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.

Davao City steps up school vaccinations

By Ruth Palo

THE Davao City government has intensified its school-based vaccinations as face-to-face classes have started in most schools in the city.

Covid-19 Task Force spokeswoman Dr. Michelle Schlosser, however, admitted that the vaccination rollout for 5 to 11 years old could turn out to be the most challenging should parents refuse to have their children vaccinated.

"We are intensifying the school-based vaccinations but the dilemma of our vaccination team is if parents refuse to have their children vaccinated. At the end of the day, no vaccinations will happen if there is no consent from the parents," Schlosser said in a radio program over Davao City Disaster Radio.

She urged parents to instill the importance of wearing masks in their children to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

Personnel from the Safety and Security Cluster, she said, are deployed to the city's schools and are strictly implementing the wearing of masks as they continue to heighten monitoring of Covid-19 cases in the city.

Schlosser has continuously appealed to the parents of 5 to 11 years old to have their children vaccinated since infection among this age group is inevitably spread because most kids are not keen on adhering to minimum public health standards.

"We are still emphasizing the wearing of masks. You can teach your children to wear their masks every single time that they are in school. Have them vaccinated because we don't want them to suffer from the severity of the disease if they do get infected," she said.

Schlosser also urged teaching and nonteaching personnel to make sure their learners or students wear masks inside their classrooms and schools.

A spirituality adapted to the changing times

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WE, of course, are told that nothing is new under the sun. (cfr. Ecc 1,9) But neither can we deny that times are changing, the world is evolving, developments continue to take place, and at these times, they come quite rapidly. And so, we also have to make certain adaptations in the way we keep and nourish our spiritual life. Otherwise, we would simply get lost or, at least, confused.

Obviously, the basics have to be retained. We need to pray always, have recourse to the sacraments, grow in the virtues, wage constant ascetical struggle, etc. But we have to find new ways of how to go about them. 

These should be ways that effectively address the new features of our times when we have easy access to the new and powerful technologies, when we are asked to expand our scope of concerns, when we have to grow more in our sense of solidarity and subsidiarity, etc.

Yes, we have to learn to be more flexible and versatile, more open to the new things without compromising the traditional basic things, more adept in keeping the proper focus as we cruise through rapidly varying circumstances and situations.

Of great importance in this regard is the need for upgrading our vigilance skills, since we will always have to contend with very smart and wily enemies of our soul and of God himself. We are reminded of this need in that parable of the 10 virgins. (cfr. Mt 25,1-13)

We should not take this need for granted. We have to continually update and upgrade our vigilance skills. Remember Christ telling his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life…Be vigilant at all times.” (Lk 21,34.36)

Truth is the many developments today, while giving us a lot of advantages and conveniences, can also easily lead us to bad things. They can foster complacency, self-indulgence, vanity, pride, greed, envy, discord, etc. They can turn us into materialistic monsters, totally insensitive to the spiritual and supernatural realities of our life and to God himself.

We should never underestimate the tricks and snares of the devil, the false allurements of the world, and the dynamic of our weakened and wounded flesh. These enemies of our soul will constantly make new guises to mislead and tempt us. To upgrade our vigilance skills is not a matter of paranoia. It is to be realistic. It is to be effectively prudent.

We should not be naïve to think that with our current skills at spiritual and moral vigilance, we are already okay. We have to sharpen our sense of purpose in life, seeing to it that its general goal is being consistently lived and reinforced in the many subsidiary purposes we have during the year, month, week, day, and even hour. 

With how things are now, we cannot simply rely on a generic sense of purpose. We have to learn how to be vigilant in all circumstances and situations in life, especially when we are tired, troubled, or when thrilled and excited.

Thus, it would be helpful that from time to time, we pause and examine how we are doing in our spiritual life. Do we still have the proper spiritual and supernatural bearing? Are there things to be corrected or modified? Are we aware of the state of our spiritual and moral resources?

We have to always find the answers to these questions!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Is teaching abroad a good career option for expats?

  by Sophie Hoy *

Many expatriates teach their native language in their country of residence. It is essential to have diplomas to teach in schools or institutions of any kind. Still, it is also possible to do some tutoring, and this does not require any certificate, even if it is recommended. Many learners wish to speak with a native speaker about any subject, thus learning the language and the culture, without going through theoretical courses or working on the basics in an academic way.

But is it viable to teach one's native language while living in a foreign country? The following inspiring testimonials illustrate life as a teacher abroad.

