WHAT COULD BE A CHRISTMAS GIFT?

Gift giving and receiving and Christmas simply but surely go together. Many times it incurs our indignation. Many of us defer the most important decision during the most jolliest season of the year. What is the best Christmas gift for our loved ones??? Is it really an important decision, or does it delete the real meaning of Christmas? I am sure, many of us know the real answer.

The giving spirit of the holiday season seems to fade in the light of necessary obligations and finances, along the painful dilemma of giving gifts to those who want to buy for as opposed to those for whom you should buy!

Let’s think about it: To whom are we obligated at Christmas: our boss, our cousins, our parents, our partner or our children and friends as well? What about the children? Should they give presents to people either then family members? How about the innumerable large families especially in the Philippines, because of economics, resort to the name drawing process at Christmas.

For me firstly Christmas is spirit. You can always find ways to give gifts without expenses. The most well known and always remembered gift is to give to someone like giving time. In my family we do this mostly during the holiday season.
But if I look more closely, mmh, sad to say, that “time as gift” doesn’t satisfy most of all. Well, it’s okay. There are so many ways to use your mind in terms of giving someone other things than putting Peso or Dollar notes. I am sure you know that home made gifts can also be a very good idea… .

Sure, there is etiquette of gift giving at Christmas and also other occasions. Homemade gifts are most appropriate especially as Christmas gifts, according to Stuart E. Jacobson, book author of “The Art of Giving”. Allow me to quote Jacobson, “Homemade gifts are wonderful. A gift of imagination, a gift of creativity, a gift that shows (also!) time was put into it. A created time is a wonderful present.”

When considering a homemade gift, instead of tumbling through crowded shopping malls (as I tried again yesterday!) and getting a headache (I really got!)! While stumbling from one mall to the next, I found out again, that the real and whole essence of giving a gift is to bring pleasure to the person receiving it.Jacobson says in his book, “Homemade gifts are also ideal for children to give as presents. Kids can create things because they have a unique imagination. Children should feel free to give something to anyone they spend a lot of time with. No monetary value should be placed on what a child should give to someone.”

Very well said. I am just afraid that it seems more or less impossible nowadays in these modern times… .

The Solemnity of Christ the King

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THIS Solemnity marks the end of a liturgical year, somehow

reminding us that as long as we are still in this temporal world, we

have to go through a cycle of beginning and ending, until we spin off

to the world of eternity where our definitive life and home is.

          With this ending of the liturgical year, we are reminded

that we are presented year after year with the whole life and mystery

of Christ who is actually everything to us, for he is our “way, the

truth and the life.” We are given a chance not only to know him, but

also to love and serve him, which is what is most important to us, the

ultimate purpose of our life.

          Many things come to mind when we try to consider the

significance of the solemnity of Christ the King. Christ is our King

because in the first place we come from him and we belong to him in

the strictest sense of the words “come” and “belong.”

          As God the Son, the second person of the Blessed Trinity,

Christ is the very pattern of our humanity, which happens to be the

masterpiece of his creation. As God who became man, he is our Savior

who redeemed us after we spoiled our original creation. How Christ is

should also be how we should be. We are supposed to be “alter

Christus,” if not “ipse Christus.” That is actually our radical

identity.

          There could therefore be no greater king than him. His

kingship is not merely political or social. His kingship penetrates

the very core of our being and covers the whole range of our humanity

in all its aspects, conditions and circumstances. His kingship rules

us in our entirety, both body and soul. And He is king to each one of

us individually as well as to all of us collectively.

          His kingdom is already with us. That’s why at one time,

Christ said: “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Lk 17,21)

At the same time, it is still to be perfected in some other time,

place or, better said, state of life. Thus, he also said: “My kingship

is not of this world.” (Jn 18,36)

          The Solemnity of Christ the King should also remind us that

whatever we begin in life we should also end well, that ending well

ultimately means making Christ our king, the “all in all” in us, the

be-all and end-all of our life, and that the way to achieve it is to

learn to love the way Christ has loved us and continues to love us.

          Learning the art of ending well the things in general is not

a matter of solving all our problems and perfectly achieving all the

earthly goals we have set for ourselves. That will never happen. When

we die, there will still be unfinished businesses, let alone, problems

unsolved, challenges not yet tackled.

