Travelers should remain cautious amid COVID-19 threat —WHO rep

by Analou de Vera, Manila Bulletin

An official of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the public to be responsible and still follow the health protocols to avoid possible rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

WHO Acting Country Representative Dr. Rajendra Yadav made the statement as the Philippines already reopened its borders for fully vaccinated international tourists.

“We encourage de-risking travel which means that we have to take necessary steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection during the travel and after the travel. Blanket travel bans can give a false sense of security and destroy economies,” said Yadav during a public briefing on Friday, Feb. 11.

“However, we must be cautious about interpreting these easy travel restrictions and quarantine requirements,” he added.

Yadav emphasized the importance of maintaining adherence to minimum public health standards.

“Easing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements does not mean that anyone can travel anytime, anywhere they want,” he said.

“We need to follow the minimum public health standards like masking and physical distancing while traveling. Travel only when necessary and keep our safe travels as small as possible,” he added.

Ridiculous Facts

With around 200 countries and more than 7.8 billion people (plus plants, animals, and other organisms), the world is full of interesting, fun, and fascinating facts. In the land of the Kiwis, for instance, you'll find the highest concentration of pet owners on the planet. And over in Nicaragua, you'll find one of the only two flags in the world to feature the color purple.

A mistaken belief accompanies us each and every second of our life. Incorrect decisions and wrong doings are part of our daily life.

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really, he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in our daily newspapers or online for example. There seem to be too many rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes -  without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and, if I am not mistaken, it's still a missing proof until now.

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That's why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. Is it really totally neglected in today's modern education?

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one's sustenance, then the other more mundane becomes attractive. After all, great thinkers often do not get (good?) jobs... .

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. Wow. That was during his age.

Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It's easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

Too often we are blind to the truth. As a consequence, we easily believe in lies; we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error.

The question of Christian belief

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WHILE it’s true that we believe what we want to believe, we should also remember that before wanting to believe, there should be an objective basis for that belief. And that’s because we actually do not choose what to believe. We have to believe what ought to be believed. What is clear is that we simply do not make reality itself. We are part of the reality created by God, and we just have to conform to it in the best way we can.

It’s not an easy thing to do, of course. Especially in our case, since we are gifted with the spiritual powers of intelligence and will that enable us to be both free and responsible, passive and active elements in the over-all reality of things, we need to see to it that we are exercising our powers well and fulfilling our duties properly. Yes, we are being formed and conditioned by the reality on the ground, but we also help in forming and keeping that reality.

To top it all, the reality that concerns us is not simply the reality of nature. Due to our spiritual powers, we are poised to enter not only into the spiritual realities of things, like our ideas and understanding of things and the ways of freedom and love. We also enter into the supernatural world. Thus, among the creatures on earth, we are the only ones who can talk about God and grace and eternal life, about the distinction between time and eternity, etc.

It is for this reason that we need not only our natural powers to handle this supernatural dimension of our life. We need something supernatural itself, which is the grace of God. As described by the Catechism, grace is “a participation in the life of God,” (1997). It is given to us by God’s gratuitous initiative, but it demands our free response. (cfr CCC 2002)

And this is where some problems can start. Because of our freedom which we can misuse since we can have a wrong understanding of it, making it our own creation rather than being a gift of God that has to be used according to God’s will, we can choose not to believe in God but rather in something else, in our own creation.

This problem was highlighted in that gospel episode where some Pharisees asked Christ for a sign to test him. (cfr. Mk 8,11-13) In spite of the tremendous amount of things to point to them about the divinity of Christ, they chose to stick to their own ideas of how the expected redeemer ought to be. And so, Christ just left them without giving them any sign.

We have to understand from this episode that for us to be able to believe in Christ, all we have to do is just to go over his life story, his teachings, miracles, and ultimately his passion, death and resurrection, that would definitely prove his divinity and redemptive power beyond doubt.

But for this to take place, we need to humble ourselves since something supernatural takes place whenever the Christian faith starts to take root in us. Without this humility, we would not be receptive, but rather be resistant, to God’s grace that brings with it our Christian belief.

We really have to work out our humility, as Christ himself strongly encourages us to do, giving us his very own example.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

More foreigners, balikbayans coming to Philippines

 

Rudy Santos - The Philippine Star 

MANILA, Philippines — More foreigners and balikbayans have been arriving through the country’s main gateway since the government reopened the Philippines to international travelers last Feb. 10.

Personnel operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals observed that more foreign tourists are now coming in from France, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, China and other Asian countries.

Airlines also reported a noticeable increase in passenger arrivals at the NAIA.

Yesterday’s Gulf Air flight GF 154 from Bahrain, for instance, arrived with 214 passengers. At the height of the pandemic, this flight only had about 50-60 passengers on board.

