Gratitude connects us always with God

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THE parable about the ungrateful tenants (cfr. Mt 21:33-43,45-46) somehow reminds us about the importance of being thankful by reciprocating what we receive from God and from others. It keeps our relation with them alive and vibrant. Taking this duty for granted would actually alienate us from them, and thus suffer the consequences.

IT'S really for our own good. To be thankful to God for all his blessings to us, including especially his mercy, and to everyone is really for our own benefit rather than for any good we can give to them.

God does not need anything from us. What he wants is that we learn to be with him always since we are his children, created in his image and likeness. He wants to share his life with us. God loses nothing if we choose not to be with him. But without him, we are the ones who would lose everything.

A heart that is not thankful is an isolated heart. It’s a lonely heart that thinks it can live and do things simply by itself, in violation of our nature and what we actually feel deep in our hearts. It has no other way but to be unhappy.

A thankful heart will never be alone and sad. It recognizes the many blessings and good things that it continues to receive. And it knows where they come from, and also for what purpose they are given. It will always be happy.

To be grateful is a necessity for us. It does us a lot of good. It keeps alive the reality that we depend on God and others for everything. It strengthens our intimacy with him, and our awareness that whatever happens in our life, God is always in control.

It makes us keenly aware of the all-powerful and merciful providence of God. With that providence, we would know that even the dark, negative things in life have meaning and purpose. They, at least, give excitement and beauty in life, because life, without these elements and when it only has all things bright and rosy, would be boring.

It keeps us humble and simple, otherwise we start inventing things and distorting reality. It keeps our feet on the ground even as we let our mind and heart soar to high heavens.

We have to make sure that thanksgiving comes pouring out from our hearts everyday. In the Gospel of St. John, there’s a little expression that can serve as a spur for us to be thankful, words Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman: “If you only knew what God is offering…” (4,10)

It might be worthwhile to remember these words, if not to say it often during the day, to remind us about God’s loving providence over us. To be sure, he continues to intervene in our life. He can never be detached from us, indifferent to our needs.

This is our problem. We tend to take all the goodness of God for granted. We are notoriously short-sighted and narrow-minded. We hardly consider anything beyond what our senses can perceive, what our intelligence can understand. We fail to be guided by faith that allows us to see the spiritual and supernatural reality of our life.

We have to see to it that everyday, we are conscious that we are always thanking God and others. In fact, we need to continue lifting our hearts in thanksgiving all throughout the day, as a Latin phrase beautifully puts it: “Ut in gratiarum semper actione maneamus.” (May we always be giving thanks.)

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

DOT: PH receives almost 100,000 inbound tourists since February

by Faith Argosino, Manila Bulletin

Almost 100,000 tourists have arrived since the Philippines reopened its borders to 157 countries visa-free countries, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Thursday, March 17.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said they expect the number of inbound tourists to increase starting April 1 when the country further eases the restrictions to all foreign tourists based on the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

“From Feb. 10 to March 15, we’ve already received 96,096 tourists. We’re pleasantly surprised […] this was only from visa-free countries,” Puyat said in an interview with TeleRadyo.

Puyat said freight tourist still need to present a negative result of the RT-PCR test taken 48 hours before their departure for fully-vaccinated tourists from visa-free countries.

She added that the exact requirement applies to tourists from visa countries, but the IATF included an alternative option for passengers to submit a negative laboratory-based antigen test result taken 24 hours before departure.

For local and foreign tourists planning to travel this summer season, Puyat reminded them to follow the minimum health and safety protocols.

“Palagi namin pinapaalala even you’re fully vaccinated, boosted or negative kayo sa RT-PCR please still follow minimum health and safety protocols lalo na yung pagsusuot ng mask (We always remind that even if you’re fully vaccinated, booted, or received a negative result of RT-PCR test, please still follow minimum health and safety protocols, especially wearing a mask),” she said.

Bangus as a saving grace to these three women

by Nina Daza-Puyat, Manila Bulletin

A family in crisis recovers by dint of hard work, prayers, and a new food business.

