MY PRAYERS AND ME

The pandemic has not only made our lives more difficult, but has killed many people. We are thus living in panic and feeling helpless and pray more desperately for family protection, for faith in difficulties, and for our lives and work.

Prayer is how we as Christians draw close to God as well as a necessary condition for us to be moved by the Holy Spirit, and enlightened and illuminated by God. If we genuinely pray to God, and understand the principles and practices of prayer, when we encounter difficulties or dilemmas in our life, we’ll be able to face them in a relaxed way.

“The Power of Prayer” is a 2020 song by Bruce Springsteen from his album Letter to You. It was only released as a radio single, and a promotional video was released on November 23, a month after the release of the album.

The song has a spiritual language. Springsteen was born in a Roman Catholic household, and that turned him off religion, but he didn’t lose his faith. The video features archival footage from his youth and clips of Springsteen and the E Street Band working on the song in the studio. The message of the video is about old friends he’s lost and the optimism of that era, reflected in the footage of Jersey Shore in the summertime during Springsteen’s youth. 

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?

I confess that a long time ago I have been trying to persuade God to change other people in my surroundings or circumstances. Nothing changed. Of course not, what a fatal attraction? I got confused because God never granted my requests. Meanwhile I got God’s answers to my prayers. Maybe very simple: I was willing to let God change me… .This is how each one of us should start. Happy endings. Because I prayed according to His will… .

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 for all the blessings.

The little things as a way to God

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

MAKE no mistake about this. The little, ordinary things of our daily life can and should be pathways to reach and be with God. This truth of our Christian faith has been amply proclaimed by Christ in many of the parables he used to describe how the kingdom of God is.

“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how,” he said (Mk 4,26-27), practically telling us that the heaven can be reached through the daily routine we have.

Still more, he said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God…it is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” (Mk 4,31-32)

We have to be strongly reminded that God is everywhere and is always intervening in our lives. He is actually directing our life toward himself, since that is will for us, as it is for all his creation. He is never absent in our life, even in our worst moments. He is always solicitous of our needs, giving us light and strength, and showering us with his love that also teaches us how to suffer the unavoidable troubles we will have in this life.

The challenge for us is how to correspond properly to this truth of our faith, to this reality of our life. Again, we cannot overemphasize our need to spend time to develop a contemplative spirit even while immersed in our worldly affairs, so that we can always be in God’s presence and know how to correspond to his abiding interventions. 

And so, we can be sure that Christ is always in our daily routine and in the little, ordinary things of our daily life. We have to learn how to perceive the divine in the mundane. We have to learn to find Christ in the little things which comprise most of our day, if not of our whole life. 

Let’s always remember that Christ is God made man. As God, he is involved in our creation, in our getting into existence. As such, since its existence is involved in creation, he cannot withdraw from us, since by doing so would be like God withdrawing from our existence. Since we obviously exist, ergo, he is in and with us by the very fact of our existence.

As God and man, he is our redeemer, the one who, in a manner of speaking, would redo or re-create us after our original state of humanity has been damaged by our sin. 

As such, since we all need to be redeemed at all times, he neither can withdraw from us, since by doing so would be like God-and-man, Jesus Christ, withdrawing from our redemption. Since we need to be redeemed always, Christ is also always with us. He actually cannot help but redeem us, because of his great love for us.

We need to be more aware of this reality about ourselves, since we often do not realize it, dominated as we are with the merely material and sensible realities and with what is the here-and-now and what is immediately felt. We many times fail to go beyond this level.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Giving our all

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THIS, I believe, is what Christ is telling us when he said, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?...The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  (cfr. Mk 4,21-25)

Of course, with due consideration to the necessity of prudence, discretion and naturalness in our earthly affairs, we should realize that we have to give our all in serving God and everybody else. That is the law that should govern our whole life. It can only mean that we are truly motivated by love which in the end is the very essence and purpose of our humanity, if we are to become God’s image and likeness as we are meant to be.