“We are slowly on the edge of recovery,” an airline officer told The STAR.

Dana Sandoval, spokesperson of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), said foreigners from visa-free countries who wish to visit the Philippines must be fully vaccinated or they will be denied entry.

This requirement, along with a negative RT-PCR test 48 hours before boarding the flight from the country of origin, applies even to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and returning overseas Filipinos or balikbayans.

The BI said an arriving balikbayan and his/her spouse and children who are traveling with them are now exempted from presenting an outbound ticket.

But they should be registered online with One Health Pass prior to boarding their flight to the Philippines like all other inbound passengers.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recently exempted the outbound ticket requirement for returning overseas Filipinos and their families.

“This adjusted policy allows those arriving under a balikbayan status to better enjoy their one-year visa-free privilege,” explained Morente.

Balikbayans, as defined by the BI, are former Filipinos who have been naturalized to any of the 157 countries under Executive Order No. 408, s. of 1960 as amended.

Balikbayan is entitled to a one-year visa-free entry, which they can extend to their spouse and children if traveling to the Philippines together with them.

Family members of Filipinos not included in the list of visa-free countries, on the other hand, are required to secure an entry visa prior to their arrival.

LOSING OUR FAITH?

A friend of mine started talking with me and mentioned the good old days. Yes, those were the days my friend! Well, we all know: times have changed. More natural disasters, more wars, more people all over the world who are losing their faith. 

Faith, like love, is an element that bonds together relationships. And we lose faith like we lose love — for many reasons. Loss comes from misunderstandings, personality conflicts, tragic circumstances, ill treatment and our own ignorance, to name a few.

Some may lose faith because they disagree with religious teachings on current issues, or because the doctrine lacks strong evidence, doesn't make sense to them anymore, or because it simply does not add up. Others may become disillusioned following personal trauma; unanswered prayers; the existence of natural disasters, diseases and evil; the conflicts caused by religions; or the questionable morality of religious leaders and religious people.

Others say they dislike organized religion and want to make their own decisions rather than listening to somebody else. Still others become distracted by materialism, or find that they're too busy to participate.

People who walk away from religion usually say, “I shall be just fine. Please do not worry about me.”

To be or not to be. Sein oder nicht sein. Shakespeare. To say it clearly: without faith, we're really nothing.

Faith is belief; believe in us, in our works, talents and our personalities. We should also believe in our parents - or much better, in our whole family including the black sheep, which can be found everywhere. We should believe in our friends, even though it seems to become very difficult many times.

Please remember, my dear readers: without faith will we reach the rock bottom. Don't say, it's a likely story.

The German poet Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1815) has mentioned in his drama "Maria Stuart": "Even the word might be dead, but faith keeps it alive!" Chapter I of Second Thessalonians gives encouragement to all Christians, who were undergoing persecution for or because of their faith. Yes, faith is really not everybody's thing, or "not everyone has faith".

"If I have faith, that can move mountains" (First Corinthians 13,2).

Faith is a tantamount to convincing and conviction. Richard Wagner (German classical composer and poet, 1813-1883) found the following lyric: "Blessed are those people, who know how to live their life in humility and faith."

So, let's even continue believing in our governments or the institution church. Faith means also a belief specially in a revealed religion. Faith is trust or reliance. Faith is indeed a pledged word. Yes, I know.

Faithful love is loyal, reliable, exact and honorable love. Faithful love means even to love your enemy.

Allow me to close this column with a Chinese proverb: "People without faith in themselves cannot or will never survive!" - Worth to think about it!

𝐏𝐋𝐆𝐔 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐯’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥

In the current times, it's innovative governance that takes the lead. The need of the people has never been constant in relation to the ever-changing time, and government services should cope with the demands of the public. 

To level up government service, the provincial government of Davao de Oro headed by Governor Tyron Uy implemented a reorganization based on the Provincial Ordinance No. 86-2021 approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province through Vice Governor Maricar Zamora, Senior Board Member Arturo Uy, and other provincial officials. 

On February 7, 2022, a total of 927 employees took their oath of office at the provincial capitol, 447 of which are casual employees and now made permanent as a result of the reorganization. The implementation of the administrative reform precedes efficient public service and provides security of tenure for the backbone behind the province’s triumphs---its workforce. 

The reorganization also strengthens existing government programs and services of Davao de Oro as some provincial offices were now separated as lone departments thereby expanding its scope and duties.

Among the offices that were upgraded is the Provincial Information and Communications Technology Office (PICTO) which spearheads the creation of various e-government programs utilized for an efficient workflow such as the Funds Utilization Management System (FUMS), Document Tracking System, Household Profiling Needs Assessment System (HPNA), and the Feedback Management System. PICTO also created much-needed online services accessible for all dabawenyos in the course of the pandemic such as the Call DdOC, 1DdO Helpline System, ShopLokal, and DdO iPortal which garnered awards and recognitions.

