What faith and obedience can enable us

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THAT gospel episode where Christ asked Peter to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch shows us that when we would simply have faith in God, we can do wonders in our spiritual life and apostolate despite the great odds that we may have to contend with. (cfr. Lk 5,1-11)

At first, Peter was doubtful if what Christ told him was worth following. “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,” he said. but to his credit, he immediately corrected himself. “But at your command I will lower the nets.”

The story is very moving indeed, and the good news is that it can happen to any of us as long as we have faith and trust in God. And because of that faith and trust, we can just obey God’s will and ways even if humanly speaking they may appear to us as an impossibility.

We need to learn to trust God, and in his word and in his ways, no matter how unreasonable, impractical or impossible. For this, we have to go beyond our own understanding and estimation of things, and open our mind and heart to the light of our faith and love for God and for others.

While it’s true that we have to use all our human faculties in dealing with our earthly affairs and concerns, that is, our intelligence and will, our sciences and arts, our common sense and cultural and social wisdom, we should not forget that all these would have no real value unless they are engaged with our faith in God.

God knows everything. He is omnipotent. He actually intervenes in our lives in the most intimate way since he is the one who ultimately supports our existence and who governs it wisely with his providence.

We have to realize that God continues to work and to govern over all his creation, and as his image and likeness, as his children, we are meant to cooperate in carrying God’s work and governance here on earth. Seen in this way, any work we do, as long as it is honest and good work, is actually first of all God’s work before it is ours. We should be excited to carry out that work with him!

We should just develop the sense of feeling at home with the fact that our life and all the challenges and trials we are going to face in it will always demand from us things beyond our powers and resources. And that’s simply because we are meant to go to God for all our needs, without neglecting any effort we can give along the way.

With God, we have everything. As St. Teresa de Avila would put it, “Solo Dios basta!” What we lack in our humanity, we can always make up by relying always and completely on God. 

But, alas, this can happen only when we have faith, for faith is our best resource. As St. John puts it in his first letter, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” (Jn 5,4) Without faith, we are left with a big problem right from the start.

Thus, before all this exciting drama and adventure of life, our attitude should be that of being sporty and game, based on our faith in God and trust in his all-powerful and merciful providence. This attitude is actually what is presumed every time we enter into some form of commitment, whether to a vocation or marriage or work, etc.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

UNDUE CARE AND ANXIETY

 

Worries, doubts, and anxieties are a normal part of life. It’s natural to worry about an unpaid bill, an upcoming job interview, or a first date. But “normal” worry becomes excessive when it’s persistent and uncontrollable. You worry every day about “what ifs” and worst-case scenarios, you can’t get anxious thoughts out of your head, and it interferes with your daily life.

Constant worrying, negative thinking, and always expecting the worst can take a toll on your emotional and physical health. It can sap your emotional strength, leave you feeling restless and jumpy, cause insomnia, headaches, stomach problems, and muscle tension, and make it difficult to concentrate at work or school. You may take your negative feelings out on the people closest to you, self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, or try to distract yourself by zoning out in front of screens. Chronic worrying can also be a major symptom of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a common anxiety disorder that involves tension, nervousness, and a general feeling of unease that colors your whole life.

If you’re plagued by exaggerated worry and tension, there are steps you can take to turn off anxious thoughts. Chronic worrying is a mental habit that can be broken. You can train your brain to stay calm and look at life from a more balanced, less fearful perspective.

We hardly count our blessings. We enjoy counting our crosses. Instead of gains, we count our losses. We don't have to do all that counting - computers do it for us. Information is easily had.

Just remember this: Opportunity doesn't just knock - it jiggles the doorknob, and "your friend" - the worrier, is with you day and night, at every corner, following your every step. Complaining and grumbling are good excuses, aren't they? We have time and opportunities to do almost anything. So why haven't we done it? We have the freedom of bondage or restraint, every one of us in his or her very special way - but, we're still our old inferior selves.

The overbearing person, who tyrannizes the weak, the person, who wants to domineer and to bluster, is simply nothing else than a worrier, who might claim to be a friend. But he isn't! Really not! The bullying of fellow citizens by means of dread and fright has been going on since Paleolithic times. The night wolf is eating the moon. Give me silver, and I'll make him spit out.

Well, when will we start counting our courage and not our fears, or enjoy instead our woes? Worrying itself is pointless. Of course,  no society has achieved perfect rules of law, never-ending education or unique responsible governments. Let's seek out the worries but avoid the warriors, because they try to avoid liberty.

Covid cases down by 15%

By Kaithreen Cruz, Manila Times

THE nationwide seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases further dropped to 2,959 as of August 27, a 15-percent decline from the previous week, according to OCTA Research.

OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said the seven-day average was at its highest just two weeks ago at 4,071 cases.

