Women, health workers, MSMEs thank Senators Alan and Pia for timely assistance

 

PRESS RELEASE

March 5, 2024

 Women, health workers, MSMEs thank Senators Alan and Pia for timely assistance

  A total of 1,000 beneficiaries from the province of Rizal received vital and timely assistance from the offices of Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano on March 4, 2024. 

Celebrating Women’s month, the office of Senator Pia gave aid to women and bolstered the health sector in Antipolo City.

“As barangay health worker po na nakatanggap po ng pinansyal, malaking bagay po ito para sa amin. Salamat po sa patuloy na kalinga sa BSW [Barangay Health Worker],” said Analiza Cabahug, one of the 500 beneficiaries from the event in Antipolo City.

As a health worker, Analiza is responsible for ensuring that the children in their community receive vitamins on time and monitor their height and weight. The aid she received is vital and helpful to her work, she said.

Cedie Ampol, another barangay health worker in Antipolo City, said the assistance will help her start up a sari-sari store.

“Nagpapasalamat ako kay Senator Pia at Senator Alan sa pagbigay sa amin, kahit papaano ay makatulong sa pamilya namin. Sa ganitong program, marami silang natutulungan, hindi lang sa amin, sa ibang tao rin,” he said.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) owners also benefited as the office of Senator Alan provided necessary assistance to a total of 500 beneficiaries in Rizal Province, enabling them to increase and improve their livelihood.

The recent disbursement activity was done in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

AICS aims to provide timely and vital support to people in a difficult situation, aiding their recovery during challenging times.

The recent disbursement activity in Antipolo City and Rizal province were made successful due to the extended efforts and participation of Rizal Province Governor Nina Ynares, Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, Councilor Susan Say, and Former Mayor Andrea "Andeng" Ynares.

This is not the first time the sibling senators have reached Antipolo City and Rizal province. Last month, more than 2,000 residents in Rizal Province also received vital aid to boost their livelihood.###

Typical Filipino (XLIV) - Typisch Philippinisch (XLIV): Like beating around the bush - Wie die Katze um den heißen Brei

Foreigners who like to get straight to the point at hand often wonder about the purpose of a visit at home or in the office when the visitor merely indulges in gentle small-talk banter - a nice conversation that doesn't add to the visit seems to justify. Of course, the visitor has been waiting the entire time for you to offer him an appropriate occasion. to talk about the purpose of his visit by simply asking (after a pleasant atmosphere for conversation has been established): "What can I do for you?" Often the visitor will not mention the reason for his visit at all, but will only blurt out when saying goodbye, as if it had just occurred to him again: Oh yes, something I almost forgot..."

The prolixity and the time-wasting pleasantries are part of a dynamic that revolves around preserving fragile self-respect. HIYA and AMOR-PROPIO depend on manners that protect valuable self-respect from possible harm, and harmonious, smooth interpersonal relationships can ensure this state.

The difference between interpersonal relationships in Western countries and in the Philippines comes from the fact that we resolve conflicts by consciously initiating them, whereas Filipinos resolve conflicts by avoiding confrontation.

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Ausländer, die gern unverzüglich auf den eigentlichen Punkt zu sprechen kommen, wundern sich oft über den Zweck eines Besuches daheim oder im Büro, wenn der Besucher sich lediglich in sanftem Small-Talk-Geplänkel ergeht - eine nette Unterhaltung, die den Besuch aber nicht zu rechtfertigen scheint. Dabei hat natürlich der Besucher während der gesamten Zeit darauf gewartet, daß Sie ihm einen angemessenen Anlaß bieten. über den Zweck seines Besuches zu sprechen, indem Sie etwa (nachdem ein angenehmes Gesprächsklima hergestellt ist) ganz einfach fragen:"Was kann ich für Sie tun?" Oft wird der Besucher den Anlaß seines Besuches überhaput nicht erwähnen, sondern erst beim Abschied, als fiele es ihm gerade wieder ein, herauszuplatzen: Ach ja, was ich fast vergessen hätte..."

Die Weitschweifigkeit und die zeitraubenden Höflichkeiten sind Teile einer Dynamik, die um die Wahrung der zerbrechlichen Selbstachtung kreis. HIYA und AMOR-PROPIO sind auf Umgangsformen angewiesen, die die wertvolle Selbstachtung vor möglichen schaden bewahren, und harmonische, glatte zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen vermögen diesen Zustand zu sichern.