          Rather, ending things well is a matter of reconciling

ourselves with God and with everybody else. Thus, everyday, before we

go to bed, we should make sure that we ask forgiveness from God for

any weakness, fault or sin we may have committed during the day, as

well as asking forgiveness from anyone whom we may have wronged in

some way.

          We have to make sure that we end the day with Christ always,

and not just with some work accomplished and achieved. That’s how we

would really make Christ our King!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

What it's like staying in the Philippines for a week?

 

Bisaya

https://barokandtakya.com

It's so easy to get lost in the beauty of this country. You can't help but be astounded by how blended and different these people are, their culture, beliefs, tales of daily life. The kindness. The openness to welcome you into their lives with the recognition that your presence there will make theirs richer for it; no better way to find yourself than not only exploring the landscapes that paint themselves across kilometers and years at a time but to meet the inhabitants that call them home every day like they're doing us all a favor by existing. It's unusual because there isn't much difference between rural life here and urban life - people flow freely between both; neighborhoods morph quickly from one central hub into another without formal recognition of the change. Within a kilometer of being outside your resort, you're likely to be fishing under makeshift docks with local children, slurping on soft coconuts that have fallen from the palms overhead (with their adorable accompanying "hacks" to open them), sitting in someone's backyard or front porch sharing noodles and fruit juice or a packed lunch. You start to understand the value of a handshake in a country where it's prevalent for strangers passing on the street to stop, chat and exchange numbers for catching up later over dinner or coffee.

The food is one of the most incredible things to come home with you from this trip - every meal feels like an adventure into something you've never had before, like an argument with yourself over whether or not you'll be able to try it all. It feels like family here because there's so much flavor packed inside everything they cook, every meal made to order exactly how you want it. They love their fried things, their salty things, but I always find myself leaving satisfied and yet somehow still wanting more because it's just that good.

After spending a week in the Philippines, I can tell you that it's no wonder, so many tourists come to this country. The culture is vibrant, with beautiful natural scenery all around. There are some challenges here, too, of course- but they're worth overcoming if your goal is happiness or enjoying life more fully. If you ever get the chance to visit this place yourself, don't pass up on it!

What is the Philippines like?

By Geraldine Lorente

I travel to explore, most of the times to work. What keeps me sane is dancing.

I’ll instead show you what my country is like:

Blessed with more than 7000 islands, we do have some nice beaches making it a popular tourist destination.

Cebu:

Surigao:

We eat often, typically 5 times a day (snacks in between lunch and dinner), with rice as our staple food. Palette is more on the sweet side (who would put sugar in spaghetti, right?). However, we do have a lot of cuisines available (american, japanese, indian, italian, you name it!)

Cost of living is generally low. 1 USD can buy you a lunch at your nearest canteen, meal from a fast food would be around 3 USD, 10 USD when dining at a restaurant.

My 10 USD dinner as seen below. Our serving size is typically smaller as compared to western countries.

Religion is predominantly Roman Catholic, you can see a lot of churches everywhere. This was influenced by the Spaniards who conquered us for 300 years. Generally speaking, the country is still conservative and traditional.

(image c/o google)

Politics is often an interesting discussion because of current president, Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. There are also war on religion somtimes especially on the southern island of the country, Mindanao.

People are generally friendly and optimistic. Here is a picture I took last week when we had a typhoon, streets were flooded and yet these people are still smiling!

We have beautiful tan skin but most of us want to have whiter complexion. Glutathione and papaya soaps everywhere!

Family ties is strong so it is still common to have an extended family living in one roof.

There is such thing called “filipino time”. If the appointment time is at 12noon most of us will be there by 1230 or 1pm.

Traffic is bad, drivers are creative especially those who are driving jeepneys and motorcycles. The train and bus system is not that good as well,l. There is no regular schedule of trips as opposed to other countries, no defined stops as well for public transportation.

(image c/o google)

Most of us can speak english, which contributes to the growth of the shared services industry in our country.

Overall, a good mix of crazy yet awesome country!

www.quora.com

IATF green-lights limited face-to-face classes in colleges, universities under ALS

by Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has approved resolution no. 148-G, which adopts the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) proposed phased implementation of limited face-to-face classes for all programs under the Alert Levels System (ALS) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response.

