EU sees deeper ties with PH under Marcos

European Union Ambassador to Manila Luc Véron and President-elect Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. PHOTO BY BBM MEDIA BUREAU

By Bernadette E. Tamayo, Manila 

EUROPEAN Union Ambassador to Manila Luc Véron is confident that the EU-Philippines relations "will deepen" under the Marcos administration.

Véron on Monday paid President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. a visit.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to meet President-elect Marcos ahead of his inauguration. I do not doubt that the EU-Philippines cooperation based on shared values and objectives will deepen under the Marcos administration," Véron said in a statement.

The envoy said he and Marcos "had an excellent conversation about the state of the world and his ambitions for the Philippines in the coming years."

"I am also heartened to hear that the incoming President is willing to work with the EU and its member states," Véron said.

He said that Marcos will be invited to attend the 45th anniversary of EU-Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) relations commemorative summit in Brussels, Belgium on December 14, 2022.

The ambassador conveyed the wish of all EU member states ambassadors to meet Marcos at the earliest opportunity.

He welcomed the importance that Marcos "attached to the enhanced partnership" between the Philippines and the EU and its member states.

Véron said he agreed with Marcos on the need to respect international law in the South China Sea, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its dispute settlement mechanisms.

He presented the scope of the bilateral relationship between the EU and the Philippines ranging from trade and investments to the extensive cooperation on justice system, socio-economic development, sustainable energy, governance, peace in Mindanao and vaccination against Covid-19.

The EU Mission in the Philippines said both sides agreed that addressing climate change and the green economic recovery from the pandemic must be at the forefront of the bilateral agenda.

The EU conveyed its readiness "to stay engaged, at the [Philippine] government's wishes, to further consolidate the peace process in the Bangsamoro region."

LIFE IS NOT FAIR

Plenty of people work hard but never get what they feel they deserve. Plenty of people are incredibly decent but always seem to get the short end of the stick. Plenty of people are smart but never seem to apply their academic excellence to entrepreneurial or professional achievement.

Plenty of people fall in love only to see their love squandered on someone who doesn’t reciprocate.

The conclusion most of us reach . . . life isn’t fair.
Or, is it that many of us just don’t understand the “protocol” and have a bad relationship with “fairness”?

Many times I have observed that children at a young age like to cry out: “It isn’t fair”, whenever they feel they are wronged. Just a couple of days ago, I heard one father, whose patient was already very thin, responding grimly: “The whole life is not fair!”

Even we adults often have problems with the idea of fairness. the laborers in the vineyard certainly did. They received exactly what they had bargained for, yet they complained when others got the same pay for less work.

If this parable was a story about earned wages, the grumblers would have been quite right to complain. But this story is about the way God deals with us, and how can we say that God is not fair?

Fairness means clearness and being free from fault or stain. Fairness is the light-colored, hopeful and plausible part of our life – the span between life and death. Life is and cannot always be fair – of course not! But we could make it a little bit fairer, though many times our world is ruled by falseness.

Fairness requires people to be put into categories. Anyone who fulfills certain requirements will receive a certain reward, regardless of differences in the situation. But only God knows that categories only outline the sort of people we are. He knows that each one of us is unique and with individual needs.

In our everyday life, do we really practice the idea of fairness at our workplace and in our dealings with others? How? Let’s analyze ourselves. May we learn what it means to be fair to another person… .

I learned a lot from Steve Wohlenhaus, CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information. Wohlenhaus said, “We need to spend more time focused on the present and less time ruminating about the past. We need to accept the unpleasant aspects of our past and do our best to move on. Concentrate on the present and create a beautiful and better future. That’s energy well spent. 

When we get trapped believing our past defines our future, life seems unfair. When we spend too much time contemplating the future and believe our destiny is outside our control, we feel helpless and life seems “unfair”. Allocating our emotional energy wisely helps us dedicate our time to what truly matters and gain control over the belief that life is unfair”.