Selina’s Inihaw na Bangus was born, as most success stories evolve, out of the family’s need to earn a little extra income on the side. Months into the pandemic, Ginger Hilario’s business of distributing dermaceutical skincare products to dermatologists suffered. Her eldest daughter Celery, a law associate at a Makati firm, experienced a major setback when she failed to pass the bar exams. Youngest daughter Parsley had just completed her internship at a major food corporation when Covid-19 and the lockdown happened. With tensions rising and the future uncertain for all, the three women put their heads together and considered their options. More important, they prayed for divine guidance and providence.

Ginger, Celery and Parsley Hilario had perfected the Pinoy grilled stuffed bangus

Sometime in October of 2020, Ginger came home with an order of Inihaw na Bangus for lunch as she was too busy to cook. The trio ate their meal but were not truly satisfied. The bangus flesh wasn’t meaty, the stuffing was scant, and the overall flavor was mediocre. We can do better than this, they decided. Ginger also realized that this particular dish was a favorite among Filipinos, but not many have the patience to season and stuff the fish, and then grill it over live charcoal. It was just too tedious a task!

What if they could fill the gap in the market for a Filipino fish favorite as a quick and heart-healthy alternative for home cooks to serve their families or bring to pot-luck parties? It could be the antithesis for all the unhealthy fried chicken, pizza, and burgers on food ordering apps, couldn’t it?

Buoyed by their idea, the three Hilario women immediately buckled down to work. For four straight weeks, they literally ate inihaw na bangus for lunch and dinner, tweaking and refining their recipe until they could no longer take another bite. Thankfully, their patience and determination paid off. 100 percent satisfied with their product, they proudly called it Selina’s.

The bestseller, Selina’s Special Sinugba, is not your ordinary stuffed grilled milkfish though. This one surprises with salted egg slices and sweet ripe mango slivers tucked inside, like a hidden treasure buried in the juicy mélange of onions and tomatoes, packing with an extra flavor dimension of salty and sweet. Inihaw na Bangus may be a simple Filipino dish, but Selina’s ups the ante by selecting milkfish that’s completely deboned, its tender meaty flesh surrounding thick, fatty, translucent bangus belly. Grilled on-site upon order only, the bangus arrives on your table steaming hot and ready to be devoured.

Ginger chose the brand name Selina (Celery’s baptismal name) because it sounds like a loving tita or doting lola, who fusses over you and makes sure you’re eating well. Fired up by excitement, they intensified the search for store spaces to rent and immediately hired employees for back-of-the-house kitchen prep work and front-of-the-house store managers. By December, they had two stores up and running in Quezon City and one in Makati.

Selina’s is a story about three strong women who did not allow obstacles and adversities to get in their way. It is about women who held fast to their faith in God and believed that He would provide and sustain them. It is about the comforting knowledge that if one worked hard and forged on, they would be rewarded.

More than one year and a half into the business with many lessons learned along the way, Selina’s now has four branches, which operate seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parsley credits their team of five female employees namely Thess, Ethel, Ana, Lilia, and Mona for the business’ steady growth. As a nod to Women’s Month, the Hilario women talk about how their employees are all mothers who are naturally caring, “masipag at may malasakit.” They are now experts in the proper techniques of seasoning and stuffing, as well as grilling. They are also now quite adept at managing orders on online delivery apps.

How do they keep their employees motivated? Parsley and Celery say they are treated like family. As the business grew, so did their relationships with each one of their staff members. They sometimes treat them to lunch, dinner, or merienda, and make sure they have food to take home to their families on special occasions.

Through Selina’s hotline, Parsley is able to monitor customer feedback, which she takes very seriously. It warms her heart when loyal customers tell her about picky eater kids who ate so much of Selina’s bangus. Once, a young man was recovering from surgery requested to have Selina’s bangus as his first meal. Parsley has also gained many “suki” who treat her like a daughter or granddaughter. They know that Parsley (also known as Patricia) takes care of their orders and makes sure that the quality of the bangus dish is consistent as they day the perfected their recipe.

Aside from the all-time favorite Sinugbang Bangus and Special Sinugba (sinugba is the Visayan word for “grilled”), Selina’s also offers Fried Bangus in two flavors: Garlic and Salted Egg. Selina’s adds another twist to the uber-garlicky fried bangus with a topping of pineapple tidbits, giving an extra layer of flavor and texture. The Salted Egg variant is mildly sweet and salty, appealing to those looking for a non-traditional flavor in fried milkfish.