Der Unterschied zwischen den zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen in westlichen Ländern und auf den Philippinen rührt daher, daß bei uns Konflikte durch das bewußte Herbeiführen, bei den Filipinos hingegen durch das Vermeiden einer Konfrontation gelöst werden.

Philippine Constitution ‘recognizes women’

BY REY G. PANALIGAN

Mar 5, 2024 01:01 PM 

The Philippines’ 1987 Constitution did better than the Constitutions of other countries in recognizing women.

“Our Constitution has done better because we have in Article 2, Section 14, the wording that the state shall ensure not only a passive act, the fundamental equality before the law of women and men,” said Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen in an inspiration speech at the start of the judiciary’s celebration of Women’s Month this March.

“The order of women and men rather than men and women is a conscious decision of the Constitutional Commission when it wrote the Constitution,” Leonen pointed out.

Section 14, Article 2 of the Constitution states: “The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men.”

The judiciary, led by the SC, started its celebration of Women’s Month last Monday, March 4, during its flag-raising ceremony.

In his message, Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, co-chairperson of the SC’s Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary (CGRJ), said that “out of nearly 2,000 judges, 55 percent are women -- a testament to our commitment to inclusivity, meritocracy, and diversity.”

Lopez said that it would also give so much benefit to have more female magistrates in the SC. “I know that this would no longer be a distant reality because we have Associate Justices Amy C. Lazaro-Javier and Maria Filomena D. Singh trailblazing a path towards an even more diverse court,” he said. Justices Javier and Singh are the only two female jurists in the 15-member SC.

Reacting to Lopez’s statement, Javier said the 13 other SC justices never once made them feel diminished. They are “all progressive men, [who] always heard, respected, and listened to our voices.”

Lopez said “the increasing trend to appoint more and more women to appellate court positions is also very promising.”  However, he emphasized that “the participation of women in nation-building remains an area that needs stronger advocacy and support.”

Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, co-chair of the CGRJ, acknowledged the Court’s consistent efforts in supporting women's month and helping realize the lofty ambitions it aims to achieve.

He cited the five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 or the SPJI. “As a core principle in the SPJI, the Court intends to pursue efforts that would ultimately further its desire to foster a culture of inclusivity,” he pointed out.

He also cited the theme of the Women’s Month 2024: “WE for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society.” He pointed out that the “’WE’ stands for women and everyone.”

“This means that all of us are called to contribute to nation-building and that it is only through our collective efforts that we can truly achieve an inclusive society,” he said.

Justice Javier emphasized that “Gender Equality and Inclusive Society is the Court delivering justice on behalf of women and children who are victims of violence as it is you encouraging your wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and the women in your lives to pursue their personal goals and dreams.”

“It is women and men enjoying equal rights and privileges under the law as it is all of us consciously using gender-fair language, observing gender-fair etiquette, and abandoning gender stereotypes in all our dealings, especially in the Court,” she added. 
Acting Chief Justice Leonen (Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo is on official leave of absence) congratulated the CGRJ’s efforts.

“Sooner or later, I hope that we can graduate from gender responsiveness to gender justice,” Leonen said.

Also, in line with the SC’s celebration of Women’s Month, officials and employees were encourage to wear purple office attire on all Mondays of the month of March.

Earlier, during the flag ceremony at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Singh rallied the country’s women “to never give up and speak up for your rights and for what you believe that you deserve.”

“Needless to say, a woman does not have to be a particular advocate of feminism or women’s rights. By birth right, kailangan tinataguyod natin ang isa’t isa (we need to promote or endorse each other),” she said.

 

ABS-CBN honored with 11 awards at 1st Perpetualites Choice Awards

Vice Ganda emerges as big winner

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Mar 4, 2024 10:43 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• “It’s Showtime” won as the Best Noontime Variety Show, while Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda were hailed as Best Female TV Personality and Best Noontime Variety Show Host. 

ABS-CBN continues to receive love and support from the academic community as it earned 11 awards including Best Media Company from the University of Perpetual Help JONELTA System’s 1st Perpetualites’ Choice Awards on Friday (Mar 1).