Proverbs, probably the most down-to-earth book in the bible, prepares us for our daily life. In its prologue (Purpose and Theme) it says in 1:3: “…for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just fair”. The Colossians added in the “Rules for Christian Householders” in 4:1, “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair… .”.

Authorities to enforce ‘multi-layered security plan' for Sara's oath-taking on June 19

by Antonio Colina IV

DAVAO CITY – Security forces here will enforce a ‘multi-layered security plan’ for the oath-taking of presumptive Vice President Duterte tentatively set for June 19 at the San Pedro Street in this city.

Vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte (Lakas-CMD Media)

PMaj. Ma. Teresita P. Gaspan, spokesperson of Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Tuesday that the historic event is expected to draw around 20,000 attendees from different parts of the country.

She said the security cluster will enforce stricter security measures to ensure the safety of the crowd.

She said the venue will be open to the public.

She added that no perimeter fence and pavilion will be mounted at the venue to make it more convenient for the public to witness Duterte’s oath-taking but added that this will make it particularly challenging for authorities to control the crowd.

But Gaspan assured the security forces are ready to secure the venue, with DCPO receiving augmentation from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao to maintain order during the event.

She said the local authorities have yet to meet for creation of a multi-layered security plan, securing the “inner, middle, and outer layers” of the venue.

She said the city’s Public Safety Security Command Center will be at the helm of drafting the security plan together with other members of the security clusters during the coordinating conference.

She said backpacks, jackets, and bladed weapons will be prohibited at the venue on this date.

She said it remains uncertain whether outgoing President Duterte will attend his daughter’s oath-taking but added that if the President will attend, the enforcement of the security plan will have to be coordinated with the Presidential Security Group.

On Monday, the outgoing mayor announced that she considered no other place but this city as a venue for her inauguration.

She said that a transition team has been created to coordinate with the Office of the Vice President.

Duterte served as vice mayor from 2007 to 2010, mayor from 2010 until 2013, elected as mayor in 2016 when her father ran for President, and was reelected in 2019 with youngest brother Sebastian as the vice mayor.

BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS

"Relationship" comes from the Latin "referre" or "relatum", which means "to bring back".

In one of my penultimate columns, I tried to explain, "when to keep our mouth shut"! Silence is also an answer - sure! But some of my readers posed the question, if also broken relationships can be only restored by silence or waiting. My answer is YES and/or NO!

Sometimes, it's a miracle what a small dose of determined silence can do. Relationships are ALWAYS worth restoring, because life is all about learning how to love and how to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict. The bible told us that all of us have been given the ministry of restoring broken relationships.

Broken or cooled down relationships can be noticed at any corner. Restoring them is equal to peacemaking or peacekeeping but also not avoiding facing conflicts. Running away from a problem (and then keeping the mouth shut!), pretending that the problem doesn't exist or being too afraid to talk about it, that's how the hypocritical coward acts.

I always love to talk to God before I talk to a person. Later, I can find the right moment and take the initiative to restore broken relationships or face the problem. I can even look out for others' interests first. I can use "my telescope of life" (from the Greek word "skopos") and play close attention. I can start with sympathy but not with great solutions right away. I can confess my part of a possible conflict.

Paul said in Romans 12:18: "Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody!" In resolving conflicts, a word not to be spoken may be the choicest word of all, or IF WE TALK, HOW we say it, is important. 

The US-author Rick Warren confessed in one of his books; "We can establish a relationship even when we are unable to resolve our differences. Christians often have legitimate, honest disagreements and differing opinions. But, we can disagree without being disagreeable. The same diamond looks different from different angles. God expects unity, not uniformity, and we can walk arm-in-arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue!"

Despite what people tell you, burning bridges is a great way to keep pace in the rat race – dancing in the flames of a burnt bridge is great motivation to work faster and keep pushing forward. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to go back and rebuild a broken bridge for the sake of the better good.

‘Bubble Gang’ gets revamp with new faces, segments

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

Bubble Gang, the longest-running gag show on Philippine television, is out to make the program more relevant by introducing new members, new segments, and new flavors.