Selina’s is a story about three strong women who did not allow obstacles and adversities to get in their way. It is about women who held fast to their faith in God and believed that He would provide and sustain them. It is about the comforting knowledge that if one worked hard and forged on, they would be rewarded.

Today, Ginger is now finally able to restart her business. Celery just took the bar exam, hoping to pass this time around. Parsley plans to revive her sideline of baking cream puffs and decorated cakes for The Good Carrot, which was put on pause. As for their pandemic baby Selina’s, they hope to open more branches by the end of the year.

To order Selina’s, text Patricia 0977 027 5929 or visit Selina’s on Facebook and IG. Also available on Grabfood and Foodpanda.

𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬

Only a few Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) are left to be established with a DepEd school according to Governor Tyron Uy during his message on the turn-over ceremony of the newly constructed one (1) unit, two (2) classroom buildings at Sitio Tagbawi, Brgy. Rizal, Monkayo, Davao de Oro on March 16, 2022.

The deterioration of red strongholds in the province is instrumental for government interventions to reach even the farthest corners of the valleys. From farm-to-market roads, health centers, water systems, sitio electrification, solar dryers, daycare centers, and integrated schools accredited by DepEd, government services now provide ease for the uplands.

Barely after a month of “Bayanihan” construction, the newly constructed building with complete amenities from school chairs, tables, boards, and comfort rooms can readily be used by two more neighboring sitios of Tagbawi; Sitio Little Depot and Upper Pasian.

Traversing the kilometers-long path down to the barangay proper of Rizal will no longer be a burden for the children as the school was now accessible and only a few meters away from their homes.

Sitio Tagbawi was once a guerilla-infested sitio in Brgy. Rizal, and in the year 2017, the community fully withdrew from supporting the communist group and became a beneficiary of the Oplan Pagbabago Program of the provincial government of Davao de Oro. 

Further, a Solar Dryer project of the provincial government can now be used by the residents as a pavement for drying farm produce such as corn and coffee. The project was funded by the development fund of the province, and it's multi-purpose. A road-concreting project is also underway in Tagbawi. In no time, Tagbawi can be a whole new Sitio like no other.

The turnover ceremony was attended by Governor Tyron Uy, Vice Governor Maricar Zamora, Congressman Manuel Zamora, LTC Michael Aquino of the 25th Infantry Battalion, Rommel Jandayan OIC-SDS DepEd DdO, SGOD Ruben Reponte, Barangay Functionaries of Rizal, teachers, and staff of Rizal Memorial Elementary School, and Provincial employees. (JA, PAO-IPRD, photos by J. Cadiz)

Be truly poor to be truly rich

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“THERE was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores…” (Lk 16,19-20)

With this parable, Christ is telling us about the problem of the rich and the blessedness of the poor. As the parable unfolded, both died and the poor man was carried to the bosom of Abraham while the rich man was buried in the netherworld, tormented.

We have to be wary of the big problem of the rich. Christ spelled it out when he said, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19,24)

The big problem of the rich, in short, is his attachment to his wealth such that he cannot give himself fully to God. He may give the appearance that he is giving a lot, but if it is not the whole of himself, then it is not the total self-giving which God deserves and expects from each one of us.

Let us always remember that God wants the whole of ourselves. He wants our entire heart, not a divided heart. He wants to be everything to us, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. He wants to be given priority over everything else, including our own life.

This is not selfishness on his part, an act of ego-tripping. It is simply in recognition of the basic truth that everything, including our life, comes from him and also belongs to him. We have no right whatsoever to expropriate as our own what actually comes and belongs to God.

We need to remind ourselves constantly that even if we can say we are the owners of great wealth, resources, talents, power, fame, and indeed of our whole life, we actually are at best only stewards who have to give account to the absolute owner of all these things that we possess.

We have to continually fight against the tendency and the constant temptation to think that all these things are simply our own, that we are their absolute owners. This is not going to be easy, of course, because even within ourselves we have the villain that will always push us to think that way.

To be truly poor in order to be truly rich means that even if we are in possession of great wealth and all that, and yes, we use them and to a certain extent, enjoy them, we should be entirely detached from them so that our love for God is never compromised or diluted even if it is just a bit.