Let’s remember Christ’s words that encourage us to be generous, “Without cost you have received. Without cost you are to give.” (Mt 10,8) If we put these words into deeds, we would be reflecting the very love and life of God who has given us everything, including the Son to become man as an expiation for all our sins. We should not be afraid to give our all to God and to others, regardless of the sacrifices that would be involved.

  Thus, in Christ’s commissioning of his disciples that should include all of us, his believers and followers, he encourages us not to worry so much about what to have or what to bring. “Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep.”

We need to develop a keen sense of generosity and self-giving that is also a result of detachment. Let’s never forget that whatever we have comes from God who wants us to work for the common good. Thus, we hear St. Paul saying, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor 4,7) Whatever we have should be shared with others—of course, in a certain way proper to God’s moral law for us.

We have been reminded of this need to cultivate generosity in the gospel. “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions,” Christ said. (Lk 12,15) 

We are told not to lay up treasures for oneself but rather to be rich toward God, that is, to be generous with God and with everybody else. Avarice, hoarding, simply pursuing our self-interest and personal welfare are actually inhuman, let alone, unchristian.

It’s also good for us to remember that there is such a thing as “universal destination of earthly goods.” That’s an official part of our Christian doctrine. “In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race.” (CCC 2402)

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Assistance needed for sick workers on home quarantine

by Manila Bulletin

The past few days saw a surge in the number of new COVID-19 cases. In fact, last Jan. 15, 2022, new cases reached 39,004, marking a grim milestone since the start of the pandemic. This surge was attributed to the Omicron variant — now becoming the dominant strain — which is more transmissible, even three to five times potent than Delta. This was evidenced by a high household transmission rate, where one infected individual could lead to infecting everyone at home.

Though the World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned that the Omicron is still “dangerous” and may still cause death, data has revealed that this variant appears to be less threatening especially among the vaccinated. Thus, a majority of the infected were able to recover through home isolation, utilizing home remedies that ease the virus’ symptoms.

With this scenario, a majority of the workforce who were infected were in self-imposed home quarantine. Depending on the number of days and pursuant to their company’s policies, this has affected their take-home pay, which negatively impacts their capability to pay rent, electricity, and even for medicines. A lot of them have acceded to the government’s call to self-isolate but how are they now, especially if they are on a “no-work, no-pay” basis?

One of the government’s responses to assist the infected workers in home confinement is through the Social Security System (SSS). In a statement, the SSS clarified that members who cannot work due to sickness or injury and are confined, either in a hospital or at home for at least four days, could avail of the sickness benefit. Aside from employed members, SSS also grants sickness benefits to self-employed, voluntary, and OFW members.

The statement added that COVID-infected members in home confinement can “qualify under the program if they have paid at least three monthly contributions within the last 12 months before the semester of sickness or injury and are confined either in a hospital or at home for at least four days.”

This is welcome news for employed members. But they “should have used all their current company sick leave with pay and notified their employer about their sickness.” On the other hand, self-employed, voluntary, and OFW members and those separated from employment must notify SSS directly.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also called on the private sector to assist their employees who are sick. In an advisory, the department “urged employers, in consultation with their employees, to adopt and implement an appropriate paid isolation and quarantine leave program on top of existing leave benefits under the company policy, Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Labor Code, and special laws.” It added that the “paid isolation and quarantine leaves shall be without prejudice to other benefits provided by the SSS and the Employees’ Compensation Commission.”

These are all welcome developments to assist the majority of workers who were sick these past few days. But going back to our question earlier, how about workers in the informal sector? The contractual workers? Or those who have no SSS membership?

The government, in its pursuit to provide a convenient life for all, must now make it up to the sick who risked a few days’ worth of income just to stay at home. After all, when these workers were well, they moved the wheels of the economy for the benefit of all. The government now owes them the best response.

Anti-COVID pill

 

Coverage by Xave Gregorio, Philippine Star

Merck & Co.'s breakthrough antiviral drug has been approved for emergency use in the Philippines. The Food and Drug Administration's greenlight for molnupiravir allows its adoption across the health system, when only 89 hospitals were previously allowed to administer it.