“It’s Showtime” won as the Best Noontime Variety Show, while Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda were hailed as Best Female TV Personality and Best Noontime Variety Show Host.

Vice also proved that she is still ‘Unkabogable’ and well-loved by the youth as she scooped up three other awards including Best TV Personality, Best Game Show Host, and Most Service Oriented Media Personality.

Star Magic artists, Seth Fedelin and Francine Diaz, also emerged triumphant, winning Best Young Male and Female Media Personality, respectively.  Meanwhile, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla took home the award for Best Love Team.

"ASAP Natin 'To's" very own Moira dela Torre was also named Best Female Solo Artist. 

The winners of the 1st Perpetualites’ Choice Awards were voted by Perpetualites from the various campuses of the University of Perpetual Help JONELTA System in Isabela, Pangasinan, Manila, GMA, Pueblo de Panay, and Laguna.

Beware of the danger of worldly entrapment

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THIS worldly entrapment is actually a clear and present danger. But the intriguing part is that hardly anyone is aware of it. Many of us allow ourselves to be caught in the widening web of the modern technologies which, while offering us a lot of conveniences, also hook us into the dynamic of self-indulgence, with love for God and the others practically thrown out of the window.

We are reminded somehow of this danger in the readings of the Mass for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent (Dt 4,1.5-9; Mt 5,17-19) where we are strongly told to give priority to following the commandments of God which actually give us the proper condition for us to be in this life.

In the first reading, a prophet told the people of Israel, “Give heed to the statutes and ordinances which I teach you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you.” 

And in the gospel of the day, we hear Christ telling the crowd who followed him, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.” These words clearly tell us where we can find the fulfillment of the law proper to us—it’s in following Christ.

We should train ourselves to have as our abiding and strongest passion, as our most precious treasure, the need and urge to be intimate with Christ. We actually cannot afford to be without Christ. The only thing to expect in that condition is to get into some form of disaster!

This will, of course, require us a lot of effort, a tremendous dose of faith, hope and charity, to contend with our usual feeling of doubt and awkwardness with respect to this need of ours. But, to be sure, it would all be worthwhile! We just have to humble ourselves and remind ourselves to always pray, to always do things with Christ and for Christ. We should not take this most basic need of ours for granted.

We cannot deny that especially nowadays, the lure and the hook of worldly entrapment that has as its bait the many wonderful technologies we are having these days, can be so overpowering that we can feel helpless before this phenomenon. We really need a lot of discipline to put ourselves always in God’s presence and to consciously follow his will and commandments.

In this we have to help one another. We cannot afford to be casual anymore to this need. All around us are many cases of people in certain types of addiction, obsessions and other forms of bondage.

Even those who appear to be good and saintly-looking can be in the grip of some of these forms of bondage, usually hidden and well covered by all sorts of justifications and rationalizations.

It has to be made clear to everyone that what is proper to us is to have God first and everything else would just follow in their proper order of importance. Let’s never forget that we are meant to be always with God. Our life, given the way we have been created, cannot but be a sharing in God’s life and nature. To stay away from him would be a fundamental anomaly that would have bad consequences for everything else in our life.

We should therefore give priority to our spiritual needs of prayer, recourse to the sacraments, development of virtues, the habit of having the presence of God always, doing everything with God and for God, etc.

Concerto Ottimo

 

Concerto Ottimo

Mar. 22, 2024 | 18:00 - Mar. 22, 2024 | 20:00

Join us at RCBC Plaza on March 22nd, 2024 for an unforgettable evening of classical music. The renowned Manila Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Marlon Chen and featuring special guests, will perform a selection of chart hits, iconic soundtracks and classical favourites, from The Blue Danube to James Bond to Bohemian Rhapsody and many more..

If you want to join us as a company, or simply celebrate with a group of friends (8pax), take a VIP table for 8 which includes a Special Reception, a 6 course dinner for 8, and 8 VIP row viewing seating - BOOK MY VIP TABLE HERE

Join us for an evening you'll never forget.

BOOK TICKETS NOW

Philippine Fairy Tales (XXV) - Philippinische Märchen (XXV): HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE - WIE DIE WELT GEMACHT WURDE

 

 Philippine Fairy Tales (XXV) - Philippinische Märchen (XXV)

This is the ancient Filipino account of the creation.