To be sure, a certain detachment from the things of this world and even from people is required of us if we want to be a true and effective disciple of Christ—and to be like Christ as we should.

He himself said it quite clearly: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14,26-17)

Let’s be reassured of what Christ promised us if we observe the proper priorities in our life. “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19,29)

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

DEUTSCHE FORSCHER ENTDECKEN Birken essen Mikroplastik

Für Allergiker ein Alptraum, für unsere Umwelt ein Träumchen

Foto: Getty Images/imageBROKER RF

Bäume sorgen nicht nur für saubere Luft, sondern auch für sauberen Boden!

Die Wurzeln von Birken können Mikroplastik aus der Erde aufnehmen und tief in die Wurzelstrukturen transportieren. Das fanden nun Forscher des Leibniz-Instituts für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) heraus.

Export-Verbot von Plastikmüll gefordert

Auch wenn ab Juli viele Einwegplastikprodukte EU-weit verboten sind – die globale Plastikemission steigt. Der Kunststoff „lebt“ lange.

Bis 2050 droht eine Vervierfachung der Plastikmüllkonzentration in den Ozeanen.

Sie wiesen in knapp 20 Prozent der Wurzeln von Hängebirken die kleinen Plastikteilchen nach. Weltweit werden jährlich 400 Millionen Tonnen Plastik produziert, ein Großteil davon zerfällt in kleine Partikel, die die Umwelt verschmutzen. Dazu gehören auch Kosmetika , durch die Mikroplastik ins Grundwasser gelangt.

▶︎ Neben Plastik können Birken auch Schwermetalle aus dem Boden entfernen, die dann von Mikroben abgebaut werden.

𝐁𝐃𝐏 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 ...

 

... 𝐠𝐢 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧-𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐫𝐠𝐲. 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧

Duna nay sementadong “Farm to Market Road (FMR)” ug “Solar Street Lights” ang Brgy.Bagong Silang, Maragusan nga gi turn-over dayon sa mga katawhan sa barangay pipila ka adlaw human ang Construction and Installations mismo nila ni Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy  ug Mayor Maricel Colina-Vendiola.

Kining mga proyektoha apil sa gatusang mga proyektong imprastraktura nga gipaspasan pagpatrabaho sa probinsya gamit ang dakong pundo nga gihatag sa Davao de Oro ni Pang. Rodrigo Roa Duterte pinaagi sa National Task Force (NTF) – ELCAC ug Oplan Pagabago ELCAC.

Sa milabayng Huwebes (Marso 10,2022) nag-uban sila si Gov. Tyron Uy ug Mayor Maricel  Colina-Vendiola ug mga kauban nga sila si 66th IB Commander Julius Munar, RPSB Team Leader Police Master Sergeant Leonilo Vicere, ug ang  Municipal ug Brgy. Officials pagtunol sa bag-o lang nahumang sementado nang “Farm to Market Road (FMR)” ug “Solar Street Lights” ngadto sa mga katawhan sa Brgy. Bagong Silang.

Human niini gi turn-over sad nila dayon niadto gihapong adlawa ang laing tulo ka mga BDP Funded Projects nga sementadong karsada, Solar Street Lights, ug School Building sa Brgy.Coronobe nga sakop gihapon sa lungsod sa Maragusan.

Ilalom sa maayong pagdumala ni Gov. Tyron Uy ug SP Members sa pagpanguna nila ni Vice Gov Maricar Zamora ug Papa Gov Senior BM Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy ang PLGU Davao de Oro nakapangayo sa kauluhan og P1.3 Bilyones pundo sa BDP para sa 65 deklarado nang insurgency free barangays sa probinsya nga nakabahin og tag P20 Milyones diin kasagaran niini gigamit sa probinsya pagpatrabaho sa mga proyektong imprastraktura nga sa pagkakaron aduna nay ubay-ubayng nahuman. (Gilbert M. Cabahug PAO-IPRD DdO)

How to watch 70th Miss World finals via Upstream PH

Miss World Philippines Tracy Maureen Perez

by Robert Requintina, Manila Bulletin

     After a long wait, The Miss World 2021 Coronation Night is finally happening as it pushes through this month after being postponed last December 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Our Philippine bet Tracy Maureen Perez is ready to conquer greater heights and show the world that we can get the crown this year as she is set to compete with 40 contestants who are aiming for the Miss World 2021 crown. 