What it does: The pill was found in phase 3 clinical trials to prevent hospitalization for COVID-19 by 50% among those who have been infected.

Some eschatological considerations

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          WE should not be surprised that as we end the liturgical

year, the readings of the Mass these days focus on the end times. They

are not meant to scare us but rather to encourage us to be properly

prepared and to really lock our attention on what are truly essential

in our life. This is when we have to make what we can refer to as some

eschatological considerations.

          We have to examine ourselves on how prepared we are to meet

our death, which some saints have affectionately called as “Sister

Death,” because if we go by our Christian faith, death is actually

just a transition from our earthly life of being created and redeemed

by God to our definitive eternal life with God who wants to share his

life with us, we being his image and likeness, his children.

Talking about proper preparation, we have to realize that this is none

other our spiritual preparedness. It is what gives us the full picture

of our life and destiny, opening ourselves to a supernatural life with

God. We are no mere creatures of nature. We have been made in the

image and likeness of God, elevated to be children of his in Christ.

          Our spiritual preparedness takes us to a higher ground,

giving us a glimpse of what is beyond our human horizons and natural

limits. This is not to mention the corrections it will make to our

inadequate if not erroneous understanding of our life here on earth.

          It affords us an apocalyptic worldview, because it unveils

and reveals, which is what apocalypse means, the true meaning and

purpose of our life. In other words, with this kind of preparedness,

anything can happen in the world, and we can still manage to come out

safe and sound, in the ultimate sense of the words.

          As a consequence of pursuing our spiritual preparation, we

need to learn how we can relate our earthly and temporal concerns to

our ultimate spiritual and supernatural goal. In short, we have to

know how to connect time with eternity.

          We have to overcome our narrow-mindedness or blindness with

respect to the spiritual and supernatural goal of our life, because no

matter how much we ignore it, we cannot deny the fact that the full

dimensions of our life go beyond the temporal, the material and

natural. We are also meant for the eternal, spiritual and

supernatural.

         And the way to do that is simply to live as fully as

possible, in the richness of their practical implications, those

divine gifts of faith, hope and charity. All the other human virtues

and values that we pursue in our life here on earth should be animated

by these theological virtues.

          It is through these gifts of faith, hope and charity that we

get connected with God who actually always intervenes in our life

since he is still creating and redeeming us. We are still a work in

progress. We are not yet a finished product. Our correspondence to

God’s abiding interventions in our life is through these virtues of

faith, hope and charity. This is how we can connect our time with the

eternity of God.

          The fact that we can think and reason out, wish and desire,

choose or not, love or not, are clear indications that we are not

meant only for the here and now, the tangible and the worldly. We go

beyond them.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Healthier, Wealthier, Wiser?

 

The title takes its name from the proverb, "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin since it appeared in his Poor Richard's Almanack; however, it was first used in print by John Clarke in a 1639 book of English and Latin proverbs.

It's not only my idea and headline too. Healthier, Wealthier, Wiser? was a co-production of the Canadian Association for Adult Education, the Canadian Institute on Public Affairs and the CBC. Denny Spence produced the series with assistance from Christina McDougall and researcher Joan Hollobon.

Why do I ask this question? It is known that greater health throughout life, greater wealth, greater social status, and greater intelligence are all associated with greater life expectancy. Untangling the nature of these linked correlations is ever a challenge, however, since they all associate with one another as well. There are any number of plausible explanations as to why the wealthy or the more intelligent live longer, and some interesting speculation besides, such as the association of intelligence with physical robustness, but rarely is there any way to prove these explanations true in the data obtained from population studies. Correlations are what is obtained, and it is then usually a matter of retreating to animal studies where it is possible to structure the work to prove causation - but of course this is somewhere between hard and impossible to achieve for intelligence and social status.