During a Zoom conference last Friday, May 13, director Frasco Mortiz said the program will continue to evolve by keeping up with the trends. ”May efforts na talaga kami to do something new. How does Bubble Gang stay relevant? Nag-iisip sila ng ways kung paano sumabay sa current trends.” 

Bang Arespacochaga, consultant for the show, explained the new changes in the program. “We wanted a small group, para maka-focus sa sketches, and the characters. Kung sino yung sikat diyan sa online, ‘Bubble Gang’ is very much open.”

As Bubble Gang makes its relaunch, expect new faces like Dasuri Choi, Tuesday Vargas, and Kim De Leon on the show. Those who bid goodbye to the program were Lovely Abella, Arra San Agustin, Antonio Aquitania, Denise Barbacena, Myka Flores, Liezel Lopez, Diego Llorico, Mikoy Morales, and Ashley Rivera.

Despite the changes, friendship never ends among cast members. “The friendship does not end there. We still talk with one another,” said mainstay Paolo Contis.

Michael V shared that he felt the need to explain the changes to the outgoing cast. “Give them an insight, kung bakit siguro nagkaroon ng ganoong mga dahilan, para hindi sumama ang loob nila, and at the same time para ma-inspire sila.”

The production will not only focus on television, but it will also reach a wider audience through social media platforms. Some new segments for “Bubble Gang” include “Bes Friends”,  and “Marites United”, (Mare, ano ang latest?) 

Asked about his working relationship with Direk Frasco, Michael V said: “Hindi pa kami nagkaka-trabaho ni Direk Frasco sa studio, most probably in the coming days.”

“It’s a group effort. It’s really the whole team, the collaboration of everyone,” said Bang on the cast effort to make the gag show alive and funny. “Hindi kami p’wede maging stagnant kung ano kami 10 years or 15 years ago, kasi maluluma kami.” 

“I think yung secret dun sa longevity nung show is the ability of the show to change with the times. Kumbaga, nage-evolve siya along with you,” said Director Frasco. 

Michael V added: “To sum it up, the objective of the show is to be funny, to be relevant, to be revolutionary, and evolutionary. As long as nami-meet ng show ‘yung mga requirements na ‘to. I believe the show will be here for a long time.” (Jazzle Anne Calanao and Diannevie Feliciano/practicum)

True love described

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

CHRIST said it very clearly. He who is not only the fullness of the revelation of God but is also the embodiment of what true love is said: “Love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15,12-13)

Somehow those words tell us that true love can only have a universal scope. We can note that he simply said to “love one another as I love you” without further qualification.

And immediately after those words, he described what it is to be his friend that gives us an idea about what the essence of friendship is. “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (Jn 15,14) Thus, friendship is all about doing Christ’s commands. It’s not so much about having common likes and dislikes with others, or some other criteria or standards.

If our love is true, that is, it is a love that is a vital part of Christ’s love for all of us, then it is open to anything. That love would remain steadfast and would continue to grow and to be creative irrespective of how it is received by the object of such love.

It can be received well or not, it can be reciprocated generously or be betrayed. Regardless of the fate it falls into, that love will remain faithful. Thus, St. Paul once said: “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Tim 2,13)

This basic truth about true love should be known and appreciated by everyone of us, and especially those who are into some commitments, like married people and those with special vocations. They have to pattern their love and sense of commitment after Christ’s love that has as its objects the Father and all of us.

Christ was and is open to anything because of pure love. This is the kind of love that we should try our best to cultivate in ourselves too. It’s purely gratuitous, and even more, it will do everything to recover the beloved even if the latter not only does not correspond to that love but also betrays and goes against that love. It’s a love that is willing to bear the sins, mistakes and offenses of the others, and even willing to offer one’s life for them.

We can only do this if we are true friends of Christ, that is, persons who obey Christ’s commands. It’s this friendship with Christ that would enable us to be friendly with everybody else regardless of how the others are.