The average daily attack rate (ADAR) was 2.69 per 100,000 population — classified as low — as the reproduction rate, or the number of new cases caused by one infected individual, slid from 0.96 on August 17 to 0.91 on August 24.

A decrease in the positivity rate was also observed, from 16.2 to 14.3 percent as of August 26.

"If the current trends in the growth rate hold, this projects to less than 1,000 cases per day nationwide by mid-September and less than 500 per day by end of September," David said.

The World Health Organization set a 5-percent positivity rate benchmark to indicate that the infection is under control.

OCTA also observed that the Covid-19 reproduction number in the National Capital Region (NCR) was going down, to 0.99 on August 23 from 1.02 on August 16.

It was the first time since last May 11 that the reproduction number in Metro Manila had dropped below 1.

Covid positivity rate in NCR dips

David said infected numbers might be finally trending down, although at a slower rate.

The NCR positivity rate was at 13.6 percent on August 25, down by 1.1 percent from August 18, with new cases also decreasing to a seven-day average of 1,002 and a one-week growth rate of -9 percent.

"With the current pace, it could take eight weeks before the positivity rate decreases to less than five percent," David predicted.

Health care utilization for Covid-19 and ICU occupancy in NCR both dropped — from 37 to 35 percent and from 31 to 27 percent, respectively, from August 20 to August 25.

Last Friday, Department of Health (DoH) Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire reminded Filipinos to get vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19 to prevent hospitalization and deaths due to the virus.

The Pinas Lakas campaign is trying to administer booster shots to 23 million Filipinos before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first 100 days in office.

The DoH has administered 17.5 million boosters, 4.8 million of which were from NCR.

Vergeire noted that 60 percent of severe and critical Covid cases were either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.

Common tower policy to boost internet service

Information and Communications Secretary Ivan John Uy. Photo from Facebook page of Department of Information and Communications Technology

By Franco Jose C. Baroña

Information and Communications Secretary Ivan John Uy. Photo from Facebook page of Department of Information and Communications Technology

THE government has launched several programs that will "definitely speed up the deployment of better, more reliable and more economical connectivity" in the country, the head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.

Interviewed on "Business and Politics," a weekly TV program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, DICT Secretary Ivan John Enrile Uy said the Philippines has gone up several notches in terms of internet connectivity.

"But I am not happy and not satisfied. We aim to improve it further," he said.

Under the concept, telecommunications or communication service providers (telcos) will erect towers that they can lease to other telcos.

"So, each tower can now host several telcos instead of one tower per telco," Uy said.

The concept could bring the Philippines "up to par or even exceed" its neighbor Vietnam in terms of connectivity and internet speed, he said.

To further expand 5G, more towers need to be put up because the frequency requires that the towers be closer to each other, Uy said.

"For 4G you can have towers farther apart, 3G even farther apart. As we go higher, the density of the towers in a certain area has to increase. That is the challenge now," he said.

In the latest Speedtest Global Index, the Philippines' fixed broadband download speeds still lagged behind Vietnam's, but were well ahead of Asean countries Laos, Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar.

The country's mobile internet download speeds are just below Vietnam's, according to the index.

Uy said the DICT is also helping Elon Musk's satellite-based Starlink set up business in the Philippines.

Starlink is run by SpaceX and provides satellite internet access to 39 countries.

"Filipinos can start to feel the benefits of this technology in less than 12 months," Uy said.

He said DICT already had several talks with Starlink officials.

"They are very encouraged because of our foreign direct investment laws. These have actually been liberalized and so they have been incentivized to bring in their business here. In fact, that is one of the reasons why they decided to set up Starlink in the Philippines," Uy said.

He stressed satellite technology is "not for everyone," particularly in urban areas where fiber optics had been laid down.

Uy noted that fiber optic technology is still the best in terms of bringing broadband to homes and businesses with its almost unlimited capacity in terms of speed, latency and economies of scale.

However, for the Philippines, which has more than 7,100 islands, satellite technology is more appropriate.

"The benefits of satellite technology will be more apparent in remote areas in the Philippines since in many of those islands fiber optics technology will not be feasible, at least not economically," Uy said.

"There are very small and sparsely populated islands and laying out those [fiber optic] submarine cables can cost too much for the income that can be generated from those small communities. We really have to use satellite technology in order to effectively provide internet connectivity to these areas," he added.

Uy said a lot of other foreign technology companies are "waiting, seeing and observing" how these investment laws in the Philippines will play.

"We would be having a mission soon to the US to explain to tech companies what the liberation for investments that the country has are and invite them over to do more investments," he said.

Last week, Uy said he met with US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Loss Carlson to discuss investment opportunities American businessmen might want to explore in the country.

"She was very optimistic about the increased opportunities for foreigner investment of US companies in the country. She really actually looks forward to even more trade and economic activity between the two countries," Uy said of Carlson.