At my age of almost 68, I might be allowed to share some things, such as how I struggled successfully through my past life. Most important: Focus on positive goals in your life. Many times, I forgot about this topic. But sooner or later, I learned to manage my environment. Yes, I connected  with other happy people. Open your eyes, they are here.

See the ones that you love more often. Maybe it's your family. It is mine. I have been sure about it for a long time. An expat living in the Philippines. 

Learn to say no to things that you do not want to do. Well, since the pandemic started March 2020, I kept on thinking about it, And, yes well, it became a good decision. Learn to say NO.

Healthier, Wealthier, Wiser? Maybe you and I are on the same road. Good luck. Keep on running. See you!

PEF, AUSTRALIA AND BUKIDNON LGU RELEASE PHILIPPINE EAGLE INTO THE WILD

 

By: Ian Ray Garcia, Davao City

On Earth Day 2021, a rescued and rehabilitated Philippine Eagle was released back to its forest home. Tagoyaman Fernando is among the seven Philippine Eagles that were rescued last year - the highest rescue rate recorded in the history of Philippine Eagle conservation - and the first to be released back to the wild this year. 

Tagoyaman’s release was made possible through the support of the Australian Government, Whitley Fund for Nature, Jurong Bird Park, DENR Region X, and the local government of San Fernando and Bukidnon. 

“Rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing Philippine Eagles in the middle of a pandemic is very challenging. It’s difficult to mobilize field operations when travel restrictions are imposed and sources of funds are shut down. Still, we are able to persevere, thanks to the support of the Australian Government and other conservation partners,” said Philippine Eagle Foundation executive director Dennis Salvador. 

The short program in honor of Tagoyaman’s release was attended by the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven J. Robinson AO, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, San Fernando Vice Mayor Norberto Catalan, and Philippine Eagle Foundation trustee Francis Ledesma. 

“The Australian Embassy is proud to continue our support to the Philippine Eagle Foundation for the protection and preservation of the Philippine Eagle. |I travelled to Bukidnon to witness Tagoyaman’s release because it is an important milestone in the Philippines’ efforts in conserving local wildlife biodiversity. Australia stands with our friends in the Philippines as they protect their natural resources, in their lands or seas. This initiative reinforces our deep and expanding relationship as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” Ambassador Robinson said. 

Tagoyaman was retrieved on October 2020 in San Fernando, Bukidnon, after getting accidentally caught in a native trap intended for other animals. The bird was then brought to the Philippine Eagle Center for further check-up and rehabilitation. 

“We hope to see Tagoyaman successfully breed and contribute to his species’ wild population in the future. His release on Earth Day is also our resounding call for long-term solutions to our problematic relationship with nature and wildlife. We believe that by conserving the Philippine Eagle and the biodiversity it represents, we can avoid another disease outbreak,” Salvador said. 

The PEF, through the support of its conservation partners has also taken measures for Tagoyaman’s survival in the wild. An education campaign targeting communities surrounding the release site was conducted and Indigenous forest guards were trained to perform voluntary forest patrols and monitor Tagoyaman’s movements using the GPS transmitter attached to its back, for the next six months. 

“Collaborations and partnerships play a big role in Philippine Eagle conservation. The PEF can’t save the eagles alone. We need the help of our local communities, government agencies, the private sector, and the Filipino people so that one day Philippine Eagles will thrive in the wild,” Salvador added.

Lernen Sie Deutsch in Davao City/Learn German in Davao City

 

The Golden Province shines in the latest Digital ICT National Awards

Davao de Oro Province---In the middle of the emerging crisis, just like gold’s luster, Davao de Oro strongly proves its capacity to shine even in the darkest of times.

 

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the golden province innovated ways to continue delivering government services to its people with golden standards. For Dabawenyos, Covid-19 does not just bring fear and confusion, instead it paved the way to unleash the spirit of creativity and innovativeness among them.

Through the unity of the people both from the provincial and municipal local government units, including the national agencies, Davao de Oro was able to pull off new ways of delivering essential government services to its people amidst the pandemic. With clear priorities and common necessity, a digital form of bayanihan was made possible.