Thousands of years ago there was no land nor sun nor moon nor stars, and the world was only a great sea of water, above which stretched the sky. The water was the kingdom of the god Maguayan, and the sky was ruled by the great god Captan.

Maguayan had a daughter called Lidagat, the sea, and Captan had a son known as Lihangin, the wind. The gods agreed to the marriage of their children, so the sea became the bride of the wind.

Three sons and a daughter were born to them. The sons were called Licalibutan, Liadlao, and Libulan, and the daughter received the name of Lisuga.

Licalibutan had a body of rock and was strong and brave; Liadlao was formed of gold and was always happy; Libulan was made of copper and was weak and timid; and the beautiful Lisuga had a body of pure silver and was sweet and gentle. Their parents were very fond of them, and nothing was wanting to make them happy.

After a time Lihangin died and left the control of the winds to his eldest son Licalibutan. The faithful wife Lidagat soon followed her husband, and the children, now grown up, were left without father or mother. However, their grandfathers, Captan and Maguayan, took care of them and guarded them from all evil.

After a time, Licalibutan, proud of his power over the winds, resolved to gain more power, and asked his brothers to join him in an attack on Captan in the sky above. At first they refused; but when Licalibutan became angry with them, the amiable Liadlao, not wishing to offend his brother, agreed to help. Then together they induced the timid Libulan to join in the plan.

When all was ready the three brothers rushed at the sky, but they could not beat down the gates of steel that guarded the entrance. Then Licalibutan let loose the strongest winds and blew the bars in every direction. The brothers rushed into the opening, but were met by the angry god Captan. So terrible did he look that they turned and ran in terror; but Captan, furious at the destruction of his gates, sent three bolts of lightning after them.

The first struck the copper Libulan and melted him into a ball. The second struck the golden Liadlao and he too was melted. The third bolt struck Licalibutan and his rocky body broke into many pieces and fell into the sea. So huge was he that parts of his body stuck out above the water and became what is known as land.

In the meantime the gentle Lisuga had missed her brothers and started to look for them. She went toward the sky, but as she approached the broken gates, Captan, blind with anger, struck her too with lightning, and her silver body broke into thousands of pieces.

Captan then came down from the sky and tore the sea apart, calling on Maguayan to come to him and accusing him of ordering the attack on the sky. Soon Maguayan appeared and answered that he knew nothing of the plot as he had been asleep far down in the sea. After a time he succeeded in calming the angry Captan. Together they wept at the loss of their grandchildren, especially the gentle and beautiful Lisuga; but with all their power they could not restore the dead to life. However, they gave to each body a beautiful light that will shine forever.

And so it was that golden Liadlao became the sun and copper Libulan the moon, while the thousands of pieces of silver Lisuga shine as the stars of heaven. To wicked Licalibutan the gods gave no light, but resolved to make his body support a new race of people. So Captan gave Maguayan a seed and he planted it on the land, which, as you will remember, was part of Licalibutan's huge body. Soon a bamboo tree grew up, and from the hollow of one of its branches a man and a woman came out. The man's name was Sicalac, and the woman was called Sicabay. They were the parents of the human race. Their first child was a son whom they called Libo; afterwards they had a daughter who was known as Saman. Pandaguan was a younger son and he had a son called Arion.

Pandaguan was very clever and invented a trap to catch fish. The very first thing he caught was a huge shark. When he brought it to land, it looked so great and fierce that he thought it was surely a god, and he at once ordered his people to worship it. Soon all gathered around and began to sing and pray to the shark. Suddenly the sky and sea opened, and the gods came out and ordered Pandaguan to throw the shark back into the sea and to worship none but them.

All were afraid except Pandaguan. He grew very bold and answered that the shark was as big as the gods, and that since he had been able to overpower it he would also be able to conquer the gods. Then Captan, hearing this, struck Pandaguan with a small thunderbolt, for he did not wish to kill him but merely to teach him a lesson. Then he and Maguayan decided to punish these people by scattering them over the earth, so they carried some to one land and some to another. Many children were afterwards born, and thus the earth became inhabited in all parts.

Pandaguan did not die. After lying on the ground for thirty days he regained his strength, but his body was blackened from the lightning, and all his descendants ever since that day have been black.