As one saint said, we should be willing to go to the very gates of hell, without entering it, of course, if only to save a soul. This obviously would require us to be tough and clear about the real goal to reach, and yet flexible and adaptable to any person and to any condition.

In this regard, we have to learn how to fraternize with sinners. We have to replicate Christ’s attitude towards sinners, who actually are all of us—of course, in varying degrees. We have to give special attention to the lost sheep and to the lost coin. We have to open all possible avenues to be in touch with all sinners.

This is what true love is all about. It may not be all sweet according to our human standards. But it is what is truly proper to us!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Das Auswärtige Amt in Berlin gibt bekannt: Philippinen Reisehinweise per 17.5.2022

www.auswaertiges-amt.de

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Philippinen: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (Teilreisewarnung)

17.05.2022

Letzte Änderung:

Aktuelles – Wegfall des Abschnitts Wahlen,



Lagen können sich schnell verändern und entwickeln. Insbesondere die COVID-19-Bestimmungen unterliegen laufenden Änderungen.Wir empfehlen Ihnen:
- Verfolgen Sie Nachrichten und Wetterberichte.- Achten Sie auf einen ausreichenden Reisekrankenversicherungsschutz. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/-/350944
- Abonnieren Sie unseren Newsletter https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/newsletter/bestellen-node oder nutzen Sie unsere App „Sicher Reisen". https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/app-sicher-reisen/350382
- Folgen Sie uns auf Twitter: AA_SicherReisen https://twitter.com/AA_SicherReisen
- Registrieren Sie sich in unserer Krisenvorsorgeliste. https://krisenvorsorgeliste.diplo.de
- Erkundigen Sie sich vorab bei den Behörden/Botschaften Ihres Reiselandes https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/vertretungen-anderer-staaten zu den aktuell geltenden, verbindlichen Einreisebestimmungen sowie bei Flug- und Bahngesellschaften nach den geltenden Beförderungsbestimmungen.
- Beachten Sie unseren Haftungsausschluss https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/haftungsausschluss/2500954 und den Hinweis zu Inhalten anderweitiger Anbieter. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/inhalte-anderweitiger-anbieter/2500956

Aktuelles

COVID-19

Angesichts der weltweiten COVID-19-Pandemie bestehen weiterhin Risiken bei internationalen Reisen, insbesondere für Personen ohne vollständigen Impfschutz. Hierzu mehr unter COVID-19. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/gesundheit-fachinformationen/reisemedizinische-hinweise/Coronavirus/-/2309820

Einreise

Bestimmungen zur Einreise ändern sich mit der Pandemielage häufig. Bitte informieren Sie sich zusätzlich auf der Webseite der Regierung der Philippinen https://www.doh.gov.ph/.

Die Einreise für vollständig geimpfte Ausländer ist für touristische Aufenthalte und Geschäftsreisen bis zu 30 Tagen möglich, wenn sie unter Executive Order No. 408 (s. 1960) https://dfa.gov.ph/list-of-countries-for-21-day-visa fallen und hierdurch von der Visumspflicht befreit. Reisende müssen einen negativen PCR-Test nicht älter als 48 Stunden oder negativen Antigentest mit englischsprachigem Zertifikat (kein Selbsttest) nicht älter als 24 Stunden vor Abflug vorlegen.

Reisende müssen außerdem bei Einreise im Besitz eines noch sechs Monate gültigen Reisepasses sein und einen Flugschein über einen Rück- oder Weiterflug und eine in den Philippinen anerkannte Reisekrankenversicherung mit Mindestdeckungsschutz in Höhe von 35.000 USD für den vorgesehenen Aufenthaltszeitraum vorlegen können. Hiervon ausgenommen sind ausländische Ehepartner und Kinder philippinischer Staatsangehöriger sowie ehemalige philippinische Staatsangehörige mit „Balikbayan Privileg“ und deren mitreisende ausländische Ehepartner und Kinder. Die Staatenliste kann auf der Webseite der philippinischen Botschaft in Berlin http://philippine-embassy.de/visas/ abgerufen werden. Deutschland gehört derzeit zu diesen Ländern. Ausländische Kinder unter 12 Jahren müssen nicht voll geimpft sein und auch keinen Nachweis über ihren Impfstatus vorlegen, wenn sie ihre vollständig geimpften Eltern begleiten.