 

During the recently held Digital Governance Awards 2020, digital innovations of the province romped awards.

The awards were given by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NiCP).

 

Winning the first place in the Government to Government Category is the 1DdO Helpline, a program that interlinks government services of the provincial government, municipal local governments and the national government agencies. The Funds Utilization Management System (FUMS) also won first place in the Government Internal Process Category.

 

Serbisyo Oro Mismo, the Neteleradyo platform of the PLGU took the 3rd spot in the Government to Customer Category and Call DdOC: Your Virtual Doctor also placed third in the Government’s Covid-19 response category.

 

Even when the world experiences the worst of times, the golden province still looks at the brighter side of it, continuously acting in a proactive manner for the greater good. (Jasteen P. Abella, Information Division, Davao de Oro)

HUMAN THINKS - GOD GUIDES!

[My column in Mindanao Daily, BusinessWeek Mindanao and The Metro Cagayan de Oro Times]
 

I am happy! Yes, I am! I found joy, freedom, and peace of mind, when I discovered what I believe is the secret of a happy life - as an expatriate living in the Philippines for 22 years now. 

I was brought up in a religious family and lived in a parish house up to my 10th birthday. Our Christian life was a fantastic style of religion. Though I was used to it, my attitudes have been really very ungodly. Many times, I was prone to anger and did all possible unpleasant things to others. I gave more attention to worldly things until such time I was deeply immersed in what we call "worldly trend". I did those things simply to enjoy life without caring for other people around me.

But then, suddenly, "someone" (let's call him GOD) interfered. He directed my way. I received plenty of different challenges and tasks - especially, when I decided to stay in the Philippines for good.

Sure, I have always been able to travel around the globe. But, believe me, not every trip or even a single day became a satisfied success or event.

Today I am no more surprised at the painful trials I suffered in the past. Instead of being surprised I tried to rejoice, because I learned that trials are meant to test your faith! Maybe even right now during the time of Corona Covid-19.

When I got the idea to write this piece, I rummaged in some very old books of my late "Lola" (born in 1899!) and found a faded and more or less crumbled-to-dust document. It has been a hand written piece of an unknown Dutch soldier, who must have written  this in mortal agony during his last battle in World War II, dated November 1944. I like to share it with you, my dear reader, because it also reflected my past - and, maybe also yours:

"When I stopped my ungodly attitudes, I learned to pray. But when I prayed, I asked for power to become popular, and He made me weak and taught me how to be obedient. When I prayed, I asked for health to be able to do great things, and He gave me afflictions, to do better things. When I prayed, I asked for riches and abundance, and He gave me poverty to become wise instead. When I prayed, I asked for strength to receive people's glory and fame, and He gave me weakness to let me feel how much I need Him. When I prayed, I asked everything for a wonderful life without problems and trials, living like a king, and He gave me LIFE!"

I didn't receive anything about which I prayed since living in the Philippines as an expatriate. But, I received everything in time and I didn't expect it anymore. More or less against my own free will, all unspeakable and unpronounceable prayers have been answered. I am really very much blessed.

That's what I also feel right now in this moment. I am what I am right now, NOT BECAUSE I PRAYED FOR IT, but, because all unspeakable prayers have been answered.

Human thinks - God guides!

Davao City placed under GCQ anew

Published November 20, 2020, 11:33 AM

by Armando Fenequito, Jr., Manila Bulletin

DAVAO CITY – This city has been placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) effective immediately until November 30, following the recent surge in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 

This was confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a statement released on Friday morning. 

Roque said Melquiades Feliciano, Deputy Chief Implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 for the cities and Bacolod and Cebu, has been assigned to head the Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic (CODE) teams that will be deployed in Davao City to assist in the response activities.

“A One Hospital Command Center will likewise be established in the city to ensure an efficient referral system as private hospitals are mandated to increase their ward bed occupancy by at least 20 percent to 30 percent,” he said.