His first son, Arion, was taken north, but as he had been born before his father's punishment he did not lose his color, and all his people therefore are white.

Libo and Saman were carried south, where the hot sun scorched their bodies and caused all their descendants to be of a brown color.

A son of Saman and a daughter of Sicalac were carried east, where the land at first was so lacking in food that they were compelled to eat clay. On this account their children and their children's children have always been yellow in color.

And so the world came to be made and peopled. The sun and moon shine in the sky and the beautiful stars light up the night. All over the land, on the body of the envious Licalibutan, the children of Sicalac and Sicabay have grown great in numbers. May they live forever in peace and brotherly love!

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Dies ist der alte philippinische Bericht über die Schöpfung.

Vor Tausenden von Jahren gab es kein Land, keine Sonne, keinen Mond und keine Sterne, und die Welt war nur ein großes Wassermeer, über dem sich der Himmel erstreckte. Das Wasser war das Königreich des Gottes Maguayan und der Himmel wurde vom großen Gott Captan regiert.

Maguayan hatte eine Tochter namens Lidagat, das Meer, und Captan hatte einen Sohn namens Lihangin, der Wind. Die Götter stimmten der Heirat ihrer Kinder zu, und so wurde das Meer zur Braut des Windes.

Ihnen wurden drei Söhne und eine Tochter geboren. Die Söhne hießen Licalibutan, Liadlao und Libulan, und die Tochter erhielt den Namen Lisuga.

Licalibutan hatte einen Felskörper und war stark und mutig; Liadlao war aus Gold geformt und war immer glücklich; Libulan bestand aus Kupfer und war schwach und schüchtern; und die schöne Lisuga hatte einen Körper aus reinem Silber und war süß und sanft. Ihre Eltern mochten sie sehr und nichts wollte sie glücklich machen.

Nach einiger Zeit starb Lihangin und überließ die Kontrolle über die Winde seinem ältesten Sohn Licalibutan. Die treue Frau Lidagat folgte ihrem Mann bald, und die inzwischen erwachsenen Kinder blieben ohne Vater und Mutter zurück. Ihre Großväter Captan und Maguayan kümmerten sich jedoch um sie und beschützten sie vor allem Bösen.

Nach einiger Zeit beschloss Licalibutan, stolz auf seine Macht über die Winde, mehr Macht zu erlangen und bat seine Brüder, sich ihm bei einem Angriff auf Captan am Himmel anzuschließen. Zuerst weigerten sie sich; Doch als Licalibutan wütend auf sie wurde, erklärte sich der liebenswürdige Liadlao bereit, ihm zu helfen, da er seinen Bruder nicht beleidigen wollte. Dann überredeten sie gemeinsam den schüchternen Libulaner, sich dem Plan anzuschließen.

Als alles fertig war, stürmten die drei Brüder in den Himmel, konnten aber die Stahltore, die den Eingang bewachten, nicht niederreißen. Dann ließ Licalibutan die stärksten Winde los und blies die Gitterstäbe in alle Richtungen. Die Brüder stürmten in die Öffnung, wurden aber vom wütenden Gott Captan empfangen. Er sah so schrecklich aus, dass sie sich erschrocken umdrehten und rannten; Aber Kapitän, wütend über die Zerstörung seiner Tore, schickte ihnen drei Blitze nach.

Pandaguan war sehr schlau und erfand eine Falle, um Fische zu fangen. Das allererste, was er fing, war ein riesiger Hai. Als er es an Land brachte, sah es so groß und wild aus, dass er dachte, es sei sicherlich ein Gott, und er befahl seinem Volk sofort, es anzubeten. Bald versammelten sich alle und begannen zu singen und zum Hai zu beten. Plötzlich öffneten sich Himmel und Meer, und die Götter kamen heraus und befahlen Pandaguan, den Hai zurück ins Meer zu werfen und niemanden außer ihnen anzubeten.

Alle außer Pandaguan hatten Angst. Er wurde sehr mutig und antwortete, dass der Hai so groß sei wie die Götter und dass er, da er ihn überwältigen konnte, auch die Götter besiegen könne. Als Captan dies hörte, schlug er Pandaguan mit einem kleinen Blitz, denn er wollte ihn nicht töten, sondern ihm lediglich eine Lektion erteilen. Dann beschlossen er und Maguayan, diese Menschen zu bestrafen, indem sie sie über die Erde verstreuten, sodass sie einige in ein Land und andere in ein anderes brachten. Danach wurden viele Kinder geboren und so wurde die Erde überall bewohnt.