Die Einreise für vollständig geimpfte Inhaber von Langzeitvisa ist unter den genannten Bedingungen ebenfalls möglich, ein „Entry Exemption Document (EED)“ ist nicht mehr erforderlich.
Nicht vollständig geimpften ausländischen Reisenden oder Reisenden mit fehlendem anerkannten Impfnachweis wird die Einreise verweigert.
Als vollständig geimpft gilt, wer einen Impfnachweis über eine in den Philippinen erfolgte vollständige Impfung oder einen von den Philippinen anerkannten ausländischen Impfnachweis vorlegt. Deutsche Impfnachweise in Form des gelben WHO-Impfbuches oder das Digitale COVID-Zertifikat der EU werden anerkannt. Kreuzimpfungen werden akzeptiert, eine einfache Impfung nach einem durchgemachten Infekt ist hingegen nicht ausreichend.
Nach Einreise ist keine Quarantäne aber Selbstbeobachtung auf Symptome für sieben Tage erforderlich. Bei Auftreten von Symptomen ist die Kontaktaufnahme mit den lokalen Gesundheitsbehörden verpflichtend.

Nähere Informationen können bei der philippinischen Botschaft http://philippine-embassy.de/ erfragt werden.

Reisende müssen sich vor Einreise über das Portal „One Health Pass" https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC/ registrieren. Der Nachweis in Form eines QR-Codes ist den Fluggesellschaften am Check-in vorzulegen.

Informationen zu eventuellen Erfordernissen für Flugreisen erteilen die einzelnen Fluggesellschaften.

Ausreise und Transit

Die Ausreise ist Ausländern, die sich im Land aufhalten, jederzeit erlaubt. Manche Fluggesellschaften verlangen für den Reiseantritt in den Philippinen einen negativen PCR- oder Antigentest oder einen Impfnachweis. 

Beschränkungen im Land
Die Quarantänemaßnahmen sind regional unterschiedlich. Derzeit gilt im Großraum Manila eine niedrige Quarantänestufe mit teilweise Einschränkungen in der Bewegungsfreiheit. Stadtbezirke können diese Einschränkungen eigenständig verschärfen.
Die zwischenzeitlich unterbrochenen regulären Verkehrsverbindungen zwischen den Inseln des Landes wurden wiederaufgenommen, können jedoch jederzeit kurzfristig wiedereingestellt werden. Reisen zwischen den Provinzen sind eingeschränkt möglich, allerdings variieren die Regularien stark. Es müssen teilweise Gesundheitszeugnisse, ein negativer PCR- oder Antigentest bzw. Impfnachweise vorgelegt werden. Die Nutzung öffentlicher Verkehrsmittel (auch Inlandsflüge und Fähren) ist zunehmend nur noch geimpften Personen erlaubt.
Die touristische Infrastruktur ist eingeschränkt, einige Hotels und Resorts sind geschlossen.
Im öffentlichen Raum (in Gebäuden wie auch im Freien) gilt Maskenpflicht, Abstand ist zu wahren. Menschenansammlungen sind nur eingeschränkt zulässig.

The distinctive mark of a true Christian

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

CHRIST said it very clearly. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another,” he said. (Jn 13,35) And in another instance, he described how this love for one another should be. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” (Jn 15,12)

Let’s make no mistake about how this love should be. It definitely has a universal scope, such that even our enemies would be objects of our love. It’s a love that is inclusive despite our unavoidable differences and conflicts. It’s a love that, as St. Paul would describe it, “is patient and kind, does not envy or boast, not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Cor 13,2-8)

And the secret is to learn to see Christ in everyone, including those with whom we may have serious differences or are in conflict, no matter how deformed the image of Christ they bear. We have to go beyond seeing others in a purely human way without, of course, neglecting the human and natural in us.