Albay prepares for Mayon eruption

BEAUTIFUL AND PERILOUS Mount Mayon in Albay appears calm from a distance on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, but it may erupt anytime. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the restive volcano might produce pyroclastic flows due to the lava dome blocking the volcano’s crater. Photo by Rhaydz B. Barcia

By Rhaydz Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY: The provincial government of Albay is bracing for a complex disaster as Mount Mayon is again showing signs of an impending eruption amid the typhoon season and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gov. Noel Rosal urged the province's disaster officials to prepare for an intricate situation after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) resident volcanologist, Dr. Paul Alanis, warned of a possible lava-dome collapse that might generate pyroclastic flows.

Rosal also called for an emergency meeting with national government agencies and disaster responders to discuss the measures, guidelines and strict enforcement of a no-man's land within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.

The new governor of Albay told the disaster officials of various local government units to bar civilians, specifically the farmers toiling on the fertile soils of the Mayon Volcano slopes, from entering the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Rosal also ordered all the local government units to start evacuating residents living inside the no-man's land to ensure their safety and security.

Alanis warned of a possible collapse of the lava dome from the summit, which might generate pyroclastic flows that would cascade down the southeast quadrant of the volcano facing Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo, Daraga and Camalig.

Phivolcs hoisted Alert Level 1 over Mayon Volcano on Sunday afternoon, August 21, for exhibiting restiveness.

Alanis said the lava dome at the volcano's crater generating a faint glow may crumble anytime, posing danger to the people who might enter the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Magna carta for Filipino seafarers pushed

By Javier Joe Ismael

SEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Saturday pushed for the passage of the proposed Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers as he emphasized the need to recognize the rights and contributions of the country's seafarers.

Go had earlier filed Senate Bill 1191 which aims to provide for a Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers to secure the right of the country's seafarers to decent and humane employment and set a guide for seafarers on training, overseas employment, and retirement.

The proposed measure seeks to institute mechanisms for the enforcement and protection of Filipino seafarers and provide the compulsory benefits that they deserve.

"The Philippines has been the primary supplier of maritime labor and considered the manning capital of seafarers globally since 1987. Of the 1.5 million mariners worldwide, 25 percent are Filipinos, making them the single biggest nationality bloc in the maritime industry," Go said.

"Despite the risk associated with a seafaring job, many Filipinos still chose the profession and gambled their life on board just to provide a better life for their families. Filipino seafarers' remittances have been genuinely beneficial to the Philippine economy. In fact, they contributed $6.54 billion or around 21 percent of the total OFW remittances in 2021," he said in a statement.

The senator underscored the need for the country to enhance and strengthen its measures in fulfilling its duties and obligations as the 30th Member State to ratify the International Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 (MLC).

"It is high time for the government to pass an additional piece of legislation that would benefit Filipino seafarers and give them rights corresponding to the MLC standards," Go stressed.

The Magna Carta codifies the rights of the seafarers into a single reference law, including their right to just terms and conditions of work, self-organization, educational advancement and training, information and consultation, fair treatment in the event of an accident, and against discrimination.

It also provides standard terms and conditions of employment for seafarers, including provisions related to wages, hours of work and rest, leaves, and social welfare benefits. It likewise mandates ship owners to provide medical care, both onboard and ashore, as well as a financial security system to assist our seafarers in case of injuries.

Marcos gov’t ‘respects press freedom’, says Angeles

by Betheena Unite, Manila Bulletin

Malacañang has assured Philippine media that press freedom is guaranteed and they “won’t change anything” under the Marcos administration.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles (Photo courtesy of the Office of Press Secretary)

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles stated on Friday, Aug. 26, that the government, under the leadership of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., will uphold the rights of journalists in the country. "

Sa isang panayam ng ating state media kahapon, binanggit natin na kinikilala at nirerespeto ng ating pamahalaan sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Pangulong Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. ang press freedom o ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag ng ating mga kasama sa media (In an interview with our state media yesterday, I mentioned that the government, under the leadership of President Marcos, recognizes and respects press freedom),” Angeles said in a Facebook post. You’re free to talk. We’re not changing anything. Whatever freedom we have now will always be our freedom. Our Constitution guarantees that,” Angeles said. 

Upon assuming the presidency, Marcos committed to personally face the media when it comes to pressing issues, thus he did not designate his own spokesperson.

The sweet poison of the good life

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

LET’S be wary of the danger that the privileges, gifts and good fortune we enjoy in life can bring about. Christ warned us of this possibility when he said, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him…Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place…” (Lk 14,8-10)

And he concluded this warning by saying that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk 14,11) Instead, he asked us to give special or preferential attention and care for the poor, the weak and the sick.

It’s a lesson that we should learn and live well. It is what makes us like Christ and able to do and cooperate with his sanctifying and redemptive mission that we have to continue till the end of time.