Pandaguan ist nicht gestorben. Nachdem er dreißig Tage lang auf dem Boden gelegen hatte, kam er wieder zu Kräften, aber sein Körper war vom Blitz geschwärzt, und alle seine Nachkommen sind seit diesem Tag schwarz.

Sein erster Sohn, Arion, wurde nach Norden gebracht, aber da er vor der Bestrafung seines Vaters geboren wurde, verlor er seine Hautfarbe nicht und alle seine Leute sind daher weiß.

Libo und Saman wurden nach Süden getragen, wo die heiße Sonne ihre Körper versengte und alle ihre Nachkommen braun färbten.

Ein Sohn von Saman und eine Tochter von Sicalac wurden nach Osten verschleppt, wo es im Land zunächst so an Nahrungsmitteln mangelte, dass sie sich gezwungen sahen, Lehm zu essen. Aus diesem Grund waren ihre Kinder und Kindeskinder immer gelb gefärbt.

Und so wurde die Welt geschaffen und bevölkert. Sonne und Mond scheinen am Himmel und die wunderschönen Sterne erhellen die Nacht. Überall im Land, auf dem Körper des neidischen Licalibutan, sind die Kinder von Sicalac und Sicabay in großer Zahl gewachsen. Mögen sie für immer in Frieden und brüderlicher Liebe leben!

 

Faith should always guide our reason

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THAT Bible story about that Syrian general, Naaman, who was a leper, (2 Kings 5,1-15) and the gospel reading about Christ reproaching the people in the synagogue for not believing the prophets (cfr. Lk 4,24-30) remind us that while we have to make full use of our reason, it should always be guided by faith, it should always bow to faith when at a certain point we are made to choose between our faith and our reason. These are the readings of the Mass of Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent. 

As the Naaman story went, he was at first hesitant to believe what the prophet Eliseus told him, that is, for him to wash 7 times in the River Jordan. He expected that Eliseus would go to him and, invoking God, would heal him.

“Are not the Abana, and the Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, that I may wash in them, and be made clean?,” Naaman complained. But his servants managed to convince him to follow what the prophet told him. And when he did, he was made clean.

The gospel story simply reiterates the same point. Christ told the people in the synagogue of their usual tendency when they would prefer to listen to their own reasoning and estimation of things than to what the prophets would tell them. “No prophet is accepted in his own country,” he lamented, and proceeded to tell them that only those who believed the prophet got their favors granted.

We have to realize very deeply that our reason always needs the light of faith. Being the human faculty we use to know and later to love, our reason just cannot be beholden to the data provided by our senses and our own understanding of things.

That would confine our reasoning to the world of the sensible and the intelligible, that is, to the world of matter and of ideas. Thus conditioned, our reason cannot go beyond those levels and would miss the world of the spiritual and the supernatural. It would get trapped in some subjective mode as opposed to what is entirely objective.

It’s important that we do some disciplining to our reasoning because it tends to get contented only with the sensible and the intelligible in the many forms that they come and attract us. It can willingly let itself be held hostage by these dimensions of reality.

We know that our reason does not create the truth. It does not create the reality. It can only apprehend, reflect, process and transmit the truth and reality. It will always depend on a reality that is outside and independent of itself.

And reality just cannot be sensible and intelligible. A lot more goes into it than what our senses can perceive and our intelligence can discern and understand. Our reason itself, if used properly, can acknowledge that at the limits of its capability, it can discern a world that is beyond the physical and the ideal.

This is where we need to humble ourselves, a predicament that many of us find hard to resolve. We tend to hold on to our own ideas and the facts and data that we can manage to gather, guided mainly by our senses and intellect. In short, we make our own selves, and to be more specific, our own senses and intellect, to be our own sole guide, our own god.