 

    The Cebuana beauty queen already had a great start, as she secured a spot in the Top 30 after winning the 2nd round of the Head-To-Head challenge, and was named one of the Top 5 finalists for the Beauty With A Purpose challenge, where she highlighted the importance of empowering single parents. 

     Miss World 2021 is set to crown a new queen at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico this March 17, 8am, Philippine Standard Time. 

   And to give our supporters the best viewing experience, the coronation night will be streaming live online and commercial-free via Upstream PH. 

    Streaming also starts at 8 am. You can purchase tickets for only P149 on that day. 

     Time to show our full support once again and witness Miss World 2021 coronation night anytime, anywhere, brought to you by Upstream PH! Follow Upstream PH on Facebook, Instagram and www.upstream.ph to get the latest updates about the live-streaming and how to get tickets!

Diesel prices up by P13.15/liter; gasoline by P7.10/liter

by Myrna M. Velasco, Manila Bulletin

Filipino consumers will need to swallow a ‘very bitter pill’ when it comes to their fuel expenses this week, as the price of diesel products will be on historic astronomical rise of P13.15 per liter, as announced by the oil companies.

Gasoline prices will also be increased by P7.10 per liter, while kerosene prices, a key commodity for critical industries, including aviation, will drastically climb by P10.50 per liter.

As of press time, the oil companies that already announced their price hikes effective Tuesday, March 15, include Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation; Chevron Philippines, which is retailing Caltex brand at its stations and Cleanfuel. Their industry rivals are still waiting for the price trends of other companies – especially the cost adjustments to be enforced by industry leader Petron Corporation.

 

The price upticks at the domestic pumps could be attributed to the wild rally in prices in the world market last week – as international benchmark Brent crude surged to as high as $131 per barrel; while Dubai crude, which is a reference pricing for Asian markets, surged to $122 per barrel because of the niggling Ukraine-Russia war.

For this week, prices have been steady at softer level of $110 per barrel for Brent crude, and Dubai was still hovering also above $110 per barrel – fundamentally declining from last week’s record spikes since 2014.

Given the anticipated surge in pump prices this week, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi indicated that they pleaded to the oil firms “to take a cut, reduce their industry take,” which essentially entails that they must strive for lower margins in their products’ pricing.

He said the Department of Energy (DOE) is “reviewing the pricing mechanism,” with him emphasizing that the cost components are being fleshed out across the value chain “so we can see where we can potentially reduce prices or how we can minimize the increase.”

The energy chief similarly disclosed that President Rodrigo Duterte was calling for a meeting Tuesday, March 15. “We’re going to discuss with DOF (Department of Finance) that we are asking for the deferment or suspension of the excise tax.”

The stand of the DOE on the excise tax suspension is aligned with the wishes of the players in the oil sector, although the other major weight to muster in that tug-of-war is the finance department.

Fernando L. Martinez, chairman of the Independent Philippine Petroleum Companies Association (IPPCA), sounded off that if the excise taxes will be immediately suspended, the heavy blow of this week’s big-time hikes could be diffused – because that will entail cost reduction of P10 per liter for gasoline; and P6 per liter for diesel products.

 

“It means to say, the price increases due for implementation on Tuesday, March 15, will be mitigated, so there’s no need to explore for alternative measures,” he noted.

Martinez added the oil firms are supporting “the targeted subsidy to jeepney drivers, bus operators as well as for the fishermen, because the government can also cut its expenses with that – and the P5.0 billion subsidy can be easily recovered with VAT (value added tax) collections.”

He explained that when the Expanded VAT Law enforcing 12 percent tax rate on petroleum products was enacted in 2005, “the product cost as basis then was just at P25 landed cost; but now, our pump prices are at P60 to P65 per liter, so with higher VAT collections, there is now a leeway to suspend the excise taxes because with higher prices, the government will also have higher VAT collections.”

‘IT’S SUMMER!’

‘IT’S SUMMER!’ – Residents join tourists in enjoying the cool and clear water of Bolinao Falls 2 in Pangasinan, which saw the huge influx of visitors for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out two years ago. (Zaldy Comanda, Manila Bulletin)