and know. Slow down long enough to hear God's voice too. There is indeed so much God if we only would slow down long enough to hear His voice. We are so overwhelmed with our earthly desires that all we think of is. Yes, God, I want You to do this for me, and I want it now!
What a fatal attraction! Learn to wait quietly on Him. When you begin to grasp something of our Lord's true greatness, you will be truly amazed.
Be still and know.
Updated Story
Based on the outcome of five-day trading in the regional market, the price of gasoline products will be trimmed by P0.75 to P1.15 per liter; while diesel prices will be cut by relatively sizeable P0.85 to P1.25 per liter; and kerosene by P0.80 to P1.20 per liter.
If reckoned from trading results as referenced on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) index, the calculated price adjustments had been: P0.955 per liter for gasoline; P1.047 per liter for diesel and P1.044 per liter for kerosene.
The estimated rollback at the pumps next week will offer more substantial relief to the pockets of consumers next week as this already turned heftier into the vicinity of P1.00 per liter as of end of trading day on Friday (May 3), according to the industry players.
Based on the outcome of five-day trading in the regional market, the price of gasoline products will be trimmed by P0.75 to P1.15 per liter; while diesel prices will be cut by relatively sizeable P0.85 to P1.25 per liter.
Additionally, the price of kerosene - which is widely known as a base fuel for the aviation industry and also a key commodity for households and other industries, will have prospective reduction of P0.80 to P1.20 per liter.
If reckoned from trading results as referenced on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) index, the calculated price adjustments had been: P0.955 per liter for gasoline; P1.047 per liter for diesel and P1.044 per liter for kerosene.
The price adjustments will be reflected at the pumps on Tuesday (May 7); and this is a series wherein all commodity costs would be on downtrend, following wild seesaw of prices in recent weeks.
Market watchers conveyed that the downward spiral in oil prices had been precipitated by perceived de-escalation of the Israel-Iran tension as underpinned by the ongoing ceasefire talks in Cairo, Egypt.
There is general expectation that if a ceasefire deal could be concluded successfully, the lingering armed conflict in Gaza may eventually ease, hence, that will help soften global oil prices. Global experts noted that even the new round of missile attacks launched by the Houthis on a container ship in Yemen, had no longer impacted much on market sentiments this week.
Beyond geopolitics, it was emphasized that Mexico’s decision to reverse an earlier plan of export cuts also provided wider breathing room for supply in markets, hence, that helped pull down international oil prices.
Another major factor which ignited bearish outlook in global oil prices had been higher crude inventories then the renewed uptick of inflation rate in the United States, which raised new round of concerns on oil demand in the world’s biggest oil consumer.
As of Friday (May 3) trading, international benchmark Brent crude had dipped to $83 per barrel level from last week’s $86 per barrel.
The declining oil prices will certainly provide respite to Filipino consumers, especially at this time when they would be shelling out more cash for other component of their energy bills because of the dizzying highs in electricity rates.
Burnout is a very real problem
Burnout lurks around the corner for everyone, regardless of status or position. Recognizing this, we must prioritize our wellbeing to achieve sustainable productivity.
By Honey Reyes
Most of us want to concentrate better and do more in our day. And wouldn’t it be great to work even harder without feeling too tired or overwhelmed?
But here’s the thing—burnout can happen to anyone, whether you’re a big-shot CEO or just starting at a job. No one is immune! The World Health Organization said burnout is a real medical problem. They define burnout as feeling super stressed from work and unable to handle it well. When you’ve got so much to do, it feels like you’re drowning in it.
There are two keys to increasing productivity without burning out. How can we reduce the behaviors that cause burnout and “chronic workplace stress” and increase productivity during the working day?
1.Reducing screen time
A 2019 survey of 1,057 office workers in the US found that 87 percent of professionals stare at screens for seven hours a day on average during the workday.
Although our laptops and other gadgets are essential for work, how many take deliberate breaks from screens? It’s crucial to take regular breaks from screens and other electronics.
Close your laptop and stroll outside. According to one study, “employees who take breaks every 90 minutes report a higher level of focus and productivity.” As a result, your brain can rest in preparation for your subsequent work.
2.Engage in focused intervals
Parallel to this, researchers in human performance science have determined that optimal performance requires rest. According to experts, if you don’t follow the pattern of constantly pushing yourself to accomplish more and more incredible things, you’re only half correct.
You may get better at anything you do when you find the correct balance between exerting hard work and taking the necessary breaks and recovery to allow the strenuous effort to sink in.
Being more productive requires not just getting the seven or eight hours of sleep many CEOs and entrepreneurs overlook, but also extending your rest and strategically timing your breaks throughout the workday.
Put another way, you can increase the productivity if you take a step back and give yourself five to 10 minutes of respite for every hour you work. Using this interval-based productivity strategy can revolutionize the workplace.
In our quest to be more productive, we often need to remember the importance of balance. Burnout lurks around the corner for everyone, regardless of status or position. Recognizing this, we must prioritize our well-being to achieve sustainable productivity.
By embracing strategies like reducing screen time and engaging in focused intervals, we can enhance our efficiency and safeguard our mental health. Remember, it’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter and taking the necessary breaks to recharge.
In pursuing productivity, let’s pay attention to the value of rest. It’s not a sign of weakness but a pathway to long-term success. So, as we navigate the demands of work and life, let’s prioritize self-care and find harmony between effort and recovery.