In short, we have to see others in a spiritual way, within the framework of faith, hope and charity. Otherwise we cannot avoid getting entangled in our limited and conflict-prone earthly condition. And no amount of human justice and humanitarianism can fully resolve this predicament.

Thus, we need to develop and hone our skills of looking at others beyond the merely physical, social, economic, cultural or political way. While these aspects are always to be considered, we should not be trapped by them.

There are many reasons for this. First would be that we are all brothers and sisters, created by God in his image and likeness, and made children of his through his grace.

In spite of our differences—race, culture, beliefs, etc.—we are meant to care and love one another. Thus, our Lord told us to “love your neighbour as I have loved you.” (Jn 13,34) 

And how did Christ love us? By becoming man and assuming all our sinfulness, dying to it to give us a new life in him. His love was for everyone, and especially for those who were weak and handicapped not so much in the physical sense as in the moral sense.

It’s a love that is inclusive in spite of our unavoidable differences and conflicts in the areas of lifestyles, cultures, ideologies, opinions, preferences and even in beliefs, spiritualities and morals.

This is the inclusivity of charity that goes together with the exclusivity of truth. Working this combination out will always be, of course, a work in progress, with prudence and fortitude playing an important role in the process. Let’s just take it easy and be cool and calm as we also seriously undertake the lifelong task of combining this inclusivity of charity with the exclusivity of truth.

We need to remember that we always have to contend with our natural human limitations, not to mention the more subtle effects and consequences of sin, ours and those of others. We should not be too surprised and worried about this given condition in our life. We just have to do something about it.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Why it’s difficult to believe in Christ

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“HOW long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (Jn 10,24)

Perhaps we too can ask the same question. In spite of what we already know about Christ, we may still be harboring doubts as to whether Christ is really the one he presents himself to be.

I believe the simple answer is that to believe in Christ requires the grace of God. If we just rely on our human faculties, like our intelligence and common sense, we would actually not go very far. At a certain point, we would start to entertain doubts about who Christ really is.

And that is also simply because Christ, while truly a man, is first of all divine. He is a supernatural being. In fact, he is the Supreme Being who has no beginning and no end. While we can know him through his words and deeds as recorded in the gospel, he will always remain a mystery still to us. He overwhelms our capacity to know him.

With him, what we have to do is to believe first before we can start to understand him more deeply. With him, we need to have faith first before the operations of our intelligence and our other faculties do their thing. 

Thus, both St. Augustine and St. Anselm enunciated the proper way to understand and believe in Christ. “Credo ut intellegam” (I believe that I might understand) was what they were saying. They made an appeal to follow first our faith before we start to use our intelligence. Or better said, we have to make our reasoning be inspired by our faith first.

We therefore have to see to it that we develop an operative faith. Our faith should not remain only in the theoretical, intellectual level. It has to be a functioning one, giving shape and direction in our thoughts and intentions, our words and deeds. In fact, it should shape our whole life. 

The ideal is that we feel it immediately. Indeed, it should be like an instinct such that whatever we think, say or do, or whenever we have to react to something, it is our faith that should guide us.

We have to understand that it is our faith that gives us the global picture of things, since it is God’s gift to us, a gratuitous sharing of what God knows about himself and about the whole of creation. It is meant for our own good, for us to live out our true dignity as children of God.

It is a kind of knowledge that will lead us to our eternal life. It will make us relate everything in our earthly life, both the good and the bad, to this ultimate goal in life which is to be in heaven with God, a state that is supernatural. But it is a divine gift that we need to take care of. It is like a seed that has to grow until it becomes a big tree and bears fruit.