Expats who love teaching and never get tired of it

Laura is Irish. She has lived in France for 4 years, where she taught English to professionals in organizations and gave private lessons. During these 4 years, she worked face-to-face, an option that was much more profitable than the online lessons. Therefore she had a good living as an expatriate teacher. Arriving in Paris with very little knowledge of French, she adapted herself and finally acquired an intermediate level. Since 2013, Laura has been living in Scotland, and although she has moved to an English-speaking country this time, she continues her teaching mission and works 100% as a distance learning teacher to foreigners abroad.

Ninotchka has an atypical life path. We could say that she has been an expatriate for her whole life. Born in Spain, she grew up in the United States and then spent most of her life in England, where she became a citizen. Living in France with her expat husband since 2018, she remembers their arrival in France without much knowledge of the language. They took 6 weeks of classes to perfect their French skills, but the lockdown and the pandemic deprived them of many interactions that would probably have been beneficial. Thanks to her husband, Ninotchka quickly adapted to life in the south of France and did not get homesick, which she feared when she moved there. As far as teaching is concerned, she is particularly grateful to her English friend James (see below), who introduced her to his employer so that she could become a teacher like him. Thanks to his help, she now teaches English and Spanish to adults, as well as to children, in private lessons and through that specialized company. She even provides distance learning. Ninotchka explains that one can live well as an expat teacher in France. Nevertheless, she admits that distance learning has played an essential role in the development of her own business and warns that face-to-face classes alone may not be sufficient depending on the region where you live.

Francine is a French teacher. She started as a freelancer 8 years ago when she arrived in Mauritius, before working for a local training company. She now delivers mainly in-company training, both face-to-face and online, because of Covid. In Mauritius, most of the learners have acquired the basics of French during their schooling. English is the administrative language, but French is still the country's spoken language, in addition to Mauritian Kreol. Francine believes that there is a real need for French lessons. Thanks to her actual job, but also thanks to private lessons, which complete her income, she manages to live well on the island. She enjoys every moment because she is passionate about teaching. Her personal pride is to have English-speaking learners who started with zero knowledge and who can hold a conversation after only 30 hours of working with her.

Teaching children is also a good option

Marion has been a British expatriate in Mauritius since 2014. She taught adults in a specialized institute when she arrived in the country. For the past few years, she has been working exclusively with children in a French school where she teaches English but also history and geography in English for international classes. Her husband is Mauritian, so it was easy to settle there. Concerning expat life in Mauritius, Marion explains that it is not always that easy. "Cars are very expensive as well as the schooling in private schools for international children. Property rentals can also be expensive depending on what you are looking for", but still, she assures that it is possible to live well. "It remains a challenge if you don't have any support locally". She recommends preparing any expatriation well in advance.

James is from the United Kingdom. He has been living and teaching English in France since 2013 to adults and younger learners preparing for their Baccalaureate. He admits that he “thought” he could speak French when he arrived in France but soon realized that he had to take classes. And this is exactly what made him want to become a teacher and have a turnover in his career. So he decided to cut back on his activities with England, completed a training course to obtain his TEFL, and immediately started working as an English teacher. "It was easy," he says! Today, James has a flourishing business in France, but he joins other testimonies: thanks to distance learning, he manages to cover all the regions of the national territory. Moreover, his employer, a language training company, finds him the clients! What more could you ask for? 

Well, since he is happy with his own situation and his job, he shared his experience and recommended his friend Ninotchka to do the same... and she is delighted, as we have seen.

Teaching can be more complicated in some places than others.

Ronald has an atypical profile as well. He was born in Brazil and then grew up in Brazil and Germany. Following his return to Sao Paulo in 2010, he became a German and English teacher. Between 2013 and 2016, he taught in companies to adults and private clients based in Sao Paulo. Since 2016 he has expanded his activities through online training companies. However, his learners are no longer only in Brazil. Ronald explains that it is possible to have a good living if you provide courses to local private institutes or schools, but working with foreign companies guarantees a much higher income. They pay better as rates are in EUR or USD. Therefore, he finds it more secure to work with both local and international companies.

Rose is from the UK and has lived in Bulgaria for 12 years. She teaches only to private companies in distance learning. Eight years ago, she taught at a University of Economics, but she reminds us of a local reality about her discipline. In Bulgaria, foreign languages are not considered core subjects like math. Thus, language teachers earn only around 400 euros per month while other teachers get much more. It was not sustainable to continue working for this kind of rate. So now, she teaches distance learning courses to adults through international companies. This allows her to live decently on a Western European salary while living in one of the poorest countries in the EU.