This was announced in a statement by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday, Nov. 17, saying that the approval was handed down by IATF the previous day.

“Based under the guidelines on the nationwide implementation of [ALS] for COVID-19 response, limited face-to-face classes are now allowed under alert levels 1, 2 and 3, subject to certain conditions, such as (1) 50 percent indoor venue capacity, (2) no opposition from the local government unit (LGU) concerned, and (3) participation of fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching personnel and students only,” the statement read.

“Under the said proposal, the CHED is mandated to execute the phased implementation program to ensure the safe reopening of higher education campuses,” Nograles, who was recently named acting presidential spokesperson, also stated.

The phase 1 implementation period shall be from December 2021 onwards. During this phase, all higher education institutions (HEIs) in areas under alert level 2 may apply for limited face-to-face classes, Nograles said.

Meanwhile, the phase 2 implementation period shall be from January 2022 onwards. In this phase, all HEIs in areas under alert level 3 may apply for limited face-to-face classes.

The phased implementation of face-to-face classes in HEIs shall be done consistent with Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2021-001, or the guidelines on the gradual reopening of campuses of higher education institutions (HEIs) for limited face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, issued by CHED and the Department of Health (DOH).

This circular serves as a guide for HEIs that intend to hold limited face-to-face classes and are willing to assume the responsibilities for the reopening of their campuses based on the following: (1) their capability to comply with health and safety protocols, (2) to retrofit their facilities, and (3) to get the support of their stakeholders.

“The IATF would like to reiterate that the phased implementation of limited face-to-face classes in HEIs should be done alongside the continued implementation of proactive measures and restrictions that have been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and have contributed to the steady decline in COVID-19 cases in the country. These include the vaccination of all eligible individuals, the wearing of masks, social distancing, and hand-washing,” Nograles said.

“As we slowly and cautiously open our college classrooms, we urge all stakeholders involved to work together to ensure the safety of our students so that they may be able to return to their schools secure in the knowledge that every effort has been made to safeguard their health,” the Cabinet Secretary added.

On anger and preaching

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          WE cannot deny that there are moments when we find ourselves

angry, or even when we need to be angry. We just have to learn how to

handle this emotion that in itself is neither good or bad. It depends

on how we do it.

          In this regard, it might be good to take a look again at

that occasion when Christ got angry with those who turned the temple

area into a marketplace. (cfr. Lk 19,45-48) We can also take this

occasion to realize how we, especially priests, ought to preach so

that like Christ in this gospel episode, we can attract people to our

words.

          As noted in that occasion, people were hanging to Christ’s

words such that those who wanted to put Christ to death could not

carry out their plan.

          Yes, anger is one of our God-given emotions, locked into our

nature as persons. It has its legitimate use. But precisely because of

our precarious human condition here on earth, we have to be wary of

it. In fact, anger is also considered one of the capital sins, along

with pride, envy, greed, lust, gluttony, sloth, that can beget many

other sins.

          If ever we have to be angry, let’s try our best to be angry

in the spirit of Christ who showed anger over the self-righteous

Pharisees and scribes, and over those who turned the temple area into

a market place. Christ’s anger is what is called righteous anger, one

that is done always in charity and in the truth, and not just due to

opinions and biases. It’s an anger that is meant to correct, purify,

heal.

          Besides, Christ’s anger is only momentary. It does not last

long. As a psalm would put it, “his anger lasts only a moment, but his

favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing

comes in the morning.” (30,5) He is slow to anger, and quick to

forgive.

          We really have to learn how to hold our horses, especially

when we feel provoked or incited. We have to lengthen our patience,

our capacity to suffer. We have to broaden our mind so we can we can

quickly and easily capture the more important things in a given issue

rather than react immediately to things that are only incidental to

that issue.

          With respect to preaching, we have to understand that it is

a task entrusted to his apostles and shared by all of us in different

ways. The clergy take a leading role in this affair. It’s a serious

business that involves our whole being, and not just our talents and

powers.

          Obviously, to carry out this mission, we need to know our

Lord and his teachings. We have to go to him and read the Gospel.

Reading and meditating on it should be a regular practice for us, a

habit meant to keep us in touch with him.