The internal audit workforce, formerly a division was also upgraded as the Provincial Internal Audit Office (PIAO) and continues its responsibility in auditing the operations, and activities of the provincial offices in adherence to laws, rules, and regulations. PIAO also received an award from the Department of Interior and Local Government Unit (DILG) in recognition of its establishment of a functional and resourced internal audit division and execution of an audit plan consistent with the guidelines issued by the Department of Budget and Management, and the Civil Service Commission.

The administrative reforms made by the provincial government with full support from the Provincial Human Resource Management and Development Office (PHRMDO) magnify the strength of the province’s 4Ps Plus program in its continued service for the welfare of DdO’s greatest treasure---its people. (JA, PAO-IPRD, photos by J. Cadiz)

Our work reflects who we really are

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

CHRIST was performing so many amazing miracles that the people could not help but exclaim: “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mk 7,37) Eventually through these miracles, among many other things, people were convinced that Christ indeed was the promised redeemer, the Son of God who became man.

Again, if we are to be like Christ as we ought, since Christ is the pattern of our humanity, then we somehow should show that the way we work should reflect that we are children of God in Christ. Our work should not only show the kind and the amount of talents and human powers we have. It should show that we are like Christ. To a certain extent, we can share the praise accorded to Christ that “he has done all things well.”

But first of all, we need to have a proper understanding of the true value of work in our life. As it is, the common understanding of work needs to be clarified and redeemed, because it has strayed from the proper path it is supposed to tread. We need to put it back to where it belongs in our life.

In the first place, our work is part of our human nature. As such, we are meant to work. Work is not a punishment or merely a heavy activity that we should try to avoid. Escaping work is definitely against our humanity.

And so, we need to correct the attitude, regrettably rampant these days, that considers work as something that has to be avoided as much as possible, or that regards it as an unavoidable evil that simply has to be tolerated. 

Our work, in fact, perfects us, since it actualizes the potencies that we have. It is what brings us toward our proper development and fulfillment, individually and socially. It enables us to achieve what God has meant for us—that we be his image and likeness.

In the second place, our work, even if humanly speaking is deemed insignificant, will always be part of the abiding providence of God over all his creation. It is what relates us to God and to others, what enables us to attain the ultimate goal of our life—full communion with God and with others. 

We need to understand then that our work is a vital part of God’s abiding providence over all his creation, especially over us. Since God’s providence now involves itself in the salvation of man, after we have alienated ourselves from him through sin, both the original and personal, we have to understand that our work ought to be involved too in our own salvation

It therefore has an eminently redemptive character. It just cannot be stuck with purely worldly objectives, no matter how valuable, recommendable and legitimate these worldly objectives are. It just cannot be pursued simply following personal or worldly purposes.

This is where we have to feel the duty to redeem our work from its merely worldly context. It just cannot be wasted on brilliant technicalities, or on some advantageous, profitable and most tempting and irresistible earthly motives and worldly pursuits.

We have to be more aware of the ultimate value and purpose of our work, no matter how small and humanly insignificant it may look. We need to sanctify it, offering it to God and doing our best in carrying it out, and always trying to see how our work at the moment plays in the overall plan of divine providence.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

PH reopens borders to foreign visitors, shows the world how

by Manila Bulletin

The Philippines has shown the international community it can be decisive and brave enough to lead in the reopening of borders, even as bigger and more prepared economies chose to continue shutting down theirs.

But the reopening is not without safeguards, the government calibrates this move, initially allowing only the entry of fully vaccinated tourists from 157 visa-free countries.

This move augurs well for the devastated tourism industry, the hardest hit in the country. Tourism was just starting to flourish in the country and foreign tourists were just discovering our unique features when the pandemic hit and put the Philippines in a constant balancing act between health and livelihood.

The government has also ramped up vaccination drives. In fact, the tourism industry boasted of high vaccination rate of its frontliners.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported that as of the first week this month, 92.51 percent or 317,892 out of 349,534 tourism workers have received their COVID-19 jabs.

Tourism destinations with 100 percent vaccination rate among its tourism workers include: Baguio City; Aurora; Palawan towns Coron, El Nido and San Vicente; Puerto Princesa City, and Camiguin island. The DOT offices are also facilitating the roll-out of booster shots for eligible tourism workers.

On a regional basis, the National Capital Region (NCR) registered the highest coverage for tourism workers with 99.91 percent vaccination rate.

In addition, the number of infections in the country has been on a declining trend. Projections showed, COVID-19 cases could further go down to a very manageable level 1,000 to 2,000 cases by the end of this month and less than 500 in the NCR by Valentine’s Day. Remember, we came from an alarming rate of over 30,000 daily cases in the first month this year.

Indeed, the number looks good.