He said efforts will be made to address the shortage of nurses in health facilities and to provide additional high-oxygen cannulae, Favipiravir (Avigan), Remdesivir, medical equipment, among others.

Roque said accommodation establishments will be tapped to serve as quarantine facilities for health workers as well as the isolation of positive cases of COVID-19.  

He said law enforcement agencies are directed to assist in the enforcement of granular lockdowns upon affected communities or clusters, and if necessary, deploy personnel in the city.

On Thursday night, Mayor Sara Z. Duterte released a statement, saying the city will abide by any order of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) should it decide that Davao City needed to be placed under stricter quarantine.

National Task Force on COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said on Wednesday during the meeting of Regional IATF 11, he would recommend to place the city under GCQ to control the surge of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Last July, the city was placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) after being placed in enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and GCQ.

But Department of Health (DOH) Region 11 Director Dr. Annabelle Yumang said, during the RIATF 11 meeting, the number of COVID-19 cases started to make a surge after the city suspended curfew and the liquor ban last September.

Duterte, last October, issued an executive order reimposing the curfew and even made it earlier starting at 7 p.m.

Duterte also reimposed the 24-hour liquor ban in the city on November 2.

DOH 11 data showed that, as of November 19, the city had 1,874 active cases with 106 new patients recorded on Thursday night. 

The data also bared, the city has already recorded 5,520 COVID-19 cases, of which, 3,401 have recovered, and 245 have died. 

ABS-CBN says sorry to Duterte

ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak apologizes to President Rodrigo Duterte for airing a political advertisement in the 2016 elections which offended the former mayor.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 24) — A TV network at the middle of a franchise controversy apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday for airing a political advertisement of the opposition in 2016 which offended the former mayor.

"We are sorry if we offended the President. That was not the intention of the network. We felt that we were just abiding by regulations that surround the airing of political ads,” said ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak during the Senate inquiry on the network’s franchise renewal.

Duterte's former personal aide, now Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, questioned during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services why ABS-CBN agreed to air an opposition-funded video which he said was meant to tarnish the reputation of the former mayor of Davao City. The commercial questioned if a tough-talking, cursing politician would be a good fit for president.

A Quezon City court banned the airing of the ad upon the request of Duterte's running mate, now House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

"Hindi mababaw ang rason ng Pangulo sa kanyang grievances against the network. Nasaktan ang Presidente, nababoy ang Presidente. Hindi vindictive ang Pangulo but it is clear that someone went overboard to malign him," Go said. "For me, this is very troublesome. Media networks are supposed to be neutral. Fair reporting, that's all the President wants... Kung masama ka kay Pangulo, mas magiging masama siya sa iyo at kung mabait ka kay Pangulo, mas mabait siya sa iyo."

[Translation: The President's grievances against the network are not superficial. The President was hurt, his image has been tarnished... If you are mean to the President, he will be meaner to you and if you are kind to the President, he will be even kinder to you.]

Katigbak said the network initially rejected the first version of that ad, but it was eventually cleared for airing after changes were made on what the two kids were doing in the video. "Any politician who comes to our station with an ad that is legal and legitimate must be accommodated," he added. "We continue to improve on our shortcomings. We hope we do a better job in the succeeding elections."

"ABS-CBN does not and will not have its own political agenda," Katigbak added.

Duterte has been publicly ranting against ABS-CBN since assuming office, saying that the network refused to carry his campaign commercials even if they have been already paid for.

Katigbak clarified why the network could not air some of Duterte's ads. He said the President's camp bought a total of ₱182 million in commercial spots, split into ₱117 million for national ads — which were all aired — and ₱65 million in local ads, which would target audience in a specific province.

"Our policy on all our ads is first-come, first-served. Many of these spots were ordered on May 3, and May 7 was the last day of the campaign period. There had been many previous telecast orders that came in ahead," the company's chief executive said.

He went on to explain that slots for local ads were limited to just two minutes per hour, so the network could not find airtime for Duterte's content by then. Katigbak said ABS-CBN refunded about ₱4 million to the President, but got delayed in returning some ₱2.6 million to his camp. He said the President's camp refused to accept the delayed refund.