          Thus, every time we read the Gospel, we have to understand

by our faith that we are engaging with our Lord in an actual and

living way. We are listening to him, and somehow seeing him. We can

use our imagination to make ourselves as one more character in any

scene depicted by the Gospel.

          For this, we need to look for the appropriate time and

place. We have to be wary of our tendency to be dominated by a

lifestyle of activism and pragmatism that would blunt our need for

recollection and immersion in the life of Christ.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Expect the world to end badly

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THIS is, of course, not meant to scare us nor to have a

pessimistic view of life. Rather it is to be realistic, given the way

we are and the way the world in general is, what with all our

limitations and defects, even if we cannot deny that we are also full

of good potentials.

          Christ already warned us about this. “If this day you only

knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the

days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade

against you, they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They

will smash you to the ground and your children within you…” (Lk

19,42-44)

          We have to learn to prepare for this eventuality. If Christ,

who is God made man and who is our Redeemer, could not help but had to

offer his life to save us, how can we think that our life and the

world in general would take a different path?

          Remember Christ telling his disciples, “A servant is not

greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute

you also.” (Jn 15,20) So we have to expect to have the same fate as

Christ. And that means that we have to prepare for the worst scenario.

The world will end badly. That’s already a given, a truth of our

faith.

          What we have to do is to always have a proper focus in life.

Especially these days when we are easily carried away by many

distracting elements, what with all we can devour in the social media,

videos, etc., we need to remind ourselves quite strongly that we have

to be well focused on what is truly essential in our life.

          We have to remind ourselves that our life here on earth is

actually a testing and training ground for what God, our Father and

Creator, wants us to be, that is, that we be his image and likeness,

adopted children of his, meant to share in his very own life in

eternity.

          Everything that we are, we have and we do in this life

should be made as an occasion, material or reason for us to attain

that God-given goal for us. Everything should be related and referred

to him. Simply being on our own and doing things on our own, without

any reference to God, is an anomaly. It would surely end in tragedy

even if we feel we are having a good time in our life.

          This fundamental truth about ourselves should be proclaimed

time and time again because we are notorious for taking it for

granted, if not for violating it. We have to remind everyone that we

have to take the necessary steps for us to be aware of this truth and

to live according to it.

          Obviously, what is truly helpful in this regard is that

everyone learns really how to pray, how to engage God in a continuing

conversation, or at least to have an abiding awareness of his presence

and interventions in our life.

          That is why prayer is indispensable in our life. It is what

would make us aware of who we really are, what the real purpose of our

life on earth is, how we ought to behave in the different situations

and circumstances of our life. It is what would help us to refer

everything to God, what would keep us in the proper focus.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Five schools in DdO re-opens limited face-to-face classes

After almost two years, the Department of Education officially re-opens limited face-to-face classes in selected schools in the country.

 

Covid-19 pandemic brought major uncertainties in schools. The rapid transition of most instruction to online platforms affects the academic achievement of students in varying educational levels, and now that DepEd resumes the face-to-face classes, learning gaps can now be remediated in the four corners of every classroom.

 

Among one hundred (100) schools approved by the joint memorandum of the Department of Education and the Department of Health, eight (8) schools were approved by the authorities to resume limited face-to-face class in Region XI, and five (5) of which are from Davao de Oro, a manifestation that the province is prepared for the implementation of the face-to-face mode of learning, somehow easing the agony of students in the last two years.

 

Bariz Elementary School (Pagsabangan Extension), Parasan Integrated School, Lower Panansalan Elementary School (Jacinto Extension), Maugat Elementary School, and Digaynon Elementary School (Manurigao Extension) were the schools in the province approved for the re-opening of the limited face-to-face class, all of which were from far-flung areas where there is little risk for covid-19 infection.

 

Just in time for the pilot implementation of the limited face-to-face class, the “Bayanihan Para sa Karunungan” program or BPSK of Davao de Oro, officially turned over the “iDdO Read” modules, a reading remedial instruction for elementary learners that aims to amplify reading exercises and fulfill the educational gaps in primary levels. The creation of the workbooks was made easy through the strong collaboration of PLGU-DdO’s BPSK Program with the Department of Education Davao de Oro.