Miss Universe Philippines 2024 delegates turn up the heat in swimsuit portraits

(from left to right) Cyrille Payumo, Pampanga; Ahtisa Manalo, Quezon Province; Victoria Velasquez Vincent, Bacoor | Images: Facebook/Miss Universe Philippines
 

By: Armin P. Adina

The 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant continues to excite Filipino pageant fans, this time with the release of the official swimsuit portraits of the delegates.

The national pageant organization shared on its official social media accounts the photos of all the delegates to this year’s competition.

The roster already included Kananga’s new representative, Phoebe Arrianana Torita, who replaced Natasha Jung who backed out after the press presentation of the contestants.

Jung had previously competed in the Miss World Philippines and Binibining Pilipinas pageants and was crowned Miss Caloocan a few months before winning the Miss Kananga title.

She had already participated in the official presentation of the delegates to this year’s competition held at the grand ballroom of Hilton Manila at the Newport complex in Pasay City on Feb. 18.

This year’s edition of the Miss Universe Philippines pageant did not accept individual applicants. Delegates must be sent by “Accredited Partners” who are authorized to select the official candidates.

The contenders have either won their respective local pageants, or were appointed by the Accredited Partners.

These partners are responsible for preparing the delegates for the national stage, and providing for all of their needs as they compete for the crown.

This year’s delegates are competing to succeed Michelle Dee, who became the most awarded delegate in the 2023 Miss Universe pageant.

Dee finished in the Top 10 of the competition, topped the fan vote, was the leader in the national costume poll, was one of the three “gold finalists” of the “Voice for Change” initiative by Miss Universe crown provider Mouawad, and received the “Spirit of Carnival” award from Carnival Cruises.

No final date of competition has been announced as of this writing, but the eventual winner will represent the Philippines in the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico later this year.

UST rallies past FEU to stay unbeaten in UAAP women’s volleyball

UST Golden Tigresses celebrate during a victory over FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

By: June Navarro - Reporter / @junavINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 10:16 PM March 03, 2024

MANILA, Philippines–University of Santo Tomas rediscovered its deadly form just in time to snatch victory from near defeat at the expense of Far Eastern University, 22-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-7, on Sunday night at the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball.

Staring at a probable setback, the Tigresses rose from two sets down and survived another five-setter for the second time around to keep their unblemished record intact after four games.

Angeline Poyos delivered 21 attacks from her game-high 24 points and Margaret Banagua powered her way to 13 points and four blocks, but it was the solid contributions of Xyza Gula and Mae Coronado that helped the Tigresses restore order in a daring comeback.

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Gula fired 12 attacks out of 13 points and Coronado had eight points and three blocks, justifying the decision of coach Kungfu Reyes from plucking them off the bench beginning in the third set.

“We have an old rivalry with FEU and we expected this. Luckily, we were able to recover and play within our system,” said Reyes after the Tigresses negated their 40 errors with another tight win.

Cassie Carballo tossed in 25 excellent sets, Bernadett Pepito had 20 digs and 24 receptions for the Tigresses, who likewise survived defending champion La Salle in a five-setter a week ago.

“We’re down by two, but the determination to win was there. We just fought for every point, for every set,” said Reyes.

Banagua positioned UST in clinching the opening set with a powerful down-the-line kill and followed it up with a block that put them ahead.

But Faida Bakanke punched a crosscourt and deflected Jonna Perdido’s attack, instantly shifting the tide in FEU’s favor. Gerzel Petalio then scored on a push and ended the set with an off-the-block strike.

Jean Asis got into the groove in the second set, delivering four attacks for the Lady Tamaraws in a 7-2 run that reversed the trend.

Errors then mounted for the Tigresses with Poyos and Regina Jurado faltering at set point that accelerated another failed effort.

The Tigresses refused to call it a night though, stealing the third set in a roller-coaster ride that ended on a pair of hits unleashed by Banagua and Coronado.

Gula and Coronado got into the act in the fourth set as the Tigresses weathered FEU’s rally. With UST safely ahead, a perfectly prepared toss that Poyos smashed tied the match, forcing the decider.

Coronado and Gula set the tone for a carnage in the fifth, pushing the Tigresses to an early 4-1 advantage.

“I told her (Coronado) that she should always be ready and she delivered,” said Reyes.

Back-to-back attacks by Poyos, a combination play completed by Jurado and Banagua’s block further widened the gap before Gula capped the night with two straight crosscourt kills.