For this, we really need to have a living contact with Christ who is the fullness of God’s revelation to us. He is the substance, the content and the spirit of our faith. So, the first thing that we have to do is to look for him always whatever we may be thinking, saying or doing. Never mind if we do not understand him fully. We should just follow him!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Duque: 2nd booster dose only for immunocompromised persons

By THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunStar Manila

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III said he only approved the administration of second coronavirus disease (Covid-19) booster dose to immunocompromised individuals.

In a Laging Handa public briefing, Duque said this includes individuals who underwent organ transplant; cancer, dialysis and HIV patients; and those with primary immunodeficiencies.

He said the implementing rules and regulations for the administration of second booster dose to these individuals is already being finalized and the implementation is seen next week.

"Sa ngayon, ang aking inaprubahan batay sa rekomendasyon ng Health Technology Assessment Council ay ‘yung second booster dose para lamang sa mga immunocompromised na mga pasyente," said Duque.

(For now, what I have approved based on the recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council is the second booster dose only for the immunocompromised patients.)

"Yung para sa A1 or healthcare workers at doon naman din para sa senior citizens, pag-aaralan at susuriin pa ng ating Health Technology Assessment Council," he added.

(The one for healthcare workers and senior citizens will still be under study by the Health Technology Assessment Council.)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved last week the administration of a second Covid-19 booster dose for the vulnerable sector, such as senior citizens, healthcare workers and immunocompromised persons at least four months after their first booster dose.

The Department of Health urged the vaccinated individuals to get booster doses to get better protection against Covid-19, especially against severe and critical infection.

A total of 66,854,770 individuals in the country have been fully vaccinated, while 12,641,887 have received booster shots. (SunStar Philippines)

Prayer is a powerful weapon

God always listens and often provides the specific answers and guidance we seek. Even when He chooses not to answer immediately or in the way we might have hoped, prayer itself is a way to find peace.

Prayer also energizes the heart of a believer through the power of the Spirit. Consistent prayer also releases the power of God's blessing on your life and circumstances. Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

When tragedy strikes, it's easy to harden our hearts and cry out, "God, why did you let this happen?" Maybe then, we started praying. Before, when everything went smoothly, we would not even think a minute about praying... .

"To be a Christian without prayer, "said Martin Luther, "is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Prayer is the only way of becoming what God wants us to be. This is the reason why Jesus spent many hours praying.

Unquestionable, our needs bring us to a place of prayer. Confronted with danger or tragedies, as I mentioned earlier, we look for God's help. Difficult times always cause the hearts of men to turn to God into prayer.

Let me ask you: How long has it been since you've brought your burdens to God? Since you asked His forgiveness for your shortcomings?

In his very interesting book "People in Prayer", Dr. John White reminds us that prayer is a divine-human interaction and it is always God who takes the initiative. White writes: "God speaks and we respond. God is always speaking. To hear his voice is not usually a mystical experience. It consists merely of a willingness to pay heed to God who lays a claim to our lives."

Yes, God always speaks. It is up to us whether we will listen and respond to Him. Many think we are the ones who initiate prayer. But prayers begin and end with God.

There was a time, I wasn't in the mood to pray any more. It seemed that God didn't listen to my prayer any more. I didn't get what I prayed for. Of course, not... ! That's not the meaning of praying to God. Will all my wishes be granted? Heaven forbid!

Sometimes, after we have prayed, God's answers may puzzle us. But as time goes by and as events unfold we see God's purpose in his answers. We might get a larger vision, what HE likes. Not what WE like... .

Think about it for a moment" How does the idea that prayer begins and ends with God affect me now? Do I have the habit of listening to God? How do I respond to Him? How do I usually pray?

Nowadays I live a wonderful life in my second and last home, the Philippines. I never regretted moving here for good. I have everything I could ask for. I can do everything I wish to do. Thank you Lord.

Python adding threats to endangered Philippine eagle

by Antonio Colina IV, Manila Bulletin

DAVAO CITY – Animal keepers at the Philippine Eagle Center have set up traps to catch a reticulated python that’s preying on animals inside their enclosure in Barangay Malagos, Baguio District in Davao City.