 

Further, BPSK also introduced volunteer teachers for the five schools that will aid on-site DepEd teachers on the delivery of instruction and implementation of the “iDdO Read” workbooks. DepEd Davao de Oro also distributed tablets for every student, while the Kusina ng Kalinga (KnK) of DdO also gave milk feeding supplies.

 

The limited face-to-face class is complementary to the modular modality which is used since the outbreak of the virus. The five schools will still undergo alternate learning schedules for students and will follow the recommended health protocols set by the Department of Health. (JA, Information Division, Davao de Oro, photo by J. Cadiz)

BOOMERANG KIDS

 

So I see myself trying too – it’s difficult to write about any topic in our daily life without mentioning COVID-19. I observe it within my own family in the Philippines.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many young people to move back in with their parents. Their lives have been turned upside down, and they’ve had to come to grips with feelings of failure and guilt. Being forced to move back home can lead to depression for some young people. 
Boomerang children, or boomerang kids, are terms used to describe the phenomenon of an adult child returning home to live with their parents for economic reasons after a period of independent living.

In my own family, the elderly tried to help as much as they  could. The strong family ties are really amazing for me as a German expatriate living in the Philippines for good since 23 years now.

Some of my inlaws are staying abroad and trying to survive as much as they can.

Young people were hit particularly hard by the pandemic — especially those who had to move back in with their parents. For them the pandemic has meant a hit to their studies, more stress and a total loss of autonomy. 
Homeschooling has students at their limits. 

The situation varies across Europe i.e., when it comes to young adults choosing to live with their parents. That was the state of affairs before the pandemic as well: whereas early independence is the norm for Scandinavians. EU statistics show that a different culture exists in southern and southeastern Europe. Every region has its own financial and cultural conditions.

Still teaching many times I feel like a man giving a lecture in an empty room, filmed for broadcast online, standing next to a TV screen while interacting and communicating with my students is very difficult. Bad or no internet connections makes it more difficult. 

Various factors can have an impact on when and how young adults choose to set out on their own, from the job market, the familiar comforts of home and even tradition. But regardless of the circumstances, it’s clear that one group has suffered disproportionately during the pandemic.

Marginalized people, for instance those belonging to the LGBTIQ+ community, find it more difficult than others to cope with the situation at home. Similarly, lower income families living in small quarters have had to come to grips with the increased potential for conflict.

India i.e. fears ‘lost generation’ of students. Jennifer Caputo, a sociologist at the University of Chicago who has surveyed “boomerang kids” in the United States, found that those who were forced to return due to COVID, in particular, more frequently showed symptoms of depression.

Economic and social independence, as well as the simple fact of living in one’s own space, she voiced out, are seen as important steps for a successful transition to adulthood. If those goals aren’t achieved, she said, those affected may suffer from feelings of failure.

For some of my nieces and nephews, being back home wasn’t easy. It certainly was a stressful situation. The biggest challenge “was the simple fact that they’re my parents. In their eyes, you’ll always be their child, no matter how old you are.”
How to deal with this new situation: Accept that we’re all adults.

Do Tagalog-speaking Filipinos use the expression "Hala"?

By 

Dayang C Marikit

Philippine History Professor

 Yes, “Hala” is an expression that is mostly used during chaotic situations, it’s similar to (“Oh my God”) in English… (It could also mean, “you’re in trouble”, depending on the context of the statement).

• (“Hala!, gumigiba ang gusali”) = (“Oh my God!, the building is collapsing”).

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This expression could have originated from the Islamic expression (“Ya Allah”) which translates to (“Oh God”)… This is because pre-colonial Filipinos have been influenced by Islam prior to colonization.

• The modern Filipino word for thank you (“Salamat”) was originally a greeting of Islamic origin, but the meaning of this word had obviously changed over time, and this may have also been the case with the expression (“Hala”).

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I’ve also discovered that there is also a Spanish term (“Ojala”) which is derived from the Arabic term, (“Ma sha Allah”), this is because most of what is now Spain was once under Islamic rule… this could also be another possible word of origin for the Filipino term (Hala).

• It must be noted that in Spanish (“J”) is pronounced as (“H”) so (Ojala = Ohala).

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I would like to remind people that these are only my speculation about the origin of the Filipino expression (“Hala”).