Let’s be reminded that the privileges, favors and blessings we enjoy in life are meant for us to strengthen our desire to serve and not to be served. But as it is, we should try to avoid them, since they tend only to spoil and corrupt us.

We have to be most wary when we happen to enjoy some privileged positions or status in life because we tend to think that we deserve more entitlements. And not only would we expect them. We may even demand them for us.

This, sad to say, seems to be a common phenomenon these days. It can affect everyone, of course, but it especially affects the young ones who appear to be more privileged than those in the previous generations because of the many new things they are learning and enjoying now. And they feel entitled.

We should banish this temptation as soon as it makes its appearance felt in us. On the contrary, we should follow the example of Christ who, in spite of who he is, just wanted to serve. 

We should develop the intense desire to have a special concern for those who have less in life, like the simple and the weak, the sick and disabled, the children and the poor. 

This truth of our faith is somehow highlighted in that gospel episode where Christ preached about the need to be like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven, the care not to despise the little children, and his intent always to look for the lost sheep, regardless of the cost and effort involved. (cfr. Mt 18,1-5.10.12-14)

If we are truly Christian, we should have true and abiding compassion toward everyone, especially the poor and the needy. But we have to understand that compassion should have universal coverage. It should not be limited to the sentimental aspects of things, nor to relieving the economic and material needs of people alone.

It should cover the whole range of human needs in their proper order of importance, foremost of which is our need for God. We have to learn to distinguish between the pressing and precious needs of man, and to cope with the tension that sometimes arises in our effort to put these two kinds of human needs together.

In this concern, we have to understand that the poor may not be the ones who are economically poor. They can be the richest, the most educated, the most famous and powerful, but who happen to be farthest from God. They can turn out, in that context, to be the poorest of the poor, the lost sheep that have strayed farthest from God.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Why are there so many OFWs in the Philippines?

 

Bisaya

Proud Bisaya 

OFWs, or Overseas Filipino Workers, have become a significant part of the Philippines economy. They remit billions of dollars to the country annually, supporting families and fuelling local businesses. So why are there so many OFWs in the Philippines? One reason is that job opportunities are often limited at home. Many OFW Pinoy[1] has the skills and qualifications to work abroad, but there are not enough jobs. In addition, OFWs often earn higher wages than they would at home, which can be a significant incentive to leave family and friends behind in search of work. Finally, many Filipinos view working abroad as an opportunity to explore new cultures and gain new experiences. For many OFWs, the hope is that their time away from home will eventually lead to a better life for themselves and their families.

Footnotes

[1] Home

EU wants to boost trade with PH

Romanian Ambassador Raduta Dana Matache gestures during a roundtable interview with The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR

By Bernadette E. Tamayo, Manila Times

THE Philippines should take advantage of the "heightened interest" of the European Union to boost trade with the Philippines, the ambassador of Romania to Manila said.

"The whole of the EU is interested in the Philippines," Ambassador Raduta Dana Matache said on Thursday in a roundtable interview with The Manila Times Chairman Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd.

Matache started as Romania's envoy to the Philippines last December with a mandate from Romanian President Klaus Iohannis "to help re-launch relations" between Bucharest and Manila.

The Philippines and Romania celebrated half a century of diplomatic relations this year. The two countries established diplomatic ties on Feb. 29, 1972.

There are an estimated 1,300 Filipinos in the central European country.

Romania was the first country in the former socialist eastern European bloc with which the Philippines established diplomatic ties, at the initiative of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

Asked how she could put the Philippines on the "radar" of the Romanian people and the rest of the EU, Matache said Romania can serve as the Philippines' "springboard" to the European community.

"You should take advantage of this heightened interest and have this responsibility for enhanced cooperation [with EU]," she said.

The ambassador added that it "would help immensely" if the Philippines reopens its embassy in Bucharest which was closed in 2012 supposedly to cut costs.

Matache said her government is "interested in a strong, free democratic Philippines that is at peace with its neighbors."

"We are interested in freedom of navigation because in a globalized world, even if Romania is 10,000 kilometers away, [it] is affected by everything that happens here," she said.

The Philippines has some areas of development that interest Romania most, the envoy said. "You have a fantastic business process outsourcing sector. We have a lot of startups. We can help each other by putting together a competitive advantage," Matache said.

In a video message in June during a cultural event co-hosted by the Romanian embassy in Manila, Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu said his country is determined to strengthen its ties with the Philippines and jointly promote international order in the Indo-Pacific region.

Aurescu said Romania continues to be actively involved in the implementation of the EU Indo-Pacific strategy. "We advocate that a stable and developed Southeast Asia is central to a safe and prosperous world," Aurescu added. "All these as well as our common interests in ensuring and preserving peace and security and respect for human rights worldwide bring our two countries even closer."

"We look forward to expanding our bilateral, political and economic cooperation, trade investments and people to people exchanges," he said.