The private sector has also thrown its full support for the government decision despite admitting that it takes a lot of effort to get their engines running again after almost two years of dormancy. Already, some sectors in the industry are shooting for government financing lifeline.

During the pandemic, most hotels had been tapped as quarantine facilities for long staying guests, OFWs, and BPO workers. With the lifting of quarantine restrictions, hotels are gearing to shift to their primary business operations and cater to leisure tourists.

Although tourism players do not expect immediate return of foreign tourists in at least the next two months, they, too, declared their readiness to welcome visitors. But, definitely, tourists are sure to come back within the year.

Tourism facilities, including events venues, are cooperating by not raising their rates. All they want is to bring the volume back to the pre-COVID level in 2019, revenues can wait.

What is important is to build the confidence that we can reopen safely by strictly enforcing health and safety protocols because the virus is here to stay. We have to live with the virus.

By being able to build the confidence means continued reopening that should translate to more jobs and more revenues.

When God would test our faith

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

REMEMBER that gospel episode where a Greek woman begged Christ to drive the demon out of her daughter? (cfr. Mk 7,24-30) That is one clear instance when God can test us to see if we really have faith in him or not. There’s always that possibility that when our initial petition is not granted, we would immediately get turned off and give God a cold shoulder. We have to be wary of this possibility.

As it turned out, when Christ at first told the woman not to bother him since he was not sent to people like her, using a rather derogatory expression of not giving the bread intended for the children to the dogs, the woman still insisted by saying, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” At this, Christ relented and granted the woman the favor she was requesting.

Yes, God can test our faith, and he wants our faith to get even stronger when we are faced with impossible predicaments in our life. We should not miss the chance to make our faith grow even more.

When we are hounded by some persistent defects, weakness, temptations and sin, we should never lose sight of the fact, a happy truth of our faith, that there is always hope for us. St. Paul has reassured us that where sin has abounded, God’s grace has abounded even more. (cfr. Rom 5,20) 

God never tires of forgiving us and of giving us more grace to make us grow spiritually, that is, to grow more in love for God and others. What we can do with the reality of the persistence of evil is to take advantage of it to get closer to God and others. 

Yes, we may be always hounded by evil, temptations and sin, but let’s learn the art of converting them into occasions to go to God more closely. And that’s when, with God, we can manage to derive good from evil.

On our part, we just have to be humble enough to accept this fact of life, and more, to go to God to ask for forgiveness and help every time we feel the sting of evil in all its forms. It is pure pride when we refuse to acknowledge this fact of life, and more so, when we refuse to go to God for forgiveness and help.

We cannot deny that evil, temptations and sin will always hound us. But let’s always remember Christ’s reassuring words to us: “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16,33)

God never loses battles, even if in our human standards, things may look like a loss or a defeat. But the victory of God in the end is supernatural that goes way beyond our human and natural standards.

And so on our part, if we are made to suffer not only for a while but rather for a long while or even up to our own death, we should not worry, because if our faith is strong, if we continue to stick with God, the final victory is assured.

While God can give us the immediate relief or solution to our problems, it can happen that he grants us the favor after a long while, or even after our death. We should see to it that we continue to be with him by letting our faith grow even as we go through all the trials and sufferings in life.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Toni Gonzaga-Soriano unfollows Instagram friends

 Toni Gonzaga’s Instagram profile as of Feb. 9, 2022

by Stephanie Bernardino, Manila Bulletin

Actress-singer Toni Gonzaga has unfollowed her celebrity friends on Instagram.

As of Feb. 9. Toni is only following 22 accounts on IG, including her husband Paul Soriano, son Severiano Elliott, sister Alex Gonzaga, and mom Pinty Gonzaga. Others are the official accounts of her businesses.

After 16 years, Toni bid goodbye to her reality show “Pinoy Big Brother” hours after she hosted the proclamation rally of presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos and running mate Sara Duterte. The “PBB” management also released its statement.

Prior to Toni’s confirmation, Kapamilya reporter MJ Felipe already broke the news.

MJ wrote on Twitter: “THIS JUST IN: According to a reliable source, Toni Gonzaga will no longer host Pinoy Big Brother. No formal resignation but source said Toni has voluntarily endorsed the main hosting job to Bianca Gonzalez.”

“Pinoy Big Brother,” more popularly known by its abbreviated title “PBB,” is the Philippine version of the “Big Brother” reality game show franchise. The show first aired in 2005 and Toni was among the original hosts alongside Willie Revillame and Mariel Rodriguez.

Some believe Toni’s departure from the show has something to do with her appearance as host of BBM-Sara proclamation rally held at the Philippine Arena, Tuesday. Several ABS-CBN executives have expressed disappointment on Toni.

On the other hand, Toni’s hosting stint UniTeam’s proclamation rally ignited viral memes.