Duterte went on to win the 2016 elections.

Senators Migz Zubiri and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also said that they have their own ads which did not air during previous elections. "May hinanakit din kami, pero hindi natin dadalhin sa usapin na mawawalan ng trabaho ang 11,000 na kababayan natin," said Pangilinan, the husband of ABS-CBN star Sharon Cuneta.

[Translation: We also have our gripes, but we would not bring that to the point that 11,000 Filipinos would lose their jobs.]


'Nothing illegal'
Meanwhile, Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV believes that there is "nothing illegal" with the "offensive" advertisement he ran in 2016.

"Duterte/Bong Go’s assertion that the airing of my advertisement is the reason why the ABS-CBN franchise should not be renewed is a lie. First, there’s nothing illegal about the ad itself and the airing of the ad," he said in a statement.

He also argued that the said advertisement was also aired in the rival network.

"Second, the same political ad was aired in GMA7 and yet Duterte never complained about it when its franchise was renewed. So, definitely there is another ulterior motive in the blocking of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal," Trillanes added.

Apology accepted
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo welcomed the apology, saying that the President will "consider" Katigbak's statement.

"It's personal to him," Panelo said. "I'm glad finally ABS-CBN admitted its shortcomings to the President. Dapat noon pa nila ginawa [They should have done it a long time ago]."

Duterte has vowed since late 2018 to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise. Last year, he told the Lopezes to just sell the network to a new owner as he would make sure that the TV station is out by 2020.

CNN Philippines' Multi-Platform News Writers Melissa Lopez and Vince Ferreras contributed to this report

It was indeed a memorable and very touching event in Davao City: the Christmas Tree Lightning and official start of a month-long Christmas activities.

Thank you for inviting me, City Government of Davao City. Thank you for this great event. Davao City - life is here!

(Our beloved City Mayor Sara Duterte)

Groundbreaking ceremony for "Capital Employees Village"

Compostela Valley Province — The province of Compostela Valley congregates the construction of the “Comval Capitol Employees Village” through a groundbreaking ceremony led by Gov. Jayvee Tyron L. Uy, through Assistant Provincial Administrators Fernando Juab and Placido Alcomendras Jr.

Held last May 2, 2019, Provincial Employees Union of Compostela Valley (PEUCV) President Lino Salarda gave his gratitude through his opening remarks for Senior Board Member Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy and Gov. Uy for the progress of planning and development of the area for the employees.

The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Citiland and LM Construction officials, who are also the site developers, PG Department Heads PSWDO Chief Josephine Frasco, PACCO Chief Leonora Melendres, and PHRMDO Chief Lara Zaphire Cristy Bermejo.

The PLGU Comval, as mentioned by Salarda, bought two hectares worth of land for the project site that cost an estimate of over P10 Million in total, given to the Employees Union to create the village as part of the employee benefits in plan of the province with the PEUCV under the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA).

Currently, "Provincial Employees Union of Compostela Valley (PEUCV)" is governed by the following officers; Lino Salarda as the President of PEUCV,  Genes Miñosa as Vice President, Jomar Palma as Secretary,  Estrella Juab as Treasurer, Allan Calcaben as Auditor, Analyn Vigilia as PIO, and Board of Directors  Clarita Reterba, Dennie Polistico, Engr. Sammy Pacatang, Architech Oliver Abatol, and Preciosa Toledo from PSWDO. (Sean Seismundo, ID Comval) 

Respectfully yours ...

RESPECTFULLY YOURS

When letters were the only form of written correspondence, signing off was obvious. Actually I am still  adopting that old tradition. No matter, if it comes to letters or emails. It's just a matter of respect and education. Actually, I tackled this topic already at this corner several times ago. But it seems to be good to refresh it somehow here.

If addressing a sir or madam, it was unambiguous. You concluded with "yours faithfully". When writing to a specific person – for example, a Mr or Mrs. (hey, ladies first!) – it was simple, your letter would always be signed off "yours sincerely". Only missives to family or close friends would ever finish with a "love from" or "with much love, yours".