Expats who have teaching in their blood even after returning home 

Hélène is French. She lived in Canada for 10 years, where she taught her mother tongue in a Canadian non-profit organization whose objective was to promote the French language abroad. She mainly taught children during her stay. It was quite simple to settle in Canada. She initially moved for an internship as a cultural and resource manager; then, she was hired by the organization, and her position evolved. Looking back to her arrival, she thinks she had an intermediate level of English, but after 10 years, she became perfectly bilingual and even obtained Canadian nationality. She explains that it is easy to find a job as a language teacher. Native teachers are in high demand because it is a bilingual country, and the only wholly French-speaking province is Quebec. This is the reason why the other provinces have real needs for teachers. In the public sector, a diploma is generally required (at least in British Columbia). But in the private sector and in organizations, working is even possible without a diploma, and there are many French schools throughout the whole country. Regarding the cost of living in Canada: “This is a complicated issue” she says. “Life can be very expensive, depending on the province where you live”. Hélène explains that it is still possible to live well as an expat teacher in any of them and even in Vancouver, where everything is very expensive.

Today, Hélène is no longer in Canada, but she continues to teach French and has added teaching English to her path. That is a great career development for her, and she always has the same pleasure in sharing her knowledge with others.

Berna is American and has lived in France for 20 years. She did not teach her native language at that time, but she witnessed the potential and need for native teachers. She did not speak French when she arrived and learned it later. She was in touch with expatriate teachers who seemed to be able to make a living from it. She found great interest in the distance learning approach. So since her return in 2005, she has devoted herself to teaching her native language to adults for a specialized company offering distance learning courses to French executives. 

Whether teaching is difficult or not in the countries where our expats live, they found a way to live a pleasant life. They sometimes combine international education with local courses to make life better. Teachers of all ages, and even retired ones, have one thing in common: they love what they do. Sharing their knowledge is a fire that burns within their heart, and the flame does not go out so easily. Sometimes, all it takes is a spark to launch into the tutoring adventure. 

Article translated from Enseigner à l'étranger : est-ce une option viable pour s'expatrier ?

PH now has over 118K dengue cases—DOH

THE Aedes Aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue.

by Analou de Vera, Manila Bulletin

The Philippines continue to see a rise in dengue cases as it already recorded more than 118,000 cases since the start of this year.

A total of 118,526 dengue cases across the country were already logged from Jan. 1 to Aug. 6, as shown in the latest data of the Department of Health (DOH).

This figure is 153 percent higher compared to the 46,761 dengue cases reported during the same period last year.

Most of the dengue cases were recorded in Central Luzon with 21,242, Central Visayas with 11,363, and Metro Manila with 10,937.

Deaths related to dengue also stood at 399. This is higher compared to the 167 fatalities recorded during the same period last year.

Most of the deaths were logged in Central Visayas with 68, Western Visayas with 51, and Central Luzon with 41.

The DOH continuously reminded the public to practice the 4s strategy against dengue.

These 4S strategy consists of: search and destroy mosquito breeding places, secure self-protection, seek early consultation, and support fogging/ spraying only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent impending outbreak, the DOH said.

New subspecies of Begonia seen in Zamboanga

Begonia bangsamoro subp. Bagasa. PHOTO BY MARK ARCEBAL K. NAIVE/PHYS.ORG

By Al Jacinto, Manila Times

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have reported a new subspecies of Begonia in Mount Timolan Protected Landscape in Zamboanga del Sur province.

Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae.

The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown indoors as ornamental houseplants in cooler climates. In cooler climates some species are cultivated outside in summertime for their bright colorful flowers, which have sepals but no petals.

In ongoing taxonomic studies of the genus Begonia, the researchers and their collaborators collected a population of peculiar Begonia section Petermannia species, according to a report by Phys.org.

The report, attributed to Zhang Nannan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said after meticulously examining its morphology and comparing it with protologues and available digitized type specimens from across the Philippines and neighboring countries, the researchers confirmed it as a subspecies of Begonia bangsamoro that is new to science.

The new subspecies was named as Begonia bangsamoro subp. Bagasa and published in Phytotaxa. It is the 17th representative of the genus Begonia for Zamboanga Peninsula.

The new subspecies is a terrestrial, monoecious, perennial herb, up to 30 cm long. It differs from Begonia bangsamoro subspecies bangsamoro in having staminate and pistillate flowers with much narrower and elongate tepals.