Espoir at three months (Photo courtesy of Philippine Eagle Foundation)

This is after a juvenile Philippine eagle named ‘Espoir’ was found dead inside its enclosure at around 12:13 a.m. last April 5. Espoir, a French word for “Hope,” was an offspring of eagle parents Ariela and MVP Matatag.

Last month, a Philippine subsidiary of global animal health company, Ceva Santé Animale, adopted the chick. The Philippine Eagle Foundation and Ceva signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the adoption of Espoir where the company pledged to provide an annual support of P200,000 to cover the eaglet’s food, keeper care, veterinary care, and shelter maintenance.

 

The foundation said the animal keepers immediately took measures to capture the snake, a species classified as a hazard under the center’s biosecurity measures. Consequently, pythons are adding threats to the Philippine eagle which is listed as critically endangered owing to loss of habitat.

“Reticulated pythons are natural resident species inside the Philippine Eagle Center and the surrounding watershed area,” it said.

It added that traps have been set up around the center and search parties mobilized at night to capture the snake.

“Preventive measures are in place to ensure enclosures for animals are safe against hazards and incidents of this nature. The walls of the enclosure were snake proofed with an added layer of ½ inch wire mesh on top of the original cyclone wire with hole size of 2 by 2 inches,” it said.

PEF said that the center suspected that the possible entry points could be the feeding chute, made of a PVC pipe where food is dropped, or the screen ceiling.

PEF said the enclosure of the eaglet is adjacent to an adult Philippine eagle from the wild that can easily catch a snake but “unfortunately for fledglings, they are still vulnerable to predation.”

“They are classified as hazards under the PEC’s biosecurity measures. As such, snake proofing was done on the enclosures of the eaglet and other animals that a snake can prey on,” it said.

 

Dr. Jayson Ibañez, the foundation’s director of research and conservation, said the snake has not yet been captured.

He said the center has already enlisted two Lumad forest guards for help to catch the snake.

“Nagpatulong kami sa aming IP forest guards who are good at trapping wildlife. Two IP forest guards ang nakaduty for trapping ngayon with our own team (Two IP forest guards are on duty for trapping with our team),” he said.

A taste of Twitter’s Tinola War

Chicken Tinola

Last year, Twitter cooked up a storm when Tinola hit the trending topic. A lot of people went around slandering the famous Pinoy dish. Some netizens even posted negative tweets saying stuff like ”Tinola is only chicken boiled in water” or how they “Haven’t had a single Tinola dish that’s actually delicious.” Of course, a hot take like this on Twitter did not go unnoticed. Netizens had so much to say about it, one of the Twitter threads gained over 15.6K Likes. Not only that, several social pages on Facebook joined in on the conversation! Facebook posts from Kabalastugan and FTTM garnered more than 3K shares.

Netizens were quick to call out the slanderers and defended the underrated Pinoy dish. 

Shots were fired and Tinola defenders fought back hard.

A lot of users also pointed out the deep connection they have with the dish ever since they were kids.

And when you wake up with a killer hangover from a night of drinks and partying, Tinola is here to save the day.

However, what really made Tinola so dear to a lot of Filipinos is its simple ingredients and recipe. For most Pinoys, Tinola is the first-ever dish they learned how to cook at home. It’s usually tied to a heartwarming memory of their parents or grandparents teaching them their ways to cook it. No matter the difference in experiences, one thing they share in common is getting in on the secret to a flavorful bowl of love. A surefire way to level up Tinola– Knorr Chicken Cubes.

No joke, Tinola is such a comfort food! Plus it is so easy to do plus the taste is definitely ! https://t.co/OjAiA1ZSTd

— Trish Denise (@trishramos) February 28, 2022

No matter how you cook your Tinola–with papaya or sayote–I think we can all agree that every spoonful of this hearty dish feels like a warm hug from our childhood. So make it even more special and flavorful with Knorr Chicken Cubes!