For many people, there's a weird status thing when it comes to the more blunt you are in emails. I'm asking myself, why? An email is just a letter - an online one ... .

Sad to say,  the arrival of email has disrupted this etiquette, making the rules far less obvious. Indeed, for many of us there are no rules. A whole subculture of personalized email sign-offs has emerged everything from "TTFN" to "peace out". And of course, it’s not just what we say but why we say it. Neither in English nor in any other language. I get the same stuff in German written emails and even letters or text messages.

"Emails have become the medium of business, leisure, family, love and everything,” says children’s author Michael Rosen. When we sign off emails, we try to give off the "right vibe", he adds. He says it’s all about how we want to come across to the recipient. "Thoughtful, grateful or just very, very busy?" Oh sure, we are all so very, very busy... .

Some of the most successful business people are notoriously blunt in email communication – if they even bother with a sign-off at all.

"There's a weird status thing when it comes to the more blunt you are in emails, the more you can be (blunt) because you're senior in the company," says author Emma Gannon, recalling the editor of a famous newspaper whose response to pitches was often just a curt "yep" or "nope".

Although being succinct can convey a certain authority and status, it also communicates a dose of self-importance or arrogance. And we’ve all dealt with bosses who fire off email edicts of "is this done?" or "update me on that".

Even if they are not so direct, many email senders like to convey a sense of being busy by using or adapting abbreviations. So "kind regards" becomes "KR", or "yours" may do away with pesky vowels to leave "yrs". Heaven forbid!

"When someone signed off 'BR' for 'best regards', I just thought they were cold, brrr," says Gannon. And, in my opinion, sorry to say, I even don't reply anymore after receiving such correspondence. Oh sure, we are all busy, but there should be just a minimum of respect, if I communicate with someone. In business or personal. By letter, email or text message. 

Many times, there are those who pare it down to the absolute minimum, signing off with simply their name or even just the initial letter of their forename. Others might omit a sign off altogether. While this may come across as peremptory or rude, at least it avoids misinterpretation.

Nearly formal but not totally formal, but they're not as informal as 'CU in a MNT on bus OMW'. 

Some people swing the other way and end their emails with an altogether friendlier tone. While most would consider that kisses have no place in a business environment, they often creep into emails – and sometimes from people the recipient has never even met. For some, an "x" at the end of an email is a friendly endnote; for others it is totally inappropriate.

Even just calling someone by first name, is not the way how it should be in business if you haven't meet each other personally.

What’s clear is that some British terms used to end emails just do not translate well. A casual "cheers" is frequently used as a sign off on UK emails, but can be utterly perplexing for other nationalities. Not surprising when a hearty "cheers" also can be used for clinking glasses at the pub, or to thank a checkout person at the supermarket. Here we have to deal with British and American English.

For author Michael Rosen, emails now occupy a halfway house between texts and letters.

"The key thing is that emails aren't the same as letters. I position them in my mind as a sort of halfway place between texts and hard copy letters: nearly formal but not totally formal, but they're not as informal as 'CU in a MNT on bus OMW'," says Rosen. I strongly agree with him.

And, he adds given their place in this ambiguous no-man’s land of communication, it follows that there will continue to be a whole raft of ways to say "goodbye".

Best wishes and goodbye. Respectfully, yours ... .

Lebende Schildkröten in herrenlosen Koffern in Manila

PANORAMA

Quelle: WELT

AUTOPLAY

VIDEOFLUGHAFEN MANILA

Zoll entdeckt 1500 lebende Schildkröten in herrenlosen Koffern

• Stand: 04.03.2019 
• Dauer 44 Sek

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In Manila haben Flughafen-Zollbeamte mehr als 1500 lebende Schildkröten in Koffern entdeckt. Auf den Philippinen kann der illegale Handel mit Wildtieren mit bis zu zwei Jahren Gefängnis geahndet werden.

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