The new subspecies is endemic to the Zamboanga Peninsula. It was found in deeply shaded lower montane forest with damp soil growing along the trail with an elevation of 700–900 m a.s.l. It was also found growing as a terrestrial, lithophyte and as a climber on tree ferns.

The conservation status of the new subspecies is proposed as "least concern" following the International Union for Conservation of Nature Standards.

The Mount Timolan Protected Landscape is a protected area covering Mount Timolan and its surrounding forested landscape. The park encompasses an area of 1,994.79 hectares (4,929.2 acres) and a buffer zone of 695.39 hectares (1,718.3 acres) in the municipalities of San Miguel, Guipos and Tigbao.

It was established on Aug. 14, 2000 through Proclamation Order 354 issued by then President Joseph Estrada. The park was also earlier established by the provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur as a provincial park and wildlife sanctuary known as the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Park through Provincial Ordinance 3 in 1992.

The presence of various microhabitats is reflected in the diversity of flora and fauna found there. However, limited information is available and biodiversity studies are scarce up until now.

Obiena wins gold medal in Germany

By Niel Victor C. Masoy

FILIPINO Olympian Ernest John "EJ" Obiena cleared 5.81 meters to win the men's pole vault gold medal at the Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Germany on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

Obiena outperformed 10 other competitors, including Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Chris Nilsen of the United States, to jumpstart a seven-event stretch on a winning note.

Nilsen bagged the silver after clearing the 5.71-meter bar. Kurtis Marschall of Australia also jumped 5.71 meters but settled for the bronze after the count back.

With his golden performance, Obiena also reached the qualifying standard for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Obiena resets PH record, wins bronze at World Athletics

"Great start for the second part of the season," the 26-year-old Obiena wrote on his Facebook page.

"We got the standard for next year's World Champs in Hungary."

Other pole vaulters who participated in the tournament included Germany's Bo Kanda, Lita Baehre and Oleg Zernikel, Norway's Sondre Guttormsen, and USA's Tray Oates.

Obiena has two more events scheduled for the week as he competes in the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland on August 25 and the True Athletics Classics in Germany on August 28.

He made history last month by capturing the bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

Obiena, the world's number three pole vaulter, was recently reinstated to the Philippine team after a run-in with the previous leadership of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association.

Vigilant and fruitful

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

BECAUSE we can easily be confused and entangled in the drama of our life, we should see to it that we are always vigilant and fruitful, so that we avoid losing our proper focus and the sense of purpose of our whole life.

The focus should always be God and how to relate everything to him, glorifying him. This should always be in our mind, whatever the circumstance and situation we may find ourselves in at a given moment.

For this, we have to make use of some effective plan of life, with the proper attitude and spirit. and relevant and functioning practices of piety. Given the complexity of our life today, with all the rapid and sophisticated developments emerging, we should be ready to face the challenge.

We need to be always vigilant, in good times and in bad times, and most especially in ordinary times which we still would not know whether it is good or bad. We should never let our guard down. From time to time, let’s pause to see if we are still keeping our proper bearings and outlook.

This is simply because we have enemies to contend with all the time. First of all, it is our own selves, our own weakened flesh that will always lure us to do things against God’s will and against what is truly good for us.

Then we have the world with all its sinful attractions and temptations. And, of course, the devil himself. Never discount him. He’s always around, prowling like a lion looking for someone to devour. (cfr 1 Pt 5,8)

In what may seem to be good times, when things are more or less ok, let us thank God and do our best to make use of all the blessings and good opportunities made available for us. 

But let’s not forget that the good things can also cause dangers for us if we are not careful. We should know where those dangers lie in the good things that we may enjoy at the moment. In that way, we avoid falling into complacency that will practically spoil us, and take away the goodness of the blessings we are enjoying.

Everyday, we should be keenly aware that we need to be fruitful and productive also. That’s simply because even from the beginning of our creation in Adam and Eve, this has always been God’s will for us.

“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it,” (Gen 1,28) God told our first parents, clearly outlining his mandate to them. It’s a mandate that continues to be repeated up to now. Christ himself said as much.

We have to realize that God has already given us everything that we need, not only to survive but also to improve our lot that ultimately translates into realizing the fullness of our dignity as image and likeness of God, as children of his.

In this regard, we truly should be most enterprising, coming up with daily plans and strategies such that at the end of the day, when we make our examination of conscience, we can show God that we have gained something, and that the daily balance sheet of our spiritual life is in the black, not in the red.

We have to realize that the capitalization of this enterprise cannot be any better. God has given us everything—life, talents, intelligence, freedom, all kinds of capacities, his graces, etc.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com